LEARNING REMARKABLY . . . Liz Hawes
Editor
The spectacular Central Otago landscape offers an The design includes clear sight lines from the mountains to the impossibly beautiful backdrop to the thriving tourism resort of lake and deliberate connections between the outside and inside Queenstown. Mountain ranges rear skywards in jagged profile through the strategic placement of planter boxes, outdoor seating protecting both near and far reaches of a shimmering Lake and full length windows. Award winning architects, Babbage, Wakitipu, the centre round which the borough has grown up. designed the school to form a wind break around the play areas The calmness of the lake and the majesty of the mountain ranges and the natural contours of the site were used to create an outside have an immediate effect as visitors search in vain for an adjective auditorium or performance space embraced by the buildings. that does not begin with ‘awe’! The land protects the play areas from wind on one side while When Debbie Dickson was invited to take the position the buildings provide shelter on the other. The innovative design as founding principal of the ‘Remarkables’ Primary School introduced a green roof which aids in mitigating stormwater (RPS), she knew that the exquisite surroundings would runoff, reduces aircraft noise from the nearby airport, prolongs command an important place the life of the waterproofing and in the development of the The school’s philosophy of learning is helps merge the building into the ne w ly c onc e ive d s cho ol. landscape. Not only would the physical not product focused but rather The ‘Remarkables Mountain structure of the school reflect Range’ along with neighbouring how to move from one place to the the immediate environment, the peaks Hector, Cecil, Walter, entire school curriculum would next. They all have a ‘trail map’ so Turnbull and Nicholas are use this astonishing setting as reflected everywhere. The con a metaphor on which to hang they know where they are going and struction angles and support every learning component. of the library, for they learn to build resilience because structures ‘From the outset I knew we example, form veritable peaks, had to form strong relationships success in learning is hard work. and sandblasted mountain with the architect, designers, patterns frame the glass of strat builders and the community to make sure that we captured egically placed windows. The curvature of the school’s design the essence of the environs in every aspect of our school’s ensures that every room has a generous lake view. development. We wanted our school to be a true reflection of Meanwhile, Debbie Dickson was already thinking beyond this amazing landscape,’ said Debbie. the school buildings to how she would incorporate this A tour of the school confirms that the construction team amazing environment and the school’s physical aspect into her listened well and the result is indeed an awe inspiring edifice. curriculum.
The curvature of the school structure ensures every room has a lake view
RPS hugs the shore line of Lake Wakatipu
‘Our school is named after the mountain peaks that surround us and our school logo, philosophy and behaviour management programmes are based on the metaphor of peaks and expeditions,’ says Debbie. Debbie used the well know stories of explorers, who literally chiselled the pathways that opened up the area, to construct her school curriculum. So at RPS teachers are referred to as ‘expedition guides’. ‘All of our children are “explorers” of learning,’ she says very proudly, ‘and our teachers “guide” them along their various learning “pathways”. They carry a “pack” filled with “tools” to help their “trampers” achieve their learning goals and they each have an “expedition plan”.’ The expedition plan is of course critical to explorers and it is no less critical for teachers at RPS. Five fundamentals form the basis of an expedition plan. These are:
The terrain of 21st Century Learning ■■ The climate of effective learning communities ■■ The knowledge for quality acts of teaching ■■ The conversations of learning to learn ■■ Transformative assessment ■■
They are lofty fundamentals which need some ‘unpacking’. The ‘terrain’ refers to the physical learning spaces, furniture, class equipment and tools of learning. In a modern learning environment this includes class sets of laptops, sound systems, microphones and digital cameras and the flexible use of display areas. Heavy emphasis is placed on children working alongside their teachers in developing the ‘terrain’ so that they feel a sense of ownership of their work spaces. The ‘climate’ is about making sure that children feel safe and supported in their learning and that they belong while ‘quality
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Principal Debbie Dickson listens to the story of one of her young students
The Remarkables mountain Range create an imposing backdrop for these RPS children on the school balcony
