A NOTEBOOK PROGRAMME IN SCHOOLS

Differentiation and the teacher librarian

Differentiation at PLC

How is the paradigm changing? (Students) Move towards greater connectivity with students

and consideration of readiness, interest, passion, environment and learning styles as being essential keys to effective learning.

Students need to see immediate relevance to what they are studying presently, see the portability in what they learn for both across learning areas and and into the future

Students see learning as a partnership where they have a semblance of control and input.

Emphasis now on how students learn rather than what they learn (“thinking curriculum”)

Outcomes focused education and more broadly based generic thinking and learning

Definite move against ‘lock step’ approach to learning and more to a differentiated curriculum delivery

Technology-fuelled curriculum demands are driving many of these curriculum changes

Strong move towards evidence-based practice and school accountability

How has the paradigm changed - teachers?

Inquiry based models that are often rigid and focus on information skills and research rather than on ‘thinking’

Focus on the ‘process’ approach to information rather than other variables such as learning profile, content, product, environment, readiness and learning passion

Emphasis on ‘one off’, short term programmes and lessons that can’t show any sustained evidence of value adding

What are teacher librarians offering?

Rigidity in the ‘role’ of the teacher librarian; we need to move from the ‘fixed’ to the generic, offering more pedagogical expertise and support

Apprehension and lack of knowledge about the use of technology as a powerful learning tool rather than a more functional one that looks at how the technology works.

What are teacher librarians offering?

Differentiation is an inclusive approach that focuses on understanding and connectivity with the learner as being hallmarks ALL learning activity.

It challenges us to emphasis the HOW and the WHAT in our approach to teaching and learning by adopting a more generic and ‘connected’ approach to thinking and learning.

Differentiating to meet these new demands

Focuses on these key things:

Learning profile

Readiness

Interest

Environment

Differentiation -HOW?

Thinking style

Multiple intelligence

Brain research

Learning Profile:

Herrmann’s model of holistic brain dominance combined with Julia Atkins' use of colour to break the brain up into four distinct quadrants.

Most people have a dominant mode of thinking which influences their learning and interactions with the world.

Our aim is to give the student the opportunity to recognise their unique thinking style and to

develop whole brain thinkers and learners.

Thinking Styles

Thinking Styles

We use Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligence theories to show how students express their understanding and their preferred way to learn

Interpersonal Naturalist Intrapersonal Bodily/kinesthetic Visual Musical Mathematical

Multiple intelligences

Looks at where the learner is now, what they bring to the partnership and where they would like to go. It is based on:

Past knowledge What they don’t know What they need to know

Readiness

This is negotiating with students about how the classroom,library looks and feels. Students make decisions about the surrounding to help maximise their learning potential.

It is also about the emotional security they feel which allows them to challenge and explore different pathways.

Environment

Interest

This is passion learning but it is far more than just choice! It is about the process of discovery and giving opportunity to see what they like, what inspires them and what they need to know to stretch their learning.

Giving students a free choice is NOT the same as offering a differentiated learning discovery.

Differentiation - What

Content

Process

Product

These are the core elements or understandings, knowledge and skills we want the students to have.

It needs to have the intellectual scaffolds inbuilt and and be

varied in format so that student readiness, learning profiles

and interests can be accommodated.

Content

Process

Process is the action or how students engage with the task, personalise it and begin to create knowledge and understandings. Scaffolding is an essential part of process and should reflect a ‘whole brain’ approach so that varied learning styles are incorporated to maximise learning success.

Product

This is how students demonstrate their understanding at the end of the unit rather than in the short term (end of the lesson). ICT is integral and critical in this stage; it is NOT just about choice. It is about access, equity and ability.

Level One:Word processing, fonts, diagrams, some images and colour

Level Two:Graphics, icons,databases, screen captures, web links

Level Three:Animations, interactive links, imovie, audio functions,

specificsoftware applications such as Hyper studio or Inspiration

Levels of ICT to assist leaning

Becoming leading classroom practitioners in pedagogy and teaching. The value adding in an educational sense is of paramount importance.

Meeting the Challenge

Bloom’s TS

We need to assume a educational support view and operate equally from classrooms or use smaller groups in our libraries.

Meeting the Challenge

Yr 7 overview

Simple Qns

Powerful Qns

Be part of long term writing and planning of units. Offer to create and teach the units both in a team teaching and co teaching situation.

Use or develop your ICT expertise to meet the demands of a digital curriculum.

EconomicsScience

Meeting the Challenge

Be strategic! Find out who are the powerbrokers or curriculum leaders. Offer to do things for them as you need them far more than they will ever need you!

For any further information or for a copy of this power point: Contact: ggreen@plc.wa.edu.au After 25 March

Meeting the Challenge

Level One:Word processing, fonts, basic layout some images

and colour

Level Two:Graphics, databases, screen captures, web links

Level Three:Animations, interactive links, imovie, audio

functions

ICT Levels