VCAL Teaching Team of the Year 2020
VCAL Achievement Awards
On Friday April 23rd our VCAL team had the honour of being presented by VCAA with the VCAL Teacher Achievement Award - Team Teaching Innovation in Lockdown. We congratulate the team members: Daniel Brooks, Matthew Burleigh, Anthony Cotton, Kimberley Graham, Katrina King, Chris Leunig, Hervaye Lobriza, Alex Shepherd, Rohan Spong, Kathleen Timms and Tim Waters on their achievements.
In 2020 they took up the challenge of transforming the applied learning program into a virtual space. They demonstrated adaptability and tenacity in designing, a program that engaged students and looked afer their wellbeing, while also providing real-world experiences that met all outcomes during remote learning.
Some of the events that were adapted included:
- The Winter Sleepout, traditionally held in the school gym. Students were invited to sleep in their backyards, cook a basic meal and write about their experiences in a diary.
- A Shark Tank style experience, where every Year 11 students could pitch an idea to an online panel of sharks and receive expert feedback, culminating in an Enterprise Evening with an audience of parents.
- An investigation into how working from home changed the way people communicated through interviews of friends and family members.
- An annual MasterChef unit, adapted to cooking for the family and creating a VCAL receipe book.
- Planning an online Year 12 Graduation Dinner, with speeches, awards, a bit of fun and attendance from their parents and the College Principal.
By second lockdown it was clear students needed to spend less time in front of their screens. To achieve this and meet literacy outcomes, students selected a novel from the library to take home and read, responding to prompts and shared discussions with each other.
A Mind, Body and Spirit unit was created to meet some of the Work Related Skills outcomes. Activities included cooking, exercise sessions, meditations and taking the dog for a walk. Getting outside and being active for at least one hour each day was an important component of keeping the students' minds active.
Back onsite, the team re-created the Year 9 Mock Inteview Program. VCAL students were responsible for setting up complex IT requirements and interviewing panel members.
Meanwhile the team continued to work on an exisiting goal of raising the profile of VCAL within the College by introducing VCAL captains at Year 11 and Year 12. The newly elected VCAL captains took on their roles enthusiastically and were supported by the team to develop their leadership skills.
Despite its challenges, the team of teachers were able to remain connected to their VCAL students through the successful creation of authentic applied learning activities and fun events during lockdown. Also, VCAL classes have increased from one class to four following the profile raising efforts of the team.
Congratulations one and all.
Catherine Ford
Assistant Principal: Later Years