Good Afternoon All!
After spending many years in schools I have seen a lot of changes……from a classroom level to an Education Department level. Some changes have been good and some ‘not so’ good but the one thing that hasn’t changed in education is the need for students and teachers to have a connection! Sometimes they have to work hard to find ‘that’ connection, sometimes it comes easily and naturally and sometimes it needs support to happen…..but it is so important that it is made as students learning will improve as a result!
Making connections to their teacher is important but so is making connections to what they are learning- things make much more sense to them when they do!
A big focus for us this year is to support and facilitate the making of those connections. Sometimes it’s making personal connections to what they are reading, sometimes it’s making connections to what they are reading to the world and sometimes it’s making connections between two different things they have read! Sometimes it’s making connections between a mathematical concept or skill and how it fits into their personal world! As we start a new Unit of Inquiry we always try and assess what students already know about a big idea and see if they can make connections to what they have learned previously. It certainly supports their thinking and helps them to then find out new information!
Parents making connections to their children’s learning is also vitally important. Sometimes that’s through coming into the classroom and joining in with learning, sometimes (like me) it’s asking questions and having discussions because you just can’t get into school!
Below I have listed the Units of Inquiry that each level will be starting in Term 3. If you feel that you have anything you could contribute to ANY of these units in any way….please contact your child’s teacher or the school office and ask for me! If you are unable to see that your expertise is in any of these fields of study it’s always good to know what your children are learning so you can still make connections and you may like to come in and help anyway…..we can always learn something new!
PREPS:
How the world works ‘Toys and games have changed over time due to technology’
JUNIORS:
How we express ourselves ‘Imagination is a powerful tool for extending our ability to think, create and express ourselves’
MIDDLES:
How we express ourselves ‘Communication in its many forms facilitates personal and global connections’
SENIORS:
How we express ourselves ‘The Exhibition’
Enjoy and keep connected!