INTERACTION WITH PURPOSE IN A
SMALL GROUP SETTING
RACHEL LOFTHOUSE , ECLS
Teaching and Learning Conference
8th July 2011
15 MINUTE SESSION!
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Model an approach to developing interaction with
purpose
Explain how it was used as the basis of a seminar
session
INSIDE OUTSIDE CIRCLES
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What frustrates
you about teaching
spaces you use?
What solutions
have you devised
to overcome the
issues?
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What led you to select your focus for action research?
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What processes did you use to enquire into practice?
Rationale:
Students had returned from school
placement and were conducting action
research into an aspect of teaching .
This activity got them talking to as many of
their peers as possible in short space of time
and kept them focused (when they would be
inclined to gossip).
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3 groups – you decide
Aiming for:
‘Projects’ focused on more than one key stage
 At least one project with quantitative data and at least one
with qualitative data
 Two projects (but not all projects ) which are thematically
related
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Rationale:
Students used the info gained from the insideoutside circles activity to quickly form groups
meeting pre-set criteria.
This avoided normal drift to cosy ‘friendship’
groups but did provide some ownership of group
formation process. Criteria required that they
re-process the conversations they had just had.
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 Take
turns to explain the
What?
 So what?
 Now what?
of your action enquiry
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Rationale:
Students are familiar with these questions as
the basis of reflection. The instruction to
take turns ensures that all students should
have short period of allocated time with
their research in focus. Discussion flows
from these inputs. I give prompts of when to
swap over for those who need it.
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Blog entry for next years PGCE group; synthesise the main
outcomes
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What have we learned about developing teaching and learning as a
result of our action enquiries?
250 words max
Rationale:
We are keen for current students to provide a legacy
for future students. The written task is quick
because of the quality of the conversations but does
require second –level reflection (ie. not a repeat
activity). We have a PC cluster down the corridor
which we use – only 3 PCs required as group task).
Each blog entry emailed to me within 10 minutes and
then all reviewed with group on their return. They
were published to the blog an hour later and email
sent out to new students.
http://teacherslearningmatters.blogspot.com/
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INTERACTION WITH PURPOSE IN A SMALL
GROUP SETTING
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Any questions or comments?