The Pymble Archibull Prize and program development: what will our planet look like in 2050?

Raymond Howells Geography Teacher In the 21st century, students require skills to adapt to a rapidly changing global environment to solve complex, multi-faceted issues including climate change, energy insecurity, overpopulation and environmental degradation (Kwauk & Winthrop, 2021).

The past two years have illustrated the need for a new way of thinking to ensure demand for resources can be met sustainably and equitably in a polarising world where many worldwide experience hunger, malnutrition, inadequate access to education and health (Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, 2021).

The subject of Geography encapsulates a need to go beyond the traditional classroom and enrich students in issues that face society today in ways that are relatable and comprehensive. Most importantly, it demonstrates there are exciting solutions already taking place across the world, across space, from local to global. Geography is fortunate to have many avenues which provide students with a diverse curriculum and opportunities to develop their future competencies for the workplace, including problem solving, collaboration, creativity and innovation (Nagel, 2008; Australian Curriculum, 2022). These competencies are commonly referred to as ‘soft skills’, skills that are desirable in all professions which develop innovative solutions to problems and involve flexibility and openness to a wide range of ideas and viewpoints. Succi and Canovi (2020) found 86 per cent of respondents to their research indicated an increased emphasis on soft skills over the last five to ten years and that companies consider soft skills more important than students and graduates do. In 2016, the World Economic Forum (2016) released the Future of Jobs Report and commented on cognitive abilities such as creativity, mathematical reasoning and process skills such as active listening and how critical thinking will be a growing part of core skills requirements for many industries.

There are new jobs that exist today that did not exist a decade ago. Advances in technology are bringing unprecedented changes to the nature of work, occupations and industries.

The aim of the Archibull Prize is to illustrate the wide range of career opportunities and innovative nature of agriculture to high school students. Agriculture is a significant industry in Australia, operating at the heart of a functional Australian society and export-led economy (ABARES, 2022).

The Innovation and Science Australia Report (2017) recommends the nurture of interpersonal skills, such as empathy and creativity, as a future imperative. Digital disruption and automation make future occupation uncertain, yet the skills needed to perform future jobs are clear. Alphabeat (2017) claims early-career job roles that require critical thinking, creativity and presentation skills pay an additional $8,000 per year in salary.

With the above in mind, the Pymble Archibull Prize was introduced into the Geography curriculum for Year 9 and 10 students in 2021. The intent was to explore how students would respond to a real-world issue, along with the opportunity to make an impact locally and create a sustainability mascot using a sculpture of a life-sized dairy cow. The College embraces and encourages Learning Areas to foster future work competencies through the Deep Learning approach embedded into curriculum. The Archibull Prize competition embodies many Deep Learning components, as well as addressing outcomes of Stage 5 Geography.

Deep Learning components (New Pedagogies for Deep Learning, 2019)

Citizenship: Genuine interest to consider global issues based on diverse values and solve realworld problems.

Character: Proactiveness, curiosity and self-motivation to join the lunchtime program.

Collaboration: Using their interpersonal skills students work independently and learn from each other in teams. Stage 5 Geography student outcomes (NSW Education Standards Authority Accreditation, 2022)

Explains processes and influences that form and transform places/ environments (GE5-2).

Analyses the effect of interactions and connections between people, places and environments (GE5-3).

Accounts for perspectives of people and organisations on a range of geographical issues (GE5-4).

Creativity and Critical Thinking: Evaluating information, generating new ideas, pursuing ideas and applying them into action.

Communication: Using appropriate methods to engage a wide range of audiences and advocate their position. Assesses management strategies for places and environments for their sustainability (GE5-5).

Communicates geographical information to a range of audiences using a variety of strategies (GE5-8).

Table 1: Table of Deep Learning competencies and Stage 5 Geography student outcomes

At the end of 2021, when the Stage 5 Geography program was redeveloped and rewritten as part of the annual review of programs, it was recognised that the Pymble Archibull Prize reflected many components and student outcomes of Stage 5 Geography. A small team of Geography teachers collaboratively backward planned to consider how the Archibull Prize opportunity could add value to student learning. The team evaluated the success of our current program and sought to develop it further to incorporate more contemporary, realworld case studies.

