Faculty in Focus - Introducing Artemis and Design, Technology and Engineering

A girl focused learning entitlement

At Wilderness, we are ambitious in ensuring all girls are provided with a learning entitlement that ensures they are industry-ready, well-rounded graduates, equipped with the skills they will need to succeed in their personal and professional lives.

In 2021, we are pleased to introduce Artemis and Design, Technology and Engineering (DTE) — Wilderness School’s newly developed curriculum offerings.

The 2020-2022 Wilderness School Strategic Plan highlights the need to ‘cultivate capabilities and dispositions to support each girl to emerge as a connected and engaged learner, prepared to succeed in, and contribute to, a complex, rapidly changing world’. Further, we want our students to think deeply about current social and political issues and to develop advocacy and action with passion and bravery. This requires us to think deeply about the design of a future oriented curriculum that prioritises disciplinary and interdisciplinary learning. The question, ‘What is worth learning?’ has occupied educators’ minds since ancient times. According to Harvard University professor, David Perkins (2014, p. 8), what is worth learning in our society today should be defined as ‘lifeworthy’, or that which is ‘likely to matter in the lives learners are likely to have’. This idea resonates strongly at Wilderness. In order to fulfil the School’s mission to ‘enable each girl to be the best she can be throughout her life’ (Wilderness School, 2019), we are relentless in our pursuit to provide our girls with opportunities for academic and personal growth and achievement. We endeavour to support our students to prepare for their futures, by assisting them to develop the capabilities and dispositions they will need to thrive in all aspects of their lives. Put another way, we aim to ‘prepare our children for the tests of life, not a life of tests’ (Elias, 2001). Educators around the world are working to modernise schooling to better prepare young people for the 21st century; personalised and self-directed learning, social and emotional skills, and issues-based learning that explores linkages between subjects are a few of the key ambitions of many educational settings (The Economist, 2020). Robert Marzano (2003, p. 22) supports this, stating ‘a guaranteed and viable curriculum is the first factor, having the most impact on student learning’. To ensure that each girl is prepared for her future personal and professional lives, we must design a guaranteed curriculum that provides an authentic learning entitlement. At Wilderness, our curriculum plans are based around designing an educational experience which connects with the wider transforming world in which young people live, both on local and global levels. We are especially passionate about ensuring we achieve Goal Two of the Australian Education Council’s Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Education Declaration (2019), which asserts ‘all young Australians become confident and creative individuals, successful lifelong learners, and active and informed members of the community’ (p. 5). It is increasingly clear that graduates must develop the ‘human’ elements that allow them to work alongside technology, whilst also developing technological, business, economic and scientific skills, Anderson (2020).

At Wilderness we are ambitious in ensuring all girls are provided with a learning entitlement that ensures they are industryready, well-rounded graduates. Whilst there is no definitive agreement on what they should be called, there is no doubting those skills listed as ‘Soft Skills’ are anything but ‘soft’. Deloitte Australia (2019) in their report ‘Building the Lucky Country’, explain today’s jobs are increasingly likely to require you ‘to use your head rather than your hands, a trend that has been playing out for some time’. Further, regardless of whether jobs rely on brains or brawn, it is the less routine jobs that are harder to automate, and that is where employment has and will continue to grow (Deloitte, 2019). The ongoing and strengthening interest in these skills comes from the clear and profound changes in society moving into the 21st century – particularly in the changing skills required for employment (Weldon, 2020). Further, The Gonski Report, Through Growth to Achievement (2018, p. 38), highlighted the general capabilities as ‘critical to preparing students for a future of interactive, nonroutine work’ and further, in recent times we are seeing increasing focus on skills of the heart (Deloitte, 2019).

In developing our new curriculum direction, future skills, capabilities and understandings have been at the forefront of our design. It is with great excitement for our community that in 2021 we will be introducing the following new or renewed subject areas: ARTEMIS > YEAR 3 TO YEAR 11 DTE > YEARS 7 AND 8 DTE SPECIALIST CHOICES > YEAR 9

The skills companies need most in 2020

Top 5 Soft Skills

› Creativity › Persuasion › Collaboration › Adaptability › Emotional Intelligence

Top 10 Soft Skills

› Blockchain › Cloud Computing › Analytical Reasoning › UX Design › Business Analysis › Affiliate Marketing › Sales › Scientific Computing › Video Production

Artemis was the Greek goddess of hunting and the wilderness. The daughter of Zeus and sister of Apollo, Artemis was regarded as a patron of girls and young women and a protectress during childbirth. She was worshipped across the Greek world. As such, we saw ‘Artemis’ as the perfect name to encapsulate our new Year 3 to Year 11 subject. Artemis is a learning entitlement for all girls across Year 3 to 11 at Wilderness School that: > supports the development of the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes for girls’ personal and professional lives > prepares our girls for more rapid economic and social change than ever before, for jobs that have not yet been created and to solve social problems that have not yet arisen > cultivates capabilities and dispositions to support each girl to emerge as a connected and engaged learner, prepared to succeed in, and contribute to, a complex, rapidly changing world > encourages girls to think deeply about current social and political issues, enabling the development of advocacy and action.

