Stepping UP
£on requestAbout this course
Key Stage 5 is a big shift in both the levels of content and the work required. It’s time for your students to wake up to the demands of post 16 studies! We share a range of analysis, thinking and note-taking strategies that help your students step up to the next level.
Rationale
Critical thinking has been the subject of much debate and thought since the time of early Greek philosophers. Critical thinking is defined as the cognitive skills of seeking, analysing, discriminating, logical reasoning, predicting, and transforming knowledge (Scheffer and Rubenfeld, 2000). Critical thinking is the basis for good academic and professional decision-making (Moore, 2007). Fundamentally, “Critical Thinking helps students develop competencies that will serve them throughout their lives”. (Dunlap, Van Liere, Mertig, and Jones, 2000). In conversations with college leaders and heads of sixth form, we have heard that the lack of critical thinking in KS5 students has and continues to be, a primary concern. Today it is important that students learn critical thinking skills, so they can be both the inventors and critics of new information. The good news is that all students automatically perform some aspects of critical thinking. These skills can be improved upon, and students can ultimately master the skills that they naturally possess.
“Critical Thinking helps students develop competencies that will serve them throughout their professional lives”.
Dunlap, Van Liere, Mertig, and Jones. (2000)
Objectives
- To enhance creative thinking.
- To improve decision making.
- To enhance problem-solving abilities.
- To stimulate curiosity and improve note-taking.
- To reduce passivity and enhance active learning.
Skills taught and their Benefits
Creative thinking improves focus and concentration and helps to reduce stress and anxiety. Creative thinking is multi-disciplinary, gives meaning to learning, promotes risk-taking and can lead to feelings of accomplishment and pride.
Divergent thinking is open and exploratory. It is good for solving problems and helps students to generate multiple approaches. Divergent thinking encourages students to think more deeply and let go of restrictions.
The Cornell method is an organised and systematic process for recording and reviewing notes. It is an interactive approach which is both simple and efficient, and ultimately more productive.
Active reading refers to a process of deliberately engaging with the ideas and information in a text and often transforming that information into notes or other artifacts that record one’s understanding of and response to the text.
Reflection is a process in which students describe their learning, how it changed and how it might relate to future learning experiences. We share the reflection technique known as ‘Win-Learn-Change’, a powerful three-step model which can be applied across all subjects and disciplines.
Outcomes
By the end of the workshop, your students will have:
- Been inspired to use creative thinking.
- Felt empowered to make informed decisions.
- Grown the confidence to identify, capture and retain key pieces of information.
- Been encouraged to take an independent and proactive approach towards learning.
- Identified how to take notes in an efficient and effective manner.
“It was very engaging and helped me self-reflect and understand areas of my thinking that I could develop”.
Survey from 1199 students conducted by Greater Manchester Higher on MADE Training.
Statutory Guidance, Curriculum and Frameworks
GATSBY Benchmarks: 3,6
NERUPI Framework: Practise
PSHE Core: Living in the wider world
- Stepping UP contains strategies that are also featured in PH: Advanced Note-Taking
- If students are taking part in Stepping UP they should not also take part in PH: Advanced Note-Taking in the same school term
- Many schools that book Stepping UP find that these further workshops work well in combination: Self MADE Motivation, The Lighthouse
- Recommended add-ons: All Power Hours, Parent Workshop, Staff 1hr CPD
Note to parents
The strategies within this course are designed to help your child plan, structure and conduct their revision in the most effective manner.
It is important to note that each child has individual strengths and preferences and will therefore benefit from a tailored and personalised approach to revision. There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ magic rabbit foot for passing exams. There are, however, a range of techniques that have been proven to assist in increasing focused attention, understanding and recall. We encourage students to experiment with a variety of these techniques so they might develop an approach that works for them. A good time for trying out different revision methods is in the lead up to the mock exams. Help them to analyse which techniques work for them, so that when they are revising for their main exams – they know how to revise in a confident and effective manner.
Discuss revision with your child and encourage them to discuss it with their friends and siblings. Encourage your child to attend any additional revision sessions organised by the school; these will be focused on the key topics that will come up in the exam. Your child will also get the feeling that they’re not alone in this; all their friends are going through it too. Attend any parents’ evenings put on by the school. It’s useful to be reminded of things you might not have thought of or forgotten. Also, it’s a great time to hear from other parents and how they’re all experiencing similar issues or challenges.
We wish you all the best in supporting your child through the intensive and often stressful time leading up to exams. The act of you reading this text, infers that you have your child’s best interests in mind. I’m sure they will benefit massively from your help, support and encouragement.
Best,
Sander de Groot
Head of Training
Syllabus
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