|
Academic controversy
|
A
form of debate in which students work co-operatively to consider
alternative sides of an issue before reaching consensus. Further
information. |
Accountability
|
Assessment
processes provide information to parents, students, systems,
institutions and
other stakeholders and may be open to public scrutiny. For
accountability purposes it is the professional responsibility
of schools and teachers to ensure that assessment procedures
are appropriate, transparent, equitable and inclusive of
all learners. |
Action research
|
A cyclic research process where
an identified problem or question is systematically investigated
within a specific context and the findings are utilised to
improve and/or change practice, and to formulate further questions
for investigation. |
Active citizenship
|
Programs
that assist students to understand and act upon democratic values
such as the rule
of law, equality under the law, democracy, freedom of opinion
and a tolerant, fair and inclusive society. Examples
include celebrating Harmony Day, Student Representative Councils,
Peer Support programs, students as volunteers and students
working to solve real-life community problems. For further
information :http://www.curriculum.edu.au/democracy/index.htm |
|
Active listening
|
An
instructional skill where group members
- listen to the speaker as if they are walking in their shoes
- listen with all their senses
- let the argument or presentation run its course without
interruption
- encourage the speaker's train of thought
- actively respond to questions and directions
- use their body language to show they are listening.
|
Assessment |
Assessment is the
process of acquiring information and making judgements about
students'
learning. The purposes of assessment include the following:
- to assist student learning
related to outcomes,
- to make judgements about
students' achievements,
- to evaluate the effectiveness
of teaching programs, and
- to inform decisions about
students' future learning.
Some people broadly distinguish between formative
and summative assessment. |
|
Authentic assessment
|
Authentic assessment is linked to a teaching and learning program
that seeks to provide contextual tasks in a supportive environment
so that the learner can be given feedback about their progress.
|
Backward design
|
An approach to teaching for
understanding in which the understandings of the unit are decided
upon first, then used as a basis to determine appropriate
assessment methods to demonstrate those understandings, and
finally the learning experiences that will be needed to enable
students to develop and demonstrate the identified understandings.
|
Benchmark
|
A benchmark is a designated
standard of performance. It may be described qualitatively
or as a location on a measurement scale.
The Department uses its Literacy
and Numeracy monitoring test results to report to the Commonwealth
on the percentage of students achieving National Benchmarks
in Years 3 and 5 reading, writing and numeracy. These
benchmarks were originally described qualitatively, but they
have since been located on measurement scales.
|
Bias
|
Bias occurs when the assessment
process lacks objectivity, fairness, or impartiality in some
way. This may disadvantage or discriminate against an individual
or group of students. Bias may take the form of flawed assessment
tools, design, procedures, analyses or reporting processes.
Unbiased assessment is inclusive and works towards equitable
outcomes for all learners.
|
|
Blog |
The term blog comes from web log, which is an online personal
diary or journal. Blogs are generally available for the public to
read and to enter comments about the daily entries or postings.
Blog content ranges from personal activity, often on a daily
basis, to political, technical, educational and other
special-purpose content. |
Bloom's Taxonomy
|
A tool for categorising the
level of abstraction of questions. Questions are categorised
according to six levels: knowledge, comprehension, application,
analysis, synthesis and evaluation.
|
|
Brainstorm
|
An instructional tactic used for group problem-solving that
involves the spontaneous contribution of ideas from all members of
the group.
|
|
Bundling
|
Uses inductive thinking and is a tactic in which ideas or
responses are grouped or 'bundled' into various categories decided
upon by the students or participants.
|
Calibration
|
Calibration is a process for
locating the difficulties of items (and standards) on a measurement
scale. In terms of the Essential Learning Outcomes, it
involves the calibration of the Standards, investigating their
relative difficulty on measurement scales.
|
|
Card cluster |
A card cluster is an effective way of grouping ideas. Individually
or in groups, students write one idea on a card. The cards are
grouped to create a visual display. |
|
Carousel sharing
|
This strategy allows all groups to share at once their group work
products. It also gives students in the 'reporting' position a
chance to practise their presentation skills several times. Groups
display their work on their tables or wall. One or two group
members stay with the display to explain the work and answer
questions. Groups rotate on around each of the stations viewing
and discussing each other's work. This strategy is similar to
gallery walk.
