'AISWA 2020 Vision' - Purposeful Pedagogies and Community Engagement: 2020 and beyond

In this session we will hear from three creative and courageous AISWA Educators. They are big picture thinkers, researchers and inquiry teachers and leaders, who listen to the voices of their students and instinctively know how to ‘cover the curriculum’ to enhance student engagement and creativity.

Melanie Wallis (Hale Junior School)

Who walked here before us? Right here in Wembley Downs. 

This was the question boys were asked to consider, working in multi-age groups (Years 4-6) using the Project Based Learning model to explore what was significant to the Whadjuk Noongar people.  The learning experiences highlighted a variety of pedagogical practices: experiential learning (writing bush prose) inquiry (What is significance?) explicit teaching (research skills) and 21^st Century learning skills, notably collaboration and creativity (How can we let others know who walked here before us and what was significant to them?’); enhanced through technologies and characterised by quality conversations about the learning, from students and teachers alike.

Madeline Lynam (Providence Christian College)

From the Three Levels of Government to Sculpture Design in AR?

Using a creative, Project-Based Learning approach to Year 7 Civics & Citizenship, Economics and Geography,  the students started their inquiry with this driving question: How much did the state government spend to improve the liveability and attraction of the Swan River by developing Elizabeth Quay? The students’ research involved an interdisciplinary approach to find answers, ask more questions and creativity to present their findings.

Paul Whitehead (Bold Park Community School)

Down the Rabbit Hole?

Imagine you are starting a brand-new school. You have a team of like-minded educational superstars who love working with young people, who are relationship driven, who consider engagement and connections just as vital as delivering a curriculum. What would the learning experience look and feel like?

In this presentation, Principal Paul Whitehead, will walk you through a ‘community of learners’ where rich, intentional projects are undertaken and only achieved by fostering partnerships, relationships, working alongside mentors and rolling with the domino-momentum that might not be visible to us at the start. In this snapshot of teaching and learning at Bold Park Community School, you will gain an insight into how creativity and a love of learning can happen