Brazil is magical. I’ve been here three and a half months now and I live in a kind of magical realism a bit like being in a novel (apologies to writers who use the literary technique of the same name). Last weekend I had the enormous pleasure of being a guest at that most beautiful of places (after Port Alegre, of course) here in Brazil, Campos do Jordão. If I had any doubts that I lived a life of magical realism, they were completely washed away in Campos do Jordão. For me it was magic yet it was also so real, very real… magical realism. I love magical experiences!

 

In this paper I want to explore the idea of learning as serendipitous and anarchic in nature, not systematic and predicatable as we have been led to believe. It is that sense of magic that comes with personally discovering “how the world works” that is so engaging, so enchanting and so delightful to experience. Paradoxically, it is the magical experience or reality that can be so confounding for learners. It is when the magic is arbitrarily delivered or contrived that the opportunity for real learning is frequently lost. How can this be, and be described in the same terms as how real learning occurs? Let me describe some of my learing experiences as a child, an adult, an educator, psychologist and founder of a democratic school in Australia.

 

Let me return, initially, though, to my experiences in Brazil…

 

Firstly, I do not speak other than a few basic words and sentences in broken Portuguese which I have learned since I arrived here in October last year. Learning a second, or in my case, a third language as a mature adult is meant to be difficult. I agree it is not so easy. However, I have found a “systematic” approach to learning Portuguese not particularly useful. On the contrary, an anarchic approach in which contexts, usefulness and relativity play more rapidly facilitating roles in me learning a new language. The process is not dissimilar to how I believe most people can and do learn every day so long as well-meaning “others” do not get in their way.

 

Now, to some of my Brazilian experiences,

Most of my time in Brazil has been spent in another magical place, São Paulo. After my spiel about Campos do Jordão, many people might question my sanity when I suggest São Paulo is magical, but it is. The first thing I noticed, as a person from the very flat land of Aus, about São Paulo was the enormous number of high rise. Then I noticed the incredible amount of graffiti not just at street level, but thirty floors up. It appears in seemingly inaccessible places as if, by magic. New graffiti also appears magically. I never see it being done. How else could they do it so many floors up? I still have no idea. It truly is amazing to me. And there are more magical experiences. Bus stops move and/or disappear without notice, personal items vanish, meals appear or do not appear, people arrive and everyone else expects them but I have no idea who they are or why they have come or why they have come right now, bus fares go up and I find out when I hand over the old amount only to be told the I need to pay more now. Are Brazilians really poor communicators? Am I unintelligent? Am I a poor listener and reader? Do I really experience a reality filled with magical events? None of these is true. The problem is that I experience things I do not understand because I do not sufficiently understand the culture and cultural practices yet.

 

For many learners this is an everyday experience. Things happen without any apparent logical connection to the rest of their experiences. Schools have tried to “systematise” and “institutionalise” everything to ensure learners do not miss important “learnings” yet they still do. As a young adolescent, I missed a fundamental construct in mathematics: that unity equals one and that this construct is used in so many calculations as a given. How confused was I when this kept creating problems for me. Clearly, it had been taught but I had not learned it. Perhaps I was not at school, was daydreaming, not listening or doing something else that day. This is not an uncommon experience of learners. I had a similar experience with learning to read. Below are some stories of the real magic of learning based on my experiences.

 

One young boy, Liam, found new learning, like literacy, very threatening. So threatening that he would kick and scream, abuse others and run away. Literacy was frigtheningly magical for him. Understanding why this was so, resulted in a magical transformation for him. He stopped feeling so threatened and started to read and write.

 

Barry, a young teenage boy, was so lacking in self confidence that he would wear a hood over his head all year round. He never participated in anything academic at school, nor did his friends. Barry loves anything to do with computers. We gave him a room and some old computers and within weeks he was beginning to look different. The room became a busy hub of a computer construction, deconstruction and reconstruction for Barry and his friends. Months later Barry had his hood off, was wearing a broad grin and engaging in conversational banter with others.

 

Cathy was 16 years old and had been “diagnosed” with dyslexia (identified specifically as an auditory processing problem). “Her” dyslexia meant we could not expect her to be very competent at reading. This is how she presented herself when she came to inquire about enroling at a school where I was working. Ten months later, her mother rang me to say her daughter was now avidly reading anything she could get her hands on and what had we done.

 

“Just gave her space,” I said. I had strongly suspected the dyslexia was just a lable after speaking with Cathy and her mother prior to her enrolment at the school. I suspected anxiety was her greatest issue. We just let her settle in and did not push her to read or do anything else she did not want to do for that matter. When she felt relaxed and comfortable and “her” anxiety had been significantly reduced, she had emotional space to read. And read she did!

 

Sally frequently lashed out at others, especially other children with serious consequences for the targeted child. During one such occasion I quietly acknowledged her personal anger but firmly said that didn’t mean she could through things around the place and at others. I suggested we could talk about what the issue was for her. She stopped. She climbed up onto a small table. With her back to me said, “Problem is I don’t see enough of my mummy.”

 

“That’s easily fixed,” I assured her. “Let’s go and call your mum and see what we can do.”

 

That was the last time Sally ever lashed out at others in anger. Prior to this it was an unpredictable but reasonably frequent occurrence.

 

Michaela had just started university. She had been to democratic schools but only completed one year of high school. She entered university by enrolling in one subject, a second language of which she was a near native speaker. She was not eligible to enrol in a degree programme. Writing essays was her major hurdle. Initially she wanted to do it all her self. After finding it very difficult she sought assistance. Within a couple of sessions she was able to target the required reading to develop and understanding of her subject and ultimately to write an excellent essay which, most of all, was very rewarding for her. She did not need her lecturer to tell her she had done a “good job”. She was sufficiently satisfied with what she had done. In reality she was not encumbered with institutionalised learning from school. Michaela rapidly learned what she needed to learn, when she needed to learn it in the way that was most useful for her.

 

James is an interesting person. Shy around others, he rarely seemed to enjoy going out. He acted very young presumably because of his shyness. When his behaviour took on elements of socially uncomfortable behaviour for him, his family sought professional help. Being the youngest child in a large family might predisose him to “childish” behaviour some might say. However, his “childish” “shy” behaviour disappeared in an “instant” when his parents realised life from James’ perspective. He was not expected to do things like other members of his family because he was “so young”. On closer examination his siblings did much more in the family that James at the same age. They had been expected to feed pets, put soiled clothes out to be washed and set the table. When James got some idea of what we had been discussing he took control of the situation. Upon arriving home he assertively advised his parents that he would feed the pets and be responsible for taking out the rubbish on Sunday evenings. James’ behaviour grew up, too. Nothing else was requried, no star charts, no rewards or punishments, no stern talking to him, just a bit of the magic that comes from understanding through our day to day learning.

 

I really shudder when I hear of “remedial” programmes for children with “learning difficulties”. That we have such a high frequency of such programmes manifesting is an excellent example of projection à la Freud. That we do not attempt to understand the “magical” connections we, as human beings, make within our daily lived realities and those of others, is astounding. That we project our own understandings and do not attempt to perceive the situation from the perspective of others is an extraordinarily powerful form of a defence mechanism, again à la Freud.

 

I would describe it differently. I would describe it in terms of intercontextuality. Intercontextuality is the process by which we use our learning in one context to help us make meaning in another context. This conceptualisation radically shifts our understanding of what happens when we think about learning. How intercontextuality works may be better understood from the following extract adapted from Huber (1995):

Belief knowledge, and all knowledge derived from it, is knowledge which may be considered to have been internalized. In this sense it is the most immediate knowledge base from which a child can make sense of her or his experiences across contexts over time and through space. It is the intercontextual nature of embedded symbolic information which may be fundamental to understanding any processes involved in the transfer of embedded symbolic information between experiential contexts. The successful transfer of knowledge across contexts (such as home-school) further adds to the child's body of knowledge about how the world works and how they fit into it relative to others (i.e., self concept and ultimately, self esteem, as systems of belief within the individual, may be involved here; Ref.: Heathington, 1994; Johns, & VanLeirsburg, 1994; Athey, 1985; Bettleheim & Zelan, 1982).

The phenomenon of intercontextuality infers some carryover effect of making meaning in one context to making meaning in one or more other contexts. It also infers the possibility of other meaning making systems functioning as contexts and contexts functioning as meaning making systems in their own right. In this sense the construction of literacy may constitute a meaning making context or system in much the same way as intergenerational family acculturation (i.e., development of cultural understandings as a result of lived experiences across generations within families) or a classroom might.

