LEARNING WALKS

1
LEARNING WALKS

• How we can share good practice
• and learn from one another.

2
Why have a learning walk?

• A learning walk can have many different purposes
• To monitor or audit practice throughout the
  school. Providing a snapshot view.
• To share good practice and promote
  consistencye.g. everyone walks their own school.
• To raise awareness e.g. visits from or to other
  schools.
• To check for progression e.g. a learning walk to
  focus on how addition is taught throughout the
  school.
• Training e.g. display for learning
• To provide quality time for reflection and to
  stimulate professional discussion.

3
How do you organise a learning walk?

• Decide on a focus
• - pre-set criteria or your own?
• - general observations or a checklist?
• Is prior reading required?
• - good way to introduce new initiatives such as
  Every Child
• Matters
• - can raise awareness of provision for groups
  e.g. EAL or SEN
• Decide on a timetable 5-15 mins in each class
• Share the purpose, the focus and any criteria you
  might be using with the whole staff including
  support staff.

4
How do you organise a learning walk?

• Publish a timetable for your walk
• Dont forget to allow time for feedback amongst
  the group and to the staff concerned
• - will you have an outside facilitator to
  chair the discussion?
• - will any form of written report be produced?
• - who will be responsible for feedback?
• - who will be responsible for any action points
  which arise?

5
Who goes on a learning walk?

• Staff home and away
• Pupils
• Parents
• Governors
• Other professionals

6
What are the rules?

• There are certain ways to behave on a learning
  walk
• Always stand to the side or the edges dont
  distract from the teacher or block someones
  view.
• If the children are working independently or in
  groups agree whether you are going to mingle and
  ask questions or simply be a fly on the wall
  observer.
• Dont chat amongst yourselves whilst the teacher
  or pupils are addressing the class!
• Are photographs permitted if the purpose is to
  gather evidence?

7
What might be the outcomes?

• Written report highlighting strengths and areas
  for development.
• Identification of good practice and a plan on how
  to extend that across the school.
• A change of policy, practice or routines.
• Further information required to gain a more
  detailed picture.

8

• The Learning Environment
• Our aim is to enhance childrens learning through
  providing a stimulating learning environment.
• A rich learning environment can enhance learning
  by
• Stimulating childrens creativity, curiosity
  and
• thoughts.
• Providing a bridge between the student and the
• subject content.
• Building self-esteem, self-worth and
  confidence.
• Informing, motivating, influencing and
  exciting
• the children about topics.

9

• Providing children with a sense of ownership,
• belonging and responsibility.
• Promoting positive feelings and attitudes
  towards
• school, the classroom and learning.
• Recent research into the brain suggests that a
  classroom that is interactive, interesting,
  personalised and relevant will enhance the
  developing brain. Classroom displays must be
  changed and updated regularly to keep them
  relevant and interesting to pupils.

10
Checklist

• Here is a basic classroom checklist that can be
  used when assessing the learning environment that
  you create.
• The room is clean, tidy and organised.
• Drawers and resources are clearly labelled.
• Materials/resources are in working condition and
  appropriately stored.
• Display boards are appropriate to the topics
  currently being taught.
• Display boards are intact and appropriately
  presented.
• Display boards will stimulate the childrens
  learning.
• Side tables and tabletops are used for interest
  tables and to consolidate or to stimulate or
  further learning, not to pile books and papers
  on.
• The children have a place for their personal
  belongings.
• The space in the room is utilised to encourage
  maximum learning power.

11
Checklist

• There are clear learning areas/zones within the
  room, for example, book corner, numeracy area,
  and literacy area.
• The temperature is between 68 and 72 degrees
  fahrenheit and there is good air circulation.
• Classroom walls are a pastel blue, light green,
  yellow or aqua colour.
• The focal point of the room (where the board is)
  is kept clean, simple and aesthetic. The side
  and back walls and surrounding tables are where
  the most important stimuli are positioned.
• Coloured chalks, whiteboard pens and flipchart
  pens are used.
• Lighting is natural (not fluorescent) The focal
  point of the room is well lit.
• Music purposefully used at appropriate times.
• Water is readily available to learners.
• Resources are accessible and encourage
  independence, table trays containing a range of
  stationary.
• Blank learning tools readily available for
  children to access and choose from.

12

• Display for Learning Criteria
• These are the criteria used to successfully
  incorporate display for learning into the school
  environment,to reflect and consolidate the
  learning process.
• Key Words/Phrases
• Topic, Literacy, Numeracy, Phonics/Spellings
• Vocabulary that is related to the year group.
• Key Information
• Definitions, facts, information, posters,
  diagrams.
• Big Picture/Little Picture
• Annual, termly, topic, overview Learning aims
  displayed
• Progression of a topic displayed, for example,
  displaying planning with work.
• Artefacts/Objects (3D Display)
• Interest tables, interactive tables,
  childrens 3-D work.
• Learning Tools
• Toolkit reminder poster with symbols
  displayed for staff and pupils. Learning tools
  as plans displayed with finished work, blank
  learning tools displayed for inter-active use
  by the children and for whole class work.
• Colour and Visual Representations
• Symbols and pictures displayed with key
  vocabulary. Use colour for key words in
  display.
• Interactive Blank learning tools, touchy
  /feely, flaps, moving words /numbers
• Attitude/motivational posters
• Getting stuck isnt a problem, staying stuck
  is!