This Teacher’s Journal: Blog Post 1 | January 24, 2025 Some early reflections at the outset of the teaching year; Some outlines of directions, based upon my literature review, that may lead to a refreshed historical pedagogy that infuses technology in order and works to develop student agency; An overview of a potential 10-Week unit…
This Teacher’s Journal: Blog Post 1 | January 24, 2025
Some early reflections at the outset of the teaching year; Some outlines of directions, based upon my literature review, that may lead to a refreshed historical pedagogy that infuses technology in order and works to develop student agency; An overview of a potential 10-Week unit strategy; A seasonal metaphor for planning growth.
Building Historical Agency Through a 10-Week Plan:
The start of a new school year is always a mix of anticipation, preparation, and reflection. As I begin thinking about teaching, I’m liking the metaphor of a sense of ‘changing seasons’ of a unit. Seasons gradually change. They are all part of the health growth of both an individual tree and of the collective forest. They are distinct yet part of a cohesive whole.
In the musing about Term 1 below, I have outlined what I anticipate will be a manageable and replicable comprehensive 10-week structured plan for teaching a unit for my history classes in ways that effectively reflect the emerging pedagogy in my research. The roughly follow a season flow. Sometimes seasons will come early. Sometimes late. In many north hemisphere countries, tradition holds that there are 4 seasons. On Wurundjeri Country there are seven seasons. In northern Australia, often two. Seasons reflect context. The changing seasons of the unit plan will also reflect the contextual situation and needs.
This conceptual plan below blends the development of content knowledge, skills in historical inquiry, and reflective practice while incorporating innovative uses of technology, particularly generative AI. I’ve also worked hard at finding ways by which I can increase student connection to each other and their communities within my teaching. This approach ties closely to my research into fostering student agency and creating transformative learning experiences. Here, I’ll unpack the details of the plan and the thinking behind it.
Note: The phases, or seasons, of this conceptual plan will be elaborated upon further in future posts.
What I thought I’d do… (a.k.a.What might a Term Unit of 10 weeks look like):
Next week will almost certainly be titled “What actually happened…”. Such is teaching.
Begin with the end in mind. (Covey)
What do I want to achieve this term?
This term, I want to build on the strong foundation my students already have developed in historical thinking—evaluating sources, analysing evidence, and forming reasoned conclusions. While these skills and mastery of content remain important, my focus is on helping them ‘do more’ with the skills they’re developing. I want them to see history not just as a discipline for understanding the past, but as a way to connect with the present and imagine possibilities for the future. By linking history to themes of justice, identity, and global agency, I aim to empower students to explore how their learning can shape their communities and the wider world.
To achieve this, I’ll foster inquiry-driven, collaborative learning environments where technology supports deeper engagement and personalised exploration. Flipped lessons will free up class time for active discussion and problem-solving. I am hopeful that I will find a ways for the formative assessments and checks for understanding that are completed throughout the unit to prioritise creativity, ethical reasoning, and real-world application. Ultimately, I want my students to leave with not only a richer understanding of history but also the tools and confidence to apply that knowledge in ways that inspire action and transformation. I want them to develop a future-orientation to their studies of history that is enhanced by innovative uses of technology. I want to see a refreshed historical pedagogy start to take place that builds upon the intellectual foundations of the Amherst Project, the Schools History Project, ‘new history’ and historical thinking to embrace notions of reparative and generative histories.
What’s my actual teaching time look like?
Some notes on the timings of the unit / term
A possible 10-week unit broken into 5 x 2 week learning episodes (200 minutes p.w. = 4 lessons pw. 2x single + 1 x double).
The 5 learning episodes will be ‘modules’ in Microsoft Teams.
In Term 1, Week 1 is highly interrupted by activities relating to return to school. It’s possible that the first learning episode will commence in Week 1.
Each module will have a check for understanding.
Not all lessons will have the full allocation of lessons. (Term 1 Week 1 is an example of this.)
Not all lessons will run to plan.
What’s my resourcing look like?
Some notes on the timings of the unit / term
I am in a well-resourced school, very privileged school that allows me to be innovative and imaginative in my pedagogical approaches. That said, these privileges and the enviable level of research, to me, places an imperative on me to ‘do more’ in my teaching. The following are some features of my ‘physical resourcing’.
Classrooms feature digital data projectors, numerous whiteboard and posterboard spaces. These enhance enhance opportunities visual engagement and providing tools for dynamic, multimedia lesson delivery.