Intercontextuality provides a way of appreciating learning from many different perspectives – lateral and creative thinking is inherent. The real magic of learning only manifested when the learner is able to make their our connections through intercontextuality, design and choose their own learning experiences and how they will respond to them. What may be seem “systematic” for educators and other professionals may indeed be the very opposite for learners. Me learning to speak, read and write Portuguese, Michaela learning to write essays, Barry’s burgeoning confidence, Cathy’s literacy development and concommitant learning, Sally’s emotional and relationship learning, James’ assertiveness and his family’s wellbeing and Liam’s achievements were not things which could have been “treated” “systematically”. Each person constructs their own ideosyncratic understandings of “how the world works” (Huber, 1995). These understandings are not necessarily well understood by others because everyone brings our own intercontextual understandings to a situation.

 

How can we understand and do things differently?

Firstly, get rid of schools as we now know them. Deschool. An-educate. Develop anarchic collectives. Get young people back into our communities, into our daily lives. Stop reacting to child labour experiences. Do not expect children to become workers but let them find their own level of contribution and participation when and where they choose in their communities. Young people are already fully participating in virtual communities, running internet businesses, dispensing advice on-line and generally living very rich, culturally embedded lives. Learning comes naturally the way it is intended to come.

In Perth, Western Australia, I designed a new school, Sowilo. I had to comply with various state and federal laws to start the school. However, I designed a radical “structure” which looks more like a morphing cell that an “organisation”. A democratically elected and legally responsible body, the Community Council, has no direct decision making powers. It can only ratify decisions made by the Whole School Meeting which consists of all stakeholders in the school and other interested persons who seek and are granted membership. Learning clusters form, disband, and reform only when there is a specific purpose for which a group of people has agreed to come together. Agreed purposes may included working bees, wanting to explore a particular subject, learning a craft, discussing topics of interest, raising funds, etc. How each learning cluster is conducted is up to the participants, as long as it is democratic and does not affect others in unwelcome ways, it can do what it likes (within the law!!). Once the learning cluster ceases to have an active purpose it, by definition, no longer exists since the learning in that area has ceased. All activities are considered to be learning activities including traditionally framed “working groups” and “committees”. The emphasis being on life is living and learning. All learning clusters are open to everyone from the school and the wider community. The lines between what is learning for people according age, gender, race, ability, etc. also cease to exist. Similarly, any distinctions between life, living and learning. Potentially, learning does not necessarily happen in any one place but in a variety of real life situations with a range of people (mentors) passionate about what they do and know and who want to share it with others. There are no set criteria for a person to be a mentor. They may be of almost any description imaginable. And the learning can be magically real and really magic!

 

Bibliography

Athey, I. (1985) Reading research in the affective domain, in Singer, H. & Ruddell, R. B. (Eds) Theoretical models and processes of reading, pp527-557, Third edtion, Newark, Del: IRA.

Bettelheim, B. & Zelan, K. (1982) On learning to read: The child's fascination with meaning, London: Thames & Hudson.

Heathington, B. S. (1994) Affect versus skills: Choices for teachers, in E. H. Cramer & M. Castle (Eds) Fostering the love of reading: The affective domain in reading education, Chapter 14, pp199-208, Newark, Del.: IRA.

Huber, A.S. (1995) Transfer of embedded symbolic information between home and school: A grounded theory of how young children develop idiosyncratic responses during the construction of literacy in the classroom, Unpublished Doctoral Thesis, University of Wollongong, Australia

Johns, J. L. & VanLeirsburg, P. (1994). Promoting the reading habit: Considerations and strategies, in E. H. Cramer & M. Castle (Eds) Fostering the love of reading: The affective domain in reading education, Chapter 7, pp91-103, Newark, Del.: IRA.

McKenzie, J. (2003) From Now On [on-line] January 22 2003 <http://www.fno.org>

Sowilo Curriculum 21

Community, Mentors, Other Resources and Enterprises

(CMORE©)

 

(Extract)

 

ABOUT SOWILO

 

Sowilo is a non-denominational democratic independent community school. The school operates on a very flexible basis so it can respond efficiently and effectively to students' needs. The school's organisation varies from time to time depending on students needs, availability of mentors and other resources, community events and activities, and opportunities that arise to extend students' knowledge of themselves, others, the world around them and beyond.

 

The Sowilo Community has been designed to comply with legal requirements[2] in the state of Western Australia.

 

Sowilo: So… What’s in a name?

 

Sowilo is a Nordic word for the sun Z and is the letter “s” in the Nordic alphabet. It connotes success and victory, guidance, hope, goals achieved, great power, life force, health, contact between the higher self and the unconscious. These connotations of the name epitomise the endeavours of Sowilo.

 

The school organisation, philosophy and practice is underpinned by a powerful set of guiding principles.

 

The Sowilo Philosophy

 

Sowilo is a democratic community. The Guiding Principles on which Sowilo has been founded contain many implicit values made explicit in its stated beliefs and aims and most importantly in its practices. However, while Sowilo may conduct itself according to those guiding principles, there is no expectation for all members of the Sowilo community to share the same values. On the contrary, Sowilo aims to support people in developing their own guiding principles and values based on democratic principles.

 

Fundamental beliefs

 

We believe:

·             learning is a whole-of-life lived experience not naturally compartmentalised which is what occurs in a disciplinary approach to curriculum development and delivery;

·             learning is most effective and sustained when it occurs at the time it is needed rather than “just in case” it is needed. Educators recognise this as the “teachable” moment. We call it the point of learning;

·             regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, ability, background, people who are trusted with their own learning will learn what they need to learn when they need to learn it; and

·             learning is made most effective when the learner is able to realistically reflect on the efficacy of that learning for themselves and are given opportunities to share their learning with others if they so chose.

 

Overarching aims

 

To provide choices and opportunities that allow students to develop at their own pace and to follow their own interests.

 

Sowilo does not aim to produce specific types of young people, with specific, assessed skills and knowledge. It does aim to provide an environment in which young people can define who they are and what they want to be.

 

To allow students to be free from compulsory or imposed assessment, allowing them to develop their own goals and sense of achievement through self and collaborative assessments and evaluations

 

In order to truly develop their own skills and abilities, both innate and nurtured, learners need to be free from the pressure to conform to artificial standards of success based on predominant theories of child learning and academic achievement.

 

To allow young people to be completely free to design their own time and direct their own whole-of-life participation

 

Everyone learns best by being actively involved in their own learning. So it is with young people that they need to be able to plan, reflect on and direct their whole-of-life experiences including their time, their own learning and recreation pursuits.

 

To allow young people to experience the full range of feelings free from the judgement and intervention of an adult

 

Freedom to make decisions always involves risk and requires the possibility of negative outcomes. Apparently negative consequences such as boredom, stress, anger, disappointment and failure are a necessary part of individual development. Young people need strong support to develop emotionally but they do not always need intervention. Part of sound mental health and emotional development is to know when to seek help, when to work through things alone and when to move on. Persistent intervention by others circumvents this learning process.

 

To allow young people to live in a community that supports them and for which they are responsible; in which they have the freedom to be themselves, and have the power to change community life, through democratic process

 

All individuals create their own set of values based on their experiences in the family and community within which they live. Sowilo is a community which takes responsibility for itself. Problems are discussed and resolved through openness, democracy and social action. All members of the community, irrespective of age, are equal in terms of this process.

 

Guidelines for Action

 

The following activities and structures ensure the aims of Sowilo are fulfilled on a daily basis at personal and community levels.

 

A weekly Whole School Meeting is held to discuss the day to day running of the school. This is an open community meeting. However, as it is deliberately held during school time it mostly consists of salaried staff and students. The meeting is conducted along democratic lines and minutes are recorded in a minute book;

The non-hierarchical nature of the Association, Kairos Inc., which is responsible for running the school;

 

Clusters which are dynamic, flexible and “equal” form according to need (e.g., a specific learning purpose, working party, interest group, etc.) and may include students, staff, staff, other adults, community mentors and others. Clusters may form simply because a group of individuals desire them to form and disband when they no longer serve a purpose;

 

The Community Council which is the legally constituted body of Kairos Inc. may only ratify decisions made by the Whole School Meeting. Any decisions made by the Community Council must be considered and passed by the Whole School Meeting prior to any action being taken; and

Various other appropriate practices that may arise from time to time.

