The Enquiry | 006

E N Q U I R Y

006.JOURNAL 1 Student Perspectives 2 AI and Teaching: The Future is Now 4 Dyslexia and Neurodiversity: Challenging Perceptions The Enquiry | 1 6 Art and Literature: Examples from the Classroom

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CONTENTS

EDITORIAL COMMITTEE NOTE

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STUDENT PERSPECTIVES 01. A Student Perspective: Lesson Routines, Class Discussion, and Interactivity

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AI AND ITS ROLE IN EDUCATION 02. AI and Teaching: The Future is Now

by Sandy Clarke 03. Quizzing with Microsoft: Using Microsoft Forms in Lessons by Jane Basnett

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DYSLEXIA AND NEURODIVERSITY 04. Dyslexia and Neurodiversity: Challenging Perceptions by Naomi Lomax

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MAKING PROGRESS 05. Thought Leadership at Downe House

by Matt Godfrey

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NETWORKS OF CREATIVITY IN LITERARY STUDIES 06. Art and Literature: Examples from the Classroom by Andy Atherton

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NOTICE BOARD AND STAFF RESEARCH LIBRARY SHOWCASE

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References and Bibliography

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A Note from the Editorial Committee

Welcome to the Summer Term edition of our staff Learning and Research Journal, the Enquiry. Across this issue you will find a wealth of ideas and reflections from members of the Downe House community about all things educational research and Teaching and Learning.

We begin, importantly, with a section devoted to student perspectives about their own learning experience. Here, we asked students from different year groups to write a brief summary of something they enjoy or find useful in their learning. They were given no further brief or guidance. The comments are, not surprisingly, very insightful!

A STAFF JOURNAL DEDICATED TO REFLECTIONS ON EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH AND TEACHING AND LEARNING AT DOWNE HOUSE SCHOOL

We then move onto a section that looks at AI and its role in education.

This is followed by an article that explores the benefits of dyslexic thinking, championing the need for a truly neuroinclusive environment. This is followed by a summary of the recent conference on Maximising Pupil Progress hosted at Downe House, with Matt Godfrey sharing some of its many highlights.

Andy Atherton then offers us a window into his own teaching, specifically looking at how he uses art when teaching English Literature.

Our thanks go to everyone that took the time to write and submit an article as well as Sue Lister who was instrumental in preparing and designing this edition. The next edition of The Enquiry will be published in Lent 2024 as a retrospective of Michaelmas Term 2023. A Call for Papers will be announced soon, but if you have an idea and would like to contribute please do get in touch with any member of the Editorial Committee.

The Enquiry Editorial Committee Andy Atherton Charlotte Williams Kerry Treacy

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STUDENT PERSPECTIVES

STUDENT PERSPECTIVES

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Student Perspectives: Lesson Routines, Class Discussion, and Interactivity KERRY LU (LV) TALKS ABOUT THE VALUE OF PAST PAPERS, TEACHER MODELLING AND REVISION TECHNIQUES. For me, I think what makes my learning more effective is finishing past papers and having time to evaluate them. Especially for the sciences and maths, completing past papers has helped me understand which part of the topic I need to keep practicing.

Completing past papers also helps me to cover a greater variety of key points that I may not have touched in the class before, and it gives me the opportunity to expand my learning not just for a topic test or an exam, but for my own knowledge.

The second point that I think might be helpful will be to have the teachers completing past paper questions with the students together. This is different from just telling the students the answer to a question. By doing the questions together, the students will know how to understand and figure out the questions in the first place, followed by an immediate stepby-step solution by the teachers.

Furthermore, when the average of the class think that they know how to do the basic level questions, we can move to harder ones to develop our skills and knowledge even more.

Another point that I would like to give out is that after learning a new topic or a new lesson of a subject, I will start to do the prep immediately to refresh my mind.

I will first go through the lesson again before I do the prep, and cover up the lesson notes while I am doing the prep. This will help me to stabilize my knowledge, and the immediate practice of prep will also help me to save more time and increase my efficiency, which will also help to speed up the total time of my other preps at the same time.

Last but not least, when I am doing my prep, I will close all the social tabs and things that are not related to my prep on my surface. This really helps me to concentrate a lot, decreasing the ability to be disturbed by games,

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STUDENT PERSPECTIVES

social, pictures, videos, which lots of people do at this time. If I feel tired, I will tell myself to rest after doing 3 questions, then after I finished the 3 questions I will tell myself to do 3 more, keep cheering for myself, and then 3 more, 3 more… until I finished my prep. This method seems very rushed but it will help to let you concentrate on your work for a limited period of time so you will be able to finish the prep long before the due date!

Finally, I will try a range of different subjects every day, especially for revision. This makes my mind stay active and prevents it from being stuck straight into one subject.

The choice of subject needs to be wise, too. For example I will avoid to study two or more sciences at the same day, on the other hand I will change it to a completely different kind of subject such as history and geography. A clear mind will then form by avoiding tiredness and loss of concentration, but jumping your senses around different environments and variety of choices.

AMELIA VOUTE (UV) DISCUSSES THE IMPORTANCE OF RETRIEVAL PRACTICE AND CLASS DISCUSSION I believe that many strategies are crucially valuable to my learning in the classroom. However, I think it is extremely useful when teachers use retrieval practices towards the

start of the lesson as well as group discussions throughout, to engage us as students more in the topics at hand.