|
|
Choral/montage poem
|
A collection of words and/or phrases selected and arranged to
create a poem to be performed by a group.
|
Closed questions
|
Questions that can be answered
with a single word or phrase. For example: How
many days are there in a week?
|
|
Community of inquiry
|
‘Community if Inquiry’ is central to the understanding of Philosophy in Schools. The focus is on listening, thinking, challenging and changing viewpoints within a safe environment in which students can take risks in their thinking. Logic and reasoning underpin ideas as each member of the community challenges the thoughts expressed by others.
|
|
Concept attainment |
Concept attainment was examined by Jerome Bruner in Beyond the
Information Given (1974). It assists us to understand that
there are different classes and categories of objects and to
identify and recognise how we can distinguish what does and does
not belong. For further information on developing the strategy
view Bruner’s
concept attainment. |
Concept map
|
Concept maps are tools for organising
and representing knowledge. They illustrate concepts
and the relationships between them. These links are indicated
by words that specify the relationship between two or more
concepts.
Concepts maps provide a process
for students to build their understanding by progressively
adding information and increasing the complexity of the links. They
can be used for formative and summative assessment.
|
Concept mapping
|
Concept mapping is a technique
for representing related concepts in visual form. A series
of networks and nodes are used to explain the links between
different concepts.
|
Criterion
referenced assessment
|
Criterion referenced assessment
is the performance of an individual as measured against a standard
or previously established criteria rather than against performance
of others who take the same test.
|
Criterion referencing
|
Criterion referencing is the
reporting of performances in terms of specified learning objectives
(criteria).
|
Culminating outcomes
|
Culminating outcomes describe
a small set of valued learning performances linked to each
of the Essential Learnings. They
represent the teaching and learning goals towards which education
is working.
|
Culminating performance
|
A performance designed to exhibit
deep understanding which takes place at the culmination of
a unit of work. In The Teaching for Understanding Framework,
this can occur as a more complex performance within the unit,
giving students a chance to synthesise understandings having
completed introductory and guiding performances.
|
|
Data retrieval chart |
An effective way of sorting information and enabling students to
recognise patterns in data. Charts are set up as grids, with
headings for each row and column. Headings might take the form of
questions, topics or sources of information. |
Diagnostic assessment
|
Diagnostic assessment is a type
of formative assessment particularly intended to diagnose areas
of weakness, or misunderstanding, and strength.
|
Discipline
|
A body of knowledge to which
a particular set of principles, key questions and methods of
testing assumptions are attributed.
|
Emotional intelligence
|
The capacity to monitor both
their own and other people's emotions and to use this information
to guide their own thinking and actions.
|
Enterprise learning
|
Enterprise learning involves
students in designing, producing
and marketing a product or service. Students work with
the wider community, business or industry to create or produce
something that is tangible and real. For further information
|
Evaluation
|
Evaluation is the process of
gathering, measuring, interpreting and using information to
make educational decisions or judgements. The term 'evaluation'
is usually used to describe a reasoned judgement about the
effectiveness of a learning sequence or a program.
|
Exemplar |
Exemplars
are samples of work that demonstrate the essential characteristics
of performance to meet particular standards or criteria. They
are frequently used in assessment against rubrics. |
Exhibitions
|
Exhibitions are substantial
products or presentations, which are often complex public performances
showcasing student learning and competence. They may
be judged by an expert panel and can incorporate judgements
from a range of sources including learners, peers, educators,
parents and others.
|
Fair |
A
fair assessment is valid reliable and unbiased. |
|
|
A particular type of concept
map which is often used to demonstrate cause and effect.
Proforma.
|
|
Fishbowl
|
This strategy help focus the attention of students as observers,
while others model a process or product. Have some students sit
centre-stage (in the 'fishbowl'), while other students observe the
action from outside the fishbowl.
|
Formal assessment
|
Formal assessment is structured
and recorded assessment.
|
Formative assessment
|
Formative assessment is used
to monitor learning progress during a learning sequence. It
provides continuous feedback to teachers and students, which
enables them to monitor progress and identify and address errors
in learning. Because formative assessment is primarily
directed towards improving learning, the results are typically
not used for assigning awards.
|
|
Forum theatre |
A scene is enacted in front of a group. At any time during the
drama, observers or actors can stop the performance to ask for
assistance or change the focus of the action. Observers may step
in and add or take over an existing role. |
|
Futures wheel
|
This is a graphic organiser that places a future event in a circle
in the centre of a document. Consequences from this first event
are placed in a second ring of circles, then a third, and so on.
