Intensive Teaching

We provide a balanced program in all curriculum areas for teaching all students across all stages of learning. Within our pod we have four passionate and enthusiastic teachers who have strengths in different areas. These strengths are valued and utilized to support the students for their learning progress. 

This is a valuable opportunity for  student and teacher to engage in teaching and learning that is purposeful, relevant and clearly defined.

Teachers gain information about each student and then responds accordingly to their needs by implementing planned, focused, specific instruction. The teacher also reflects and reviews the lessons so the process is always being refined to suit the needs of every child. 

Throughout an intensive teaching time the students 

-Reflect on what they can do

-clearly understand their next learning step

-know why they are learning it

We utilise a model, practice, apply, reflect method. 

1. Model what is expected

2. Develop success criteria

3. Practice it together as a group to support each other

4. Apply it to our own learning independently

5. Reflect on the learning

6. Review for improvements and next learning steps

7. Celebrate learning achievements and success

We only ever work towards one goal at  a time otherwise learning becomes too large and overwhelming to allow for creativity and risk taking. However our expectations are consistently to do our best, try our hardest and always show respect for our learning. 

SHARE

Sharing knowledge is not about giving people something, or getting something from them. That is only valid for information sharing. Sharing knowledge occurs when people are genuinely interested in helping one another develop new capacities for action; it is about creating learning processes.
Peter Senge

To authenticate the value of learning in all experiences children share their learning with our community of learners. We share our learning on stage in our performing arts space twice a day. Each child is responsible for sharing their learning on a timetable. The facilitator supports the presentation process through questioning and encouragement. This is a valuable time of the day for learning to occur as a community. The children enjoy sharing and are all eager to stand on stage and share their learning journey with pride. 

The audience
- inspired by others experieinces, learning, creations, discoveries
- thinking about ways they can integrate shared learning into their own experiences
- self manage with respect during someones presentation
- question for more informatio
- provide feedback and feedforward
- accepting others ideas and learning as being as important as their own. 
- support their peers in their learning journey
- celebrate learning with pride and respect

The presenter
- have pride in their learning
- prepare for their presentation
- develop an understanding how their learning supports others learning
- present to an audience clearly, logically, respectfully, with increasingly detailed information
- develop an understanding that every idea is valued and appreciated - in particular their own. 
- being responsible and accountable for their learning and achievements
- taking a risk and being brave 

CREATE

The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.

Albert Einstein

To be creative you are applying many new skills and approaches to thinking, but with a much more open and playful approach. Students who are willing to apply some risk taking can achieve possibilities and innovations never before thought of. 

- Students are looking for more than one answer to their final product. 

- They have permission to think laterally even if the responses may appear ridiculous at the time. 

- Every idea is a great idea as they all spark thinking that is diverse and challenging. 

- Valuing imagination and play as a way to allow the brain to think in different and diverse ways. 

- It allows for opportunities to value mistakes as learning opportunities that may have otherwise been missed. 

- We learn about what works and what doesn't. 

- The best results come from trying something new and different. 

- Putting ideas together helps us to negotiate the best outcome. 

- Diversity of ideas are valued and respected. Seen as ways to help others learning and inspire new thinking. 

- Students are learning in context 21st century skills such as problem solving, lateral thinking, persistence, perseverance, innovation and collaboration. 

-Coping with frustrations, problems and negotiating with others requires a large emotional commitment.  The students are developing strategies to cope with these with support and guidance from teachers and peers.

Making a 3D mask from a 2D paper template - no instructions were given

Constructing a hut from just a blanket and a few poles. 

The challenge was investigating the best design to construct the tallest building. The paper on the ground are their architect designs they worked on collaboratively before they started. 

Designing and making a wearable costume from just newspaper.

QUESTION

“It is not that I'm so smart. But I stay with the questions much longer.” 

― Albert Einstein

The questions we use have been developed over time as effective and useful for scaffolding thinking and learning. With the right questions being asked at the right time you are able to understand a students thinking, gain more information, challenge current thinking, connect ideas with new learning or other peoples ideas, scaffold thinking to a higher level, but most importantly invite thinking. 

Questioning is a large part of our facilitation. We value it so much in our learning environment we have a teacher whose role is to facilitate and question the students engaged in discovery and creations. 

To understand how this works please see post labelled Facilitator

Questions provide a framework within our learning environment that create a common language for learning and supports our ability to use language to talk about our learning but also learning how to learn. Questions are open with no preconceived idea of what the answer will be only the level of thinking that is expected and required for learning to occur. Learning can take many directions, some of which are at a much higher level than would otherwise be expected and many learning experiences go in a lateral direction that would otherwise be restricted when working to a plan or my own expectations.

As part of our planning framework we embrace Blooms Thinking skills of different levels of thinking. This ensures we are extending the level of thinking at all times for every learner. 

For a breakdown of each element click here; http://tep.uoregon.edu/resources/assessment/multiplechoicequestions/blooms.html

Blooms Taxonomy Questions for you to try: http://www.meade.k12.sd.us/PASS/Pass%20Adobe%20Files/March%202007/BloomsTaxonomyQuestionStems.pdf

http://wed.siu.edu/faculty/JCalvin/bloomstax.pdf

DISCOVER

“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” 

― Benjamin Franklin

Constructivist theory  helps us to understand how humans construct new knowledge. Through multi-sensory, kinesthetic learning students are learning to explore our world. They are constantly evaluating, reflecting and negotiating a fit of new learning into their existing knowledge while being challenged by their peers, environment, activities and teachers.

We encourage students to be active and engaged in their learning. Experiencing authentic, real life activities that inspires and motivates new learning. The students have choice about the activities they engage in for their own learning and therefore is purposeful to each individual. They learn at their own pace, in their time with support of their peers and facilitation of the teachers.

Learning within our community with the people who help to make connections and links to the real world. 

Learning about running a travel agency - oral language, team work,  information recording, using prior knowledge,  developing new knowledge through use of play.

Nature in the classroom provides a hands on approach to life cycles and  respect for our environment

Different equipment allows for all learning styles in all areas of the curriculum

These boys are experimenting with plane designs to allow their creations to achieve different things, ie: loops, distance, speed.