Developing independent learning skills, research skills, learning to interrogate data, and questioning what we hear and read, are all part of an important skill set we teach to our teens. These skills are developed through Main Lessons and class time, and through work students are set to complete at home. It is interesting to watch students become more discerning and critical about the information they read, and learn to use data to prove their arguments and to help answer questions.
The pinnacle of this skills progression and development is seen in Year 12, through the students’ Class 12 Projects. Here, students are given the opportunity to develop a project around a topic of interest to them. It will start with a question, a goal, a thought or a dream. It may revolve around something to build, an action to perform, something to create or an academic paper to write.
Last week, Senior School teachers were treated to the Viva Voce presentations from the Year 12 students, where they presented what they intend on doing for their Projects. Areas of study around photography, (wildlife and underwater), dementia, virtual walk throughs, well-being dogs, fitness, exercise and sport, rebuilding a car, fishing around local waterways, forging and making a Katana, music and animation, writing of children’s books, fashion and ties, cake decoration, mindfulness, tattooing, and what we can learn from, and teach to, the elderly, are examples of some of the topics students’ have chosen. All topics of personal interest and value to each student. Something they love, something which has meaning to them. I was impressed with the quality of the students’ project development thus far and the variety of the research topics,
Please feel welcome to attend the final presentations of the Year 12 Projects and share this journey with the students. Presentations will take place on Friday evening 10 November, and also run over Saturday and Sunday 11 and 12 of November. This is a wonderful example of power and quality of an Orana Steiner education.
Susan Pascoe
Deputy Principal High School and Senior College
