Coolbinia Primary School Video 1

Summary

Dr. Elaine Lewis showcases her school's commitment to sustainability and STEM education. She highlights the integration of cross-curriculum priorities, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and sustainability. The school's focus on real-world problem-solving through STEM is exemplified by their bushland project, where students engage in research and digital technology to create informative signs and resources for the community. This project not only enhances learning but also fosters a sense of justice and respect for the environment and its indigenous caretakers.

Takeaways

• 🌱 Dr. Elaine Lewis is a sustainability education expert and Cross-Curriculum Leader at a school, focusing on embedding sustainability, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures, and Asia engagement into learning areas.
• 📚 The school integrates the 3 cross-curriculum priorities across all learning areas, starting with one area and expanding each year.
• 🌐 STEM education is emphasized, preparing students to be 21st-century learners with critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• 🌳 The school uses the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly focusing on life on land, climate action, and justice and peace, to frame their STEM work.
• 🏫 The school's STEM committee follows an inquiry process with stages like tuning in, finding out, sorting out, making conclusions, reflecting, and taking action.
• 🔍 Yearly Professional Development (PD) sessions are conducted to ensure all staff understand and can implement the STEM curriculum effectively.
• 👨‍🎓👩‍🎓 Students from different year levels contribute to a whole-school STEM project focused on the school's bushland, integrating digital technologies and research.
• 🖼️ The bushland project includes student-created signs, audio files, videos, and quizzes, showcasing a multidisciplinary approach.
• 🌿 The project emphasizes the importance of Noongar language and culture, integrating it into the bushland experience and education.
• 📈 A specific Year 4 project involved creating brochures for the official opening of the bush trail, following the inquiry process and integrating research on bushland flora and fauna.
• 📚 The school's approach to education is holistic, involving students in real-world problem-solving through projects that reflect social justice and environmental sustainability.

Q & A

Who is Elaine Lewis and what is her role at the school?

Elaine Lewis is a doctorate holder in sustainability education for sustainability and her role at the school is the cross-curriculum leader, focusing on the three cross-curriculum priorities: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures, Australia's engagement with Asia, and sustainability.

What are the three cross-curriculum priorities embedded across all learning areas at the school?

The three cross-curriculum priorities are the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures priority, the Australia's engagement with Asia priority, and the sustainability priority.

How does the school integrate STEM into its curriculum?

The school focuses on STEM as a national initiative and uses the sustainable development goals to set the context for STEM. They have a STEM committee that follows the inquiry process to teach staff and students how to conduct STEM investigations.

What sustainable development goals does the school particularly focus on?

The school particularly focuses on the goals of life on land, climate action, and justice and peace.

How does the school approach the inquiry process in STEM?

The inquiry process in STEM involves stages such as tuning in, finding out, sorting out, making or drawing conclusions, going further, reflecting, and taking action.

What is the significance of the bushland adjacent to the school?

The bushland serves as an outdoor classroom and a resource for the school's STEM projects, with each year level contributing to a bushland STEM project.

What role do the different year levels play in the bushland STEM project?

Different year levels contribute to the bushland STEM project by creating signs, audio files, videos, quizzes, and other materials related to the flora and fauna of the bushland.

How does the school incorporate Noongar language and culture into the bushland project?

The school incorporates Noongar language and culture by foregrounding it on signs, including braille and audio files of acknowledgments to country, and involving Noongar artists in the project.

What digital technologies are used in the bushland project?

Digital technologies used in the bushland project include QR codes, augmented reality through the Metaverse app, and audio and video recordings.

Can you describe a specific project that year four students worked on for the bush trail?

Year four students conducted research on bushland flora and fauna and created brochures to hand out to visitors at the official opening of the bush trail.

What is the process the students follow when working on a project like the year four brochures?

The process involves tuning in to what the students already know, finding out more through research, sorting out information, making or drawing conclusions, and then creating the brochures.