We are now two weeks into
our whole College return to face to face learning. Some questions continue to
be asked from our online learning experience. What have we learnt? What can we
build on after pivoting back to face to face learning? How have we been able to
refine practices and embrace innovation to enhance student learning and
wellbeing?
I have spent some time reflecting on personal experiences I have been able to draw some parallels with. Due to the uniqueness of the COVID-19 pandemic I need to go back to my childhood and my Dad’s occupation as a professional cray fisherman in the West Australian Rock Lobster industry. I vividly recall when I was a young child in the 1980s a huge change in the fishing industry occurred. Without going into all the nuances of the industry, for many decades cray fishermen would locate their cray pots in the ocean through compass bearings. A regular type of phrase was ‘280 degrees for 10 nautical miles’. Then, after a bit of looking around, you would locate your line of craypots. Then GPS technology arrived, along with colour plotters and echo sounders. This technological advancement revolutionised the industry quickly, increased productivity, mapped ocean locations, reduced expenses… essentially, the industry was changed overnight! Is this what we have seen occur in education?
Throughout many recent educational readings, a prominent question rings in my ears. There is nothing like a crisis to drive innovation! After many weeks of online learning – which our teachers did an excellent job in delivering, while students engaged wholeheartedly – the return to face to face teaching and learning has been welcomed by most. In particular, it has been welcomed by teachers who are eager to carry into their day to day practices newly learnt and honed skills which add to their pedagogical repertoire.
What we are emerging from and what will define us as a College is how we take the best parts from our online learning experience and embed them into our daily practices. What were some of the best parts of our Online Learning Program?
D2L
Focus on wellbeing
Ongoing feedback
24/7 access
Student engagement and one-to-one conversations
Digital and blended learning lessons
Parent engagement through regular communications
Although the Online Learning Program was a great success at A.B. Paterson College – and I must once again acknowledge the outstanding dedication, preparation and professionalism of all staff (teaching and non-teaching) which made this online experience seamless – there is a reason why face to face learning is the preferred method for teaching and learning, supported by extensive research.
Face to face learning is where the teacher and the student meet in a set place for a set time, for either one-on-one learning or, most commonly, in a variety of group-based class lessons. Face to face learning is a very effective way to learn knowledge and skills because it often combines different ways of learning including writing, reading, discussion, presentations, projects, group work, film clips, demonstration and practice. (Headspace, 2020). This stimulates and promotes deep understanding.
Face to face teaching and learning is far more nuanced than anything online, far more personal, far more human!! It is all about building relationships, having conversations, discussing points of view, engaging with each other, assisting your peers…
The uniquely human element of teaching is what makes the
classroom, the playing field or the music centre the most powerful of learning
places.
On the return to face to face teaching and learning, a new
initiative was put in place with, initially, staff and now Year 11 volunteers
escorting Junior School students to their classroom each morning.
An element of this initiative, in the beginning, was to
discourage parents and guardians to come onsite and this has now morphed into a
highly engaging commencement to the school day. The beaming smiles of our
younger students could not be wider, their proud independence is on show, and
what does this create? It creates a launching pad for their day of learning and
personal skill building which links with the College positive education and
growth mindset principles. This is engagement with our College community on
display each and every morning at the highest level.
Let’s all continue to affirm our strong College culture
through nurturing our strong relationships in line with our strategic pillar of
College community. This is what makes us A.B. Paterson College… this is the
A.B. Way!
Simon Edgar
Head of Junior School
Listen, Speak, Read, Write
First comes listening, then comes speaking, next comes reading and then we are writing…
“Language is how we think. It's how we process information and remember. It's our operating system. Vygotsky (1962) suggested that thinking develops into words in a number of phases, moving from imaging to inner speech to inner speaking to speech. Tracing this idea backward, speech—talk—is the representation of thinking. As such, it seems reasonable to suggest that classrooms should be filled with talk, given that we want them filled with thinking!”
Just how important is the vocabulary we use in a Prep classroom and what does this look like?
From online live phonic lessons to singing and revising all 42 sounds taught over the past 11 weeks, our Prep students have already been given a strong foundation in English literacy.
As we begin our reading journey in Prep, we are continually developing our speaking skills within the classroom. Children are encouraged to speak in complete sentences, not answering questions with one-word answers or asking questions with simple and disjointed words; ‘Go to bathroom’, ‘Can I please go to the bathroom?’.
Talking is the foundation of literacy and should be encouraged. As teachers, we are building the children’s vocabulary everyday through conversation and questioning. The children’s weekly show and tell presentations are an integral part in developing speaking and listening skills.
Our Prep classrooms are filled with exposure to new and exciting vocabulary, expressing ideas through feelings and emotions, creative thinking through craft and the teaching of letter sounds through song and actions – all of which helps to contribute to a confident speaker.
Term 2 has introduced our Prep students to ‘investigations’ within our Transport unit in Literacy. We investigated real problems; talking through the problem, what is it? How can we fix this? Children complete the investigation. Then, using the ‘think-pair-share’ strategy, the children are required to talk through the investigation from the beginning with a partner. Each child is given the opportunity to listen and speak to their partner and discuss their findings, procedures and challenges.
