Student Learning

PoLT Online Professional Learning Resource – Principle 3

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You Could Try This

Designing and planning the learning environment: Principle 3

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What whole school strategies impact on teacher actions?

Changing teaching practice and school curriculum organisation is core to making more schools inclusive.

  • Sustainable change requires a high level of internal planning and some external support
  • Change requires time, a three year cycle is realistic for the significant policy, practice and cultural shifts required to take hold
  • External supports are essential to supporting the learning of others, however local experts are often in your school
  • Evidence of student voice is crucial to student engagement
  • Learning support staff have knowledge of specific groups of students, however be wary of taking this information as a ‘truth’, as students needs can vary and change rapidly as does knowledge
  • Context is highly significant in students’ performances, observe students over a number of settings, including a range of disciplines and teachers
  • Students and community are key resources - the planning and organisation, of these processes is curriculum in action

Download worksheet: VELS resources – Physical, Personal and Social Learning (Word - 161Kb)

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Learning and teaching tactics and skills

Tactics and teacher skill are directed to ensuring the classroom is inclusive, physically and emotionally. Positive identity, opportunities for friendship building, goal setting and personal competence are emphasised. Students recognise that:

  • my classroom is a safe place for me
  • our classroom is a fair place
  • I know my culture and first language is recognised and understood as being part of how I learn
  • time is allowed to celebrate learning as a group and as an individual
  • teachers will ensure discriminatory practices are acted upon

For more information see:

 

Tactics can include:

  • active learning, negotiated learning, contracts, multiage classes, personalised learning plans
  • teaching for understanding and depth, cooperative learning, peer tutoring and mentoring, multiple intelligences, discussion and debates, real life problem solving, inquiry learning, open ended tasks, and questions
  • authentic assessment , performance based learning, opportunities for the development of creative solutions and processes
  • integration of technologies, such as digital recorders, computers, video, film, animation, video games
  • texts and picture books K-12 with a range of gender constructions
  • a wide range of essential materials, concrete resources for manipulation, calculation, dictionaries and calculators of all shapes and sizes
  • visuals, graphic organisers, diagrams, drawing, illustrations as stimulus materials
  • thoughtful classroom layout, spaces that are accessible for all, spaces that allow for student ‘shutdown’, changing spaces and those that fire the imagination!
  • a climate of trust and respect, a team culture is used, decision making is shared
  • students are leaders of management teams, maximising participation
  • team teaching
  • making use of the research of other systems such as Productive Pedagogies™- Recognition of difference has direct relevance to Principle 3.

Download woksheet: Strategies and Tactics (Word - 160Kb)

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Components of an effective lesson design

  • Opening
  • Student voice
  • A wide range of materials & resources
  • Grouping
  • Monitoring & assessing student progress
  • Evaluation & reflection

Download worksheet: Components of an effective lesson design - A checklist (Word - 157Kb)

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What grouping?

  • Whole class
  • Small groups, structured or unstructured?
  • How are groups formed, e.g what size, are they based on friendship, mixed ability, specialist support for explicit teaching?
  • What collaborative skills will be emphasised? e.g. turn taking, clarifying ideas, disagreeing in an agreeable way, sharing, positive feedback, helping others, negotiating

Download worksheet: Groupings (Word - 160Kb)

 

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Action planning with strategies in mind

The teaching team through their ongoing research and planning ensures they are familiar with the recent research and literature on:

  • current gender debates, e.g. girls and boys issues
  • inclusive vs deficit practices
  • Indigenous perspectives
  • what groups of students are at risk?
  • critical theory & postmodern theory
  • multiple intelligence theory
  • the role of emotional intelligence
  • technology & changing knowledges

For more information see:

 

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Reflection

  • How do I respond to diversity?
  • In making schools inclusive what are the dilemmas of school practices?
  • How do staff act when discrimination occurs?

Download worksheet: Reflection (Word - 162Kb)

 

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Other support

Making more schools inclusive is a process of school reform. Leadership teams provide strategic support to ensure time is allocated for teachers to benefit from peer support and collaboration. All staff are required to participate in professional development that challenges discriminatory practices and oppressive actions.