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Education Services
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New Learning Paradigms - Middle Schooling
How are schools in this new environment going to engage its young people so they can live confidently in a world that is profoundly complex? How are schools going to prepare students for the world of work and leisure in a society which will change significantly during their adult lives? One of the fundamental goals of schooling is to instill in students the love of learning and the capacity to live productive, meaningful engaged lives as adult members of the community. The Middle Years of Schooling (Year 6-9) are about two significant transitions in the young person’s life;
Given the changes that are taking place in their social, emotional, physical, intellectual and spiritual development, these are the years when students are either ‘turned on’ to school or are ‘turned off’. The context of this Middle School reform is one where a significant number of students in the Middle Years experience underachievement, are involved in anti-social behaviour, do not enjoy school, are disaffected and alienated. Hence, the need to respond more effectively to the specific needs of young adolescents has never been more urgent. The role of the school, its curriculum pedagogy and structures is critical to how we engage our young people during the Middle Years and ensure they retain interest and motivation in learning. Middle School reform represents innovation and change that is holistic. It is an innovation that is breaking new ground, and if we can embrace it by thinking strategically we will be able to move outside our comfort zone of traditional schooling which is alive and well in the classrooms across Australia. Middle Schooling promises to engage our students like never before in the joy of learning. We need to recognise there is an alternative that will meet better the complex needs of our young adolescents. Middle Schooling is that alternative, offering fresh hope to become the very best one can be. Gaia Education Services supports the establishment of Middle Schools. It offers school organisations, their staff, students and parents ways to establish a middle school philosophy and practices through education and professional development opportunities focused on:
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Last modified: 01/16/06 |
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