Innov8 and Cre8 to thrive
By Lindy Braithwaite, Assistant Principal, Curriculum
The night before Canberra’s snap lockdown, I was lucky enough to join with other education enthusiasts in the ACT for a presentation by Prof Martin Westwell, the current Chief Executive of the South Australian curriculum and assessment (SACE) Board.
In his engaging presentation he detailed the work being done in his jurisdiction which aims to redefine the culminating certificate of education and rebrand the measure of performance from ‘success’ to ‘thriving’. Arguably just a synonym, Westwell attested that success, by its very nature, suggests competition, whereas thrive embodies a range of elements that align far more sustainably with wellbeing and international mindedness.
What South Australia is doing in their space is not isolated, with skills frameworks or learner profiles defining key competencies/skills/capabilities/attributes being developed and implemented across the world, including the OECD ‘Learning Compass 2030’, World Economic Forum ‘21st Century skills’, UNESCO ‘Transversal Competencies’ and of course our own Australian Curriculum ‘General Capabilities’, to name a few. At Radford we have Round Square ‘IDEALs’, the IB Learner Profile and our homegrown Secondary Learner. One could not be blamed for feeling unsure of which of the plethora to focus on, however the similarity between them all, and therefore consensus of their importance in the development of a young person, is very apparent.
‘The worldwide trend of recognising the importance of “transversal competencies” as essential for the future world of work has elevated the importance of the General Capabilities in the curriculum. The challenge for Australian schools, therefore, is to ensure they are given the necessary attention at both a school and systemic level.’ (McIlvenny and Sheffield, 2019)
Last term we profiled some of the ways we are embedding these capabilities in the Radford students as Global Citizens Education Wellbeing Open Forum for parents. We’ve also been looking for opportunities to provide students with more Interdisciplinary learning that by its very nature enhances critical and creative thinking as well as personal and social capabilities.
Next week we are launching Innov8 and Cre8, two programs for Year 8 students that will run until the end of the year and annually thereafter. In this exciting collaboration between the Creative Arts, Performing Arts and Design and Technology departments, students will get to use the skills and knowledge they have already gained to apply to projects that they will learn how to bring to fruition.
Innov8
Led by Ms Cathy Jackson, Head of Design and Technology
Students will work in teams to develop a solution to a design challenge, using their knowledge and skills developed in Design and Technology classes.
See image, above: Can you guess what students will be doing in Innov8?
Cre8
Led by Ms Sally Stenning, Head of Performing Arts and Ms Jacqui Ockwell, Head of Creative Arts
Students will ideate, generate and collaborate as they work together to create a major, multi-media production integrating art, drama, music, media and dance. Students will journey together as they explore and experiment with ideas across artforms in both online and face-to-face classrooms, sharing their unique skills and talents as they learn production, communication and leadership skills.
See image, above: Can you guess what students will be doing in Cre8?
In these new Interdisciplinary curriculum offerings, like the many others we have at key points throughout the Pre-K to Year 12 student journey, skills – or in Australian Curriculum language ‘General capabilities’ – are the focus. It is important to note that skill development is not done in isolation, the learning of concepts, that is, knowledge, lays the foundation and so plays an equally important part in this curriculum. This framework, created by the Centre for Strategic Education in Victoria, nicely draws these ideas together and this quote from the accompanying paper resonated with me:
“Skills are what matter in life. Skills are the ‘connective tissue’ between knowledge and dispositions.” (Centre for Strategic Education, 2021)
That is to say, at the end of the day, our students will continue to need knowledge attainment, but it will be their skills and attitudes that provide the vehicle for them to thrive.
Interim Reports – Secondary:
Focussing on skills and attitudes, these reports will be available through SEQTA for parents of Secondary students from Monday, 30 August 2021.
Parent Student Teacher Conversations – Secondary:
With the current COVID situation, these will still occur on the advertised dates, but will be held virtually, through Microsoft Teams. In the Secondary School, priority will be given to parents of students where the teacher has requested a conversation. The booking portal, along with instructions on how to book and meet virtually on the nights, will be emailed out closer to the time.
References
Centre for Strategic Education, 2021. Rethinking assessment in education: The case for change. CSE LEADING EDUCATION SERIES. [online] Melbourne: Centre for Strategic Education, Victoria., pp.9-12. Available at: <; [Accessed 21 August 2021].
McIlvenny, L. and Sheffield, A., 2019. Are Transversal Competencies the ‘New Black’?. Professional Educator, [online] 20(1), pp.42-45. Available at: <; [Accessed 21 August 2021].