Inverclyde project: Talking Round Corners
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Project objectives
The Talking, Listening and Learning (TLL) project, Talking Round Corners, used the indicators of Dialogic Teaching to develop an inclusive pedagogy which would enable pupils to become more proactive in adapting their learning to suit their needs. The project, which involved teachers and pupils in P1-P7, aimed to:
- improve the understanding of the role of talking and listening in the learning process
- increase the confidence of teachers and pupils in the use of classroom talk.
- develop and share good practice in talking and listening for learning.
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Key findings
Pupils have become more aware of the importance of talking and listening in relation to their learning.
Classroom discussion and dialogue have become more prevalent and more sophisticated. Expectations of pupils were raised as they engaged in discussions which frequently touched on moral dilemmas.
Collaborative learning techniques were used to enhance lessons and pupils were actively engaged in discussions.
As one pupil said, ‘When the teacher asks a question and you put your hands up, someone gets picked and they say their answer. When you discuss it with your thumbs up it goes in all sorts of different directions and you really think about it and understand it better. It’s like talking round corners.’
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The Dialogic Teaching approach was new to all staff involved and so CPD was provided to support the introduction of TLL. This focused on Bloom’s Taxonomy, which resulted in a raised awareness of the use and benefit of higher order questioning - ‘What do you think? Why? What if ...?’
In addition, staff supported each other through discussion and class visits to evaluate each other’s teaching.
Increasingly, teachers are applying the pedagogy of TLL across the whole curriculum.
Future developments
The Talking Round Corners project will be expanded to include all primary schools and one pilot secondary school in Inverclyde.
Contact details
Fiona Norris, QIO Inverclyde Council
Fiona.norris@inverclydeschools.org.uk
01475 712814
PDF file: Inverclyde - Talking, Listening and Learning in Inverclyde (1.1 MB)