It's easy enough to say these comments are worthless, but what can you write that does have worth? First time SOLO users can familiarise students with the symbols by setting a challenging question and asking students to match their own answers to one of the symbols representing levels of understanding, recommends Euan. SOLO is the Sustained Observation of Learning Outcomes. One teacher reveals which technologies have improved their teaching in 2020. I selected to present the work of Biggs and Collier during one of my earliest assignments. SOLO Taxonomy. All of her explanations have been described using the forehand. If they have already completed the prior station they should look to the Prestructural Station. Why has this happened? Before you can understand a question and answer one you need to know these. ‘It stops them always just saying, “it was nice but you needed to write more”. I use this SOLO Rubric to plan out all my units of work in English, Maths, Science and Social Studies. SOLO Taxonomy is intended to work with constructive alignment, the instructional process of starting with intended learning outcomes and aligns teaching and assessment to those outcomes. Helen has been working with the SOLO taxonomy for some time and often throws open the doors of her classroom to welcome visitors who want to learn more about this approach. Relational– link ideas together to see the bigger picture 5. Lynley Cummack, a Teacher and Team Leader at Waimairi School in Christchurch New Zealand, talks about introducing SOLO Taxonomy and higher-order thinking (HOT) to young learners. So that's it for now, when I try anything new I'll be sure to include it in a future update. Students become aware of the reasons for everything they do and realise improvements are due to their own strategies rather than luck or fixed ability. How would the verb change in each of the 3 sentences? Pupils can use the taxonomy to clearly highlight levels of thinking in the work. If a pupil is struggling to meet the criteria, they should be advised to move down a station and come back to it later. … Knowledge, therefore, permeates across all levels of the SOLO taxonomy. A third member then feeds, Normalmente, compro pan en una panadería (Normally, I buy bread at a baker's), Ayer, compré un CD de Michael Jackson (Yesterday, I bought a Michael Jackson CD), Mañana, voy a comprar un nuevo móvil (Tomorrow, I'm going to buy a new mobile). She then describes why you would want to use both types of shot. To help “SOLO virgins” get started, I'm going to write about a few ways in which I have used SOLO in the classroom. Attempting to match SOLO levels to predicted grades isn’t its best use in chemistry. You're not alone. Learning - the SOLO Taxonomy. USES OF SOLO TAXONOMY It supports students to reflect on their own thinking. Using the SOLO taxonomy to analyze competence progression of university science curricula. By using this site, you agree to its use of cookies. In a nutshell, and in John Biggs’ own words, SOLO enables us to assess the quality of student knowledge, “not of how many bits of this and of that they have got right”. I tell my students that the first point of call is the definitions for the topic. SOLO Taxonomy background. The symbols represent how each level builds on the previous. it is super useful. The main focus in Kindergarten since returning to school, has been on safe interactions and safe behaviours within the learning environment. How do these ideas/observations/concepts link up with one another? Here is an overview of the HOT SOLO maps paired with their learning verbs. taxonomy Definition Examples Levels Classification Britannica . This means pupils transfer skills between stations to help them progress. Teachers and students use this tool together. ‘Say you are teaching separation techniques,’ suggests Euan Douglas, head of science at Saint George Catholic College in Southampton. Since introducing this to my classes, I have noticed a marked decrease in the number of pupils with hands up asking “what do I do next sir?”. According to these categories, students could understand: nothing; something; several relevant things; several relevant things that they see relate to each other; or a few related things they can apply in new situations about any topic. Criteria for each level based on SOLO taxonomy can be seen in Table 1 [17] [18]. It is important that pupils are trained to critique properly, and give feedback based on how to improve, rather than just commenting on how great or terrible it is. Roman Sepulchral Inscriptions John Kenrick. By using SOLO taxonomy whilst writing their answers, pupils could structure and connect their ideas better and we found it drew more information out of them. Using SOLO taxonomy involves learners in their own differentiation and makes the process behind learning explicit. Each station should have a clear set of success criteria so the pupils know when they have completed the task and can move on. Sourced from: http://pamhook.com/wiki/The_Learning_Process Learners should be supported to make connections in their learning between texts they've read, information they've … The movement of students around the room shows their progression but I like to signpost the progression by chosing a child to explain what they have done at a station, why they are moving on and to where they are moving to the whole class. Saved at 300 DPI for optimum quality.This poster file set includes: 1 zip with 11 files.Each poster can be printed bigger if you need to, they are made wit. Relational: 3 sentences in Spanish written up on the board and on worksheet (students are already familiar with most of this vocabulary) –, Questions for discussion – What has happened to the word “COMPRAR” in these 3 