Give examples of how you think lessons could be criticised for lacking pace and challenge. Pace and Challenge

To know what is meant by pace and challenge. To understand how to develop challenge in the lesson. Pace and Challenge Objectives

Pace. What is pace? “The pace is just right, no time is wasted and students move quickly from one learning activity to another. However there is no sense of rushing and everybody has enough time to think.” Grade 1 lesson Pace

MAINTAINING COGNITIVE PACE Slick start to the lesson. Brisk well ordered transitions. Appropriately timed activities. Engaging, concise exposition delivered with enthusiasm.

Challenge Are students extending their existing levels of knowledge, understanding skills? Are they working to capacity? Are they thinking for themselves and solving problems or are they being spoon-fed by the teacher. Challenge “The best conditions for learning exist when children have a challenge that extends their cognitive range.”

Challenge Are students challenged to think? Bloom – Good frame of reference.

National curriculum thinking skills Information processing Reasoning Thinking Skills Enquiry Creative thinking Evaluation Finding relevant information Organising information Representing/communication information Giving reasons Making inferences or deductions Arguing/explaining a point of view Planning research or study Asking questions Engaging in enquiry or process of finding out Judging the value of information and ideas Applying evaluation criteria Developing evaluation criteria Designing innovative solutions Generating ideas Imagining or hypothesising

Thinking skills (National Curriculum) Cognitive goals (Bloom) Key questions Information processingKnowledge Comprehension Application Who? What? Where? How? What do we mean by …? What for? What other examples? ReasoningAnalysisWhy? What is the evidence? EnquiryWhat more is there to find out? Creative thinkingSynthesisHow can we add to or improve? Evaluation How do we judge or assess…?

CHALLENGE Learning outcomes Questioning Teacher support/scaffolding. Metacognition Activities Home work

What is a good question? “A good question makes the mind buzz, it offers a challenge to thinking, a search for understanding.” Creating challenge by questioning

Questioning to learn/to challenge Thinking time Piggy backing Allow 3 seconds after the question. Talking partners Good questions Quality not quantity Planned Open ended What do you think? How do you know? What if? Promote H.O.T. Creating a questioning classroom Hot seating Question of the day Question boards Encouraging children to question Provide opportunities for students to ask questions Model a questioning mind by asking good questions

Modelling -Respond to events, questions in ways that model good learning. -Demonstrate high expectation for thinking/processes, products. -What to do if stuck. Scaffolding -Put steps in place to support a challenging activity. -Remove steps to begin to increase challenge. Nudging -Once students working on a challenge ask questions to prompt student to think about how they are doing the task, i.e – How did you do that? Can you see if there is another way of getting the answer? Supporting challenge

Encouraging students to understand the process of thinking. Focuses upon process not final product. Planning, monitoring, reviewing. Metacognition ‘Thinking about thinking’

What do you have to do to be successful? As a group, how can you use our individual skills efficiently. Planning

How much progress are you making against your plan? Which success criteria are you not yet meeting? How do you plan to meet this? Monitoring

How did you get to that solution? Why did you discuss option b and c? What would you do differently next time? Reviewing

Fox thinking tool. Summarise the key points Share your ideas Synthesise the key points Extend your thinking

SYNTHESIS TRIANGLE SHARE! PAIR! THINK!

HOW TO ORGANISE THINKING. AB

Challenging activities. ActivityInformation processing ReasoningCreative thinking Enquiry Evaluation Fox thinking tool. Synthesis triangle Double Bubble

Challenging activities. ActivityInformation processing ReasoningCreative thinking Enquiry Evaluation Fox thinking tool. Synthesis triangle Double bubble