FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Making the Future

by Marilyn Smith

The most recent edition of a journal published by the National Association of Independent Schools in the USA arrived on my desk recently and is devoted to ‘innovation’ – a word which has been so overused and claimed by so many people to promote all manner of agendas that it is in danger of becoming meaningless.

However, the article which captured my attention was written by Colin Angevine, Director of STEAM Education at a Quaker school in Pennsylvania about the current maker movement. He draws links between Quaker values and the current maker movement in much the same way as we do at Preshil, in that ‘making‘ has been a mainstay of our own educational philosophy at Preshil; pointing out the obvious, ‘making’ as a way of learning is the basis for ‘constructionism’ in education and fundamental to the progressive approach of hands-on, experiential learning.

The maker movement in education feels brand new: exciting technology, innovative projects and rejuvenating energy…. However, as Sylvia Martinez, a pioneer of the maker movement, points out, bringing the maker movement into classrooms treats students as agents of change instead of objects of change.

Respecting and nurturing children’s sense of agency in their learning and their sense of self is crucial in the relationships our teachers have with them and is a central reason why our Elective program is such a valuable component of the curriculum at both Arlington and Blackhall Kalimna. Later in this edition there is a report on this first round of electives and we are looking forward to adding to them as the year progresses.

In the Electives Program the role of teaching and learning is shared; children of different ages find they can learn from each other. They need to collaborate to achieve a shared result, they need to ask questions and find solutions in very authentic ways. Authority and responsibility can be distributed and where there is a community member leading the elective, the children need to share their knowledge of the School with this guest. We want the electives to provide fertile ground for the children to find passions and talents that may well provide the seed of a future career or lifelong endeavour.

I want to encourage parents, grandparents, alumni and other members of our wider community to consider whether they have some area of expertise that could be offered as part of this program. Of course we are eager to expand our Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics (STEAM) offerings and particularly welcome areas which introduce children to all manner of careers they may not have encountered. It would be wonderful to know that we are providing a fertile ground for those life-changing moments for a young astronaut, fashion designer or biologist.