the academic year: A presentation of learning to articulate their academic progress, learner attributes, wider achievements and wellbeing experiences across the year. A typical Reflect and Connect Session @ UCL Academy Duration Activity details Purpose Process Products 1 5 mins Settling & Engaging activities such as 1: Maths problem 2: Literacy starter 3: Big Idea link To enable students to get into the R&C mindset Students enter the learning space and immediately get on with an activity on their desk A complex problem is solved 2 10 mins Whole Class Mindfulness To support an active process of quiet reflection Teacher led activity following a provided mindfulness script Students in a mindset ready for R&C 3 15 mins Personal reflection activities such as 1: Answering a question from an academic subject 2: Reflecting on learner attributes www/ebi 3: Reflecting on students personal role in the learning set www/ebi To reflect on personal progress during the week at an intrapersonal and interpersonal level Students discuss, plan and answer a metacognition question or respond to how their learning set has worked over the week. A written answer to a question in their portfolio or planner 4 20 mins Connecting my Learning activities such as 1: Connecting to the Big Idea 2: Philosophy for Children P4C 3: Socratic seminar based on wider reading 4: Discuss a contemporary issue/current affairs 5: Learning show Develop students ability to communicate and discuss contemporary issues. Reflect on learning during the week. Develop student oracy. To make connections to learning Students given stimulus and then design ‘philosophical questions’, discussed in a circle. Discuss an issue/problem. Students mindmap, discuss as a LS or whole class the Big Idea Student opinion about a Philosophical question. Presentations - slides of a high quality. Students have an aspect of their learning to the big
& Tell. Student each other about… during the week and between subjects idea 5 5 mins Next steps activities such as 1: SMART target setting 2: Recording of what to do for personal portfolio e.g. bring in a high quality piece of work 3: Follow up questions and research to discussion Students need to be able to articulate their progress across the curriculum. Students collate evidence in a personal portfolio (digital or physical). Students personal portfolios should contain examples of journaling and excellent work. They are working towards a final presentation of learning (POL) that highlights progress across the year. Philosophy for Children: This approach allows students to ask and discuss philosophical questions. Students are sat in a circle and using a stimuli, ask students to design their own philosophical questions. Facilitators will need to help students understand what makes a good philosophical question. Students then vote on the questions they are most interested in and discuss in a circle. Facilitators must help students to listen and take turns to speak and encourage dialogue. More can be found at Harkness table: Harkness teaching can improve student discussion. Small groups of usually 12 sit around a table and share, discuss and discover based on prepared material. E.g. an interesting article. Read more at Socratic seminar: This is another approach to discussion where students sit in a ‘goldfish bowl’ and discuss a complex and deep piece of text. This should be linked to their learning in one of their academic disciplines. The inner circle discuss the text, the middle circle note down the content of the discussion and the outer circle monitor and feedback on the quality of the discussion. This video explains how Socratic Seminars work Show and tell: The method is in the name. Students bring in work or something they have been learning both at home and school, show and tell about it to the class. This could take on a metacognitive element where students have to talk through the thinking process.