1. Working with mascil resources How can the mascil resources be used?
Tool PDB-1 Using the materials to meet professional needs
© 2016 mascil project (G.A. no ). Lead partner University of Nottingham; CC-NC-SA 4.0 license granted. The project mascil has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/ ).

2. Introduction
Aims:
To gain an overview of how the resources can be used;
To develop a PD working cycle for the group;
To establish some shared aims for the PD.
We will:
Consider the mascil resources available;
Discuss how the PD working cycle can be implemented;
Discuss professional development needs in the national and local context;
Negotiate and agree on PD priorities for the group.
The aim of this tool is to gain an overview of how the resources can be used, to develop a PD working cycle for the group and to establish some shared aims for the professional development sessions, using the curriculum as a starting point to identify needs. Teachers will examine curriculum documents, discuss the professional development needs that arise and consider their priorities by reflecting on current practice within the group.

3. Mascil resources
There are two main types of resource provided by mascil:
1.  The mascil toolkit
This includes all of the important PD materials you need to support your mascil teacher group.
 2. Classroom materials 
The teaching materials are an important part of the total package of resources available to you. However, they:
Illustrate what is possible rather than providing an exhaustive bank of resources;
Provide opportunities for teachers to design their own tasks;
Allow for careful customisation of resources to best suit a teacher’s working context and his or her students.
There are two main types of resource provided by mascil:
1. The mascil toolkit – for co-ordinators of professional development groups.
You are currently in the toolkit section of the resources and this includes all of the important PD materials you need to support your mascil teacher group.
Further advice about using this toolkit is available through using the tools PDA-1 Routes through the toolkit and PDA-2 Co-ordinating a professional learning community.(add links)
2.  Classroom materials – for teachers and co-ordinators.
The teaching materials are an important part of the total package of resources available to you. However, they are meant to be illustrative of what is possible rather than providing an exhaustive bank of resources. It is fundamental to mascil professional learning that teachers have opportunities to design their own tasks to promote IBL and build connections to the world of work. This allows for careful customisation of resources to best suit a teacher’s working context and his or her students.
A link to the classroom materials can be found here. There is also a mascil guide that provides advice about developing materials and this can be accessed here. It is important that the group coordinator becomes familiar with the important principles included in this guide.
During your professional development as a group you will benefit from linking together the professional development tools with the use of appropriate classroom materials in practice.

4. Professional development working cycle
Discussion based on existing knowledge
Consideration of research evidence
Question to explore through classroom practice
Inquiry in the classroom
Reflection on classroom practice
Firstly, consider the PD working cycle (See Handout 1: Professional development working cycle) and how this will help you link the professional development sessions to your classroom practice.

5. Professional development
Consider the PD working cycle and how this will help you link the professional development sessions to your classroom practice.
How will this work in practice for you as a group?
What timescales will work for this cycle in your school or college situation?
How much time will you need for the classroom inquiry phase?
Will you carry out the reflection on practice informally or make a more formal record of your thoughts to share?
Consider the questions:
How will this work in practice for you as a group?
What timescales will work for this cycle in your school or college situation?
How much time will you need for the classroom inquiry phase?
Will you carry out the reflection on practice informally or make a more formal record of your thoughts to share?

6. Professional development needs
National context
Demands of and/or changes in the national curriculum and assessment
Reflection on current practice and
identification of PD needs
Selection and adaptation of Mascil PD tools and classroom materials
Before selecting the professional development tools and classroom materials that you want to work through using this cycle it is important to agree together on the main focus for your development. Your focus may arise from the national context, such as the current demands of the curriculum, or it may be highlighted through internal or external observations of practice, or it may be the result of reflection by the group on their practice. The following activities will help you discuss your priorities together for the context in which you are working. Once you have some agreement about the focus then you should be able to select professional development tools and classroom materials that will work together and help you achieve your shared aims.

7. Identifying curriculum needs
Read through the curriculum documents provided and discuss these together. Try to highlight any key phrases that stand out.
How do these relate to your own classroom practice?
What personal professional development needs can you identify?
In small groups consider a selection of relevant curriculum summary documents showing the aims, intentions and outlines of the curriculum and/or related qualifications. (For England some brief summaries are provided on Handout 2: Curriculum needs analysis). Highlight and discuss any key aspects that relate to your classroom practice. What possible professional development needs may arise?

8. Identifying group needs
Share your thoughts together:
What are the implications of the curriculum for your own classroom practice?
What professional needs can you identify as a group?
Share your thoughts together. Consider the implications for classroom practice and any professional needs that arise for the group.

9. Identifying priorities
Local context
In pairs discuss the areas of classroom practice shown on the cards provided.
Try to sort these into two categories:
those that you consider to be a high priority for your professional development;
those that you consider are currently less important.
Ask the teachers to work in pairs and provide each pair with a set of the cards from the template provided. Each pair should discuss the areas of classroom practice shown on the cards (you may add others) and try to sort these into two categories:
Those that they consider to be a high priority for development
Those that they consider to be currently less important.
Teachers should be encouraged to reflect on their current practice during this activity, bearing in mind any curriculum needs already identified.
(As an alternative to the cards you may use Handout 3: Establishing priorities as a resource for this discussion)
The areas of classroom practice on the cards are as follows:
Designing effective inquiry tasks
Using tasks to encourage inquiry
Asking questions that encourage student thinking
Using problem-solving tasks with students
Using collaborative work with students
Using peer assessment
Leading effective whole class discussions
Making connections to the world of work
Assessing inquiry and problem-solving skills
Planning lessons for inquiry based learning

10. Finishing off Discuss as a group how these priorities relate to:
your current context (i.e. where you are now)
your aspirations (where you would like to be). Use your agreed priorities to select a set of relevant PD tools and classroom materials from the mascil resources.
Share your selections of priorities as a group and consider:
Are there priorities that all the group members believe are important?
What particular professional needs can the group identify?
Try to get the group to negotiate and identify just one or two shared priorities.
Discuss how these priorities relate to your current context (i.e. where you are now) and your aspirations (where you would like to be). Once these are clear then you have shared initial aims for the professional development and are ready to select the tools and classroom materials that will be appropriate.