The Plan for 2014

The NZ Curriculum has within it a beautiful gem - the Key Competencies.  My plan for 2014 is to teach children explicitly through the understandings of the 5 Key Competencies. Once students fully grasp the point and understanding of the Key Competencies then true independent learning can thrive.

So my plan for 2014 is to explicitly discuss, share and talk about why, how and when we are learning with the Key Competencies. Despite the children being young, I know that being able to discuss the ins and outs of learning can only benefit the learner.

Around the classroom walls and on the classroom Google site the Key Competencies are prominently displayed.

As a class we spent 4 x 10 minute pockets of the first day of school talking through what the KCs are and helping to define them. We discussed how an activity, which on the surface appeared to contain no learning, had all 5 Key Competencies embedded within and what we had learnt because of that experience. As we chatted it seemed as if the odd light bulb was turning on and cogs were grinding.  On only the second day of school, without prompting, different students referred to the KCs independently when we began to talk about our learning for the day and what we would be thinking about.  These kids are only 7 or 8 years of age and are so receptive to hearing about the whys and whats of learning.

We will be documenting the students' thinking and learning with a 1:1 iPad program. By doing this we are creating not just a reflective act but also a prospective one as it shapes the design of future learning needs. Students are metacognitively processing their achievements and failures, leading to an increased understanding of their own learning journey.

Some students this year are highly impulsive and prone to over-sharing. These students will thrive in this environment as they are already responding to subtle cues for self management and are enjoying the discussion and sharing around their learning.

I am really looking forward to 2014 and the possibilities that this approach could bring. We will be documenting, sharing and reflecting on our learning via our student blogs.

Bring on the choice learning!

What Am I Trying to Achieve?

I want kids to grow knowing that they are creators of awesome, that their voice is important and that they can put a ding in the universe. (Steve Jobs)

I want them to dream things never dreamt before and create lollipop moments along the way.

Albert Einstein famously said "...one knows from daily life that one exists for other people -- first of all for those upon whose smiles and well-being our own happiness is wholly dependent, and then for the many, unknown to us, to whose destinies we are bound by the ties of sympathy. "

We can teach children to think of others, see the bigger picture and become effective global collaborators.

We can do this through the development of a classroom culture of empathy, tolerance and sharing. We can do this through emphasising creative outcomes. We can do this by concentrating our efforts as teachers, on the important skills of initiative, connection and challenge.

Our NZ curriculum holds the power in the form of Key Competencies.

Students will........

• take an active role in decisions about the content, process, and assessment of learning
• take an active role in learning
• wait less, and learn more
• be interested in their learning
• feel empowered to make suggestions
• ask questions of themselves, the teacher, and others

During 2013 I aim to explore all possibilities of students becoming effective partners in their learning process, with a stronger personal voice, that raises learning achievement outcomes.

Students will document and share their learning process and reflect on goals and achievements to be able to identify their next learning steps.