The futures wheel identifies expanding consequences.
|
|
Gallery tour/walk
|
Select one person to display the item. Select a second person to
stay with the display and give a one minute overview while other
groups come and listen. After two rotations select another group
member to give the overview.
|
Generative topic
|
A significant topic, issue,
concept or 'big idea' which provides depth and rigour,
multiple connections and different perspectives required to
support students' development of powerful understandings. A
generative topic is typically central to one or more of the
disciplines, interesting to both teachers and students, accessible
and supports inquiry-based approaches to learning.
|
Graffiti
|
A cooperative learning strategy
that facilitates brainstorming. Graffiti can also be
used as a group energiser.
|
Graphic organiser
|
A tool which organises information
in visual form. There are many different types of graphic
organisers including concept maps, fishbone maps, flow charts,
KWLs and timelines.
|
Guiding question
|
Questions that aim to develop
deep understanding through an inquiry mode of learning. They
are open-ended, non-judgemental and provide a relevant inquiry
context rather than content as a basis for the construction
and selection of learning experiences.
|
Higher-order thinking
|
Thinking that occurs at higher
levels of abstraction. In Bloom's Taxonomy it indicates
thinking that takes place at the analysis, synthesis and evaluation
levels.
|
|
Hot-seating |
A dramatic technique used to deepen understanding. An individual
sits in the 'hot seat' and is asked questions which they answer
from the point of view of the role they are enacting. For example,
they may take / play the role of a character from a book or a
movie. |
Individual professional learning plan
|
An individual teacher's plan
for organising and managing their professional learning so
it meets individual, school and system needs and priorities.
|
Inductive thinking
|
One of the two broad methods
of logical reasoning - the other being deductive thinking. Inductive
thinking uses a 'bottom up' approach moving from specific observations
through to broad generalisations and theories.
|
Informal assessment
|
Teachers and students use informal
assessment opportunities to make incidental and immediate judgements
and provide feedback about student learning. Informal
assessment is frequently used for formative assessment purposes.
|
Integrated
units |
Integrated units use an approach that is interdisciplinary
and uses basic content, processes, pedagogy, assessment strategies
and topics of shared interest in authentic and cohesive ways. |
Interdependence
|
A student learning culture needs
to move from dependence to independence to interdependence. Students
operate interdependently when they understand the need to work
together in a community of learners to accomplish tasks.
|
Inquiry-based learning
|
An inquiry is a systematic investigation
into an idea or issue. Inquiry-based learning encompasses
the processes of posing problems, gathering information, thinking
creatively about possibilities, making decisions and justifying
conclusions.
|
Inside/outside circle
|
Inside/outside circles is a tactic that facilitates dialogue and
builds community. It involves placing students in two circles, one
inside the other, with each student in one circle facing a student
in the other. A facilitator asks students to discuss a problem or a
question. The student on the outside tells the student on the inside
how they would attempt to solve it, then the outside person extends
the thinking. The outside student then rotates one to the left or
right continuing the discussion or starting a new discussion for a
new problem. The facilitator rounds off the discussion at an
appropriate time by asking for volunteers from the circles to share
their understandings. Further information can be found in,
Bennett, B.
& Rolheiser, C. (2001). Beyond Monet: The Artful Science of
Instructional Integration. Bookation Inc., Toronto. p160. |
Inter-rater
reliability |
Inter-rater reliability
problems can occur when different judges rate the same performance
differently. Low inter-rater reliability is particularly
a problem when judging performance tasks, where there is a degree
of subjective judgement.
