As a team we have been working together on a document of Shared Norms, Routines and Rituals. After the cross campus visits it became obvious to the TPL team and both staff groups how different the two school cultures are at the moment. In response to this we have worked with the staff to workshop ideas for strategies already used in classes. There were many suggestions and substantive conversations about what works and what doesn't and what is really important. From this the TPL group wrote a draft document which we have given to staff and asked for feedabck. We will finalise this in the next couple of weeks to present at the beginning of next year to a joint staff meeting.
Thanks for the valued feedback.
Sunday, 4 December 2011
Furnishings for Flexible Learning Spaces
Over the last few weeks we have been researching and visiting various retailers to buy new furniture to be trialled in E-Space at BHC next year. We hope to see as many people as possible from both campuses visit or use this space.
The furniture we have purchased includes couches, cushions, lapdesks, high benches, ottomans, coffee tables and chairs and stools of varying heights. Many of the traditional chairs and tables will be removed in line with the teaching philosophies we have observed throughout the year. In all open learning spaces we visited this year there were not enough chairs and tables for the students in the room. All students have the choice to sit and work in a space and position they feel comfortable in.
Throughout the year we would like feedabck from students and teachers on the suitability and durability of all products. We need to know what works and what doesn't before we decide on furniture for the new school.
The furniture we have purchased includes couches, cushions, lapdesks, high benches, ottomans, coffee tables and chairs and stools of varying heights. Many of the traditional chairs and tables will be removed in line with the teaching philosophies we have observed throughout the year. In all open learning spaces we visited this year there were not enough chairs and tables for the students in the room. All students have the choice to sit and work in a space and position they feel comfortable in.
Throughout the year we would like feedabck from students and teachers on the suitability and durability of all products. We need to know what works and what doesn't before we decide on furniture for the new school.
Post Cross Campus Visit Survey Results
It was quite disappointing to only have 16 people respond to this survey across the two campuses. However, here are some of the results.
It is good to see that most people enjoyed the cross campus visits and welcomed others into their classrooms, and the majority of staff (75%) found the TPL team's information useful.
It is good to see that most people enjoyed the cross campus visits and welcomed others into their classrooms, and the majority of staff (75%) found the TPL team's information useful.
Sunday, 6 November 2011
Dandenong High School
In 2005 Dandenong High School, which had 1500 students, merged with Doveton High School, which had 200 students and Cleland High School, which had 575 students. "This formed a new educational entity", with 2100 students and 200 staff.
There is a high multicultural background with 77 languages other than English and 25% of the students being refugees.
To facilitate the merger they asked the questions;
What does the community need?
What do we know about effective learning?
What do our students need?
This led them to design a school with seven houses in seven separate buildings. Each house has 300 students from year 7-12 and 25 staff.
Each building has two floors with flexible learning spaces which can be entirely open or closed off as needed. Year 7-10 have their core learning in their house but go off to other buildings for specialist lessons eg technology, music and P.E. Year 11 and 12 students have their classes in the house that their teacher belongs to.
Each house has a leader who is an A.P. and two leading teachers,an assistant leader and a student coordinator. Each house also has an attendance officer.
The associate principal oversees curriculum across all seven houses. Consistency across the school is achieved by making one senior teacher in each house responsible for an area of curriculum across the entire school.
There is a high multicultural background with 77 languages other than English and 25% of the students being refugees.
To facilitate the merger they asked the questions;
What does the community need?
What do we know about effective learning?
What do our students need?
This led them to design a school with seven houses in seven separate buildings. Each house has 300 students from year 7-12 and 25 staff.
Each building has two floors with flexible learning spaces which can be entirely open or closed off as needed. Year 7-10 have their core learning in their house but go off to other buildings for specialist lessons eg technology, music and P.E. Year 11 and 12 students have their classes in the house that their teacher belongs to.
Each house has a leader who is an A.P. and two leading teachers,an assistant leader and a student coordinator. Each house also has an attendance officer.
The associate principal oversees curriculum across all seven houses. Consistency across the school is achieved by making one senior teacher in each house responsible for an area of curriculum across the entire school.
