Introduction 0.2 - Introduction to interactive teaching and the use of ICT
The OER4Schools Professional Learning Resource
The OER4Schools Professional Learning Resource
In this chapter, we provide a brief overview of each unit in the programme. Each unit is preceded by an introductory page, which gives lesson objectives and success criteria for each session in that unit. A full table, giving lesson objectives and success criteria across all sessions for all units is available here.
Unit 1: Introduction to interactive teaching and the use of ICT. The unit offers an introduction to interactive teaching with and without ICT. It introduces the idea of “plan-teach-reflect”, as well as lesson planning to include interactive activity. The unit covers the following aspects:
- What is interactive teaching?
- ICTs in interactive teaching.
- Effective use of ICTs, including basic use of netbooks, browser, and images / slideshows (also in OpenOffice Impress).
The aims of Unit 1 are to
- understand principles of interactive teaching - with and without ICT,
- see illustrations and discuss issues involved in implementing it,
- think about changing one’s own practice, and
- develop ways of working with colleagues to reflect on practice, share ideas and trial new strategies.
The unit also introduces the most significant change technique, and at the end of this unit, we look at the Leadership for Learning principles.
Unit 2: Whole class dialogue & effective questioning. The unit’s focus is whole class dialogue and effective questioning. It covers:
- creating a supportive environment for dialogue;
- introducing cumulative talk – creating a story together;
- promoting and managing whole class discussion;
- types and examples of effective questions to ask in class, and
- how to engage students in activity at the blackboard.
At the end of this unit, we consider how to communicate with other teachers at the school, with parents, head teachers, as well as officials who might seek to assess your new teaching practices. It also includes some material to support school leaders in providing a conducive learning environment for their staff.
In terms of ICTs, this unit introduces GeoGebra and collaborative writing. You should continue practising your other ICT skills, including typing, and making use of images.
Unit 3: Group work. This unit introduces group work, how to agree on ground rules, and what sort of resources support group work (such as “talking points” and digital resources). In detail, the unit covers
- exploratory talk,
- same task group work,
- different tasks group work,
- group composition and formation,
- ground rules for group work,
- carousel of activities for group work,
- mixed pace group work and differentiation, and
- talking points activity for promoting group interaction.
Unit 4: Assessment for learning and lesson pacing. The unit introduces how to find out what your pupils have learnt, and where they need more help, allowing you to use lesson time effectively whilst making sure that your pupils are making continued progress.
In detail the unit covers
- using an assessment inventory as a self-assessment measure,
- sharing learning objectives and success criteria,
- summative feedback,
- formative feedback, and
- peer assessment.
Unit 5: Enquiry-based learning and project work. The unit introduces how to work in an “enquiry-based” way, for instance learning through project work and in-depth, open-ended investigations. We explore a way of teaching and learning that encourages students to take the initiative to pose questions and explore their curiosity about the world around them, through a process of enquiry.
Unit 6: Into the future. This unit reviews the programme, and continues to make connections between the various interactive practices introduced throughout the programme. It also offers an introduction to action research and communities of practice, through which teachers can continually evolve their teaching practice.
You can print this content on a separate sheet here: OER4Schools/Detailed outline.
Introduction to running the workshop.
What are the issues with primary education in your country? Why are people invited to the OER4schools programme?
What are teachers’ expectations (attend for the whole year - starting off weekly)? Some people will be concerned with big picture, others with detail. Agree the day of the week for f2f meetings.
Some expectations about what a workshop should be like. Modelling activities in the workshop on activities planned for the classroom. (Modelling participation and interactivity at all levels.)
Modelling: A key “interactive” principle is for the “students” to start from what they know, and then to extend that knowledge. We apply this to the workshop by asking the teachers about their own experience of interactive teaching.
The facilitator should say explicitly that they will not judge the views put forward, but simply make notes of the views put forward.
As the workshop facilitator, clearly signpost what is happening at each stage in the workshop. E.g. you might say “We now look at interactive teaching.“
Introduce this resource and the topics within it
introduce strategies to incorporate interactive elements (things you might say, things you might do)
thinking about your own practice; do you think you’d like to try one of these new approaches?
Do you want a buddy system (pairs of teachers matched by grade or subject)?
Running the first session.
What are the educator notes here?
Setting up the room - remove tables? Chairs in circle? Tables arranged in islands?
What props are needed? Sheets of papers and pens? May be hard to find for some schools.
Ice breaker
Welcome everybody to the workshop.
You start the workshop with an “ice breaker”.
We would suggest first name basis.
Icebreaker 1 (for a group of colleagues):
Stand up and sing a song together.
Icebreaker 2 (for group of participants who don’t know each other well):
People say one or two words that describe themselves (such as “funny”, “sociable”, “shy”).
OR Chat in pairs, and then introduce your neighbour to the group.
Icebreaker 3 (for either colleagues or strangers):
- people form themselves into groups of 3
- they have a conversation for no more than 3 min, 1 min each, on a specified topic, e.g. their favourite foods, what activity they are glad to be rid of and don't have to tackle today, their worst fantasy about what could go wrong as a consequence of the workshop...
- facilitator claps their hands after each minute to signal changeover; after 3 min, groups dissolve and form new groups; facilitator changes the topic at this point and after every 3 min until everyone has spoken to everyone else
- people have to stand up the whole time and move around - it is very energising, normally beginning quite quietly and ending up very loud!
- the next activity might connect with this icebreaker, for example asking volunteers to report back on their worst fantasy about what could go wrong in their classroom as a consequence of the professional development programme?!
Need a list of topics here - workshop facilitator to decide these in advance.
Consider whether there is a hierarchy among the participants?
To continue the workshop, present the aims of Unit 1.