sentences? in a nutshell – HOT SOLO maps are basically mind maps that guide students through different parts of the taxonomy. Another says pupil X has shown relational levels of thinking by relating them to the bigger picture, why would you use either shot? in a nutshell – success criteria can be set by the pupils using SOLO taxonomy as the framework. From there, the class pick the “best” ones and we put them up on the whiteboard. in a nutshell – I first saw this done by @tommegit in a first attempt at using solo. The SOLO Taxonomy has been around since I graduated from eighth grade. cons – pupils need to be trained in order to supply feedback, SOLO does make this much more straightforward though. I hadn't thought of structuring lessons around the taxonomy in such an explicit way but I really like the way the lesson flows. That’s where SOLO comes in. I think it's important to point out that SOLO can be used in plenty of activities that you may already be doing. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. This is a very wordy blog post but I hope you find it useful. Worried your students struggle with chemistry texts? Tell them you don’t have time in the lesson to get them through the unistructural level (knowing the equipment) and the multistructural level (using that apparatus to learn about accuracy of readings). Pupils are able to independently recognise what they need to do to improve. I like to tailor my tasks so that the lower level stations build up to the higher level stations. cons – whilst great in a lesson/subject where a prestructual knowledge can be guaranteed, in a lesson where some prior knowledge could be entering the room, you could be left with a few activities that are completed very quickly. The next two levels, unistructural and … As a PGCE student, effective marking was drilled into me from the get go. Information about your use of this site is shared with Google. Just as our pupils can peer assess using it, you can mark work with it. It helps students to reflect meaningfully on what the next steps in their learning are. Lesson has flow and shows progression of pupils. We had to present our learning in 5 minutes. You must state something relevant first before explaining how it relates to something else. See more ideas about solo taxonomy, taxonomy, solo. The SOLO Taxonomy is a taxonomy that classifies how students' thinking levels fall into five categories: pre-structural, uni structural, multi structural, relational, and extended abstract levels [10] [11]. Differentiation is achieved and all students can be stretched easily by moving on from the levels they're comfortable at. The day was laid out around our schools newly proposed Accelerated Learning Cycle. how the lesson runs – the maps could be used on their own, or as part of a larger project in order to clarify the nature of the learning task. For example in science, if I wanted my pupils to hypothesise what was going to happen if we changed a variable in an experiment, I'd want them to use the “predict” map. BexKent June 16, 2014 at 7:12 pm - Reply. Explain it’s better to spend time on just the more complex multistructural stage together. Higher Education, 58(4), 531-549. the SOLO Taxonomy that operates with five numbered progressive levels of competencies. It needs little introduction since heavyweights like Peter DeWitt and Pam Hook have spent some time explaining it. I use SOLO taxonomy to frame the learning and I won’t change this strategy because I know how effective SOLO is for making learning visible for the students that I work with. Class Y are “in-depth” evaluating Pupil X. So, it makes sense that my brain is craving some sense of order and sense. an investigation into the evolution of a science teacher. It also helps students structure longer answers – they can see why their first sentence should be at a unistructural level. I often will receive an answer from one student, and another student to mark where on the taxonomy the answer lies, then get that same student to add to the answer to move it up a level. in a nutshell – SOLO Stations is a fantastic way of incorporating SOLO into the existing Carousel technique we use all the time! SOLO, which stands for the S tructure of the O bserved L earning O utcome, is a means of classifying learning outcomes in terms of their complexity, enabling us to assess students’ work in terms of its quality not of how many bits of this and of that they have got right. Extended abstract: What if I wasn't doing the buying? The main difference is that a pupil will be saying I need to do this next in order to progress rather than pupil x needs to do this etc. In order to progress, think about how these techniques could link together and how you could apply them to SEN students. Pros. Research-based tips to ensure that metacognitive strategies become a life-long part of your students’ study skills, Use objective-based marking to save time and engage students with online feedback, Use this infographic with your 14–16 classes to boost their knowledge of diamond, graphite, graphene and fullerenes, Alcohols, carboxylic acids and esters don’t have to be difficult – try these practical tips in your classroom. They first created their own answer before conferring with the group. pros – differentiated feedback supplied by the pupils. Jan 12, 2014 - SOLO Taxonomy - Words that help you advance up the levels of thinking. Pitched at a beginners/basic level. Well done, this piece of work shows you have a secure multistructural knowledge of the techniques you can employ as a SOLO teacher. Here’s a brief introduction. This then needs to be justified in order to stop little friendship groups from forming and pupils starting above their station. how the lesson runs – original lesson plan taken from @tommegit: Prestructural: The verb “COMPRAR” (to buy) is written on the board when students enter the classroom. By using SOLO taxonomy whilst writing their answers, pupils could structure and connect their ideas better and we found it drew more information out of them. