Termly Reflections on a Curriculum for Learning, Not Exams
Well, what a term it has turned out to be! If you, like me, are limping towards the finish line that is the Christmas break, then give yourself a massive pat on the back for surviving. Heroes, all of you! I thought I would take this time, and this post, to reflect on the last term and use it to look forward to the new calendar year.
At the start of this academic year, I introduced the idea of a foundation year to my Y9 Media class. They are in Y1 of 3 years of GCSE study, giving us some structural opportunity to try out this experiment. I'll be honest, even though I read up extensively on the benefits of the concept and explored models such as Art foundation years, I didn't know it would work out. I took most of my inspiration from the transformational curriculum my Head of Faculty had designed for English Language in Y11, but while this worked exceptionally well, it was for a different stage in students' careers and was designed with this different purpose in mind.
However, I am really pleased (and relieved!) to say that it has been a success. Students in Y9 have spent quality time exploring media language: codes, layout, colour, typography, camera work...the list goes on. This felt a little slow at times, and there are some parts I will most certainly tweak, but what I have now is students who are confident independently approaching a text and exploring specific elements in detail, and being critical of choices. We still need to work on some of the quality of written response, but that foundational knowledge is there. What's really exciting is that students have started to independently discuss how these elements combine to construct respresentations, and that these respresentations have repurcussions for a text and an audience. I've even had some Y9 girls independently research Mulvey and include her in their latest task. This is exciting, because it shows the progression of the curriclum design works, but also that it encourages that confidence when approaching texts in order to form these independent opinions and ideas. Not being hampered by the set texts also allows for students to explore and apply ideas in their areas of interest after I have modelled and directed using a range of high quality texts. This allows for engagement, application of ideas and clear, precise instruction. While we havent delved into all media forms in lots of detail, the confidence I am seeing in Y9 is unlike anything I've seen in our other year groups, and that is a really good sign. I'm really excited to start representations with them next term!
As for sixth form, lockdown has taken its toll on their resilience. Nevertheless, we are seeing progress and, from the students engaging, definite improvements in quality of response and integration of critical perspectives. I have found the teaching more intense, but it has paid off in terms of what is being produced to be marked. I have written a post here about the strategies we have been using to engage sixth form learners and encourage a deeper understanding of the subject.
The mastery packs have been useful in scaffolding for both GCSE and A Level, and are something I am going to coninue to use, along with REPs sheets that are alternated with articlaes to read from Media Magazine. We have also launched our podcast this term, and our first student episode goes out this week!
So, where next? Well, we hope to publish our first English, Film and Media journal in January, to showcase the writing of our students. We are also looking forward to options evening and the potential of hosting this virtually. We also hope, as a result of this, to launch Film Studies and start to discuss this curriculum. Finally, we will be launching our new production challenge and (hopefully) our own Media, Literature and Film Festival competition. Lots to look forward to, and I hope to document this journey further here!
On a final note, Can I thank from the bottom of my heart those of you who came to the CPD I organised, who have downloaded, liked or used my resources, have shared them or used ideas to create your own awesomeness, and generally been wonderful humans. This term has been particularly tough for a numbers of reasons, and when imposter syndrome creeps in it's a little comment here or there that makes things a little better. I don't do anything special, but I love what I do and I love to share that love with all of you. So cheers to that, and a very Merry Christmas!