N e w s l e t t e rWelcome

ACTS conference 2010

Call for proposals

Chris Ward Interview

Dylan Wiliam at Tapestry09

Chartered Teacher Glow Group

Join ACTS

ACTS Blog

WelcomeWelcome to the Winter 2009 edition of the ACTS Newsletter.

It contains news of the exciting Chartered Teacher conference taking place in February 2010

and links so you can apply for tickets. There’s an interview with Chris Ward, inspiring leader of

co-operative learning workshops. You’ll find an account of a talk by Dylan Wiliam at the

Tapestry Partnership Conference. There’s a calendar of upcoming Glowmeets and a guide to

how to take part.

There’s also a membership form for those who wish to become a member of ACTS before the

conference, and qualify for a free ticket.

We wish you all a peaceful break and a healthy, happy and productive New Year.

You are free to download and print copies of this newsletter and pass them to colleagues.

ACTS Conference 2010Chartered Teachers Engaging with Practice, Research and Policy

Ask any Chartered Teacher for their professional wish list and access to appropriate

CPD is likely to feature prominently. Having become accustomed to an

enhanced engagement with pedagogy, many Chartered Teachers have

to look hard to find CPD that meets their needs. Other experienced and

accomplished teachers may be interested in the Chartered Teacher

programme, but lack access to sources of information about what it entails, how to get started

ACTS Newsletter Winter 2009

ACTS Newsletter Winter 2009and perhaps practical information about comparing providers or how to manage studying while

working.

The Association of Chartered Teachers Scotland, (ACTS) is approaching the

end of its first fully established year, and, building on the great success of its

launch, has devised a conference designed to fulfil these needs.

The first ACTS Winter Conference, entitled Chartered Teachers Engaging with Practice, Policy

and Research, will take place at Stirling Management Centre on 6 th January

2010. The Conference will give participants the opportunity to hear respected

speakers, such as Walter Humes (University of West of Scotland),

Frank Crawford (Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education) and

Jenny Reeves (University of Stirling), who have particular interest

in these areas. There will be opportunities to network with other Chartered

Teachers, and those on the route, in workshops related to these themes. Discussion will include

links to Curriculum for Excellence and there will be a chance to explore the

impact of some of the significant documents published this year in relation to

Chartered Teachers. Many providers of Chartered Teacher programmes will

also be on hand with information about their courses.

The conference is generously sponsored by the Scottish Government, Learning and Teaching

Scotland, the Educational Institute for Scotland and the University of West of Scotland, and is

supported by the General Teaching Council for Scotland, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of

Education, the University of Edinburgh and the Times Educational Supplement Scotland.

Chartered Teachers, both fully accredited and those on the route are invited to register online

for tickets here (http://tinyurl.com/ACTSConf) Further details are available here

(http://tinyurl.com/ACTS2010) Demand is likely to be high, and places are limited.

Current members of ACTS and those who join before the end of 2009 will be entitled to apply

for one free ticket. Membership of ACTS for 2010 is £25 for those who have completed the

Chartered Teacher qualification, and £15 for those 'on the route' ie those who have completed

at least one module.

A limited number of tickets are available to: Chartered Teachers, those 'on the route', and

others with an interest in Chartered Teacher, who are not members of ACTS. Until the end of

2009, these tickets are available for £15.

2

ACTS Newsletter Winter 2009An opportunity to submit a proposal for a workshop or short presentation

Call for Contributions

This is the call for contributions to the ACTS Winter Conference in February 2010. This new annual conference hopes to attract over 150 delegates, representing those with an interest in Chartered Teacher.

Keynote and some workshop speakers will be invited. Speakers for short presentations and other workshops will be selected, based on application, to contribute to the conference. If you have an idea you would like to propose but are unsure about completing the ‘Application for Contributions’ form (see link below), please contact us and we will be happy to provide further support.

This document contains information regarding the theme, selection criteria, submission details and general conference information. Should you require further information please contact us by e-mail: at actscotland@yahoo.com.

