The Importance of Knowing Ernest Personalising Learning Benefits for everyone!

Why bother? Engage learners Build confidence and motivation Learners start to enjoy feelings of success Minimise disruptive behaviour Knowledge is empowering Ultimate qualification and life benefits

Grade D re-sit students Feelings of failure Disengaged Several re-sits Teach to test “What’s it got to do with ******?”

Literacy in life? Activity Complete the literacy clock! Include everything you read and where, everything you wrote down and who you spoke to.

What literacy practices can you build on? Example - Performing Arts Students – Bios and website How can you find out?

Other things the learners bring……

Is there anything you want to add to this? How can you find these things out about your learners?

Main Programme What English skills are needed for the learners’ main programme? Do they know? Who does know? Can you bring a vocational tutor in as a guest speaker?

Work skills – what the learners know Communication and maths skills are important at work They consider they have effective communication skills* What do most employers think? How can you use this? * National Literacy Trust Research 2012

Life Skills What skills do they think they will need in life? What skills do they want? How can you find this out? How can you use it to maintain motivation?

Personal Interests What interests do your learners have outside of your institution? Can the literacy clock exercise help you find this out? Give your clock to the person sitting next to you. What does it say about you? Any other ideas?

Underpinning Skil ls Often learners do not make the link between GCSE and the skills they consider to be important What the author intended Linguistic Devices Planning writing Role Playing What can you do while you get to know Ernest to make these links clear?

Assessing Learners Most learners have a clear idea about what they can do and what they need to improve When completing assessment activities don’t forget to include their own self assessment

What learners like! What do learners tell us they want?... fun, interactive, practical, can see the point of it, timely initial assessment and support; smaller classes; teachers who can manage behaviour assertively; not to lose face in class by asking for help; a collaborative classroom climate… (NIACE report 2015)

Blended and distance learning Digital technology Collaborative learning Content creation Study skills support

Mostly multi-modal e.g. involving speech, music, gesture, movement, colour, pictures, symbols ik-7M

Mostly multi- media and non linear including sound, electronic and paper media involving complex, varied reading paths

Other features Shared, interactive, participatory – virtual and /or real Student being in charge

Other features Purposeful with a clear audience Generative i.e. involving sense-making and creativity Self-determined in terms of activity, time and place From Ivanic, R NIACE Embedding Conference - Website Accessed

Planning for learning How can you build on this knowledge? How can you amend your planning for learning to capture this information?

Bringing it all together What are you going to do in the first weeks of term?

Engage, give confidence and motivate! Activity: In your groups consider what information you need to gather from your learners to: Find out what they can and can’t do – including self assessment Demonstrate how the course will meet their needs now and in the future Show them what skills they will be learning that they can relate to Show them what activities they will be doing that they can relate to