Learning To Learn

Helping young people to become ‘effective participators’

This e-bulletin continues our exploration of how the QCDA personal, learning and thinking skills framework can be put into practice. For the summer term, our focus is on the final key competence of the framework: that of 'effective participators'

Heuristic play for toddlers

The word heuristic derives from the Greek word eurisko meaning ‘I discover’. It is used to describe an intuitive way of meeting challenges and solving problems – exactly what young children do when they are engaged in heuristic play

Reflective learners: helping learners make sense of their learning

This week begins a series on how to help young people develop as ‘Reflective Learners’

Child initiated learning

Jenni Clarke, early years consultant and author, looks at the importance of practitioners' planning to support young children's self-initiated learning

How to develop independent student learning

Does combining SEAL, Philosophy for Children (P4C) and thinking skills seem like a recipe for effective independent student learning? If so, read Kate Mawer's description of William Parker School's curriculum development for Year 7s

Philosophy for Children (P4C)

Hanneke Jones looks at the Philosophy for Children method of introducing thinking skills. This method of learning, developed by SAPERE, develops cognitive skills and philosophical methods

Philosophy for Children: intergenerational dialogue

The Philosophy for Children programme has great potential benefits for intergenerational dialogue. Michelle Whiteworth, coordinator of Age Concerns' intergenerational project in North Tyneside, discusses those benefits for pupils — and also the challenges

Linking self-awareness to improved behaviour

How can pupils' self-awareness, one of the principal domains of the social and emotional aspects of learning (SEAL) initiative, contribute to improving their behaviour? Dave Stott explains

Learning logs to encourage reflective learning

Introducing learning logs can help pupils to reflect on their learning by identifying their attainment and progress says Steve Gibson, director of music and public performance at Carmel RC College, Darlington

Deep learning: structuring a coherent approach

How does your school approach 'learning to learn'? A bit of 'accelerated learning', a few 'thinking skills', some 'emotional intelligence' and a commitment to 'assessment for learning' for good measure? The QCA has acknowledged that schools need a coherent, consistent approach to learning - Graham Powell examines how to do it

Cooperative learning approaches for developing team workers

Anne de A’Echevarria explores Kagan’s Cooperative Learning pedagogy as part of her in-depth focus on the ‘Team Workers' strand of the QCA’s Personal, Learning and Thinking Skills framework

Developing independent enquirers: summary and recap

This issue places the idea of developing 'independent enquirers' within the broader context of 'Learning to Learn'. As she concludes her series on enquiry for young learners, Anne de A'Echevarria offers a checklist of talking points for colleagues who are currently engaged with enquiry-based approaches

Learning to learn: one school's journey

Are you eager to explore new ways of learning? For six years Fallibroome High School has been trying new ideas. Deputy headteacher Francis Power describes what they've learned along the way

Learning together: how collaborative research can benefit students and teachers

When teachers and students work together, they can learn a lot about learning. In a 'Learning Together' project at seven schools, students and teachers researched the link between pupil behaviour and learning

Enquiry skills activity: What is learning?

A teaching activity that will encourage pupils' enquiry, thinking and participation skills. Suitable for key stages 3 to 5.

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Worksheets to record pupils' learning journeys

This free resource will encourage pupils to recall and record their past learning experiences. This will help teachers gain an understanding of pupils' individual learning preferences

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Thinking skills in action

How can the process of developing thinking skills be put into practice? A glimpse into the environment within a day nursery in south-east England shows how read more

Learning to learn: changing the curriculum

Staff at the Grammar School for Girls, Wilmington, decided it was time for a change. Six months later there is a real sense of staff and students working together for the future. Chris Love describes how learning to learn was introduced to his school

Creative thinking: a personal, learning and thinking skill

If the spirit of creativity were allowed to flower, could we cope? David Leat looks at the way that everyday constraints leave schools ill-equipped to teach creativity and the way that it can flourish when those constraints are removed

The 'lesson study' model of classroom enquiry

Lesson study is a form of classroom enquiry from the Far East that focuses on improving an aspect of teaching and learning through collaborative long-term study. Pete Dudley describes its background and how it has been adapted for use in England