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. As learning progresses it becomes more complex. Then they know they’re aiming for understanding the techniques and linking them, not just recalling the facts.’. At the prestructural level of understanding, the task is inappropriately attacked, and the student has missed the point or needs help to start. I want my pupils to be able to engage with interesting activities, and through their familiarity with SOLO be able to comment on their progression, as well as see what they could do to improve. pros – Clear progression is made as pupils move around the class. The HOT maps are extensively described in SOLO Taxonomy: A Guide for Schools Book 1. Instruct the pupils to move on once they have met the success criteria. How can I use the SOLO at home? SOLO Taxonomy provides a simple and vigorous way of describing how learning grows in complexity from surface to deep to conceptual understanding (Biggs & Collins, 1982). If they can’t answer at that level, they can alter the command word of the question to make it a multistructural-level question about the same topic and have a go at that. You need to be more safety conscious whilst students are moving about the room (practical/equipment). Each sentence should be in a different time frame (present, past & future). Hope you found this useful. cons – can be time-consuming if struggling to get through course content. SOLO Taxonomy Template for lesson/unit plans. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. SOLO Taxonomy. SOLO Taxonomy – deepening learning Today’s Teaching & Learning Workshop was introduced by Helen Wolfenden, one of our MFL teachers. The distinction between each level is clearly categorised for teachers and students to agree on the… Students can categorise their own understanding in this taxonomy, or the difficulty of a lesson or question. Here are two solutions, Structure of observed learning outcomes (SOLO), This is why you should teach metacognition explicitly, One simple way to provide quick and effective online feedback, 4 ways to boost students’ understanding of organic chemistry, 5 teaching technologies to improve socially-distanced learning, If you want to trace its roots, SOLO taxonomy was first described by Kevin Collis and. It describes 5 levels of understanding from simple to complex. It’s better to apply the taxonomy to more specific situations, like individual questions or lessons, to help students see how new knowledge builds on past learning. Feedback has time and time again been show to be one of the most effective methods in teaching, and whilst it doesn't always have to be written, it certainly is an effective method of delivery. At the end of the session I start a discussion with the class about what they've learnt, let them demonstrate something and then consolidate. Supplies an effective scaffold for feeding back and forward. how to set up the lesson – in order to peer or self evaluate, pupils need to have done some work! Prestructural should usually provide reference material for students to use when they are unsure of something (part of 3B4Me). Do I even know or remember what that word means? Key word lists are the start and these can be found at the top of most Pass Biology pages or on www.nobraintoosmall.co.nz. cons – Requires a room that can easily be moved around. how the lesson runs– when I joined the lesson, pupils were grouped and were working on answering a different question depending on what table they were sat on. Some of these methods may already be documented about in my earlier posts, but the format here will be more of a scaffold than a reflection on what I've done. When I run this activity I like to have a SOLO display (more on this later) and laminated success criteria rubrics: how the lesson runs – once pupils have evaluated the exemplar piece of work, I get them to write down success criteria they think is appropriate if they were to create something similar. There are different maps for the different verbs associated with each level of the taxonomy. In MFL teaching, the temptation is often to stay at word level for long periods of time. how to set up the lesson – You will need 5 stations, one for Prestructural, Unistructural, Multistructural, Relational and Extended Abstract. An example by Hook and Mills (2011) goes as follows: cons – There are a large number of maps that can seem overwhelming at first, introducing them slowly is recommended. pros – pupils made clear progress in the lesson and the length of their answers increased once given the SOLO scaffold. Download the generated SOLO symbols – (rightclick download (save image as) or click the download link). Unistructural: Starter – In pairs, come up with at least one thing that you can tell me about this word. ( Log Out / Yet, as I mentioned, it’s important to build one’s own theory of understanding. The first two are considered surface, while the third and fourth are considered deep. The theory is based upon the idea that there are levels of observable actions that indicate something is happening in the brain (cognitive activity.) Whenever ever I withdraw my students I shudder at what is happening. The two methods I have used for justification so far have been either “turn to your neighbour and tell them which station you are starting at and why” or “write you starting position and why on a mini whiteboard and hold it up”. how to set up the lesson – take the progression of SOLO and plan an