Professional Documents
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Planning
Teachers have become far more focused in their teaching and learning programs in recent
years. Beliefs in constructivist views of learning, knowledge of Brian Cambourne's Conditions of
Learning and requirements to report upon specific outcomes have encouraged teachers to
become more intentional in their planning and more explicit in their teaching.
Much has been written about planning in recent years. Many units for students from
kindergarten to year 12 have been developed, trialled and published. Most have focused upon
integrating some of learning areas to provide meaningful connections for student learning.
While integration is not the focus of this section, the methods developed for integrated units
are useful for all teachers' planning.
Many frameworks have been developed to reflect the emphases of teachers' beliefs about
teaching and learning. Some teachers prefer to use only one method of planning, while others
modify proformas to suit particular purposes.
engaging students
refining student's questions, ideas and teacher's intentions
extending students' ideas
reflecting on what we have learned
Robert Phillips and Richard Romaszko (1994) developed a Planning Guide which has been used
widely throughout Tasmania. The circular model reflects the continuous spiral of life long
learning:
They ask teachers to consider these questions when developing key ideas for units:
while some of the best teaching arises from spontaneous moments or events in the
classroom, these...are most effective within the context of a well-planned, long-term
framework.
They outline purposes and principles for effective planning on pages 26 and 27 of Planning
Curriculum Connections (1998). These are important considerations for all English teachers and
coordinators:
Selecting topics
The kinds of topics chosen depend upon the teaching situation. Teachers who work in primary
or in middle school settings have greater flexibility in programming and have opportunities to
integrate learning areas. Other teachers might find their options for units of work are restricted
by the constraints of working with students for short periods of time or the requirements set by
particular syllabuses.
Topics develop from a wide range of sources and for a wide range of reasons such as:
Students and teacher negotiate to find a topic that interests most class members. A
jigsaw cooperative learning strategy could be followed by a class meeting.
A teacher chooses a topic as a context in which to improve particular skills or aspects of
learning processes.
A teacher decides to have students consider an issue which relates to a perceived concern
or problem e.g. If a teacher observes a bullying problem within the class, he /she might
set up a unit based on contemporary picture books which deal with the issue of
relationships between peers.
The scope and sequence developed by the school might decide the major focuses for
students in each year.
links to other units across the scope and sequence of the school program
the availability of resources
the accessibility of planned events such as excursions, field trips, visiting speakers
local or world events e.g. the Olympics, local environmental issues
(See Murdoch and Hornsby)
There are several ways of organising the content of English programs. Most teachers
incorporate a variety of approaches according to the ages, abilities, needs and interests of their
students. They plan:
for the development of skills and language processes across all of the language modes
for students to engage in the key learning processes
ongoing learning activities
particular learning sequences or units of work
Teachers plan for the explicit teaching of skills and strategies for reading and viewing, listening
and speaking, and writing, including spelling. While the contexts for these activities are
embedded within units, a sequential developmental program is planned for.
Another aspect of the planning process is the extent to which each of the learning processes is
included in each teaching and learning segment. Students become active, responsible learners
able to interact with others as they develop increasing competence in the processes of:
negotiation
reflection
collaboration
As students progress through our educational system, they are encouraged to become life-long
learners. Aspects of English (often integrated into specific units) address individual needs and
develop the autonomy that students need to become successful language users.
Units
The planning for contexts in which students learn might be based primarily on the selection of
particular texts or aspects of language. Or, they might be based upon a significant issue or
aspect of life experience that teachers and students consider is both appropriate and important
to explore.
The possibilities are many and varied. Contexts should be selected because of their connections
with the needs, interests and learning preferences of the group of students for whom they are
designed. They should also link to the school's scope and sequence of English teaching.
In planning a year's course, teachers create a balance from all of the areas of experience:
The kinds of experience that students draw on in using language include their
experience of literature, mass media and every day texts as well as their own life
experience
(From the TASSAB 10 EN417/416/415 B English syllabuses (1998)
Planning frameworks
All of the recent planning models incorporate the essential elements of engaging, refining,
extending and reflecting on learning. Much has been written about the benefits of organising
learning into integrated units and similar benefits might be gained by organising English units
of work in a structured, sequenced manner.
Pigdon and Woolley in their book, The Big Picture (1992), developed a planning model which is
particularly suited to English units because it has a shared experience as its central learning
activity. Shared spoken written or visual texts also form the basis of many English units. It has
become apparent after trialling the model, that several sections that were presented as
separate ones in the original concept work best if they are embedded within other sections.
(1992)
THE FOCUS
LEARNING INTENTIONS
TUNING IN
SHARED EXPERIENCE
SORTING THE SHARED EXPERIENCE
RELATED EXPERIENCES
SORTING THE RELATED EXPERIENCES
VALUES CLARIFICATION
REFLECTION & ACTION
RECORD KEEPING & EVALUATION
Julie Hamston and Kath Murdoch (1996) developed an inquiry approach to learning. Teaching
and learning are viewed as a joint venture where teachers and students engage in shared
investigations.
