Developing independent learners

WITH ITS MOTTO – Ad Alta – literally meaning reach for your heights, Queenstown’s Wakatipu High School is starting 2010 in a great position to help its students achieve at the highest level.

The school’s key objective is to support its students to become independent learners, and teachers have implemented a number of initiatives to reach that goal.

In early 2009, for example, the school changed its timetable structure to give each student the opportunity to study in each learning area at their appropriate curriculum level.

This is in line with the revised New Zealand Curriculum, which seeks to provide students with individualised and seamless learning pathways.

Since the timetable restructure the school has seen a number of advantages including a 93 per cent fit of option choice for students; fewer management issues in junior classes and greater engagement in learning in classes.

Lyn Cooper, Wakatipu High School principal, says the second initiative has been to make the key competencies of the revised New Zealand Curriculum the focus of the school’s teaching and learning. “The inclusion of study periods has provided an opportunity for us to develop these key competencies with our senior students.”

The school uses a card system to determine where students are allowed to spend their study periods, and each card is given out according to the students’ level of independence.

A green card, which has been awarded to approximately 30 of the schools’ 400 senior students, enables them to access learning opportunities in the wider community during school hours. This may be to conduct interviews, to take photographs when the lighting is suitable, or to utilise other learning resources that are available.

Students that are issued with an orange card are able to access selected facilities within the school, attend tutorials, and use specialist rooms for extra practice or to pursue a passion such as music or art.

Those on a red card are supervised in the learning centre, where teachers work with them to develop independent learning skills; and a small number of students with a white card are timetabled to classes with a mentor until they are able to demonstrate a readiness to develop independent learning capabilities.

“The study periods provide the opportunity for students to demonstrate self management and independent learning behaviours, with a teacher available to facilitate this process,” says Cooper.

“Students engage in learning conversations and use the time to consolidate what they have learned during class.”

There is a strong desire among students to earn a green card and study in the wider community, says Cooper. “It’s not, however, completely up to the teachers, students can canvas their teachers, write a letter explaining their need for a green study card, whatever they need to show they can learn independently.”

The Queenstown backdrop provides many external learning opportunities for Wakatipu High School students.

Unique location

Wakatipu High School sits in the heart of Queenstown and has all the advantages of a rural New Zealand school.

However, the transient and seasonal nature of work in the area means the school benefits from a multinational population base more often seen in the larger centres.

Students are integrated into the school supported by a house dean and tutor group teachers, and have the ability to access specialist teachers across all learning areas.

Various programmes are available to support the learning needs of all students. The Angelo Programme, for example, provides opportunities for gifted and talented students to develop their competency as learners by providing a wide range of stimulating challenges across and beyond the curriculum areas.

Learning support staff also provide for students with specific learning needs in numeracy, literacy and the key competencies.

All students working at level six and above of the curriculum are able to access a wide range of learning opportunities in courses that enable them to be successful in NCEA, such as Gateway, NCEA level one to three, scholarship and university papers.

Sporting prowess

Wakatipu High School also encourages students to develop their strengths in a broad range of academic, cultural and sporting fields, says Cooper.

The Queenstown environment provides the backdrop for the schools’ unique outdoor education programme – The New Zealand Alpine Sports Academy.

The academy, for elite skiers, snowboarders and tennis players, allows students to train at a top level in their chosen sport each morning with school work to be completed during the afternoons and, says Cooper, has attracted a number of New Zealand’s top sportspeople since its inception.

However, it’s not just the elite athletes that have the opportunity to make the most of Queenstown’s mountains. Students in years seven to nine also have the opportunity to participate in a five week ski and snowboarding course each year at Coronet Peak. So whether a premier skier, snowboarder or living in the surrounding area, all students who attend Wakatipu High School have the opportunity to reach their full academic, physical and social potential in a positive and caring environment.