Never one to shy away from a play on words, I chose the title not to highlight how to create a evil scheme using technology,
but in fact to meet the needs of middle leaders and teachers from the technology community who have been asking me "What should be in a scheme of work."
(Please note before I start, there is a differenece between a course of work scheme and a departmental scheme. I will try and explain both.) Thanks to my colleague Natalie de Roo for her resources on this topic.
So what is a scheme of work?
The scheme is the breakdown of
the standard into teachable units for a specifically given time frame. Normally it constitutes a whole years worth of work for one particular class, across multiple units or projects.
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| Example of a course overview sheet |
It is a guideline that defines
the structure and content of a course. It maps out clearly how resources (e.g.
books, equipment, time) and class activities (e.g. teacher-talk, groupwork,
practicals, discussions) and assessment
strategies (e.g. tests, quizzes, Q&A, homework) will be used to ensure
that the learning aims and objectives of the course are met successfully.
The scheme of work is usually a teacher's interpretation of
a specification or syllabus and can be used as a
guide throughout the course to monitor progress against the original plan.
Schemes of work can be shared with students so that they have an overview of
their course.
The key parts of a "scheme of work" should include:
Objectives/Intentions or Outcomes
|
Methods of delivery (Student and Teacher
activity)
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Assessment strategies
|
Resources or links to resources
|
Other Remarks
|
Technology online has a similar approach in that they suggest as a result of the work by Dr Vicki Compton and Cliff Harwood, that unit planning should include the following:
Programme Focus & Duration
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Achievement Objectives
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Learning Outcomes
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Pedagogical strategies
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| Reporting |
http://technology.tki.org.nz/Technology-in-the-NZC/Planning-programmes-and-units-of-work/Unit-Planning
How to Write a Scheme of Work
1 Check if your dept has a proforma. They may have a special way
they like the schemes of work to be laid out, and/or have a template available.
This will make your life easier.
2 Check other people's schemes of work. Ideally, look at a scheme of work left by your predecessor, but if one isn't available, look at a colleague's scheme of work or perhaps look online at exemplars from other schools. These should be used as a starting place but need to be adapted to fit your particular school requirements (both learners and procedural requirements).
There are a few possibilities available at:
3 If creating a scheme of work from scratch, then use a blank
proforma.
4 Begin by breaking down the standard into chunks. How many lessons/weeks do you have?
5 Within each module, break down into further chunks.
6 Decide how long you'll need for each of these chunks.
7 Now within each chunk, decide what lessons you could do. Try to offer a variety of practical, theoretical, group work, single work, and teacher-led work.Thinking about your learners and how they learn best.
Teachers should consider diferent pedagogical models for delivery based on best practice.
Each school will have a different foci on teaching and learning, some are looking at the following (Please note these are a guide to some models/frameworks being used currently in the schools I visit and work with, it is not an exhaustive list.)
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| http://www.evaluate.co.nz/clarity-classroom/ |
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| http://mindsetonline.com/whatisit/about/ |
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| http://visible-learning.org/ |
As well as the above there are also key over-arching documents that lead education in New Zealand schools. The following three are current strategies that are the key focus of schools and should be considered in planning teaching and learning programmes.
- Ka Hikatia (Accelerating Maori Success)
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| http://www.minedu.govt.nz/theMinistry/PolicyandStrategy/KaHikitia.aspx |
- Pasifika Education Plan
http://pasifika.tki.org.nz/Pasifika-Education-Plan
- Success for all
One of the many common threads through these pieces of policy is the recognition that learners engage and achieve when teachers/ schools know the learner, acknowledge the learners personal identitiy and set relevant contextualised pieces of work which add to student knowledge.
http://www.minedu.govt.nz/NZEducation/EducationPolicies/SpecialEducation/OurWorkProgramme/SuccessForAll.aspx
8 Do this for every chunk, and for every module, and fill in the bare
bones into each column on your document.
9 Now think about what resources you'll need. Textbooks? Large paper and felt tips? Computers? Write these in the Resources column. These can sometimes be hyperlinked to the ‘RESOURCES’ folder (see HSD before you link).
10 Make reference to any specific Key Competancies used
An effective scheme: (from TKI)
- responds to students’ interests, identity, language, and culture, as detailed in culturally responsive pedagogy and Technology rationale
- is based on the philosophy that 'Technology is intervention by design to expand human possibilities.'
- identifies intended outcomes, as described in the make learning explicit section of this guide
- develops the directions for Learning in The New Zealand Curriculum (p. 7)
- builds on students’ prior knowledge and skills, as outlined in ways to identify learning needs
- identifies opportunities for formative assessment, as discussed in assessment for learning.
- Effective planning for senior secondary Technology also addresses the key concepts of;
- provides opportunities for technological inquiry
- meets appropriate safety and ethical standards
A Departmental Scheme of Work
A scheme should be more than just the content of what you are teaching. In a sanp shot it should cover all aspects of the functionality of the department/faculty. It should be divided into two parts and should be current for the year, reviewed and updated annually if not earlier.
1 – Department policy and structure (Everything to do with the department staffing structure and staff professional expectations including appraisal and Teachers Inquiry expectations, timetables and rooming, safety requirements, budgets and equipment/supply ordering, assessment & re-assessment rules, behaviour expectations, and discipline policy, EOTC risk assessment and Ram requirements and that’s all I can think of at the moment…..
1 – Department policy and structure (Everything to do with the department staffing structure and staff professional expectations including appraisal and Teachers Inquiry expectations, timetables and rooming, safety requirements, budgets and equipment/supply ordering, assessment & re-assessment rules, behaviour expectations, and discipline policy, EOTC risk assessment and Ram requirements and that’s all I can think of at the moment….. 
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