The use of rubrics can improve inter-rater reliability. |
|
Jigsaw |
A
method of focusing attention and developing, then sharing
expertise. It involves four steps:
1. arrange co-operative groups and assign material;
2. form expert groups by grouping students with the same
assigned material;
3. students return to co-operative groups and take turns
presenting material to one another;
4. individual and groups demonstrate mastery of the
material. |
Journal |
A journal provides
teachers or students with specific and ongoing documentation of
process, ideas, feelings, thoughts, questions and comments about
their work and the work of others. A journal can be incidental
or planned, private or shared, and provides evidence and insights
about thinking and understandings. Keeping a journal enables
teachers and students to reflect on, expand and enhance their
practice. |
Key
elements |
There are eighteen
key elements for the five Essential Learnings. Each key
element - for example 'Being literate' - describes a significant
aspect
of an Essential Learning |
K-W-L |
K-W-L was created
by Donna Ogle in the 1980s and stands for what I know,
what I want to know and what I learned.
Students brainstorm as a class or in groups what they know and
list this prior knowledge (K). They
set their goals for learning (W) and reflect or evaluate their
learning (L). |
Learning
styles |
Simply defined as
'different approaches or ways of learning'. Learning styles theory recognises
that individuals have preferences for different types of thinking
processes and this affects their learning behaviour. The
challenge for educators is to address and apply different learning
styles in the classroom. |
|
Lettered
heads |
An
instructional tactic where each group member is allocated a
letter. This tactic increases the concept of accountability and is
useful when handing out and collecting material. |
MARSSS |
MARSSS
(Managing and retaining secondary students at school) is a
program to
support schools in managing students whose behaviour is of
serious
concern
and
to maintain
these
students
at school. For
further information:
http://www.education.tas.gov.au/equitystandards/supportive/marsss/background.htm
|
Metacognition |
Simply defined
as 'thinking about thinking', metacognitive knowledge refers
to a person's understanding about their own cognitive processes
- 'I learn best
by... What I learned this week included..' This knowledge can
be used to control one's cognitive processes. |
Middle
school/middle schooling |
This is an educational approach
for students aged 10-15/grades 5-9 that has particular characteristics
in terms of purposes, curriculum and pedagogy. Generally
it could be said to be constructivist where students take more
control of their own learning and engage in a curriculum that
is negotiated, integrated and challenging. |
|
Milling |
An
instructional tactic where group members are invited to move
around the room and share their thinking with others. |
Mind
mapping |
Closely related
to concept mapping, mind mapping is a technique for representing
related
ideas which radiate out from the one central idea. Mind
mapping is a useful tool for students to share prior knowledge,
to establish
connections between ideas and to list ideas quickly without judgment. |
Moderation |
Moderation
procedures can assist teachers to use rubrics consistently, and
thus to
improve the reliability of their judgements. Moderation
procedures may involve discussion of students' performances and
the ratings that should be applied to those performances. Sometimes,
a measure of student performance is obtained by another assessment
procedure (e.g. an 'external' test or moderator) and the results
of the external judgement and teachers' judgements are reconciled.
It allows teachers to compare their judgements with colleagues
across grades, schools
and systems. The process of moderation enhances accountability
and confidence in teacher judgements.
|
Monitoring |
Monitoring refers to
a series of assessments made over time, in order to keep track
of developments in students' learning. |
Multiliteracies
|
Literally meaning many literacies, multiliteracies is a recently-coined
term which encapsulates two significant shifts in how we view
literacy. The concept of multiliteracies acknowledges that
in a rapidly changing, culturally and linguistically diverse
society we need to use texts in critical, active and reflective
ways. It also acknowledges that literacy goes beyond print
language and incorporates the multiple modes of meaning found
in new communication technologies.
|
|
Multimodal texts |
Mode refers to whether language is spoken or signed, written,
visual, non-verbal or auditory. Many contemporary texts combine
language modes and are referred to as multimodal. Particular
examples of multimodal texts include television, film, video games
and computer presentation media. |
Multiple intelligences
|
Howard Gardner suggests that individuals perceive the world
through at least eight and possibly nine different and equally
important intelligences - verbal-linguistic, logical-mathematical,
musical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, naturalistic, interpersonal,
intrapersonal and possibly existential. The challenge for
educators is to address and apply multiple intelligences for
individuals in the classroom.
|
Negotiation
|
This is a process of involving students in decisions about their
learning. When
teachers negotiate with their students, they share their intentions
with them and make it clear what the constraints and non-negotiable
elements of the program are. Then they enable the students
to make their own contributions to planning the learning program.
