Creating a Culture of Critical and Reflective Practice in Stage 4 Aims: - To discuss how a Year 7 Identity program addresses a range of the general capabilities of the NSW Syllabus for the Australian Curriculum - To share a method of reflection and target setting for Year 7 Cassandra Freeman and Nicole Sabbadin© 2013

Excerpts from the Stage 4 Focus The focus of the Stage 4 English Course is to foster an increasing awareness of the self and the world so that students are able to begin their transition into adulthood with growing confidence. Students will broaden and deepen their understanding of the human condition as they explore the connections between the actions and motivations of people across cultures, contexts and between eras. Their awareness of the nature of their twenty first century context will be deepened and they will be enlivened to the inspirational nature of the human spirit. Year 7 will focus upon The Individual and the World, where initially students will focus inwards in their pursuit of knowledge, creating texts that represent the self. The emphasis will then broaden to encompass a global vision of experience, where the moral ambiguities of the adult world will be explored in a variety of text types.

Cassandra Freeman and Nicole Sabbadin© 2013 The Individual and the World Year 7 is the time when students are making their first steps into the adult world. As such, it is an ideal period for students to begin to explore notions of self, both ideologically, culturally, historically and personally. This year will allow students to discover the ways in which identity can be expressed in fictional, non-fictional and visual texts, where they will develop their skills of evaluating and judging the success of a texts’ capacity to convey its key ideas to an audience. Students will create a range of texts of their own that reflect their identity…In all, this is a year where students develop their understanding of the interconnectivity of humankind and how texts allow the responder a window into realms of understanding of the intertwining threads of humanity.

Cassandra Freeman and Nicole Sabbadin© 2013 ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS What is identity? How does one’s identity form? How do you overcome the challenges in forming your identity? How can the complexities of identity be expressed in texts? How does one change one’s identity? How can a study of texts enrich our understanding of ourselves and our world?

Cassandra Freeman and Nicole Sabbadin© 2013 A Textual Quilt: Who am I now? Who might I become? Understanding one’s identity is a lifelong quest for all and a concept that can be reflected upon in texts in a variety of ways. In this unit, primarily a creative one, students will explore a range of fictional and non-fictional texts and examine the ways in which identity may be expressed in a multifaceted and, sometimes, contradictory manner. They will scrutinise the representations of others’ identities and create texts that reflect aspects of themselves. This unit aims to allow students to develop a deeper understanding of themselves and their world, as well as the people, culture, religion or elements that shape them, instilling tolerance for difference and acceptance of the fluidity of identity.

Cassandra Freeman and Nicole Sabbadin© 2013 Learning Across the Curriculum To achieve a socially sustainable future, individuals need to possess an informed worldview of people, places and communities. The basis of this worldview is a strong understanding of self so that one can make connections with others. This unit allows students to consider their identity within the context of being an Australian in a multicultural society. They will unpack their own thinking about the world, reflecting and considering critically how their opinions and thinking define themselves. Through the exploration of a range of texts about identity, students will see real world examples expressed in non-fiction or imaginative texts, allowing them to consider a range of ethical issues that may challenge one’s identity and how one copes with these challenges and still affirms their sense of self. They consider the nature of identity and its diversity so that they will begin to be able to see patterns between the self and others, deepening their intercultural understandings and knowledge of difference and diversity in their worlds. Ultimately, this unit will enable students to understand themselves as individuals and their world, thus increasing their personal and social capability at this crucial time of their development.

Cassandra Freeman and Nicole Sabbadin© 2013 Difference and Diversity Some activities include: Writing a letter to the teacher to introduce the student. Create a playlist/art exhibition/time capsule that represents the self. Peer reflection and display.

Cassandra Freeman and Nicole Sabbadin© 2013 Sustainability Zlata’s Diary By Zlata Filipovic

Cassandra Freeman and Nicole Sabbadin© 2013 Personal and Social Capability Woman of the Future – By Cathy Warry

Cassandra Freeman and Nicole Sabbadin© 2013 Ethical Understanding

Cassandra Freeman and Nicole Sabbadin© 2013 The Diary of A Young Girl – Anne Frank

Cassandra Freeman and Nicole Sabbadin© 2013 Intercultural Understanding ‘Up Taree Way’ by Libby Hathorn

Cassandra Freeman and Nicole Sabbadin© 2013 Critical and Creative Thinking “Learning is a consequence of thinking” – David Perkins “Know what to do when they don’t know what to do” – Cameron Paterson Ron Ritchhart * Open minded * Curious * Metacognitive * Seeking truth and understanding * Strategic * Sceptical Cassandra Freeman and Nicole Sabbadin© 2013

The Philosophy Project

Cassandra Freeman and Nicole Sabbadin© 2013 * What would life be like without questions? * Can you ask a question about something of which you know nothing? * Can a question be an answer? Can an answer be a question? * Is there ever a final answer to any question? * What is the difference between the truth and a lie? * Can a lie ever be good? * What is truth? * Can something be false without being a lie? * Is sad the opposite of happy? Is angry the opposite of happy? What is? * Is there a difference between joy and happiness? Between sadness and depression? * Can you be sad to be happy or happy to be sad? * What is the opposite of love? (Hint: The writer, Elie Wiesel, says it isn't hate — it's indifference.) What is indifference? * How do you decide what to believe in something strongly and that you are willing stand up for it? What are you willing to sacrifice to stand up for your beliefs? * Do you believe more fully in fate or free will? * How do you know whether the world has become a better place? From L. Sandomir The Calhoun School, New York

