Tony BryantAmanda Prosser

Silverton Primary SchoolSnapshot of our Journey

• SILVERTON Primary School is situated in Jackson’s Road, Noble Park North, in the City of Greater Dandenong.

• Currently has an enrolment of 373 students. • Student Family Occupation 0.74 below the 20 Percentile.• 68% NESB

• Open Plan design consisting of 4 Open Plan Teaching Learning Centres, Administration block, specialist wing including Information Resource Centre – Library / ICT Lab, Visual Arts Workshop, Instrumental Music Room, Canteen

and General Purpose Room all established around a central courtyard. Video

Student Mentoring in the Radio Station

Student Mentoring in the Television Station

Student Mentoring with Video Editing

Using Vegas

Listening to stories on MP3 players

Web Conferencing using CommunicatorRecording stories on Voice Recorder

Live Radio Broadcasting

Silverton’s Journey1993Open areas – individual classrooms.

No team teaching

Privatisation of practices

1995Open up areas.

Teaching in teams

Very threatening.

2002- PresentShared pedagogy.

Teaching in Professional Learning Teams

Authentic curriculum – Child centred.

ICT Rich

Negotiated curriculum

Children pursuing passions.

Easier to change the physical environment than to change to pedagogy

.

Silverton’s Journey

GIVENS.

•Easier to change the physical environment than to change to pedagogy.

•MUST get the Learning & Teaching right.

.

Theorists“The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be ignited.” – Plutarch

“The art of teaching is developing into the art of teaching children to teach themselves .

“Change the system, not the child. Do things with children, not to them.” George Betts

“Make the program fit the child NOT the child fit the program.” George Betts

“It is easier to assimilate a thousand new facts in any field than to assimilate anew point of view of a few already known facts.” Vygotsky.

Not all children learn in the same way, at the same time on the same day.

Children are active members of a variety of communities – include family, friends, ethnic cultures, sporting teams etc.

Learning is Lifelong. Children born with potential to be curious, powerful learners with desire to make meaning of all experiences.

People have particular predispositions to learning styles, ways of learning and intelligences.

• Communities of learners• Collaborative learning.• Modelling through team teaching• Use of mentors.• Co-creation of curriculum by children &

teachers.• Exploration of “Big Ideas.”

• Inquiry based learning.• Learning through following passions.• Learning to access different ways of learning.• Learning to access knowledge.

• Critical, lateral and creative thinking.• Personal differences are valued.• Pedagogical practices cater for varying

dispositions of learning..• Higher order thinking.,• Promoting a positive self-esteem; self

confidence; resilience and tenacity..

Principles Practices

Principles

Education must value and support democracy.. The rights of a children requires the child to have a “voice.”

The knowledge and technological age has transformed the concept of being educated.

People bring to any situation, pre existing understandings and theories which are always partial. Learning is not linear.

• Choices in learning• Negotiating learning.• Learning through “passions.”• Learning must be visible.• Development of organisational & change

management skills.

• ICT as research, documentation and creative tool.

• Teachers as co-learners with children.

• Pres testing.• Differentiate the program cater for all abilities

and interests.• Scaffolding of learning in meaningful contexts.• Reflections on learning.• Research based projects.• Authentic – Real Life tasks• Discipline knowledge and skills are learnt in

context.

Practices

People learn through engagement in complex experiences, in which they make relevant, purposeful connections. Skills and a body of knowledge are needed to acquire success in life.

• Research based projects.• Explicit teaching in purposeful context.• Trans- Disciplinary learning.• Higher order thinking.• Critical lateral and creative thinking. • “Passion” learning• Meta – cognitive understandings of learning.

Principles Practices

Worked on the following:• Teaching and Learning Practices (Pedagogy)

•Valuable Learning Habits • Effective Teams

•Role of students and teachers•Learning Environments

•Assessment•Research / Professional Readings

• Professional Development•Information and Communication Technology

Teaching and Learning Practices (Pedagogy)We have used the Victorian ’s Principles of Learning and Teaching Prep – 12

to generate discussions around good teaching and learning practices

The Principles of Learning and Teaching P-12 is one of the 5 key elements identified in the ‘Blueprint for Government Schools’ under the ‘Flagship’ – ‘Student

Learning’. They are considered an important part of Flagship Strategy 1 in conjunction with the Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS), Curriculum

Planning Guidelines, Assessment and Reporting Advice and the Knowledge Bank. The Blueprint was released on the 13th November, 2003.

