1. Teacher Refresher Course
Professional Learning Program
Program 1 Learning Leaders:
Jill Flack
Maureen O’Rourke

2. Preparing for Learning Together
Welcome and Introductions
Today
Session 1: Learning in community together as active, evidence-informed, adult learners.
Session 2: Offering students the best possible education – what does this mean?

3. Photo Chat Who’s in our Learning Community?
Cold read: Partners share what they think it reveals
Informed read: Owner shares their intent

4. Debrief
What did you notice about the assumptions or inferences you brought to your ‘cold read’ of your partner’s photo?
What sort of evidence worked well to communicate who we are as learners and teachers?

5. How will we learn together in this course?
Diversity of the group – implications for learning together
Refer to Q9 responses in Miscellaneous section of your folder:
✔ responses that are like you
✗ responses that are different to you
Any conflicts that you can see?

6. How this group thinks people best learn
supportive
engaging and interactive
purpose for learning
access to resources
having an inspiring teacher
good environment
time for reflection, consolidation and able to put new knowledge to use
non-judgemental mentors
respect
visual, hands-on experience
motivation

7. Active learners and professional inquirers
Our Learning Approach
Active learners and professional inquirers
Multiple opportunities – choice as to whether you make the most of them
Partnering with others and learning together in community

8. Learning Pathways Possible in this Course
Workshop based learning
Site based learning in schools
Smaller group learning
Ideas Cafes
Common Interest Study Groups
Self-paced online learning in community
Learning Leader support

9. Teacher Refresher Course: Inquiry 1
What are the essential frameworks, policies and guidelines I need to be familiar with?
How can these guide my professional learning and educational decision making so that I provide the best possible education for students?
Australian System
Victorian System

10. Returning to the Classroom
Teacher Refresher Course: Inquiry 2
What do I need to know, understand and be able to do in order to confidently apply for and work in a Victorian school?
What would be expected of me as a professional in a Victorian school?
Returning to School
What is expected of me as a Victorian classroom teacher?
What do I need to learn to strengthen my knowledge and capabilities in the classroom?
Returning to the Classroom

11. Teacher Inquiry and Knowledge Building Cycles
P. 14 in your folder
Aspirations for: +
Evaluation of:
+ Learning Dispositions and Deeper Understandings
Aspirations + Evaluation
Ideas Cafes, Site Based Learning, Self-paced and online Learning
Considering evidence

12. Preparing to View Learning Stories
Table Groups: Orientation to the Task – Split so that 3 will focus on teacher learning and 3 focus on student learning.
Teacher Learning - Read through Principles 1-3 on p. 36 of your folder. When viewing the learning story, you will be looking for signs of how this teacher is learning to enact these principles (choose one Principle each to focus on so that it’s not overwhelming).
Student Learning – Read through the Melbourne Declaration Goals related to Successful Learner in the Miscellaneous Section of your folder. Choose 3 different aspects of this goal that interest your group (share between 3 – each person considers a different aspect). How does this learning

13. The Melbourne Declaration of Educational Goals for Young Australians
Successful Learners
Creative and Confident Individuals
Active and Informed Citizens
Jot down on p. 15

14. Principles of Learning and Teaching
Principle 1 – The learning environment is supportive and productive
Principle 2 – The learning environment promotes independence, interdependence and self motivation
Principle 3 – Students’ needs, backgrounds, perspective and interests are reflected in the learning program
Refer to extra handout

15. Learning from our Colleagues in Schools
Jayde – Making Meaning
The Student Learners – jot down in Column 1 on p. 15
The Teacher Learner – annotate on extra handout Principles 1-3 of PoLT.
Discuss in your groups of three first, then one person presents a summary to the table.

16. How and what were these students learning?
Debrief
How and what were these students learning?
How and what was this teacher learning?

17. MORNING TEA

18. Educational Goals for Young Australians
What is the Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians?
Individually – read through the whole of Goal 2: see Miscellaneous section of your folder.
All young Australians become successful learners, confident and creative individuals, and active and informed citizens.