Once the children have verbalised their ideas and problem-solving strategies, they move on to writing their findings in simple sentences. By first saying the sentence out loud, children are able to practise the structure of their sentence before committing it in writing to their book.
Vocabulary represents one of most important skills necessary for teaching and learning English literacy. It is the basis for the development of all the other skills: reading comprehension, listening comprehension, speaking, writing, spelling and pronunciation.
As teachers, we look forward to continually developing these skills with our students each and every day making it PREP-astounding
Australian Defence Force (ADF) Job Finder If you are interested in joining the ADF but don't know about ADF job, use the Job Finder on the home page to get you started. Click on 'Jobs' on the top navigation bar and you will see a list of jobs on offer in the various services. All jobs have a brief description, training and benefits including: salary, medical and dental, work/life balance, job security and career development, skill acquisition and community involvement.
Upcoming Australian Defence Force information sessions Find out about upcoming Queensland and National ADF events and information sessions by visiting the Defence Jobs website. In the current COVID-19 environment you can view online:
Further information about these events and Army Reserve Information Sessions can be accessed on the ADF Facebook site.
Your Future is Up – Find your ideal role in the Air Force Want to take your first step to a rewarding role with the Australian Air Force? Visit the Your Future is Up website and learn what your career path could be in the Royal Australian Air Force. You will also find information about the various roles in the Air Force. Start checking it out.
SCHOLARHIPS
Bond University scholarships for 2021 Bond’s scholarship program offers many full-fee and part-fee scholarships as well as cash bursaries. Most scholarships can be used for any single or combined program (except for the Medical Program). Visit the Scholarship webpage for more information, to download the scholarship brochure and to access the application tips. Scholarship applications for Year 12s must be lodged online using the Bond University application form.
INTERSTATE AND INTERNATIONAL
Helpful websites for researching overseas study options
Study and play USA – Provide the knowledge, experience and expertise student-athletes need to travel to the USA to live, play, learn, compete, study, grow in a purpose fit university.
Education USA – This site offers a five-step approach to researching study in the USA.
International Student – Provides access to resources for study in USA, Canada and UK.
OS Top Universities – Provides information on the highest ranked universities in the world.
Study Link – This site has a search tool that gives you access to thousands of courses from institutions around the world.
Study Portals – Allows you to search globally for institutions and courses.
OS-HELP on the Study Assist website – OS‑HELP is a loan available to eligible Australian students enrolled in a Commonwealth supported place who want to undertake some of their study overseas.
Smartraveller – This Australian Government website provides information for Australian travellers.
Study in Canada – You can use this site to explore institutions and courses in Canada.
Study in New Zealand – A course search and information about qualifications and scholarships available.
How we got in - US Uni Admits Share Their Top Tips Learn from a recent Brisbane student who gained admission to Ivy League schools, Yale and UPenn with the help of Crimson Education, as well as more top admits from around Australia! Click here to read more.
PRIVATE PROVIDER UPDATES
Queensland Police Recruiting seminars If you are interested in exploring the career opportunities within the Queensland Police Service, you can visit their website for recruitment information and to keep track of when information sessions will be held after the current COVID-19 restrictions are lifted. On the site you can find links to entry pathways, diversity and inclusion, what's offered, unsworn QPS careers, frequently asked questions and event and information session details.
UNIVERSITY UPDATES
Australian Catholic University
Biomedical Science at ACU Has the current pandemic made you think about how a future career in STEM, particularly biomedical science, can help protect the world? ACU's Biomedical Science students explore microbiology, biochemistry, pathophysiology, immunology, biostatistics, pharmacology and more. Graduates are well-equipped to meet future health challenges. With a degree in biomedical science you can:
start a career running clinical trials to test new vaccines
get involved in hands-on laboratory testing to process biological samples for diagnosis
understand how a virus becomes a pandemic and help the medical community take appropriate safety and preventive measures
help pharmaceutical companies in vaccine production, testing, and distribution.
Early entry to ACU - Community Achiever Program Are you looking at gaining an early entry offer into university in 2021? ACU have early entry programs to suit a range of interests and passions. The Community Achiever Program (CAP) offers future students who are active in their community, early offers to their undergraduate course of choice. From regularly volunteering in your community, to representing your school or house in a leadership role, we urge all eligible students to apply. CAP provides opportunities for you to enhance your leadership and volunteering skills and if you’re successful, you could receive an offer to study with us as early as August. Due to COVID-19 social distancing protocols, ACU understands most people are not able to volunteer right now. The admissions team will take this into consideration and you should not let current restrictions deter you from applying. Applications for the 2021 CAP program opened on 1 May 2020 and close 29 July 2020. Apply here.
Australian National University
ANU’s College of Engineering and Computer Science webinars ANU invite you to an informative webinar series hosted by the College of Engineering and Computer Science. Each webinar will focus on a specific topic including student life at ANU, ANU areas of expertise, courses, structure and career outcomes. You will be able to ask their academics, students and staff any questions about studying at ANU. The webinars are:
21/05/2020 Biomedical Systems: Using tech to improve lives - Join us for a live webinar about how engineering has the potential to improve human lives.