The PoLT resource has been developed from other similar initiatives, Schools Innovation in Science (SIS), Middle Years Research and Development (MYRAD)

project and Middle Years Pedagogy Research and Development (MYPRAD) project.)

Victoria’s Principles of Learning and Teaching Prep –

12Principle 1: The learning environment is supportive and

productivePrinciple 2: The learning environment promotes

independence, interdependence and self motivationPrinciple 3: Students needs, backgrounds, perspectives and

interests are reflected in the learning programPrinciple 4: Students are challenged and supported to

develop deeper levels of thinking and applicationPrinciple 5: Assessment practices are an integral part of

teaching and learningPrinciple 6: Learning connects strongly with communities

and practice beyond the classroom

The PoLT process provides the opportunity for individual teachers, teams of teachers and schools to gain quantitative data on student perceptions on their

learning and learning environment, and compare them to teacher perceptions. This data can provide valuable indicators of professional learning and development

needs, as well as valid indicators of student learning preferences.

The PoLT resource is all about implementing change, through reflection, auditing and planning, hopefully resulting in an improvement in student

outcomes. It has been developed in consultation with academics and teachers alike. It contains a number of tools:

 Student Learning Survey – allows students to identify activities that students find

helpful in their learning.Student Perceptions Survey – allows students to reflect on their learning

environment (with a major focus on the teacher). There are separate surveys for Early and Middle Years students and they relate directly to the 6 PoLT principles.Component Mapping – gives teachers the opportunity to reflect on their teaching

practices as they relate to the 6 PoLT principles (and their associated sub-principles).

•Data is collected each year from the students and teachers•Each year we focus on something our data is telling us

Principles of Learning and Teaching Prep – 12

Principles of Learning and Teaching Prep – 12

Principles of Learning and Teaching Prep – 12

Learner Profile

As a school team we have developed our own Learner Profile.

We asked ourselves;

What does it take to become a sustainable human in our society today?

At Silverton Primary School, we assist our students in becoming life long learners by supporting them in developing thinking and

communicating skills while extending their personal growth in an ever changing world.

 

The students at Silverton Primary School aspire to acquire the valuable learning habits that are set out in our student profile.

It is expected that students who leave Silverton Primary School will display the

following Valuable Learning Habits:Risk Takers

CommunicatorsWell balanced

ThinkersOpen Minded

ReflectiveKnowledgeable

InquirersPride

Caring

ThinkersStudents who are thinkers are able to use a variety of strategies to

critically and creatively analyse information, solve problems and make decisions by applying learnt thinking skills.

 Communicators

Students who are communicators are able to receive and express different modes of communication and expression clearly. They can

comprehend and compose a range of written, spoken, visual, kinaesthetic and musical texts that convey information, ideas and

viewpoints from various audiences.  

InquirersStudents who are developing their inquiry skills have a love of learning.

They wish to find out more about the world and the way humans, animals and plants work with and in it. Their enthusiasm for learning is sustained

throughout their lives.

PrideStudents who display pride show commitment and integrity in who they

are, the group they belong to and how they complete tasks.

Risk TakersStudents who are risk takers are confident individuals who are

comfortable in dealing with unfamiliar situations. They are independent and self assured to try new roles, ideas and strategies when completing

different tasks.  

Open MindedStudents who are open minded use their interpersonal skills to respect the views, values and opinions of other individuals and cultures. They show cooperation, courtesy and tolerance when working with others

towards a common goal.  

CaringStudents who are caring value the needs and feelings of others. They

display a concern for the welfare of other individuals, the wider community and environment.

Well Balanced Students who are well balanced understand the importance of the

physical, social and emotional elements of their health and how it links to personal wellbeing.

 

All of these learning habits are displayed in all learning areas of the school including our

staffroom. •The Valuable Learning Habits are embedded into the

Curriculum especially within our Values Education program

•Our Peer Mediators at recess and lunchtimes are looking for students displaying these habits for Yard

Duty rewards. •Each week in Level Assemblies students are given

Valuable Learning Habits certificates. •Once every month we have a ‘Learner of the Month’

reward, teachers nominate a students from their grade displaying one of the habits.