As in adult negotiations, this does not mean handing over control
to one party or the other, but it does mean working towards outcomes
that are acceptable to all.
|
Norm referenced
assessment
|
Norm referenced assessment describes an individual's performance
in relation to the performance of a large 'norm' group of students. It
is also referred to as standardised testing. In standardised
testing, uniform conditions, procedures and scoring is required.
|
|
Numbered heads |
Numbered heads is a useful tactic for organising groups and
increasing individual accountability in group work. Individual
group members are numbered off (#1, #2, #3) and are advised that
they can be called upon randomly to share their group's thinking. |
Objective
assessment |
Objective assessment
is assessment where there is a right answer. Although highly dependent
on a student's ability to recall information, processes and methodologies;
objective assessment has the advantage of being precise and able
to unambiguously test for specific outcomes. There is no question
as to whether or not an answer is correct, therefore eliminating
bias. Objective assessment provides high standards of accountability |
Open
questions |
Questions that cannot
be answered by a single word or phrase. For example: What
is truth? Open questions are useful for promoting student
discussion. |
|
Opinionaire |
A
form of survey that asks students to agree or disagree with
particular perspectives about a contested issue. |
Peer-assessment |
Peer-assessment
occurs when students provide feedback to other learners about
their learning. The
feedback could be about the content, process or presentation
of the work. To be effective, peer-assessment should be structured,
planned for and take place in an environment of trust. Peer-assessors
should be trained in the process, and protocols for constructive
criticism established. |
Performance
assessment |
A performance view
of assessment requires students to be able to demonstrate their
understanding in new contexts. This often requires students
to take part in a culminating performance designed to exhibit
deep understanding. |
Performance
of understanding |
An activity
that requires students to use knowledge in new ways or situations
and that helps
students to build, as well as demonstrate, their understanding. |
Personal
learning projects |
A form of curriculum
delivery which supports individualised learning. A personal
learning project is typically student-initiated, self-directed
and problem-based. |
|
A cooperative learning
strategy which allows students to think about, record and share
their ideas around a key idea or issue.
Placemat proforma. |
P-M-I |
Plus/Minus/Interesting, is a lateral
and creative thinking strategy used in de Bono's CoRT Thinking
program. It is used for affective processing to consider the pluses,
minuses and interesting points felt about a lesson, concept or
issue. |
Portfolios |
Portfolios are focussed
and methodical collections of selected student or teacher work
samples, products, reflective journals, performances, achievements
and assessments gathered over time. They may reflect agreed
criteria for selection of representative samples and may include
input from teachers, parents, peers and members of the wider community. Portfolios
may be used for evaluation purposes or for sharing as a record
of student achievement. |
Protocols |
The Australian
National Schools Network has developed protocols that schools may
find particularly helpful in frameworks to investigate educational
processes and issues.
They include the Tuning Protocol which is a useful tool for allowing
a variety of voices and perspectives to be shared, while focusing
intently on a specific presentation.
The ATLAS Protocol - Authentic teaching, Learning and Assessment
for All Students which is a tool to help teachers better understand
how their students develop understanding.
The 6 A's Protocol which provides a process that is designed to
analyse a curriculum unit or project and provide the scaffold
that students need to succeed.
The Consultancy Protocol where a presenter's work is discussed
by a group.
Further reference:
http://www.nsn.net.au/ |
|
Ranking
ladder |
An instructional
tactic used to rank ideas in order of importance, with number
1 being the most important. |
Reliability |
Reliability is a statistical
term defining the degree to which assessment scores are consistent,
stable, dependable and relatively free from random errors of measurement.
An unreliable assessment cannot be valid. |
Resilience
|
There are some people who may have awful things happen to them
but seem to be able to bounce back reasonably quickly. These
people have a quality called resilience. It's not that
they avoid the pitfalls and difficult times, but when something
bad does happen they have the ability to recover quickly.
|
| Round
robin
|
An instructional tactic where each group member verbally
contributes an idea in a systematic, "around the group"
fashion.
Kagan, S. (1990). Co-operative learning resources for teachers.
