ruMAD? at Gagebrook Primary

A special ruMAD? Project is unfolding at Gagebrook Primary School this year.  The Tasmanian Centre for Global Learning and the school have an agreement to implement ruMAD? throughout the school. This is supported by Gagebrook teacher Steve Robinson, who has relief one day every week to focus on the program and assist other teachers. The trial has been made possible by a grant from the Tasmanian Community Fund.

Gagebrook suburb is a broad acre housing estate that was developed by the housing commission in Tasmania during the 1970’s. It is an extension of the Bridgewater area which was another housing estate that was established approximately 25 years prior. Gagebrook is relatively isolated. It is approximately 30 km in distance from Greater Hobart. It is also isolated from its municipal centre at Brighton and the services at Bridgewater because of the Jordan River. This is an effective barrier because of the irregular bus service, and the fact that many people have no transport of their own, only their own feet.

In the census taken 4 – 5 years ago Gagebrook was revealed to have an average age of 18 and that the annual incomes of the people in the community were among the poorest in Tasmania. Unemployment rates are very high and there are no major employers in the area.

These factors combined to give the community a poor profile in the wider community. There were regular ‘bad news’ stories in the local press, there was a perception that the community was in crisis, there was a high presence of drugs, and a distinct lack of positive role models stepping forward.

Gagebrook Primary School had issues with the behaviour of students. The literacy and numeracy levels, although not the lowest in Tasmania, were quite low and of great concern. The ruMAD? Program is now a part of the change.

The following article, by Gagebrook Primary Grade 3/4 teacher & ruMAD? Support Teacher, Steve Robinson, describes how the Program is working at the school.

"This is the first year that Gagebrook Primary has provided students across all grades with the opportunity to be a part of the ruMAD? Program. Having operated with smaller groups over the last two years, it was seen as a logical growth which was achieved with the assistance of the Tasmanian Centre for Global Learning, and a grant from the Tasmanian Community Fund.

The school is divided into three groups; grades Prep, 1 and 2 make the first group; grades 3 and 4 make the second group; and grades 5 and 6 are the third. Monday is the designated ruMAD? day and the weekly timetable is structured in such a way as to make Monday a specialist free day, thus freeing each group for approximately one third of the day.

Each group is following the same process which began with students having the opportunity to openly express their interests and desires which were documented on the whiteboard. Similarities were then grouped together, or removed with permission of the owner. Students were given opportunities to talkk to the group about why they felt so passionate about their interest and provided with additional information to help them with the next stage of selection through voting. Through open democratic voting, subjects are then removed from the board until there was unanimous support for one idea. In each case, groups were over-whelming in their support for the final choice of subject.

Having selected their subject, groups then used first term to ‘find out’ all about their topic. This included excursions, guest speakers, personal research and teacher-led discussion. Exposure to a rich variety of resources has led to increased interest in the topic and an accelerated gaining of useful knowledge.

In the week before the end of term 1, all groups officially launched their topics to the rest of the school and local community. Use of media outlets made the launch an important occasion as well as providing the local community with an insight into the topics being developed. Now that students have gained an understanding of the topic, second term will be used to consolidate research and start to implement practical ideas in order to make a difference to the problem."

Read about the final projects...

Principal, John O'Rourke, who has led the changes at the school, says of ruMAD?: "Last year, at the start of the year, we went through a process of articulating our values for the school and with community consultation and feedback from kids and staff, we selected four values. One of those values is community and there’s a lot of values underneath that. To the kids it means participating fully in their local community and wider. Through ruMAD? we’re exploring how wide that community can go, from the local community here at Gagebrook Primary School through to Gagebrook, through Bridgewater, then Brighton, greater Hobart, Tasmania, Australia and through ruMAD? of course to the global community.

"We wanted the kids to understand they’ve got to be good global citizens. Everything we do at school we tie back to our values. Most of the other things we do at schools – the social skills, working out our curriculum – fit in neatly to the other three values, but ruMAD? is a really good conduit to look at the value of community. That’s why we’re really keen to do it."


From the teachers...

"Initially I was unsure about the capacity of very young students to understand the concepts involved in ruMAD? but I underestimated their pride in, and sense of ownership of, their community. The students genuinely care about their environment and clearly want to make a difference. Families report that students are applying their learning at home and gathering more recyclable materials than they can presently deal with! One student and her Mum have started their own worm farm. I believe that even if we were to stop at this point, the project has developed enough of its own impetus to make a big difference in the local community of Gagebrook.”  (Grade 1/2 teacher)

"Rich, real and relevant learning experience, our kids need to see a purpose to their learning and this program achieves this."  (Student Support Teacher)

"Teachers need structured planning time to achieve maximum results it can’t be an add on."  (Grade 5/6 teacher)
 

From the students...

Sussannah: "Units A, B and D love ruMAD? because we love to help the environment.
We have been learning about recycling, reusing and reducing rubbish."

Natalia: "In ruMAD?, Units A, B and D have been talking about making the whole of Gagebrook clean.
We want Gagebrook Primary School to look good too."

Teigan: "We have been talking about making Gagebrook Primary school a recycling school. We have recycled lots of bottles, egg cartons and boxes. We want the whole school to do this too."

Sam: "ruMAD? has been thinking about how we can use things again, especially paper. In Unit D we use all our paper two times. AbraKADaBra is also going to have worm farms to use all out food scraps. We can show the whole school how to do this too."

Zac: "We have re-used some recycled bottles, trays and other things to make instruments. We would like to share them with you."