•Within our Discipline Policy these Valuable Learning Habits are recognised and teachers will use these

words to reinforce appropriate behaviour. (Common Language used amongst teachers and students)

Effective TeamsAt Silverton we are physically designed for teachers to work in teams so each year we

need to discuss •What is an effective team? •What are the key elements of an effective team?•What does an effective team look and operate like?•What are the benefits of having effective teams for the students, staff and as a schoool

Role of the Teacher and Student

1. Talking about the role of the teacher and student is very important to discuss each year before any curriculum planning happens and for new staff members to hear, we want to make sure everyone has the same share vision of what the school’s curriculum is all about

2. If someone walks into your classroom or learning centre what would they see the teacher / s doing? What would the students be doing?

3. Teachers as facilitators, what does this mean to us?

4. Student Centred Learning, what does this really look like?

Building up staff capacity

• Professional Development• Professional Reading• Seeing good practices – school visits etc.• Mentor Coaching• Peer Coaching• Professional Discussions.• Building up range of experiences.• Taking Risks.• Providing support.

Learning Environments

1. How can we created the best learning environment for all our students, catering for students with learning difficulties, ESL, Language disorder?

2. How can we create a learning environment that supports high student engagement and motivation to learn?

3. What resources are needed to create the best possible learning environment for all students’ needs?

4. How can we create outdoor learning areas?

AssessmentTracking of studentsIndividualWhole SchoolSharing Data / Information

Digital Portfolios Example

Smart – reporting / welfare packageWhat is entered?• School wide Assessment data • NAPLAN Data• Teachers enter their own assessment results• Individual learning Plans• School reports • Trend data / Statics can be viewed• School incident reports

Professional Development

Silverton’s Professional Development is linked to

•the school’s strategic plan / vision• the needs of the teachers

•teaching and learning practices•ICT

•Assessment – teacher judgements and moderation

•Any data that has been collected over the year internal or external

Research and Professional Reading

Over many years Silverton Staff have completed research and Professional Reading especially around innovative

practices.• Queensland’s Productive Pedagogy / New Basics

•Reggio Emilia•Authentic Learning

•Play Based Learning – Kath Walker•Inquiry Based Learning – Kath Murdoch

•21st Century Learning•Montessori

•Steiner•Personalised / Individualised Learning

•The use of ICT in the classrooms and as a learning tool

Information and Communication Technology - Silverton is a Catalyst school for the Southern Region

in Victoria.

•There is an expectation that all curriculum planning documents must incorporate ICT, Silverton’s leadership team expects to see evidence of ICT

being planned across all Levels and in Specialist areas

•Our teachers mentor or peer coach each other on particular ICT programs, on how to use the different ICT resources / equipment we have and assist

each another with ICT planning

•We have two ICT peer coaches that work with teachers on ICT curriculum planning and then the implementation of the planning in their classrooms

•Our teachers use students as experts, a grade 6 student may go into a grade 3 class and assist the teacher or students on an ICT activity.

•Our students also PD teachers on certain ICT skills / knowledge at lunchtimes

Most importantly a lot of reassurance needs to go to teachers that it’s okay for their students to have better ICT skills and knowledge then

them. Teachers must not feel threaten by this fact!!

•All teachers complete an epotential survey each year

School Intranet• We use Sharepoint for our school Intranet• Staff have access to their areas and the students only access to

own modules area.• It’s a good way of communicating between staff – staff, students

– staff and staff – student.Some of the things on the Intranet • Planning documents• Administrative documents – calendars, school strategic plan• Homework tasks• Project tasks• Messages• Forums / Discussions• Links to teaching and learning activities – digilearn resources,

websites, IWB activities• Activity Templates for students to use in the classrooms • Registering It problems for technician.

School IntranetIT problems registered

Staff planning documents & PD plans etc

Blogging

Silverton’s Highlights • Prep – 2 students involved in ‘Discovery Time’ for two hours a day,

based on personalised learning and play based.•3 – 6 students involved in Inquiry Based Learning, Independent and Cooperative Learning, Personalised / Individualised Learning, Rich

Tasks, Authentic Learning and Project Based Tasks – Reality Groups.•A strong focus on ICT within the learning environment

•Explicit Teaching still occurring•Team Teaching

•Sharing of students – responsible for all students in the Learning Centre

•A strong emphasis on assessment , tracking our students•A well established Professional Development focus

•A strong and motivated leadership team with a shared vision •Staff members all view themselves as learners, risk takers and

reflectors.

School Contact Details

Silverton Primary School

77 – 123 Jackson's Road Noble Park North, 3174

03 9795 5033

bryant.anthony.c@edumail.vic.gov.au

prosser.amanda.j@edumail.vic.gov.au