Several “core shared values” from the Curriculum Framework are embedded in the Sowilo’s guiding principles and practices. According the Curriculum Framework

As explicit acknowledgement of core shared values is one of the principles of the Curriculum Framework, the integration of these values will enhance the learning opportunities within school communities. Students are assisted in developing these values through discussion and modelling as part of the learning and teaching processes within the school environment (Curriculum Framework).

The “core shared values” of the Curriculum Framework are:

 

A pursuit of knowledge and a commitment to achievement of potential;

Self acceptance and respect of self;

Respect and concern for others and their rights;

Social and civic responsibility; and

Environmental responsibility.

 

How Sowilo articulates these “core shared values” in its practices is described below.

 

·             A pursuit of knowledge and a commitment to achievement of potential

The lifelong disposition toward the quest for knowledge, as each person strives to understand the social and natural worlds and how best to make a contribution to these worlds. Each person is encouraged to achieve his or her potential in all respects and, through critical and creative thinking, to develop a broad understanding of his or her own values and world views (Curriculum Framework).

 

The Sowilo curriculum provides students with a myriad opportunities to develop a lifelong disposition toward the quest for knowledge through its strong real life focus. People who are supported and encouraged to take appropriate risks are more likely to engage in a wider range of learning opportunities as part of their daily lived experiences. At Sowilo students are supported and encouraged to explore and expand on their interests in authentic ways with mentors who are passionate about what they do.

 

·             Self acceptance and respect of self

The acceptance and respect of self, resulting in attitudes and actions that develop each person. is unique potential. physical, emotional, aesthetic, spiritual, intellectual, moral and social. Encouragement is given to developing initiative, responsibility, ethical discernment, openness to learning and a sense of personal meaning and identity (Curriculum Framework).

 

Through following their interests, students at Sowilo learn to accept and respect not only themselves but others and their environment. People develop an openness to learning and a sense of personal meaning and identity which can only be achieved when others are willing to support, encourage, listen and accept them as worthwhile people in their own right. At Sowilo students’ ideas about their own learning are acted on in collaborative, supportive and encouraging ways. As students negotiate their own Learning Pathways, including their assessments, with their mentors they are simultaneously learning to accept and respect themselves and others as well as the world in which they live.

 

·             Respect and concern for others and their rights

Sensitivity to and concern for the well-being of other people; and respect for life and property. Encouragement is given to each person to be caring and compassionate, to be respectful of the rights of others, and to find constructive ways of managing conflict. This includes the right to learn in a friendly and non-coercive environment (Curriculum Framework).

 

People develop strong beliefs, attitudes and values about respect and concern for others and their rights through experiencing respect and concern from others about their rights. This is essentially a mutual process. At Sowilo everyone is responsible for ensuring the rights of themselves and others are maintained. The weekly Whole School Meeting as well as private meetings provide vehicles for discussions about issues of rights and responsibilities as they arise. There is an a culture of openness which engenders healthy attitudes towards dealing with issues of rights and responsibilities. Opinions, feelings and needs of adults and students are equally valued and respected through prompt airing of and a constructive and educative approach to dealing with issues.

 

·             Social and civic responsibility

The commitment to exploring and promoting the common good and meeting individual needs without infringing the basic rights of others. This includes the encouragement of each person to participate in democratic processes, to value diversity of cultural expression, to respect legitimate authority, to promote social justice and to support the use of research for the improvement of the quality of life (Curriculum Framework).

 

Sowilo is a democratic community where authority is not taken but earned in a genuine democratic sense. Promotion of social justice and the improvement of the quality of life begins with mutual respect. Negotiation of Learning Pathways, choice in mentors and learning environments speaks loudly for Sowilo’s efforts at developing social and civic responsibility. Students engage in community activities and events which bring them into extended contact with the diversity of Australian society and cultures.

 

·             Environmental responsibility.

The commitment to developing an appreciative awareness of the interdependence of all elements of the environment, including humans and human systems, and encouraging a respect and concern for Australia’s natural and cultural heritage and for forms of resource use that are regenerative and sustainable (Curriculum Framework).

 

Sowilo’s curriculum provides responsive learning contexts within which students and others experience directly their impact on the world around them. Students are encouraged to learn about our physical and natural heritage and participate in sustainable living practices such as permaculture.

 

It is hoped that by experiencing the Sowilo curriculum young people will develop into sensitive, caring, pro-active people who fully know and realise their own value and potential. This philosophy has been used to shape the Sowilo curriculum which is presented here.

 

 

SOWILO’S CURRICULUM DESIGN: SOWILO CURRICULUM 21 - (CMORE©)

COMMUNITY, MENTORS, OTHER RESOURCES AND ENTERPRISES

 

There is only one course at Sowilo and that is known as the Sowilo Curriculum 21. Within the Sowilo Curriculum 21 there is an open array of units. Having a curriculum design with an open array of units is an attempt at providing students with a framework from which they may develop and pursue meaningful areas of study across all learning areas identified in the Curriculum Framework.

 

Course designer

 

Adrienne Huber PhD BSc(Psych)(Hons) BEd

 

The works of the SWOW Collective 1994-5 and members of the AME School Community 1969-1996 were extensively accessed and used with much appreciation. Clive MacKillop is responsible for the original Curriculum Units from which the Sowilo Curriculum 21 Curriculum Units have been developed. Clive’s and Ann Hill’s highly significant contributions are especially appreciated.

 

Community, mentors, other resources and enterprises (CMORE^©)

 

Community, Mentors, Other Resources and Enterprises (CMORE^©) form the basis of the Sowilo curriculum. Without these central elements the curriculum would be classroom bound and would not provide the breadth and depth of learning opportunities that Sowilo offers. The school is organised in such a way that there is an appropriate balance between the various aspects of the curriculum across the eight Learning Areas. How CMORE^© works in a general sense is as follows:

 

Community

 

The community is both the school with its students, staff, parents and other interested persons as well as the wider community of which Sowilo becomes more and more engaged over time as more people learn of what the school is doing and how it is doing it.

 

Mentors

 

It should be noted that Sowilo operates on a mentoring system rather than a teacher/learning instructional model. This means that salaried staff, while in effect, mentors, are referred to as mentors. Likewise, community “experts” are known as mentors. This parallel is a deliberate attempt to develop and maintain a seamless connection between school and the community thus developing a strong community focus to the school by not differentiating between on and off campus mentors. An important role of salaried mentors is to be responsible for overseeing the complete individual learning program for each of the students. Sowilo recognises that not all knowledgable people are “mentors” in the formal sense but that their contribution is vital for effectively providing appropriate, rich, rigorous and diverse learning opportunities for young people.

 

Academic staff, mentors, at Sowilo work in a collaborative team with a number of professionals, some of whom have formal teaching qualifications, some of whom have extensive experience with young people and others who have specific expertise needed for mentoring specific students. There are several salaried mentors and others who provide regular mentoring for students. Additional mentors are sought on a regular basis to meet specific needs of students

 

Other Resources

 

As with mentors, community resources such as photographic laboratories, art spaces, public libraries, information services, etcetera, are deliberately accessed to ensure students develop a strong community focus within which they build and established strong networks and resource basis for their effective participation in society both occupationally and personally.

 

Enterprises

 

Sowilo students may engage in various enterprises such as developing community arts workshops, mini conferences, website promotions, festivals, etc. through which students develop a multitude of skills including how to arrange, organise, network, market the event as well as any products in sustainable ways. This is a valuable exercise for students in collaborative promotion of themselves, their “wares” such as skills, knowledge, understandings and interests and small business management and practices.

 

These central elements of the Sowilo curriculum underpin all aspects of learning at Sowilo. The Sowilo curriculum engenders the principles of Teaching and Learning as stated in the Curriculum Framework. These principles are:

 

Opportunity to learn;

Connection and challenge;

Action and reflection;

Motivation and purpose;

Inclusivity and difference;

Independence and collaboration; and

Supportive environment.

 

Examples of how Learning and Teaching at Sowilo engender these principles are documented below.

 

·             Opportunity to learn

Learning experiences should enable students to observe and practice the actual processes, products, skills and values which are expected of them (Curriculum Framework).

 

Working with mentors on real life projects means Sowilo students may have many first hand opportunities to observe, practice and participate in the actual processes, products, skills and values which are expected of them across a variety of contexts with a range of people.

 

 

 

 

·             Connection and challenge

Learning experiences should connect with students' existing knowledge, skills and values while extending and challenging their current ways of thinking and acting them (Curriculum Framework).