OPPORTUNITIES IN AGRICULTURE

The aim of the Archibull Prize is to illustrate the wide range of career opportunities and innovative nature of agriculture to high school students. Agriculture is a significant industry in Australia, operating at the heart of a functional Australian society and export-led economy (ABARES, 2022). There is a stereotypical image in the public mind regarding what agriculture represents - the ‘Farmer Wants a Wife’ comes immediately to mind! Real-world opportunities with experts outside the classroom can help broaden the reality of agriculture as a cutting-edge industry that is undergoing a new wave of technological revolution. With this paradigm shift, there are exciting opportunities to encourage, educate and upskill the next generation to work in innovative and wide-range fields of 21st century agriculture. Geography, to me, epitomises the real-world issues and opportunities taking place now and into the future. I am grateful to the College for allowing me to pursue this opportunity and to reach out to experts across the nation.

The connection and collaboration with Pymble graduates, as well as a group of Pymble parents, has greatly enriched our curriculum offering in Year 9 for the Sustainable Biomes unit.

WHAT IS AN ECOSYSTEM OF EXPERTISE?

An ecosystem of expertise is where complementary knowledges from a range of disciplines are intertwined to assist sustainable development is achieved across time and space. This is typically used by technical experts such as scientists, engineers and doctors (Brand & Karvonen, 2007). The key to the success in the ecosystem of expertise is the ability of the expert to communicate technical information to non-experts. You could argue an ecosystem of expertise exists in each classroom where the teacher, an expert in their respective field, communicates the technical elements of their subject to their students.

WHO ARE THE EXPERTS ASSISTING OUR PYMBLE 21ST CENTURY LEARNERS IN THE PROJECT?

Ritter, Small, Mortimer and Doll (2018) illustrate a need to re-examine the curriculum, recommending the use of backward design, to prepare students for the demands of the workplace and embedding soft skills across the curriculum, but it takes time for university research to percolate and filter down to schools. This is an area where secondary teachers can act as change agents bridging the researchto-practice gap by undertaking professional development which adopts relevant research to the classroom (Finelli et.al, 2014). In addition, the Gonski 2.0 Review (2018), recommends school-industry engagement as a key to increase excellence in Australian schools. Partnerships with industry enrich student learning and broaden, reshape and reframe learning. Hence, the role of industry is at the forefront of contemporary thinking and a core philosophy of the Pymble Archibull Project.

The connection and collaboration with Pymble graduates, as well as a group of Pymble parents, has greatly enriched our curriculum offering in Year 9 for the Sustainable Biomes unit. As a teacher, I have been invited to learn more from experts who are leading the way in sustainable agriculture and it has been a great privilege to learn more about their operations and how this information can be disseminated to students, to get them interested in an industry that has so much potential.

Edwina Beveridge from Blantyre Farms has a mixed farming operation including sheep, cattle, cropping and pigs. The farm captures methane from pig manure and turns it into electricity which massively reduces their carbon footprint and generates carbon credits. Under the Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI), Blantyre Farms was the second project registered and the first carbon credit farm in Australia. Edwina is enthused and says, when she was at school, she showed no interest in agriculture until age 24, but admits it is “a cracking career!” Edwina was proactive in reaching out after an email sent to Boarding families invited them to get involved and work with the

Geography Department by looking into how sustainability in practice can be incorporated into our programs (Action for Agriculture, 2022).

Gillian Hayman, a Pymble graduate who now operates Montrose Dairy, also reached out to the College. She was keen to echo the idea that learning related to the real world is so important, as well as the opportunity to learn the theory in the classroom. Gillian sees the connection as a positive step which can lead to many other linkages for students. She hopes the project will open students’ minds and perhaps break down the long-held perceptions about who a farmer is and how they go about their business in these modern times. There are many exciting career opportunities across all aspects of agriculture. There are jobs from the research in labs and in the field to hands-on farming; from technology, greenhouse gas emissions, soil, plant and animal management, environment and biodiversity to nutrition, community development and economics. Even if people do not choose a career in agriculture, it’s so important to understand food production and land management as a consumer.

