Brandon Park Primary School Most Significant Change Story
We Are One But We Are Many.
Beginning (situation before the change)
Prior to becoming a part of the L21CS Program the teaching staff had all expressed varying degrees of dissatisfaction with our integrated units, articulating that they needed to be revitalised. The staff responsible for devising our scope and sequence planner had almost all moved on and it was time for a change. As a staff we had been familiarising ourselves with the History and English elements of AusVELS and this heightened our awareness of the need to reconsider what we were presenting to our students. The cross curriculum priority of Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia resonated strongly as we have students from thirty four different cultural backgrounds attending our school.
It was only after the Acting Principal attended the initial L21CS two day forum and returned with the DVD, ‘2020 Schools, Engage with Asia’, that the teaching staff and School Council had an AH! HA! moment. This was our catalyst for change - change to ensure our students were able to develop deep understandings and appreciations of different cultures particularly those in the Asian Region. It became an imperative.
Middle (of the changes your school undertook, what was the MOST significant change)
The excitement of change and the potential to revitalise the curriculum saw all classroom teachers initially adopt a ‘let’s go for it’ attitude and Asian studies dominated whilst some areas of VELS were overlooked. The appointment of a Studies of Asia Coordinator along with a small committee meant that by using the Asia Literate Schools’ Rubric a multi-pronged Action Plan was developed. Whilst we are beyond the “Beginning’ Stages in all elements of the rubric and moving into the Established aspects in many others, it is Curriculum Implementation that has been a major focus. The Melbourne Declaration, National Statement on Asian Literacy, articles by Yong Zhao and access to a presentation by Dr Fazal Rivzi along with the Australian Curriculum have all driven this impetus. Using L21CS funds the SOA team spent a full day interrogating our current curriculum and teaching and learning practices. After-school meetings continued this collegial dialogue and analysis and we now have a sequential scope and sequence planner (Foundation to Year 6) that reflects the cross-curriculum priority of ‘Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia’. We understand that our celebrations during Cultural Diversity Week whilst joyful, meaningful and inclusive longer suffice.
Now (situation after)
Exploration of the Australian Curriculum, a documented planner along with the purchase and use of relevant, contemporary teaching resources, some staff professional learning and increased community engagement means teachers are more confident and committed to the delivery of an Asia literate curriculum. There is a seamless integration of Asian Studies into our units of work and it is now not an ‘add-on’, as was the initial situation. The full extent of this integration will be more obvious as we fully implement AusVELS in 2013. Many students are engaged as the cultures studied resonate, however the new opportunities for learning coupled with teacher enthusiasm have been sufficiently engaging for others.
Why did you choose this particular change? Why was it significant?
The particular change is significant inasmuch as our integrated curriculum was seen to be out-dated and not as engaging as it could be. With a teaching staff profile that skews Roger’s Innovation Curve to the left they were keen to embrace and implement change. Although the SOA Coordinator and Committee have driven this change it has been encompasses by all. We envisage further staff professional learning will complement this initiative.
Based on materials from Jessica Dart & Rick Davies – Clear Horizon Consulting – Most Significant Change Model.