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Updates:
Jan 24, 2009
First release: v1.0!
McNab Public School - A School On The Move
High-yield strategies
Staff members constantly look for ways to close the gaps in student learning. The following strategies build the collective capacity to support students:Collaboration
Student success results from
a team effort by parents, students and staff. Solid teacherparent
collaboration ensures individual support and attention
to each child's needs at school and at home. Transitions into
and within the school, and to secondary school, as well as
placement for students with special needs, are carefully
considered, discussed and acted upon. A culture of proactive
anticipation of students' needs, with early, immediate response,
ensures gaps are identified. That students are part of this
team is evident in their talk, strategy charts and writing
responses. McNab gives new meaning to the term "wholeschool
strategy."
Metacognition and Higher-order Thinking
The success of teacher
collaboration is based on a commitment to trust individual
and collective reflection and to ask significant questions that
drive thinking, learning and action. Teachers explicitly teach
and model higher-order thinking and its application across
the curriculum. Students now articulate what, how and why
they are learning and, together with teachers, have built and
utilized their "Tower of Learning" (Bloom's Taxonomy).
Students contribute questions and help develop assessments
for their learning. They now ask more analysis and
synthesis questions in peer work.
Student Engagement
Collaboration, teamwork and a focus on
higher-order thinking have contributed directly to increased
student engagement. Students are encouraged to take risks,
be reflective, make choices and be responsible for their
learning and that of their peers. Instructional strategies and
resources are selected and modelled to further motivate
students. Students remain on-task as a result of highly
effective strategies and rich authentic learning. A variety
of groupings ensure every student has a voice in the
learning process. Homework is purposefully structured
and differentiated, affording students the opportunity
to reinforce, practise and consolidate taught skills and
strategies with parental support.