INTEGRATING SOCIALLY
(1996)
TUNING IN
PREPARING TO FIND OUT
FINDING OUT
SORTING OUT
GOING FURTHER
MAKING CONNECTIONS
TAKING ACTION
Julia Atkins' work on the nature of learning and understanding learning styles in Learning by
Design (1996) produced a planning proforma similar to Bob Phillips' Planning Guide.
The TASSAB Creative Writing syllabuses published a framework to support the planning of
units.
Kath Murdoch's recent work (1998) includes a section entitled Making Conclusions. This seems a
logical and helpful addition.
CLASSROOM CONNECTIONS
(1998)
Explains strategies for
TUNING IN
FINDING OUT
SORTING OUT
GOING FURTHER
MAKING CONCLUSIONS
TAKING ACTION
SHARING, DISCUSSION & REFLECTION
The choice of framework is a personal one. Teachers use and adapt the elements to suit the
particular content and type of unit, the purpose and the situation. Nevertheless, each section
mentioned in the diagram shown below should be considered by teachers of all classes across all
sectors.
Some of the elements are best embedded within other sections of work rather than presented
in isolation to students. Activities that ask students to clarify their attitudes and values, for
instance, often occur during the Tuning In or Sorting Out sections.
ELEMENTS OF PLANNING
THE FOCUS
This should be rich in context and add to the students'
understandings.
LEARNING INTENTIONS
Use generalised statements of the learning outcomes the
students might gain from the work.
ENGAGING or TUNING IN
Activities aimed at finding out what students know
already, capturing their interest, and generating students'
own questions, predictions and statements.
REFINING or FINDING OUT
Activities which allow students to access experiences and
resources that will provide them with new information.
SHARED EXPERIENCE
A planned activity in which the whole class participates.
SORTING OUT
Provide opportunities for students to interpret and develop
their understandings. Cater for individual choice, different
learning outcomes, and varied ways of student response.
Review and modify students' predictions, statements and
questions.
EXTENDING or RELATED EXPERIENCES
Students negotiate individual, group or class areas of
interest to challenge and extend the knowledge base.
MAKING CONCLUSIONS
Assist students to make conclusions and generalisations
about the topic. Assess and demonstrate students'
progress towards the planned understandings, skills and
values throughout the unit.
VALUES CLARIFICATION
Look at ideas from different perspectives to clarify
students' own attitudes and values. Accept that meanings
are different for different people. Provide opportunities for
people's feelings to be recognised, articulated, recorded
and valued.
REFLECTING
Students devise ways to monitor and evaluate the success
of their learning.
TAKING ACTION
Students consider what could be done about the situations
they have encountered during the learning process
RECORD KEEPING
Use the statements generated throughout the unit as part
of this. Students keep concrete records of their
achievements.
EVALUATION
Students and teacher reflect upon the learning outcomes.
Plan future learning.
When teachers use a framework for planning, they find that units become explicit and
intentional and students' work is focused upon known learning outcomes. Planning prevents
teachers from presenting a thematic approach to students. While themes might include
interesting, imaginative activities, the conceptual framework is often contrived and superficially
based on apparent rather than real similarities. (Jenni Connor DECCD 1996.)
This chart has been designed to unpack the ideas behind each planning element and at the
same time show teachers some of the possible strategies that might be used. It draws upon the
works of Hamston and Murdoch (1996), Murdoch (1998), Murdoch and Hornsby (1998) and
Pigdon and Woolley. (1992).
It might assist teachers to explore ways of developing units which share the intentions,
processes and outcomes with students and help them to gain ownership over their own
learning.
ELEMENTS OF PLANNING
THE FOCUS
Questions to ask while Comments Strategies to use with
planning students
Why is this Our goal is to take A teaching strategy
worthwhile learning students beyond their describes teaching
for this class? current procedures, learning
Have I chosen a topic understandings of the experiences and
which provides rich world. activities for students.
concepts for students Sometimes it is The term strategy
learning? necessary to choose a also suggests a
Has this focus been focus that is not thoughtful, planned
taught to these chosen by the process designed to
students before? students. Students achieve a desired,
Is the focus one can't express interest meaningful outcome.
which is part of a in things they don't (Murdoch 1998)
future syllabus? know about. Once the Teachers have used
Have I considered the unit has begun, the negotiation
interests, needs and students' questions process to provide the
abilities of my can refine planning. focus for units in
students? English.
Are there sufficient
resources available?
LEARNING INTENTIONS
Questions to ask while Comments Strategies to use with
planning students
Which concepts/ideas Share learning Combinations of:
/issues do I intend intentions with
students to explore? students. Write them individual brainstorm
Which skills/processes on class charts so jigsaw
do I intend students that students know class meeting
to develop? ù Which what work is consensus 1-3-6
learning outcomes required.
will I focus on? Use student friendly
Have I negotiated the language rather than
learning intentions educational terms or
with the students? jargon.
Have I made the Keep the learning
intentions clear to the intentions
students? manageable. If the
context is a rich one,
there is a temptation
to include many
issues, techniques or
skills.
Focus on a narrow
area of specific
outcomes rather than
broad general ones.
