ATS October 2010

1. ATS October 2010 Spanish Subject Inspection

2. Aims • To identify, acknowledge and affirm good practice. • To promote continuing improvement in quality of education. • To promote self-evaluation and continuous development by schools and staff. • To provide quality assurance in education system.

3. Outcomes While recognising ethos of school: • Give an outside perspective • Positive interaction • Look at new ways of doing things • SUPPORT

4. Meeting with Principal • Whole-school support for subject • General matters ie. school planning process • Subject choice and how decided • Forming of groups – mixed ability?

5. During lesson • Short introduction to students • Review of copies • Attendance / assessment record • App. 5/10 minutes interaction with students at end of lesson

6. Feedback to team • Identifying strengths and any areas for improvement where relevant • Consistency between oral and written reporting • Encouraging school development planning process

7. Feedback to Principal • On whole-school support and teaching and learning in subject area in general

8. Evaluation of • Whole-school support • Planning and preparation • Teaching and learning: Methodology Classroom management Classroom atmosphere Learning and achievement Students’ engagement • Assessment

9. Whole-school support • Subject provision • Student mobility and choice • Deployment of staff and timetabling • Provision of resources • Subject co-ordination • Planning process – time provided • ICT access • Any extracurricular activities for Spanish

10. Planning and preparation • Planning structures • Department planning • Individual planning • Preparation of work • Planning for resources

11. Planning and preparation • Syllabus-based: thematic approach language awareness cultural awareness integration of skills • Awareness of students’ interests needs and learning styles • Learning outcomes clear • Students’ awareness of clearly identified short-term learning objectives

12. Methodology • Lesson aims, structure and pace • Use of target language for classroom management and medium of instruction • Suitability of level of language and content • Continuity with previous lessons • Time management

13. Methodology contd. • Range of strategies for student involvement – strategies for active learning • Use of resources - suitability of authentic teaching materials • Attention to grammar –systematic and integrated • Attention to pronunciation and intonation

14. Classroom management • Management of classroom activities • Attendance and progress monitored • Student affirmation • Nature of classroom interactions • Maintenance of discipline • Challenge and motivation • Clarity of instructions

15. Learning • Students’ engagement with classroom activities • Understanding – how demonstrated • Knowledge, skills and competence – how demonstrated • Encouragement of independent learning • Students challenged to reach their potential?

16. Assessment • Assessment modes and outcomes • Record-keeping / reporting • Oral / aural assessment • Homework assigned, monitored and corrected • Common year group tests if feasible

17. Some issues • Tendency to over-rely on textbooks and past exam papers • Lack of contact with target language country and community • Need for greater use of the target language • Tendency to teach the four language skills in isolation, rather than in an integrated manner • Narrow range of teaching strategies

18. … • Over-use of translation as a teaching methodology • Reliance on memorised material in preparation for oral examinations • Lack of opportunity for students’ oral participation • Imbalance between teacher-directed learning and independent learning • Insufficient student-student interaction

19. Good practice • Target language used for all classroom interactions • Thematic approach – integration of skills • Strategies for active student participation – pair work, group work, role play, games, brainstorming, debates etc.

20. … • Differentiated learning for mixed ability • Use of visuals – (flashcards, pictures, photos etc.) to introduce vocabulary and to support development of language skills • Oral assessment in junior cycle • Encouragement of learner autonomy

21. … • Collaborative planning for teaching methodologies - central storage and sharing of resources • Students exposed to good range of authentic listening material • Students exposed to a wide variety of suitably challenging reading material, including literary material

22. … • Teacher-based classroom – Spanish materials and display of students’ work • A good range of effective questioning is used • Appropriate attention is paid to development of cultural awareness

23. … • Writing tasks evoke personal response from students leading to authentic language use • Teaching of writing derives naturally from work in listening and reading • Use of formative comment-based assessment

24. Resources • PPLI website • NCCA website • Support services (Kevin McDermott) • Instituto Cervantes • Summer courses – Consejería • Cluster groups • ATS