TBHS Learning Ladders

By Nick McIvor | Posted: Saturday July 7, 2018

There are lots of images and symbols used to project ideas about education – much the same way branding does in business or elsewhere. In schooling they’re usually (and not surprisingly) about growth and achievement.

One that we’re exploring this year is the idea of learning ladders. That is, to encourage boys to see their learning as being a bit like climbing a ladder, with each step up coming from being able to know or do something new. This matches the ‘SOLO’[1] model of learning being used in TBHS, NCEA’s structure, and wider notions of learning as being about moving oneself up to bigger and better things. The TBHS learning ladder is below. It’s now on walls around the school. It is also on cards handed out earlier in the term. In support of your son, ask him if he knows which ‘rung’ he’s on while doing a school activity and if he knows what he needs to do to get up to the next one. The more conscious he is of where he stands and what the next step entails, the more likely he is to be able to take it successfully. When reached, the view from the top of the ladder can be quite a commanding and satisfying one too! 

[1] http://pamhook.com/solo-taxonomy/

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