Peter Thornton is a Pymble parent and the manager of Delta Agribusiness where he works with a wide range of farmers and agriculture businesses, providing technical and bespoke advice for their specific needs. Peter shared the same passion and curiosity to get involved as Edwina and Gillian, working with the Geography, Business and Economics Department to create a number of interactive videos about his role and Delta Agribusiness’ purpose. Other notable experts include Tayla Field, who works in horticulture, and her network of fellow Young Farming Champions (YFC). Students involved in the project sent a list of questions to Tayla about food, climate change and agriculture but Tayla noticed many of the questions were in areas beyond horticulture, so she reached out to the YFC for support. Marlee Langfield provided insights into agricultural yield from crops, Anika Molesworth gave her thoughts on the future of farming in Australia and Emma Ayliffe commented on the role of water in Australia’s dry climate. Other members of the YFC team came back with videos and Tayla was able to create a range of online resources specifically for the students (Action for Agriculture, 2022).

WHAT DID THE STUDENTS DO IN 2021?

There are many exciting career opportunities across all aspects of agriculture. There are jobs from the research in labs and in the field to hands-on farming; from technology, greenhouse gas emissions, soil, plant and animal management, environment and biodiversity to nutrition, community development and economics.

In 2021, a small group of secondary students participated in lunchtime meetings to create a community action project focused on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals of climate action and ending hunger by focusing on tackling plastic waste and food waste at the College. The Sustainability Captains in Year 12 created an initiative to reduce plastic waste by encouraging the use of a ‘keep cup’ to eliminate unnecessary use of coffee cups at the College café and students also advocated for the removal of plastic straws on campus. Year 7 to 10 students decided to focus on the use of bins at the College and how we can ensure waste is disposed of appropriately and, where possible, recycled. Students created a range of posters to ensure the recycling bins were used accordingly and food scraps were sent to the

In a classroom environment, students receive clear learning targets, guidelines and feedback, as well as a safe learning environment that supports them in their next steps, no matter their current level of performance (The Inclusion Initiative, 2018).

appropriate bin to be used as food scraps at the agriculture plot. This project utilised interest-based differentiation where students were encouraged to select their own topic and the project designed towards motivations that bring students joy (Tomlinson et al., 2003).

WHAT WILL STUDENT LEARNING LOOK LIKE?

The preparation of the new project is grounded in differentiation and high potential learning research where the core pedagogy principle is to teach up. Teaching up is a growth mindset employed by teachers where preconceptions on content difficulty for students is removed and the capacity of each learner is not predetermined. In a classroom environment, students receive clear learning targets, guidelines and feedback, as well as a safe learning environment that supports them in their next steps, no matter their current level of performance. (The Inclusion Initiative, 2018).

Putting this into practice involved taking challenging concepts in agriculture, such as tillage, soil compaction, precision agriculture and crop sequencing and adapting them for all students to access to provide an engaging, real-world and stimulating experience. As opposed to making extension a separate entity in the classroom, it was structured to be accessible to all with resources tailored to bring all students up.

• The program starts with a mock

United Nations summit where students choose a biome to represent. • Students create a futuristic, sustainable farm that incorporates the ability to rewild their footprint (encouraging the return of nature to human-intensive activity) and increase food yield to feed the predicted 9 billion people on Earth in 2050.

• With the assistance and direction of their teacher, students have access to a wide range of experts across disciplines and biomes.

The specialities include veterinary science, climate science and horticulture, including help from our gardening team at Pymble. An expert currently based in Antarctica who is working on climate research and waste management on the continent has already created a range of resources on-board the scientific vessels travelling near the continent to studies on the continent and kindly offered to share these virtually with Stage 5.

DIFFERENTIATING FOR STUDENT LEARNING

Two models of differentiation were utilised to the develop the program; the Maker and Tomlinson models. The Maker Model (1982) is a practical tool for teachers to plan and develop a differentiated learning sequence. There are four components of the method content, process, product and learning environment the guide teachers to consider where differentiation can be integrated into the curriculum for the class. Tomlinson’s Model (1999) was embedded to connect to students according to their readiness, interest and learning profile. Getting to know students takes time, and the use of diagnostic assessment, questioning, observation and data can assist in the planning stages. A summary of how the

Content: What are students expected to learn?

Abstraction: go beyond the facts, the study of people at different scales of place and space (local, community, NGO, global). Complexity: in-depth study with a breadth of realworld examples for students to choose from.

Variety: exposure of new ideas and content with a glossary of key terms. Afford students the choice to select an area of focus they are interested in. Questioning: higher-order thinking and small-group discussion.

