Activating Student Knowledge

Most of our learners
are EAL learners,

Generation Z
ICT-centrics and
obsessed with social
media and
video-games.
How can we possibly

activate their interest?
Want more
information
about
translanguaging
?
Scan the QR
code to access
the related
resources from
the last KL
ELLSA meet for
EAL-centric
teachers…
Activating Learning by
Developing Oracy
With thanks to Sasha Hardman for her session
‘Developing Oracy in the Curriculum’.
Aims
● To consider activating in & outside the
curriculum as one
● To empower students as the centre of
all knowledge-sharing
● To develop a whole-school
oracy/activating soft-skills approach
Who Am I? Who Are You?
Gareth Gorst
● 18 years as International Award Coordinator / Leader

● Head of House, Harrow Beijing
● IB Extended Essay Coordinator, Self-Study Languages / English B lead,
with an interest in bilinguality, translanguaging & this kind of holism
More importantly:
Who are your students?
And how can you activate
knowledge of the students?
Duke of
Edinburgh:
activating
soft skills
by students
for students
(from ‘D of E
Hack’ published
in a student-run
magazine)
How is knowledge pooled in our Who has it & which bits could
school & are students included? we start sharing with students?
student voice Forms SLT HOH’s HOD’s

Engage/iSAMs trackers Safeguarding leads
Student reflections
parents counsellor
PTLC’s Report-cards
students
IEP’s
Funds of Knowledge
Teachers friends
PLC’s round-robins Mentors HOY’s

End of year reports Trip leaders CCA leads
The pragmatics of activating knowledge
What percentage of learners are active at any one point in
your lesson?
Who knows this and how can we share this whole-school?
How many learners in your school feel at the centre of
knowledge-sharing?
What percentage of learners deserve an Individual Education
Plan they contribute to?
Could all knowledge about a student be shared in an IEP?
Should learners be able to contribute in mother-tongue?
What Nexus teachers say about oracy (& one-to-one student interviews)
“These individual conversations allow a safe space for learners to reflect on their strengths and weaknesses
without worrying about judgement from others.”
Jasmin Kruger, Head of Year 7, IB Psychology teacher
“One-to-one conversations give further information about how they feel / their stress levels / their approach to
revision or work / their aims for the future / if anything else is going on I need to know about outside school or
with their health - it builds a more personal relationship and trust levels so they are more likely to be honest in
conversations or approach me for help (pastoral or academic) when needed.”
Amanda O’Hara, Head of IB Pastoral and Academic, Biology teacher
“The students have an opportunity to speak privately, confidentially which helps build a relationship of trust and
helps them feel valued - you're taking the time to listen to their ideas/opinions away from others.
The students are able to explain, in their own words, their thoughts, feelings and individual concerns that they
would not do otherwise in class. They have time to reflect more actively and delve a little deeper into their
learning, with the support of the teacher. Invariably, you learn something new about that student: an insecurity, a
hobby, a personal anecdote, which further builds a personal relationship but most importantly they recognise
that they are important in the learning process, important enough that you take the time to listen. From your
point of view you use the information to inform your teaching further either through recognising group needs
but most significantly individual that further informs differentiation.”
Nathalie Bardsley, Year 13 Tutor, IB English teacher
Activating Learning by
Translanguaging
Aims
● To consider activating through
translanguaging
● To empower students as the centre
of knowledge-sharing in all their
languages
● To develop a whole-school
oracy/translanguaging approach
Typical Translanguaging worksheet:
…& Funds of Knowledge activity to

Activate ‘All About Me’ (from MDa).
I come from Seoul In Korea I live with my dog, my In Malaysia I live boarding
father, my grandfather,
grandmother
I like dog I don’t like bug I’m good at origami

I find … hard People who know me well, say I’m I want to eat Korean food
I hard English stupid
I took an English test, but I I can understand what you're When I grow up I want to go to
couldn't do any of it saying(sometimes). college
Do you currently use
translanguaging in a
way that makes our
‘clients’ feel ‘at the
centre’ of learning?
How can we plan in
student empowerment?
How can we turn them
into key
decision-makers?
READ MORE HERE.
What is an oracy strategy?
“An oracy strategy is the establishment of a

framework for teaching the spoken language
skills that are demonstrably central to thinking,
to communicating, to learning and to
succeeding in education – and in life.”
Read Lyn Dawes and Pete Dudley’s full article here.
Translanguaging & oracy are the same thing!

Translanguaging 4 Personal Development
What is translanguaging for personal development?
1. Proficiency in oral expression about - and

comprehension of - self in all a learner’s languages.
OR
2. The ability to reflect fluently about personal, social

and academic development for bi- and tri-linguals.
OR
3. Ability to think about & use transferable soft skills.

Should we let the
students speak
& teach about
their personal
experiences?
And do we…… in
both their
languages?
How can we activate knowledge-sharing?
If we believe every child matters then shouldn’t there be a statement of special
educational needs for every student, understood by the learner as part of a
shared individual education plan? Should IEP’s include translanguaging steps?
Can translanguaging foster soft-skills & empower students?
If we believe in child-centred education then shouldn’t our

activating put the child at the centre of knowledge-sharing….
with them not just about them?
Do we put talking and listening with students at the centre of our
approaches? To what extent can we?
Thank you for being interested.
My email address:
[email protected]
INTERESTED TO SHARE MORE ABOUT

ACTIVATING STRATEGIES FOR ORACY
WITHIN THE CURRICULUM?
HERE’S HOW I USE IT WITH A LONG LIST
OF STRATEGIES YOU CAN ADD TO.
How we do this at Nexus on next
slides & in brief here.
What are we How do we get there? How do we support and continually improve students?
aiming for... Allow students to articulate… By sharing knowledge in a way that puts students central.
Mindsets Reflection & Knowledge-sharing
A DEFINITION OF Information
SELF-DEVELOPMENT Data
Funds of Knowledge Google
Innovation CAT/YELLIS/ALIS/PAS
Forms & Student Surveys
“[Self-development] is a S/PG
Looking for Learning
personalised process Reports
Learning Walks
whereby connections are Exam
Student-trailing (whole day)
created or strengthened in Relationships results/analysis
the brain or heart. When In class assessments IEP’s - INDIVIDUAL
we articulate it, we deepen EDUCATION PLANS
our understanding by
building new knowledge Inclusion Teacher knowledge
and skills to become Intuition
future-ready...” Understanding our context
Discussion amongst colleagues
Continued self-development through TRANSLANGUAGING

should create wider communities and leadership
Want to see an
example lesson with
Translanguaging?
Ask to be shared
into these slides &
click here!
Activating Learning
the Nexus Way should
mean getting the
students to talk in all
their languages about
all their learning:
Translanguaging

Activating Student Knowledge

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Most of our learners

are EAL learners,

How can we possibly

● 18 years as International Award Coordinator / Leader

student voice Forms SLT HOH’s HOD’s

PLC’s round-robins Mentors HOY’s

…& Funds of Knowledge activity to

I like dog I don’t like bug I’m good at origami

“An oracy strategy is the establishment of a

Translanguaging & oracy are the same thing!

1. Proﬁciency in oral expression about - and

2. The ability to reﬂect ﬂuently about personal, social

3. Ability to think about & use transferable soft skills.

Can translanguaging foster soft-skills & empower students?

If we believe in child-centred education then shouldn’t our

INTERESTED TO SHARE MORE ABOUT

Mindsets Reflection & Knowledge-sharing

Continued self-development through TRANSLANGUAGING

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