Journey summary

Self-Organised Learning Environment (SOLE) has been implemented following professional learning with staff, with it being embedded weekly units of learning.

Journey focus area

Students have improved their:

• self-regulatory skills
• use of the 4 C’s (collaboration, critical thinking, creativity and communication)
• research skills in order to answer complex and involved questions
• ability to create ‘Big Questions’ following lines of inquiry

Timeline and milestones

Positive impact

• Increased student engagement.
• Student driven learning related to the curriculum and areas of interest.
• Improved research skills.
• Students are self-organising into productive, inclusive groups using their classroom space in innovative ways.
• Challenged teachers to review their approaches and personal pedagogy.
• Provided support to colleagues through ongoing mentoring and collaboration.
• Students have improved their ability to articulate their thoughts and provide constructive feedback.
• Improvement in students' ability to critically analyse information and summarise findings succinctly.

Emotions

• Excitement and interest amongst the majority of staff
• Students enjoyed being challenged and taking ownership of their learning
• Understanding that SOLE leads to a deeper understanding of concepts
• Motivation to embrace change
• Surprised about the capabilities of the students' abilities to direct their own learning.

Main challenges and solutions

Challenge:

• Creating ‘Big Questions’ with staff and students.
• Challenging teachers to reconsider their teaching styles and classroom design.

Solutions:

• Integrated SOLE planning into stage planning days
• Provided staff with a consistent proforma to program outcomes and questions
• Storing programs and ideas on the school server for all staff to access