This document discusses personalised learning and the skills needed to support it. It defines personalised learning as learners taking responsibility for organizing their own learning, seeking help and advice, and managing their time. Learners need personal learning and thinking skills like reflection, problem solving, collaboration, and self-management to operate successfully in a personal learning environment. Functional skills in English, maths and ICT are also important as they equip learners for education, work and independent living. Assessments of these skills should be based on realistic, task-based scenarios requiring the application of skills to solve problems.

1. Skills; supporting personalised learning John Pallister June 2010

2. Skills supporting personalised learning - www.JohnPallister.net

3. The task – For the next 2 hours, observe each other and everyone in the room. When someone in the room ‘does’ one of the ‘outcome statements’ described on a card, move the card into an ‘evidenced’ area on your table. The envelopes, one per table: Skills supporting personalised learning - www.JohnPallister.net

4. schools being ‘told’ to: “put personalising learning at the heart of their vision for transforming teaching and learning” http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/personalisedlearning/about/ 4 Skills supporting personalised learning - www.JohnPallister.net

5. Why should we personalise learning? 5 Skills supporting personalised learning - www.JohnPallister.net

6. Equality for all learners “Developing personalised learning in schools is critical in working towards a society where a child’s chances of success are not limited by their socio-economic background, gender, ethnicity or any disability.” http://publications.teachernet.gov.uk/eOrderingDownload/00844-2008DOM-EN.pdf 6 Skills supporting personalised learning - www.JohnPallister.net

7. Educational agendas (Children’s Plan, 2007; Every Child Matters, 2004; Gilbert Review, 2006; Further Education White Paper, 2006; Leitch Review of Skills, 2006 and World Class Skills, 2007) all endorse the concepts of personalisation and the learner’s right to have a voice.” Using digital technologies to promote inclusive practices in education – www.futurelab.org.uk/handbooks 7 Skills supporting personalised learning - www.JohnPallister.net

8. aspiration to provide the best ‘education’ for all learners regardless of ability, special need, interest, background or location; Aspiration: to provide the best ‘education’ for all learners regardless of ability, special need, interest, background, location, age... that prepares learners so that they can operate and function ‘independently’ demand from employers – changing working styles; everyone a lifelong learning - continuous personal and professional development ; increasing value given to non-planned, informal learning changing expectations of learners; aspiration to harness new technologies and tools. need for Personal Learning and Thinking skills; 8 Skills supporting personalised learning - www.JohnPallister.net

9. Personalised Learning; means different things to different people; Lots of discussion – talking about different things; schools confused about what it is that they need to introduce, implement or support 9 Skills supporting personalised learning - www.JohnPallister.net

11. Learners ‘do’personalised learning in their Personal Learning Environment To ‘do’personalised learning they need a skills set that will enable them to operate in their Personal Learning Environment; need for Personal Learning and Thinking skills; 11 Skills supporting personalised learning - www.JohnPallister.net

12. A Learning Environment where learners: are encouraged to use their initiative to solve problems and to be creative. Where they organise themselves, plan what they need to do and how to do it. Where they process and evaluate information, reflect on what they have done, learnt or achieved and collaborate and work with others. are committed to their own self improvement and will monitor their own performance and development. They will be caring and active citizens who take an active part in all aspects of school life. Their opinions, contributions and ideas will be sought and valued. 12 Skills supporting personalised learning - www.JohnPallister.net

13. “Nationally, our challenge is to create a curriculum that: raises achievement in all subjects, particularly in English and mathematics equips learners with the personal, learning and thinking skills they will need to succeed in education, life and work motivates and engages learners enables a smooth progression from primary, through secondary and beyond encourages more young people to go on to further and higher education gives schools the flexibility to tailor learning to individual and local needs ensures that assessment supports effective teaching and learning provides more opportunities for focused support and challenge where needed.” http://curriculum.qca.org.uk/key-stages-3-and-4/organising-your-curriculum/the_secondary_curriculum/index.aspx 13 Skills supporting personalised learning - www.JohnPallister.net

