Recently 25 Educators from Lutheran Schools met in Brisbane for our first learning tour for 2022.
This was the first time that we have focused on one area of schooling on a tour. The reason that we decided to be innovative in this way was because there are a number of schools who are really pushing against barriers and boundaries in the secondary schooling space.
Faith Redlands have developed 3 levels of courses that are offered as multi-age classes for students across years 8-10. They also shared how they are looking for authentic ways of embedding student agency, including regularly seeking feedback and consulting about a range of ideas and using students as part of the hiring process for new staff.
Hillcrest Christian College are focused on implementing a Design Thinking model across their middle years with students working through a continuum of contemporary skills. They are also focused on supporting teachers to successfully team across innovative learning environments in their Middle School precinct which used to be their multi-storey car park.
Silkwood Secondary School has developed a range of pathways that have students working on personal projects and through a partnership with Big Picture Education have created pathways for each student to enter a tertiary pathway without attaining an exam based ATAR.
We also worked with Bronwyn from Autens Pasifika who ran a learning space design lab on one of the afternoons. In this hands on session she challenged us all to think about how the learning space can influence learning, to think about educator mindsets that are required to work in innovative learning spaces and to think about how they might plan to leverage the spaces that they have.
Our last session was at Faith Plainland where the senior leadership team told us the compelling story of their change journey. They gave insight into the thinking, wrestling and reflecting that they have undertaken over the past few years in order to be in a position now to be rolling out some significant restructure to their secondary timetable and program.
Feedback from the tour was excellent with people making some of the following comments:
“I loved the probing and small pushes. We as teachers are too set in our ways and we need to be pushed to see outside the narrative we’ve created for ourselves. Without those questions to move us beyond that we’ve always perceived we can be trapped to think we cannot.”
“Thank you so much for your time and effort in making us think, reflect and gr “I loved the probing and small pushes. We as teachers are too set in our ways and we need to be pushed to see outside the narrative we’ve created for ourselves. Without those questions to move us beyond that we’ve always perceived we can be trapped to think we cannot.”
“My sincerest gratitude and thanks. Congratulations on such a wonderful, thoughtful and significant educational learning tour. “
“Thank you so much for your time and effort in making us think, reflect and grow as teachers. Much appreciated.”
“ Thank you for an amazing trip. Looking forward to seeing what comes next with all our ideas and hard work”
“Thanks guys for making it happen. I thoroughly enjoyed the tour and connecting with new people.”
“I loved the starship (van) time and the ideas from others in different stages of the journey.”
“I loved the pace and the schools presented would like to have another opportunity this year Term 3 to take key stakeholders on the developed vision of where we need to move forward.”
The next learning tour is scheduled for May 23-25 and will be the Melbourne Tour! This tour will have a new itineray this year but will still include some significant favourites including Newmark Primary School (previously known as Lumineer Academy) and Templestowe College.
If you think you would like to book places on this tour then please get in contact with me. The new tours website will be online shortly!
Kimberley Powell
Learning Leader: Innovation