San Juan Capistrano, CA: Resources for Teachers.
|
Rubric
|
A rubric is a key that describes varying levels of quality from
excellent to poor for a specific assignment, skill, project,
essay, research paper or performance. Its purposes are
to give informative feedback about works in progress and to give
detailed evaluation of final products. All rubrics have
two features in common: a list of criteria and gradations of
achievement. The criteria are chosen to define and guide
the teaching and learning. Rubrics can be constructed by
teachers or collaboratively by students and teachers. Statistical
analysis can be used to ensure that teachers can distinguish
between the
specified levels of performance.
|
Scaffolding
|
Scaffolding is a teaching strategy which provides students with
specific support to accomplish tasks and develop understanding
that they would not be able to manage on their own. The
teacher provides temporary supporting structures at particular
points in the learning process. Over time, support is withdrawn
and responsibility for learning gradually shifts to the learner.
|
Scientific inquiry method
|
Scientific inquiry method refers to the way scientists investigate
the natural and constructed world and propose explanations for
their findings based on the evidence derived from their work.
|
|
Scope and sequence |
Scope and sequence is vital in whole school planning and in the
planning of individual learning sequences. Consideration of scope
includes decisions about what is significant and manageable.
Consideration of sequence includes decisions about what is
necessary for sequential development of both skills and concepts. |
Self-assessment
|
Self-assessment occurs when the learner assesses her or his
own work.
|
SIR |
School Improvement Review is the
name for the Department's approach to review target setting and
reporting. It is a process that encourages a whole school community
to find out and think about how the school educates and cares for
children. The major aim of the school review process is to improve
student learning outcomes. |
Student individual plan
|
This is a plan for better meeting the learning needs of students.
Student individual plans are particularly useful for students
whose needs
are not being met within mainstream educational programs.
|
Summative assessment
|
Summative assessment seeks to establish the level of achievement
attained by a student, and typically occurs at the end of a learning
sequence, course or unit. Although the main purpose of
summative assessment is to establish levels of achievement for
reporting and certification, it also provides information for
judging the effectiveness of teaching. In practice, then,
summative and formative assessments are not always easily separated.
|
|
Suspending judgement |
Suspending judgement is a disposition that leads a person to
consider a range of evidence or points of view before reaching a
decision. In suspending judgement students and teachers reflect on
their beliefs and assumptions and consider various perspectives
when developing a point of view. |
SWOT analysis
|
A framework through which strengths, weaknesses, opportunities
and threats are identified in order to make considered judgements
on an issue.
|
|
Tableau
|
A theatrical convention in which students use their bodies to
present a frozen image of a significant scene, event or feeling. A
tableau can represent an important moment or an image such as a
photograph. It is a non-threatening acting device used to
encourage reflection and discussion. Tableaux can extend into
movement pieces or form the end - the freeze frame - of a movement
piece. |
Teacher bias
|
Bias can occur when a teacher uses criteria not intended to
be judged in assessing students' performances (e.g. perhaps by
awarding credit for neatness in a written task that was solely
concerned with measuring problem-solving skills, and was not
concerned with measuring neatness). Other forms of bias
include personal bias (judging different performances to be the
same), and the halo effect (when a teacher's general impression
of a student influences the rating of particular characteristics
of the student's performance).
|
Teaching for understanding
|
This pedagogical framework has four key elements - generative
topics, understanding goals, performances of understanding and
ongoing assessment. These help teachers to plan and teach more
effectively.
|
Test |
A test is a
task, or set of tasks, designed to measure a sample of behaviour.
It
may consist of a series of pen-and-paper questions or it may
consist of a non-written performance task, or set of tasks. Students
may be required to apply their knowledge and skills to address
a particular challenge or demonstrate understanding
of specific topics or processes.
|
|
Think or wait time
|
This instructional skill allows thinking time for students
after a question has been asked and before a response is expected.
It also includes thinking time for students after their response
to encourage further thinking. Research has shown that the use of
Think or Wait time increases the quality and length of the
response.
|
|
Think-board
|
A think-board is a graphic organiser designed to help students think about ideas and conceptual understandings in a range of ways. The
think-board [Word 25 KB] [PDF
44 KB] encourages students to make connections and show what they know through mediums of pictures, stories, signs, and symbols.
|
|
Think-Ink-Pair-Share |
This is a variation of the co-operative learning structure
Think-Pair-Share. In Think-Ink-Pair-Share students use wait time
to think about an idea or question, write down their responses,
and then pair with a partner for discussion. Individuals return to
what they wrote and change or modify their first ideas to reflect
new thinking. |
|
Think-Pair-Share
|
A co-operative learning structure. The teacher or facilitator
gives one or two minutes 'wait time' for the students or
participants to think about an idea or topic and then pair with a
partner for discussion. After discussing with a partner ideas are
shared with the whole group.
|
Thinking dispositions
|
A disposition is a person's natural way of acting or thinking.
