INSET: Student-led Learning in an International School

“I didn’t stop taking notes!”

Becky Merritt, Sir George Monoux College

• Are you leading Teacher development in an international school?
• Would you like teaching to move away from a more traditional and didactic approach?
• Are your staff aiming to be outstanding teachers using British standards?
• Are you looking to develop strategies with staff to actively engage their pupils?
• Do you want to improve the motivation and attainment of all pupils through proven principles?
• Would you prefer to avoid ‘silly’ role plays or pointless group work to concentrate on the most effective techniques?

ISI BSO Requirements

The most recent ISI BSO Framework require a certain style of teaching to achieve the highest levels. The pupils, their abilities, attributes, attitudes to learning and inevitably their levels of progress are the most important deciding factors. As schools we should be challenging pupils, developing their learning skills. An active approach to learning allows students to develop these essential skills for life-long learning.

Reforms in International Teaching

Recent education reforms in Europe and the Middle East have acknowledged the need for progressive innovation in this area, with a focus on the potential for student-lead learning to become a more significant component of the schooling experience.

Indian Schools Lag behind

“Memorization of facts is given precedence over abilities and skills involving higher mental operations such as problem solving and creative thinking”.

Dr Tapas Kumar Sarkar, Itachuna Government Sponsored Primary Teachers’ Training Institute

Benefits of Student- led Learning for International Schools

Research at Avans University in the Netherlands, showed that student-led learning raises grades, increases attendance and enhances overall student engagement.

The benefits of student-led learning in the international classroom are of particular value. The diverse range of student backgrounds in attendance means the contribution potential is huge. Firstly, when students take the lead, they’re likely to concentrate on ideas around a given concept that interest them, both allowing them to engage with the topic from a more unique perspective than the typical curriculum focus and allows for greater depth of understanding.

Benefits of this INSET:

• Actively engage with innovative teaching methods
• Opportunity to be in the position of the learner and utilise innovative ideas
• Consider a wealth of student -led learning tools that makes students more responsible for their own learning
• Improve your ability to develop communication and thinking skills in your students.

This course complements our AfL or Assessment for Learning INSET designed specifically for International and Bilingual Schools.

Book one of our Associates to deliver both courses over consecutive days.

What is the role of the 21st Century International school teacher?

• What does the research of John Hattie and the EEF say – what’s effective/ what’s not and why?
• What is the role of technology in the classroom?
• How do we develop students with enough Grit, Resilience and Independence to prepare them for the next stage of their education?

Creating the Perfect Learning Climate to foster high levels of engagement, motivation and Independence

• Effective grouping
• Establishing a growth mindset and culture of active learning
• Tweaks to strategies to make your pupils work harder
• Motivational triggers: getting the most from every lesson

 

Planning for Student-led learning throughout the curriculum: a toolkit for middle leaders

• Creating “student-led schemes of work”
• Outcome focussed planning
• Strategies to reduce ‘teacher talk’ in lessons
• Dialogic teaching
• Monitoring implementation and effectiveness
• Tools that teachers can use easily to judge progress

Developing student-led enquiry, decision- making and problem-solving skills

• Deeper Questioning – ask better, deeper questions and expect the same from your pupils

• Equip your pupils with the skills to answer their own questions
• Establishing exactly what concepts your learners still do not understand to better target intervention

Developing collaborative and independent learning strategies for your pupils

• Helpful “pupil talk” how to facilitate quality discussion
• The importance of peer- tutoring
• Developing peer to peer critiquing strategies