13/04/2016 - Day Three - Professional Placement - Berserker State School

Today I witnessed my first ever John Munro lesson. I was very excited to observe this lesson and
wasn't disappointed. The students were engaged, even the students that are often distracted easily. I
compiled a number of observations on this lesson. These were:
1. Recording for student engagement
2. Observing questioning in the classroom
Observation sheets are attached for results on the data that I compiled. In summary however
Students were engaged 99.8% of the time. I also learned how important it is to ask students
questions about what they were learning to ensure containment of the new content being learnt.
My reflection for these observations are as follows;
The students were sitting on the carpet in front of Miss Walker. Miss Walker was reading a text
called the Peasant Prince. Before the book was opened the students were asked to predict what the
story was about based on information presented from the front cover. Predictions were then written
on the white board. Students were also asked what questions they wanted to ask about the text.
WOW words were also written on the board. Miss Walker then commenced with the text. As the
story progressed the questions were answered, predictions were resolved and WOW words were
defined. The students were engaged and some of the more distracted learners were also engaged in
the lesson.
I was that fascinated by the John Munro lesson that I decided to do some further research. I found a
document from Education Victoria on the definition and understanding as well as the importance of
this type of lesson. (Document attached). I found that it can also be referred to as GKR (Get
knowledge ready).
A little bit of information about John Munro as per http://research.acer.edu.au follows;
Dr John Munro is Head of Studies in Exceptional Learning and Gifted in the Graduate School of
Education at the University of Melbourne. He is a trained primary and secondary teacher and a
registered psychologist. His research interests, teaching and publications are in the areas of literacy
learning and learning difficulties, maths learning disabilities, gifted learning, learning
internationally, professional learning and school improvement. His most recent books include
Teaching oral language and Powerful Learning A strategy for system reform. He is a consultant
to several Victorian and national school improvement projects.
Dr Munro was elected a Life Member of Learning Disabilities Australia and an Honorary Fellow of
the Australian Council for Educational Leaders. He is a past president of the Australian Remedial
Education Association and chair of the College of Educational and Developmental Psychologists.
Dr. Munros experience in curriculum development includes the VELS English syllabus, the
Language Disorders Program and the support materials for dyslexia and other learning difficulties
for DEECD and the Critical and creative thinking component for the Australian Curriculum. He
has worked extensively in the International Baccalaureate programme, particularly for the
Extended Essay and the Theory of Knowledge and was an international consultant to the Primary
Years Program.

From witnessing this lesson and from the further research that I have conducted on this type of
lesson, this is definitely a strategy that i am going to use in my teaching career.