4B

Welcome to 4B! At the beginning of our school year, we have been working to cultivate a high-quality classroom culture where responsibility for self, open communication, and dedication to learning thrives. Read ahead for a glimpse of what teaching and learning looks like in 4B.

Here is the 4B ‘Identity Jigsaw’. It was created to celebrate what connects us and what makes us unique.

4B Inquiry

In unpacking the Term One Inquiry Question, ‘How does the media influence how we see ourselves?’, we kicked off our study by investigating the concept of ‘media’. We were so shocked and surprised to discover how ubiquitous broadcast, published and shared texts are throughout our daily lives. When listing out examples of media that we willingly and unwillingly expose ourselves to, it became easy to imagine how everyday people can be influenced by what they see. 

Through examining some basic forms of media’s hidden codes, we learnt that we are persuaded to act and think in certain ways through the things we read, see and hear. Have you ever looked thirstily at a poster for a soft drink with the condensation dripping down the side of the bottle, or have you ever looked at a photograph of someone on holiday and felt envious? These are some common examples of how mass communication can affect our thinking.

We begin our investigation of media and identity by acknowledging the types of media we regularly engage with. What media texts do you most commonly engage with or enjoy?

“The media I see is on websites, on a browser; my Google Chrome is the main place for almost everything.” - Jiaqi

“My preferred media is chapter books like Harry Potter because books make you feel calm.” - Juliana

“I like YouTube; you can learn anything by watching a video.” – Ivan

“Roblox is great because I can interact with my friends and have fun. It builds teamworking skills. It can be very collaborative.” - Yuhas

4B Wellbeing

Glen Waverley Primary School has shifted to a contemporary wellbeing approach, supported by The Resilience Project (TRP). Throughout this term, 4B has already explored a range of positive mental health strategies connected to Gratitude, Empathy, Mindfulness (GEM) and Emotional Literacy. It has been exciting to build awareness of how our habits and moods can be monitored and reflected through tracking in the TRP journal.

Our class has worked towards building a habit of daily, wellbeing check-ins (GEM chats). They are fantastic for building the skills of reflection and self-regulation, not to mention the four pillars (GEM and Emotional Literacy). Our most recent prompt is featured below. 

Please try this yourself with a friend or family member. Perhaps stop what you’re doing and say it right now! If you have a phone on you, go ahead and text that special person that deserves a compliment! 

Thank you for reading 4B’s article.