Seriously one of the best professional development days I have been a part of! This is a snapshot of my learning today.
SOLO
The Structure of Observed Learning Outcomes
The move to next step in SOLO is clear as you only need to do one thing differently
prestructural - no idea
unistructural - just starting 1 idea
multistructural - many ideas
relational - connected ideas
extended abstract - connections to wider world
Learners have the facts but teachers must teach strategies to help chn makes links (eg: say why, put in a timeline, compare...) to lead to deeper connections with learning - critical friends will help here. Learning tasks need to slowly scaffold a path to deeper thinking and alignment - What is the PK needed to make connections and build deeper u/st?
What SOLO can do:
Does not label learners - focuses only on the LO as you can shift up or down the levels
Changes the way learners see school and what they think about learning. Below is an example of fixed mindset. Change comes when chn say ‘I got this outcome because I used XXXX strategy…’ - links with strategy and ideas
Q: Why did you get that outcome?
A1: Luck with success or failure linked to whether or not T likes them not effort put into strategy connection
A2: Fixed ability mindset… ‘I’m not good at…’/ ‘ my mates will laugh at me…’
A3: Fixed mindset of labelled smart kids… T have told them they’re bright and not because they made connections to the learning - promotes reluctance to put effort in / blame T / “boring”
Fixed mindset - afraid to fail/ can get upset if no connection
Growth mindset - willing to try as they know its not about the it’s about the learning
Ideas, Connections and where you take them:
Can use hand signs to help kids make connections and allows learners to show u/st. Learners can use metalanguage:
1. What am I doing?
2. What do I need to do next? - look at SOLO
3. How well is it going?
Tasks can be designed at one level as differentiation comes from outcome via SOLO rubric
eg: Describe a cat
prestructural - not able to describe cat
unistructural - has a tail with right angle bends
multistructural - mangy fur, rib cage showing, tail bent… (is just a list)
relational - connected ideas… mangy fur, rib cage showing, tail bent… because it had been trapped and was fretting
extended abstract - connections to wider world… (reimagine/evaluate) the best thing for this cat is to take it to the SPCA for euthanization because it has been killing all the protected birds
Allows you to visually see links as cards are manipulated into tessellations.
Starter:
Write anything you would like to see discussed (eg: photo, diagram, quote, idea…)
Team up with a buddy gives you the list of ideas (multi) when links are made...this goes with this because (relational) what was this all about(extended)...aim to form a tessellation by connecting - collaborating/negotiating - linking - reimagining.
Practical eg:
Eg: List everything about morning tea… link/grp hexagons… why do they link? (Could write reason on post-its). Make statements ‘the most important thing about morning tea is….because...
Our example emerging below.
Could use for narrative, inquiry, group wk, problem solving, strategy comparisons, leadership, school values, text sequence, paragraph writing, growth mindset, research/facts, maths language, writing plan scaffold, experiments.
Teacher could pre-write headings and learners write links on each hexagon them manipulate into groups to show relationships/connections - then make overall statement eg: influences result in… Another eg. is to put images around a central image and ask learners to find the links.
SOLO means effort and strategy will get you there by adding ideas, connecting ideas and extending ideas… leads to shifts in learning and deeper connections
Can you do… (sports, acting etc…) functioning knowledge = doing stuff eg: Key comps/behaviour management - self evaluation on rubric promotes agency by seeing things through different levels of outcome
Prestructural = I have no idea how to XXX… - don’t listen
Unistructural = yes I can XXX because I following a recipe/have an eg etc… - sometimes listen but I forget
Multistructural = I can do it but I don’t know how/why so I often make mistakes then I can’t fix it so sometimes I ‘cheat’ and get an eg pre-made XXX - mostly listen
Relational = I know how and why I can XXX - I listen when others are talking
Extended abstract = I will try and do XXX in a different way (mix it up a bit) that works for others - collaboration often needed as you invite help from others - I am a role model to others and encourage those who are not listening to listen
Strategies on rubric = supports given to move learners along eg - look at … talk to a buddy… use the...
Can you describe… (talkers etc…) - declarative knowledge = talking about stuff - brings all learners together
Unistructural: define, identify, do simple, procedural
Multistructural: Define, describe, list, do algorithm, combine
Relational: ‘because, why’ formulate questions, compare/contrast, explain causes, sequence, classify, analyse -part/whole, relate,analogy, apply
Extended Abstract: ‘double because’ evaluate, theorise, generalise, predict, create, imagine, hypothesise, reflect
Use the HOT maps to help learners see/ust the strategy. Pinterest has many examples of the maps in action. SOLO Maps give kids the academic language they need to succeed at school - could use sentence frames to scaffold learners thinking. HOT maps help learners plan own research journey - helps with thinking - gives an overview as to how you might get the knowledge - don't have to use all generated LI’s
Cognitive load more challenging when asking learners to recall, connect and adapt...then becomes overwhelming. As learners move through stages learners want answers but also want to know why (R) then analyse taking different perspectives into consideration (EA). Engagement doesn't mean necessarily mean achievement!
The visual maps and other resources to support the use of SOLO in the classroom can be found on the link to Pam's site at the top of this post.