I find that the retrieval practices help to allow tricky aspects within topics to sink into my longterm memory, making me more prepared for the exams later. For example, in Physics, Dr Seddon supplies our class with a handful of questions on anything from our curriculum at the start of every lesson. These questions are based on specific areas that we as a class may find hard, the practice is organised into three colours: green for recent topics, amber for something we did a long time ago and red for topics in the previous year or from the start of the year. We usually take 15 minutes on these questions and then we go through them as a class. This type of active recall helps us to revise later when needed and they refresh our memories with old topics. As well as this they aid me in prioritising certain areas I may need extra revision in.

enhancing my own knowledge.

Group discussions are particularly important in the humanities as there is a lot of factual content to learn.

Fundamentally, I understand that many techniques aid my learning, yet my favourites include retrieval practices and group discussions/ debates.

I WILL TRY A RANGE OF DIFFERENT SUBJECTS EVERY DAY, ESPECIALLY FOR REVISION. THIS MAKES MY MIND STAY ACTIVE

Another strategy that I find very valuable is group discussions and debates with classmates and teachers. These discussions answer many frequently asked questions and help me to understand the topic more thoroughly as we usually go into lots of depth. The discussions also allow me to understand my peers’ perspectives as well as reinforcing and

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AI AND ITS ROLE IN EDUCATION

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AI AND ITS ROLE IN EDUCATION

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AI and Teaching: The Future is Now IN THIS ARTICLE OUR HEAD OF CHEMISTRY (SANDY CLARKE) SHARES WITH US HER VIEWS ABOUT THE IMPACT AI MIGHT HAVE ON THE TEACHING OF THE FUTURE, AND INDEED THE IMPACT IT’S ALREADY HAVING ON HER OWN PRACTICE. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative force across various industries, and its potential in the field of education is increasingly being recognised.

To me, this is an exciting time, and an opportunity for educators and learners to harness the power of AI in education; it has the power to revolutionise teaching and learning processes. In this short article, I would like to briefly explore the potential of AI in education, including its applications, benefits and some possible challenges.

FOR LEARNERS Personalised Learning AI can personalise the learning experience for students by analysing their individual strengths, weaknesses, and learning styles.

Intelligent tutoring systems can provide tailored content, adaptive assessments, and real-time feedback. For instance, Duolingo and Khan Academy makes use of AI algorithms to deliver personalised language learning and maths/ science education respectively, based on learners’

progress and performance.

Research shows that personalised learning improves student engagement, motivation and outcomes (D’Mello & Graesser, 2012). Outside classrooms, platforms such as these can make a positive difference to the learning of the users. Admittedly, that is also dependent on how well designed the platform is and perhaps the frequency of usage.

Intelligent Student Support AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants can provide roundthe-clock support to students, answering their queries and assisting with administrative tasks.

These virtual agents can help in guiding students through online courses, providing study resources, and addressing common questions.

I watched a TedTalk (by Ashok Goel) about Georgia Institute of Technology’s “Jill Watson” chatbot, which is a notable example that responded to student inquiries in an online course without revealing its AI nature! Professor Goel’s project aimed to explore the potential of AI in providing support to students and alleviating the workload of educators/ teachers.

Such systems reduce the burden on teachers while providing timely and personalised support to students (Martinez-Maldonado et al., 2019). The introduction of Jill Watson had a positive impact on student engagement and satisfaction. It reduced the response time for queries, providing students with immediate feedback and support, even during non-working hours. The

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[Fig. 1] A screenshot to show automated grading on the Educake platform

chatbot’s ability to handle routine administrative tasks and FAQs allowed human instructors to focus on more complex interactions and personalised teaching. I have noticed that chatbots are being more commonly used now, even outside education (e.g. online banking and logistics companies), but at the moment, there is still a lot of room for refinement.

FOR TEACHERS/ EDUCATORS Intelligent Content Creation AI-powered tools can assist teachers in developing high-quality educational content/ resources. For instance, quizzes, lessons plans, teaching resources can be automatically generated; even if modifications need to be made, time and effort required by educators can be reduced.

As our in-house AI Team has recently demonstrated in INSET, AI such as ChatGPT can be used in a variety of ways. So far, I have tried using ChatGPT to generate some questions for a mini quiz as a starter activity.

It does depend on the user’s input into ChatGPT, but I have had fun experimenting with it, and I have made some useful resources. AI can also analyse vast amounts of data to identify knowledge gaps and suggest appropriate content for students. By leveraging AI, teachers can focus more on instructional design and personalised interactions with students.

Automated Grading and Assessment AI offers the potential for automated grading and assessment, saving valuable time for teachers and providing faster feedback to students.

Machine learning algorithms can evaluate objective assessments, such as multiple-choice questions, with high accuracy. This enables educators to allocate more time to tasks that require human judgment, such as grading long answers/essays and providing qualitative feedback. Research indicates that automated grading can lead to increased consistency and efficiency in assessment processes (Messer, 2022). In the Science Department, we use a platform called Educake. This is an example where AI saves time: it is very easy and quick to set questions (they are provided by the platform but the teacher selects the questions to be included in the quiz), and as the student completes each question (normally short answer or multiple choice), answers are marked automatically with feedback. If student disputes the answers, the teacher can then review and give further feedback. If used in class, the teacher can see in real-time the progress of students in the class (see fig.1), and if there is a question that many find challenging, the teacher can address.

