WHAT IS WALKER LEARNING?
Walker Learning is Australia‘s first major play and project-based holistic pedagogy. It is internationally acclaimed and has been implemented for over 25 years across Australia, New Zealand and Asia. It is an intentional teaching and learning approach for children in their early childhood and primary years.
The Walker Learning Approach is not an inquiry model or program that is separated from other curriculum areas. Instead, is a total approach teaching and learning tool that provides a unique balance between the children being active participants in their learning and explicit instruction.
Walker Learning provides systems and practices that hold together teams of early childhood educators and teachers in a consistent approach that ensures continuity and predictability for children, educators and families.
WALKER LEARNING: KEY PRINCIPLES
Professional development provides skills on a range of key elements of practice including how to minimise time on planning and documentation so that records are clinical and professional but are not time consuming to prepare. In addition, how to set up play learning environments to promote skills, scaffold with intention and purpose for learning, how to communicate effectively and to grow in professionalism and self awareness as an educator to honour and build relationships with children and families are all vital to the approach.
The uniqueness of Walker Learning is that it provides a consistency of core elements, appropriate for the specific age and development of children and their learning requirements. The approach maps and incorporate developmentally appropriate elements into the pedagogy so as to provide continuity and consistency as the child moves from preschool through to the early, middle and upper years of primary school.
UPCOMING SESSIONS
Professional development courses for educators, parents, organisations and the community. The Walker Learning pedagogy promotes child focussed education allowing each child the opportunity to thrive and flourish. Walker Learning is an evidence based pedagogy that draws from the fields of developmental psychology and neuroscience whilst acknowledging and respecting that culture, community and family have a significant impact on a child’s life and learning.
Walker Learning: Keys to Success
At Walker Learning we believe that a successful education has to include two major elements:
Skills for life: developing children who can think for themselves and others, who can create and imagine, who are strong in their literacy and numeracy, and who can navigate the challenges of a changing Intrinsic motivation and a strength of character are derived from a strong sense of self and resilience. This is central to developing the whole child. We want to see children grow to become emotionally intelligent, self-initiators, reflective of themselves and others, strong and articulate communicators with a realistic sense of themselves and others.
Skills for curriculum: skills for life work alongside curriculum skills of literacy, numeracy, the arts, science and other curriculum areas. These skills are placed within the context of individual interests, collective culture and communities of the children and their families. Walker Learning uses evidence from how children develop neurologically, developmentally and through the influences of culture and family, to set up the learning environment. Teaching places and spaces reflect a calm yet stimulating range of areas to investigate, explore, experiment and learn.
Neuroscience & Walker Learning
Neuroscience and developmental psychology are major disciplines that guide pedagogical practice in Walker Learning. Brain research tells us that young children respond best to active learning.
Walker Learning is designed to provide a balance of explicit teaching with time for children to actively investigate a range of skills and social and emotional experiences. These skills develop either through planned and purposeful play (years P-2) or guided individual projects (years 3-6) depending upon their age and stage of maturity.
Linking to Framework/Curriculum
When implemented fully, the Walker Learning Approach underpins learning in all curriculum areas. By adopting the Walker Learning Approach, children become active participants in their learning. The learning becomes personalised to the child, which allows the teacher to scaffold, extend and build on the child’s skills, knowledge and interests. These skills and interests are then linked to key curriculum areas that are being taught throughout the day.
When implemented throughout the whole school, the nurturing and inclusive basis for the model provides a seamless transition from childcare to preschool to early and upper primary school and beyond.
Your Walker Learning Journey
Review all upcoming scheduled Walker Learning PD
Do you want to book multiple presentations and plan a Walker Learning implementation strategy?
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