 

Evaluation by Gagebrook Primary teacher, Steve Robinson...

Evaluation of the ruMAD? program at Gagebrook Primary School 2008

"This evaluation is a product of teacher and student comments regarding the ruMAD? program run at Gagebrook Primary School in 2008. It endeavours to acknowledge the perceptions, feelings and ideas generated by teachers and students that participated in the program. The evaluation does not seek to either promote or denigrate ruMAD? Rather, it aims to provide an honest account, both positive and negative of ruMAD? during the 2008 school year.

"During 2007, three upper primary classes participated in ruMAD? Due to the success of the program in 2007, staff decided that in 2008 Gagebrook Primary would embark on a whole school approach to ruMAD? Approximately 200 students, 8 teachers and 1 coordinator took part in ruMAD? on a weekly basis for the whole school year. Teachers enjoyed the whole school approach to the program as it provided a sense of ‘We’re all doing this together’. This was despite the fact that the school was divided into three distinct groupings of lower, middle and upper primary.

"One of the overriding perceptions by students towards ruMAD? was that it was fun and not seen as work. This despite the fact that on average students worked more intensely in a one and a half hour block in the afternoon than on any other afternoon. Teachers acknowledged that the ownership of the topic to be studied which had been generated by the students themselves had been a motivating factor for student engagement. This was evident by the fact that each group had no problem with maintaining student involvement with a project which lasted for a whole school year. As in all situations there were always the odd two or three students that were not engaged and some teachers felt that these students were not catered for within the time slot for ruMAD?

"Teachers were surprised at the learning opportunities that the program afforded the students, and the potential for these opportunities to be linked in a meaningful way with the Tasmanian Curriculum. However, a lack of identified planning time for the group teachers to work together resulted in many missed opportunities to assess student work against the curriculum. This situation would need to be addressed in future if ruMAD? was to co exist with the demands upon teachers to assess against an ever expanding Tasmanian Curriculum. A suggestion by teachers to run ruMAD? at a time that was convenient to them rather than a mandated Monday afternoon was also seen as a possible answer to the planning time issue. This in turn would potentially allow the coordinator access to more groups and their planning time to assist with curriculum.

"Working with the community and forming partnerships within the community was an important aspect for students, staff and the school in general. For most students it was the first time that they had met individuals that lived or worked in their local community, as well as becoming aware of some of the businesses and organisations that existed within the community. Teachers who lived outside of the school community also recognised the importance of becoming more aware of their students community and the potential opportunities for future engagement. The school has long recognised the need to raise a positive profile for its students amidst a negative stereotype image that the larger community holds of Gagebrook. Not all individuals or groups were forthcoming with their time or expertise, however, they were in the very small minority.

"During 2008, as the different groups progressed with their projects, opportunities were taken to promote the students activities through all forms of media. The building of student self esteem, their ability to impact on community issues and their pride and sense of achievement were immeasurable. As the year progressed there was a real hum around the school as groups vied to demonstrate their achievements to the rest of the school.

"Students at Gagebrook Primary now expect ruMAD? to be a regular part of their curriculum and the teachers are happy to provide the opportunity. The challenge is for teachers to continue to allow students to make their own decisions around the chosen topics, and to recognise and facilitate learning outcomes that can be assessed and reported against the Tasmanian Curriculum.

"As Gagebrook Primary continues to strive for a student population with increased social skills, so to does it strive to provide a meaningful education. ruMAD? is one avenue that allows both scenarios to be played out in conjunction with each other. It marries into the school enGage program and it complements the work being done by Brighton City Council in an effort to link the community and create a positive image for the community."
 

enGage

In 2005, Gagebrook commenced a detailed and prescriptive Social Skills program, enGage, designed to combat:

• A large number of suspensions due to violence;
• Teachers feeling distressed and lacking direction;
  
• A large number of children exited from class or the playground for disrupting the learning program, defiance or violence;
  
• Low literacy and numeracy scores due to a number of factors, including a lack of confidence and not feeling safe at school; and
  
• High absenteeism.

The program is loosely based around a framework developed in Queensland by Maureen Gilbert and Mary McInnes, “M & M Pathways’. The framework concentrates on building self esteem and teaching children how to react in pressure situations at school and in their daily lives. Just as we teach literacy and numeracy, research tells us that we should also be explicitly teaching positive behaviour.

At Gagebrook the Program is based on 4 collectively agreed ‘Values’: COURAGE, COMMUNITY, RESPECT and QUALITY. Each fortnight a different concept or skill linked to the values is targeted. That concept is explicitly taught in two 40 minute lessons and then revisited at least 10 other times formally during the fortnight. Children meet in grade groups each morning for these lessons and reminders. All adults in the school are part of these groups and the teaching is a team approach.

Fortnightly dedicated staff meetings are held to decide on a focus and plan the enGage lessons for the following fortnight. Teachers brainstorm and plan ideas together then they separate into grade grouping to plan more specific details of their lessons.

If a child is exited from class, there is a teacher available to assist that child through some learning based around the current concept. Where possible the learning sequences that children are undertaking in their own classrooms also target this concept.

Students keep a ‘growth diary’ to show their development as a person throughout the year. At the end of the year it is taken home.

Gagebrook is now in the fourth year of the program. It has made a significant difference. Data is collected on students’ performance, noting attendance, behaviour and academic performance. The data provides real evidence that the school has improved. Some highlights have been a reduction of suspensions from 86 in 2005 to 2 so far in 2008, and year 3 children as a cohort scoring above the State mean in numeracy in the annual state-wide testing program.