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Senior Secondary Re-Imagined—Improving Practice at the Noosa Pengari School
Conference presentation

Senior Secondary Re-Imagined—Improving Practice at the Noosa Pengari School

Shelley Davidow and Matthew Cunnane
Excellence in Professional Practice Conference: Teachers driving school improvement, 2014 (Melbourne, Australia, 18-May-2014–19-May-2014)
Australian Council for Educational Research
2014
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https://www.acer.org/eppc/past-conferencesView
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Abstract

Curriculum and Pedagogy
As a Steiner School we are currently in the process of applying for recognition of our first courses through Queensland Studies Authority, and so, after reading Reforming Educational Assessment by Geoff Masters, we set out to develop a set of Senior Courses that meet the Assessment Reform agenda. We wanted to know whether we could have a student-focussed objective outcomes based assessment structure that also enabled ample subject integration, providing students with subject specific skills and a set of core capacities that reflect the future trends as identified in current research. We wanted an evidenced-based approach to our methodology. So over the course of the 2012- 2013 school years we gathered some baseline data and then 'trialled' teaching methods and assessment strategies for effectiveness. 41 Due to our school size we have small samples to draw from; at best they can be described as anecdotal. Nevertheless, through student satisfaction and simple learning effectiveness surveys, we were able to see which methods were showing results, and therefore worth repeating. The outcome of this trial-and-error process, is that we now have a set of documents that outlines how we teach, placing the student clearly in the centre of the process; that values and rewards achievement and growth; that allows students to progress at the fastest rate they can, and provides teachers, students, and parents clear progress and next steps information to help students target their learning. What we have learned: • To create Learning Communities it is necessary for participants to understand where you are and where you are going. • To enable students to get the most out of what is being presented to them they need to see the value of learning beyond test scores and final marks. • To ensure that teachers are able to begin to meet the intention of the National School improvement plan and the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership teacher standards, flexibility in approach and content is essential.

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