Joint Meeting BPS and BHC: Shared Norms
On Thursday 27th of October the two staff groups came together to start working on developing a set of shared norms for the new K-12 school that could be trialled in 2012. The ideas and findings from this meeting will be presented again later in the year in a draft document for further discussion.
Below is the PowerPoint presentation from that meeting.
Below is the PowerPoint presentation from that meeting.
Shared norms
View more presentations from SandyJohnstone
Sunday, 16 October 2011
CROSS CAMPUS VISITS
Thank you to everyone for welcoming one another into your classrooms. Staff from both campuses have indicated they enjoyed and valued the opportunity to see the other campus in action.
We have looked at the reflection sheets.
It was noted that the Secondary staff are working very hard giving the very difficult circumstances of shrinking numbers and poorly maintained environment. It was also noted that staff are being very creative with timetabling to give students a wide variety of subjects.
Most people who visited the Primary campus commented on the strong and consistent use of routines and rituals along with the bright and inviting atmosphere. This was partly attributed to a lot of student work displays.
One of the main differences appears to be the atmosphere in staffrooms. All primary staff do use the central staffroom whereas the secondary tend to stay in their own areas.
Please take some time to look at the graphs at the bottom of the page that have been compiled from the information on the feedabck sheets.
We have looked at the reflection sheets.
It was noted that the Secondary staff are working very hard giving the very difficult circumstances of shrinking numbers and poorly maintained environment. It was also noted that staff are being very creative with timetabling to give students a wide variety of subjects.
Most people who visited the Primary campus commented on the strong and consistent use of routines and rituals along with the bright and inviting atmosphere. This was partly attributed to a lot of student work displays.
One of the main differences appears to be the atmosphere in staffrooms. All primary staff do use the central staffroom whereas the secondary tend to stay in their own areas.
Please take some time to look at the graphs at the bottom of the page that have been compiled from the information on the feedabck sheets.
Sunday, 9 October 2011
Laverton 9-12 Learning Community
At the end of term 3 we revisited Laverton P-12 to see their newly opened 9-12 Learning Community.
The 9-12 LC caters for 240 students with 23 allocated teaching staff and 3 aides. The smooth running of this learning community was greatly attributed to a clear set of shared norms and behavioural guidelines. There was a clear process for students who did not follow these guidelines to remove them from classes. The importance of having a defined set of routines, rituals and expectations has become more and more obvious as our investigation has proceeded. These findings have led us to divert our focus this term to developing (with staff collaboration) a set of shared norms that we can start to implement in both schools in 2012 in preparation for the merger.
Teaching staff in this learning community have indicated that 90% of behavioural issues have ceased due to the extra support from other teachers in the space and the presence of the LC Principal to deal with serious issues immediately. There is now less of the petty stuff like having no pen so the focus can be on more serious behaviours.
Most staff have now indicated they do not want to go back to having a single classroom as they value the support from their colleagues that this type of open space provides.
Once again there is specific planning time given each term for teams to develop curriculum and strategies for teaching and learning.
As in the junior and middle LC's there are not enough tables and chairs for all students and ICT was predominant.
The 9-12 LC caters for 240 students with 23 allocated teaching staff and 3 aides. The smooth running of this learning community was greatly attributed to a clear set of shared norms and behavioural guidelines. There was a clear process for students who did not follow these guidelines to remove them from classes. The importance of having a defined set of routines, rituals and expectations has become more and more obvious as our investigation has proceeded. These findings have led us to divert our focus this term to developing (with staff collaboration) a set of shared norms that we can start to implement in both schools in 2012 in preparation for the merger.
Teaching staff in this learning community have indicated that 90% of behavioural issues have ceased due to the extra support from other teachers in the space and the presence of the LC Principal to deal with serious issues immediately. There is now less of the petty stuff like having no pen so the focus can be on more serious behaviours.
Most staff have now indicated they do not want to go back to having a single classroom as they value the support from their colleagues that this type of open space provides.
Once again there is specific planning time given each term for teams to develop curriculum and strategies for teaching and learning.
As in the junior and middle LC's there are not enough tables and chairs for all students and ICT was predominant.
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