A C C E L E R AT E D LEARNING Po c k e t b o o k

By Brin Best

Cartoons: Phil Hailstone

C o n t e n t s
Introduction Getting the most out of this book, the background to accelerated learning and characteristics of some classrooms over the last century How to ensure your students are in the right physiological and emotional state to learn How to create an environment that promotes effective learning, from looking after learners brains to supporting them as they learn Practical strategies that will help your students learn effectively

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Getting your Students Ready to Learn Creating the Right Environment Teaching Strategies

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Self-evaluation Framework

A framework to help you create an accelerated learning classroom A brief history of accelerated learning, student questionnaire, sources of further information on accelerated learning
Accelerated

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Further Information

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Learning

Introduction

Getting your Students Ready to Learn Creating the Right Environment Teaching Strategies

Self-evaluation Framework

Te a c h i n g Strategies

Further Information

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Before the lessons begins

The beginnings of lessons are vital because they help set the tone for the rest of the lesson. Ensure you:
G

Arrive before the students to give preparation time Greet each student politely and in a friendly way Insist students enter quietly and settle at their desks in an orderly fashion Consider using music to set the tone for the lesson Make sure any equipment and handouts are ready to give out, and on the students desk if appropriate Engage students interest with a question or puzzle on the board

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Structuring a lesson
It is important that you provide an effective structure for all your lessons that promotes your students learning. The following provides a brain-friendly 4-part structure for your lessons. Part 1: put the learning in context (about 5% of lesson time)
G G G G G

Explore what the students learnt in the previous lesson Relate the learning to the overall syllabus Make the learning outcomes clear Explain what is coming in the next lesson Mind-maps can be a very useful visual tool for this part of the lesson, showing students how an individual lesson fits into the wider course they are studying

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Put the learning in context

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Starter

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Main teaching and learning

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Plenary

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Structuring a lesson
Part 2: starter (about 10% of lesson time)
G

Begin with a short activity which engages students interest a prop, story, exciting stimulus material Try to help students put what they already know about the topic in context Prepare the students for the main teaching and learning that will follow

G G

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Put the learning in context

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Starter

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Main teaching and learning

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Structuring a lesson
Part 3: main teaching and learning (about 75% of lesson time)
G G G

Students should be carrying out activities for as much of this time as possible You should act as a facilitator for their learning try not to talk for too long Students should be engaged in multi-sensory learning that respects their learning styles and intelligence profiles All students should be set work which is of an appropriate level of challenge Allow choice over how students carry out tasks Learning should be broken down into achievable chunks Find plenty of opportunities to develop thinking skills

G G G G

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Put the learning in context

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Starter

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Main teaching and learning

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Structuring a lesson
Part 4: plenary (about 10% of lesson time) Provides an opportunity for learning to be reviewed Students should be given the chance to reflect on what they think the main learning points of the lesson have been You should include careful use of teacher questioning (see next page)

r Pa t

Put the learning in context

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Starter

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Main teaching and learning

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Plenary

This 4-part structure is adapted from the one used in the new Key Stage 3 strategy.

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Questioning
Effective questioning techniques are a really important part of your lesson. Questioning helps you determine how much your students have understood, as well as allowing you to stretch more able students.
G G G G G G G G

Use a wide range of questioning techniques Pitch the language and content level of questions appropriately Ask open as well as closed questions to explore deeper understanding Prompt and give clues where necessary Allow thinking time (at least five seconds for simple questions and ten seconds or more for more complex ones) Invite answers from particular individuals as well as asking the whole class Wait before commenting on a students answers, thereby allowing him/her to revise or expand their response, and encouraging others to contribute too Do not favour students with higher ability or according to where they are seated (you will tend to neglect those closest to you and those right at the back of the room) Encourage students to devise their own questions

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Varying your teaching style

The most successful teachers use an extensive repertoire of different teaching techniques to stimulate interest among their students. Providing variety will help increase your students motivation. Use the checklist below to help you vary your teaching style. Reflect back over the last half-term and indicate with a tick whether your students have:
Used a newspaper Played a game Answered questions from a book Had a discussion Made a model Done a quiz or test Written an essay Written a newspaper article Worked in a pair or a group Had a debate Done a role play Made up a play or a TV/radio script Done some individual or group research Done some extended reading Done a brainstorming session Drawn a graph or used statistics Drawn a diagram or cartoon Used music in their work Been outside the classroom for a task or activity Worked with an outside speaker Sat in different places from usual Worked in the school library Worked on a poster Worked with somebody they dont know very well

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Student tasks
Tips for explaining and introducing tasks:
G G G G G

Always give the tasks verbally and in writing to include different types of learners Make sure that all students understand what they have to do Carefully differentiate all tasks to ensure all students can achieve success Chunk down new information and tasks to make them more accessible Give a time frame for the tasks to help students manage their own learning

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Student tasks
Tips for setting tasks:
G

Where possible, offer choice in the tasks undertaken or the way the results are presented Include a wide variety of tasks that appeal to different types of learners and different intelligences Allow plenty of opportunity for pair work and group work, as well as individual work

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Student tasks
Tips for when students are working:
G

Circulate widely to check they are on task, progressing well and finding appropriate answers Do not insist that students work in silence as long as their talk is focused on the tasks Try to maximise the amount of time when students are carrying out and reflecting on tasks

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Showing what students have learnt

It is important to give your students opportunities to show what they have learnt. This can be done by students:
G G G G

Checking their own written responses Reading out their responses to others for discussion Giving presentations to the class Completing tests, quizzes and mind-maps

Students also demonstrate their knowledge in their written work, allowing you to give constructive feedback and judge how they are progressing.