 

As students are central to their own learning at Sowilo, their learning experiences naturally evolve from and are connected with their existing knowledge, skills and values. It is the role of mentors to provide learning experiences which extend and challenge students' current ways of thinking and acting. Being exposed to a range of learning environments on campus and in the wider community provides intrinsically challenging experiences which naturally extend students' existing knowledge, skills and values. Just as students seem to effortlessly learn a great deal from travelling within Australia and overseas, a wide range of contexts intrinsically afford a deepening and widening of students' immediate perspectives resulting in changes to students' ways of thinking and acting.

 

·             Action and reflection

Learning experiences should be meaningful and encourage both action and reflection on the part of the learner (Curriculum Framework).

 

As an intrinsic self-monitoring process, students need to regularly reflect on their learning so they can direct the next phase of it. It is the role of staff and community mentors to make explicit and demonstrate by example how this may happen. Students are exposed to a range of ways to act and reflect as an integral part of the learning/work process/cycle.

 

Motivation and purpose

Learning experiences should be motivating and their purpose clear to the student (Curriculum Framework).

 

As students are central to negotiating their own learning, motivation and purpose may be clearly articulated during the planning phase and regularly reviewed during the learning cycle.

 

·             Inclusivity and difference

Learning experiences should respect and accommodate differences between learners them (Curriculum Framework).

The curriculum at Sowilo is particularly suited to students working at their own levels rather than at whole class or year cohort levels. Each student in a group studying Under Milkwood, for example, studied the book from different perspectives and at different depths depending on their particular interests and needs.

 

·             Independence and collaboration

Learning experiences should encourage students to learn both independently and from others them (Curriculum Framework).

 

Again, these features are inherent in the curriculum design. Learning opportunities provided by Sowilo are such that students may plan their learning programme, discuss it with a mentor, reflect on their learning and plan for new learning opportunities.

 

 

Records of student achievement

 

Assessment forms part of ongoing action reflection within the Sowilo curriculum. This means students are constantly assessing their own work in collaboration with their mentors and peers. Records of student achievement including learning group assessments and other evidence of student learning indicating participation and progress in courses of study are regularly compiled and maintained in accordance with the Curriculum Framework which requires assessment to be valid, educative, explicit, fair and comprehensive. At Sowilo the elements of assessment identified in the Curriculum Framework are articulated as follows.

 

·        Valid

Assessment should provide valid information on the actual ideas, processes, products and values expected of students.

 

Since students are actively involved in the assessment process which is ongoing and integral to the learning process, actual ideas, processes, products and values expected of students are negotiated and clearly articulated at the beginning and regularly reviewed as part of the action/reflection cycle. This has been shown to be the most effective means of promoting learning (Professor Alison Wolf, 2000, personal communication).

 

·        Educative

Assessment should make a positive contribution to student learning

 

This aspect of assessment is closely related to the validity of assessment within the Sowilo curriculum. As students are involved in negotiating assessments they will find the process intrinsically educative. As students develop understandings about their own learning within and across Units of Study they will also be learning about themselves as learners and actors in the real world.

 

·        Explicit

Assessment criteria should be explicit so that the basis for judgements is clear and public

 

Explicitness is closely related to validity and educative aspects of assessment at Sowilo. Negotiation of assessments between students and mentor is inherently an explicit process.

 

·        Fair

Assessment should be demonstrably fair to all students and not discriminate on grounds that are irrelevant to the achievement of the outcome

Fairness is assured through individually negotiated outcomes for the learning process. At Sowilo, this process intrinsically engages and extends each student's existing knowledge, skills, values and ways of relating in and acting in and on the world around them.

 

·        Comprehensive

Judgements on student progress should be based on multiple kinds and sources of evidence

 

Sowilo emphasises student self-direction in their learning. This approach is particularly in tune with Overarching Learning Outcomes in the Curriculum Framework to be mandated from 2004. This approach to assessment is in line with that proposed in the position paper recently released for Post Compulsory Education Review (Curriculum Council, November, 2000). How this may work is illustrated in Table 7.

 

Table 7:  Assessment types and samples of supporting information for a unit of study in plant biology

 

Unit of Study: Plant Biology (Curriculum Unit 201: Biology)

Assessment Type	Supporting Information
Open-ended investigations into plant growth	Real life investigations designed to involve hypothesising, inferring, predicting, evaluating and critically analysing, e.g., growing a variety of plants under a variety of conditions
Comprehension and interpretation	Scientific literacy and transfer of knowledge to new or unfamiliar contexts assessed through compilation of a written report for publication in the Sowilo e-Journal and an oral mini conference presentation to a group of community mentors and peers
Laboratory/field activities	Practical activities to develop measuring and manipulative skills, use of technology, process skills, and conceptual understanding, e.g., using a greenhouse to accelerate plant growth and to manipulate the growing season and mapping growth at a cellular level in the laboratory
Independent proficiency (Practical tests)	Assessments of practical skills such as measuring and manipulative skills and the ability to read scales - students may establish a similar experiment/programme independent of the mentor's instructions but under their supervision as a natural and logical "next step".
Exercises using first- and/or second-hand data	Exercises designed to develop skills associated with presentation of data, graphing, critical analysis, and the ability to determine relationships within data, e.g., explore ethical ways of presenting information derived from data through visual, oral and written means such as in professional journal and newspapers and then present own first-hand data in appropriate and ethical ways at a Sowilo mini conference.
Written and oral presentations	Activities to develop and practise oral and verbal communication skills (see mini conference and e-Journal presentations above)
Review, refereed for publication in the Sowilo Journal (Tests)	Formative and summative assessments requiring students to demonstrate correct use of terminology and skills, such as concept mapping to identify and explain connections between concepts. It is expected that assessment items would include open-ended questions to allow students to respond at their highest level of understanding. Assessment here may include an analysis of terminology and skills demonstrated in the above forms of assessment.

Adapted from Post Compulsory Education Review Position Paper page 72

 

The sample scheme of assessment in physics on page 79 of the Post Compulsory Education Review Position Paper further provides a rigorous example of how a range of assessments ensures credibility in the learning process. At Sowilo these assessments frequently occur in real life settings which are intrinsically purposeful and meaningful to the student and the learning process. This sample scheme of assessment was developed from a sample scheme of assessment documented in the Post Compulsory Review

 

The following examples demonstrate the intrinsic nature of the close relationship between student learning, demonstration of achievement of outcomes and the overarching outcomes. While many of the following examples may constitute informal demonstrations of achievement, they do not preclude students having more formal opportunities to demonstrate achievement of these outcomes. Students are able to demonstrate their learning in a variety of contexts with a range of mentors.

 

Overarching Learning Outcome 1:

Students use language to understand, develop, and communicate ideas and information and interact with others (Curriculum Framework).

 

In negotiating, planning, networking and implementing their courses of study students may need to clarify their areas of interest and formulate and communicate their ideas to a staff member and any mentors who may be involved. Students may also need to be able to interact with a range of people within the wider community as they work with various mentors over their time at the school. This approach offers a significantly increased number of opportunities beyond the immediate school community for demonstration of achievement of this outcome.

 

Overarching Learning Outcome 2:

Students select, integrate and apply numerical and spatial concepts and techniques (Curriculum Framework).

 

Students engage in all aspects related to their learning in a whole of life experiential way. In planning their courses of study students are be able to select and integrate all aspects of what is required to complete a course of study. This means students may have a budget to balance and space to negotiate and co-ordinate as they work in with others. Activities required to maintain gardens for which students are responsible provide numerous opportunities to integrate numerical and spatial concepts and techniques.

 

Overarching Learning Outcome 3:

Students recognise when and what information is needed, locate and obtain it from a range of sources and evaluate, use and share it with others (Curriculum Framework).

 

The process of recognising when and what information is needed, locate and obtain it from a range of sources and evaluate, use and share it with others is essential for students working with mentors. Through our Community Mentor and Other Resources and Enterprises (CMORE) programme, students have a wide range of opportunities to learn about and use a variety of techniques for information gathering, collating and analysing practices and constantly share these with others as part of their everyday learning processes.

 

Overarching Learning Outcome 4:

Students select, use and adapt technologies (Curriculum Framework).

 

Students may have access to a wide range of technologies through various community facilities including:

 

·             Universities and TAFE Colleges; and

·             Community facilities such as Loftus Community Centre.

 

Access to the internet is a vital part of Sowilo’s learning resources. Students may be involved in developing a Sowilo server and web site which may include an on-line learning facility, an e-journal, electronic bulletin board, chat site, etc.