19. Educational Goals IF These are the learning goals for students
After you read each of the 3 sections, jot down a response to the following:
IF These are the learning goals for students
THEN Some implications for my learning and teaching might be:

20. How did our group responses align?
Refer to the Q7 group responses in the Miscellaneous section
With a Partner, highlight the alignments between what our group thought and the actual goals.
Refer to Q5 or 7 in your own Learner Profile – is there anything else you’d like to add?

21. Primary Learning Story Analysis
If you looked at Successful Learners during the Secondary Story, choose a different column to focus on this time.
Form groups of 3 – each person chooses a different Melb Declaration Goal column on P. 16 to consider:
View the Story: The Legless Lizard
Reflect individually (3 mins)
Share what you noticed in your Triads (gps of 3)

22. LUNCH

23. VELS – Victorian Essential Learning Standards
Outline what students should learn and develop between Prep to Year 10
Statewide standards to plan, assess and report

24. Principles underpinning the VELS
Learning for all – all students can learn given sufficient time and support
Pursuit of excellence – seek to accomplish something noteworthy and admirable individually and collectively, and perform at one's best
Engagement and effort – if students work hard and make an effort, their chances of success improves
Respect for evidence – seek understanding and truth through structured inquiry and the application of evidence to test and question beliefs
Openness of mind – multiple perspectives, multiple pathways, multiple solutions, respect for difference.

25. Partner Task
Choose one of the Principles underpinning VELS from the envelope on your table
Find someone in the room with the same
Discuss the implications in light of your past experiences of Teaching and Learning.

26. The Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS) – Refer to p
The Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS) – Refer to p in folder

27. Physical, Personal and Social Learning
Students learn about themselves and their place in society.
They learn how to stay healthy and active.
Students develop skills in building social relationships and working with others.
They take responsibility for their learning, and learn about their rights and responsibilities as global citizens.

28. Discipline-Based Learning
Students learn the knowledge, skills and behaviours in the arts, English, humanities, mathematics, science and other languages.

29. Interdisciplinary Learning
Students explore different ways of thinking, solving problems and communicating.
They learn to use a range of technologies to plan, analyse, evaluate and present their work.
Students learn about creativity, design principles and processes.

30. Working with VELS
Choose to work with either the primary or secondary Learning Story that you viewed earlier today.
Refer to P. 22 of your Folder and form groups of 3
Each individual chooses a different VELS domain to consider from those listed:
Secondary – pps 24-28: Communication OR English OR ICT) ;
Primary – pps 29-31: Communication OR Civics and Citizenship OR Thinking Processes)
Follow the prompts for Tasks 1-5 on P. 22
(NB: Laptops around the room have the Learning Stories ready for re-viewing)

31. Ideas Cafés and Study Groups for Tomorrow
Which frameworks or guidelines would you like to explore further? Groups of up to 6 per café.
Curriculum Café + Senior Curriculum
Effective Teaching Café
Understanding Assessment Café
Professional Expectations Café
Literacy Cafe

32. Checking the Pulse Insights Challenges Wonderings
The VELS does allow us to pick up on student interests
They are broad guidelines as to what needs to be learned – there are some more steps to translate into practice
There are great opportunities to integrate or engage in inter disciplinary learning
It’s a framework but you still have to devise your own outcomes specific to kids
Navigating your way through
There is a lot to learn
It’s broad – how do get to the specifics
What do I do with VELS?
How do we get from the broad to the specifics of assessment?
How do we use VELS with individual students?
How does VELS relate to reporting? Is it consistent?
How do you plan with VELS if students are propelling the learning?
What is “structure’ in Maths?
What’s the difference between a high level 5 and Level 6.

