Review of Big Idea Concepts

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Image result for world

 What?
The SLT have decided to review our current Big Ideas for Inquiry Learning and there was much discussion and debate about this at staff meeting. Using the PLD days for this was fantastic and I really valued the opportunity to discuss our teaching and learning with my colleagues. We have some incredibly talented staff and I can learn a lot from them. Having the opportunity to listen and discuss with them was invaluable.



So What?
After much discussion as a staff we need to collate this information and make some decisions moving forward. I have joined the team who will create a few different models to be presented to the staff.

 Our initial discussion was about PYP which Rachel and Barb gave an overview of.
PRIMARY YEAR PROGRAMME 

To recap

  • Duration decided-One Big Idea Term 1 & 2. One Big Idea Term 3 & 4. No limit to starting in Term 1 or finishing in Term 4 (other than the end of the year!!)
  • PYP is a trans-disciplinary system. During the last term of their last year an exhibition of their learning is put on for the community to view.
  • Collaborative planning-with students-could be achieved during a Syn Assembly time. With teachers could be a mixed year group staff meeting time.
  • Planning-needs to be templated across the school. Keep using Backwards by Design and add in values/Key Comp where necessary.
  • Inquiry-keep going with the current plan do review set of skills.


Due to a unanimous decision in initial discussions with the staff we decided to have 2 Big Ideas a year and allow the timing of these to be flexible within each half of the year.

10/8/18
Meeting notes
Today's takeouts
  • Plan Do Review must be included in the planning
  • Structure and tracking will be important
  • Planning-collaborative, templated to include KC/Values/Digital Technologies/Thinking Maps
  • Key question considered-Can we do these trails/changes without intensive PLD? Yes we can!!! There is enough knowledge to spread and working internally in syndicates after school wide planning/ideas sessions.
  • Next week
    • Wording-changing PYP language to Southwell (or retaining what we already use)
    • Themes/Big Ideas for 2019-2020
    • Design the template-google doc.

17/8/18
Meeting Notes
Bold = Renamed
Blue = TBC

  • UbD


  • PYP


  • NZC


  • PYP Curriculum


  • Big Ideas


  • Themes/Lense*


  • Enduring Understandings/Notions/ideas


  • Central Ideas


  • Macro/Micro Concepts


  • Key Concepts*


  • Lines of Inquiry
  • Essential Questions


  • Lines of Inquiry
    • Renamed Themes

    Who we are = Who we are

    Sharing the planet= Kaitiakia-Guardianship-looking after the planet

    How we organise ourselves=Systems/Structures/

    How the world works= Understanding the world around us

    How we express ourselves=collapsed in the others

    Where we are in time and place= collapsed in the others


    Now What?
    27th August 2018
    Presented our findings and ideas at Staff meeting.
    We have worked hard to integrate the ideas that were generated during our call back days. 

    These were-

    * we need to spend longer on each concept
    * we need to go deeper on each concept
    * we need a common language 
    * we need greater structure to our curriculum 
    * templates will help
    * we need to incorporate the values
    * we need to incorporate key competencies or habits of mind
    * the new digital curriculum needs to be part of our planning
    * our school based curriculum needs to go across the learning areas
    * planning needs to be collaborative to help stimulate thinking
    * we can do this Professional Development in house as we go

    We have two years to trial these ideas. Be ready for the next instalment, which will include-

    * a planning template 
    * a draft program that covers Years 1-8 for the next two years. 
    * an explanation of the process to plan a unit
    * scheduled meetings to support our great teachers 

    * other cool stuff to help!

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