Learning and Teaching

BEST Wetlands Unit

In recent weeks, the BEST Learning Teams have been working on their ‘Wetlands Unit’ where our Essential Question is ‘How can we improve the health of our Wetland?’

Firstly, students researched and investigated what native animals we have around our Wetland and the Long Hollow Heathland and looking at what animals we want to encourage, or bring back to the area. We have been working closely with Denis Young and Elizabeth Walsh from Friends of Native Wildlife to identify each animals’ habitat requirements. Denis brought in his ‘Bat Finder device’ to show the boys of 7F how to locate and identify the species of bats from the sound wavelengths they make.

Each student created an Identification poster of one specific animal, then we shared our information with each other through a ‘speed dating’ activity within each Learning Team. This allowed us to be able to understand interactions between species in an ecological food web. From this we then looked at what plants will provide habitat for our animals, and the students selected some plants that we could plant in our wetland area. The Bayside Community Nursery then worked with us to select the appropriate plants and we are now in the process of planting out our wetland. As spring has sprung and we are all winding up Term 3, the students have thoroughly enjoyed getting outside, working with our new gardening tools and putting their work into practice with some planting in the sun.

Curriculum Day

Friday, August 10th was our first professional learning day with all staff. The focus was on developing a stronger understanding of our teaching and learning vision and how to enact this vision in our teaching practice.  "We learn purposefully by cultivating curiosity,

being reflective and making real-world connections."

Beaumaris Secondary College 2018

During the day, staff worked collaboratively to build their knowledge and understanding in the following areas:

Intentional Learning – Staff worked collaborative to understand that the learning experience is multi-layered and the importance of communicating to students the purpose of every learning session.

Project-based learning (PBL) – staff began to unpack what project-based learning means to them as individual practitioners and to develop a PBL vision.

21st Century Learning Design – this program focuses on how to design learning that develops 21st Century skills including, collaboration, knowledge construction, self-regulation, problem-solving and innovation, information and communication technology for learning and skilled communication. It explores what learning looks like in the 21st century and how innovative teaching practices can support student learning to develop these skills. The development of these 21st century skills is a 3-year priority for the school. On curriculum day, the focus was on writing curriculum that builds authentic collaboration skills.

Staff Team Building – ‘Helping Hands’

Through the ‘Helping Hands’ program staff worked together to build prosthetic hands that are donated to amputee landmine victims throughout the developing world. The activity empowered staff to feel what it’s like to be engaged in a purposeful team building activity that involves making real-world connections.