Teaching and Learning

The Circle of Barker Life

As a school, Barker provides students with an unbelievable range of opportunities. It's a part of school life.

Besides undertaking sport as a compulsory component, it's not unusual to see students adding an element of Music, Drama, Debating or Cadets to their weekly routines. The Boys 1sts AFL team have taken this scenario to the next level. I was first drawn to this team by a post on social media celebrating one of their games. I recognised many of the players but knew them in other, mostly academic contexts. There were many high achievers in the group, da Vinci decathletes, and academic prize winners. This led me to speak with their coach, Jack Caspersonn. It turns out I didn't know the half of it. Coach Caspersonn, in his own words… I realised very early on in the winter season that these students were involved in many other activities and it made me appreciate this team was about exploring all that Barker had to offer. I tried to create an environment where the students could give their best to the team, but also support their many and varied other interests. I had to also be adaptable for students to miss a training or a match for them to pursue their co-curricular program. Of course, there would be many students in other sporting teams who are undertaking multiple co-curricular opportunities and pursuing them to a high level, but, in my experience as a teacher and a coach, this was a remarkable group. The students were involved in the Year 11 Play, Barker Robotics, Footprint, Garma Festival, Mock Trial, Debating, Duke of Edinburgh, and CRU to name a few. Many of these students are now in formal leadership positions, including a School Captain and a ViceCaptain! In speaking with some of the players, they provided the following reflections: I take great joy in immersing myself into what Barker has to offer. I find these challenges engaging, rewarding and thoroughly enjoyable, extending my character, abilities and attitudes towards approaching life head on. I can spend more time with friends at school together, outside the classroom and with a variety of my peers. For me, it is more a question of why not? They are available for you to do, and they are enjoyable. If I enjoy it, fit it in and make time for it then I will take part. I have found that learning to manage them all has been integral for my personal development in organisation, skills and attitude of commitment. I have learnt not only the specific skills and abilities specific to each opportunity for engagement, but also, arguably, the more valuable lifelong skills of commitment, organisation and diligence. The best part of Barker is not the work, it’s the people.

Greg Longney Director of Teaching & Learning Jack Caspersonn Middle School Head of Wailes House and Geography Teacher

Digital Wellbeing

In his book, Digital for Good, Richard Culatta, CEO of the International Society for Technology in Education, writes that we put great effort into helping children succeed in the physical world.

We schedule regular health checkups. We instruct children to put on sunscreen on a sunny day. We offer suggestions for new books that will broaden their interests and encourage them to try new foods in a balanced diet. We encourage children to participate in various activities, socialise, and connect with friends and family. We set boundaries and teach self-regulation to achieve balance in all aspects of their lives. What is clear is that we have not put nearly as much effort into preparing young people for meaningful participation in the digital world, believing these skills will transfer from one context to the next. Cognitive science research explains that this is often difficult. Therefore, teaching behaviours and creating safe places to practice in an online world are essential. Culatta shares tips to help parents and teachers do just that, recognising that every child is different, and we should adapt strategies to suit individual cases. 1. Help children establish healthy digital routines by keeping devices out of the bedroom. An excellent way to do this is to hold the monopoly on charging cables and ask children to drop their devices off in a controlled location. If children use a device for their wake-up routine, it might be time to invest in a more traditional alarm clock. 2. Recognise the difference between active and passive engagement in the digital world. Encourage children to prioritise time on active online activities and focus on creativity, learning, or communicating with family. 3. Take an active role in researching and encouraging appropriate and fulfilling online activities, as we do for books or other physical activities. 4. Create a device-use agreement for the home to establish boundaries. Use positive and clear language and involve your children in the process. Harry Fletcher-Wood, the author of Habits of Success, says, "Forming desirable habits is slow and difficult: we must choose powerful habits which are worth the effort". The upcoming holiday period is the perfect time to reset and develop healthy routines and habits for engaging in a digital world. The good news is that it is never too late to establish these habits. The payoff comes as students improve their ability to regulate online activity and contribute meaningfully to online communities. The Digital Learning Team are looking forward to further exploration in this area.

Dr Andy Mifsud Head of Digital Learning