Semester+idea

=**Discussion Document**=

We want to provide flexibility for our senior student courses; to see if we can't improve their engagement by making our courses better tailored to their needs.

This idea involves senior courses having a date, about half way through the year, at which the students change courses.

If I was teaching Physics at Y12 under such a scheme I would organise my course thus:


 * ===Semester 1=== || ===Semester 2=== ||
 * Mechanics (6 credits, external) || Waves (4C, external) ||
 * Nuclear Physics (2C, external) || Electricity and Magnetism (5C, external) ||
 * Graph relationships (4C internal) || Graph relationships (4C internal) ||
 * Report on integrated physics application (3C internal) || Report on integrated physics application (3C internal) ||

With students staying all year having a chance to improve on their internal grades, those coming for half year no reassessment (but resubmission in accordance with our procedures). Those leaving at half year might like to do a semester of Chemistry or Ag ITO standards.

One of the downsides might be that students swopping at half year would lower their chances of subject endorsement. Another downside is staffing; how can we ensure that we need a Physics teacher ALL year?

One of the upsides might be more apparent in courses for the more challenged academically. They could do half year courses in life skills or vocationally pitched half year courses supported by outside providers and STAR funds.

I would like to invite discussion from course leaders as to the feasibility of this working at Opihi.

(Click on the green "Discussion" tab at the top of this "post' and after going to the discussion tab click "New post" and take it from there. Or you click on an existing discussion post and comment. If you challenged by this write it down and I'll get an office staff member to post it for you so that all can see)

John Cruden