Learning Journey Prompts

Our aim as a school was to consider questions we could use to encourage the pupils to think about and discuss what they were learning, as opposed to what they were doing. We have discussed the concept of the journey of development we are on and often talk to the children about their learning journey.

This is an extract of an article first published in the September 2015 Edition of UKEdMagazine. You can read the magazine freely online by clicking here.

Most of our children have some experience of packing for, going on and unpacking after a journey. I particularly like the concept of ‘unpacking’ the learning from the activity with the pupils.

I created a draft version of “Learning Journey Prompts” for us to use with our pupils. Staff have been keen and supportive, moving the initial idea forwards in lots of ways. These include redesigning a ‘Kebab Lesson plan’ to include specific questions at specific points and creating small laminated cards with questions that can hang from our lanyards for easy access. Staff have also been involved in rewording some of the questions to make sure they are more appropriate for the age group.

PACKING for a Learning Journey

What are we going to learn today?
What interests you?
Why is it important?
What skills do you have that might be helpful?
Have you learnt anything similar before?
What might be a challenge for you?
What questions might you ask?
What might you need to help you today?

GOING ON a Learning Journey

What have you been thinking about?
How does this link to what you have learnt before?
How do you feel?
What success have you had?
How do you know?
What challenges / barriers have you found?
How might you check your work?
What questions might you ask?
What strategies / advice have you used?
How have you been involved?
How have you worked with others?
What choices have you made?
What are you going to do differently now?
What should you do to develop your learning / further your thinking?
What do you want to find out more about?

UNPACKING from a Learning Journey

What 3 things have you learnt? What did you learn that you didn’t know before?
How have your ideas/opinions changed?
What was important about this learning for you? How have you challenged yourself?
How were you successful today?
How do you know?
What could have made this session better for your learning? What do you need to develop this learning?
What have you learnt that you could use elsewhere?
How will you use what you have learnt?
What have you learnt that you could share with someone else?

Tim @tim_jumpclarke is headteacher of @cornerstonecofe. He is fascinated by teaching & learning and is a keen networker who is driven by needs of the learners.