My initial starting point was to have the symbols laminated on the wall in the 'multi purpose room. I was so inspired from our Wellington Teacher Conference and breakout with Pam Hook. I dowloaded them from her website  http://pamhook.com/.  I put a description besides each symbol and we talked about the termanlogy and what you might see/hear as a learner. 

Prestructural – I don’t know what adaptation means, I don’t know how animals are adapted

Unistructural – I can define adaptation, I know an adaptation of an animal

Multistructural – I can describe adaptations of animals

Relational – I can explain how each adaptation helps the animal to survive

Extended Abstract – I can theorise how these adaptations may have come about using the theory of Natural Selection and predict what may happen to if the environment changed.

Hot Maps

HOT maps are ‘writing frames’ to support pupils in producing their learning output.  Pam Hook books have HOT maps in and this is where I first came across them. I have used two different ones – Define, describe and compare and contrast.

I got the students to define the word robotics on a huge piece of paper and write down as many words that came to their mind about robotics. Then using the define map, level each word from relevant to not relevant. 

For my year 7/8 tech lesson I wanted them to compare and contrast the describe the Robots you can but in 2013 and list the charachteristics of each robot. What sensors do then need and why?. This required them to identify the key aspects of each robot and then describe in detail and produce an extended written answer.

 

SOLO Hexagon Challenge

Groups of hexagons would indicate a multistructural thinking, however, if they link the majority of hexagons together then it is relational – they can see the links between the ideas.

For my pupils I got them to label up their own hexagons having been given blank ones and some pupils chose to just place robotics key words on the hexagons while others put details for example describing the elements of robotics.

The students then cut out the hexagons, labelled them and arranged them how they saw the links. This was the stage when I went round and asked them to explain their thinking. It is at this point it became clear any gaps in their understanding because in their explanation they could not explain the link or why two hexagons had been placed together.

It is at this point that you will find pupils asking you ‘is it right, do you think these link together?’ and I repeatedly said it was fine if they could explain their links.

So then they stuck their hexagons down – I wanted a permanent record of their layout.  The next stage was to produce their ‘output’ to be assessed. This was the question ‘how do the language of robotics link together?’ It did require some input to explain exactly what I wanted in relation to the question. Eac group responded and I recorded them. Some very articulate discussions.  I think next time I would get them to produce a written explanation or Google Doc if possible? to answer the question using their notes and hexagons – this took them a full hour- this was on task, totally focused, independent learning that was not teacher led and not one pupil was off task!

The next stage would be to give them a a criteria sheet as ask them to self assess – highlight the criteria you have met, – and explain what you need to do to get to the next level.