Changing the way we learn

NATHAN MORTON, DIRECTOR OF TEACHING & LEARNING

Teaching is an inherently messy and complex task and the expectations on teachers to meet the individual needs of every student is an ongoing challenge within the profession. The Geelong College has embarked on a project which helps to alleviate this challenge through the development of a model that supports teachers in their classroom practice.

The Instructional Model creates an approach to designing and delivering learning experiences for students and providing a mechanism for both students and teachers to evaluate the impact of these learning experiences.

Of equal importance is that the model supports teacher reflection, and collaboration, both of which inform opportunities for future growth and development.

Knowing every student, how they learn, and accommodating their unique needs is a minimum expectation of the teaching profession. Meeting this expectation with positive impact and effect is the challenge that every school and every teacher faces.

The Instructional Model alleviates these challenges because teachers are given strategies, tools, and the professional, collegial environment to ensure the unique needs of every student are accommodated.

All teachers know and appreciate the power of collaboration and working in a transparent professional environment where expertise is shared through a common language. Collaboration is a professional norm that is enhanced by the common language created by the Instructional Model.

For students, it guarantees a cuttingedge learning experience in every context.

Their teachers are working together, using their combined expertise and experience, to create learning experiences that are meaningful, engaging, accessible, and tailored to the students’ needs.The Instructional Model is centred upon our Vision for Learning and Learner Aspirations.

The Vision for Learning articulates the highest possible expectation for every student. The Learner Aspirations support this vision by creating a clear, measurable framework for students to realise the skills and abilities they have developed throughout their learning experiences both within and beyond the classroom. The Learner Aspirations asks all students to aspire to be:

• Active

• Open-Minded Thinkers

• Communicators

• Flexible and Adaptable

• Reflective and Aware

• Creative and Innovative

Advancing the Vision for Learning and the Learner Aspirations requires the support of a practical, evidenced based Instructional Model, which is put into action by the highest calibre of teacher. The model creates the foundation for a consistent student experience that teachers actively bring to life.

The approach captured in the Instructional Model is crafted around teaching elements that we believe are essential to advancing effective learning in students. Each element is solidly founded in evidence from educational research and practice, and each is also supported by a range of tools to help teachers put it into practice.

The elements are:

• Learning Intentions

• Activating Prior Learning

• Differentiation

• Engaging Learning Resources

• Explicit Teaching

• Guided Practice

• Independent Learning

• Feedback

• Lesson Bookends

• Integration of Technology

• Purposeful Classroom Setups

• Reflection

• Collaboration

• Summative Assessment

These elements have been influenced by the practices that have lived within the College for a very long time. They have proven to be highly effective and beneficial for our students’ learning. As such, the model is a product of our context, which has been subsequently reinforced by evidence from academic research and the common standards set down for the teaching profession.

The commitment to high expectations and aspirations for each student is unwavering. The Instructional Model equips us with a comprehensive suite of tools and knowledge to realise the Vision for Learning for every student.