Deep Learning at CMCC

“Imagine a world where students are good at learning and good at life. Now imagine you can make it a reality.” (NPDL)

New Pedagogies for Deep Learning, A Global Partnership

With the College having now made a commitment to the global network New Pedagogies for Deep Learning (NPDL), I will be travelling with Assistant Principal, Peter Antcliff, to Christchurch in two weeks to attend a Facilitator’s Institute.

We believe this framework, underpinned by the 6C’s, will play a key role in assisting individuals to excel as independent lifelong learners. NPDL provides a wealth of information, support and networks which will guide the College to successfully embed these in the learning culture.

They align closely with the Australian Curriculum General Capabilities, designed to prepare those essential competencies necessary for a changing world.  This focus on competencies aligns well with learning that is co-constructed, student centred, and inquiry focussed.

In continuing the fascinating journey of preparing for a new secondary school, Catherine McAuley Catholic College, I once again ask the question, as put forward at the start of the 2019 in a blog post, “What do we want our students to be?”

A visioning workshop with consultant Anne Knock late last year helped unpack this question more deeply. Peter Antcliff and I spent some time looking at the following questions:

– Why is what we are doing so important?

– People: Redefine success for the student and the teacher

– Principles: How will we organise school?

– Practices: What will characterise the activity of our school?

In reflecting on this question, we began with “At CMCC we are seeking to provide every opportunity for our students to be career ready and life ready. These students require the dispositions and qualities that will see them thrive in today’s world”.

The importance of “CO” as being central to our planning … “Co”-learning – students, teachers, families, community and industry – this collaboration is essential for deep and powerful learning experiences.

Last year’s planning day identified 3 important elements; Deep Learning, Purposeful Learning and Globally Connected – each with stand-alone principles, as well as those that intersect, as indicated below. Each are situated within the context of Mercy-inspired values.

A theme that arose during this day was for “students to experience deep, purposeful learning in a globally connected, Mercy-inspired community”. With the start of 2020, Peter and I continued to delve more deeply into the College Vision and Mission with it continuing to evolve. It is slowly being refined to clearly and concisely articulate what the CMCC will represent and we look forward to unveiling this to the community, along with our visual identity and uniform, on March 4 at pacific Dunes!

Brian Caldwell, educational consultant and past Dean of Education at the University of Melbourne, summed up an emerging global agreement on society’s expectations for schools back in 2002:

“All students in every setting should be literate and numerate and should acquire a capacity for lifelong learning, leading to success and satisfaction as good citizens and productive workers in a knowledge society”.

There is a consensus amongst the business community that young people are lacking the essential skills required to thrive in a changing world and workforce.

Schools have a moral obligation to astutely respond to these needs. Re-imaging education and purposeful schooling require courage. Courage just happens to be one of the core Mercy values, so we are well placed to tackle this challenge with Catherine McAuley watching over us!