[e-mail]

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Active methodologies to enhance numeracy and
literacy in the business suite of subjects 12
th October 2011
rachelfarrell_at_pdst.ie
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PISA Report
Literacy
Numeracy
Engage with text print electronic
Mathemising real world problems
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• ESRI - findings from a recent report
• Performance in LC English Maths..prediction of
  performance at 3rd level ..

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Strategies for change

• Whole school agreed terminology
• Pre-teach (key words terminology)
• Select areas of your subject that are maths based
• Dont assume it is done in maths class
• Celebrate maths week in all subjects
• Be aware of your students ability

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Strategies for change

• SMOG test text books
• Pre-teach (key words terminology)
• Marking policy
• Print rich environment

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Checking a text for readability
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Financial Literacy
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Immigrant Students

• 12 of primary students
• 9 of post primary students
• Singletons going back home
• Families tend to stay
• By 2020 there will be 2nd generation
• Research to suggest they will find school even
  more challenging

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Immigrant Students

• Mother tongue NB for emotional cognitive
  development
• Social language up to 3 years
• Academic language 5 to 8 years
• Encourage students to write extra notes in their
  own language
• Discuss their culture heritage.

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• Using pictures where possible to explain words is
  language neutral!!

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Strategies for change

• Differentiation (must, should, could, learning
  targets)
• Resources (word walls, cloze tests, graphic
  organisers, mind/word maps, JCSP initiatives)
• Methodologies (cooperative learning, pair/share)

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Strategies for change

• High expectations............. ESRI 2009

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Strategies for change

• Reading
• Skim look at cover, headingssavour
• Scan particular info
• SQ3R Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review
• BUG - Box, Underline, Glance

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Action

• From passive Listening reading
• To active Speaking writing
• From Assessment of Learning
• To Assessment for Learning
• you cannot fatten a pig by weighing it!

NCCA AFL
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Assessment for Learning (AfL)

• Is using assessment in the classroom as a tool to
  improve students learning, characterised by
• Sharing learning goals with students
• Help students to know the standards
• Involve students in assessment
• Provide feedback close gap in knowledge
• Give confidence
• Adjust teaching

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Assessment for Learning (AfL)

• Key principles
• Part of effective planning
• Focuses on how to learn not what to learn
• Central to classroom practice
• Is a key professional skill
• Sensitive constructive
• Fosters motivation
• Outlines goals criteria to learners
• Helps them know how to improve
• Develops a capacity for self assessment
• Recognises all educational achievement

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Action

• Scaffold
• Teach to fluency repetition
• Challenge
• Higher order questions
• Evaluate, discuss
• Critical thinkers!!

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Research on self Evaluation

• Experiences from Ireland Iceland
• Emerging models of SE respect for many forms of
  data
• External steering less important than staff
  attitudes, democratic leadership..
• External evaluation accountability
• Internal self evaluation capacity building

Gerry McNamara et al.
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• Information collected at the school level is
  likely to be of limited utility without
  comparable information on the national context .
  .
• Such approach would require information on pupil
  ability at the point of entry and
• additional information (e.g. through surveys) on
  pupil background.
• This information could be used by the school
  itself in setting targets for improvement and in
  monitoring the introduction of new programmes or
  teaching methods.
  
• (Smyth 1999, 226)

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Data Analysis

• 1st year assessments
• Reading Age
• Junior Cert
• DATS for Guidance
• Leaving Cert
• Track progress
• Excel trend graphs of grades

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Career Guidance in some schools......

• Tracks each students progress
• Factors in
• Attitude, Attendance, Aspiration
• Strategy concentrate on 6/7 subjects
• TY students higher attainment

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Improving professional practice

• School policy
• Dissemination of sensitive data
• Training
• Targets
• Evaluation

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Comparisons with national average
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Comparisons with national average
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SCOT Analysis
Discussion Action
Strengths Good uptake Good no doing HL Results in line with NA Highlight this to mm And during subject option talks..
Challenges No doing subject declining No doing HL declining Mixed ability Diverse needs Promote subject Highlight achievements Notice board Competitions SNA, resource packs.
Opportunities Speakers, parents. TY module. CPD Invite in experts in various fields Trips Exam techinques
Threats Other subject options Lack of motivation Loss of teachers Promote subject Active methods Ensure more replacement is ready
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Career Guidance

• Tracks progression to 3rd level
• Recession major factor
• ESRI - findings from a recent report
• Performance in LC English Maths..prediction of
  performance at 3rd level ..

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THE TYRANNY OF NUMBERS
Not everything that counts can be counted. And
not everything that can be counted,
counts. Albert Einstein
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Schools can make a positive difference to
students engagement and performance.

• .by using diverse teaching methods to actively
  engage students in learning,and by promoting a
  positive climate with good relations between
  teachers and students.

Emer Smyth (ESRI) 2009
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• If you think youre too small to make a
  difference, youve never been in bed with a
  mosquito.