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Text Box: Action Research Staff who attended the 2004 Middle Years conference were expected to trial “action research” strategies in their classrooms and report back the cluster. This formed an initial focus for cluster activities. Staff reported back at the Term two cluster staff meeting this year. Workshops included the Habits of Mind and the Ready to Learn workshops form WhiteHills and Bendigo North, Rubrics from Heathcote and Goornong, Rural Links from Axedale and a

Text Box: range of ICT workshops from Goornong, Epsom and Weeroona. Primary and secondary discussions around Literacy and Numeracy issues were initiated. Habits of Mind A Year 7 group at Weeroona has been trialling Habits of Mind approaches. Art Costa’s Habits are a statement of 16 dispositions and habits of successful thinkers. Currently we are looking at how to integrate this more formally into the Year 7

Text Box: learning teams next year. Jason Lee from Huntly is also researching this for his classroom and as part of his Masters and has delivered some PD across the cluster. Values The same group of staff picked up on the importance of teaching from a clear sense of educative purpose and values. This led to to each school addressing some essential questions about their perceived purpose and

Text Box: Vale (P-10) in Adelaide using this and related approaches. A recent follow-up visit looked more closely at how this was structured and possible transfer of some of the principles to our cluster schools. Feedback to cluster principals and other forums is continuing. One

Text Box: Student Negotiated Curriculum Also emerging out of the initial Adelaide visit and the PoLT data, was the promise of “student negotiated” approaches to learning. Lisa Jane O’Connor, who spoke at our cluster staff day, has transformed a disadvantaged clientele at Elizabeth

Text Box: specific area of focus where some of these ideas are being trialled is a term four project in Year 8 SOSE at Weeroona. VELS support Given that I have had added opportunity to attend more VELS briefing than most (oh joy) there

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Text Box: Weeroona is moving towards “learning teams” where groups of staff plan and teach common groups of students. To assist this, a package of materials is being developed with a team of staff, which will include resources for “small p large

Text Box: P” projects (Neville Johnson), Thinking Skills checklists, PoLT principles, Protocols and assessment strategies. Teams will be invited to develop a focus around one or more of these areas.

Text Box: ambitions for their students. Some of these have been worked into school charters. (See website for more detail). Support Learning Teams The curriculum review at