Let’s Think Newsletter
Summer 2017
|
|
The Let’s Think Conference 2017
Reasoning: Developing skills for 21st Century Learners
York St John University will host the 2017 Let’s Think Conference on the 7th July. The conference is aimed at teachers and schools new to Let’s Think.
This conference offers a range of strategies to primary and secondary schools seeking to develop their pupils’ reasoning skills in English, mathematics and science. Workshops include a range of practical strategies and activities to support the development of reasoning skills including metacognition and critical thinking, all drawing on best practice from research.
The cost of the 2017 Conference is £100 and places are limited so please book early to avoid disappointment.
Bookings can be made via the following link: 2017 Conference
|
|
New Website
Please do take the time to check out our new website http://www.letsthink.org.uk/. This has a range of new features and free resources, including a new series of videos of school leaders, teachers and pupils talking about Let’s Think.
|
|
Congratulations to our first Let’s Think Accredited School
Hugh Myddelton Primary in Islington (London), is the first school to apply for and be successful in achieving Let’s Think accreditation. The school has embedded the teaching of Let’s Think mathematics across the school. This has resulted in a huge uplift in pupils’ reasoning and collaborative learning skills as well as developing more positive attitudes to mistake-making. Over time, these changes have had a significant impact on mathematics results at Key Stage 2:
- 2014: 71% of children at expected level
- 2015: 91% of children at expected level
- 2016: 95.3% at expected level.
If your school is committed to Let’s Think as a teaching approach for all staff, you may want to consider applying for formal accreditation as a Let’s Think school. Accredited Let’s Think schools may be asked to host courses, to run local and regional networks and partner other schools starting to implement Let’s Think. Please contact info@letsthink.org.uk if you are interested.
|
|
Let’s Think Programmes in 2017-18
The following programmes are confirmed as running next year:
Grafton Primary, Islington, London:
- Six day Let’s Think mathematics programme for Early Years and Year 1 teachers, nursery nurses and teaching assistants.
- Contact: info@letsthink.org.uk
Hugh Myddelton Primary, Islington, London:
Ambler Primary, Islington, London:
University of Cambridge Primary, Cambridge:
Other maths and English programmes are likely to take place in Enfield, Greenwich and Torquay. Science training is also available along with secondary maths. Email info@letsthink.org.uk to express your interest.
|
|
Updates
Let's Think in English has worked with a number of International schools this academic year with Michael Walsh leading training at Haute Vallee in Jersey, Harrow International School in Hong Kong, British International School in Ho Chi Minh (Vietnam) and International Community School in Zurich.
The training in Jersey was part of a pilot with Jersey premium pupils; it proved successful with the school choosing to extend the training with a second phase planned from September. The visit to Harrow International School was the second in 3 years and the school reported a clear improvement in engagement and cognition of the students since the first visit. The International Community School in Zurich teachers found the pedagogy fitted their needs and commented:
"It really has changed teaching for all of us, and I think we were all confident teachers before this"
The British International School in Ho Chi Minh opted for an extended initial training programme of 9 days to cover their 3 campuses. They were impressed with the LT training programme of modelling and simulating lesson with extended reflections. A teacher commented:
"I would just like to reiterate how much I enjoyed the training in the last few weeks. It has been one the most useful insets that I have encountered in my 20 or so years of training and a programme that I am now very interested in."
Queens College in Taunton, Somerset, a school with pupils from Nursery to Sixth Form age, have begun the process of embedding the Let’s Think methodology across their curriculum and co-curriculum in order to teach their pupils how to think. The school hopes the lessons will help to promote intellectual resilience and risk taking, as well as encouraging young people to have the belief in their own ability to tackle unfamiliar or unexpected situations and giving them the confidence to grasp opportunities when they present themselves in the future.
|
|
Research and reading
Professor Michael Shayer has recently updated his Anti-Flynn research, which has tested the reasoning ability of 11 and 12 year old pupils at regular intervals since 1977 Anti-Flynn research. This recent data have highlighted changes to the levels of thinking in pupils beginning secondary school. Compared with the 1970s (when the testing began) fewer children leaving primary school are 'top thinkers' now. This poses all sorts of problems as teachers plan curriculum that is too cognitively demanding for their pupils. Shayer discusses the implications for classroom teachers and possible environmental reasons for the changes.
John Crossland, a Let’s Think Tutor, has recently published three articles in the Association for Science Education’s School Science Review journal. The first article discusses the recent research from neuroscience linked to concepts from cognitive development that brought Piaget’s theories into the 21st century and showed the most effective provision towards more optimal learning strategies. The second article explore Demetriou’s latest thinking around the relationship between the developing mind and the developing brain. The third article outlines individual differences in learners with further implications for classroom practice leading to additional characteristics of optimal learning in the classroom. One final article will be published soon.
|
|
News
The Cambridge Thinking Together website shares research and resources on its dialogue-based approach to the development of children's thinking and learning.
Watch this podcast interview with Dylan Wiliam on teaching and learning in mathematics and then look at the Diagnostic Questions website, which is the largest collection of top-quality maths multiple choice questions in the world, with a growing number of science and computer science questions as well.
|
|
Interview with Kate Davis, Let’s Think Maths Tutor and Teacher
My first Let’s Think course took me out of my comfort zone, so I was able to reflect on my own teaching in a way that I had never done before. I also felt encouraged to engage in more team teaching and started to realise the power of others observing you as a professional development tool rather than as an intimidating process.
 Let’s Think was my first real experience of thinking about pedagogy and considering the impact that I may be having in my classroom, through the way that I respond to children’s ideas. The academic readings that formed part of the course helped me to engage in a thoughtful way with teaching rather than being weighed down by the daily demands of being a class teacher. I started using a reflective notebook which was small enough to be carried around, and which I still use today. This has been an excellent tool for me, especially when a session has felt really tricky.
The most important revelation for me was when I started to notice a real change in the children I taught. They were able to work together more effectively and our class discussions felt so much more child-led. I felt like I was actually listening to the children I taught for the first time. These sessions contained many powerful moments, such as when quieter members of the class offered excellent ideas, which were acknowledged as such by other children. Such times have often been pivotal moments for children, giving them a much-needed confidence boost.
My work with Let’s Think allows me to face new challenges every year. Becoming a tutor has been an exciting opportunity and I am looking forward to leading courses at my school. It is very interesting supporting teachers new to Let’s Think to build their confidence and give advice, especially as I am still developing my own understanding of Let’s Think every time I teach an activity to my Year 1 class. I am currently working on an MA which has been well-supported by the many readings I have done for Let’s Think. I have already used many examples in of this academic research in my first assignment and I am planning to write my dissertation about Let’s Think.
|
|
|
|
|