Divergent thinking: stimulate open-ended thinking. Freedom of choice with varied pace: independent learning to motivate and self-regulate with regular checkpoints.

Product: what will students produce to showcase their learning? Environment: how can the physical setting of learning be improved?

Real world Application: study of people and evidencebased research that is structured which impacts local people and communities.

Use of checkpoints: use of Kahoot and other formative assessments to check students understanding. Authentic product: create a digital mascot of sustainability with links to support their arguments. Varied groupings: dynamic group sizes to suit cohort’s preference and pace: – Discussion (whole class/small group) – Think-pair-share – Peer assessment (pairs) – Assessment (individual)

Break out rooms: student-centred, invitation of teacher into focus groups with intentional pairings to extend proficiency and intentional discovery questions. Padlet: low-risk assessment (can be anonymous) with discussion lines and opportunity for teacher development and line of questioning.

Process: how will students learn the content?

Table 2: Adapted from Victorian Department of Education and Training (2022), using the Maker Model (1982)

Interests

Engagement: hook students with real life study by asking students what they would like to learn. Group sizes: Teacher observation into classroom dynamic, use of mixed of groupings and sizes. Online environment: noise level was monitored (hands up/down) + break out rooms for unstructured peer discussion.

VAK: Range of learning style with the use of videos, interviews, chat bar and resources stored electronically. Time out: Structured lesson time away from computer screen to talk through their work. Structure: Dependent to Independent, simple-complex. Scaffold: Use of various weblinks on a particular subject to support and excel, collaboration with library and use of graphic organiser to provide structure to their thinking.

Learning profile Readiness

What makes biomes unique and flourish in biodiversity? What are the main characteristics of biomes?

Where is biodiversity highest? Why are high levels of biodiversity important? Which biomes are most at risk? Why? Where in the world is this food produced? What biomes are found on the driest continent on Earth, how do humans use the land? What is agricultural yield and why is it important? Will any biomes benefit from climate change? Human destruction or human alteration? How are humans using biome resources? Does food security discriminate? We produce enough food already for 10 billion people, what’s the problem with food security? Where’s the most food-insecure place in the world? Why? How can we create a ‘buzz’ and ‘bee positive’? ‘To bee’ or ‘not to bee’?

If truth bee told, do we all need to be keepers? How do we feed 9 billion people by 2050? How is technology used to obtain information to assist with measuring and responding to food security issues? If there’s enough food on Earth for everyone, why is their hunger and malnourishment? How do we feed 9 billion people by 2050?

Table 4: Inquiry-based questioning developed in collaboration with the Geography team

sequence embedded differentiation to suit the learning needs of the class is outlined on the next page. Open-ended questions like the examples above provide an opportunity to open up discussion to identify student knowledge and understanding before starting a new concept, teach up to their needs and integrate necessary extension to extend student learning and thinking.

How students learn is shaped by a range of factors, through teacher observation and deployment of a variety of purposeful, learning approaches their needs can be supported to ensure equitable access and achievement for all (The Inclusive Initiative, 2018).

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS

2022 is going to be an exciting year for the Geography, Business and Economics Department at Pymble, with a new program that incorporates 21st century competencies to deepen student learning, offer opportunities to avenues of future capabilities and a project that is authentic and intertwined with Pymble action. Students are at the heart of their learning with a plethora of experts available to guide and challenge their conceptions of what agriculture and geography mean today. Contrary to the media’s portrayal, the future can be bright.

The Pymble Archibull Prize has blossomed from a nationwide competition to involve students in the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals and Australian agriculture opportunities into a collaborative network.

There is innovation all around us with individuals, communities, businesses and government already committing to action. It is our hope that we can inspire our students and demonstrate this promise to all learners at the College.

The Pymble Archibull Prize has blossomed from a nationwide competition to involve students in the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals and Australian agriculture opportunities into a collaborative network. In my role as teacher-leader, I have liaised with experts across Australia who work in the field as they share their expertise for students to learn about agriculture and food security issues in Australia and overseas.

In the future, the opportunity for students to visit and interact with Blantyre Farm and Montrose Dairy, and other agricultural-based organisations will be an exciting avenue with lots of potential for deeper learning and career perspectives. I look forward to seeing what the girls and experts create together.

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