Ngaire Harris, Principal of Hauraki Plains College, talks about how they introduced key competencies by building on existing successful initiatives within the school.
We take what we have already done and ask how the key competencies inform that work
We try and scaffold off what we have already got.
We did this with the key competencies. Because we realized that most people believe the key competencies are solid common sense stuff and a lot of people have a gut feeling they are right. As teachers you know that the kids need to be able to manage themselves and relate to others and be able to contribute well in a team. Employers know this, teachers know this.
So scaffolding the work we have already done in our school, for example our learning toolbox, worked.
When we looked at our learning toolbox, which was generic learning tools, Habits of Mind, that sort of thing, all mixed together in a toolbox for students, when we looked at that we realized it was a good foundation to introduce the key competencies.
So we take what we have already done and ask how the key competencies inform that work.
Updated on: 13 Jun 2009
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