Slide1: Tribes TLC® A New Way of Learning and Being Together
Schools for Innovation and Excellence. Blueprint for Government Schools Conference
December 8th 2004 What Tribes TLC® is all about: What Tribes TLC® is all about It is a process that attempts to change existing school cultures
It links with charter priorities improving student outcomes, both academic and social
It links with DET initiatives of Access to Excellence, Middle Years Reform, MIPS, VCAL, Restart and Social Competencies.
It supports the interdisciplinary and the physical, personal and social learnings in the Victorian Essential Learning Standards Slide3: The Victorian Essential Learning Standards Looking at the new framework, it is evident that Tribes TLC® is the “how” for the government’s “what” of improving student outcomes. The emphasis on developing essential knowledge, skills and behaviours across three strands will require a serious rethinking of pedagogy, particularly in secondary settings.
The Tribes TLC® process provides teachers with a tool for implementing the new framework across the strands of Physical, Personal and Social Learning, Discipline-based learning and Interdisciplinary Learning. The process will help students to manage themselves as individuals and in relation to others, to understand the world in which they live and act effectively in that world.
Slide4: Draft new standard Domain: Interpersonal development
Dimension: Building social relationships
At level 3, when building social relationships, students demonstrate respect for each other. They support each others’ learning by offering assistance, giving appropriate feedback and acknowledging individual differences. They work together to manage and resolve conflict.
How easily does the Tribes process deliver this?
The goal for a Tribes school isto engage all teachers, administrators, students and families in working together as a learning community dedicated to:caring and supportactive participationpositive expectations for all students.: The goal for a Tribes school is to engage all teachers, administrators, students and families in working together as a learning community dedicated to: caring and support active participation positive expectations for all students. The Tribes TLC® process: The Tribes TLC® process Aims to increase the support and care of students
Aims to increase active participation
Aims to increase positive expectations
Aims to improve social well being
Aims to improve academic outcomes. The agreements: The agreements Attentive listening.
Appreciation/ no put downs.
The right to pass/the right to participate.
Mutual respect. SCHOOLS FOR INNOVATIONS AND EXCELLENCECreating a Highpoint Cluster: SCHOOLS FOR INNOVATIONS AND EXCELLENCE Creating a Highpoint Cluster In 2002 a cluster of 4 schools applied for funding.
In 2003 a cluster of 7 schools successfully reapplied.
Maribyrnong Secondary College
Footscray North Primary School
Footscray West Primary School
Plus Gilmore Girls College, Footscray Primary and Footscray City Primary.
Employment of cluster coordinator
What’s happening: What’s happening The schools in the cluster are at various stages of Tribes implementation.
Footscray North PS –Trialled in one class in 2003. All Grade 5&6 classes are doing Tribes. Six trained staff.
Footscray West PS – all staff trained. Grade 5&6 classes started term 2. Grade 3&4 in term 3.
Footscray PS – all staff trained in terms 2&3. Started Implementation in term 3.
Rosamond - all staff were trained in term 3.
Maribyrnong SC –Trialled with a Year 8 class in 2003. Eight trained staff implementing at Year 7.
Footscray City PS – five trained staff. Two classes started in term 2.
Gilmore College – five trained staff and trialling at Year 7 There are four Tribes trainers in the cluster schools. WMR has conducted three sessions for teachers in the region and teachers from schools in the cluster have been trained or will be trained in their own schools. The WMR training is a four-day event, usually run over two consecutive days with a week between sessions. Schools have been using two-day PD sessions followed by staff meeting times to cover the content in the course. The course itself is broken into eight three and a quarter hour modules.: There are four Tribes trainers in the cluster schools. WMR has conducted three sessions for teachers in the region and teachers from schools in the cluster have been trained or will be trained in their own schools. The WMR training is a four-day event, usually run over two consecutive days with a week between sessions. Schools have been using two-day PD sessions followed by staff meeting times to cover the content in the course. The course itself is broken into eight three and a quarter hour modules. Tribes TLC® Training Slide11: Module 1 Finding Our Way to the Future
Module 2 Learning About Learning
Module 3 Creating the Learning Community
Module 4 Building Tribes
Module 5 Learning Through Collaboration
Module 6 Reaching All
Module 7 Designing Learning Experiences
Module 8 Bringing It All Together
Having trouble concentrating?Bored?Sleepy?Restless?Inattentive?Try an Energiser: Having trouble concentrating? Bored? Sleepy? Restless? Inattentive? Try an Energiser Slide13: In pairs have one person as the cart and another as the horse.
Condition 1:The horse is blindfolded and the cart driver has to negotiate its way around the room without contacting other vehicles.
Condition 2: The cart driver is blindfolded and again the vehicle has to negotiate itself around the room with no collisions.
Which is easier – driving a blindfolded horse or towing a blindfolded driver?
This a metaphor of the horse and cart. The cart is teaching and the horse is learning.
How often do we put the cart before the horse?
Energiser – Horse and Cart Slide14:
An energiser to promote inclusion
Content and social objectives
Inclusive learning strategies
The suggested Tribes TLC® lesson plan which will assist teachers in providing the aims of the Victorian Essential Learning Standards:
Slide15: THE OLYMPIC GAMES an example of an actual Grade 5/6 lesson
An energiser to promote inclusion: Eighty-Five
Content: to revise understanding of the purpose of the Olympic Games and the performances of athletes over the period of the Games.
