2011 Annual School Report - Gordon West Public School

Following this professional learning, Gordon West staff were
educated about the PEEL method and the progression from
Stage 2 comparison style topics to Stage 3 political / change
debates. Year 1 teachers provided students with opportunities
to practise their ability to support an opinion or point of
view and shared work samples with the K-6 staff. As part of
the 2011 Turramurra Learning Community project, Year 4 students
completed reflective journals, encouraging the use of
persuasive language devices following play building experiences
in drama.
Target 3
Literacy Target 2011 – Eco-garden Literacy
Program K-2
To expand and incorporate all aspects of literacy K-2 into
teaching and learning programs using the eco garden as
a learnscape by developing a teaching resource bank for
spoken and written texts to improve student literacy learning
outcomes.
Our achievements include:
The Literacy target’s K-2 focus was to expand and incorporate
all aspects of the literacy K-2 into the teaching and learning
programs using the eco-garden as a learnscape by developing
a teaching resource bank for spoken and written texts to
improve student literacy outcomes.
At combined stage meetings K-2 teachers determined the
English syllabus outcomes which would be addressed through
interaction in and with the eco-garden. K-2 teachers brainstormed
relevant literacy teaching and learning activities
based on the Quality Teaching Framework. Following these
initial discussions two K-2 teachers attended a professional
development course at the Botanical Gardens and returned to
share their knowledge with colleagues. At subsequent stage
and grade meetings and across stage levels K-2 student work
samples were shared and discussed to show the progression
in writing and the development and interpretation of visual literacy.
During Term 2 student work samples were also presented
at a K-6 staff meeting for broader professional learning.
Students and K -2 teachers were involved in planting, maintaining,
observing, recording and utilising the eco garden as
a tool for real and relevant learning beyond the classroom in
the outdoor environment. Teaching and learning programs incorporated
many learning experiences in the eco garden as a
stimulus for literacy learning including talking and listening, visual
literacy and writing of various text types including description,
recount, persuasive text, narrative and poetry. Student
work samples demonstrated enhanced vocabulary and an
increased understanding and interpretation of visual literacy.
The Quality Teaching dimensions of Intellectual Quality, Quality
Learning Environment and Significance were embedded in
the teaching and learning programs.
Teachers and students further developed their communication
skills of questioning, reasoning, and critical thinking through
the various opportunities to share dialogue about the literacy
outcomes. These experiences contributed to the development
of rubrics for the assessment of persuasive texts.
Target 4
Literacy through Drama – Turramurra Learning
Community Project 2011
Using the dramatic skills (playbuilding) taught, students will
develop deep knowledge and deep understanding of the
concept focus and use drama to further develop their literacy
skills.
Our achievements include:
The focus of the 2011 Turramurra Learning Community project
was to use drama strategies to enhance student’s English and
literacy outcomes. The program focused on the professional
learning of primary teachers to enhance the creative and literacy
processes of their students through the use of educational
drama as the medium for improving students’ English
and literacy outcomes.
In Term 1, 2011 Year 4 teachers at Gordon West identified
relevant literacy outcomes derived from current state syllabus
documents and an analysis of the students’ needs. The syllabus
outcomes selected included students undertaking and
sustaining roles in a variety of drama forms to express meaning
in a wide range of imagined situations, performing in improvisations,
incorporating elements of drama (focus, space,
character, mood, movement, dramatic tension) and vocal
skills, creating meaning for an audience and reflecting on and
discussing the effectiveness of their own work and the work of
others. Participating teachers identified that Year 4 students
could benefit from improvement in their expressive oral language
skills, their understanding and use of expressive and
descriptive language, their confidence in writing texts and their
capacity to develop the use of imagery and the elaboration of
ideas in their persuasive and descriptive writing.
The program was attended by Gordon West Year 4 teachers
and students throughout 2011. With the professional assistance
from Turramurra High School’s drama department,
relevant drama strategies and authentic literary texts were
incorporated into a series of drama lessons. Through these
transformative learning opportunities the students engaged
in curriculum and educational experiences that promoted creativity,
innovation, cultural appreciation and personal values.
The 2011 Turramurra Learning Community project culminated
in Term 4 with a collaborative workshop presented and coordinated
by Year 9 Turramurra High School drama students.
The Gordon West teachers were very positive about the professional
learning and the improved student literacy outcomes
of their students involved in the program. The teachers reported
a growth in confidence, understanding and expertise in
using drama strategies in their programming and recognised
that many of the learning activities undertaken corresponded
closely with important life skills including persistence, listening
with understanding and empathy, metacognition, striving
for accuracy, questioning and problem posing, finding humour,
taking responsible risks and creating, imagining and innovating.
Through drama exercises students were encouraged to
be active rather than passive learners. They demonstrated
increased levels of attention, retention and enjoyment in the
act of learning through drama. Following each drama session,
students wrote reflection journal entries and pieces of
persuasive and descriptive writing. They learnt to draft, revise,
proofread and published well structured texts based on these
creative experiences and showed development in their literacy
skills in terms of their ideas, audience and written language
features.
18