SUNDAY AGE OCTOBER 15, 2017
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Innovation in Education
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Hands-on approach to emerging technologies Geelong College
of adaptability and flexibility will be central to their career pathways.” The senior educator says cutting edge technology has not only given students new dimensions to explore, it has also enabled great strides forward in the way classes are run and the ability of teachers to keep track of students’ individual progress. “Technology frees the teacher from handling 25 students at once and allows a more personalised approach so students are learning at their point of need,” he says.
As the workplace evolves so, too, must the teaching of tomorrow’s workforce. Iain Gillespie There’s no magic crystal ball to see exactly what career paths will appear in a rapidly evolving future, but the best educational minds know they will lie somewhere in the intersections between emerging technologies and disciplines. “That awareness, and the concept of learning how to learn, is a fundamental aspect of what we’re trying to achieve,” says Geelong College’s director of teaching and learning, Adrian Camm. “What we’re doing is creating a vision of education that defines learning, not just in terms of specific subjects, but also in terms of conceptual dimensions like creativity, innovation and enterprise. “For instance it underpins a new elective we’re offering in Year 10 called digital media and design. It operates in a studio-like environment where kids learn about things like filmmaking, app design, social media campaigns, animation and graphic design. “They learn how to combine all those things and actually create real products, for real clients with real audiences. It’s an industrybased approach so students have a context for learning beyond just handing in an assignment to a teacher. They are creating something that has value in the real world.” Camm says Geelong College is fully aware that acquiring in-depth knowledge and ex-
They still need to learn the basics . . . but they also need to develop entrepreneurial mindsets and be able to think innovatively.’ Adrian Camm
Geelong College media students setting up to capture time lapse footage of Arts Week.
pertise in a particular specialisation is also important, and that the fundamental requirements of a traditional education still need to be fulfilled. “They still need to learn the basics like numeracy, to read and write fluently and understand Shakespeare,” he says. “But they also need to develop entrepreneurial mindsets and be able to think innovatively inside and across disciplines. “Our students have grown up in a different time, they haven’t known a world with-
out the internet, and in many ways they are not satisfied with a traditional approach to education that asks them to sit quietly and follow instructions. “The kind of world our students will live in as adults is still evolving, and the skills and habits and dispositions they will need to succeed in the future are at the forefront of our approach to education. “They need to learn how to learn, and to develop interpersonal skills and a high level of emotional intelligence, because that level
“They are perhaps working in small groups, and can sail ahead without waiting for other students to catch up. “The primary intellectual tool of our time is obviously the personal computer. They’ve been in education now for 30 or 40 years, but now there’s a lot of variability in the way they are used and the technological resources that have evolved. “They enable kids to do things that weren’t possible just a few years ago. You see 3D printers in the hands of 10 year-old kids, you see other students using laser cutters and designing prosthetic hands for people in need. “It’s a challenging time to be involved in education, but it’s also incredibly exciting and the possibilities are endless.”
“I tackle challenges in my own way.” Geelong College, a leading Victorian day and boarding school.
Find out more at our
Open Day Wednesday 25 October. www.geelongcollege.vic.edu.au or phone 5226 3156
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Improving student learning A leader in girls’ education since 1890, Korowa is renowned for its academic excellence. As part of the University of Melbourne Network of Schools (UMNOS), we are collaboratively determining strategies to improve student learning. Whether it’s 360-degree feedback for our teachers’ professional development, real-time reporting or our small and supportive classes, our students and their learning experience are at the centre of everything we do.
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