 

Overarching Learning Outcome 5:

Students describe and reason about patterns, structures and relationships in order to understand, interpret, justify and make predictions (Curriculum Framework).

 

Opportunities to describe and reason about patterns, structures and relationships in order to understand, interpret, justify and make predictions are inherent not only in the mathematical area of the curriculum at Sowilo. Such opportunities arise as an intrinsic part of negotiating learning pathways. At Sowilo subject boundaries do not form a ready made set of patterns, structures and relationships. Hence students need to be able to identify patterns, structures and relationships for their own purposes. They do this in the process of developing Units of Study and their overall individual Learning Pathways.

 

Overarching Learning Outcome 6:

Students visualise consequences, think laterally, recognise opportunity and potential and are prepared to test options (Curriculum Framework).

 

Again, this is intrinsic in the Sowilo Curriculum 21. In order for students to negotiate their learning, define and redefine their Units of Study they visualise consequences, think laterally, recognise opportunity and potential and are prepared to test options. Sowilo is geared to actively promote and support this outcome on an ongoing process of active learning not just as an outcome in itself.

 

Overarching Learning Outcome 7:

Students understand and appreciate the physical, biological and technological world and have knowledge and skills to make decisions in relation to it (Curriculum Framework).

 

Students who develop understandings and an appreciation of the physical, biological and technological world and have knowledge and skills to make decisions in relation to it are well placed to experience directly how the physical, biological and technological worlds are interrelated and impact on each other including the impact of and on human beings. The cross disciplinary approach to curriculum strengthens the likelihood of students experiencing learning opportunities which allow them to demonstrate achievement of this outcome.

 

Overarching Learning Outcome 8:

Students understand their cultural, geographic and historical contexts and have the knowledge, skills and values necessary for active participation in life in Australia (Curriculum Framework).

 

Understandings of cultural, geographic and historical contexts and have the knowledge, skills and values necessary for active participation in life in Australia are developed through regular participation in our strong real-life community networks. Students may have more than cursory contact with other cultures and places and historical contexts as they work with mentors in authentic environments and contexts. For example, students may assist with an archaeological dig, provide practical assistance to a new migrant and conduct a study of salinity in Western Australia.

 

 

Overarching Learning Outcome 9:

Students interact with people and cultures other than their own and are equipped to contribute to the global community (Curriculum Framework).

A virtual exchange has already been arranged for Sowilo students. An international democratic education chat site has welcomed our students’ participation in the near future. Opportunities also exist for international student exchanges to and reciprocal visits from similar schools throughout Europe, Asia, America and Australia has already been considered. The global democratic education community has welcomed the establishment of Sowilo (see Appendix I on page )

 

Overarching Learning Outcome 10:

Students participate in creative activity of their own and understand and engage with the artistic, cultural and intellectual work of others (Curriculum Framework).

 

Creative activity is an important aspect of being a student at Sowilo. Designing one’s Learning Pathway and moving along one’s learning journey happens at Sowilo is a highly creative process. There will be opportunities to work with professional artists with two exhibiting artists on staff and a strong network in the arts community. Students have already been invited to participate in a range of creative activities in the community.

 

Overarching Learning Outcome 11:

Students value and implement practices that promote personal growth and well being (Curriculum Framework).

 

Personal growth and well being are only possible when an individual is free to make decisions and act on those decisions in a supportive environment. Conversely, personal growth and well being in hindered in an environment which is coercive and manipulative and in which others make decisions for an individual and meter out punishment when their often arbitrary expectations are not met. At Sowilo students make their own decisions and are encouraged to seek assistance and advice if necessary from others including their peers, parents and mentors. Students are encouraged to work through their decisions and experiences which result from them and to learn from them not have them taken over by others. For this reason there are no punitive actions used only ones that follow from one’s own actions. Unlike traditional extrinsic forms of punishment and reinforcement, it is these intrinsic results and actions taken around them which tend to promote learning rather than inhibit it.

 

Overarching Learning Outcome 12:

Students are self-motivated and confident in their approach to learning and are able to work individually and collaboratively (Curriculum Framework).

 

As stated above, students at Sowilo plan, negotiate, reflect on and direct their own learning, working individually and collaboratively as each task demands.

 

Overarching Learning Outcome 13:

Students recognise that everyone has a right be feel valued and be safe, and, in this regard, understand their rights and obligations and behave responsibly (Curriculum Framework).

 

Everyone at Sowilo has a right be feel valued and be safe, and, in this regard, understand their rights and obligations and behave responsibly. This involves a completely mutual process for all members of the Sowilo community including parents and mentors who work with our students. In this sense one’s own rights engenders the rights of others since no one’s right are maintained if one person’s rights are eroded.

 

 

Reporting to parents

 

Reporting to parents is a two way process with parents reporting to Sowilo about their daughter/son. Parents are as much a part of Sowilo as staff and students and may give and receive feedback on their son/daughter at any time. A formal written report report based on all Learning Area Outcomes and the Overarching Learning Outcomes will be negotiated with individual students. Such a report shall be provided to parents once every year. Students may be present at Learning Conference evenings/weekends when a formal discussion of their learning is conducted between their mentor/s and parents. Assessments used as evidence of students' learning for reporting purposes shall be authentic, continuous learning based and student-managed. They may involve the use of Information technologies and be performance based.

 

Several forms of evidence may be collected and collated, annotated, analysed, discussed and presented in student journals, diaries and experiential learning portfolios for parents, employers and tertiary institutions as required. How this may occur is described below.

 

Student journals, diaries and experiential learning portfolios

 

Student journals, diaries and experiential learning portfolios may form an integral part of the curriculum at the school throughout the school years. Student journals contain personal reflections including the individual student's reflections about their learning. Student diaries contain individual student's records of their learning journeys including pools of options, choices selected and the actions and processes involved in undertaking and completing learning units.

 

The main purpose of a student journal is to facilitate interpersonal, reflective communication between selected mentor and student. A diary, however, may be entirely personal. The experiential learning portfolio is a record of a student’s learning over time and may, with the student’s agreement be made available for others to peruse. The contents of the portfolios can be decided entirely by the student or jointly with a mentor or a combination of the two.

 

To facilitate the transition of students into future education and employment the school negotiates alternative pathways to further Training, Universities, TAFE and the workforce. The TEE[3] is not offered.

 

At Sowilo, students are encouraged to undertake learning across and within each of the Learning Areas in ways that are meaningful to them and which promote effective and enduring learning. A framework for how this may happen in and across the Learning Areas provides perspectives from which to view learning at Sowilo.

 

A framework for the Sowilo Curriculum 21 within and across the eight Learning Areas

 

A framework for how the Sowilo Curriculum 21 may look across the eight Learning Areas is presented below.

 

 

THE ARTS

 

 

 

Learning Area Outcomes

 

 

Sowilo's aims for the Arts

 

Numerous community based activities will be accessed to provide a range of activities through which students may learn (about) and develop skills in the Arts including drama, theatre, music, dance, fine arts, etc. With professional artists, students will be able to create their own works of art to demonstrate achievement of the outcomes for this Learning Area.

 

Guidelines for Action

 

Students are able to work with professional artists and be encouraged to produce publishable fiction and non-fiction works of art, present their works to authentic audiences and reviewers, participate in reviews of other writers and orators, and participate in community activities (e.g. Birzurca, and the Fremantle and Perth Festivals, etc.) in which they present their works.

 

 

 

ENGLISH

 

Learning Area Outcomes

 

 

 

 

Sowilo's aims for English

 

 

Students are provided with a wide range of learning opportunities which demonstrate how writers, readers, listeners, speakers and viewers use and are influenced by English practices. This learning area relates strongly to the Languages Other than English (LOTE) and The Arts Learning Areas. Together the English and LOTE Learning Areas will particularly relate in the areas of how language per se works across cultures, contexts and times. Similarly, students may participate in Arts activities as a way of exploring and using their language skills.

 

Guidelines for Action

 

As with The Arts, students are able to work with professional writers and be encouraged to produce publishable creative and non-fiction works, present their works to authentic audiences and reviewers, participate in reviews of other writers and orators, and participate in community activities (e.g. Kulcha Club, the Writers’ Festival, etc.) in which they present their works.

 

 

HEALTH AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION

 

Learning Area Outcomes

 

Knowledge and Understandings

Attitudes and Values

Skills for Physical Activity

Self-Management Skills

Interpersonal Skills

 

Sowilo's aims for Health and Physical Education

 

As Sowilo takes a whole of life approach to the person, students at Sowilo will be provided with “whole of life” opportunities to develop a healthy approach to life. In this sense Health and Physical Education becomes Lifestyle Studies.

