Running An Integrated Program

Jan Miletic Castlemaine Secondary College Miletic.jan.j@edumail.vic.gov.au

0421 997 111

Running An Integrated Program

•  Any topic/theme/issue can become an integrated unit •  Variety of outcomes can be met (not all have to be met in one task) •  I am not an expert – my main aim is to give students a broad range of

experiences that will be beneficial for their future pathways.

Foundation Intermediate Senior

Year 11 Year 12

PDS WRS Literacy Numeracy Industry

What to do?? Ideas???

Teaching since 1983. History, Geography, English, Humanities Have used integrated programs and Applied Learning for Years 7 - 9 for a very long time.

Teaching VCAL 2010 VCAL Coordinator – 2009 VASS VCAL Coordinator – 2009

Loddon Mallee Quality Assurance Panel

VCAL at Castlemaine

•  2015 numbers: 665 students •  2 campuses : Etty St (SC 10 – 12) and Blakeley Rd (JC

7 – 9) •  We run VCAL as Year level subjects due to the numbers •  Separate Year 11 VCAL and Year 12 VCAL •  We run PDS and WRS combined in one class each

semester. •  VCAL is run as a “subject” that students choose in Year

11. •  VCAL is run as a program in Year 12

•  Have taught Year 11 and Year 12 combined in 2011.

VCAL at Castlemaine

YEAR 11 VCAL •  PDS/WRS is chosen as a unit within a choice of 6 each

semester. •  Students can opt in or out at the end of the semester •  Students do

•  VCE Foundation English (or VCE English/Language/Literature)

•  VCE Foundation Maths (or VCE General/Methods) •  VET subject (compulsory)

We have 14 students enrolled in VCAL.

VCAL at Castlemaine Year 11 Majority at Foundation level 2 students who are integration students (one fully funded) and 1 SBA,

•  Involvement in at least 4 activities •  25 Hours of volunteering •  Planning

•  an excursion to Melbourne (PDS/WRS) •  Athletics BBQ (PDS/WRS) •  Project Fund Raising (PDS/WRS) •  Continued Fund Raising and association with the Mt Alexander Lolotoe East

Friendship Association(PDS) •  RSPCA •  Other tasks – not sure yet – depends upon what pops up during the next

couple of months •  Career based work and projects

VCAL at Castlemaine

YEAR 12 VCAL – Full program of VCAL •  PDS/WRS •  Literacy (or VCE English) •  Numeracy (or VCE Further/Methods) •  VET

It is here that we integrate the program as the majority of students choose to do PDS/WRS + Literacy + Numeracy. This year we have 15 students enrolled in VCAL.

VCAL at Castlemaine Year 12 VCAL has: •  1 fully funded integration student •  2 low level autistic students •  1 superstar •  1 with ADHD •  1 with low self esteem (has had suicide issues)

•  Should have at the end of the year (if they complete all tasks) •  3 Senior Certificates (maybe 5) •  1 Foundation •  14 at Intermediate

VCAL at Castlemaine What do I do? VCAL is based on project work in the Community. •  Work on a theme at the start of the year. •  Use students own ideas for projects •  50 hours of “volunteer” time (usually over 2 years) •  I have a variety of projects that are community based (school

and outside groups) that are ready to go •  Always take up new projects if students will benefit from it •  Have a number of contacts within the community that the

students can work within. •  AIM is to give students a broad range of experiences. •  Volunteering at events/projects is not compulsory.

VCAL at Castlemaine We are: 2 kms from town 2 kms from nearest primary school 5 kms from Blakeley Rd campus A lot of projects occur on weekends!!

So travel is an issue. Students have to do project work within the community.

The VCAL team (Michelle and myself) have •  A letter signed by parents stating students can be

unsupervised for some events. •  Travel in our cars. •  This is only for Year 12. (Year 11 only get the travel form as they are

supervised at all times)

VCAL at Castlemaine What do I do?