Conference Theme: Chartered Teachers engaging with new practice, research and policy

Description

During 2009, many developments took place on a national level with relevance to all those with

an interest in Chartered Teacher. The General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS)

published the revised ‘Standard for Chartered Teacher’; a new ‘Code of Practice on the Role of

Chartered Teacher’ was issued by the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT);

and Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education (HMIe) published ‘Learning Together’, envisaging

the role of Chartered Teachers in implementing A Curriculum for Excellence. Several academic

papers were published about Chartered Teacher; most notably in the March 2009 edition of the

journal, Professional Development in Education, and the Association of Chartered Teachers

Scotland ‘arrived on the scene’ following a well-attended launch at the Scottish Parliament in

March.

Aims of ACTS (please consider these when formulating your proposal) to support the community of Chartered Teachers in all its forms

to encourage communication and collaboration between Chartered Teachers

to encourage the provision of appropriate level CPD opportunities for Chartered Teachers

to develop awareness of the professional identity of Chartered Teachers

to make representation on issues affecting those in the Association of Chartered Teachers

Scotland.3

ACTS Newsletter Winter 2009

Workshops and Short Presentations

Workshops are for groups of between 25 and 40 people. They should include a presentation

of information as well as an interactive component that may go beyond questions and

answers.

More interactive approaches should be discussed in advance and mentioned in your

proposal.

Two speakers is normal at workshops, but more will be considered if this will enhance the

presentation..

Some workshops might run twice if we feel that interest is particularly strong and time

permits

Time allocated to workshops will be between 40 and 45 minutes.

Workshops will often reflect areas of excellence within the speakers’ own organisations.

Sessions should not be used for promotional purposes.

Short presentations are for 10 minutes.

Three short presentations will be delivered consecutively during a session lasting 45

minutes.

Selection CriteriaResponses to the call for proposals will be considered in relation to the following selection criteria: Receipt of the full completed proposal before the closing date of 31st December 2009 Relevance to one or more of the themes (new practice, research and policy) Strength and detail of the actual proposal, the content and originality How well the proposal fits with others to produce a balance of perspectives, organisations,

individuals, services and issues Application to Chartered Teacher Application to the Scottish or international context (we welcome proposals from outwith

Scotland) Inclusion of the views of young people, staff, parents and carers Evidence of a sound research base (where applicable) Submissions could be disadvantaged if the promotion of their own organisation appears to

have greater emphasis than the promotion of practice, research, and policy in Scottish education generally.

Submitting Your Proposal Proposals should not be sent in by third parties. Any potential speakers should be involved

in the submission process and be fully aware of the potential commitment.4

ACTS Newsletter Winter 2009 Additional speakers must be named on the proposal and cannot be added later unless

agreed by ACTS. It is recognised that young people are unlikely to be named until nearer the conference date.

Proposals must be submitted using the ‘Application for Contributions’ and submitted electronically via email to actscotland@yahoo.com.

Support is available on request from ACTS to complete the application in a way that demonstrates clearly what you could offer (particularly for less experienced speakers – see contact details below).

Selection Process Submissions will be considered by a selection panel comprising members of the ACTS

committee One reference may be sought for speakers where required. Response: You will normally receive acknowledgement of your application within one week

of submission. If you do not hear from ACTS, please check that your proposal has been received. You may be asked to give more detailed information or clarification if required before the proposal is sent to the selection panel.

Timing: Invitations based on the proposals will be issued during the second week in January 2010. Some may be decided earlier.

Conference Arrangements and Commitment Speakers are encouraged to attend the whole event and one free ticket will be issued per

presenter. No financial support is available for presenters. Full technical support is available on the

day, though special requests must be emailed to ACTS before 23rd January 2010 Full details on practical arrangements will be provided before a final commitment is required.