Many classrooms have spaces which can be used as ‘breakout’ spaces for smaller group or individual work.
As a Microsoft Showcase School my school is recognised for its commitment to innovative teaching and learning practices supported by Microsoft technologies. These include:
Student Devices: All students are equipped with Microsoft Surface Pro devices, enabling a consistent and high-performing digital platform for learning and collaboration.
Software and Collaboration Tools: Students and teachers have full access to Microsoft 365, including class Teams, OneNote, and other applications that streamline communication, content sharing, and project management.
Stylus Integration: The use of Surface Pro styluses allows for digital handwriting, annotation, and drawing, supporting creative and flexible teaching approaches, particularly in subjects like History and Modern History.
Cloud Storage and Collaboration: Cloud-based file storage and sharing through OneDrive enable students and teachers to collaborate efficiently on documents, projects, and assignments in real-time.
Learning Accelerators within Teams: The school has access to learning platforms and analytics which assist in targeting teaching to the needs of individual students, the ability to give high quality and timely, actionable feedback. These platforms help to differentiate instruction.
Embrace of use of Generative Artificial Intelligence(AI): My school actively supports teachers’ and students making ethical and safe use of AI. Staff are trained and supported in the use and teaching of AI. Students are supported in learning how to use AI ethically and responsibly to support their learning in the classroom. The school explores and integrates AI-powered educational tools, such as Insights in Microsoft Teams and other platforms that support personalised learning, data-driven decision-making, and advanced student engagement strategies.
Extended Reality (XR) Access: The school may provide access to XR tools, including Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR), allowing students to experience immersive simulations and visualisations that enrich understanding, especially in areas like historical events and geographic exploration.
Variety of EdTech Tools: A broad range of educational technologies is available to teachers and students, including apps for formative assessment (e.g., HistoryPin Flip, ThingLink, Polycam, Blookit, Padlet, Gimkit, Kahoot!, Quizlet), project management (e.g., Trello, Microsoft Planner), and creativity (e.g., Canva, Adobe Express), enabling versatile and innovative lesson delivery.
Advanced Library Facilities: A recently refurbished library offers extensive resources, including a junior and senior library, IT support services, maker spaces, teaching and collaborative spaces, and breakout areas (including a green screen room).
Access to Digital Resources: Subscriptions and access to multiple online databases such as Trove, JSTOR, or other academic and historical archives allow me to incorporate high-quality primary and secondary sources into your teaching.
A rough week-by-week overview of the pedaogical ‘seasons of the unit’.
Weeks 1-3: “New Leaf Season”: Introduction and Foundation
The “New Leaf Season” represents the early budding of the unit, where students stretch tentative roots into the soil of new ideas. This is the time of emergence, as they begin to explore the foundational skills and connections necessary for the learning ahead. Like trees sprouting the very newest of leaves, students are finding their footing and embracing the promise of growth.
The first two-to-three weeks of a term’s unit in an AI flipped learning are pivotal for setting the stage for the entire term work and learning outcomes… but, at the outset of a school year, the precise timelines of the unit can be ‘messy’ as the school finds it rhythm.
I am an unknown quantity to most students at this stage of the year. I have not yet won their trust – even thought I am an older and experienced staff member who has a solid reputation, built over decades at the school, among the students for being a capable teacher.
I would like the experience of teaching these students to be powerful for them but it may be an experience that they are unfamiliar with. I will need to coach them on the journey and guide them towards a space that I believe they will value. It’s important to remind myself that these are students who often have been high-achievers – they have performed well in the ‘high-stakes assessment game’. Pursuing a goal larger than ‘just a grade’ might be challenging for some students in the group. It is still valuable but I will need empathy and to communicate carefully.
My ‘short-term’ / initial goal is to help students settle into my classes comfortably and to ensure that they connect with (and master) the subject matter, establish a strong grounding in foundational skills, and engage with emerging technologies in meaningful ways. Beyond those objectives await larger life goals of increased agency, connection, sense of identity, and love of learning.
One of the initial activities for the year involves a Post-It Note activity derived from Seth Bruggmann’s sticky notes activity at Temple University. In my version of the activity, students respond to two prompts: “What have you found rewarding in your studies of history?” and “What have you found challenging or frustrating in your studies of history?” These notes will be placed on the wall of the classroom, creating a shared visual representation of the class’s collective experiences. This will (hopefully) spark a rich conversations and provides insight into the students’ prior learning journeys. It also encourages them to take ownership of their learning by identifying their personal goals and challenges. I further hope the process will help engender a sense of shared classroom community and a trust in me as their teacher as I also engage in the conversation.
