21st Century learning
Our school is committed to equipping our students to live and work successfully in the 21st Century through a future-focused learning approach.
21st Century skills and competencies
Our students need new skills to prepare them for further study and jobs – many of which have not yet been created. They need skills we call the 4Cs: creativity, communication, collaboration and critical thinking. Using the ‘four Cs' to engage our students will be central to our approach to learning at our school.
The importance of critical thinking
Teaching critical thinking and problem solving is vital for our students. Critical thinking is at the core of most intellectual activity that involves students learning to recognise or develop an argument, use evidence in support of that argument, draw reasoned conclusions, and use information to solve problems. At our school we will ‘Inspire’ our students to engage in critical thinking skills such as interpreting, analysing, evaluating, explaining, sequencing, reasoning, comparing, questioning, inferring, hypothesising, appraising, testing and generalising.
The importance of communication
Communication is one of the key components of 21st Century learning. Communication competence involves digital communication, interpersonal, written and oral communication. Through the curriculum, students at our school will be expected to explain their thinking, persuade others of their opinions, and engage readers and listeners. Students develop these skills not only with words but also with graphic and multimedia elements.
The importance of collaboration
Collaboration is often identified as one of the most critical skills in the 21st Century. It is also fundamental to active learning. The development of collaborative skills is itself an important learning objective and secondly, research conclusively shows that well-designed collaborative activities contribute to improved learning. Incorporating collaboration at our school will be enhanced through our flexible classroom spaces. Students have spaces where they can meet with each other use tools that support the kinds of thinking that will help them to ‘Create’.
The importance of creativity
Creativity is recognised as a critical skill for twenty-first century learners. We need minds that can actively deconstruct, mix thoughts and ideas, draw parallels and find insights. Creative minds ask the un-asked questions and it is these skills that will be valued in the twenty-first century. Creativity flourishes in an environment where students can take risks and fail, where they have options about what they learn, how they learn, and how to demonstrate what they have learned. It is anticipated that our flexible learning spaces will bring out the creativity in all students, allowing them to ‘Flourish’.