Social/Collaborative: to work in small groups to solve problems and make decisions.
Three inclusive learning strategies – brainstorm, prioritizing and action plan.
Guess Who’s Coming to School? We can invite anyone to school next week, as long as they have represented Australia in the Athens Olympic Games. We need to agree on who that person will be.
How well did your group work together on the action plan?
If you were going to do this sort of work again, what would you need to improve on?
Appreciations: Remember to thank the people you worked with on this task.
Slide16: Fix the environment, not the child Risk factors to protective factors: Risk factors to protective factors From To Risk factors Protective factors
Change the individual Change the environment
Weaknesses and problems Strengths and development
People as problems People as resources
Authoritarian processes Democratic processes
Slide20: “Let’s Fix These Broken Kids” Listen very carefully to the story.When you hear the word “left”, pass your pen to your left.When you hear the word “right”, pass your pen to your right.Reflection questionsWhich multiple intelligence does this energiser reach?Which agreements are important for this energiser to work well?: Listen very carefully to the story. When you hear the word “left”, pass your pen to your left. When you hear the word “right”, pass your pen to your right. Reflection questions Which multiple intelligence does this energiser reach? Which agreements are important for this energiser to work well? Another energiser The Wright Family Creating a Highpoint Cluster : Creating a Highpoint Cluster A Victoria University - Research Partnership Victoria University Model: Victoria University Model Is based on a Partnership approach.
Project Partnerships are the basis for a student teacher’s developing practice within the Bachelor of Education program at Victoria University.
They are school-university partnerships designed to enhance the learning of school students and student teachers.
They provide opportunities for curriculum inquiry, curriculum development and teaching practice for student teachers.
Project Partnerships: Project Partnerships Strong partnerships enable student teachers to express responsibility for school students and their learning in working with mentor teachers on a curriculum initiative.
Project Partnerships provide extended opportunities for student teachers to develop practice in and understanding of teaching in their major general studies.
Collaborative Action Research Model: Collaborative Action Research Model 1. A study team of researchers is formed for a year-long study commitment. Members include teachers, principal, university colleagues and pre-service teachers.
2. The study group meets on a regular basis. Depending on the group, they may meet as frequently as two hours every two weeks to once a month for two-three hours.
3. A focus area of interest is selected. The various members of the group may be studying different questions. Collaborative Action Research Model: Collaborative Action Research Model 4. The individual or team of researchers implements the action research process to collect, organise, and analyse data on students and on the learning environment.
5. A critical friend provides facilitation to support the meetings of the group.
6. The critical friend and study team or individual researchers attend on-going training sessions on implementing the action research process and on identified staff development areas.
7. The researchers share their findings with others.
The cluster decided to use VUT student teachers to gather the data for the research project. They modified a survey instrument developed in America by West Ed to evaluate Tribes schools there.
Two surveys were administered to staff and students in term three to see how the Tribes TLC® process had been implemented in the schools.
64 members of teaching staff and 353 students were surveyed. Schools are using the results of the survey to plan professional development activities and curriculum in 2005. ACTION RESEARCH Slide28: Tribes student survey Slide30: Tribes teachers survey
Relate the extent to which you use the following Tribes strategies in your classroom 37. In what ways has the Tribes process changed your teaching?
38. In what ways has the Tribes process changed student learning? Slide31: Looking at the common elements of both question 37 and 38, it seems there are some areas that teachers agree on as improvements to their own teaching as a result of the Tribes training. There are also common elements among the comments teachers made about improvements to student learning as a result of the use of the Tribes process in their classrooms.
Some results from the analysis of teacher surveys 37. Engagement
Making sure that students are engaged during class and applying the principles of the Tribes process at all times (active listening, appreciations, no put downs etc.)
Involves students more
More varied activities within each lesson
Encouraged active participation
Use more energisers when children are on a low or need energy
Increased student engagement and responsibility for their own learning
Students are motivated, included, accountable and encouraged to learn through the Tribes process
Provided opportunities for total participation
Children are more enthusiastic
Slide32: The top five responses across the entire student population were:
Listening to what others have to say (65%) Feeling safe at school (64%). Taking turns speaking (60%). Appreciating what others bring to the group (58%) and feeling happy to be at school? (57%)
This paints a very happy picture of the learning community across the cluster. The predominance of attentive listening in the student response mirrors the findings for teachers showing that this agreement has been explicitly taught in cluster schools. The feeling of safety and happiness to be at school suggests that students are engaged in their studies.
Clearly the impact of the Tribes process on student learning has been positive. Teachers have remarked on the greater engagement of students, taking more responsibility for their own learning and being far more supportive of each other in their social interactions. This underlines the basic message that Tribes has and shows how readily students have taken on the agreements. The use of a common language is also an important issue. Students seem to understand what Tribes is about and have responded favourably to the use of inclusive teaching and learning strategies and energisers.
Some results from the student survey Slide33: SOME USEFUL EMAIL ADDRESSES AND WEB SITES:
Point Lonsdale Primary School
Footscray North Primary School
Maribyrnong Secondary College
Footscray West Primary School School