In parallel to this activity, flipped learning will begins with video lectures and readings that introduce key content. Students will use their styluses and Surface Pro devices to create concept maps in Class OneNote. Concept mapping is a skill that will need to be modelled and coached. These activities ensure active engagement while building foundational knowledge. (There’s a great deal of evidence that concept mapping with styluses is a powerful form of notetaking.)
Students will be also tasked with engaging their families in discussions about the meaning, purpose, and value of studying history at school. This activity will challenge students to get passed reductive ideas like “studying history to avoid repeating the past”. It will invite students and their families to think more deeply about history’s broader purpose in understanding identity, agency, and context.
This will be supplemented by a “Your history with history” Microsoft Flip video blog by students to help me get to know them as learners.
Finally in the learning episode of Weeks 1 and 2, a major focus is integrating Playlab.ai chatbot tutors into my class as tools for inquiry. These chatbots will, eventually, help students to unpack complex terminology, explore multiple perspectives, develop their writing and test their own ideas. Important in the process for the class at this stage will be the process of teaching students to verify the reliability of information. I intend to collaborate with a UX designer from Playlab.ai to ensure students not only use the chatbot effectively but also understand how it is built and operate. By the end of the two weeks, students will be required to submit a Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) document that they have chosen by a process of using the Microsoft Teams app Search Coach. These RAG documents will form the foundation for enhancing the chatbot with curated, reliable information provided by the students themselves. The skills of the historian put to use in “real life” with a “real life” impact on their community.
The first two weeks of the unit will culminate in a yarning circle, where students share their reflections on their learning, surprises, and questions that emerged during this period.
Weeks 3-5: “A Season of Deep Green Leaves“: Developing Historical Thinking Skills
This phase is like the development of a thick, lush canopy of midsummer foilage. Students in this season are thriving, soaking in the richness of historical thinking concepts (such as recognising processes of continuity / change, and historical significance). They’re developing a deeper texture in their ‘leaves of knowledge’ as skills develop in interpretation, analysis, and evaluation. The season is one of active growth, with students extending their branches into deeper, more intricate inquiries.
With a solid foundations of weeks 1 – 3 in place, the focus shifts of the second phase will turn to developing historical thinking skills. Students participate in activities that call upon them do develop their skills in interpreting, analysing, and evaluating primary and secondary sources. Concepts such as continuity and change, cause and effect, and historical significance will take centre stage.
Playlab.ai continues to play a role in developing these skills. Students use the chatbot to test perspectives, uncover biases, and refine their critical questions. These activities encourage students to engage deeply with historical evidence and build confidence in their analytical abilities.
Weeks 5-6: “Fruiting Season”: Applying Historical Thinking in Inquiry
In the “Fruiting Season,” some of the growth in historical thinking skills inquiry starts to ripen into ‘fruit’ – the product of their growth journey to this point. Students in this season are likely to be synthesising their learning, crafting evidence-based arguments, and beginning to see tangible results from their efforts. This is the time when their understanding blossoms into meaningful projects and insights.
In these weeks, students transition from learning about historical thinking to applying it. Students at this stage will explore and communicate their ideas based upon key historical topics.
Year 9 topics will relate to 19th-century Australia
Year 10 topics will relate to Pompeii, Herculaneum, and archaeology
Students will construct evidence-based arguments, drawing on both primary and secondary sources. They will present their findings, and peer reviews will help refine their arguments and analytical writing. This phase is about synthesising knowledge and demonstrating historical understanding in practice.
Weeks 7-8: “The Ripening”: Assessment Preparation
As the fruits of learning mature, students focus on refining their skills and ideas, ensuring they’re ready for an upcoming ‘harvest season’. The ripening process mirrors their preparation for assessments, where feedback cycles and practice assessments add the final polish before their knowledge is reaped.
Soft and hard scaffolding will be increasingly important at this stage of the unit.
As assessment approaches, Weeks 7-8 focus on preparation. Students will likely be:
Breaking down assessment tasks into manageable steps.
Practising constructing thesis statements and integrating evidence.