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Review
Students need plenty of opportunities to review what they have learnt, for example by:
G G G G

Writing out summary points Drawing a mind-map of a lesson or topic Naming the most important thing learnt from a lesson Preparing flashcards or summary diagrams

Review is also an essential element of revision for tests and formal examinations. It transfers information to the long-term memory, particularly if done a week, a month and six months after first studied. Make sure at the end of every lesson there is an activity which sums up what has been learnt and prepares the students for the next lesson. This could take place as part of a plenary, which is a key feature of the Key Stage 3 strategy.

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Homework
Homework is a valuable way of extending accelerated learning beyond the classroom, providing the opportunity for a range of tasks to be carried out which help embed learning. Homework is effective when:
G G

Homework should not be:

G

It is used to extend and enrich learning It builds on what has been learnt in the lesson It takes advantages of the opportunities in the students home lives, eg: parents/carers, grandparents, local features of interest It is enjoyable

Simply finishing off work done in lessons Optional Given only to those who work hard Given only to those who do not finish a piece of work in class

G G

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Learners with different learning styles

The brain receives information about the world through the five senses or channels:
G G G

Sight (the visual channel) Touch (the kinaesthetic channel) Sound (the auditory channel)

G G

Taste (the gustatory channel) Smell (the olfactory channel)

Studies of how we learn have identified three primary channels through which learning occurs: auditory, kinaesthetic and visual. However, not all individuals prefer to learn through the same combination of channels, and for most people a single one tends to dominate. This has given rise to an exciting development in teaching and learning where individuals preferred learning styles are assessed and used to create richer and more inclusive learning experiences (see www.support4learning.org.uk for examples of learning style questionnaires). The most powerful learning takes place when all three channels are used simultaneously.

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Characteristics of auditory learners

Approximately 34% of people have an auditory learning preference. They tend to have the following characteristics:
G

They use phrases such as that sounds right, I hear what you are saying, That rings a bell When relaxing, they prefer to listen to music They prefer to talk to people on the phone They enjoy listening to others, but are eager to talk themselves They forget faces but remember names When inactive, they tend to talk to themselves or others When angry, they express themselves in outbursts They are not fond of reading books or instruction manuals

G G G G G G G

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Learning activities for auditory learners

The following activities are suitable for learners with an auditory learning preference:
G G G

Hearing a presentation or explanation Reading aloud to themselves Making a tape of key points to listen to Verbally summarising in their own words Explaining the subject to another student Using their own internal voice to verbalise what they are learning Practising spellings by saying the correct word before trying to write it

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Characteristics of kinaesthetic learners

Approximately 37% of people have a kinaesthetic learning preference. They tend to have the following characteristics:
G

They use phrases such as That feels right, I found it easy to handle, That touched a nerve When relaxing, they prefer to play games and sport They prefer to talk to people while doing something else They are slow talkers, who use gestures and expressions When inactive, they tend to fidget When angry, they clench their fists, grit their teeth and storm off!

G G G G G

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Learning activities for kinaesthetic learners

The following activities are suitable for learners with a kinaesthetic learning preference:
G G G

Copying demonstrations Making models Recording information as they hear it, preferably in a mind-map Walking around as they read Underlining/highlighting new information/key points Putting key points on to index cards and sorting them into order Getting physically and actively involved in learning Practising spellings by writing with a finger in the air or on the desk, while simultaneously saying it aloud

G G

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Characteristics of visual learners

Approximately 29% of people have a visual learning preference. They tend to have the following characteristics:
G

They use phrases such as I see what you mean, I get the picture, That looks right When relaxing, they prefer to watch a film or video, go to the theatre or read a book They prefer to talk to people face-to-face They are fast talkers and do not enjoy listening to others They forget names, but remember faces When inactive, they tend to doodle or watch someone or something When angry they are silent and seethe They are well dressed, tidy and organised

G G G G G G

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Learning activities for visual learners

The following activities are suitable for learners with a visual learning preference:
G G G

Writing down key facts or drawing a mind-map Visualising what they are learning Creating pictures/diagrams from what they are learning Using time lines, for remembering dates Creating their own strong visual links Using pictures, diagrams, charts, film, video and graphics Practising spellings by seeing the word before writing or saying it

G G G

The information on different learning styles on the previous pages is based on material that first appeared in The Learners Pocketbook by Paul Hayden.

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About the author

Brin Best Brin Best BSc, PGCE, FRGS, FMA, MCIJ is managing director of Innovation for Education Ltd, an education training, publishing and consultancy company based in Yorkshire. He has fulfilled a wide variety of roles within education, including classroom teacher, college lecturer, head of department, school development officer and LEA advisory teacher. He writes and speaks widely on education issues and has a special interest in teaching and learning. He is carrying out a part-time PhD into accelerated learning at Leeds University. Whilst a teacher his department and students received numerous national awards for their work, and in 2000 he received a Millennium Fellowship for his pioneering work on environmental education. Brin is also the series consultant for the Teachers Pocketbooks Series. He can be contacted at: Innovation for Education Ltd, 6 Manor Square, Otley, LS21 3AP. Tel. +44 (0) 1943 466994 Fax +44 (0) 1943 465550 [email protected] www.innovation4education.co.uk

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