26/05/2020 Student life at ANU - Listen to a panel discussion with students from the ANU College of Engineering and Computer Science.
02/06/2020 Discover Engineering at ANU - A unique interdisciplinary and systems approach to engineering that develops world-class skills and expertise to be job-ready.
Central Queensland University
CQU: CQUniversity Online Chat Session Got questions about TAFE or university? Get the answers at the Online Chat Session on 21 May from 3 - 6pm. Click here for more information about this event.
CQU: Study at CQUniversity at their Brisbane campus CQUniversity provide innovative and flexible study options in Brisbane. Some of the courses offered at their Brisbane campus are:
Bachelor of Digital Media – a course for students with a flair for design who are keen to create digital media works using soft wear tools and techniques.
Bachelor of Science (Chiropractic) – an evidence-based degree, you will develop patient assessment skills and therapeutic approaches to manage common musculoskeletal issues like back, neck and shoulder pain, headaches, movement problems and more.
Bachelor of Accident Forensics – a course for students who love TV shows like Mythbusters, Air Crash Investigation or Seconds from Disaster. You will learn a range of analysis techniques to identify accident causes and more importantly, how to prevent it repeating.
Griffith University
Tertiary Preparation Workshop for entry to the Bachelor of Music The Conservatorium offers Tertiary Preparation Workshops to help you stand out from the pack at your audition for the Bachelor of Music at the Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University. If you are in your final years of high school or know someone wanting to apply for entry to a university music degree, this program can help you better prepare for the theoretical and practical requirements of the audition process. The workshop will run from 29 June – 3 July 2020. For more information visit their event information page.
The University of Queensland
Admission Schemes update
Auditions for the 2021 B Music (Honours) Program The UQ School of Music invites applications from everyone who is interested in auditioning for a place in the B Music (Honours) program commencing in Semester 1 2021. The closing date for applications to audition is Thursday 13 August 2020. The university may not accept your application to audition if your application is incomplete or received after that date. Click here for the apply for the application to audition form and further information.
Changes to Undergraduate entry requirements for 2021 The University of Queensland has made changes to some of their entry requirements for the following 2021 entry:
Bachelor of Science and most related dual degrees now have the following new prerequisites: English, Mathematical Methods plus one of Chemistry, Physics, Biology or Earth and Environmental Science
Pending approval: - B Biotechnology and B Biomedical Science so keep checking the UQ website for further information
Doctor of Medicine - Provisional Entry for School Leavers - Changes to admissions process for 2021 Changes to Medicine entry requirements for 2021 are:
Applicants must be a current school leaver
Applicants must attain min ATAR 95
Applicants must sit UCAT. Late bookings to sit UCAT in 2020 for 2021 entry have now closed
Applicants must meet English prerequisite (and any other prerequisites for first degree)
Applicants attend a Multiple Mini Interview (MMI). Applicants will be invited to attend the MMI based on UCAT scores. Not all applicants will be invited
Merit order selection into the program
Applicants will receive a score based on their Interview score (50%), UCAT Sections 1-4 aggregate (25%) and ATAR (25%)
Note that UQ admissions schemes and ATAR adjustments (max 5 points) will still apply to MD Provisional Entry
Requirements to progress from first degree to Medical Program
Must complete their designated key degree in the minimum time (i.e. 3-year degree finished in 3 years) and must achieve GPA 5.00
Must complete the two tertiary science subject prerequisites during their undergraduate studies prior to enrolment in the MD
Jeanette Maxwell - Head of Pathways(Source: Options Careers Bulletin 8)
10c Tuesdays are Back at A.B.!
The Planeteers have launched a new initiative inviting parents to help us on our mission to reduce single use plastic and cans from ending up in landfill.
Each Tuesday morning during term time, between 7:45am and 8am we will be in the Marble Arch car park near the big red recycling bin. The Planeteers want you to donate to us your 10c plastic bottles and cans. We can now also accept empty, rinsed alcoholic 10c drink containers. They will then be taken to be recycled into other goods, with the proceeds to go towards our community garden.
There are a few things we need your help with, to make the process a little easier.
Ensure that the containers you bring in have the 10c logo on them and are non-alcoholic bottles or cans (see ‘Yes’ image)
Remove all contents inside and give them a rinse so they’re clean.
Remove any lids from bottles as these cannot be recycled yet. These can be put into your recycling bins at home.
Bring your items in a bag to the red bin where a friendly Planeteer and Miss Moore will be there to collect them.
Feel amazing that you’ve helped reduce landfill and helped the Planeteers raise money towards building our community garden.
If you are interested in participating, please print off the logo below and place it on your dashboard for the traffic guides to help direct you into the right lane to minimise any congestion.
We are now two weeks into
our whole College return to face to face learning. Some questions continue to
be asked from our online learning experience. What have we learnt? What can we
build on after pivoting back to face to face learning? How have we been able to
refine practices and embrace innovation to enhance student learning and
wellbeing?
