West Midlands Regional Meeting Thursday 1 st November 2007 Active learning for political literacy

Aims of the day To explore the concepts of active learning Identify and link active learning techniques to opportunities to develop political literacy. Hear from practitioners in the application of teaching and learning techniques to promote experiential learning. To network with other organisations to share good practice in the development of active citizenship skills.

What is active citizenship We use the term active citizenship – this involves doing something to make a difference and learning new skills Action alone is not enough – young people need knowledge of the political system and of the issues they investigate Being an active citizen is not always the same as being a good citizen – this is about more than not dropping litter Being an active citizen means using democratic processes to achieve change Young people learn skills and knowledge through participation in decision-making in their own organisation

The benefits of Active Citizenship Citizenship gives young people new knowledge and skills They take more interest in the world around them Action with others builds confidence Young people are more motivated if they feel involved in decision-making and that their views are valued They have a more positive attitude to their learning, their organisation and their communities Organisations see greater retention and achievement

The policy context reform: specialised diplomas to include personal, learning and thinking skills and extended project Full GCSE and A/AS level in Citizenship Studies: by 2008 Review of key stage 3: includes citizenship Recent FE White Paper: stress on learner voice Every Child Matters: stress on consulting users of services Other initiatives: Foundation learning tier, Lietch report, Ajegbo review, LSC support for Learner voice – CEL conference. Frequent Government references to active citizens and engaged communities (recent speeches)