ContactPlease feel free to contact the conference organisers if you have any questions. Conference Website: http://tinyurl.com/ACTS2010

E-mail: actscotland@yahoo.com

5

ACTS Newsletter Winter 2009CHRIS WARD – COOPERATIVE LEARNING – an interview with Jeannette Forbes

Take two high flyers. Take two of your lowest attaining students. Seat all four together

and give them a groupwork activity. Now watch two sink and two swim. Odds are the high

attainers will shoot through the exercise with time enough to float languidly on the surface,

watching the other two sink like a stone. Seem like a safe bet? Not necessarily.

With co-operative learning, all bets are off. This I learned at a three day CPD course at the

Dewar’s Centre in Perth run by Chris Ward – an uplifting, entertaining and truly inspirational

speaker.

Chris has just retired from her position as a Superintendent of

Education from Durham,Ontario, Canada. She was seconded

as the Cooperative Learning Trainer and Coordinator for North

Lanarkshire for a period of three years and is now working

independently in the UK. She has been a teacher, depute, head

teacher and Educational Officer as well as an adjunct professor

with both York and Niagara Universities. Chris has taught in all sectors ( nursery, primary,

secondary, special and university) and co-authored two books –What’s This Got To Do With

Anything?, a book of team builders and energizers and Cooperative Meetings. She has

presented across the UK, Ireland, Germany, Portugal, Estonia, Canada, the U.S.A., the

Caribbean, Mexico and Australia.

Co-operative learning is the instructional use of small groups so that

students work together to maximise their own and each other’s

learning. In co-operative learning situations there is a positive

interdependence among students’ goal attainments. The idea is

simple. Participants strive for mutual benefit so that all group members gain from each other’s

efforts (your success benefits me and my success benefits you). All group members share a

common fate. All sink or swim together.

Co-operative learning is designed to ensure students feel a sense of belonging, working as

independent, responsible learners within a caring environment. The incentive for the students is

fun. This dynamic approach to learning depends on five basic elements: Face-to-face

interaction; collaborative/social skills; individual accountability; group processing; and positive

interdependence. The benefits of co-operative learning is manifold. Not just for learning and

6

ACTS Newsletter Winter 2009teaching, but for life beyond the classroom walls. If you get the opportunity to attend this

course, don’t miss it.

1. Chris. Are you enjoying your stay in Scotland?

I have been in Scotland for almost 4 years and I am so enjoying my time that in order to

continue my work here providing Cooperative Learning training I retired from my

superintendent’s position in Canada at Christmas. I plan to apply for UK citizenship when the

pre-requisite time has been met. This country intrigues me- the people, the history, the culture,

the music and story, the sense of humour, the incredible scenery. I would not be truthful if I said

the weather and I must confess that I am not too keen on oatcakes, tablet or Iron Bru.

2. You’ve worked with teachers from different countries on both sides of the Atlantic. What have you found most surprising about the Scottish teaching profession?

I am continually amazed by the creativity and imagination of the Scottish teachers that I have

worked with - certainly some of the best professionals that I have encountered around the

world. I am also excited by the continuous learning opportunities that teachers in this country

seek out like the Chartered Teacher credentials as well as the training provided by LTS, subject

specific councils and organizations like Tapestry. If I could say one more thing- Canadian

teachers are quite humble I believe – as if they do not realize sometimes how good they are;

but Scottish teachers are the most self-effacing group I have encountered anywhere. Very

modest. Of course I should have realized that “No bad” meant Terrific, Wow, Over the top!

3. What launched you on the road to co-operative learning?

It is a long story but it begin in 1986 when during a provincial audit of schools (we have no HMIe

equivalent in Ontario and this was a one off) my authority came dead last in every category from

attainment to overall achievement even including least amount of money spent per pupil. At that

time we worked closely with two universities and three other authorities to start a Learning

Consortium to investigate possible strategies for improvement. Our research pointed us in the

direction of Cooperative Learning as a very powerful methodology and a way we could support

our teachers in the classroom.