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AI AND ITS ROLE IN EDUCATION

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THIS IS AN EXCITING TIME WHERE TECHNOLOGIES ARE DEVELOPING VERY FAST. WE HAVE ALREADY SEEN THE BENEFITS AND THE POTENTIAL OF AI IN EDUCATION AND POTENTIAL DRAWBACKS OR DANGERS.

[Fig.2] A screenshot to show the tracking/ analysis of student performance and engagement levels on UpLearn

Data-Driven Decision Making Al can provide valuable insights to educators, helping us make informed decisions. By analysing student performance, and engagement levels, AI systems can identify at-risk students, recommend interventions, and optimise teaching strategies. Predicative analytics can assist in early intervention and targeted support, ultimately improving performance (Krishnamoorthy et al., 2022). In the Chemistry Department, we encourage our Sixth Form students to use UpLearn, where they can watch a series of short videos for a specific topic, and they need to answer some questions to assess their understanding. The more they do, the more XPs they will achieve. In my opinion, this is a useful tool, as we can encourage independent study outside lessons, and we can track how long they have spent on the platform and how many XPs they have achieved (see Fig. 2); whether they are actively making use of the platform by answering questions or not. If the student does not answer the questions very well, UpLearn will suggest videos for the student to watch in order to address the weakness.

In summary, my thoughts are that this is an exciting time where technologies are developing very fast. We have already seen the benefits and the potential of AI in education and potential drawbacks or dangers. I wish to continue to explore the use of AI in teaching and learning. At the time of writing this, Apple has just announced the launch of Apple Vision Pro headset, which promises to free the students from the restriction of 2D screens. I expect that there will be other similar devices being introduced in the near future. It will be interesting to see how education will change; I think it is important to address ethical concerns, ensure proper training for educators, and maintain a balance between technology and human interaction to fully harness the potential of AI in the education landscape.

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03.

Quizzing with Microsoft: Using Microsoft Forms in Lessons JANE BASNETT (DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL LEARNING) OFFERS HER THOUGHTS ABOUT HOW TEACHERS MIGHT EMBED MICROSOFT FORMS INTO THEIR LESSONS. In my lessons I like to build in opportunities for students to practise what they have learnt previously, build their knowledge, and embed content in their longterm memory. To this end, I make the most of several quizzing platforms where I can create short low-stakes tests that provide quick feedback for both my students and me. In this article I am going to focus on Microsoft Forms a tool to which all colleagues at Downe House have access. With Microsoft Forms, there are two options that allow you to create either surveys or quizzes. Here, I am going to focus on the Quiz function and in particular I am going to demonstrate how quizzes can be used for deeper learning, embedding knowledge and for retrieval practice.

THE MULTIPLE CHOICE FUNCTION

IN MY LESSONS I LIKE TO BUILD IN OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS TO PRACTISE WHAT THEY HAVE LEARNT PREVIOUSLY, BUILD THEIR KNOWLEDGE, AND EMBED CONTENT IN THEIR LONG-TERM MEMORY.

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There are many functions of a Microsoft Quiz, but I am going to start with Multiple Choice. A simple multiple-choice question such as this one here in figure 1, which provides three options can be a great way to start a lesson to test prior knowledge and review previous concepts – in other words, retrieval practice.

AI AND ITS ROLE IN EDUCATION

Figure 1 - Multiple Choice Questions

Indeed, it is a great place to start testing your students on what they have learned and ease them into the lesson. It could simply be that you are checking in for understanding or part of some spaced practice that you implement on a regular basis.

The multiple-choice function can, thus, be a lot more than a simple one-word answer. In my case, in languages for example, it can be used for translation activities and even checking understanding of tenses as the example in figure 2: Testing Knowledge demonstrates.

In addition, it is very easy to complete reading activities (figure 3) by simply inserting an image of

your text and supplying multiple choice answers underneath in exactly the same way as an exam paper.

This way forward obviously gives you the opportunity to set comprehension papers that can be marked automatically and quickly giving both you and your pupils important feedback allowing you to address any misconceptions.

Figure 3: Reading Activities

Multiple choice questions can, however, enable you to go deeper and require more of your students, testing understanding and even comprehension of some trickier ideas. Repetitive tasks, testing areas that you have been working on in class, can really benefit your students as you will be giving them the chance to revisit their learning and embed knowledge.

Figure 2: Testing Knowledge

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Figure 4: Ranking Questions

THE RANKING FUNCTION I think this is an often overlooked function of Microsoft Quizzes and it is one that works well in many subjects and not just in languages. In its most simple form, you can get students to put processes in the right order. As with the multiple-choice option it is possible to make the ranking task more challenging. For example, in History ask students to rank historical events or figures based on their overall significance to human history. This can lead to interesting debates in class and with a follow-up open-ended question you could ask students to justify their rankings. With careful thought, it is more than possible to pose problems that will give you a clear insight into your students’ learning and the progress they are making. (Figure 4: Ranking questions)

THE OPEN-ENDED FUNCTION This function can also be used at many different levels. Students can write a one word answer to a question. Or, they can write a short paragraph. I like to use this function to ask students to provide some sample responses to sections of essays, or to provide some examples of complex structures.