Grappling with the skills involved in understanding historical thinking based criteria descriptors on assessment documents and within instrument specific marking guides / grading rubrics etc.
Engaging in teacher and peer conferencing and feedback cycles to refine their responses.
Participating in (and receive feedback on) mock assessments to simulate exam conditions and build confidence.
These activities ensure that students are well-equipped to tackle formal assessments.
Week 9: “Harvest Season”: Assessment
Often, in traditional models of teaching, ‘the harvest’ is considered the culmination of the unit. This is an incorrect understanding which feeds into and reinforces notions of schools being ‘only about grades’. Certainly the “Harvest Season,” is a time of demonstration of the knowledge and skills but it must also be framed as celebration of all that has been cultivated within the seasons to this point. It is a significant milestone period on journey of learning just as solstices and full moons were considered significant seasonal signals BUT they are not the purpose or the goal. In the ‘harvest’, students have one type of opportunity to showcase their mastery and reflect on the journey that brought them here. This opportunity is, however, incomplete, often reflecting the ability of students to perform a narrowly defined task, under narrowly defined conditions, while a wide range of factors determine the nature and shape of the fruit produced. The harvest season may bring a sense of finish and completion. It may lead to a sense of relief and celebration for students but it is only really another opportunity for reflection.
Formal assessment tasks will take place this week, aligning with syllabus objectives. These tasks allow students to showcase their mastery of content and skills. Post-assessment, students will have the opportunity to reflect on their experiences and outcomes, both individually and through class discussions.
Week 10: “Seeding Season”: Connection and Reparative Histories
In “Seeding Season,” the cycle begins anew. With guidance, students might find that, in all prior seasons, not just the harvest, the seeds of future action have fallen on the ground. These seeds may represent the beginnings of future inquiry. These seeds may be a new agency that is inspired by their questions, their values, this may result in explorations of reparative histories and transformative possibilities. This season looks forward, imagining how the lessons of the past might bloom into meaningful change in their communities. Perhaps is a season of seeking next steps and finding deeper meaning. A season of asking: “So what?”, “What next?”, “What is the purpose of my learning?”.
The final week of a unit in term time provides space for reflection and broader connections. A post-assessment yarning circle enables students to share their insights, key takeaways, and remaining questions. From there, we explore reparative histories, inspired by scholars such as Samantha Cutrara. This discussion focuses on history’s transformative potential in addressing contemporary issues and fostering civic agency.
Students will complete an open-ended project proposing ways that historical inquiry can inform and address modern challenges. This phase aims to deepen their understanding of history’s relevance while cultivating empathy, critical reflection, and agency.
School Holidays: The crucial season of ‘Dormancy‘
The school holidays represent a period of dormancy, where the soil rests, preparing for the next cycle of growth. Yet during this time much can happen beneath the surface. It is an unseen phase of learning. Learning is not limited to school hours. In this time of quiet, students connect with family and community. The have time to reflect in ways that consolidate their learning and prepare themselves for future growth. Travel may occur which consolidate their learning. Intergenerational conversation may occur which promotes empathy and agency. The end of term / unit break periods are crucial periods where the seeds must be left undisturbed but not forgotten. A time when sunlight and water nourish growth. A time to sit and wait as we allow allowing the roots of knowledge and growth to strengthen beneath the surface.
Reflections and Aspirations
This 10-week plan represents more than a curriculum sequence; it’s a deliberate effort to create a dynamic and student-centred learning environment. By integrating tools like Playlab.ai and embedding reflective practices, students will navigate historical inquiry with purpose and confidence.
My ultimate aim is to foster joy and agency in learning, ensuring students see history not just as a subject to study but as a lens to understand themselves, their communities, and the world. This plan is also an opportunity to align my teaching practice with my research into technology-infused pedagogy. As the term unfolds, I’ll reflect on what works and refine my strategies to better serve my students’ needs.
This plan follows a metaphorical rhythm of the seven seasons. The seasons offer a metaphor for teachers to guide students through a learning period focused on growth, reflection, and renewal. Each phase of the unit (season) is seen as a natural part of development. It replaces machine and industrial metaphors of schooling with ones more aligned with Indigenous relational understandings of learning and growth. Each season prepares students for the next, each builds a foundation for ongoing learning and agency.
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:
a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.
What do workers gain from their toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. He has made everything beautiful in its time… I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God… I saw that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy their work… For who can bring them to see what will happen after them?
Disrupted History 