Parramatta diocese collaborates on contemporary learning

03/10/2008

Silverton assistant principal, Amanda Prosser

Contemporary learning spaces at Silverton Primary, Victoria

On Wednesday 24 September, school leaders from around the diocese gathered at Rosehill for a forum on contemporary learning. Guest speakers included Tony Bryant and Amanda Prosser, principal and assistant principal from Silverton Primary School in Victoria, which is a unique open plan school with a strong media/ICT program.

The forum aimed to encourage professional dialogue on the most effective learning environments for today’s students, with school leaders sharing plans from their own schools for improving these environments. Silverton Primary was offered as a case study in contemporary learning and teaching, with some school leaders having been given the opportunity to visit Silverton earlier in the month for a guided tour of the facilities.

Silverton was opened with a modern design consisting of four open plan teaching learning centres; an administration block; a specialist wing consisting of an information resource centre; visual arts workshop; canteen and a general-purpose room; all established around a central courtyard. The school has been selected by the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development as a ‘CATALYST’ school because of the excellent integration of ICT throughout the curriculum. The school’s ICT facilities include an onsite FM radio station - 87.5FM and television studio.

Principal, Moya McGuinness, Sacred Heart Primary, Mount Druitt South, visited Silverton and found the experience extremely valuable.

‘The experience gave us the vision and inspiration to begin our own journey at Sacred Heart. Visiting Silverton drove home the point that the open classroom is about creating an environment that allows children to be flexible in their learning, as well as accountable. It’s about creating an environment where learning is based on exploration and experiences,’ said Moya.

Speaking at the forum, Amanda Presser shared her experiences of open plan classrooms, team teaching and integrated learning and answered questions relating to the transition to this style of schooling and other areas of interest such as assessment. Amanda attributes the success of the school to the valuable learning habits instilled not only in their students, but in the teaching staff.

‘Our staff all view themselves as learners, risk-takers and reflectors. We are engaged in informal learning all the time and we tap into each other’s expertise,’ said Amanda.

Silverton principal, Tony Bryant, spoke of the overwhelmingly positive experience the school has had of team teaching, while emphasising the importance of a gradual transition with any new pedagogy.

‘Team teaching means our students are getting access to the expertise of more than one adult. Working with each other’s strengths in a team situation, all personality types are able to flourish, from the creative to the organiser,’ Tony said.

Michael Hopley, principal, St Monica’s Primary, North Parramatta, also visited Silverton earlier this month and said the visit provided reassurance that plans for St Monica’s would result in improved learning and teaching experiences.

‘Visiting Silverton confirmed what we already believed about open plan learning spaces. We saw the concept working successfully because the students were engaged in their learning. We witnessed project based learning, which will be included in the ‘discovery learning’ we plan to implement at St Monica’s,’ said Michael.

St Monica’s is undergoing a major redevelopment which will result in flexible and open plan learning spaces housed in buildings with colourful, curved walls. The building project will allow the school to take cooperative teaching and other 21^st century education strategies to the next level.