Going mobile with the ‘Scaddy’ - improving teacher workplace experience.

Teachers @SCIL (NBCS) were given the option of going mobile in 2011. That means they give up their static workspace desk, gain a Scaddy (mobile work caddy) and can choose any staff lounge or work area for the day/week/month/year. Where desks are lost - new de-centralised lounge areas have been created and teachers can also hide in a ‘cave’ room for quiet work.  

The outcomes?

·         Great cross-discipline creative conversations

·         Improved daily social and professional experience for many staff

·         The different learning styles of teachers are better catered for

·         More visibility across the staff for mobile teachers – greater recognition

Tomorrow’s School Today @ SCIL - using furniture to transform the learning environment. You don’t need to re-build the building to create 21st century learning spaces. You just need to change the furniture. Day One with the new lounges (The Scofa - “looks like a lounge, acts like a chair”). The student verdict: “Mr Harris - you got this so right!”

Read more about the research and innovation work of the Sydney Centre for Innovation in Learning at www.scil.nsw.edu.au or twitter @scil

“Tomorrow’s School Today - twitter @SCIL: “it’s not about new technologies, it’s about good pedagogy”; “the space allows for us to be instantly creative and highly kinaesthetic – I love it”; the students love having different teachers with different learning styles – it helps keep everyone engaged”; “the collaborative teacher workspace has really decreased the need to hold meetings”; “the space is so flexible – no compromise is needed and it is extremely easy to team teach”; “we all experience moments of high energy every day – we can draw from each other and the combined energy of the team has lifted exponentially”

Tomorrow’s School Today - a series of photos to capture your imagination

Tomorrow’s School Today – an amazing and emerging story

For the last few years, the six teachers working in Stage 3 (Years 5 & 6) at NBCS have been developing a differentiated learning program. As a former primary school teacher – as well as current Principal, I recognise that what this team is now achieving collectively is the most exciting, successful and efficient program for this age group that I have seen in my 30+ years of teaching. The new teaching space and collaborative learning project has been badged ‘Tomorrow’s School Today’ and we will officially launch the space and program on April 7th.

What is working well?

·         The teachers are a team first and foremost, rather than individuals looking for their own space within a larger ‘field’

·         The teachers understand that they have a class of 180

·         Students appreciate and really enjoy having six teachers on their super-class

·         Students understand they have one ‘home’ teacher, but also multiple other teachers on any day who also view them as their students

·         A flexible space able to cater for ‘campfire’, ‘watering hole’, ‘mountaintop’ and ‘cave’ experiences

·         A flexible space that can cater for spontaneous teaching moments

·         Teachers view themselves as learners with the students

What does the day look like?

·         Students start with a peer reading program ahead of a literacy block; students are shuffled into needs based groups across the stage

·         This is followed by a numeracy block, with students similarly placed  into need based groups across the stage

·         The Stage 3 Matrix (the Journey) follows in the third block – with an emphasis on individual goal-focused learning, based around a Blooms/Gardner framework; workshops are provided in core skills and to help grow thinking into new areas

·         The last Block is dedicated to specialist subjects including Italian, Music, PDHPE and the like

The outcomes?

·         Each student experiences their own sequence of teachers based on evidenced needs

·         Behaviour management has become all but redundant as the students focus so strongly on their learning

·         Students stretch their goals to achieve more

·         Students are experiencing an acceleration of learning

·         Students are learning about and experiencing community

·         Best of all, students are having fun and shining as leaders and learners

Multiple educators have come and had a good look – we love this as it also provides an opportunity for our students to articulate their learning pathways, styles and achievements. Feel free to visit us – just contact learn@scil.nsw.edu.au.

“What I like about the Zone is that as teachers, we no longer have to make compromises in our lessons to narrow down our ideas to conform to the space. The new spaces invite collaboration, creativity and kinaesthetic learning.”