 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Curriculum Context
The links to the right will take you to talks by a number of eduational thinkers, researchers and practitioners whose thinking is influencing the way schools approach learning and the curriculum.
Each school, in New Zealand will, over the next year or two, develop its own local curriculum in consultation with its stakeholders. This local curriculum will reflect the revised New Zealand Curriculum and the priorities identified by the school community.
The lnks at the top of the page will take you to the TKI site where you can access the curriculum in full.
Pedagogy
On the basis of our research into best practice, we are collaboratively developing a core set of pedagogical principles. We hope to establish some shared understandings about pedagogy which will provide a reference point for future discussion, a touchstone for the evaluation of new ideas, and which can provide a perspective for reflection upon our own teaching practice. The ideas we have investigated so far are elaborated on our pedagogy wiki:
Assessment
Thorndon has a comprehensive assessment programme, beginning with a modified version of the School Entry Assessment for new entrants, a series of observations designed to enable teachers to find out what skills and knowledge children bring to school when they start. The SEA covers a range of things from letter recognition to the ability to use a pair of scissors
When they reach Year 3 children will encounter some more formalised testing. This is when we begin to use the Progressive Avhievement Tests that many parents will be familiar with. The PATs, which are nationally normed, have been revised and updated in the last few years. These tests together with STAR, another test of Reading, give teachers a huge amount of information about class and individual achievement in Maths, Reading and Listening at the time of the test. It is important to keep in mind that these tests provide a snapshot of achivement.
The link below will take you to a document explaining the tests and how they are used.
PAT
The sports squad is a group of about 12 senior children selected because they have an interest in and some talent for sport. Selection for the squad is made through teacher nomination, parent nomination, peer nomination and personal applicationChildren selected to be in the squad meet once a week and are exposed to a range of sporting experiences throughout the year. They are expected to keep up with all classroom work, maintaining a high standard, and to show leadership and a willingness to contribute to the school. Membership is reviewed each term and if members do not maintain the expected standard they may be removed from the squad.The link at the top will take you to the squad's wiki which will be updated at the end of each activity they participate in.
During Term 1, 2009, the whole school is engaged in an Inquiry Unit - Me and My Environment - which will look at the school environment in the past, now, and in the future. By the end of the term we hope we willl have come up with a blueprint for furrther development of the school site.
.These skills are developed further through our involvement in the Halogen Foundation's "Always a Leader" programme and the children concerned are given opportunities to use these skills and show leadership within the school.
Future Problem Solving is a year long programme where students, working in teams, learn and apply a six-step problem solving process which provides them with the tools to tackle problems which they will meet throughout their lives. Throughout the year, students apply the process to consider the challenges and issues contained within complex social and scientific problems to be faced in the future or tackle existing problems in their own communities.
The programme encourages students to carry out in-depth research, to think creatively and critically, to apply ethical thinking skills and to work as part of a team.
Through the Future Problem Solving Programme, students develop:
- Creative thinking abilities
- Increased awareness of and interest in the future
- Problem solving strategies
- Develop teamwork skills
- Improved oral and written communication
- Critical and analytical thought
- Real-life problem solving
- Extended perceptions of the real world
- Understanding of complex societal issues
- Improved research techniques
The Songwriting Group consists of 8 children who already receive instrument tuition, show a talent for creating music and are interested in the craft of song writing. Using the music editing software ‘Garageband’ and group discussion children use their own melodies to experiment with structure, rhythm, instrumentation and lyric writing. Children in the group work towards the goal of entering a song in the Thorndon School Songwriting Competition. This is held in term 4 every year and all finished songs are available for free download from the Music Room’s website: thorndonschool.bandcamp.com
Primary Schools have been collaborating online, for some time in many different ways such as skype connections, ebuddies, and shared virtual fieldtrips. Since 2003, the MoE has supported Secondary Schools efforts to share classes online through the Virtual Learning Network. This has grown from 12 schools in 2002 to 268 schools in 2010 providing online classes for over 1500 students! With continued support from the MoE and the participation of schools in the Primary sector we can provide similar opportunities for more of our students by providing co-ordination, networking, brokerage, learning tools, professional learning and support through the VLN Primary initiative.
The VLN Primary pilot project, supported by the MoE, was established in 2010 with the provision of online language classes for Y7 & 8 students. In 2011 we intend to build on the language classes available and extend into a wider range of curricular areas. The purpose of the VLN Primary is to further develop elearning collaboration in the Primary School Sector through the VLN and to support teachers, students and schools as they come onboard with online learning