•  Begin each year with a theme that I can incorporate all elements. It gives the students ALWAYS something to go one with. •  The theme this year is “Road Safety “and “Youth and Work” •  Previous years – Road Safety, Generational Study, Intercultural Study

•  Have a variety of projects that can be individually done or in pairs. This becomes the basis of their PDS and WRS within the coming weeks

•  Have a least one “group” project which covers PDS and WRS. •  All projects have Literacy and Numeracy elements. •  Industry Strand is covered by their VET subject.

Beginning an Integrated Program Find links in the community that you could use

Community house/Enterprise Businesses Organisations: RSPCA, Businesses, HotRods, Garden Clubs

Growing Abundance Run The Maine Kindergarten

Mount Alexander Shire (good for funding as well) Hospitals

Art/theatre groups Primary Schools

Ask the principal, admin, staff for student projects Check local papers for upcoming events

Fund raising dates (Good Friday, SIDS, World Vision, RSPCA etc) Have a list of activities that the kids could do

Pick a GENERAL theme (usually something that could tie into teenagers) that you could start on immediately – doesn’t matter if you change it later (mainly to start literacy work

while PDS projects sorted) What do the students want to do? Interviews with each student to find future pathways

and interests and develop a project for them

VCAL at Castlemaine 2015 projects to date:

Other projects that have been in planning and preparation mode: •  Project Money Making (all have to do it)

•  Gardening •  Art •  Craft

•  Year 7 Battle of the Sexes •  Ellery House Wicking Beds •  Web site for Project Money Making •  Autism Awareness •  Run The Maine (first aid and Marshalls) •  Kinder fete (gingerbread people decoration)

I raise funds to give students certificates that they would use in the work place: First Aid RGA RSA Swimming Food Handling Personal Training Barista Fork Lift

Thus we fund raise for ourselves (Project Money Making) to give them a sense of ownership.

Year 11 students 2014, working at a Foundation Level, have been involved in a number of teacher and student directed

projects such as: •  team building activities •  industry investigations (including obtaining OHS

certificates) •  State School Relief fund raiser - bbq •  Certificates in Safe Food Handling, Barista, First Aid and

RSA •  Marshalls/First Aiders at Run The Maine •  Prep – grade 2 Tabloid sports volunteers •  Kickball for prep – grade 2, planning and organising •  Hospitality through Growing Abundance at Applefest •  Nursing volunteer at Castlemaine Health •  Groovin The Moo •  Training Righteous Pups

•  Year 12 students, 2014, working at all three VCAL levels completed individual/team projects such as:

•  Youth Week celebrations at Etty St and Blakeley Rd •  Bus opening activities •  industry investigations (including obtaining OHS certificates) •  Combined Literacy, PDS and Numeracy project on “Navigating Melbourne” •  VIC Roads Programs: Year 10”Keys Please”, Year 11 “Fit2Drive” and Year 12 “Look after your mates” •  Grooving the Moo •  Working with the Primary PE local Network to run P – 2 Tabloid Sports •  Planning and organizing Harcourt Primary school athletics •  Certificates in Safe Food Handling, Barista, First Aid and RSA •  Marshalls/First Aiders at Run The Maine •  Hosts for East Timor students •  East Timor Garage Sale •  State School Relief fund raiser ($600.00 donated) •  Red Balloon/CFA fund raiser ($600.00 donated) •  Hospitality through Growing Abundance at Applefest •  Propagating Funds project (gardening and woodwork) •  Irrigation at Winters Flat Primary School •  Castlemaine Garden Club members •  Volunteers at Castlemaine North Primary School •  Etty St Footy competition •  Groovin The Moo •  Castlemaine Kinder Gingerbread Man Stall •  Castlemaine Health: Ellery House mural •  Castlemaine Health/Cadarg: Homeless awareness sleep out

IDEAS •  Topics do not have to cover every outcome. •  Not all students have to do the same topic. •  Some tasks all students do have to do (but at different

levels) •  Students can work at different levels eg

•  A paragraph on homelessness (foundation) •  Report on why homelessness occurs (Intermediate) •  Interview with a homeless person (Senior) •  THUS KNOW YOUR STUDENTS ABILITIES

My students can do either Literacy or PDS or WRS in the class. They have topics/projects given to do that they can work on at their own pace. Deadline for work is usually end of term. Work is given in stages Next 2 pages gives ideas on integrating topics. The yellow shading is what I have done in the past or am currently doing.