activity for each level. Focusing on the self aspect, I find this extremely useful for approaching a child, asking them what level they are working at and what they need to do to reach the next level. He also had post it notes to use as … According to these categories, students could understand: nothing; something; several relevant things; several relevant things that they see relate to each other; or a few related things they can apply in new situations about any topic. Saved by Teachers Pay Teachers. Officially finished my NQT induction year! I used to struggle to come up with good feedback but now that I am armed with SOLO and my pupils understand it, it is easy to write feedback and targets using the SOLO language. See more ideas about solo taxonomy, taxonomy, religious. He had arranged his classroom into groups and had a stash of numbered bits of paper for grouping. The latter is going to be dealt with in this post. New York: Academic Press. For example: I often use peer and self-evaluation on the fly in alignment with my questioning to get more out of pupils verbally. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. SOLO (structure of observed learning outcomes) taxonomy is an illustrated model of learning that classifies depth of understanding into categories. My chart of SOLO taxonomy symbols is on the wall next to my board all the time so I can point to it.’, ‘After learning about all the separation techniques, I’d tell them I’m going to ask them to use what they learn to make decisions about the best technique to use for different situations and mixtures, and that will be a lesson at the next level on the chart, and I’d point to the joined-up bars symbol. in a presentation, Pupil X is describing the different ways you can hit a ball in tennis. ‘That’s about the most accurate peer assessment you can get,’ says Euan. SOLO Taxonomy. Instead of an example, you could just have clear learning objectives and ask the pupils how they can show they have met them. SOLO should be supplementary to what the pupils are doing and not the focus of it. If a question looks too hard to complete, students tend to leave it blank rather than attempting a partial answer. The important thing to implement is the taxonomy. Introducing the SOLO Taxonomy. The INSET was planned and led by the school's 'Pedagogy Leaders', a team of teachers whose task it is to share good practise and promote greats pedagogy across the school. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. The structure of observed learning outcomes taxonomy (SOLO taxonomy) is a tool for measuring how well a student understands a topic. Explicitly explaining why your students need to, say, watch a video of a practical before coming to the lesson to carry it out can mean they’re more likely to do it. Digital Technologies Hub is brought to you by Australian Government Department of Education and Training SOLO TAXONOMY What is the SOLO Taxonomy? The SOLO taxonomy consists of four levels of complexity. A big Solo Taxonomy Rubric for IB school PYP.This set contains everything as shown here in letter size.Each poster is saved in its own jpg file. • Biggs, J. Tabel 1. I have grouped peer and self-evaluation together for the sake of this blogpost because I feel the methods in which it is executed do not vary much. Peer evaluation has been highlighted as a very effective tool in assessment for learning. Once the time is up, The pupils post it note these onto our SOLO display. When I move labs next year I intend to have these hanging from the ceiling, providing the students continuity and routine. Read our policy. Importantly, there are symbols to represent each level too. There are names for each of those levels of understanding: prestructural; unistructural; multistructural; relational; and extended abstract. pros – a great way for you as the teacher to become acquainted with the levels of the taxonomy. We then have differentiated success criteria that the pupils have set and agreed on themselves. In other words, this is making the reasons for flipped learning plain to students using SOLO taxonomy. ‘Before a lesson on distillation or crystallisation, I’d tell my students that today’s lesson is at the multistructural level, or the “three bars” level – they don’t need to know the technical terms. One member of the class says that pupil X has shown a multistructural level of thinking as she has described 2 different types of shot. Multistructural–several ideas about the subject 4. They can see what they need to do to understand the topic at the next level. All pupils should be able to meet at least some of the differentiated criteria. Can you write sentences which are NOT in the 1st person? I would suggest being comfortable with the way they work before setting them for your students. Prestructural–not sure about the subject 2. Then, sketch the symbol for relational level with three lines, but joined to each other. I felt the day was a great success, with lots of positive feedback received from our colleagues. @totallywired77 recently blogged about Public Critique, definitely worth a read here. how to set up the lesson – Depending on the task set, you should choose the HOT map aligned to the most relevant verb. Multistructural: Feedback by students from the starter activity. Download a SOLO taxonomy diagram to use with your class (MS Word or pdf). (1999). The lesson takes the form of the taxonomy, beginning with a presumption of prestructural understanding and ending at an extended abstract level. They can tell me clearly and effectively what they plan to do to next, using the taxonomy. You could go down the route of two stars and a wish. My section was contained within the 'Consolidation' phase and was specifically about the use of SOLO taxonomy.