ABC of INQUIRY – GROUPING ABC of INQUIRY – GROUPING “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” Margaret Mead GROUPING: Let’s get together… There are many forms of grouping in learning engagements and many purposes for grouping learners. Traditionally the teacher was in charge … Read More
ABC of INQUIRY – FRAMEWORKS
ABC of INQUIRY – FRAMEWORKS ABC of INQUIRY – FRAMEWORKS “A conceptual framework is a ‘frame that works’ to put those concepts into practice” Paul Hughes FRAMEWORK: A supporting structure… A framework is a supporting structure that helps guide or underpin choices, processes, strategies and understandings in the learning process. In order to provide a framework, the teacher or mentor has to … Read More
ABC of INQUIRY – EXPERT
ABC of INQUIRY – EXPERT ABC of INQUIRY EXPERT “We know what we think; we think we know what we do; but do we know what we do does?”M. Foucault EXPERT: To be or to know… Looking at the idea of expert might usefully be done using BCW’s DIG model D -Describe what you see: Academic qualifications, awards, published … Read More
ABC of INQUIRY – DEDUCTIVE TEACHING
ABC of INQUIRY – DEDUCTIVE TEACHING ABC of INQUIRY – DEDUCTIVE TEACHING “You don’t learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing, and by falling over.” – Richard Branson DEDUCTIVE TEACHING: Follow the leader… Deductive teaching involves the teacher being positioned as the expert, the leader, the centre of the learning. Ideas, information or rules are delivered to … Read More
ABC OF INQUIRY – DEEPER LEARNING
ABC OF INQUIRY – DEEPER LEARNING ABC OF INQUIRY – DEEPER LEARNING “…and their minds were opened and their imagination’s stirred, and they saw wonderful things in their secret selves that few of them had ever dreamed of….”– River Murray Mary Colin Theile DEEPER LEARNING: Digging deeper… Deeper learning has occurred when a learner understands an idea or skill so thoroughly … Read More
ABC OF INQUIRY – DECONSTRUCTION
ABC OF INQUIRY – DECONSTRUCTION ABC OF INQUIRY – DECONSTRUCTION “Discovery is seeing what everybody else has seen, and thinking what nobody else has thought.” Albert Szent-Gyorgyi DECONSTRUCTION: The art of unbuilding and uncovering… Deconstruction is the taking apart of an idea or perspective to gain a richer understanding of the how and the why of something and its workings. … Read More
Just for fun
Just for Fun These books that can be read your class or child just for the fun and love of reading. There might be a message or a story that goes before us hiding in the text, or it could just delight the senses. CHARLOTTE AND THE ROCK Author: Stephen W. Martin Illustrator: Samantha Cotterill Publisher: Penguin Random House Australia 2017 ... Read More
Celebrations and Rites of Passage
Celebrations and Rites of Passage The books being reviewed and summarised in this section will help the reader explore and reflect on ideas connected to celebrations, festivals, rites of passage and rituals. The books are mainly realistic fiction and where possible the books were chosen because the author and illustrator had insider knowledges and experiences and connections to the culture and belief system connected to ... Read More
Choosing a school – Who is the learner?
Choosing a school – Who is the learner? I was recently asked to suggest a school for two students I had taught for several years. The families were moving to another country and they were also considering international schools as a possibility. After some consideration I thought it might be useful if I shared some ideas I held about choosing … Read More
Intangible Heritage
Intangible Heritage
The Intangible Heritage book is a text that invites student to explore ideas and perspectives connected to the UNESCO intangible heritage criteria. The book is full of images that provoke the reader to question and wonder about what items, actions, language or rituals could or should be considered as intangible heritage. The text is questions prompting thinking and discussion about the choices connected to classifying intangible heritage.
Questions such as
- Can heritage be alive and in action?
- Can heritage be the way we represent ideas?
- Can heritage be a choice about the way we live?
- Can heritage be the way we say goodbye to people who have died?
To help the reader there is the visible thinking routine “Circle of Viewpoints”