“Educational change is about what teachers think and do. It is as simple and as complex as

that.” Michael Fullan

It began a journey that continues to this day in Durham by providing the best professional

development available to our teachers.

Long story short - in 1996 our authority (after a year long audit) won a very prestigious award

from the Bertelsmann Foundation for the being the most innovative school authority in the 7

ACTS Newsletter Winter 2009world. The criterion that won us the day was the one that said - improving the life chances of

their students and their staff . The only innovation that we had taken on and continued,

deepened and strengthened over that 10 year period was Cooperative Learning. It changed our

culture, raised attainment and improved working conditions among teachers, pupils and

parents. I was so very fortunate to be one of the first teachers trained in 1988 and then a part of

the training team that provided the Cooperative Learning training to our staff and subsequently

to teachers world-wide.

Incidentally, Scotland, represented by North Lanarkshire was one of the seven finalists in that

competition and that began our long and fruitful relationship with Scotland on the educational

front. The relationship that I strive to continue to build and support.

4. Chris, there are countless approaches to learning and teaching. Why do you see co-operative learning as a particularly important one?

Cooperative Learning provides a methodology that gives equal weight to both the academic and

the social sides of learning. Fullan has said that “for information to become knowledge it

requires a social process.”

We cannot underestimate the power of talk (that’s student not teacher talk ) in the classroom in

order for our students to make their own sense and meaning of their learning. Cooperative

Learning is so brain compatible and I believe one of the most effective active learning tools we

have, as it provides a perfect venue for oral and written rehearsal.

As a vehicle to help us all reach and implement the four capacities of the Curriculum for

Excellence I cannot think of a more effective tool. I often call Cooperative Learning - Where

heart meets mind - therein lies the power of it!

As I always say, if it was as simple as talking was teaching and listening was learning, then

everyone would be a successful learner. It is so much more complex than that. Learning is not a

spectator sport.

I would also like to add that the benefits of Cooperative Learning go beyond just those for our

students. Adults benefit just as much from Cooperative Learning. I know that many authorities

are working towards building Professional Learning Communities. The skills and benefits

fostered and supported by using Cooperative Learning strategies with our staff and community

will provide a very supportive foundation for continued professional dialogue and learning

together.

5. Does co-operative learning have benefits that go beyond the classroom walls?

8

ACTS Newsletter Winter 2009Absolutely. As a very dear friend and colleague from Highland has shared with me – that

student when he leaves here may not remember the causes of the First World War but I would

like to think that he has honed the social interaction skills that will hold him in good stead in the

world of work.

It is the dual functionality of Cooperative Learning (academic and social) that creates such

benefits for our students beyond the classroom walls.

As mentioned above the links between Cooperative Learning and the Curriculum for Excellence

are myriad. When I arrived in Scotland and was first introduced to the new national curriculum I

felt that the planets had aligned. There must always be a catalyst for change (whether it is

imposed or self sought) and I saw that Cooperative Learning fit our need to look more closely at

the whole child’s development and concentrate perhaps more on the How than the What.

6. In the field of co-operative learning, who has been your greatest inspiration and why?

Teachers at the chalk face who use cooperative learning as one of the methodologies in their

teacher tool kit are my biggest inspiration. I am continually amazed by their ability, creativity,

eagerness to reach all kids and the way they take the basic foundations of Cooperative

Learning that I might be able to provide and turn them into an art form. I learn something new

every time I work with teachers either in training or with them in the classroom.

In my formative years in Cooperative Learning I think I would have to say that Roger and David

Johnson ( Johnson Model of Cooperative Learning) and Barrie Bennett and Carol Rolheiser

(University of Toronto) who have all been my trainers and mentors in Cooperative Learning,

provided me with the inspiration to continue to develop my Cooperative Learning skills and

believe in its powerful outcomes. As well as those leaders, I must also cite my Canadian co-

presenter and co -author, Jim Craigen, as an inspiration. For 22 years, he has constantly

pushed and supported my learning and deeper understanding of the model.

