Research School Network: Making vocabulary visible through technology (Part 1) How digital technology is being harnessed to boost retrieval practice in a Y3 classroom
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Making vocabulary visible through technology (Part 1)
How digital technology is being harnessed to boost retrieval practice in a Y3 classroom
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by Unity Research School
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Pupils love the quizzing! Retrieval practice requires great teaching combined with, thoughtful content, well-pitched questions, technology and practice, practice, practice.
Consider how technology will improve teaching and learning before introducing it
Technology can be used to improve the quality of explanations and modelling
Technology offers ways to improve the benefits of pupil practice
Technology can play a role in improving assessment and feedback
Our ongoing project at Coupals Primary Academy and its associated professional development resonates with all four of these recommendations and is having significant impact on those involved – pupils and staff!
SUMMARY OF OUR OBSERVATIONS AND REFLECTIONS SO FAR
To find out more about our ongoing development of teaching and learning through the use of digital technology read to gain a sense of our evolving case study:
The issue we sought to address was that a significant proportion of pupils enter the school with a deficit in language and communication. In foundation subjects, tier 2 and 3 vocabulary needed to be made even more visible, useable and complement the oracy focus identified in the school development plan.
Desired outcomes
Pupils access high quality, meaningful tier 2&3 vocabulary to improve retention and understanding of the content they are being taught.
We’ve identified five active ingredients that are underpinning our thinking:
ESSENTIAL SUPPORT FACTORS WE HAVE HAD IN PLACE
EXAMPLES OF HOW WE ARE MAKING THE DIFFERENCE BY EFFECTIVE USE OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY IN THE CLASSROOM
1. A whole class shared write is easily distributed enabling pupils to directly access the modelled examples so they can innovate and write their own. The zoom feature allows pupils to spotlight specific modelled examples.
2. Knowledge notes were created by Alex and are used as teaching tools as well as content support for pupils. They were are either used as digitally distributed resources via Airdrop and Apple Classroom or printed material stuck in books.
Year 3 knowledge notes are used in books to help pupils access the content, retrieve and use the vocabulary as well as bringing the curriculum into the writing.
3. Quizzes, both paper and then digital, validated and informed us about pupil strengths and support needed.
Also, it helped us assess where knowledge had been acquired across a sequence of lessons as well as how skilful they were with that knowledge. Quizzes informed our feedback and the next step and sequence for learning
Quizzes are only as good as the questions asked.
Quizzes are only as good as the questions asked
We’ve found that digital quizzing has reduced teacher workload, increased analysis, motivation and engagement. The principle of the test is the same, but technology allows it to be far more versatile.
