RIDE THE WAVE
November 24 & 25, 2022
Woonona High School
The Opening Session
Our Network Days began with a moving Acknowledgement of Country situated at the Woonona's magnificent 100m long mural. Following that, our plenary session dove deep as the participants collaborated to create coherence-makers to help teach and learn the process of JOY.
Reflecting on Joy
Our first plenary session gave the participants the chance to explore together the importance of coherence makers for teaching and learning complex concepts. The groups, who were made up of combinations of students, teachers, leaders, then had a go at beginning to create ideas for a coherence maker for the concept of JOY - no small feat!
Have a look at some of their creative thinking in the images below...
The Bazaar Stalls
An exciting part of every Network Days event is the bazaar stalls sessions, when schools hold stall presentation of how the 4Cs are being used in their classrooms, with their teacher PL, in their leadership meetings, with behavioural issues, what their journey has been like on the 4C ocean and more. Here’s just a few snapshots of what was presented this time.
Teachers, Students and Parents Learn to Use the Disposition Wheel to Help Self-Regulate Challenging Behaviour
Teachers at Kogarah Public School use the learning dispositions to help students and parents understand learning strengths and not-yet-strengths, and how to address the behaviour that arises when not-yet-strengths are activated. Read more here.
The 4Cs in Classroom Projects.
Students from Sadleir PS did creative projects demonstrating communication and creativity, critical reflection and all of which required collaboration. Read more page coming soon.
Creating Professional Learners
The leadership team at Callaghan College have light bulb moments about what creates an engaged and excited teaching team. They incorporate the 4Cs into the fabric of how they run meetings, engage with teachers and encourage teacher growth. Read more here.
Digging Up 4C Treasures
The team from St Stanislaus College in Bathurst create opportunities for creative learning for students from a variety of year levels through collaborative archeological digs. The students found objects relating to a particular place and time in history. Bringing the curriculum to life through embodied experiences. Read more here.
Student Agency Using 4CTL Tools
Kurri Kurri HS works with students struggling with self regulation while learning. By mind mapping the learning dispositions, students develop the language and meta-cognition to grow their dispositions. Read more here.
Hunter High School of the Performing Arts helps students process mental health through a variety of creative and reflective activities.
From line drawing to quick writes to card decks, teachers from Hunter HSPA have engaged students to express how they’re feeling and reflect on their own and others’ expressions, through the use of creative activities, with and without a direct stimulus. Read more here.
The Beach Experience
Our incredible connection with country experience and reflection, on Woonona Beach, was a highlight of the two days and a fantastic opportunity to get the sun on our skin and the sand between our toes.
The Workshops
DESIGNING AUTHENTIC LEARNING WITH THE CREATIVITY CASCADE
Just as waves bend, blend and break, so do ideas as part of the creative process. Creativity is a powerful force for change, discovery and engagement. In this workshop we dove into how we can use the Creativity Cascade as a frame to design authentic learning programs and pedagogy, and how to teach creativity in the curriculum explicitly.
ENABLING POSITIVE LEARNING CULTURES WITH THE COMMUNICATION CRYSTAL
Communication can be conceived as waves that convey information and energy in order to express ideas and shape understanding. In this workshop, we examined how we can use the Communication Crystal to build positive communication cultures in our classrooms and schools, and how to teach effective communication in the curriculum explicitly.
SUSTAINING COLLABORATIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS WITH THE COLLABORATION CIRCLES
Being on the same wavelength - What does this phrase reveal about collaboration? This workshop explored how the Collaboration Circles can help us create sustainable collaborative learning environments and how to teach collaboration in the curriculum explicitly.
HARNESSING POSITIVE DISRUPTION WITH THE CRITICAL REFLECTION CRUCIBLE
A wave is a dynamic disturbance and, like a wave, the process of critical reflection can act as a vital disturbance to our assumptions. This workshop explored what, exactly, critical reflection is. With help from Woonona HS Year 8 students we also explored how critical reflection can be taught in the curriculum explicitly using the Critical Reflection Crucible.
The Closing Session
The final session provided an opportunity for each school to consolidate their learning from over the 2 days and then share how they plan to ride their wave of 4C transformation in their context going forward.
GOT MORE QUESTIONS?
Send our administrator, Naomi, an email here.