Redesigning Classrooms

#SOLO Heaven

Over the past fourteen years, as a headteacher, I have led many professional development sessions for staff and introduced a number of different strategies and initiatives.  Without doubt the one that is most often been reflected back to me as having the greatest impact was introducing staff to the SOLO Taxonomy.  It has helped teachers structure the learning within lessons, projects and schemes of work in a sequential and increasingly complex manner.  The structuring and sequencing of learning is at the heart of what great teachers do in their lessons, projects and courses so maybe it should be no surprise of the extent of its impact.   Continue reading →

When Feedback Met Bloom

If you’ve ever had the pleasure of listening to Dylan Wiliam or reading John Hattie’s work then you will see there is definitely a meeting of minds, the meeting of two great minds if truth be told.  They both champion feedback as one of the most powerful ways of enhancing learning but are also very clear that this is not just any old feedback.  Assessment for learning has now been so re-worked, abused and adapted we have probably lost sight of its real power and purpose.

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#Vis2040: The New Professionalism – Re-imagining the Assessment System #SSATRS

I’ve just returned from a great few days at the annual SSAT Annual Conference.  The Vision 2040 Campaign is beginning to gather momentum and it was good to stop and look at the horizon alongside the current challenges and opportunities we face. Continue reading →