Projects
This section provides information on some previous research projects related to the Thinking Together programme:
- Smile - Thinking Together around ICT in the Primary Mathematics Curriculum: Improving Classroom Practice
- Key Stage 1 - Talking for Success: Widening Access to Educational Opportunities through Teaching Children how to Reason Together
- Key Stage 2 - Language, Thinking and ICT in the primary curriculum: The Thinking Together approach with ICT to Maths and Science
- Key Stage 3 - Thinking Together at KS3: A joint Milton Keynes-Open University project for raising achievement in English and foundation subjects.
- Dialogic Teaching in Science (2004-2007) - Funded by ESRC, the team included Phil Scott and Jaume Ametller (Leeds) as well as Neil Mercer, Judith Kleine Staarman and Lyn Dawes . This project examined the incidence, nature and functions of teacher-student dialogue in science education in upper primary and lower secondary classrooms. More information is available at
http://www.esrcsocietytoday.ac.uk/ESRCInfoCentre - The Oracy Project (2013-14) - The aim of this project is to create a teacher-friendly toolkit for assessing the spoken language skills of school students in Year 7. It is being carried out jointly with School 21 in London and is funded by the Educational Endowment Foundation. The Cambridge project team members are Neil Mercer, Paul Warwick and Ayesha Ahmed.
Professional Development for Teachers
A typical outline for session s:
9.30 – 10.30 am: Neil Mercer: Keynote
What research tells us about the impact of talk in the classroom.
Interthinking – what it is and why it is important.
11 am – 12.30 am: Lyn Dawes: Talk for Learning workshop.
Strategies and activities which can help to stimulate and sustain exploratory talk. Delegates take part in practical activities which can be readily customised to support curriculum learning at all Key Stages.
A specific focus might be: Talk for writing; Talk for Science learning; Assessing classroom talk and identifying the impact of talk; Talk in groups; Talk between teachers and learners; lanning for talk.
We have provided professional development sessions for these schools, organisations and LEAs:
September 2002 Charles Dickens School, Southwark
September 2002 First Schools, Milton Keynes
September 2002 The Lord Grey School & Stantonbury School, MK
January 2002 The Teaching Thinking Conference, London.
February 2003 Bedfordshire Head Teacher’s Conference, Flitwick
April 2003 Workshop for Ashton C of E School, Dunstable
June 2003 Teaching Thinking conferences, London and Birmingham
July 2003 Talk and Learning Workshop, Cornwall LEA.
July 2003 Thinking Together: Gloucestershire LEA
September 2003 Thinking Together: Tower Hamlets Education Authority
October 2004 Workshop for Middleton School, Milton Keynes
April 2005 Head teachers and Literacy Co-ordinators Conference, Manchester LA.
June & Sept 2005 Clapham Park Development Project, Hounslow LA.
October 2005 Workshop for Lansbury Lawrence School, Tower Hamlets
July 2006 Learning Schools – Head Teachers Conference. Luton LA.
February 2007 Dialogic pedagogy in Bexley Primary and Secondary Schools Conference
January 2007 Talk and Learning for Literacy, Stoke on Trent LA.
November 2008 Talk and Learning Conference, Hampshire LA.
June 2009 Primary English Conference, West Berkshire LA.
June 2009 Lambeth Science Teachers Conference, The Oval, London
September 2009 Boys into Writing Conference, Wiltshire LA
September 2009 Teaching Gifted and Talented Children Conference, Gloucestershire LA.
October 2010 Yorkshire Science Teachers Conference, Wakefield
February 2010 Speaking and Listening; Secondary teachers, Finchley
July 2011 Language Champions Project, Bradford
Talk for learning; Secondary English Teachers, Coventry
West Sussex LEA: Leading Teachers conference
Sept 2011 - 13 Talk for Learning with Primary and Secondary schools in Coventry
June 2012 Talk for Learning: Cornwall, St Mellion (cross phase)
2012 ongoing Talk for Learning, Waterbeach Primary School, Cambridgeshire
2012 ongoing School 21 Oracy Project
October 2103 Talk for Learning
Bodmin College and feeder primary schools: Conference.
Interthinking – what it is and why it is important.
Bodmin College and feeder primary schools: Conference.