INTEGRATED LEARNING: STAGE 4 (SECONDARY COGS) Principles and process

“ In one form or another, curriculum integration is firmly on the middle school reform agenda, and considered an effective means of addressing students’ disengagement with learning in the middle years” (Godinho, 2007)

Essential Questions: How do we design and implement a cross-curriculum unit of work? How is subject integrity maintained? Why do it?

Secondary COGs includes Modelled process (booklet) for use when designing a unit of work School stories Sample curriculum mapping Other templates and information

Suggested process

Units of work

Derived from: Best practice in NSW Government schools Suggestions from teachers and school leaders Recent academic opinion.

Context Middle Years Strategy “use the model of Connected Outcomes Groups (COGS) across Key Learning Areas to develop integrated, Middle Years’ units of work in primary and early secondary years to foster both student engagement and teacher collaboration”.

Primary COGs Makes programming manageable by connecting similar content, processes and skills Ensures a balanced coverage of all key learning areas. Teacher Student

Secondary COGs Aims to achieve connected deep learning experiences for students by bringing teachers together. Provides a suggested model to accomplish this Student Teacher

Secondary COGs- Modelled Process School identifies a need Connecting idea Why does this learning matter? Target outcomes and/or skills Design common student task Assessment strategies Plan teaching and learning Complete common task Reflection

The model in summary The school identifies an authentic need – what do you want your students to learn?

Teachers design a unit of work for approximately one term, for a chosen group of students based on the identified need.

A connecting idea links the different subjects together.

Students are given a common task to complete over the term

The task encourages students to make deep connections within and between subjects.

This is an opportunity for students to engage with significant concepts, identified by the school.

Cross- curriculum elements can be added.

Teachers collaboratively plan learning experiences to allow students to achieve the task

Teachers select and assess outcomes from their own syllabuses which are appropriate to the connecting idea.

Teachers program individual subject content and assessment.

Students present and celebrate their achievements

Why do schools try this? Teacher collaboration Transition Pedagogy Engagement

Sample Unit Climate Change 7/8 Geography Science Technology (mandatory) Mathematics

Sample Unit CULTURAL IDENTITY An Aboriginal perspective on identity. English Music PDHPE History Languages Cultural identity 7/8

Sample Unit HEALTHY LIFESTYLES Establishing and maintaining a healthy lifestyle o English o Geography o Technology o PDHPE o Mathematics Healthy Lifestyles 7/8

Sample Unit RELATIONSHIPS Year 7 PDHPE Creative Arts English Relationships 7

Underlying principles: Units of work will: Reflect the NSW Quality Teaching framework Better align curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment Allow students to explore important issues collaboratively

Success factors in schools: A clearly identified need Teacher ownership of the unit Time to collaborate meaningfully Energetic and consultative leadership Whole–school involvement in planning Common student task is challenging, engaging and extends over a sustained period of time

Further Steps Professional learning for teachers Support for schools Application of the process to other initiatives and stages