Concept+driven+learning+and+Inquiry

= = =An action plan that combines Social Studies, Environment, Science and Technology has been implemented in 2017.= =__ Science and Technology Review 2016 __= = 2017 Summary = = Sunnybrae teachers have embarked on a three-year journey to explore a concept based curriculum through the guidance of consultant, Mark Treadwell and the Global Curriculum project. Mark has run a number of workshops at Sunnybrae through 2015-2017 and teachers have planned collaboratively, trialled and implemented practices, and developed resources in response. This wiki page outlines the previously established approach to inquiry-based learning at Sunnybrae Normal School and also captures the current, emerging approach. =  The above diagram displays the key aspects of The Global Conceptual Curriculum led by Mark Treadwell. = Inquiry-based Learning  =

The is used school-wide. It has been designed to be used flexibly across the curriculum and frame inquiry-based learning.

**Teacher Support Notes for the Sunnybrae Inquiry Model** At Sunnybrae Normal School, teachers move between teacher directed inquiry and student-driven inquiry. To help learners demonstrate their understandings and measure their progress against clear criteria, the school has implemented the use of the SOLO Taxonomy. Using the school-based inquiry model, it is envisaged that over time the students will become increasingly involved in student-led inquiries.

As outlined by Pam Hook: // ‘Teacher directed inquiry (aka deliberate acts of teaching) will help ensure students have sufficient domain expertise to formulate a question and successfully launch into their own student-led inquiry.’ //

The three stages of the Sunnybrae Inquiry Model include … Blue represents Sunnybrae SOLO Multistructural stage SOLO links - define, describe, identify, name, list, label, find, match, draw, outline, combine // What do you know? // // What would you like to learn more about? // // What questions do you have about…? // // How could you find this information out? // // Who might help you in your inquiry? // ||< ** CONNECT ** (linking ideas) Yellow represents Sunnybrae SOLO Relational stage SOLO links – sequence, classify, compare, contrast, part whole, causes, effects, analogy, interview, question // What have you learnt? // // How will you record this information? // // What would you like to learn more about? // // How is this linked to the topic/concept we are learning about? // // Do you have any new questions? // // Why would you like to learn more about this? // ||< ** COMMUNICATE ** (taking linked ideas into another context) Green represents Sunnybrae SOLO Extended Abstract stage SOLO links - generalise, evaluate, predict, justify, synthesise, create, imagine, reflect, hypothesise, theorise, argue, plan, construct, compose, prioritise, design, perform, prove // What is the most interesting and/or important thing you have learnt? Why? // // What have you learnt that you can use in your everyday life? // // How can you use this knowledge/skill in your everyday life? // // Who are you going to share your learning with? // // How are you going to share your learning? // // What do you want to do as a result of your learning? // ||
 * < ** COLLECT ** (bringing in ideas)

Students will be encouraged to **//question, discuss//** and **//reflect//** throughout inquiry.

An Outline of SOLO
SOLO works by students progressing from surface learning to deep. On a particular topic they can be at any of these particular levels: Pre-structural – The student has no understanding of the task. They completely miss the point. Uni-structural – The student has ‘learned’ one aspect of the topic. Multi-structural – The student has ‘learned’ more aspects of the topic. However, they see each of the aspects as independent and unrelated Relational – The student understands the links and relationships between the different aspects of their previous learning within the topic. Extended abstract – The relational learning is so well understood students can now start using this to conceptualise further learning outside of the topic domain.

Competencies
Closely aligned to the New Zealand Curriculum's Key Competencies, the Competencies // (Mark Treadwell, The Future of Learning) // are fundamental skills and dispositions underpinning learning. Treadwell states,

// "Having agency over their learning implies that the learner can take increasing responsibility for that learning, along with the assessment of their progress. The competencies are a set of understandings, techniques and dispositions that learners will require to take increasing agency over their learning." //



Previously, Sunnybrae Normal School has identified key resources to support the explicit teaching of Thinking:

Tony Ryan's Thinkers Keys
This booklet explains how each of the thinkers keys is used and provides examples. This document provides a template of the keys which can be edited for use in the classroom.

Thinking Hats
// Six Thinking Hats for Schools, // Edward De Bono Edward De Bono's Six Thinking Hats are explained in simple terms on these posters for display.

Thinking Hats songs to the tunes 'This Old Man' and 'It's a Small World'.

Key questions are used to frame units of inquiry and learners are prompted to form their own questions in order to grasp new conceptual understandings.
 * Questioning ** is part of both teaching and learning. The Sunnybrae Normal School teachers refer to the Power of Questioning document to facilitate discussion in the classroom.