| Central
to our Cycle is the notion of developing A
community of Thinkers and Learners.
This underpins,
supports and informs all of the work we do. Not
every learner is a ‘thinker’ and not every
thinker necessarily has the skills or the
disposition to learn. Creating a Community of
Learners therefore covers a wide area of
content, processes and skills all of which have
to be addressed: emotions and learning;
developing classroom rituals, the learning
environment; confidence to take ‘risks; being
equipped with the tools of learning (graphic
organisers or mind mapping techniques, for
example); developing quality group work skills.
Much of the groundwork for this will be done in
Year 9 during the Learning to Learn course, but
it must be reinforced through the curriculum.
Creating a community of thinkers would seek to
develop and make explicit higher order thinking
skills and metacognition - thinking about
thinking. Work in Israel on ‘fertile
questions’ will inform our work in this
respect.
The notion of transferability of skills is very
important. Over the next two years all staff
will spend a day in the Discovery Zone becoming
acquainted with the Learning to Learn course and
the skills, habits, dispositions and attitudes
we are trying to foster. Colleagues will be
asked to reflect on how these can be
incorporated into their own subject areas. A
new, developing Year 9 curriculum and the Two
Year Plan to develop thinking skills and
assessment for learning will provide the
platform on which we can further develop the
concept of a Community of Thinker and Learners.
At the same time we will disseminate across the
curriculum the skills, habits, dispositions and
attitudes being developed within our Learning to
Learn course. |