 

Guidelines for Action

 

Students are able to demonstrate achievements in this learning area through planning, reflecting on and directing their own learning in collaboration with peers and mentors. Mentors will be sought to provide a breadth and depth of what it means to be a whole human being physically, socially, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually. There is a strong emphasis on being healthy inside and out, personally and socially, and in actions in and on the environment. Disease prevention, such as skin cancer, and dealing with acute and chronic disease and life circumstances will also be included in this Learning Area.

 

Sowilo recognises that young people vary in their interest in and desire for different types of physical activity so learning opportunities will vary accordingly and may include:

 

Z     Indoor pursuits such as craft, art, chess, board games, meditation, home maintenance and renovation, drama and theatre, etc.,

Z     Adventure, club and representative sports;

Z     Outdoor pursuits such as gardening, car maintenance, home maintenance, community support work, etc.; and

Z     A wide range of other pursuits varying in physical, social, emotional, intellectual and spiritual demands.

 

 

LANGUAGES OTHER THAN ENGLISH

 

Learning Area Outcomes

 

Listening and Responding, and Speaking

Viewing, Reading and Responding

Writing

Cultural Understandings

The System of the Target

Language Learning Strategies

 

Sowilo's aims for Languages Other than English

 

With the English language, Languages Other than English provide a rich canvas against which cultural knowledge, concepts and understandings may be readily discovered and explored. Students will be able to work with native and near native speakers in a range of languages to explore constructions of cultural identity across and within cultures. Students may participate in community language associations such as Alliance Française and the Gœthe Society which mayl provide students with authentic cultural and linguistic experiences.

 

Guidelines for Action

 

As with The Arts and English, students are able to work with professional writers and be encouraged to produce publishable creative and non-fiction works, present their works to authentic audiences and reviewers, participate in reviews of other writers and orators, and participate in community activities (e.g. Kulcha Club, various cultural and national day activities, Multicultural Week Festivities, etc.) in which they present their works.

 

 

 

MATHEMATICS

 

Learning Area Outcomes

 

Appreciating Mathematically

Working Mathematically

Number

Measurement

Chance and Data

Space

Algebra

 

Sowilo's aims for Mathematics

 

Mathematics is a living active pursuit which affects all spheres of our daily lives. Students will be provided with learning opportunities which provide them with understandings about mathematical discoveries including pure mathematical conceptualisation and exploration as well as daily and less frequent applications of mathematical ideas and concepts such as interest rates, share portfolios, mortgage, insurance, banking and budgeting, orienteering, voting and polling, weather forecasting and meteorology, etc. Mathematical concepts will be translated into day to day actions and practices, for example how derivatives and integrals may be used to measure the surface areas of land using different perspectives. Such applications help students develop flexible thinking skills for action in all areas of their lives not just mathematics.

 

Guidelines for Action

 

Students may be involved at all levels of decision making involving financial matters, use of space on and off campus premises, campus interior and outdoor design, adventure orienteering. They may also work with mentors who are professional mathematicians such as statisticians, research scientists, meteorologists, accountants, bankers, (even politicians!) etc.

 

 

 

SCIENCE

 

Learning Area Outcomes

 

WORKING SCIENTIFICALLY

Investigating

Communicating Scientifically

Science in Daily Life

Acting Responsibly

Science in Society

UNDERSTANDING CONCEPTS

Earth and Beyond

Energy and Change

Life and Living

Natural and Processed Materials

 

Sowilo's aims for Science

 

As with Mathematics, Science is viewed as a living active pursuit. It is yet another means through which we may describe and explore our natural world. Students are encouraged to look for ways in which science has and continues to be an important tool for humanity (e.g., disease prevention and control, means of identifying, articulating experiences and phenomena in the natural world, etc.) and how it may also be a destructive force (e.g., greenhouse gases, atomic bomb, etc) in the world. Science "happens" all the time in the real world and students will be provided with plenty of opportunities to experience science outside the “lab”.

 

Guidelines for Action

 

Students may work as junior assistants/trainees with professional scientists such as zoologists, researchers, chemists, botanists in their community-based workplaces.

 

 

 

SOCIETY AND ENVIRONMENT

 

Learning Area Outcomes

 

Investigation, Communication and Participation

Place and Space

Resources

Culture

Time, Continuity and Change

Natural and Social Systems

Active Citizenship

 

Sowilo's aims for Society and Environment

 

Sowilo is a microcosm of society and the environment. A wide variety of experiences in the wider community are available for students to experience and reflect on. An awareness of and positive attitude towards society and the environment are an everyday part of living responsibly and respectfully.

 

Guidelines for Action

 

Students may engage in a range of social and cultural experiences with community groups such as multicultral centres, Alliance Français, the Gœthe Society, the Spanish Club, local community festivals. They may also become involved in Sorry Day and reconciliation marches and other events. They may also participate in permaculture activities at places such as City Farm.

 

 

TECHNOLOGY AND ENTERPRISE

 

Learning Area Outcomes

 

Technology Process

Materials

Information

Systems

Enterprise

Technology Skills

Technology In Society

 

 

Sowilo's aims for Technology and Enterprise

 

Students develop skills in the use of technology and undertaking and developing enterprises. Learning opportunities will ensure students are highly technologically literate and able to create their own enterprise. Underpinning the Sowilo Curriculum 21 are guiding principles which support and encourage students to engage in innovative learning practices. In pursuit of knowledge and a commitment to achievement of potential with a deep acceptance and respect of self, Sowilo students are well placed to make the most of opportunities for and with new enterprises especially those involving innovative technologies requiring innovative learning practices.

 

Guidelines for Action

 

Students have access to the internet and may develop and enhance existing skills in web design and management. For example, students are encouraged to apply to professionally manage web sites and conduct e-businesses. Students are also involved in the development of a local area network and an on-line journal.

 

Examples of how students may work across the Learning Ares are developed as Cross Curriculums Perspectives .

 

CROSS CURRICULUM PERSPECTIVES

 

Ten Cross Curriculum Perspectives have been identified by mentors as important societal and educational issues which cross curriculum boundaries. Additional cross curriculum perspectives may be developed as new issues arise.

 

Cross Curriculum Perspectives include:

 

Aboriginal Education and Torres Strait Islander Education Perspective

Australian Perspective

Environment Education

Gender Equity

Information Technology

Language for Understanding

Multicultural Education

Special Needs Education

Work Education

Lifestyle Studies

 

The Cross Curriculum Perspectives can be used in all Sowilo units. Following are some examples of how these may be dealt with in a variety of areas.

 

Aboriginal Education And Torres Strait Islander Education Perspective

 

Astronomy

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cosmologies and their relationship to the Western concept of time.

 

Peace Studies

How did Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander societies deal with conflict? How does this affect current issues such as land rights.

 

Art

Aboriginal art and the representation of the Australian landscape compared to other traditions of art, especially the early European artists.

 

Environment Education

 

Dance

How is the relationship to the environment expressed though dance?

 

Outdoor Pursuits

Minimum impact wilderness and adventure activities.

 

Geography

Study of futures in relation to all aspects of the environment - social, physical, economic, cultural etc.

 

 

Information Technology

 

Music

Use of computer technology in music e.g., composing, mixing.....

 

Massage

Diagnostic software packages.

 

Philosophy

The role of information technology in modern life: has it led to an improvement in the human condition? How does artificial intelligence relate to human intelligence.

 

Multicultural Education

 

Physics

Contributions made to physics by physicists from different cultural backgrounds and parts of the world (e.g., India, China, South America).

 

Photography

 Photographic documentary of multicultural Australia.

 

Human Movement

Examine cultural identity through sport in Australia. Who plays what, and what is the connection between the sport and the country of origin?

 

Work Education

 

Fashion

Work experience in designer/modelling agency.

 

History

What is the role of the historian in modern culture? Who pays them? What makes them part of the accepted culture (e.g., compare David Irving with Manning-Clark)?

 

Yoga

What makes a good Yoga mentor? What skills and knowledge does one need to run a Yoga school? Work experience with an accredited mentor.

 

Australian Perspectives

 

Herbal Medicine

What Australian plants have been found to have medicinal properties? How have they been used in traditional societies?

 

Language

How does the Australian concept of "bushwalking" differ from the German "wandern"? What does this tell us about cultural attitudes to wilderness and nature?

 

Construction

How did new settlers adapt their building techniques to the Australian situation e.g., slab huts, etc?

