Angie Gray and Lesley Breeze Wymondham College Norfolk

Teacher objectives To let go! To enable development of teaching skills- teacher to teacher peer assessment To assess how effective student focused learning is in raising achievement and levels of student involvement. To develop teacher confidence and competence in providing opportunities for students to determine their own points for development in project work.

Pupil learning objectives To promote independent learning To give pupils various topic areas that they may want to explore—to increase awareness of global interdependency Promotion of cross curricular links within the school Peer and self assessment as a tool for student engagement and development of an investigative approach to working within Science.

Part 1:Lesson observation by Angie Gray The basis of the science focussed lesson was as outlined in the adjoining ppt. The pupils had chosen their areas of research and were to spend this and one more lesson, plus homework, developing their presentations.

At the end of the lesson 3 groups were confident in presenting their plans for the presentation This enabled the groups to assess the standard of the work so far, enable them to adjust any problem areas in their plans and to sort out what each member of the group were doing.

Feedback on the lesson (teacher to teacher) We recognised on reflection that a positive framework needs to be created by the teacher before any such learning process can take place and that this is built up over a period of time which we spend with the students in all aspects of school life. Our positive relationships with the students is an essential ingredient for successful learning. See handout.

A main point for Lesley Pupils could be given a structured worksheet to log the areas for prep work so that I have details of the pupils participation in the project. I was aware that some members of the groups were much weaker/lazier than others and without getting them to complete specific tasks the rest of the group would carry them

Angie’s lesson plan summary Prior to the lesson students were engaged in a lesson on development using Africa as a focus. The students were given a recipe for a world cake and planned how they would make it. On the day the students hijacked the ‘cookery’ room (oops Food Technology Facility) and under the watchful eye of the Food Technician made a cake with lots of ingredients from all over the world. Whilst the boys washed up and wiped the girls mapped the origins of the ingredients. The results – well no one got food poisoning but felt sick.

World cake preparation The decoration of the cake took place in true African style – outside over a temporary braai. The cakes were tasted on the International Focus Study morning. The students, as well as feeling ill from over indulgence in cakes, jellies, milk, wine gums, bananas, chocolate, cream, exclaimed ‘Now I know what she has been on about and we are all linked together. I want to find more’.

Lesson Learnt There is a clear need for teachers to engage in a professional dialogue through mutual trust. This can be done on a formal basis using peer coaching as a framework. However there is a trust built up. Through this trust informal relationships are created and are just as effective in developing professional competences as formal structures. Both systems are needed as it is not just the student who learns but as professionals we need to be life long learners.

Morning of activity

Pupils delivered numerous presentations From our point of view the presentations covered far more detail and depth than we as teachers would have delivered. They enjoyed sharing their newly acquired knowledge Some pupils who are not as academic showed excellent presentation skills Their imaginative delivery was enviable!

Specific feedback on the topics covered and new facts learnt. Cream ‘I didn’t know that cows were taken from their mother after just 48 hours for milk production- I don’t like this.’ ‘Organic and free range is much better for the cow and us.’ ‘I will buy organic now.’ Tasting- ‘I preferred the home whipped cream’ ‘I preferred the sugary squirty cream’

JELLY ‘Best presentation- shocking!’ ‘Didn’t know what jelly was- feel sick at the thought- won’t eat Haribou again.’ ‘Disgusted’ ‘Horrific’ ‘Not eating Jelly’ ‘now going to check sweets are vegetarian’ ‘Would like to know more about vegetarian jelly’ ‘Didn’t know that Buddhists didn’t eat jelly.’

Exploring International themes, feedback See questionnaire Examples of 2 pupils feedback are enclosed. All pupils enjoyed the activities involved and considered the learning method as a positive experience which they would like to repeat. It raised the awareness of interdependency and they compared it to the Glo-bingo activity. They enjoyed developing the team building skills needed to make the presentations/morning work.

Most pupils liked the balance between practical learning activities and quiet reading and written work. Some commented that we teachers still hadn’t ‘let go’!