Teaching and Learning

‘The beautiful thing about learning is that nobody can take it away from you’ B.B.King

Term 3 is an incredibly busy term in the Teaching and Learning space. Students in Years 10 and 11 have already selected subjects for their VCE course in 2021. This week on Wednesday 29th July our current Year 9 students attended the EMERGE Year 10 Information Night with their parents, to learn more about the curriculum and how they can prepare for selecting subjects for an engaging and interesting Year 10 course. We know that selecting subjects can be challenging, so we offered students and parents the opportunity to listen to a range of speakers, access to our online Curriculum Handbook and an opportunity to attend video meetings with staff in each subject so they could ask questions about the course.

For our student community, learning in Term 3 has presented some challenges. Our International Students are currently learning at a distance and we have students who remain at home who are also learning how to participate in classes and continue their learning. This is what we call Blended Learning.

Blended learning is a flexible approach to the design, development and delivery of learning and teaching. It is a hybrid of online learning and traditional face-to-face learning, the one enhancing the other. In a blended course, Instruction may occur in the classroom, online, or in both settings. The online component (a range of learning activities using online learning environments) becomes a natural extension of traditional classroom learning.

 Blended learning:

• permits flexibility in course design and delivery
• permits flexibility of access to learning materials, activities, and assessments
• supports the fusion of different times and places for learning
• can help students develop independent learning skills.
• may offer opportunities for systematic course evaluation, and
• offers the efficiencies and conveniences of fully online courses along with all the advantages of face-to-face contact.

Above all, a blended learning approach is student-focused, with the potential to offer a robust educational experience. At The College our teachers are working hard to:

• establish learning routines
• plan and publish a block overview of learning (2 weeks)
• develop tasks that are completed online (E.g. All Working in Teams, roll call in Teams)
• offer a flipped approach to learning

We encourage students who are working from home to be proactive about their learning.  Students are encouraged to:

• preview Class OneNote and Teams at the start of each day
• locate the Block planner for each subject so that they know what is planned for each lesson and the sequence of learning activities required
• establish consistent lines of communication with the teacher
• check into each class/roll call via Teams or other

We want the best for and from our students. At The Hamilton and Alexandra College we are doing things a little differently, we are being flexible and learning to deliver the best outcomes for each student.

Mrs Susan Bradbeer

Hello, my name is Heinrich Burmeister and I am a Chemistry teacher.

Why did you become a teacher?

I have always enjoyed explaining concepts to people; as a student, I would often help my classmates with their work. I also had some amazing teachers that had a profound impact on me and many others, and I felt a calling to have a similar impact on students.

How has being a teacher helped you to learn more about yourself?

During my first few years of teaching, I was often surprised by personal qualities I did not know I had. I was often overtaken by bursts of patience or empathy, which came as a real shock; I used to think of myself as a much harder, colder person. Through the years I have learned that I have a large capacity for these more tender qualities, though that does not mean I always utilise them as well as I could. 

What do you think schools might look like in ten years?

Hopefully not drastically different from how they are now. I think schools are generally doing a good job in equipping students to be responsible contributors to society; this must be the main purpose of the education system. Of course, the current system isn’t perfect, and the world is changing, so some changes will be necessary. 

What is one thing you would like all of your students to learn?

Life can be very hard, and I have yet to meet someone whose actual journey through it matched their expectations. We all must continually react and adapt to the challenges and changes that come our way. The one thing I hope all students learn is: We must follow opportunities, not just passions. Find an opportunity and follow it passionately.

Mrs Susan Bradbeer

Deputy Principal Teaching and Learning