33. Reading tonight If you strongly agree
Please Read pps. 39 – 44 tonight. Form Study Groups.
As you read – Choose two sections to code as follows:
If you strongly agree
? If you’re not sure what something means of if you have questions about the text
* If you find something interesting you’d like to explore further

34. TEACHER REFRESHER COURSE DAY 2

35. Reflections and Connections
Group Check-In
Feedback and Suggestion Sheet

36. Site based learning questions
How does the school use the Melb Dec and VELS?
How do teachers use the VELS and integrate technology in the classroom?
What are nuts and bolts of what teachers are doing in the classroom, how they are planning, methods they are using with the kids, activities, content.
Can we talk to teachers about how they plan and execute – from outcomes, planning and step by step in the classroom?
The interpersonal and personal learning – seeing how students are learning

37. Day 2
Session 1: What kind of teaching enables the best possible education? What is expected of every teacher as a teacher of literacy?
Session 2: Ideas Cafes – exploring resources that help up to better understand system frameworks and guidelines
Session 3: Preparing for our site visits and personalised inquiries + Using our Wikispace

38. What is considered Effective Teaching in Victoria?
Principles of Learning and Teaching (PoLT)
e5 Instructional Model

39. PoLT Students Learn Best when:
The learning environment is supportive and productive
The learning environment promotes independence, interdependence and self-motivation
Students’ needs, backgrounds, perspectives and interests are reflected in the learning program
Students are challenged and supported to develop deep levels of thinking and application
Assessment practices are an integral part of teaching and learning
Learning connects strongly with communities and practice beyond the classroom
Refer to pps in folder.

40. Site Based Learning Implications
You might explore some of the principles in action – what do they look like in the classrooms you visit?
Try to build up concrete examples of practice – talk to teachers about how they try to enact these principles in their practice.

41. e5 Instructional Model
Purpose: Support teachers to reflect on their practice
Five Domains: Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate.
A set of capabilities have been identified – what all teachers would need in order to perform effectively
We asked you to reflect on your capabilities in the pre-workshop task.

42. e5 Teacher Capabilities - Reflection
Evaluate
Engage
Explore
Explain
Elaborate
Facilitates substantive conversation
Cultivates higher order thinking
Monitors progress
Presents new content
Develops language and literacy
Strengthens connections
Develops shared norms
Determines readiness for learning
Establishes learning goals
Develops metacognitive capacity
Prompts inquiry
Structures inquiry
Maintains session momentum
Assesses performance against standards
Facilitates students self assessment
Ask group to reflect on what capabilities they saw in action yesterday

43. Capabilities in Practice
Look at your individual profiles and the three capabilities you identified as strengths.
Which instructional domain do they relate to? (Ref p. 37)
Choose one of your strong capabilities – See your individual profile Q 30. On p. 33, jot down some notes about a time when you made use of this capability in your practice to progress valued student learning. You will be sharing in a group of 3.

44. Success Analysis Process – 15 mins each
Groups of 3
Presenter 1: Share your story – 5 mins – group takes notes
Learning Partners: Ask clarifying questions (3 mins)
Learning Partners: Discuss and analyse what you see as the contributing factors to the success. Presenter does NOT join in yet (5 mins)
Presenter reflects (2 mins)
Rotate Roles – Presenter 2 (15 mins) then Presenter 3 (15 mins)

45. What’s become clearer about the e5 capabilities
We have used these capabilities – we didn’t have a clear name for them
It helps to organise the way that we teach – our language for our practice
The next step is how to improve – we can identify which level we are in so we can think about how to move to the next level. We can begin to locate our current practice.
We can notice where the weight is in our practice
How do we balance the pressure of students needing to know in time for exams and the implications for how students best learn? Is it more efficient for us to tell and pass on to students what they need to know?

46. Morning Tea

47. Teacher Refresher Course: Inquiry 1
What are the essential frameworks, policies and guidelines I need to be familiar with?
How can these guide my professional learning and educational decision making so that I provide the best possible education for students?
Australian System
Victorian System

48. Taking Notes as you Inquire
Take your Ideas Café Scaffold with you – p. 49
Refer to P what aspect of the Victorian/ Australian Education frameworks do you want to know more about. Choose and write ONE down. Choose a document.
Document your mini-Inquiry for the Ideas Café– Write a question in the ‘What do you want to know’ column on P. 51.
As you investigate – jot notes in column 3 on p. 51 – what did you learn/find out
Be prepared to share with your group.

