2015 is a huge year for us, we welcome 3 new teaching staff who have settled in very well and are making significant contributions to our school. Our new caretaker has also been incredibly busy and is doing a wonderful job of making our place look fabulous. We have a fantastic group of people involved with the school and the community and the outlook is incredibly positive.
Master planning for our re development
This is well and truly underway and we are now working with the architects and engineers to design a school environment that will fit our philosophy of teaching in the 21st Century.
Much discussion is happening among staff and the BOT about our teaching practice and ensuring that it is responsive enough to deliver a high quality teaching and learning programme for our students.
I will update the blog as this develops further.
Manaiakalani outreach programme
Our main professional learning development over the next three years will be based on the incredibly successful Manaiakalani cluster in Auckland. manaiakalani.org
This is cutting edge professional learning that will ensure that our students are getting the best possible teaching programme. It has a strong emphasis on a Learn, Create and Share model that utilises technology both at school and in the home to create an anywhere, anytime learning environment. This model has a had a huge impact on raising student achievement within the Auckland cluster and we look forward to benefiting from their knowledge.
Technology- Devices of choice...
As a school we have chosen to utilise and focus our energy into I pads for students in Year 0-3 and Google chrome books for Years 4-6. Rimu class are currently 1-1 device and our new entrants/year 1 class are also virtually 1-1. These devices are having a big impact on engagement levels. Later in the year all students in Year 4-6 will have the opportunity to lease to own their very own chrome book that will travel everywhere with them.
New furniture
We have had a lot of new furniture added to the classes and this is allowing the students to work much more collaboratively, it is interesting to watch how teachers and students are using this to reinforce modern learning pedagogy.
Modern learning
The dictionary states these definitions of "modern"
relating to the present or recent times as opposed to the remote past: the pace of modern life | modern European history.
• characterised by or using the most up-to-date techniques, ideas, or equipment: they do not have modern weapons.
As a school we see the importance of having the highest quality teaching and learning programmes possible. Keeping up with "modern" trends is top priority and we have excellent systems in place to do this. Obviously the PLD plays a big part too.
Teachers have begun working collaboratively @ Gilberthorpe and this will continue to develop with time, next step is the buildings allowing this to happen much more easily.
Keep an eye on this site for more regular updates and articles, feel free to comment or contact us at anytime.
andrew@gilberthorpe.school.nz
There certainly is a huge amount of change and growth happening for us all at Gilberthorpe School. The next few years will see many changes and be exciting for all of us. There will be a significant shift in the way we teach which will have an impact on student learning. it is important to note that all of the initiatives we are involved in are centered around being able to provide the best possible leaning environment for our tamariki.
ReplyDeleteThere is a lot going on at Gilberthorpe this year! I am so excited to be a part of the team that is helping with the development of all these new things!
ReplyDeleteThe master planning will take our school into the future with purpose built spaces that will offer our students the best environment for their learning.
I am definitely looking forward to having more devices in the classroom! In our class we are using technology to help redesign the purpose of our learning tasks, to reflect on our own learning and to experience all of the things the web has to offer in a safe zone - our class website. If every child in Kea had an ipad I can see this developing at a much faster rate and would love to get students blogging and sending emails home to share the learning they are most proud of.
Kea class is enjoying our new furniture - the whiteboard jelly bean table is a favourite!
As the year has gone on, I am very excited to work along side Jenny to plan together and maybe, when we are working on similar learning outcomes, teaching together!