Thinking dispositions can be classified into seven broad categories
as described by Perkins, Jay and Tishman (1992), Teaching
Thinking Dispostions: From Transmission to Enculturalisation
|
Three-step interview
|
A cooperative learning strategy in which three group members
interview each other on a particular topic. Typically student
A interviews student B, student B interviews student C and student
C interviews student A.
|
Throughline
|
An overarching understanding goal which is longer-term than
a single unit and identifies the concepts, processes and skills
that educators most want students to understand. (See 'understanding
goal')
|
|
Transdisciplinary learning |
Complex, active learning based on significant issues, tasks,
questions or problems, each delivering a range of learning
outcomes deriving from several key learning areas; ideas that draw
on knowledge and methodologies from several disciplines. |
Tuning protocol
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This is a highly structured process to assist groups of teachers
to work more collaboratively. The process allows for the
giving of both supportive and challenging feedback to a colleague.
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Understanding goal
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An understanding goal identifies the concepts, processes and
skills that educators most want students to understand. It
is framed as either a question: 'How do scientists test
the accuracy of their findings?' or a statement: 'Students will
appreciate that understanding a poem takes time'. An understanding
goal can either be specific to a particular unit of work or overarching,
applying to an entire course of study.
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Validity
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Validity is a measure of the appropriateness of interpretations
made from assessment results with regard to a particular use. Although
we might refer to the 'validity of a test', it is more correct
to speak of the validity of interpretations made from the results
of the test. For example, it might be reasonable to infer
something about a student's reading performance from his or her
results from a reading test, but it would be invalid to use the
results from the same test to measure the student's ability in
mathematics.
Validity is a matter of degree, and does not exist on an 'all-or-none'
basis.
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Valid judgements
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'Valid' judgements about a student's achievement of learning
outcomes are based on a variety of evidence over time, and from
a range of assessment methods and strategies. Teachers make professional
judgements considering the relative weight of the evidence collected
and the range of contexts, frequency, consistency and degree
of independence shown by the students in demonstrating the outcomes.
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Values continuum
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A strategy where participants place themselves along a line
according to how strongly they agree or disagree with a statement.
The facilitator asks for volunteers to justify their stance and
participants may alter their original place along the continuum as
a result of listening to these justifications.
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Venn Diagrams
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Venn diagrams illustrate the relationships between two or more groups of objects that share something in common. Venn diagrams do not have to overlap. However examples that fit into both categories, overlap in the circles.
Venn diagram proforma |
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Walk about
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Walk about is a process that builds individual accountability,
physical movement and variety into the learning process. It
involves one member from one group joining another group for the
purpose of sharing ideas. Comments are given and the person then
takes the ideas back to the original group. Ideally, the
students/participants should know in advance that one person will
be selected to share.
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Warm and cool feedback
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Warm feedback is given to let the participants know what is working and gives praise for what is effective. Cool feedback is provided through statements and questions that help the participant move forward. It should never denigrate the participant themselves. The best cool feedback occurs through “What if…’ questions such as ‘I wonder what would happen if…’ There should be a balance between warm and cool feedback.
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Whole brain learning
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Unlike left brain versus right brain theory which suggests that
the two different sides of the brain control different modes
of thinking,
whole brain learning emphasises active learning in which the
learner makes connections between the left and right hemispheres
of the brain.
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Y Chart
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A Y chart is a cooperative learning strategy for discussing a multifaceted issue. A Y is used as the organiser for students to brainstorm what a topic looks like, feels like and sounds like.
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2, 4, 8, 16 Whole class work
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This strategy involves students working on an issue or task
individually. They then form pairs to share ideas. Two pairs form
a group of four and the process is repeated. The eight then form a
group of sixteen or join as a whole class and the process is
repeated for the last time. Conclusions are drawn at the whole
class level.
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