Again, this can lead to some interesting debate and discussion.

It is possible to review responses by questions (as opposed to by pupils) and thus it is very easy to see at a glance how students have done. However, if the quiz is being set more as a low-stakes retrieval practice activity then why not ask open-ended questions which do not garner marks?

It is possible to set quizzes without marks but with some sample model answers and these encourage students to retrieve knowledge and test themselves on prior learning?

Once the quiz is finished, then students can reflect and understand where the gaps are in their knowledge, becoming aware of what topic areas they need to work on to shore up their learning.

Imagine using this option to describe a picture? Why not? It can be a great starting point for a topic. Of course, this can be done in class, orally. The point about using a quiz is that each student then has the chance to organise their thoughts and think through their answers. For you, as the teacher, you can check their understanding and be more informed about what steps you need to take to improve comprehension.

There are plenty of variations to consider that will stretch and challenge your learners and provide them with opportunities to

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practise using their knowledge and will importantly give them - and you - valuable feedback.

INTERESTING UPDATES In some recent updates, Microsoft have added a cool new feature that allows you to present your Quizzes live in the lesson. Once you have shared the Quiz with students via a QR code, or a link, students embark on the quiz and the answers can be seen (or not – it’s up to you) by all on the whiteboard. This obviously gives the class the opportunity to reflect and importantly gives each student a voice. The bonus is that misconceptions can be addressed straightaway and valuable discussions can be had.

It could almost be considered as live marking as you can address responses as a group and move the learning forward.

This article has explored just some of the ways Quizzes in Microsoft Forms can be used to test your students’ learning and progress providing you with valuable data and your students with opportunities to practise retrieving their knowledge and reflect on their learning. It is a valuable addition to your teaching toolkit, one that should be explored not only as a summative assessment instrument but also as a powerful formative assessment resource.

DYSLEXIA AND NEURODIVERSITY

DYSLEXIA AND NEURODIVERSITY

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Dyslexia and Neurodiversity: Challenging Perceptions NAOMI LOMAX (LS TEACHER AND TEACHER OF BIOLOGY) OUTLINES THE GREAT MANY POSITIVES OF DYSLEXIC THINKING. ‘Dyslexic thinking has helped me see solutions where others saw problems.’ This statement from the ‘Dyslexic Thinker’ and entrepreneur, Richard Branson, succinctly sums up the huge positives that having a dyslexic profile, part of the neurodiversity spectrum, can enable.

Thankfully the wider public perception of neurodiversity, a term first coined in the late 1990s which includes dyslexia and other specific learning difficulties/ differences (SpLD), such as ADHD and Autism, is improving. I recall a family friend in the 1980s being diagnosed with dyslexia and the disturbing tales of prejudice they encountered, the view that dyslexia adversely impacted on one’s underlying cognitive ability was contradictory to what we now understand and the lack of support, understanding and guidance was glaringly obvious. Whilst much is being done to alter perceptions there remain misconceptions and further challenges for our young people.

Within education, models of assessment that were introduced in the Victorian era are still commonly followed today when assessing pupils’ progress and ability, such as in public examinations. These traditional

methods of assessment potentially limit the opportunities for our SpLD pupils to demonstrate their wide-ranging skills that have, over time, been proven to be invaluable in the workplace. Take, for example, the way in which companies such as HSBC and Microsoft are actively recruiting neurodiverse learners with a SpLD, clearly valuing the diverse skills they offer. GCHQ has indicated that apprentices on their schemes are four times more likely to have dyslexia and says that those with dyslexia have valuable skills spotting patterns that others miss. Dyslexics are said to ‘see the World in a different way’ and to process information differently, they are imaginative and empathetic, creative, curious and communicative. There are many examples of dyslexics who are excelling in their field, for instance the author Sally Gardner and actress Keira Knightley. Often dyslexics will see the big picture and be able to simplify things, such as Maggie Aderin-Pocock and Steve Jobs. In a competitive, ambitious and changing world, being able to see things in a different way can by extremely advantageous. LinkedIn has recognised this and have added ‘Dyslexic Thinking’ as a vital skill. In 2022, a business forum, Neurodiversity in Business (NiB) was formed and is supporting businesses in “building a better workplace for Neurodivergent employees, access

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Neurodivergent talent and support Neurodivergent people to navigate independent, fulfilling careers”; partners to this voluntary forum include AstraZeneca, IBM and Unilever to name a few.

In July 2022, the World Economic Forum published an article (Masterson, 2022) stating that ‘people with dyslexia have ‘enhanced abilities’, according to a new study. It referenced a suggestion by researchers at Cambridge University who stated dyslexia should be redefined as a strength rather than a disability and learning difficulty and instead a vital tool that has helped humanity adapt. This impactful and thoughtprovoking statement reflects the researcher’s studies into cognition (the process of acquiring knowledge and understanding), behaviours and the brain and have suggested that the ‘explorative bias’ of a dyslexic brain has an evolutionary bias that plays an important role in our survival.

