Subject Sites
The following includes a brief explanation of Subject Sites, as well as examples of how Subject Sites is being applied in current practice in the VTaL Google+ Community. Included are different aspects of the Practicing Teaching Criteria that links to the use of Subject Sites. There are also references of how Subject Sites connects to the 7 Principles of Learning from the Nature of Learning, published by the OECD Project Innovative Learning Environment.
Subject Sites
The purpose of the Subject Site is that all learning resources are visible and accessible.
The benefit of Subject Sites is that all learning resources are centralised and visible. The example site, Digital Technologies with Ms Anderson, includes the following within each year level:
- Course Overview
- Year Level Calendar
- Project Information including instructions, assessment information etc
The site also includes Year Level Google+ Communities, Careers Information, and information about IT Partners. All of the information within the site is geared towards supporting student learning, and is visible to anybody who accesses the site.
Subject Site Example
The VTaL Visible Teaching and Learning Google+ Community is a public community that is completely visible and accessible to all users.
The section on Subject Sites includes posts that cover a wide range of topics relevant to subject sites, such as:
- Instructions for Students new to Digital Learning - Hinerau Anderson, DigiTech
- New Students Navigating Information in my DigiTech site - Hinerau Anderson, DigiTech
- NEW DigiTech Google site - Hinerau Anderson, DigiTech
- Reflections of my journey with Subject Google Sites - Hinerau Anderson, DigiTech
- Technology Staff sharing their NEW Subject Sites - Akesa Tuipulotu, Food Tech
- Review of Google Sites - Hinerau Anderson, DigiTech
- Google Sites - What's in a Name? How should Google Sites be organised? - Hinerau Anderson, DigiTech
- Effective Navigation Design - Hinerau Anderson, DigiTech
Practising Teacher Criteria
The following are various aspects of Practising Teaching Criteria that relates to the use of Subject Sites.
Conceptualise, plan and implement an appropriate learning programme
- articulate clearly the aims of their teaching, give sound professional reasons for adopting these aims, and implement them in their practice
- through their planning and teaching, demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of relevant content, disciplines and curriculum documents
Reflective Questions
The following are reflective questions that relates to the use of Subject Sites.
"All learning resources are visible and accessible"
- Do you use Subject Google Sites to enable all learning resources are visible and accessible?
- If not, do you use other learning tools to enable all learning resources to be visible and accessible?
- Why or how do the Subject Google Sites or other learning tools meet the learning needs of Ākonga?
- Do these tools align with Visible Teaching and Learning eg. accessible to Ākonga, teaching colleagues, support staff and other professionals, whānau and other carers of ākonga, agencies, groups and individuals in the community?
- What professional development are you undertaking to further develop your understanding and implementation of Subject Google Sites in teaching and learning programs?
7 Principles of Learning
The following are different aspects of the 7 Principles of Learning that relates to the use of Subject Sites.
Recognising individual differences
The learning environment is acutely sensitive to the individual differences among the learners in it, including their prior knowledge.
OECD The Nature of Learning, 2016The learning environment devises programmes that demand hard work and challenge from all but without excessive overload.
OECD The Nature of Learning, 2016