Term 3: Update 1

Student Free Day

The lead up to this term’s student free day required teachers to think about the evidence they could provide against each of the Australian Teacher Standards and at what level they considered themselves to be preforming eg a Highly Accomplished Teacher. We were interested in what teachers were aspiring to and how they plan to continue upskilling themselves. The theme of the day ‘Deep Skill and Discipline Mastery’ is part of Our Charter frameworks, and provoked conversation in Learning Areas about discipline specific elements as well as mastery of teaching in general. For this day a narrower focus on learning technologies as part of a teachers repertoire, challenged us to create applications to enhance our student experiences. At Adelaide Botanic we are fortunate to have an amazing array of equipment and technologies and need to build our teacher capacity in the possibilities for their use with students. This interactive 360 video created by Tania (Global Perspectives Teacher) and Karen (SSO, STEM Technician), who just picked up a 360 camera as part of the VR Station on the day, shares many of the exciting workshops attended by our staff.
A big thanks to student Sam Weavers of Sam’s Popcorn for helping create a fun ‘roadtrip’ snack.

Dream Big!

Recently, an intrepid group of Year 7-9 writers attended Dream Big, based at the Festival Theatre and the South Australian State Library (one of the most beautiful libraries in the world), for the day.

What the students thought of the day:

“The day started off with a lovely walk through the university and out to the river at the Festival Centre. We took our time with the walk and ensured we got to know each other well. The photos started almost immediately, as we were laughing the whole way there.”

What was great about the day?

“I enjoyed talking to friends and authors.” “We enjoyed this day because we got to spend time with each other, forming new bonds and strengthening friendships. We got the opportunity to practice all different kinds of writing, and learn new skills. Meeting writers and learning their stories, and experiencing different writing scenarios helped with motivation and creating new ideas.” “We would most definitely do it again.”

What was best about the writing sessions?

“We loved learning about professional writers’ personal experiences: they showed us how they value their writing. It was useful to meet so many professional writers and understand how they approach writing.” “During the playwriting session, the leader told us about how she has used playwriting to help regulate emotions in herself and others. For example, she used playwriting to help someone who knew their father was going to die to enable them to share their feelings and become calmer and more resigned.” “Being told the motivations for writing a play and how those dreams supported professional writers was magical and helped me see my own unsuccessful writing days in a bigger context.” “Scriptwriting was fantastic – I suddenly understood the writing practice as a whole, not just as dialogue but as part of play with all the other parts and devices.” “Hearing authors talking about their experiences was inspirational: I suddenly understood they see writing as a job: not a side hustle. They urged us to value it.” “I loved meeting a variety of authors who published in different genres from comic books to dystopian fiction to romance, so we really got a taste of the variety of writing available.”

“At the end, I loved the part with the Q and A with a wide range of authors. I really understood the range of writing types and jobs available in this area.” “I loved just being in the library. It was such a new experience. The books were the best part. Exploring was restricted by time but I’m keen to go back soon.” “I’m inspired by the person with a regular day job who gave everything up for writing. I loved being introduced to the new worlds and opportunities on offer.”

Any other treasured memories?

“I loved the library itself, which was beautiful. It was filled with exhibitions that told us more about South Australia and linked history with our daily lives.” “It was such fun to walk back through the university and experience the beauty of the buildings and gardens. I’d never visited the yarning circle before. It was great to learn how to show respect for it, its purpose and it helped bring the Aboriginal perspective to life.”

Participants: Patrick, Nish, Heidi, Pravenya, Jasmine, Shana, Grace, Sidney, Ari and Ryder.

Alison-Jane Hunter
Global Teacher

Himeji Virtual Exchange

The cultural horizons of students expanded in a unique and flavourful way through the Himeji Japanese virtual exchange program. This innovative initiative brought together students from different corners of the world to share a Japanese cultural experience while fostering cross-cultural connections.

A student highlight of the program was a delightful Japanese bento box lunch and dinner at a Japanese restaurant, creating a full-spectrum culinary adventure that immersed participants in the art of traditional Japanese cuisine. As students delighted in the intricate flavours and artful presentation of their meals, they embarked on a captivating gastronomic journey through Japan’s rich culinary heritage.

The Himeji Japanese virtual exchange wasn’t just about enjoying a meal or having conversations; it was about fostering global citizenship and empathy. It was a reminder that despite geographical distances, our shared humanity and curiosity about one another unite us.