 

Gender Equity

 

Chemistry

Is there a role for creativity in science? Why is science seen as a "hard" subject? Can science and art be integrated? What role have women played in chemistry research?

 

Literature

Modern woman writers. How have they reflected and described gender roles compared to male writers (e.g., compare Marge Piercy and Norman Mailer).

 

Politics

Women politicians in a "man's world" - how do they succeed? What perceptions are there concerning women and politics? Does politics need to be redefined to be more inclusive of women and disaffected men?

 

Language for Understanding

 

Words

What part does style play in the communication of culture? What is the difference between formal and informal expression, and why is there a distinction?

 

Myths

What do societies say about their myths through the way they are passed on - oral, written, painted traditions? How has the language changed since the origin of the myth, and what effect does this have on its interpretation?

 

Drama

How much does drama depend on the balance between verbal and non-verbal communication? How does contemporary English speaking theatre differ in execution from Classical Greek or Modern Chinese equivalents?

 

Special Needs Education

 

Psychology

What are special needs in terms of the mental and physical range of human activity? Historically, how did humans change their environments to account for differing abilities, and how do they do it now? Has language changed to account for the above developments?

 

Computing Studies:

How has modern computing redressed some of the imbalance in special needs education? What modifications are possible to enable information technology to be freely available to all users?

 

Sociology

Inequality is a major theme in sociology including the creation of a hierarchy of "difference". What is society's approach to "difference" and how does this affect people with special needs? What are the major responses to dealing with special needs (e.g., isolation versus integration)?

 

It should be noted here that Sowilo Philosophy promotes integration of curriculum across ALL subject areas and hence much of the document below is driven by this principle.

 

 

Lifestyle Studies

Students are encouraged to explore all areas of there lives in terms of their lifestyle. They may undertake study in any area to highlight various aspects of others’ and their own lifestyles and develop strategies and skills for an appropriate lifestyle for themselves.

 

SUPPORTING THE CURRICULUM: ACCESSING COMMUNITY RESOURCES

 

Implementation of the curriculum is dependent on our ability to access strong and reliable community networks and resources. The school has sufficient facilities for the learning opportunities it provides, and makes appropriate arrangements to make the necessary off campus facilities available to students. Some examples of community resources identified for Sowilo's purposes are listed below.

 

Table : Examples of Sowilo community resources

 

Z      AISWA	Z      Amnesty International
Z      Art Galleries	Z      Artist Foundation
Z      Arts Edge WA	Z      Awesome Children's Festival
Z      Barking Gecko	Z      Bizircus (Youth Theatre)
Z      City Farm Community	Z      Community Arts Network
Z      Conservation Council	Z      CSIRO
Z      Curriculum Resources Centres, at Perth Universities	Z      Department of Education of WA, its schools' and resources
Z      Drama West	Z      Dumbartung Aboriginal Corporation
Z      Family & Television Institute	Z      Goethe Society
Z      Greenpeace	Z      Healthways
Z      Heritage Precincts	Z      Indoor Sport and Recreation Centres
Z      Internet	Z      Kulcha Club
Z      LISWA	Z      Loftus Community Centre
Z      Lorax	Z      Manguri
Z      Marr Mooditj Aboriginal Health Worker Training College	Z      Murdoch Department of Astronomy
	Z      NCISA
Z      Museums	Z      Perth Institute of Contemporary Art
Z      Personal Libraries of Students and mentors	Z      Playback Theatre
Z      Perth Zoo	Z      Private Galleries
Z      Port Community High School	Z      Spare Parts Puppet Theatre
Z      Scitech	Z      TAFE Colleges
Z      State and local libraries	Z      Underwater World
Z      Theatre Sports	Z      Video outlets
Z      UWA, Murdoch, Curtin, ECU, UND	Z      WACOS Community Directory
Z      WAAPA	Z      Wilderness Society
Z      Western Australia & its community resources	Z      Yirra Yarkin

 

 

Other resources and suppliers are listed in the Appendix of the original curriculum document.

 

EVALUATION AT SOWILO

 

Evaluation at Sowilo is an on-going and informal process, both within the various units comprising the Curriculum and in all other learning activities at Sowilo. Our evaluations emphasise the breaking down of walls between students and mentors. This is a significant trait of Sowilo, and in the majority of learning groups there is a sharing of skills on an equal basis and strong student participation in decisions about course content and teaching strategies. A further breaking down of barriers occurs between the various areas of knowledge in the Community. For example, a Religion and Metaphysics Learning group might deal with a topic just discussed in Science, or a Gender Studies learning group might deal with subjects covered in Art and Literature. This flow on of knowledge from one area to another does not occur within an external preset structured systematic framework but rather on the basis of individual student needs, interests and personal framework. Also, because the Community is small, the same students may re-appear in different learning groups with the same mentor and on-going discussions about related subjects happen quite spontaneously. Within the learning groups mentors and students often discuss the relevance of material to be covered, and content and strategies can be changed in accordance with the needs of the students. The curriculum, the learning environment and the organisation of learning are under regular review and may occur as follows.

 

Evaluating the Sowilo Curriculum 21

 

The Units of Study are essentially relevant and important to the participants (i.e., mentor/s and students). Peer assessment procedures may be a feature of the learning groups and may include an internal moderation process. Final assessments are ratified by the Whole School Meeting convened for this specific purpose. The Community believes that the experience of student participation in assessment is fundamental to student-directed learning.

 

Ongoing curriculum evaluation occurs:

 

·             When each learning group evaluates each unit as part of the assessment process;

·             In weekly Whole School Meetings and Whole School Meetings specifically convened for course and curriculum evaluation where policies, strategies and particular issues relating to the formal curriculum are discussed;

·             During evaluation meetings (internal moderation) of the whole community at the end of each term with issues arising during the term regarding members’ learning experiences;

·             When community members discuss strategies and policies relating to the formal curriculum at community meetings held at least once a term; and

·             Recommendations on the formal curriculum are made and accepted or rejected at a Whole School Meeting and ratified by the Community Council.

 

Evaluation of the curriculum necessitates and evaluation of the impact of Sowilo's philosophy and practices within the learning environment.

 

The learning environment

 

Approaches and attitudes to learning are more important than the content.

 

The attitude that learning is an holistic process that involves the cognitive, affective, social, spiritual and physical aspects of a person is an important part of Sowilo's philosophy. Learning usually takes place at Sowilo in small groups or learning clusters and on a personal basis in order to develop these aspects. Many students find this different, individual approach to learning was what attracted them to Sowilo.

 

Individuals are encouraged to develop personal responsibility for their learning.

 

The reliance on personal responsibility is very strong at Sowilo. Students are encouraged and supported to develop self-motivation and to take full responsibility for their learning without coercion or manipulation.

 

 

The group's experience in the learning environment encourages individual awareness and is a further aid to the development of confidence

 

Individual awareness and confidence are noticeable traits amongst Sowilo students. Because there is so much focus on student participation in learning groups, in Whole School Meetings students may become articulate and assured in their views. Through exposure to the many community activities and learning environments, students who arrive at Sowilo with low self-esteem, are likely develop self-confidence, self-discipline and increase their levels of self-esteem. This has certainly been the case with students at similar schools, such as SWOW, Summerhill and Sudbury Valley Schools, throughout the world.

 

It is important that mentors are accessible to students not only as 'resources' in specific areas but as people

 

Mentors at Sowilo are certainly not just 'resources' in the ordinary sense. One of the strengths of Sowilo is that mentors provide, often at weekends and evenings, emotional support and strength to students in need. This unconditional aspect of Sowilo community will lead to long lasting friendships between students and mentors. This enhances the organisation of and participation in learning as a whole-of-life experience. How learning is organised impacts of how the curriculum is perceived, implemented and how students access learning opportunities provided through Sowilo.

 

The organization of learning

 

The Curriculum Units offered by Sowilo are organized into one large course where all units are potentially compatible for the purposes of establishing a coherent course. Students design their own courses with a written rationale for their coherence. If students wish to organize their courses under traditional subject headings then they are free to do so. This option is available under the "open array of units" arrangement. This approach gives students greater flexibility if the whole system is broadened.