49. Ideas Cafes
You have till Lunch time to explore your chosen area of interest
Refer to the Ideas Café Scaffold on p. 49 – you will have 20 mins to prepare for inquiry, 20 mins to explore resources and 20 mins for small group discussion.
Use the Scaffold on p. 51 to help you focus and record your new learning. We will be adding to this over time.
You have both online and print resources – negotiate the best way for you all to benefit from each others’ efforts.

50. Ideas Café Debrief
Key Learning and Insights from each group

51. Lunch

52. Literacy Today
Consider the new Australian Curriculum Literacy Statement:
Students become literate as they develop the knowledge, skills and dispositions to interpret and use language confidently for learning and communicating in and out of school and for participating effectively in society.
Literacy involves students in listening to, reading, viewing, speaking, writing and creating oral, print, visual and digital texts, and using and modifying language for different purposes in a range of contexts.
Discuss with partner – how does yours compare?

53. Crafting your Personalised Learning Pathway
Site Based Learning Days
Purpose – Progress Personal Understanding of one system Framework, Model or Guidelines introduced over these two days.
Input from the Group – Hopes Fears and Expectations
Recommendations to take to Site Based Learning Leaders.

54. Preparing for Site Based Learning
Refer to p. 50 in your folder
Choose one document you’d like to explore practically with our Site Based Learning School
Identify others in the group with a similar interest. This will be your study group for this site based visit.
Sign up for one of the schools – you may change or re-visit the same school on the second site based learning day.

55. Site Based Learning
Arrive at 9:15 for 9:30 start – go to Office to sign in and get directions
Meet with Site Based Learning Leader and Your EdP Learning Leader – they will provide an introduction to the school and some responses in light of your questions
Classroom Observation – focused on curriculum, pedagogy or assessment in action
Debrief with Site Based Learning Leaders and Teachers
Lunch
Analysis and discussion about School Documents related to the system frameworks

57. Making Meaning Protocol
Text to use: pps. 39 – 44 in your Study Groups. For the purpose of this exercise, concentrate on the sections of text you chose to Code:
If you strongly agree
? If you’re not sure what something means of if you have questions about the text
* If you find something interesting you’d like to explore further
Follow the Steps on p. 45: Making Meaning.

58. Site Based Learning
How might this opportunity assist you to further explore your questions about curriculum frameworks and the goals of education?
What do you hope the site based learning leaders will prepare to support you in your learning?
What will you need to do to be prepared to get the most from this opportunity?

59. The Online Learning Space
How to access
What will you find

60. Adult Learning – What works for me?
Read through the Seven Characteristics of Highly Effective Adult Learning Programs on p. 9-10
Highlight or underline any conditions that you know work for you
Put a ? against any conditions that you’re not sure would work for you
Discuss with your partner:
If this course has been designed with these characteristics in mind, what might be some implications for your roles as learners?
What’s different to your prior expectations?

61. Debrief and Personal Reflection
What have we learned about evidence that informs how well students are progressing towards or achieving standards?
Refer to p. 32 of your folder. Complete before lunch – we will collect, copy and return. This is a form of evidence to further inform us about:
Shifts in understanding
Areas of interest for personal inquiry
Questions on your mind that we need to create opportunities to address

62. Considering our Group’s Responses
Refer to the Miscellaneous Section of the Folder – Group Responses to Q 8
How well do our Groups’ Responses to the prompt ‘I think it is essential that students learn…’ align with the VELS?
Refer to Q 6 in your personal profile – is there anything you’d like to add?

63. Which of your responses already align?
Refer to your Individual Profile – Look at your responses to Q’s 7-10
What connections can you see between your responses and the Principles?
With a partner, consider the Group Responses to Q 9 – do the Principles suggest any additions?
What would you now add to your own responses?

64. Student learning outcomes The application of e5 capabilities
Small Group Analysis
What connections can you see between:
Student learning outcomes
The application of e5 capabilities
Underlying PoLT principles
Create a map or connections web on A3

65. Beyond Buddy Reading
View the Learning Story – jot down notes on p. 46.
What do you think is significant about the way these children are learning to read?
Consider:
Implications for your personal learning about literacy development
Something new to consider in your classroom practice