14. The Big Picture 14 Skills supporting personalised learning - www.JohnPallister.net

15. A curriculum that values skills “continues to recognise the importance of subjects while at the same time it places emphasis on the development of skills for life and work.” “Functional skills of English, mathematics and ICT have been built into the curriculum, and the key processes sections in the programmes of study highlight the essential skills that learners need in order to make progress and achieve in each subject.” http://curriculum.qca.org.uk/key-stages-3-and-4/developing-your-curriculum/what_has_changed_and_why/index.aspx 15 Skills supporting personalised learning - www.JohnPallister.net

16. “For learners it means being engaged not just with the content of what is being taught but being involved with the learning process, understanding what they need to do to improve and taking responsibility for furthering their own progress.” http://curriculum.qca.org.uk/organising-your-curriculum/personalisation/?return=http%3A//curriculum.qca.org.uk/search/index.aspx%3FfldSiteSearch%3Dpersonalised+learning 16 Skills supporting personalised learning - www.JohnPallister.net

17. Activity 1 17 Skills supporting personalised learning - www.JohnPallister.net

18. Personal Learning and Thinking skills defined as six groups of skills: independent enquirers creative thinkers reflective learners team workers self-managers effective participators. 18 Skills supporting personalised learning - www.JohnPallister.net

19. Reflective learners are expected to "evaluate their strengths and limitations, setting themselves realistic goals with criteria for success”. They have to “monitor their own performance and progress, inviting feedback from others". 19 Skills supporting personalised learning - www.JohnPallister.net

20. As Self-managers the same learners will be expected to "organise themselves, showing personal responsibility, initiative, creativity and enterprise with a commitment to learning and self-improvement" 20 Skills supporting personalised learning - www.JohnPallister.net

21. A process? Reflective learners and Self-managers will need to use a Plan, Do and Review cycle 21 Skills supporting personalised learning - www.JohnPallister.net

22. Independent enquirers? "process and evaluate information in their investigations," Investigations - they need to plan"what to do and how to go about it." 22 Skills supporting personalised learning - www.JohnPallister.net

23. Effective participators "propose practical ways forward, breaking these down into manageable steps" will need to engage in some analysis and employ some problem solving strategies. "identify improvements that would benefit others as well as themselves" they will need to review and reflect on what they, or others have done or proposed. an Effective participator must also be a reflective learner 23 Skills supporting personalised learning - www.JohnPallister.net

24. Team workers "collaborate with others to work towards common goals“ working towards a common goal will involve some element of problem solving(collaborative) Problem solving relies on the Plan, Do and Review process Team workers will need to use the Plan, Do, Review process 24 Skills supporting personalised learning - www.JohnPallister.net

25. Creative thinkers "try different ways to tackle a problem, working with others to find imaginative solutions" they will need to solve problems problem Solving will require them to follow the Plan, Do, Review cycle 25 Skills supporting personalised learning - www.JohnPallister.net

26. PLTs require learners to: reflect on their learning Solve problems Work collaboratively Take responsibility for and Manage their own learning use the Plan, Do and review process 26 Skills supporting personalised learning - www.JohnPallister.net

27. Activity 2. Identify the PLTs that your group used in Activity 1. Will learners be able to develop PLTs in a traditional classroom situation? 27 Skills supporting personalised learning - www.JohnPallister.net

28. “PLTS are essential to achieving the aims of the Diploma and the wider curriculum in enabling young people to become successful learners who enjoy learning, make progress and achieve; confident individuals who are able to live safe, healthy and fulfilling lives; and responsible citizens who make a positive contribution to society.” http://www.qcda.gov.uk/resources/assets/QCA_guidelines_on_recording_personal_learning_and_thinking_skills_in_the_Diploma.pdf Skills supporting personalised learning - www.JohnPallister.net

29. “A curriculum with maximum impact uses coherent themes to link learners’ experiences across the school. Schools need to determine what learning opportunities, events and experiences are necessary to ensure that PLTS are developed according to their school’s specific aims. Opportunities need to be created where these skills are explicitly taught or articulated, practiced in different contexts, and reinforced over an extended period of time, so that young people can reflect on the development of their PLTS.” QCA “Once you are clear about what you want to achieve, you can make decisions about the best ways to organise learning”. Skills supporting personalised learning - www.JohnPallister.net

