Pedagogy

flat =The Role of the Teacher & Outcomes for Students=


 * = Role of the Teacher ||= Outcomes for the Student ||
 * To foster positive relationships within an environment that is caring, inclusive, non-discriminatory, and cohesive. || A feeling of acceptance; positive relations with others; able to be a positive active learner. ||
 * Encourage reflective thought and action through the design of tasks that require students to critically evaluate || To engage in meta cognitive processes by thinking critically to assess achievements and identify the next learning steps to achieve the learning goal. ||
 * To ensure learning has a sense of purpose by clarifying the learning process. || Students understand the purpose of their learning and take increasing ownership. ||
 * Create a class learning community where support, challenge and feedback is freely available. || Involvement in learning conversations with students, teacher and parents; involvement in shared learning activities and shared discourse that widens students’ learning language that can take them further in their learning direction. ||
 * Making connections to prior learning and experience by integrating new learning with what students already understand. || Ability to integrate learning with what they can understand to maximise learning time and interest. ||
 * Plan for students to encounter learning several times over in a variety of contexts. || The opportunity to engage with, practise and transfer new learning into new contexts ||
 * To inquire into the effectiveness of ones own teaching through the use of an inquiry process. || Learning programmes that effectively address learning needs and engage the student’s interest and focus. ||

=Formative Assessment= Assessment for Learning The research suggests that improving learning through assessment depends on four deceptively simple key factors: the sharing of learning goals with students; involving students in self assessment; providing feedback which leads students to recognising their next steps and how to take them; a confidence that every students can improve on. (Assessment Reform Group, 1999, p. 7)

Formative assessment used in the classroom is usually considered to consist of the following:
 * Clarification of learning intentions at the planning stage as a condition for formative assessment to take place in the classroom.
 * The sharing of learning intentions at the beginning of lessons
 * Identification of success criteria
 * Involving students in self and peer evaluation against learning intentions/ success criteria
 * Use of exemplars, modelling and conferencing
 * Focusing oral and written feedback around the learning intentions of the lessons and the success criteria. This will include conversations between teacher and student, student and student, and teacher with groups of students. These conversations will be undertaken in a regular, ongoing way
 * Organising the identification of next steps to be taken in the learning as a result of feedback
 * Raising students’ self esteems by the language of the classroom and the ways in which achievement is celebrated.

This approach to teaching an learning applies across all curriculum learning areas. Over time students develop the skills of independence in knowing how to learn.

=Inquiry Teaching and Learning= The intention of the NZC is to enable students to be confident, connected and actively involved in their own learning. The inquiry model of teaching and learning: ‘Eyes on Learning’, has been developed through FHS to help achieve this vision for all students.


 * Immerse** - front loading or acquisition of knowledge
 * Ignite** - the scenario or motivation
 * Identify** - the big question and subsidiary ones
 * Investigate** - information gathering
 * Interpret** - sifting, sorting and presenting
 * Impact** - the social action
 * Reflect** - considering achievements and next steps

The jigsaw represents the iterative nature of inquiry as a method of learning.

This method of learning will encompass curriculum content knowledge, inquiry skills and the competencies of the FHS graduate profiles.

=E-Learning= At Forrest Hill School, effective e-learning is underpinned by effective teaching.

E-learning can support traditional ways of teaching, but importantly opens up new and different ways of learning. It allows teachers and students to create connections beyond the classroom through shared learning in a global community, and supports all learners in achieving high quality learning outcomes.

In an effective e-learning environment the teacher will:
 * demonstrate effective formative assessment teaching practice
 * plan for the integration of ICT across a range of contexts
 * explore a range of ICT tools for the purpose of enhancing student learning outcomes
 * utilise the capacity of ICT to widen teaching, learning and assessment
 * be an ongoing, capable and confident users of ICT

In an effective e-learning environment the student will:
 * work collaboratively and co operatively
 * move towards using higher order thinking skills
 * effectively use a range of ICT tools to support their learning in authentic curriculum contexts
 * be a responsible cyber citizen

An effective e-learning environment will:
 * provide equitable access to a variety of tools and media
 * have physical and digital spaces organised so that resources are readily accessible
 * have effective and evolving systems and procedures in place to maintain the e-learning environment
 * reflect the value and celebration placed on the sharing of learning