Dyslexia is thought to affect up to 20% of the population and there is evidence of genetic links and inheritance. Often those with SpLD, such as dyslexia, will describe how the neurological pathways in their brain are ‘wired’ differently, leading to alternative ways in which they process information.

The Rose Report (2009) has defined dyslexia as the following: “Dyslexia is a learning difficulty that primarily affects the skills involved

DYSLEXIA AND NEURODIVERSITY

GIVEN THE DEFINITION FOR DYSLEXIA, ONE CAN UNDERSTAND THE CHALLENGES OUR YOUNG PEOPLE ENCOUNTER WHEN STUDYING A WIDE RANGE OF SUBJECTS THAT TRADITIONALLY CALL UPON CONFIDENT READING AND MEMORY SKILLS. in accurate and fluent word reading and spelling. Characteristic features of dyslexia are difficulties in phonological awareness, verbal memory and verbal processing speed. Dyslexia occurs across the range of intellectual abilities. It is best thought of as a continuum, not a distinct category, and there are no clear cut-off points. Cooccurring difficulties may be seen in aspects of language, motor co-ordination, mental calculation, concentration, and personal organisation, but these are not, by themselves, markers of dyslexia….”

Clearly, given the definition for dyslexia, one can understand the challenges our young people encounter when studying a wide range of subjects that traditionally call upon confident reading and memory skills.

Encouragingly, within education there are significant steps being made to support our neurodiverse individuals, including those with dyslexia. Increasing awareness of neurodiversity, which is a concept that recognises and celebrates the natural variation in human neurological traits and cognitive

functioning, is encouraging adaptive teaching practice to reflect the different ways in which SpLD learners learn. An increase in assessing learners for SpLD is helping identify those at a younger age and thus allowing them to receive support and encouragement for their needs and providing them with the tools to adapt to their way of learning.

Delivering specific individual SpLD support to enhance the brains’ neuroplasticity (its capacity to form new connections) and thus improving the reading skills and language ability of learners. Work towards creating ‘neurodivergent friendly’ classrooms that not only help those with a diagnosis of SpLD but all learners, is taking place.

Speaking with the SpLD pupils I have the pleasure of working with, it is clear that they hugely benefit from additional ‘thinking time’ to process the information delivered to them. Some with visual tracking difficulties gain from being able to tint the information they are reading and having clear instructions with examples delivered to them in bullet points

and chunks also allows the effective processing of information.

Many appreciate being given ‘movement’ breaks or a variety to activities to help maintain focus.

Exam access arrangements enable those entitled to them to be assessed on a level playing field to their peers. Advances in assisted technologies, such as Claro Read, Microsoft packages and Audible, to name a few, are supporting our learners who find reading as well as putting their thoughts onto paper a challenge.

Finally, celebrating our SpLD pupils’ significant effort and their wideranging skills and talents is key to building their self-esteem; be it individually or enabling them to find their own voice to share their experiences with others; knowing that they are as able as their peers and will go from strength to strength as they see the World from a slightly different and highly effective angle will provide them with the confidence to enter a competitive but increasingly changeable environment with questions and problems to find innovative solutions to.

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MAKING PROGRESS

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05.

MAKING PROGRESS

Thought Leadership at Downe House

MATT GODFREY (DEPUTY HEAD) OFFERS AN OVERVIEW OF DOWNE HOUSE’S RECENT ACADEMIC CONFERENCE ABOUT MAXIMISING PUPIL PROGRESS, SHARING SOME OF ITS HIGHLIGHTS. On Tuesday 13 June, Downe House welcomed nearly 200 school leaders and teachers from across the UK to an Academic Conference about Maximising Pupil Progress which they hosted at their beautiful campus near Newbury in Berkshire.

The event was a highlight in the UK’s educational calendar and provided outstanding examples of thought leadership across the schools sector.

It featured two very high-profile keynote speakers from the world of education: the Rt Hon Nick Gibb MP, Minister of State for Schools, and Katharine Birbalsingh CBE, founding Headmistress of Michaela Community School in Brent.

Minister Gibb reflected on his long service within the Ministry of Education where he has been a consistent champion of high standards and expectations within schools. Delegates learned about his experience within the sector, as well as the government’s vision for its continued improvement. He explained how the recent emphasis on systematic phonics during the teaching of reading in the early years of school was the reason that the UK is now placed fourth out of 43 countries in terms of the reading ability of nine and ten-year-olds.

TOPICS RAISED INCLUDED HOW TO TACKLE THE RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION CRISIS THAT MANY SCHOOLS ARE CURRENTLY FACING; THE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES PROVIDED BY TECHNOLOGY AND AI; AND HOW SCHOOLS CAN HELP PARENTS BY BUILDING A STRONG AND DISTINCTIVE ETHOS THAT ALL PUPILS AND PARENTS CAN BUY INTO.

Katharine Birbalsingh delivered a passionate and characteristically contentious speech which had all the delegates gripped. She explained how the distinctive and traditional values and culture of her comprehensive school had resulted in her pupils achieving the highest Progress 8 (value-added) score in the country last summer – an astonishing and inspirational achievement, especially considering Michaela serves an inner-city area with a wide range of socio-economic challenges. She covered a wide range of topics in her 30-minute address, including her view that too many schools, including many independent ones, adopt “progressive” teaching methods and approaches when their pupils would benefit from a more traditional approach to lessons and knowledge acquisition.