Literacy Numeracy PDS WRS

Homeless Research why homeless occurs

Statistics about aged of homeless

Run a stall/fundraiser/ sleepout

Careers and Risk assessment

Gardening Write a pamphlet about roses

Run a budget sheet Propagate and sell Careers and OHS issues

Sport (AFL) Your greatest moment in sport

Number of clubs, members, participants

Run a program for primary Run a sports program at school during lunchtime

Career options and OHS

Food (Fast food) Should fast food be allowed in Castlemaine?

Calories in fast food Distances between fast food areas

Run a healthy food campaign

Jobs in the fast food area

Music How has music evolved over the ages?

Survey students as to favourite types of music

Run a “dance” Organise a visit to a musical

Careers in the music industry

Cars Holden – Myth or Legend Compare stats over time in production and cost Statistics on number of accidents and why

Get the local hot rod club to visit Organise speakers to talk about road safety

Visit to local manufacturer/seller/ Mechanic Careers in automotive

Mental Health Research types of mental health issues eg Autism

Amount of money spent on research

Run an Autism Awareness Day

Careers Run an event/OHS/Risk

Social Media The day my selfie got me banned

Run a competition where no-one uses social media for a week

Impact of negative social media on careers

Family History Draw up a family tree Interview an aged care resident

Cost of living in aged care Cost of aged care to the government

Organise a trip to interview residents in aged care

Careers in Aged Care OHS issues with Aged Care

Drug Awareness Research a drug/Recall an event Statistics on drug use in community

Arrange a drug counsellor to visit

OHS risks to staff

Animals (Righteous Pups Bendigo – train dogs for autism)

Case against zoo/puppy farms. Why pets should be desexed? Children’s book on Righteous Pups

Survey school as to pets

Arrange a visit to RSPCA Fund raiser for local charity Trained puppies for RP on a weekly basis

Careers in Animal care OHS and Risk to humans and dog trainers

Aged Care What I learnt from Nan/Pop? Generational statistics

Work Placement in aged care residence

OHS/Risk in Aged care Run an event

Cancer/Medical What is Cancer? Number of people impacted by cancer

Run a fundraiser/awareness

Careers

Alcohol Should alcohol be banned? Faction vs Fiction re glass sizes

Guest speaker Visit to hospital

Careers Certificate in RSA

Gambling Why is gambling addictive? Play poker and draw statistics from the game

Guest speaker Certificate in RGS

Environment What is El Nino/El Nina? Map of pacific + graph showing the years and impact

Run an awareness campaign on impact

Careers in environment

Science/Technology The world and “AI” in 100 years? Statistics re loss of jobs due to automation

Run a science fair/competition

Careers in robotics Impact on work industry skills

Careers Research your career choice. Stats Run a career expo for year 9/10

Research your career and present to Expo

Melbourne Trip Research and report on areas to visit Distance travelled Estimated travel time

Visit Melbourne in pairs (unsupervised)

OHS/Risk involved in travelling

Integrating – Pick a topic.

Industry

PDS

WRS

LIT

NUM

•  Think of what tasks the students could do.

•  Challenge the students

•  Tasks could be different for each student

Final Comments •  TALK to other members of the VCAL team and pool ideas

and resources •  Work together and work with community members – amazing

what options can arise (car painting) •  Sometimes less formal structures and planning -works best •  Sometimes projects can be dropped into your lap •  Use what the kids want to do

•  Lots of work, time and planning by you, BUT worth the final outcomes for the students.

2013 Year 12 VCAL class and 2 Year 11 VCAL students won The Mount Alexander Youth Of The Year Award for outstanding contribution to Youth Volunteering.