ENGAGING or TUNING IN
Questions to ask while Comments Strategies to use with
planning students
How can I match my This section allows The teacher's role is
curriculum intentions students to share to stimulate, observe,
with the students' their personal listen, analyse and
capabilities? experience about the record.
What do students topic. To reveal students
know already and It can reveal understandings use
how will I find out? individual and group writing, mind maps,
What do they want to misconceptions, value lines,
know about this attitudes. beliefs and bundling,* discussion
values that might be groups, finish the
SHARED EXPERIENCE
Questions to ask while Comments Strategies to use with
planning students
Which texts shall I Shared experiences: See Finding Out for a
use as sources for our list of activities.
shared experiences build a sense of The teacher's role is
What strategies and classroom to challenge and
processes am I going community. extend student
to use in conjunction provide new understandings
with the shared text? information which Ask key questions
Have I considered the might answer some of Have students
relationship between the students' earlier
observe particular
text and task: questions. processes, structures
- Match a familiar provide common and features or
text with a new or reference points for sequences of events
difficult task. the discussion and Demonstrate, model
- Match a familiar understanding of
and explain to link
task with a new or ideas, issues,
new experiences with
difficult text. processes and skills. previous predictions
provide opportunities and questions.
for the interaction
between individuals
that is often critical to
interpreting and
processing
information.
help students make
sense of further
activities and
experiences that have
been planned for
them.
give students
opportunities to
construct concepts
and understandings
that we, as adults,
take for granted
How will I know what Refocus on the big Making board games
they have learnt? ideas that have to teach others
How will they know underpinned the unit. something about the
what they have Revisit the topic. *
learnt? predictions, questions Bloom's box*
Have they gone and generalisations Concept maps*
beyond the activities that have developed Consensus 1-3-6
to think about what during the unit Effects wheels*
they now understand? Help students to Value lines
Which strategies can I establish connections, PMI
find for them to and identify patterns Venn diagrams
transfer their new and relationships.
Word grid
knowledge into
another context? * See Murdoch (1998) for
further details.
VALUES CLARIFICATION
Questions to ask while Comments Strategies to use with
planning students
Have I made time for See also Sorting Out Group and class
us all to talk about and Reflection. discussion of issues
our feelings and those Students consider the Value lines
of others? social and cultural Value corners -
Have I made sure implications of issues. Academic controversy
that everyone's Opportunities are Six thinking hats
feelings are valued? provided for students Role play
Have I made time for to view ideas from Whose View is that?
students to consider positions other than Deconstructing and
the ideas from other their own. E.g.
reconstructing texts
perspectives? multicultural, gender,
Have I provided global, Aboriginal
opportunities for perspectives
students to reflect, Students clarify their
reconsider and own attitudes and
perhaps change their values through
opinions? exposure to and
discussion of a range
of beliefs held by
different people..
TAKING ACTION
Questions to ask while Comments Strategies to use with
planning students
Are there possibilities This section develops links Writing letters to
for action built into between home, school and newspapers and
this topic? the wider community and people with the power
Will students form encourages students to to make change
strong opinions about consider ways in which they Create an advertising
the topic? Do you can make a difference. campaign around the
think they will want school*
to take some action? Ask:
Exhibit work to
Is it appropriate for inform others in the
What are we
them to take some school or local
concerned about?
kind of action - as community
individuals, as small Why are we
Develop an action
groups, as a class? concerned?
plan to implement
Will they see a real What do we think and maintain
outcome from their needs to be done? changes*
action? What jobs need to be Make a personal
done and who will do pledge*
them? Work with the
What resources will student
we need? representative council
Who do we talk to? to raise and discuss
Do we need changes
permission?
What difficulties
might arise?
What can we do to
prevent these?
How will we know
whether our action
has been effective?
RECORD KEEPING
Questions to ask while Comments Strategies to use with
planning students
Which items will be Students collect Records include
useful for students' concrete records of individual, class and
records of their learning. These group
development? act as reference files & lists
Which records will the points for later charts, tables &
students organise and questions, graphs
keep for themselves? comparisons or for
mind & concept maps
Which records will I synthesising ideas.
statements of
need to keep track generalisation
of? summaries & answers
What is compulsory to questions
and what is writing samples &
negotiable?
portfolios
tape recordings
photo journals &
videos
EVALUATION
Questions to ask while Comments Strategies to use with
planning students
Did I cater for a range Evaluation is an Methods selected will
of thinking or ongoing and integral depend upon the purposes
learning styles? part of the planning of the activities, the nature
Did my questions process. and content of the shared
encourage a range of Evaluation of understandings. They
responses? teaching strategies include:
Did everyone have and use of resources.
observation &
opportunities to Invite colleagues,
anecdotal notes
experience success? students, parents to
Tasmanian teachers have adapted the planning elements and frameworks to create units to suit
the available time, resources and the abilities, needs and interests of their students. It is
interesting to note that most teachers modify published units and even ones they have written
previously to cater for the composition of their current classes. Below are links to some of the
units that can be found on this site:
Charisma or Conformity?
- a study of the film Dead Poet's Society designed with grade 10 students in mind.
For details of reference texts cited, look in Book and Software Information.