Intelligent Learnin : The Dialogue of Active Minds - A Video Based Training Course to Promote Curiosity, Independent Learning and Thinking Skills (1)

Intelligent Learning is a complete training course for promoting curiosity, independent thinking, good dialogue and thinking skills in your school at key stages 2 and 3. The commentary is by Steve Williams, contributor to Teaching Thinking & Creativity magazine and author of Start Thinking.

Steve outlines the key principles and practices of 'Intelligent Learning'.

If you subscribe to Teaching Thinking & Creativity magazine you will get a discount on the Intelligent Learning Course. On the DVD are six training sessions with examples of teachers working with Year 4, 5, 8 and 9 classes.

Sessions last between 15 and 20 minutes and are ideal for after-school training or training days. Organised in an easy-to-understand format, promoting discussion between teachers on how principles and methods of Intelligent Learning can transfer between key stages.

A written commentary and further resources about principles and methods, are illustrated on a supporting CD and resources are able to be copied for all staff. The Principles of Intelligent Learning There are no short cuts for helping pupils to become independent and thoughtful learners, but there are some clear practical principles you can adopt that will guide your teaching towards this goal.

Each of these six DVD sessions shows teachers putting principles into practice.

The principles are: * Encourage pupils to catch the questioning habit and to know where different kinds of questions lead.

Independent thinkers and good learners ask questions again and again.

You will see teachers and learners working together to create and explore questions.

The similarities and differences you see between age groups, abilities and methods will give you food for thought about what could work in your own classrooms. * Enable pupils to think both about concepts and with them.

You will see teachers helping pupils to organise their thinking using essential concepts such as 'same', 'different', 'reason', 'conclusion', 'example' and 'alternative'.

These are simple concepts but, used imaginatively, they enable complex thinking. * Use thoughtful dialogue to develop complex thinking.

Dialogue involves more than simply 'speaking and listening'. It is focused discussion to establish meaning and understanding.

Good dialogue is rich in concepts and mediates good thinking to learners.

You will see teachers trying to achieve good dialogue with and between learners, using a variety of strategies and different levels of intervention. * Consider pupils' questions and dialogues in curriculum planning.

Learners' questions and their contributions to classroom dialogues reveal much about their interests, their understanding of curriculum topics and their capacities to make meanings.

Lesson planning can take these into account.