Cassandra Freeman and Nicole Sabbadin© 2013 The Task Create a piece of work that represents your philosophy of the world and the people who live in it. This work will be in a form of your choosing – so it may be a speech, a letter, frames from a graphic novel, an interview, a short story, an essay, a poem or a series of poems, a series of diary entries, an artwork or photographs, a collage, letter or series of letters - the possibilities are endless. You are asked to negotiate this with your teacher. Word Length:

Cassandra Freeman and Nicole Sabbadin© 2013 Reflective Practice Personalising Learning Channels of communication Reflective Practice at Pymble Ladies’ College Triple focused

Cassandra Freeman and Nicole Sabbadin© 2013 Aims of this initiative Empower the students and develop their skills of being an objective audience of their own work Use reflection as a way to personalise learning Create stronger channels of communication between students, parents/caregivers and teachers Formalised and consistent approach

Cassandra Freeman and Nicole Sabbadin© 2013 Steps in the process 1)Students bought a display folder. 2)Students taught how to reflect. 3)Students reflected on a range of formative and summative tasks. 4)Students placed self-assessed, teacher assessed and peer assessed work into the folder. 5)Used for Parent Teacher Evening. 6)Early to mid Term 2, parents/caregivers and the students will work together to create targets. 7)Targets reviewed by the teacher for suitability. 8)Targets reassessed in Term 3 by student and parents/caregivers and altered in light of new learning. New targets may be set. 9)Targets reviewed and commented upon in reports at end of the year.

Cassandra Freeman and Nicole Sabbadin© 2013 Student work In my cultural identity story, I wrote about WW2 as my grandma was involved in it. I made it as if my grandma was talking to me. I tried to make the story really dramatic to keep the reader interested. I think I did quite well. My teacher told me that I should write a bit more about the granddaughters (my) reactions when she heard the story that her grandma was telling her. I also need to remember to start a new paragraph every time another person speaks. I also had quite a lot of inaccurate speech punctuation on my paper. Whenever I write a story or anything really, I like to draw a plan to guide me through what I am doing. When I wrote this story I not only learned a lot about English like for example, starting a new line when a different person speaks and also always including indentation at the start of a new paragraph but I also learned a lot more about my past and my real identity.

Cassandra Freeman and Nicole Sabbadin© 2013 Student work I have changed my mind because now I know what identity actually means, before when I heard or saw the word identity I would always think of spies but I now know that it is a lot more than that. I like to think that I am good at keeping the reader feel quite involved and I like to make my stories quite exaggerated as well. I think I need to learn a bit more punctuation and grammar to make my writing correct and accurate. To write this story I had to ask my grandma a lot of questions about what really happened and then &wrote it down even more dramatic than it already was! But overall, I think I did quite well and I am happy with my work.

Cassandra Freeman and Nicole Sabbadin© 2013 Appendix

Cassandra Freeman and Nicole Sabbadin© 2013 BOS versus Australian Curriculum Outcome 11 A student uses, reflects on and assesses individual and collaborative skills for learning – articulate and discuss the pleasure and difficulties, successes and challenges experienced in their writing – their own learning strengths and learning needs 11.1 – understand the demands of a task and the outcomes and criteria for assessment being addressed 11.4 – use the language of the subject when engaging in learning Objective E Uses, reflects on and assesses their individual and collaborative skills for learning Engage personally with texts articulate and reflect on the pleasure and difficulties, successes and challenges experienced in their individual and collaborative learning Understand and apply contextual knowledge understand and value the differences between their own and others' ways of learning in English understand the demands of a task and the outcomes and criteria for planned assessment Understand and apply knowledge of language forms and features develop and use vocabulary for describing, analysing and reflecting on their learning experiences

Cassandra Freeman and Nicole Sabbadin© 2013 Outcome 11 A student uses, reflects on and assesses individual and collaborative skills for learning No direct corresponding Learn to/about in Bos No direct corresponding Learn to/about in Syllabus – although 11.5, 11.6, 11.7, 11.8, all address the use of processes for planning for a task. There is no direct reference to reflection on the processes or strategies that a student utilises – identify, plan and prioritise stages of tasks with clear teacher directions – management strategies including drawing up a schedule, monitoring progress, meeting deadline and following marking criteria guidelines Objective EN4 – 9E Uses, reflects on and assesses their individual and collaborative skills for learning discuss and explain the processes of responding and composing, identifying the personal pleasures and difficulties experienced use and reflect on metacognitive processes used for planning, including brainstorming, mind mapping, storyboarding, role-play and improvisation identify, plan and prioritise stages of tasks, making use of organisational strategies, eg drawing up a schedule, monitoring progress and meeting deadlines BOS versus Australian Curriculum

Cassandra Freeman and Nicole Sabbadin© 2013 Outcome 11 A student uses, reflects on and assesses individual and collaborative skills for learning Objective EN4 – 9E Uses, reflects on and assesses their individual and collaborative skills for learning reflect on and assess their own and others' learning against specific criteria, using reflection strategies, eg learning logs, blogs and discussions with teachers and peers understand the roles and responsibilities of individuals in groups, performing an allocated role responsibly in a group and assessing the success of individual and collaborative processes BOS versus Australian Curriculum – reflect on and assess their own and others’ learning against specific criteria – reflection strategies such as learning logs, journals, letters to teachers and peers, guided discussion 11.9 – perform an allocated role responsibly in a group and assess the success of the collaborative process – roles and responsibilities of individuals in groups

Cassandra Freeman and Nicole Sabbadin© 2013 Key differences Moves from: Discussing TO reflecting Own learning TO their own and others’ way of learning and valuing the differences Use a vocabulary TO develop and use a vocabulary Movement from planning TO an understanding of the process of planning Repetition of personal pleasures and difficulties in process of composing