7. As a co-operative learning teacher, what’s your greatest success story?

I feel I have so many! Where to begin? The severely autistic child who was finally able to tell his

parents that he had a friend? One of the most emotionally and behaviourally disturbed children

that I have ever worked with being in a group and another group member saying after the home

team had been together for 2 months that “ I almost got to like that guy?”. The quiet reserved

student who eventually volunteered to speak at assembly - the way the head was held high and

shoulders back with a new found confidence? The academically struggling student whose eyes

flashed when he had an AHA moment during a cooperative activity when the penny dropped -

9

ACTS Newsletter Winter 2009not from my doing but because the team supported him? Kind words of support to a classmate

coming from a child who had never once been overtly positive or caring? The over all change in

classroom ethos to a positive supportive one? Sorry too many to single out one.

As a trainer I am continually awe–inspired when Scottish teachers tell me their cooperative

learning successes for their kids from the academic and social perspectives. Might be nice to

invite their stories !?!

8. Do you ever envisage a time, Chris, when all lessons will be designed in accordance with the principles of co-operative learning?

Now there is a question! No methodology is one size fits all, all the time. Run for the hills if

someone tries to sell you that, teachers. But, that being said Cooperative Learning is a very

powerful tool and the most researched one around. That a teacher would only ever use

Cooperative Learning – no. The more tools we have, the more kids we reach.

Do I envisage the day when all kids would have internalized the skills to be able to work

cooperatively supporting each other’s learning, be held individually accountable, use excellent

social interaction skills, be able to process their working together honestly and effectively even

when not bidden? I would like to hold that thought as the destination we would all strive for; but

the work is in the journey towards that, isn’t it ? We may never get there, but the Cooperative

Learning journey is well worth it – for our students and ourselves as life-long learners and

developing professionals!

Jeanette Forbes is a teacher at Crieff High School.Photos: Neil Winton

10

ACTS Newsletter Winter 2009

TAPESTRY PARTNERSHIP CONFERENCE 2009I was lucky enough to be able to attend the second of the two days of this event. I had the

privilege of listening to Dylan Wiliam speak with passion and commitment about the need to

improve the quality of teaching in our schools, not because it isn’t good, but because it could be

better.

The practical suggestions in Dylan Wiliam’s talk were thoroughly grounded

in research. His convictions about the continuing value of formative

assessment were convincingly stated.

He pointed out that intuitive ways of increasing attainment, such as

improving quality of student teachers, or reducing class size were not quick

enough, not practical, and/or did not give a return equal to the value of the

economic investment required.

He quoted important statistics:

Those taught by the best teachers learn at twice the average rate

Those taught by the least effective teachers learn at half the average rate

And furthermore:

In the classrooms of the best teachers, students from disadvantaged backgrounds

learn at the same rate as those from advantaged backgrounds (Hamre & Pianta,

2005)

He contrasted the value of expertise over simple unreflective experience. To illustrate this he

quoted a study (Klein & Klein, 1981) where 3 groups, students, experts and instructors were

shown the same 6 video extracts of a person delivering CPR. 5 of the video extracts were of

students, 1 was of an expert. Their success rate in identifying the expert:

Experts: 90%

Students: 50%

Instructors: 30%

Those who have reflected on their practice (the experts) are better at recognizing good practice

than those who are learning (the students) and much better than those whose practice is

habitual rather than thoughtful (the instructors.) The implication for teachers is clear.

Wiliam’s 5 strategies for improving the quality of teaching were:

Clarifying, understanding, and sharing learning intentions

11

ACTS Newsletter Winter 2009Engineering effective classroom discussions, tasks and activities that elicit evidence

of learning

Providing feedback that moves learners forward

Activating students as learning resources for one another

Activating students as owners of their own learning

An interesting proposal was for teachers within establishments to form Teacher Learning

Communities. These would be structured to run for 2 years and would involve 10 – 12

interested colleagues, perhaps in similar stages, areas, or mixed. They would seek their

management’s support for

Monthly meetings (75 - 120 minutes each, inside or outside school time)

Time between meetings (2 hrs per month in school time)

Collaborative planning

Peer observation

Any necessary waivers from school policies

Every monthly meeting should always follow a set structure which has been found to be most

helpful.

