This is the third and final part of a series in which we have taken a research-informed look at feedback. In part one, we explored the feedback loop, where it occurs during the learning cycle and why feedback sometimes does… Read More »The Role of Feedback in the Story of Learning: A Guide For Teachers (Part 3)
Before we begin, it should be clear that what follows is not a feedback policy. The frequency, type and delivery of feedback will differ in different subjects. How often, how much and how it is delivered should be influenced by… Read More »The Role of Feedback in the Story of Learning: A Guide For Teachers (Part 1)
Flexible grouping is an important part of effective teaching but, in my experience, it is not overly prevalent in many classrooms and is a source of constant debate amongst those who espouse its benefits. Such debates typically begin with the… Read More »3 flexible grouping challenges (and how to navigate them)
As educators, we continually seek efficient and effective ways to enhance learning. One powerful but perhaps overlooked tool is the humble exit ticket. This simple piece of paper (or digital equivalent) has the potential to help us gauge student understanding,… Read More »Small But Mighty: Getting The Most From Exit Tickets
To say teaching is a complex activity is something of an understatement. Teachers make 1000s of decisions every day. These decisions are influenced by various factors such as beliefs about what to teach, how to teach it, how to manage… Read More »Eight Essential Ingredients for Transformative CPD
How would you define knowledge? What is learning? Before going any further, I would like to start by defining knowledge as everything that we know (or can do) which is stored in our long-term memory. This allows us to define… Read More »Why Learning Mathematics Is Hard… and What We Can Do To Help.
Thank you for reading this far! By daring to lead with the words ‘Active’ and ‘Learning’, I expect many potential readers are already a dozen items further down their feeds. Those of you who have remained have likely done so… Read More »Active Learning: Powerful Pedagogy or Futile Fad?
Understanding and retaining information involves more than just cramming facts into your brain. Mayer and Moreno (2003) describe meaningful learning as a deep grasp of the material, including paying attention to important details, mentally organising it into a coherent structure,… Read More »4 Working Memory ‘Hacks’ Every Teacher Needs To Know
We’ve known for a long time that mathematics is a series of interconnected ideas. At its simplest, this means that different mathematical concepts are related to each other in different ways. For example, the concept of multiplication is related to… Read More »Harness the Power of Number Bonds
This post is for anyone who leads (or aspires to lead) mathematics in their institution. Time with colleagues is precious and can easily be consumed with admin which whilst feeling important, detracts from the main task of improving teacher efficacy.… Read More »Transform Maths Meetings With This Collaborative Gem
As teachers and professionals, we continually reflect on how we can improve the outcomes for our students. However, when coping with a full curriculum, a packed school calendar and the many additional requirements of being a teacher, finding time to… Read More »Thinking About Learning: Cognitive Science for Teachers (Part 1)
Previously on ALTA Blog: Last time out we explored both the perilous nature of engaging with the research into the use of concrete resources and established our first guiding principle: The more salient a resource, the less likely transfer becomes.… Read More »Old Yellow Bricks: Developing an Evidence Informed Approach to Concrete Resources in the Mathematics Classroom (Part 2)