Queensland Professioanl Standards:

Standard THREE

Design and Implement Intellectually Challenging

Learning Experiences
As teachers we have an accountability to our students to engage them in learning
experiences that challenge them to delve deeper, be creative and reach higher-
order levels of thinking.
PRACTICE
There are many ways to encourage students to think “outside the box.” Here are four practices a
teacher can utilize to address Standard Three:

1. Create an inclusive learning environment that supports diverse ideas and ensures all opinions are
valued. Encourage all your students to freely express their ideas, ask questions, and exchange
points of view with you and their peers.
Examples: Debates, class discussions on current affairs, class question box, etc.

2. Incorporate the use of ICT (Information, Communication, Technology) into your classroom. Use
this tool to get students to: access, organize, research, interpret, analyze, create, communicate
and represent knowledge.
Examples: Internet for research projects, Social Networking sites, computer programs
to analyze data (Microsoft Excel), computer programs to foster creativity
(Microsoft Powerpoint, Movie Maker, Music Mixers), Blogs, etc.

3. Create learning activities that involve higher-order thinking skills, imagination, creativity,
intellectual risk taking, and problem solving.

Examples: Skits, debates, Audio-visual projects, drawing, complex problem solving tasks
(brain teasers, math problems, science experiments), etc.

4. Always encourage students to critically reflect on, and discuss what and how they learn and
apply these understandings to their future learnings, new topics and problems and issues.

Examples: Journals, Blogs, Online Discussion Boards, Learning Styles quiz’s, reflection
papers, etc.

VALUES
1. Have students create individual learning goals, and encourage them to perform at their best

Examples: Goal Journals (Individual), Class Learning Goals (visible to all students), Inspi-
rational quotes and posters around the classroom, etc.

2. Always be on the look out for new digital technologies so that you can make school relevant and
appropriate for the 21st Century.

Examples: Twitter (for student reminders, inspirational items etc), Facebook (class groups,
discussions and open question forum), Wiki’s (for group projects), Webinars, Blogs, etc

Queensland Professional Standard THREE

 Resources

Queensland College of Teachers. (2006, December). Letter from the

Chair. In Professional Standards for Queensland Teachers
(page 3) [Education standards ]. Retrieved from
http://www.qct.edu.au/
Publications/ProfessionalStandards/ProfessionalStandardsForQldT
eachers2006.pdf

Queensland College of Teachers. (2006, December). Standard 3. In

Professional Standards for Queensland Teachers (page 9)
[Education standards ]. Retrieved from http://www.qct.edu.au/
Publications/ProfessionalStandards/ProfessionalStandardsForQldT
eachers2006.pdf

Queensland Studies Authority. (2010). Essential Learnings and

Standards (Years 1-9) . In Essential Learnings and Standards
(Years 1-9) (essential learnings by kla) [Subject standards].
Retrieved from http://www.qsa.qld.edu.au/p-9/574.html

Useful Websites:
www.facebook.com

www.twitter.com

www.apple.com

www.blogspot.com
www.blogger.com

www.thewebinarblog.com

www.brainbashers.com
www.brainden.com
www.brainteasers.org

http://www.ictteachers.info/ (Great for how to be ICT literate)

http://www.teachers.tv/ict/secondary
 Resources

www.scribd.com