34. “Personal learning and thinking skills (PLTS), together with functional English, mathematics and ICT, cover the areas of competence that are most demanded by employers. Integrating these skills into the curriculum and qualifications will provide learners with a platform for employability and further learning.” http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/14-19/index.cfm?go=site.home&sid=3&pid=386&ctype=TEXT&ptype=Single Employability: Skills supporting personalised learning - www.JohnPallister.net

35. Functional Skills are: ‘the core elements of English, mathematics and ICT that provide an individual with the essential knowledge, skills and understanding that will enable them to operate confidently, effectively and independently in life, education and work.’ QCA October 2006 5 35 Skills supporting personalised learning - www.JohnPallister.net

36. Functional skills: functional English functional Mathematics functional ICT At the levels: Entry 1, 2 and 3 (National Curriculum levels 1, 2 and 3) Level 1 (GCSEs grades D-G) Level 2 (GCSEs grades A*-C) each level incorporates and builds on the level below 36 36 Skills supporting personalised learning - www.JohnPallister.net

37. Relationship with ‘Learning Pathways’ 37 Skills supporting personalised learning - www.JohnPallister.net

38. The Functional Skills standards 38 Skills supporting personalised learning - www.JohnPallister.net

39. The emphasis: on the development of skills that the learner can select and apply in a range of different contexts. 39 Skills supporting personalised learning - www.JohnPallister.net

40. To develop skills: learners need to have the opportunity to practise them Having developed the skills they need to be able to ‘transfer’ and apply them in a wide range of different ‘real’ life contexts. They need to be able to select and apply the skills ‘independently’. 40 Skills supporting personalised learning - www.JohnPallister.net

41. following a ‘curriculum’ that: provides the opportunities that will allow learners to develop, practise and apply their Functional Skills; provide a range of ‘real life’ contexts and situations in which learners apply their Functional Skills to solve problems. Problem solving, Plan Do Review, collaborative working 41 41 Skills supporting personalised learning - www.JohnPallister.net

42. Activity 3 – Functional Skills Mapping 42 Skills supporting personalised learning - www.JohnPallister.net

43. complexity technical demand familiarity independence Factors affecting ‘level’: Skills supporting personalised learning - www.JohnPallister.net

45. Preparing for Functional Skills Promoting a positive agenda for the rationale and delivery of functional skills Implementing an effective curriculum Establishing clearly defined roles and responsibilities for the delivery and Coordinating activity to underpin the delivery of functional skills provision Delivering effective teaching and learning that assures learner achievement by identifying individual needs and providing relevant opportunities for functional skills development Establishing clear assessment procedures Using resources efficiently and effectively … including the deployment of specialists Embedding quality assurance procedures Delivering appropriate staff Reviewing and planning ahead for next year’s cycle of functional skills development 45 Skills supporting personalised learning - www.JohnPallister.net

46. Activity 4: Functional Skills Readiness Self Assessment Red/Amber/Green (RAG) rate your Functional Skills provision or planning for Functional Skills against five questions (based on the Common Inspection Framework) teaching and learning planning for delivery leadership and management CPD quality assurance resources Collaboration Discuss possible Action Points Downloaded from http://www.fssupport.org/training-support/readiness-tool 46 Skills supporting personalised learning - www.JohnPallister.net

47. Activity 5: 47 Skills supporting personalised learning - www.JohnPallister.net

48. based on real-life contexts tasks and problems embedded in realistic scenarios skills, knowledge and understanding applied to solve problems cannot prescribe the processes or methods Assessment - task-based: Skills supporting personalised learning - www.JohnPallister.net

49. adding ‘communication’ to the speaking and listening component of English BSL is acceptable form of communication text can include Braille for reading and writing assistive technologies may be used exemptions may be issued for English components similar format and structure across the three subjects. Increased accessibility and inclusivity by: Skills supporting personalised learning - www.JohnPallister.net

50. must be straightforward and direct must be accessible to learners operating at least a level below that of the assessable content (except for English). Technical language essential to the skill area at the level being assessed is permitted. The language used in assessments Skills supporting personalised learning - www.JohnPallister.net