Teaching and Learning Processes

The understandings, capabilities and dispositions encompassed in the Essential Learnings may be achieved by learners through:

• using constructivist approaches to learning
• practising the relevant skills within supportive and enabling learning environments
• active involvement in their learning
• applying their learning to new and different contexts
• processes that are learner-centred

-are developed in authentic contexts

-are built on over time

-identify evidence of learning over time.

 

Learner-centred processes  Systematic and powerful learner-centred processes involve learners:  negotiating their learning and assessment activities  posing, exploring and answering questions  actively engaging in the examination of issues and discovery learning  analysing and challenging issues through dynamic debate  working on individualised education programs and goals  collaborating with learners and educators  demonstrating initiative, curiosity, creativity  experimenting with ideas and possibilities  using a wide range of processes to gather and present new information.

Developed in authentic contexts  Systematic and powerful authentic learning involves learners:  in community and field experiences interacting respectfully with various cultures and views  in virtual learning experiences  forging local and international learning partnerships  taking positive local and global social and civic action  working with community groups to solve problems and devise solutions using community and global resources  devising solutions to local and global issues  demonstrating enterprising attributes.

Developed over time Systematic and powerful learning over time involves learners:  building, evaluating and refining knowledge and skills over time transferring learning to new contexts and situations increasing the sophistication of knowledge and skills  exploring the big picture and how the parts of the picture fit together  reflecting on thinking and learning processes (metacognition)  articulating deeper understandings of each of the essential learnings and their connectedness to each other over time

Gathering evidence over time Systematic and powerful evidence over time involves learners:  gathering and evaluating evidence of actions taken individually and in groups  recognising and documenting evidence of their growth  building on essential learnings understandings and capabilities  presenting evidence in varying contexts and situations  keeping learning portfolios  presenting to round tables  discussing Learning Outcomes  experiencing their in-depth understandings of real-life issues

Teaching processes that support systematic and powerful learning include:

• modelling metacognition-articulation of thinking and learning processes
• systematically facilitating learning
• seamlessly managing learners with different learning goals
• using and building concepts to assist learners to form the big picture of learning
• focusing on depth of understanding rather than coverage of content
• having high expectations with enabling support
• negotiating teaching and learning activities, issues and contexts
• managing individualised programs, goals and targets
• guiding and facilitating learning processes
• facilitating multiple sources from which students can learn
• using a diverse range of resources to stimulate learning
• providing for the construction and deconstruction of global learning opportunities internet, website, virtual, video-conferencing, cross-cultural sharing, interactive and multi-media materials
• networking community learning partnerships
• teaching for and supporting respectful interactions
• providing for intervention and extension
• interrelating and integrating learning across Learning Areas
• providing for extended topics and rich assessment to support learning over time
• expecting different ways of knowing and showing learning
• fostering critical and respectful listening, viewing and debate
• facilitating and extending learners’ capacities to judge their own progress and growth.

Site culture and ethos that underpins systematic and powerful learning includes:

• positive and inclusive communication
• a focus on the achievement of collective goals
• the voices of all groups of learners and families being heard and included in action
• all groups of learners involved in decision-making about site policies
• policies that are owned and acted upon consistently
• negotiation being practised in classroom and non-classroom interactions
• a culture of futures thinking reflected in ‘what if’ language and open-ended questions and possibilities
• a sense of pride and identity as a learning community
• a consistent focus on learning and identification and celebration of Outcomes
• celebration of all kinds of achievements
• processes that effectively deal with racism, harassment and other non-respectful behaviours
• civil avenues for dealing with protest
• people of different ages and groups working effectively together
• strong interaction between site and community.