High School Review

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High School Review

• Overview / Update
• February 2009
• - Scott Hill, MSIP

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Big Picture

• Do our Aims Values
• Our Lived Experience?

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Purpose is to develop

• Pro-Social / Civic-Mindedness
• How will we live together?
• Self-Development / Identity
• Who am I What do I stand for?
• Functional / Material Skills
• What can I do?

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Contributing Citizens?
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Practice Relevance

• Curriculum
• As means, not ends
• Variety in teaching assessment
• Inquiry /Problem-based / Experiential learning
• Extra - Curricula?

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Practice Relationships

• We teach a person 1st, a subject 2nd.
• Democratize Decision Making
• Student, Staff, Community Voice
• Inclusive Practice
• There should be an atmosphere of acceptance
  instead of labeling people.

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Change noticed by students

• Relationships
• Ive noticed that the teachers seem to be making
  more of an effort to get to know us and talk to
  us as people.

• Relevance
• With the portfolios, at first I thought they
  were a pain, but now I see how they give us a
  chance to show how we have improved and see where
  we could use more help.

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Staff Voice (08/09)

• Action research team of teachers re Relevant
  teaching and Learning to consider problem-based
  learning / inquiry learning.
• Enhanced staff involvement in data analysis and
  critical dialogue

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Staff Views on Relevance and Relationships in ESD
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Staff Voice - Highlights

• CTS, Apprenticeship, Options, Career Exploration
  etc.
• Student Voice related efforts
• Extra-Curricular opportunities
• Divisional Inservices, PLCs
• Efforts re Responsibility, Critical-Thinking,
  Time-Management, Open-mindedness

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Staff Voice - Might need to change

• Overload more time (smaller classes?) to invest
  in renewing practices, developing relationships
• Volume of mandated curricula Prov. Exams are
  barriers Credits Hours
• Challenges presented by emerging Assessment
  Practices
• Student Apathy, lack of confidence
• More Staff Voice

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Staff Voice - Improving?

• Yes, but need more support / less pressure
• Efforts are being made, but its difficult and
  takes time
• Include staff voice vs. top-down
• CTS, Career-related programs Student Voice
  efforts are indicators of improvement

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Teacher Action Research Team - Relevance

• How might we make learning experiences more
  relevant?
• How might a problem-based or inquiry learning
  approach play a role?
• How might we overcome systemic barriers?

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Relevance?

• Should be personal to the kids, connected, allow
  for practice, model what you want, promote taking
  responsibility for learning
• Meeting the needs of individual students at a
  fair levelpromoting good citizenship
• Teaching us things we can actually use outside
  of school life.
• Its not just about stuff we like. Things can
  be relevant even though they arent interesting.

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Relevance?

• Definition needs to acknowledge both Human
  Condition concerns (Who am I? What do I stand
  for? How will we live together?) and Practical /
  Functional concerns (What can I do?)
• I.E. Relevant Learning means learning that
  enhances the development of Contributing
  Citizens?

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Relevance?

• Process
• Integrated curricula?
• Problem-based?
• Thematic?

• Content
• Curricular vs.
• Extra-Curricular
• Climate / Context

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Extra vs. Mandates
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A Possibility?
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Action Research Next Steps

• Continue PD consider experience and
  perspectives of colleagues
• Contributing Citizens?
• Democratic Society?
• Improving Tomorrow (better?)
• Trial Strategies Reflective Dialogue
• Share learning - successes and challenges
• Suggest possibilities

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Student Voice (08/09)

• ESD Student Council to focus on action research
  topics
• School Beautification
• Report is being prepared with research and
  recommendations
• Relevant Learning Experiences
• OISE / CEA Survey of Former Students
• Reflective dialogue with staff and students

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Thanks!