Following the two keynote speeches, Nick Gibb and Katharine Birbalsingh took questions from the audience. Topics raised included how to tackle the recruitment and retention crisis that many schools are currently facing; the challenges and opportunities provided by technology and AI; and how schools can help parents by building a strong and distinctive ethos that all pupils and parents can buy into.

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Around twenty Downe House Sixth Formers, including all our LVI politics students, also watched the two keynote speeches. They found them fascinating but remained behind afterwards to take issue with some of Ms Birbalsingh’s comments: they challenged her assertion that technology was being used too much in schools, and questioned whether the teaching methods at Michaela would suit some neurodiverse pupils.

The Conference attracted a great deal of attention across a variety of social media channels, and the national press. Several journalists attended, including the education editor of The Times, Nicola Woolcock, who reported on the event in her paper on both Wednesday and Friday – see links below:

Teach children to disagree politely, say leading heads – from The Times, Friday 16 June Private schools obsessed with social justice, says Birbalsingh – from The Times, Wednesday 14 June Ahead of the Conference, Birbalsingh said: “I am delighted to be supporting this Conference because it’s all about how, as teachers, we should be ambitious and bold with our pupils so that they reach their potential. It’s also wonderful that the event will bring together professionals from both the state and independent sectors; rather than focusing on our differences, this Conference shows that by working together and sharing our best ideas, it’s all pupils who benefit.”

The school provided a delicious lunch and afternoon tea for delegates in a summer marquee set within the historic ‘Cloisters’ area in the heart of their campus.

After lunch, delegates were then treated to a fascinating range of other breakout discussions, each of which was chaired by two educational leaders, one from the state sector, and one from the independent sector.

We were delighted that such a distinguished set of speakers agreed to contribute to the Conference. The speakers and their discussion topics are shown below:

Guest speakers

Topic of discussion group

Clare Wagner: Head, The Henrietta Barnett School, London Jane Lunnon: Head, Alleyn’s School, London

Helping our pupils to find their voices

John Moule: Warden, Radley College Ron Skelton: Headteacher & CEO, Broadway Academy, Birmingham

Building the culture and values of a school

Gemma Piper: CEO, Kennet Schools Academies Trust, Berkshire Andy Atherton: Director of Learning & Research, Downe House

Putting effective principles of learning into practice

Andrea Arlidge: Chief Executive, Futura Learning Partnership, SW England Jaideep Barot: Chair Elect HMC & Headmaster, Bristol Grammar School

Governance: Learning across sectors

Mariella Ardron: Principal, Cheslea Academy, London Charlotte Harmer: Head of Schools, Oppidan Education

Developing character through pupil leadership

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MAKING PROGRESS

Downe House always aims to be outward looking and at the forefront of educational debate and discussion. This Conference was another example of fascinating thought leadership. As the organiser of the Conference, I am grateful to all the educational luminaries who came to Cold Ash to share their experience and expertise. Our host team here at Downe did an amazing job preparing our campus for this important event: it was looking fabulous on what was a lovely, sunny day.

We received some wonderful notes of thanks from our delegates, including the following: “Very thought provoking and inspiring Keynote speakers, particularly Katharine Birbalsingh. I didn’t agree with her recommendations for independent schools, but we all could learn from her leadership and I came away much better informed in a very interesting area.”

“A superb event with genuine opportunities for reflection. The breakout sessions were particularly imaginative in their scope. Faultless organisation.”

“It was a fantastic conference and we were exceptionally well looked after. Thank you to the whole team for organising two inspiring keynote speakers as well as many opportunities on the day to speak with other experts and colleagues across both sectors. The day was memorable.”

“Thank you for hosting such a wonderful conference yesterday. I found the day engaging, productive and thoroughly enjoyable.”

“Today’s keynote speakers were inspiring. I felt moved to consider all sorts of things in new lights (both in terms of schooling and in terms of parenting!).”

“Thank you so much for hosting such a brilliant event today – I found it extremely interesting and learned a lot.”

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NETWORKS OF CREATIVITY WITHIN LITERARY STUDIES

NETWORKS OF CREATIVITY WITHIN LITERARY STUDIES One consequence of the increasing disciplinary specialisation of knowledge is that it can sometimes become all too easy to draw boxes around what we teach. In the case of English Literature, we can often overlook the wider artistic and creative networks that surrounded and influenced the writers we discuss.

Poets, playwrights and novelists do not, of course, operate in a vacuum and very often, in really interesting ways, these writers work with and think alongside musicians, painters, sculptors, performance artists, and so on. As a way of enriching the texts we teach and exposing our students to the vibrant hinterland that exists beyond the literary curriculum, I try to signpost and highlight for my students these wider creative networks, particularly, in my case, the world of art.

This need not take a great deal of time by any means (curriculum time is precious!) but I’ve found using of works of art, where appropriate, can help to enliven discussion, reframe or offer an additional interpretative lens, or help to create the emotional landscape through which to think about a particular text. This might be as straightforward as prefacing class discussion of a poem by thinking about a painting that seems to capture a similar tone or connecting a particular textual scene with a painting that depicts the same moment. This post outlines some of the ways I’ve tried to achieve this in my own teaching.

