oSJC Professional Development Board

Working Communities model of Applied Learning.Our day began with a general discussion of Generation Y - 53% divorce rate, 189 cultures in Australia, persuit of excellence is not on the agenda, roles of men and women have changed - women not expected to stay home, men often not the highest income earner etc.

In this environment our host has worked on the working community model in some of the more difficult areas of London with great success.

Working Community operates in 5 stages and aims to transfer learning from being teacher led to being young person led.
1:Induction:
Structured activities and workshops about the community, and working community projects.

2: Community:
Structured visits to and from community organisations, defining the meaning of community and exploring what ones own community is.

3: TLC skills
One day activity/workshop looking at Teamwork, Leadership and responsibility. This should be external and can include camping etc.

4: Young Person Led community Projects
Armed with defninitions and information, and TLC skills it is time for the young person to form teams and manage a project for the benefit of the community.

5: Presentations and celebration
Studentsgive presentations which focus on the TLC skills learned to adults who have a career/job in an earea of interest to the students so correlations and transferability of the skills can be drawn. The adults feedback to students. There is a gewneral celebration and certificates awarded.

This program for teaching and learning is suited to Yr 10 English, SOSE, and VCAL/VOCAL.

The success of Working community prgrams is assessed on the following 8 criteria:
1. Achieving learning - testing and exam results
2. Self confidence and self esteem
3. Development of social, enterprise and employability skills
4. Levels of motivation
5. WSorking with others
6. Behaviour
7. Attendace and punctuality
8. Connection to community and sense of purpose.

Young people strongly valued the experience of leading, being trusted, being supported. Pride in projects is very strong.

The notion of facilitation:
The key note for teachers here is that they become facilitators rathers than teachers who diect and preach. The teacher has to empower the learner
-askquestions and pose problems without giving the answers
-encourage the group to look at braider issuse and dimensions
-summarise discussions and offer feedback
-help build the solidarity of the group
walks alongside the group - happy to be led by the group but willing to suppport and ensure they stop and reflect occassionaly about how they are going.

Essential ingredients for success are
1. Projects are young person led - teams and ideas are created and managed by young people
2. Young people review achievements with significant adults to consider the relevance of development of generic skills
3. Young people define community - as they see it
4. Teachers facilitate and manage the learning process
5. Employers and community leaders respond to the achievements of the young people
6. Action and activities lead to a discussion of theory - not the other way around. EG - looking at leadership styles - comes from what is happening not from books and paper. These com after the recognition of a leadership style.


More information on Working communities can be found here:
http://www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/voced/ented/working_community/