teaching’ is about employing pedagogy that is learner centred, engaging, relevant and interesting. Reflection is an important activity for both teachers and students and the ‘student voice’ is key to the learning process. ‘Our children are encouraged to discuss their learning – have “conversations” about it – so that they understand how they are progressing and what they need to do next. We also use questioning techniques to teach children to think more deeply and to consider the consequences and practical applications of their learning,’ says Debbie. Each teacher or ‘expedition leader’ includes a range of assessment tools in their ‘backpack’. ‘There is only one purpose for assessment at RPS,’ says Debbie, ‘and that is to improve students’ learning and teachers’ teaching.’ Assessment is primarily evidence based so that teachers and children have a reference point for discussing progress, reflecting on it and setting next learning steps. ‘Involving the children in talking about and setting their own learning goals is motivating for them,’ says Debbie. ‘When they feel they own their learning they are more likely to expend the effort to achieve more,’ she said. The curriculum drives everything at RPS and children progress towards their milestones in ‘stepping stones’. They talk of shifts in their learning. The school’s philosophy of learning is not product focused but rather how to move from one place to the next. They all have a ‘trail map’ so they know where they are going and they learn to build resilience because success in learning is hard work.
Nothing happens in a vacuum at RPS and ‘expedition plans’ are intimately connected to four core values which are the foundation of the learning culture at RPS. ‘We have what we call a four peaks programme,’ says Debbie, continuing the mountainous metaphor. ‘Our vision for the children is to equip them and to inspire them so that they can take full advantage of the opportunities available to them in a global environment,’ she said. To help them fulfil their aspirations, the four peaks programme provides a set of values including respect, reflection, reaching up and out and reward. ‘These are the elements of the hidden curriculum,’ says Debbie. ‘The hidden curriculum is the second prong of our school curriculum and is integrated into all we do because it is the basis of our key competencies,’ she said. ‘We want to promote positive people,’ says Debbie, ‘and to achieve this children need respect for themselves, others and the environment. They need to reflect on their own learning, behaviour and the choices they make and also on the needs of their local community. Positivity means reaching up and reaching out, taking risks, trying new things and having fun. Rewards are important too when children achieve their goals and we also encourage celebrating each-others achievements,’ she said. Just how all of this works, is best illustrated by a practical example. One such example involves thinking about the community and its needs – reaching up and out – whilst at the same time achieving the children’s learning goals, in this case, technology skills.
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The process of designing the gold medallion
The Gold medallion designed to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Gold Digging
‘We formed a relationship with the local Hilton Hotel,’ said Debbie. ‘The Hilton is one of our neighbours and we came to recognise that we could work together for mutual benefit. Our children in years seven and eight needed skills in food technology and our school has no food technology facilities. Meanwhile the Hilton needed an on-going, reliable supply of fresh herbs for the kitchen which they didn’t have,’ she said. The school partnered up with the Hilton and years seven and eight children now attend classes at the Hotel where they are taught food technology skills to level one certificate stage by the in-house chefs. Meanwhile, as part of their horticultural learning, the children grow herbs in the school gardens. This ensures the Hilton Hotel kitchen has an on-going supply of the fresh herbs they need. Two problems are solved through one very successful partnership and it doesn’t stop there! ‘Our partnership with the Hilton actually extends beyond food technology and horticulture into media,’ says Debbie. ‘Through their media technology curriculum, the children learn the technical skills of using multi-media and also learn marketing techniques. They combine the two and then apply their skills in an authentic context. They make videos that promote the Hilton Hotel through the lens of eleven and twelve year old kids,’ she said proudly. ‘Two of these are showing right now at the Hotel!’ she said. It’s a marvellous success story of school and community working together to benefit both the children and the local Hotel industry. Whilst each year group at RPS has its own learning programme, from time to time the whole school collaborates in one big year-
