Why Do we Use "learning Conversations". How do we make them effective?

1. Effective learning Conversations
 What are they?
 Active Listening
 Coaching Approach
 Motivation
 GROW model

2. What are they?
Conversations that are primarily about
1.Encouraging and inspiring students
2. To solve problems and to teach students to
solve problems for themselves
3. Motivation
4. Acquiring the necessary skills and knowledge
for content
Sometimes prescribed by the college, but can
occur at any time

3. Active Listening
for when a student really needs to unload
Listen!
When they pause summarise what they have
said (but your response must be no more than 2
sentences)
Prompt if necessary

4. Coaching Approach
This is where students are encouraged to find
their own solutions to problems that they have
identified
How could you…..? Rather than you should….
What could you do about…? Rather than you need
to…….
Can work well but if you don’t get good
answers then stop.
I find this approach most useful if they have a
specific weakness
Self evaluation and reflection

5. Motivation
Students must believe that they have influence
over their own progress
Balance of positives and negatives
Negative - “ if you carry on like this you will fail”
Positive – “if you do this you will pass”
Includes direction about what students should
be doing – modelling behaviour
Includes helping students identify goals, both
short and long term. This includes reference to
target grades and performance indicators

6. The reasons for wanting to
improve my learning
What I am learning is useful to me
The qualification for which I am studying is
useful to me
I can make a success of my learning and this
success increases my self belief as a learner
Acceptance from teacher and peers if I learn
effectively
Consequences of not learning will be unpleasant

7. Selecting your students
College wide drive for the “highest” grades
A and A*
What about the “higher” grades?
D-C and C-B
At risk students already supported
Use the data from last week's departmental
meeting to identify key students

8. What does the first 121 look like?
First 121 may last up to 10-15 minutes
What is your target grade?
How many hours per week do you spend
on independent work?
What do you do to help you learn and
practice your subject?
Show me your class notes -how organised
are you?
Do you throw away class work?

9. What does the first 121 look like?
What are your weak areas?
What areas do you often miss out on a
couple of marks ? (Highest)
Recognize the root cause of any difficulty
using questioning skills
Could use a SWOT analysis
Can you work out the solution?

10. Self evaluation
Where am I now?
The learner reflects, evaluating
their own skills, knowledge,
values and attitudes
Goal setting
Where do I want to be?
The learner considers their
aspirations and sets personal
goals or targets
Action plan
How can I get there?
How can I close the gap between
where I am and where I want to
be?
Action!
Carry out the action plan,
monitoring its implementation

11. Action plan
What are YOU going to do about your
learning?
Goal setting
Study skills
Independent learning
Encourage self assessment - wheel
Use outcome checklists
Diaries/journal

12. Follow up 121s
Ideally once per fortnight
Monitor and assess – keep a record
Track progress in interim tests
Re evaluate plan if not working
Smart targets on Promonitor
Use the study skills prompter

13. What about the rest?
Engaging activities that require
immediate whole class assessment
Learning groups
Design an exam question and mark
scheme (share with peers)
Presentation
Sequencing and story boarding
Modelling and verbalising

14. Skills prompter
Study-cover-
write-check
Review as
You Go use of
“old” topics
Revision cards
IT based
learning
package
Short burst
revision quizzes
Extension reading
Videos
Study buddy
Compare &
contrast
Mind maps
Mnemonics Command verbs
Peer coaching
- verbalising
Past exam
questions and
mark schemes
Rewrite
knowledge
SWOT analysis

15. Higher grades
Skills prompter
Study -cover- write - check Review as you go – use of
“old” topics
Revision cards Extension reading
IT based learning package Short burst revision quizzes
Mind maps
Past exam questions and
mark schemes
Videos
Mnemonics Command verbs
Peer coaching - verbalising Study buddy – C and C
Rewrite knowledge SWOT analysis

16. lHighest grades
Interesting reading activities
Expecting reading notes
Reorganising the material into a different form
Reading for information
Reading for criticism
Expecting to make a presentation
Expecting a discussion
Stretch and challenge activities – data analysis
Skills prompter

17. GROW
 Goals
 Reality
 Outcomes (action)
 When
 Think about who you might invite to
the consultation event. Plan what you
might say to them in terms of GROW
(or SMART if your prefer)

18. Summary and feedback
More rigorous approach
More frequent 121s
Regular monitoring and assessing
How well could this be implemented?
Barriers to 121s?
Student logs
Try it out and feed back