Introduction
I'll make a quick disclosure at the outset, my Apple Teacher Portfolio is not quite complete, yet. But I thought I'd share what I had done so far as a reminder that you can adapt the pages to suit your local curriculum. Being someone who loves getting rewarded with badges, I will complete this reflective portfolio soon.
Curriculum Refresh
In New Zealand, our curriculum is undergoing a refresh. The main aim of the refresh is so that all students experience a sense of belonging, acceptance and well-being at school. The refresh aims to support teachers to design a curriculum that fits the uniqueness of every student - so that progress and outcomes are addressed and celebrated. A simple three-step model has been adopted:
- Understand
- Know
- Do.
This aligns very closely with the three steps that the Apple Teacher Portfolio follows, namely:
- Activate
- Explore
- Apply
UKD Model
In order to bring our local curriculum into the reflections on the Apple Teacher Portfolio, I rearranged and renamed some of the pages. In this way, we are supporting the new curriculum, and also getting teachers to reflect on how effectively they are implementing the changes.
Activate: Understand
This part relates to understanding the big ideas in each curriculum area. It looks at the overarching ideas and takes a broad vision of concepts.
Explore: Know
This is where we give students rich contexts to explore the big ideas; time for investigation and taking deep dives.
Apply: Do
This relates to the tasks, activities and actions we attach to the learning, where students implement their understanding.
Collaborative Portfolio
If the overarching goal is to equip students with the knowledge, skills and values to be successful global citizens, we need to reach some consistency. Worthy goals and ambitions, however, do not ensure effective strategies. Collaboration is vital if we are to reach the common goal of raising outcomes for all students. Change requires many iterations, which is where the Apple Teacher Portfolio becomes so valuable for sharing and reflection. With all stakeholders working towards a common set of goals, leaders should model collaborative behaviours. This can be effectively established through the portfolio.
August 30, 2022
This is exactly how our team hoped the Apple Teacher Portfolio would inspire educators like you.
You've made it your own, and are using it thoughtfully to develop and iterate on meaningful lessons as a part of an overall curriculum refresh. That's huge. 👏🏼👏🏼
And now you've shared your beautiful template updates to inspire others. Thank you 🫶🏼🫶🏾
📣 We'd love to hear how others have customised the Apple Teacher Portfolio.
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