Behind the buzzwords: Learning (how) to learn

Kate Wall and Elaine Hall explore some of the commonalities and difficulties with concepts associated with learning to learn read more

Learning and thinking skills through drama

David Allen and Iona Towler-Evans look at an innovative system of teaching thinking skills through drama

Guy Claxton's character curriculum for the learning age

Guy Claxton invites debate on his eight character strengths and virtues for the learning age

Learning detectives: learning to learn

Mandi Horwood describes how a project to investigate how students saw their learning and how they can have a say in it revealed the vital contribution that they have to make read more

Opening minds: a competency based curriculum at Campion School

Helen Boyle, AST and lead teacher for Opening Minds, Campion School, describes the school's successful development of a competency based curriculum with L2L at its heart read more

Learning to learn: a competency based curriculum

Jackie Beere looks at how schools can help learners to become self motivated and independent

The learning journey for maths

Lorraine Barber, a numeracy adviser from Worcestershire, explains the importance of effective and exciting maths teaching read more

Pedagogy and personalisation: new guidance

Pedagogy is back on the agenda after a long period of neglect, with new guidance encouraging professionals to think about what should be taught and how it should be taught, writes Cliff Jones read more

Learning to learn: improving the quality of teaching

Kate Wall describes the main findings of the Learning to Learn in Schools Phase 3 project evaluation and looks at some of the implications for schools

Lessons from Learning to Learn

What are the right conditions for teacher learning? Teachers need a working space where they have freedom to think, innovate and learn, say David Leat and Kate Wall read more

Top tips for test success

Christine Fanthome outlines practical strategies for students to aid examination success read more

Thinking Through School: building a learning community

In this month’s in-depth focus Anne De A’Echevarria talks about the Thinking Through School approach to learning-focused innovation. She describes the model and, using examples, explores successful implementation in schools and how the impact can be seen to be more than school-wide

Implementing the Thinking Through School approach at Corbridge Middle School

Staff soon discovered that it was more than just a ‘learning to learn’ scheme. Liz Solomon describes the challenges and insights gained from trialling Thinking Through School. read more

Encouraging communication, curiosity and creativity

Linda Thornton and Pat Brunton explore ways to use the children’s curiosity about their world to become self-motivated, independent learners

Guy Claxton and 'learning to learn'

Charles Dietz examines the work of Guy Claxton, professor of education at Bristol University and fellow of the British Psychological Society. read more

Howard Gardner: more than multiple intelligences

Howard Gardner will forever be associated with his theory of multiple intelligences. Charles Dietz discovers that the Hobbs professor in cognition and education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education has a lot more to say on the nature of giftedness. read more

Assessment for learning and cooperative learning strategies

Cooperative learning strategies aim to promote feedback loops relating to assessment and reflective learning in the classroom at Fallibroome High School. Jane Gormally and Francis Power describe the developments.

A new language for learning

Former headteacher Tim Small, a member of of ViTaL Partnerships, introduces some excerpts from his colleague Ruth Deakin Crick’s new book on learning power and the effective lifelong learning inventory (ELLI)

Child abuse and its affect on brain development (part two)

Child abuse can affect a child’s ability to learn. In the second of two articles, Jenni Whitehead looks at ways of helping such children in the classroom. read more

Investigating underachievement

Do students have something constructive to say about their own education? Putting pupil consultation at the forefront of her research into tacking underachievement allowed Helen Lee to highlight some new areas of concern for her school

Making working memory work in the classroom

Dr Tracy Packiam Alloway of the University of Durham has researched the difficulties faced by children who have a low working memory

Peer feedback and self-assessment

Sarah Treneer and Claire Kendall describe how they developed a technique for encouraging children to reflect on their own and others’ learning through the use of peer feedback.

Piaget and the development of intelligence

Steve Mynard opens a series of articles on educational thinkers who have influenced our approaches to early education. read more

Teaching pupils how to learn

"I have come to see that the real and pressing issue underpinning an effective school system is the recognition that learning is learnable. In this article, I want to persuade you that you can actually teach pupils how to learn (and watch their performance and confidence levels soar as a consequence)". read more

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