Student Learning

PoLT Online Professional Learning Resource – Principle 6

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You Could Try This

Designing and planning the learning environment: Principle 6

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What whole school strategies impact on teacher actions?

  • School policies are communicated to the local community
  • The curriculum is developed in consultation with the community
  • Teacher professional leave is used to strengthen school community links
  • Curriculum audits and PoLT component mapping data are analysed for evidence of best practice across clusters of schools
  • Intervention approaches, e.g. literacy, numeracy, social skills, positive relationships, conflict management, harness trained volunteer supports

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Learning and teaching tactics and skills

Tactics and teacher skill are directed to ensuring the classroom is safe, physically and emotionally. Multiple identities, life long goal setting and personal competence are emphasised and self assessed over the years of schooling. Students recognise that:

  • Learning skills and tactics are integrated and performances assessed in the context of the community
  • Learning is borderless, school, technology and community are interconnected
  • I am responsible and ethical when I use ICT
  • Curriculum choice and community options provide multiple pathways for learning
  • Research can make a difference
  • Community can take many forms
  • Tolerance and valuing diversity are essential to strengthening community

Web Link: Beyond Monet: The Artful Science of Instructional Integration (http://www.beyondmonet.ca/ch3_6.html)

Download worksheet: Productive Pedagogies™ (Word - 164Kb)

Tactics can include:

  • performance based and authentic assessment practices (e.g. exhibitions, student led conferences, portfolios, multimedia, webquests)
  • personalised learning, E.g. eportfolios document ongoing student goals and achievements
  • linking frameworks such as “ Habits of Mind” to the Victorian Essential Learning Standards Domains – Physical, Personal and Social Learning and Interdisciplinary learning
  • involving the community in developing negotiated curriculum practices, moderation and judgment of performances where appropriate
  • using small and larger devices ICT applications (e.g. digital cameras, DVD, mobile phones,
  • video games, digital recorders, multimedia programs, learning management systems and virtual classrooms such as Manhattan)
  • training peer support and volunteer staff
  • making use of the research of other systems such as Productive Pedagogies - Connectedness and Rich Tasks have a direct relevance to Principle 6.

Download woksheet: Strategies and Tactics (Word - 172Kb)

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Components of an effective lesson design

  • links outside the classroom
  • ‘rich tasks’ are created using community resources
  • problem solving which draws upon contemporary knowledge
  • authentic assessment

Download worksheet: Components of an effective lesson design - A checklist (Word - 156Kb)

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What grouping?

  • whole class,
  • multi-age class
  • composite year groupings
  • how are groups formed, e.g. interest groups, negotiated project, contracts
  • what skills will be emphasised? e.g. mentoring, vocational skills, applied research, problem solving, synthesis, innovation, connectedness, social capital, interdependence and individual accountability

Download worksheet: Groupings (Word - 159Kb)

 

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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:

  • contemporary, changing and multiple knowledges and practice in the field and disciplines of education
  • lifelong learning
  • learning technologies, integration and applications in the classroom,including assessment and reporting practices
  • the impact of the above on professional lives and changing teacher identities

For more information see: Beyond Monet: The Artful Science of Instructional Integration (http://www.beyondmonet.ca/ch3_7.html)

Download worksheet: Action Planning (Word - 160Kb)

 

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Reflection

  • How will I link local and global worlds?
  • Does the unit support students to research their worlds as global citizens?
  • Which technologies will I use? What skills do I need to acquire?

Download worksheet: Reflection (Word - 162Kb)

 

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Supports and structures

A rich and diverse number of school-wide links to the local community are established. Opportunities for planning units of work with a range of community participants are prioritised. A register of links with other schools in the local, broader and global community through, artistic, cultural, scientific, vocational and humanitarian interests and stakeholders are developed.