BUILDING LEARNING POWER BLP

The Limes Nursery School

Why is Building Learning Power important?

Our current world is constantly changing Young people need to be able to cope with complexity, uncertainty and ambiguity. Our knowledge changes all the time. Children and young people need to become aware of their own learning. Children can learn to learn Children need to be able to overcome obstacles to their own learning.

Why do we need BLP? We want young people to have

the skills and confidence to take on challenges and succeed

Building Learning Power

Based on belief that learning is learnable About the whole person qualities, values, self image, relationships, skills & strategies About better life chances for young people

BLP Brain

Four aspects of learning

Resilience Resourcefulness Reflectiveness Reciprocity

Four aspects of learning

Resilience willing & able to lock on to learning Resourcefulness willing & able to draw on
wide range of methods & strategies

Reflectiveness willing & able to think about

selves as learners

Reciprocity willing & able to use relationships

in most productive & enjoyable way

Resilience
Absorption Losing themselves in their learning. E.g. Being entranced by T.V or film, or engrossed in a game, book or story Managing Distractions Recognising and reducing distractions E.g. Recognising the T.V is on too loud, interfering with reading a story and switching it off. Or moving away from a noisy friend when wanting to play quietly and alone. Noticing Noticing something in the environment when walking along e.g. leaves falling. Or recognizing and identifying things e.g. I notice you are absorbed in that book Perseverance I can attitude Ill keep trying Keep getting on the two wheel bike to practice. Note: children learn I cant very easily especially when comparing self to others skills e.g. brothers and sisters drawing and writing.

Resoucefulness
Questioning Encourage children to question instead of accepting things. E.g. What would happen if you dont wear your coat to school?- to ask and try to answer their own questions Making Links Identifying things from one setting and connecting it to another e.g. My mum has got a saucepan like that at home. She does it like this. Imagining Exploring possibilities. What would happen if?.... When reading a book, predicting the future. What do you think might happen next? What makes you think that? Reasoning Rational thinking. If that doesnt work what else might? E.g. using a computer logical process!!

Reflectiveness
Planning Think about what they are going to do next. E.g After my bath I would like to read a story with you. Revising Being able to change plans and actions to cope with the unexpected. E.g. Visitors arrived during bath time so story is re-planned for the next day. Distilling - Reflecting on experiences and drawing out lessons. E.g. When I didnt wear my coat to school I got cold. I need to wear my coat to school so that I can stay warm. Meta learning Drawing out of your learning experience a more explicit understanding of the process of learning. E.g. When I persevere at learning and practice I can learn anything, like when I practiced to ride my bike.

RECIPROCITY
Interdependence Understanding and managing the balance between interacting with others and learning on their own. E.g. Knowing when they need to ask for help (doing up shoelace initially) and knowing when to persevere on their own (practicing tying their shoelace). Collaboration- Knowing how to learn with others. E.g. Being able to work out how to take turns to share things. Empathy and listening To really listen to others and be able to put yourself in someone elses shoes. E.g. To understand if they snatch a toy from someone else they may become upset. Imitation Watching and adopting other peoples actions, behaviours and habits. E.g. Role playing cooking in the home area.

Resilience

Absorption
Being able to lose yourself in learningbecoming absorbed: rapt and attentive

Managing Distractions
Recognising and reducing distractions knowing when to walk away

Noticing
Perceiving subtle nuances, patterns and details in experience

Perseverance
Keeping going in face of difficulties, channelling energy of frustration

Resourcefulness

Questioning

Making Links
Seeing connections between disparate events and experiences-seeing patterns

Imagining
Using your imagination to put self through new experiences -wonder what if?

Reasoning
use rational skills to work things out methodicallyconstruct good arguments

Asking questions of self and others. Being and playful Capitalising draw curious with ideas- delving on range of resources beneath the surface

from wider world

Reflectiveness

Planning

Thinking about where you are going, the action you are going to take, the time and resources you will need

Revising Being
flexible, changing your plans when things change, monitor and review

Distilling
looking at what is being learned- pull out essential features- add to learning

Meta-Learning
Knowing yourself as a learner how you learn best- how to talk about learning

Reciprocity

Interdependance Collaboration
Knowing when approp. Knowing how to To learn on own or manage self in give with others and take of collaboration

Empathy&
Listening add to
others experiences by listening to them and putting self in their shoes

Imitation
Constructively adopting methods, habits, or values from others you observe

Why is BLP important for The Limes?

The introduction of BLP into a number of Bristol Schools by the Education Action Zone This means the Language of learning in BLP will understood throughout Central Bristol Schools The familiar BLP language should help children when moving between schools

Why is BLP important for The Limes?

We have always focused on childrens learning BLP is the next step As staff we are now focusing childrens attention on the skills they need to learn and how they learn.

Four aspects of teaching

Explaining Commentating Orchestrating Modelling

Four aspects of teaching

Explaining telling students directly & explicitly

about learning power

Commentating informing about learning

power through informal talk & evaluation

Orchestrating selecting activities & arranging

environment

Modelling showing what it means to be an

effective learner

How does this involve parents?

Learning happens everywhere, and all the time, not just at school. Parents have a key role in their childrens learning.

Understanding about BLP is the first step.

What can parents do to support their childrens learning?

Become aware of themselves as learners Share their own learning experiences with their children Draw attention to their mistakes and when they get stuck to re-assure children that this experience is O.K in learning Have a positive attitude with childrens learning E.g. you can do it

What can parents do to support their childrens learning?

Encourage children to become independent and confident learners. Try to allow time for children to make mistakes. Becoming familiar with, and using some of the language of BLP at home would be helpful.

What Next?