Creativity in skillsbuilding: some practical examples

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Creativity in skills-building some practical
examples

• Rachel Hawkes
• Assistant Principal, AST, SSAT Lead Practitioner
• Comberton Village College, Cambridgeshire
• www.rachelhawkes.typepad.com/linguacom

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What skills and attributes?

• Pattern-finding
• Link-making
• Pronunciation
• Memorising
• Autonomy
• Communicating (meaning making)
• Creativity
• Performing
• Collaborating
• Listening (audience skills)

How do we embed these skills in our teaching?
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1 Learning the sounds of the language

• develops pronunciation
• builds pattern-finding and link-making
• increases autonomy
• improves confidence in performance
• facilitates comprehension

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Support from new curriculum 1 key concepts

• 1.1b Applying linguistic knowledge and skills to
  understand and communicate effectively
• 1.2a Understanding how a language works and how
  to manipulate it
• 1.2b Recognising that languages differ but may
  share common grammatical, syntactical or lexical
  features

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Support from new curriculum 2 Key processes

• 2.1a identify patterns in the TL
• 2.1b develop techniques for memorising words,
  phrases and spellings
• 2.1d use previous knowledge, context and other
  clues to work out the meaning of what they hear
  or read
• 2.2d use correct pronunciation and intonation
• 2.2k deal with unfamiliar language, unexpected
  responses and unpredictable situations

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Support from new curriculum 3 Range and
content4 Curriculum opportunities

• 3a the spoken and written forms of the TL
• 3b the interrelationship between sounds and
  writing in the TL
• 4c use an increasing range of more complex
  language

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How to teach the sounds?

• VAK approach picture, sound, gesture for key
  sounds
• Constant re-visiting
• Frequent practice opportunities
• Embed the links in the classroom discourse

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2 Pattern-finding, link-making, memorising

• develops higher level thinking skills
• mirrors investigative approaches in other
  curriculum areas
• makes learning explicitly collaborative
• raises profile of memory skills

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How to teach it?

• Collective memory lesson
• Constant re-visiting
• Frequent practice opportunities
• Embed the links in the classroom discourse

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3 Using music to develop skills

• memorising
• pronunciation
• creativity
• fun
• making the learning experiences memorable

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4 Using drama to develop skills
physical theatre
hotseating

• memorising
• pronunciation
• creativity
• fun
• making the learning experiences memorable

using props
character role-play
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Two stars and a wish
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Plenary

• What do you do already in your departments that
  promotes skills-building?(e.g. teaching of
  phonics/thinking skills/music/drama)
• What would you like to see further developed?
• What is on your wish-list for creative and
  engaging activities ?

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Further support from me

• my blog www.rachelhawkes.typepad.com/linguacom
• RSA seminar day ARU (Anglia Ruskin University)
  Monday 17th March (flyers available)
• ALL Regional Network twilight 2 Wednesday 19th
  March 4.30 6.30 Comberton Village College (to
  book ashorten_at_comberton.cambs.sch.uk )
• ALL Regional Network twilight 3 Wednesday 30th
  April 4.30 6.30 Comberton Village College (to
  book ashorten_at_comberton.cambs.sch.uk )

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• Second workshop only beyond this point! ?

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Reflection on next steps
Arising from today, what conversations will you
have with - your languages team? - your
senior leadership team? - like-minded
colleagues?
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For further information http//curriculum.qca.org
.ukhttp//all-languages.org.ukkathywicksteed_at_tis
cali.co.uk
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Further support from me

• my blog www.rachelhawkes.typepad.com/linguacom
• RSA seminar day ARU (Anglia Ruskin University)
  Monday 17th March (flyers available)
• ALL Regional Network twilight 2 Wednesday 19th
  March 4.30 6.30 Comberton Village College (to
  book ashorten_at_comberton.cambs.sch.uk )
• ALL Regional Network twilight 3 Wednesday 30th
  April 4.30 6.30 Comberton Village College (to
  book ashorten_at_comberton.cambs.sch.uk )