One constant in education is change. Even our staff with just a few years in their teaching careers will attest to that, not to mention our most experience staff who have gone through many changes in curricula frameworks!

21st Pedagogy is based on the notion that as the world has changed and grown smaller due to technology, so the skills we teach our students must match the needs that they will face once they have left the school gate.

In the March edition of the School Newsletter, Mrs Lynn Gray, Head of English, mentioned her aim to embrace the teaching and learning known as 21st Pedagogy. This approach is based upon developing problem solving skills the students of today will need and knowledge of how to collaborate with other people using technology and through the application of higher order thinking skills. Effective communication and working in an inter-disciplinary team is key.

The nine key skills listed for the 21st Century that need to be taught in our schools are:

  • Critical Thinking
  • Creativity
  • Metacognition
  • Problem solving
  • Collaboration
  • Motivation
  • Self-Efficacy
  • Conscientiousness
  • Grit or Perseverance

This last skill, Grit or Perseverance, is interesting. One may think this is innate and would not need to be taught in schools; however, more often we are seeing students who find resilience and ‘stickability’ does not comes easily to them. Our teachers do teach grit and perseverance when we extend the challenge to students with ‘No, that is not our expectation’ or ‘Re-do this work; this is not to the standard required’. Students who choose to change their behaviour or improve their effort in subsequent submissions are learning grit and perseverance. Those who do not, often have the response of resisting or putting blame on others. Parents play a role in teaching their children Grit or Perseverance.

To assist our students, we need to ensure that they have access to suitable technologies and are fluent in the use of a variety of media and software applications. Gaining collaborative skills through an inter-disciplinary approach to learning is a key skill. Technology is a key component to learning at Peter Moyes ACS. We are working towards ensuring that our students operate, investigate, create and communicate with the technology provided in their classes. However, in doing so, students must be mindful that everything online is public! We work with our students with technology within the premise of safe social and ethical practices which underpin the skills of 21st century learning.

Written by Mrs Natalie Shaw, Associate Principal, Senior School