 

Evaluation in the Sowilo Curriculum 21 is an on-going and informal process, both within the various units comprising the Curriculum and in all other learning activities in the Community. Our evaluations emphasize the breaking down of walls between students and mentors. This is a significant trait of Sowilo, and in the majority of learning groups there is a sharing of skills on an equal basis and strong student participation in decisions about course content and teaching strategies. A further breaking down of barriers occurs between the various areas of knowledge in the Community. For example, a Religion and Metaphysics Class might deal with a topic just discussed in Science, or a Gender Studies class might deal with subjects covered in Art and Literature. This flow on of knowledge from one area to another does not occur within an external preset structured systematic framework but rather on the basis of individual student needs, interests and personal framework. Also, because the Community is small, the same students will re-appear in different classes with the same mentor and on-going discussions about related subjects happen quite spontaneously. Within the learning groups mentors and students often discuss the relevance of material to be covered, and content and strategies can be changed in accordance with the needs of the class.

 

The Curriculum units are presented in the following section

 

 

INDEX OF CURRICULUM UNITS

 

 

No.	CURRICULUM UNIT UNIT
101	Anthropology 1-20
102	Aromatherapy 1-20
103	Art 1-20
104	Astronomy 1-20
201	Biology 1-20
202	Body Awareness 1-20
203	Body Knowledge 1-20
301	Chemistry 1-20
302	Communications and Semiology 1-20
303	Computing Studies 1-20
304	Construction 1-20
305	Cosmos 1-20
401	Dance 1-20
402	Drama 1-20
501	Economics 1-20
502	Education and Learning Community 1-20
503	English 1-20
504	Environmental Sciences 1-20
601	Fashion 1-20
602	Fibres & Fabric Craft 1-20
603	Film Study 1-20
604	Fine Art and Social Change 1-20
605	Food & Nutrition 1-20
701	Gender Studies 1-20
702	Geography 1-20
703	Geology 1-20
801	Herbal Medicine 1-20
802	History 1-20

 

 

No.	CURRICULUM UNIT UNIT
803	Horticulture 1-20
804	Human Movement 1-20
805	Human Relations & Sex 1-20
901	Indoor Pursuits 1-20
902	Issues in Science 1-20
1201	Language, Culture and Societies 1-20
1202	Legal Studies 1-20
1203	Literature 1-20
1204	Living 1-20
1301	Massage 1-20
1302	Mathematics 1-20
1303	Media 1-20
1304	Music 1-20
1305	Myths 1-20
1501	Outdoor Pursuits 1-20
1601	Parapsychology 1-20
1602	Peace Studies 1-20
1603	Philosophy 1-20
1604	Photography 1-20
1605	Physics 1-20
1606	Politics 1-20
1607	Psychology 1-20
1701	Religion and Metaphysics 1-20
1801	Sociology 1-20
2101	Voice 1-20
2201	Words 1-20
2301	Yoga

 

Sample Curriculum Units are included below.

 

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Curriculum Council (1999) Curriculum Framework, Curriculum Council: Perth

Huber, A.S. (1995) Transfer of embedded symbolic information between home and school: The development of ideosyncratic constructions of literacy in the classroom, Unpublished Doctoral Thesis, University of Wollongong, Australia

SWOW Mandala, (1995) ACT Department of Education: Canberra

Various publications about

 

CURRICULUM UNIT 101: Anthropology 1 - 20

 

Specific goals

¨    To enable students:

·     To increase their awareness and knowledge of other cultures

·     To offer an alternative perspective on Australian society by investigating other lifestyles

·     To examine the interactions between different cultures

·     To gain insight into other cultures and their respective identities, kinship, rituals, language and spirituality

·     To recognise and accept the legitimacy of other ethnic groups and their perspectives.

 

Content

This is a deliberately broad approach for a very broad perspective. Possible directions might include:

·             indigenous people (including Aborigines, Native Americans, Inuit, Nubians, etc) - what does "indigenous" mean?

·             case studies of particular cultures

·             identity

·             colonialism

·             government action - reservations and missions, "assimilation", "integration", "self-determination"

·             racism, ethnocentrism

·             multiculturalism and cultural diversity

·             methodology - how does one investigate another culture without being judgemental and obtrusive eg. ethnography

 

Teaching Strategies	Assessment
See Pages 11-12 (Methods of Learning and Teaching)	See Pages 20-22
Cross Curriculum Perspectives
See Pages 37-39
Specific Unit Resources

 

Fisher, M (1986) Recent Revolutions in Anthropology, Boxtree

Keesing, R (1981) Cultural Anthropology, Holt, Rinehart & Winston.

 

CURRICULUM UNIT 201: Biology 1 - 20                                                     

 

Specific Goals

¨    To enable students:

·      To improve their scientific understanding of the living world;

·      To obtain mental and motor abilities appropriate to the acquisition and use of biological understanding;

·      To understand the nature and limitations of scientific activity;

·      To acquire the ability to apply biological understanding to appropriate problems (including those of everyday life and to approach those problems in rational ways.

·      To develop respect for evidence, rationality and intellectual honesty.

·      To improve their capacities to express themselves coherently and logically, both orally and in writing, and to use appropriately modes of communication characteristic of scientific work.

·      To encourage the ability to work effectively with others.

 

Content

These units are intended to cater for a wide range of students who have an interest in Biology. These will adequately equip students entering tertiary institutions, or requiring a tertiary entrance score. As the Web of Life course is being taught in many areas throughout Australia, these units enable interstate students to continue Biology courses begun elsewhere.

 

·             Cellular Processes	·             Interaction and Regulation
·             Continuity and Change	·             Living Things
·             Development,	·             Organism and Environment
·             Function and Structure in Plants and Animals	·             Populations
·             Growth and Nutrition	·             Reproduction
·             Heredity	·             The Human Species
·             Interaction and Change	·             The Living World
·             The Organism	·

 

Teaching Strategies	Assessment
See Pages 11-12 (Methods of Learning and Teaching)	See Pages 20-22
Cross Curriculum Perspectives
See Pages 37-39
Specific Unit Resources

 

Newton,T & Joyce, A. (1990) Human Perspectives, McGraw-Hill.

Fullick, A (1994) Biology, Heinemann.

 

CURRICULUM UNIT 602: Fibres and Fabric Craft 1 - 20                                 

 

Specific Goals

¨    To enable student/s:

·     To acquire skills in using the decision making process as a basis for thinking and working through craft design and techniques.

·     To gain the knowledge and skills necessary to design and produce craft items.

·     To encourage acquisition of textile craft as a leisure time pursuit and to provide a basis for developing their interest into cottage industry.

·     To acquire and/or restore the capacity for creative expression.

 

Content

The content listed below should not be seen to be prescriptive but as a range from which a unit's content will be drawn. Students will be encouraged to follow their own interests which may include one or more of the following:

 

·             Selection and preparation of a suitable fleece, for spinning	·             Selection and use of the spinning wheel
·             Spinning	·             Skeining and washing
·             Dyeing	·             Frame loom weaving
·             Finish and making up hand-woven fabrics	·             Selection of suitable yarns
·             Parts of the loom, calculating and preparing warp dressing a loom threading drafts.	·             A complete article such as wall hanging, vest or place mats
·             Weaving on a 4 shaft loom	·             Fleece ring weaving
·             Inkle loom weaving	·             Using natural vegetable and mineral dyes.
·             Dyeing fabrics and yarns studying the various methods and chemistry of dyeing and dyes suitable for particular fabrics and fibres.	·             Weaving on either a frame loom or 2 or 4 shaft table loom
·             Dyeing effects, e.g., tie dyeing marbling fabric.

 

Programs of study for each unit are to be individually structured for each student in consultation with staff. Students may explore a particular craft topic in depth, such as patchwork, silk painting or knitting and to this end will acquire knowledge and skills appropriate for, and specific to the particular topic, as well as further developing those already acquired.

 

Teaching Strategies	Assessment
See Pages 11-12 (Methods of Learning and Teaching)	See Pages 20-22
Cross Curriculum Perspectives

 

CURRICULUM UNIT 602: Fibres and Fabric Craft 1 - 20                  continued

 

See Pages 37-39

Specific Unit Resources

 

Galea G. (1991)Textiles and Design, Longman.

Gohl E. & Vilensky L. (1993) Textiles for Modern Living.

 

 

[1] I have used “an-educate” to imply to be “without education” by using the suffix of “an-“ to mean “without”. Let’s not try to educate!

© 2000 AS Huber

©2000 AS Huber

[2]     Sowilo is registered in Western Australia as a non-profit association which, as one of its objectives is the conduct oif a school. The school, Sowilo, is registered as a school for Years 8 to 12 in Western Australia

©2000 AS Huber

[3] TEE: Tertiary Entrance Examination which is usually taken after 13 years of school in Western Australia