Module 1: Teaching functional skills – from building to applying skills 0 0

Teaching functional skills – from building to applying skills 1 Objectives for Module 1 For teachers to: relate their current practice to the process of skills building and application understand the key factors that support learners to build and apply functional skills explore what building and applying functional skills means for planning, teaching and learning Outcomes for Module 1 Participants will have identified general modifications that they need to make for the effective teaching and learning of functional skills.

Teaching functional skills – from building to applying skills 2 Some examples of classroom strategies used to build skills Questioning Explaining Modelling Guided learning Group problem solving

Teaching functional skills – from building to applying skills 3 Prompts for writing medium-term (unit) plans What do learners already know? What can they already do? Which functional skills will need to be developed? What will learners know and be able to do as a result of this teaching sequence? How will they know what success looks like?

Teaching functional skills – from building to applying skills 4 Key features of a teaching sequence that supports skills building Co-construction of challenging and motivating learning goals by teacher and learners through dialogue Integration of prior and new knowledge Opportunities for active experimentation Planned reflection and evaluation

Teaching functional skills – from building to applying skills 5 Skills application in action Awill look at relationship/roles of teacher/learner in this clip and how they have changed (or not) from the first ‘building skills’ clip. B will observe/listen to dialogue between teacher and learner and among learners. C will draw out how successfully learners are applying the functional skills they have developed. D will make observations about the climate of the setting, e.g. group dynamics, behaviour and management of the task.

Teaching functional skills – from building to applying skills 6 Key messages for the teaching of functional skills The stages of building and applying skills have related but distinct features. The main goal is always to secure independent application of a skill. The role of the teacher needs to change in line with the demands of the task, content and context, but remains active throughout. The need to articulate, reflect on and evaluate skills that have been built and applied is vital. Links to applying and transferring skills outside the classroom will play an important role in securing mastery.

Teaching functional skills – from building to applying skills 7 Key messages from Module 1 A learner does not necessarily: know a skill exists unless it is explicitly named and identified learn a skill unless it is taught acquire a skill unless given the opportunity to use it transfer a skill unless given other opportunities where the skill is explicitly identified.

Teaching functional skills – from building to applying skills 8 The four core modules for schools Autumn term 2008 Teaching functional skills: From building to applying skills Within real, purposeful and relevant contexts Teaching functional skills: Assessing progress From Entry level to Level 1 Spring term 2009