Activity 1: Introduction (5 minutes)

Activity 2: Starter activity (5 minutes)

Activity 3: Feedback (25-50 minutes)

Activity 4: New learning about formative assessment (20-40 minutes)

Activity 5: Personal action planning (15 minutes)

Activity 6: Review of learning (5 minutes)

The TLC leader is there as organizer, not AifL “expert”!

According to Wiliam, a good teacher:

Establishes where the students are in their learning

Identifies the learning destination

Carefully plans a route

Begins the learning journey

Makes regular checks on progress on the way12

ACTS Newsletter Winter 2009Makes adjustments to the course as conditions dictate

Some strategies and techniques he mentioned on the way, which I remember because I’m

already doing them (reassurance!) or because I would like to try them:

Using other students’ successful work as exemplars for others during teaching phase.

Using mini white-boards to gather and display evidence

Don’t mark all mistakes. Say “There are 3 mistakes in this work, find them and fix them.”

Help students to own their own learning: using inverted coloured cups as traffic lights to show

understanding.

Make students responsible for others: have them check each other’s work and sign to say it

meets criteria. If it doesn’t, they are responsible as much as partner.

Dylan Wiliam’s website has a link to some of his presentations to other conferences which

include some of the work he included in his Tapestry talks.

http://www.dylanwiliam.net/

13

ACTS Newsletter Winter 2009CHARTERED TEACHER GLOW GROUP

The membership of this national group continues to grow. It now has over 50

members. If you have a Glow username and password, please send a

request to join.

If your email within Glow is not set, I can’t let you know that you’ve

been added, but you will be! You can specify which email address

you want Glow to use by going to your staff Home Page>Glow

settings> Change Profile>edit>Other email addresses. Type in your

preferred contact email and click Save.)

2 Glowmeets have now taken place. They were scheduled for

different times to see which suited more people, and there was

equal interest in both! The options for weekdays are generally

after school, around 4.15pm or later in the evening, while the

weekend may a preferred option for some. It would be good to

have your feedback on this. Remember you need to download

the Marratech software in advance of the Glowmeet.

The forthcoming Glowmeets are:

2nd December 16.30 CPD for Chartered Teachers

18th January 19.30 Chartered Teacher – Getting Started

6th February 16.00 ACTS AGM

6th March 10.00 International Perspectives on Chartered Teacher

28th April 16.30 Chartered Teacher and Leadership

10th June 20.30 “CTMeet”

Use this Tutorial to guide you through joining a Glowmeet

http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/glowscotland/trainingmaterials/learningaboutglow/meetpathway/

index.asp

Or download this guide:

14

ACTS Newsletter Winter 2009Join ACTS

Join by completing the form below and returning it to:

ACTS, 6 Monar Court, Dalgety Bay,

DUNFERMLINE, KY11 9XJ,

AND either:

Making a BACS payment to

Association of Chartered Teachers Scotland.

Sort Code 80-06-55. Account Number 06033226

Or: Sending a cheque to the address above

More information about ACTS

http://acts.edublogs.org/

Contact ACTS at : actscotland@yahoo.com

MEMBERSHIP FORM

Name

Address

Email:

I wish to become a member of

the Association of Chartered Teachers Scotland.

o I am a full Chartered Teacher (£25)

o I am following the CT Programme,

having completed at least Module 1 (£15)

o I have made /will make a BACS payment

o I enclose a cheque

15

ACTS Newsletter Winter 2009The views expressed in this newsletter are those of the contributors and do not represent ACTS

committee or any other body. Images used are thought to be free of copyright restrictions, but

the editors would be pleased to know of any contrary opinion.

16