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06.

NETWORKS OF CREATIVITY WITHIN LITERARY STUDIES

Art and Literature: Examples from the Classroom IN THIS ARTICLE ANDY ATHERTON (DIRECTOR OF LEARNING AND RESEARCH) CONSIDERS SOME OF THE WAYS WE MIGHT USE ART IN THE ENGLISH LITERATURE, DRAWING EXAMPLES FROM HIS OWN TEACHING. In the case of art, there are two primary ways in which I introduce the work of different artists into my teaching of English Literature: Direct: A work of art that is somehow directly related to the text being studied, perhaps because it is by the same writer or an artistic depiction of the work of literature itself Indirect: A work of art that is not directly connected to the studied text, but helps to enrich, frame or tease out what we are discussing.

This often takes the form of using a work of art to help establish the emotional landscape of something within the text, whether an image or a specific moment In order to better exemplify what I mean, allow me to provide five specific examples that I’ve used in the past:

EXAMPLE NO. 1: MACBETH AND HENRY FUSELI Lady Macbeth Seizing the Daggers exhibited 1812 Henry Fuseli 1741-1825 http://www.tate. org.uk/art/work/T00733 This haunting painting depicts the moment immediately after Macbeth has murdered Duncan

1 in Act II Scene II and was one of several that Henry Fuseli painted based on Shakespeare’s play. For me, this is the most immediately visceral, but I tend to use all of them at some point when teaching Macbeth.

In this particular example, I would show the class this painting just before we begin a more detailed analysis of this moment in the play but after they know what is happening. I would ask them to look carefully at the painting before then turning to their partner to discuss how it makes them feel and what emotions the painting illicit. We might then discuss, for instance, Fuseli’s use of colour, the body language of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth and

what this might suggest about their relationship, the revulsion and anguish apparent in Macbeth, the almost ethereal quality of Lady Macbeth and to which other characters this may connect.

With all of this in mind we might then turn to the play itself and treat the painting almost as one interpretative lens through which to analyse the scene. Do we agree with what seems to be implied

by Fuseli’s painting? Can we find evidence for what the painting implies? Do we disagree and why?

Analysing this moment by way of the painting helps to open up and tease out a rich discussion about the text itself.

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EXAMPLE NO. 2: PERFECT LOVERS BY FELIX GONZALES-TORRES Perfect Lovers by Felix GonzalesTorres 1991 https://www.moma. org/collection/works/81074 This is one of my personal favourite works of art and I’ve used it lots of times in relation to lots of different texts whenever I wish to explore what it means to love someone. I’ve used it, for example, when introducing the A Level Love Through the Ages Specification, discussing the Love and Relationships cluster of GCSE poetry, or talking about Romeo and Juliet.

In each instance, and for this work of art, I always begin by offering some context. The two clocks that comprise this work of art are initially set to the same time, but they eventually become out of sync. It was conceived after Gonzalez-Torres’ partner was diagnosed with AIDS. Once the students better appreciate why I’m asking them to look at two seemingly identical clocks, I ask them to first of all think about and then share with the person sitting next to them what they feel this seeks to convey about the nature of love. Invariably some of the ideas teased out of this discussion include, but is not limited to: •

Notions of transience and love

•

•

•

•

•

being lost, symbolised here by the figure of two ticking clocks The difficulties relationships might encounter, given they become out of sync The physical shape of the infinity sign that the clocks make The possible significance of the fact we often, in everyday conversation, personify clocks as having hands and a face The almost intimacy of the two clocks as they seem to kiss one another The way in which the two clocks seem to form the shape of two eyes, with the viewer forced to look into them and watch time tick away

We then return to these ideas, or at least some of them, as we begin exploring whatever the text might be, thinking about ways in which there are thematic and conceptual connections between the literature and work of art.

EXAMPLE NO. 3: CHRISTINA’S WORLD BY ANDREW WYETH Christina’s World by Andrew Wyeth 1948 https://www.moma. org/collection/works/78455 This is a fascinatingly ambiguous painting and one that I have used several times when thinking about Eva Smith from An Inspector Calls.

I would begin by showing the class the painting and then after

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giving them time to consider it ask how they think the main figure is feeling in this moment. Expectedly, responses range from determined to resilient to alienated to scared to abandoned, and so on. This ambiguity is really crucial.

At this point, I would tend to first of all introduce a little context, that it was inspired by Wyeth’s neighbour who developed a degenerative muscle disorder that left her unable to walk. She refused to use a wheelchair, preferring to crawl. I might even show them these words from Wyeth: ‘The challenge to me was to do justice to her extraordinary conquest of a life which most people would consider hopeless’.

This might then lead into a fascinating discussion about how we respond to Eva: is she, like Christina, afraid and alone or determined and resilient? We might also consider whether we think Priestley shared the same motivations as Wyeth.

EXAMPLE NO 4.