long inquiry model project. ‘In 2010 it was the 150th anniversary of finding gold in this region,’ says Debbie, ‘so we chose this event as a focus for a school-wide project,’ she said. The year one children discovered that where the airport is located now, was once a Chinese market garden. Growing vegetables and Chinese style cooking became their focus and with the help of the chefs at the Hilton these children learned all about Chinese food. The year two children examined the properties of gold, discovered the tools that were used in extracting it, including how it was dredged and how gold is used for jewellery making. They designed a gold medallion which in turn was made up by a local jeweller. The medallion was then gifted to the Queenstown Central Lakes Trust in Cromwell, to mark the anniversary. Inspired by the life and times 150 years ago, these children also replicated a market day scene in the town including a mock up bank and jail house. They learned to make candles, soap, paper, cards and to bake. They sold all their goods, making $1,000 for their efforts, all of which they donated to the museum because it is the museum that is ultimately responsible for preserving the district’s history. The year four, five and six children created a history book of tales and fables, using factual information to give the stories authentic context and published them in a magazine which was also gifted to the museum. The year seven and eight children got to make mini movies of the times and the whole community was invited to the screenings
The Library’s support structures form veritable mountain peaks
The planning process leading to the fresh herb garden
at the Hilton Hotel. Refreshments were offered in the form of canapés, made by the food technology students under the watchful eyes of the Hilton’s chefs. The community then played its part in ‘gifting back’ with the ‘Remarkable Parents Association’ organising a ‘Going for Gold’ gala evening art exhibition, which raised $15,000 for school resources. ‘In this way, our children not only learned all about an important part of their region’s history, they also learned to ‘reach out’ and share that knowledge with the wider community. By supporting the local museum with their fund raising efforts, they are participating in the preservation of that history for the whole community,’ said Debbie. High expectations and high standards are the norm for RPS but it is always gratifying to have those standards publicly recognised. ‘Our school won a Samsung award to take part in an inter national pilot programme to help design the new educational Samsung notes and software package for schools,’ said Debbie. ‘We were chosen because the kids at RPS are encouraged to take risks and we live by our values. We are reflective thinkers and we use ICT as a blended learning approach,’ said Debbie. Meeting three of the children involved in the pilot was a treat in itself. ‘I wasn’t much interested in reading or writing,’ said Tom. ‘But on the ‘Smart School’ package you can do stuff that’s really interesting like mind-mapping and I love it,’ he said. The change in attitude for Tom has come through the access the device gives to new ways of thinking. Mind-mapping is one of those options and is a real hit with the children. ‘You can do so much planning! You can plan whole events through mind-mapping, including how to travel say to
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Wellington, and the pros and cons of the different transport options,’ said the girls. ‘It is easy to work out which is the most cost effective way because you compare them on the map, but you have to also think about how much time you’ve got because some options like the bus would take ages and you might not have that much time,’ they explained. ‘So you have to map all of those things too,’ they said excitedly. The children were clearly enthusiastic about working with the ‘Smart School’ package and had quickly learned how to take advantage of the features which distinguish it from other devices. Mind-mapping is one such feature. ‘Working on the ‘Smart School’ package is very motivating, puts the children in charge and gives them the opportunity to develop self-confidence through a new medium,’ says Debbie. ‘That’s what we are all about here,’ she said. ‘Finding the right learning pathway for each child and the more options we have available, the better,’ she said. The Samsung ‘Smart School’ pilot programme is yet another way in which RPS children are reaching up and out. They are both lifting their own aspirations and trialling a device that may benefit children world-wide. ‘The pilot programme is very consistent with our school values,’ says Debbie, ‘and that is one of the reasons we were chosen,’ she said. For a school with less than a three year history, RPS has made a great start. Principal Debbie Dixon has set standards to match the height of the Remarkables that surround her and provided a curriculum as rich and deep as the Lake stretching out in front of her. The greatest challenge will be where to go from here!
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