Practical Approaches to Stretch and Challenge Simple Methods and Activities to Enhance Motivation and Achievement

Warmer Task Table activity: know and want

If you did this task with your students: What opportunities are there for stretch and challenge Name other examples of starter activities & how they support stretch and challenge Table Discussions

Suggestions Collaborative discussions Student-centred Analysing own practice through discussion Peer learning Timed activities Drawing on prior knowledge Whole group feedback Directed questioning

Structure of the session: We’ll demonstrate activities that can be used for stretch and challenge and allow you opportunity to reflect on how these approaches could be used in your own practice. http://bytheway.edublogs.org/2014/06/27/woodward-1988-loop-input/ http://bytheway.edublogs.org/2014/06/27/woodward-1988-loop-input/

Explain the role of stretch and challenge in classroom practice Outcomes Identify approaches for stretch and challenge you can try in your practice Explain the role of stretch and challenge in classroom practice Decide on one approach you can try with your students Recap on objectives

The Origins of Stretch and Challenge ‘Differentiation suggests that you can challenge all learners by providing materials and tasks on the standard at varied levels of difficulty, with varying degrees of scaffolding… Teachers can encourage student success by varying ways in which students work: alone or collaboratively, in auditory or visual modes, or through practical or creative means.’ Carol Ann Tomlinson (2000) Tomlinson, C.A. (2000) How to Differentiate Instruction: Reconcilable Differences? Standards-Based Teaching and Differentiation, vol 58.pp 6-11

Pace, stretch and challenge: Why Bother? Inspectors found in their evaluation of 2013-14 that high performing teachers: ‘Set relevant and interesting assessments that encompass a wide range of research and presentation skills, provide challenge for learners at all levels and have a strong link to their future career aims. They provide high quality feedback that is focused sharply on further skill development.’ (Ofsted, 2014) Ofsted (2014) Teaching, Learning and Assessment in Further Education and Skills – What Works and Why, Manchester: Ofsted

Professional Standards 4. Be creative and innovative in selecting and adapting strategies to help learners to learn 5 Value and promote social and cultural diversity, equality of opportunity and inclusion 8 Maintain and update your knowledge of educational research to develop evidence-based practice 9 Apply theoretical understanding of effective practice in teaching, learning and assessment drawing on research and other evidence

Differentiation through: Looking at the resources on Differentiation and Blooms Taxonomy : Which approaches you would like to try and how they can help you stretch and challenge a specific group or individual? Option: Use Google Images to find an image showing Bloom’s Taxonomy that you find useful.

Differentiation through: Task, outcome, time allowed Different preferences and support needs Differentiate feedback and individual targets Cathy to do Categorize the approaches and discuss how they could work for you? And where do they fit with Blooms Taxonomy

If you did this task with your students: What opportunities are there for stretch and challenge in this task Name other examples of where you have differentiated by task

Suggestions Analysing own practice through discussion Different task for different groups Student-centred Analysing own practice through discussion Peer learning Timed activities Making links to current experience Q&A through whole class feedback

Target setting and questioning As teachers we tend to ask questions and tasks in the "knowledge" category 80% to 90% of the time. These questions are not bad, but using them all the time is, as it doesn’t encourage our students to develop their higher order thinking skills. (Bloom, et al., 1956) Bloom, B. S. Engelhart, M. D. Furst, E. J. Hill, W. H. Krathwohl, D. R. (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives: The classification of educational goals. Handbook I: Cognitive domain. New York: David McKay Company

Review Task 1 min (minutes in bold are total times for 60 min session)

Outcomes Identify approaches for stretch and challenge you can try in your practice Explain the role of stretch and challenge in classroom practice Decide on one approach you can try with your students

Next Steps Which activity or approach will you take away and try? How will you stretch and challenge a specific learner next lesson? What was useful or interesting about today?

References:- Tomlinson, C.A. (2000) How to Differentiate Instruction: Reconcilable Differences? Standards-Based Teaching and Differentiation, vol 58.pp 6-11 Ofsted (2014) Teaching, Learning and Assessment in Further Education and Skills – What Works and Why, Manchester: Ofsted Bloom, B. S. Engelhart, M. D. Furst, E. J. Hill, W. H. Krathwohl, D. R. (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives: The classification of educational goals. Handbook I: Cognitive domain. New York: David McKay Company