WANDERER ABOVE THE SEA OF FOG BY CASPER DAVID FRIEDRICH Wanderer Above a Sea of Fog, Casper David Friedrich 1818 One of the most iconic works of art of the Romantic movement, this painting conveys the sublimity and power of nature as well the seeming suggestion that the

NETWORKS OF CREATIVITY WITHIN LITERARY STUDIES

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3 central figure is both master of what he surveys, but also alienated and insignificant. It is a painting of introspection mediated through the external landscape.

Such was the complex relationship with the natural world that the Romantics negotiated.

I have used this painting to help introduce Romanticism, either in regards to Wordsworth’s Prelude for GCSE or Skirrid Hill for A Level. I tend to show the class the painting and explain it is a central artistic work of Romanticism, without explaining, yet, what that is. I then ask them to consider what views of nature and landscape a Romantic might have, using the painting as a representative example. This typically leads into a discussion about the fear nature can inspire or its majesty, its beauty and wildness. I then explain to them the defining characteristics of Romanticism and return to the painting in light of this new information. We then return to these ideas, anchored to the paining, when discussing the text.

STRATEGIES FOR INCLUDING A DISCUSSION OF ART ALONGSIDE LITERATURE It is possible that our students are not used to thinking and talking about works of art in a critical capacity. Here are some cues that may help them to connect

whatever work of art you might be showing them to the piece of literature being studied: ■ How does the work of art make you feel? What emotions does it illicit?

■ Is there a figure depicted within the painting? What are they doing and why?

■ What are the dominant colours in the work of art? Why might this be significant? Does it seem vibrant and energized?

Overcast? Melancholic? Jarring?

Does it seem to have a visual tone?

■ Does there seem to be any symbolism that you can notice?

■ Is there any obvious landscape or setting and what does this suggest?

■ Is it realistic or perhaps otherworldly?

■ What can you see in the foreground or the background?

Obviously these questions would change depending on what the work of art is and how you might wish to connect it to whatever text is being studied. For me, the best discussions revolve around the emotions and feelings the work of art evokes and how this might frame or feed into a better appreciation and understanding of the work of literature. In order to achieve this, I’ll tend to introduce a work of art either to generate discussion before introducing a text or alongside a particular scene or moment.

I would also always offers further contextual information about the work of art, even if just in passing: who created it, when, and where they could see it, plus any specific connections it might have to the studied text.

Using works of art in this way has proven in the past to be a really productive way to open up textual discussion, provide an often more immediately palpable emotional hook as well as exposing students to rich networks of creativity, literary and artistic.

FOR ME, THE BEST DISCUSSIONS REVOLVE AROUND THE EMOTIONS AND FEELINGS THE WORK OF ART EVOKES AND HOW THIS MIGHT FRAME OR FEED INTO A BETTER APPRECIATION AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORK OF LITERATURE.

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NOTICEBOARD

THREE BLOGS TO READ Five Ways to: Scaffold Classroom Dialogue – teacherhead In this excellent blog post, Tom Sherrington suggests 5 ways to make classroom discussions as effective as possible.

This much I know about…defining the terms used to discuss the school curriculum – John Tomsett In this post, John Tomsett looks at some of the key ideas underpinning curriculum design.

Strategies to Increase Pace – Tom Needham (wordpress.com) Tom Needham looks at what we mean (and don’t mean) by pace. ‘Include more pace’ is one of the most common pieces of feedback from lesson observations, but what does it actually mean?

ONE VIDEO TO WATCH Christine Counsell: The support our middle leaders need if curricula are to flourish – ResearchED Here, Christine Counsell consider how to make best use of middle leaders and Heads of Department in the context of curriculum design.

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STAFF RESEARCH LIBRARY SHOWCASE: OUR BOOK OF THE TERM Our book of the term, and many more, are available for staff to borrow in the Staff Research Library, situated in the Staff Common Room.

NOTICEBOARD

References

02.

AI AND TEACHING: THE FUTURE IS NOW Ashok Goel’s TedTalk: A teaching assistant named Jill Watson | Ashok Goel | TEDxSanFrancisco – YouTube D’Mello, S., & Graesser, A. (2012).

Dynamics of Affective States during Complex Learning. Learning and Instruction, 22, 145-157.

Martinez-Maldonado, R., Hernández-Leo, D., & Pardo, A. (2019). Preface to the special issue on learning analytics and personalised support across spaces. User Modeling and UserAdapted Interaction, 751-758.

04.

DYSLEXIA AND NEURODIVERSITY: CHALLENGING PERCEPTIONS. Masterson, V. (2022, July 27).

Mental Health People with dyslexia have ‘enhanced abilities’, according to a new study.

Retrieved from World Economic Forum: https://www.weforum. org/agenda/2022/07/dyslexiaenhanced-abilities-studies/

Messer, M. (2022). Grading Programming Assignments with an Automated Grading and Feedback Assistant. In: Rodrigo, M.M., Matsuda, N., Cristea, A.I., Dimitrova, V. (eds) Artificial Intelligence in Education. Posters and Late Breaking Results, Workshops and Tutorials, Industry and Innovation Tracks, Practitioners’ and Doctoral Consortium. AIED 2022. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 13356. Springer, Cham.

Krishnamoorthy, S & Soumya MD. (2022). Student performance prediction, risk analysis, and feedback based on context-bound cognitive skill scores. Educ Inf Technol 27, 3981–4005.

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