Girls will be empowered to find and refine the qualities that are unique to humanity; qualities that complement, rather than compete with, the capacities of technology. This further supports the School’s mission to ‘enable each girl to be the best she can be throughout her life’. Students will explore real-world learning that applies discipline knowledge and supports emotional learning and the development of financial and entrepreneurial skills. Developing healthy peer relationships will be encouraged, including a focus on identity and wellbeing. Artemis prioritises developing ‘transformative competencies’. These can be defined as the types of knowledge, skills, attitudes and values students need to transform society and shape their future (Hannon, 2017). Rather than traditional approaches to assessment, students will be required to explore key ideas through project-based learning and real-world application.

Artemis will support girls to develop:

> Self-regulation > Flexibility > Personal wellbeing > Empathy > Communication

In alignment with the 2019 Alice Springs Australian Education Declaration (Education Council 2019), girls will become confident and creative individuals, successful lifelong learners and active and informed members of the community.

> Collaboration > A growth mindset > Critical thinking > The ability to manage their journey Key ideas will be explored by considering the relationship(s) between themselves and the following three strands:

MY RELATIONSHIPS

MY COMMUNITIES ME

MY WORLD

Encouraging nine focus areas provides the narrative for the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values developed. The focus areas guide the learning and teaching emphasis for the relevant year level(s). Each focus area will be explored through the subject strands; providing four interconnected lenses to explore key ideas through (self, relationships, society, world).

Focus Areas:

> INNER SELF > CONNECTED SELF > DIGITAL SELF > PROFESSIONAL SELF > PHYSICAL SELF > POLITICAL SELF > PHILANTHROPIC SELF > FINANCIAL SELF > SKILFUL SELF

This learning entitlement for our girls ensures that they are prepared for their personal and professional lives. ‘The bottom line is, if we want to stay ahead of technological developments, we have to find and refine the qualities that are unique to humanity. These are qualities that complement, rather than compete with, the capacities of computers. Tomorrow’s schools will develop first-class humans, not second-class robots’ (Schleicher, 2019).

DTE

DESIGN, TECHNOLOGY & ENGINEERING

Even before COVID-19 revolutionised the world’s reliance upon technology, the future of work forecast was challenging how industry and educational systems functioned. In many ways, this pandemic has brought about an even greater urgency for change to industry and work. It is anticipated that with constant changes in technology, our children will be working in jobs barely even conceived yet (Weldon, 2020). This is highlighted by LinkedIn (2017), which claims many of the fastest growing jobs – like Machine Learning Engineers or Big Data Developers – didn’t exist five years ago. Additionally, The Foundation for Youth Australia (FYA) (2019) emphasises ‘automation and globalisation have led to a loud and compelling narrative about the future of work, and career paths appear more complicated’. The changing space of industry and the increase in digitalisation and automation mean curriculum offerings in schools must evolve. If we want our students to graduate as successful contributors to their future worlds then ‘traditional’ school structures, subject and curriculum offerings will no longer cut it. Settings where the boundaries are permeable between the community, school, businesses and critically, the digital world, can deliver great engaging STEM education (Hannon, 2017). This connects with the Alice Springs Education Declaration (Educational Council, 2019, p. 5) which states a commitment to ensuring students will become successful lifelong learners who ‘are productive and informed users of technology as a vehicle for information gathering and sharing and are able to adapt to emerging technologies into the future’. One obvious consequence of the research highlighted in this article, is that any individual without knowledge and skills in STEM, or perhaps more specifically, technology, is at risk of social exclusion, unable to become a fully participating citizen. A key direction of our 2020-2022 strategic plan was to offer a learning entitlement in STEM for all girls.

This has led to the introduction of compulsory Design, Technology and Engineering (DTE) for all girls across Years 7 and 8, and a range of new and innovative Year 9 electives from 2021.

These include:

> SPACE & ROBOTICS > CYBER SECURITY &

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE > SUBS IN SCHOOLS > INSPIRE: PRODUCT DESIGN > CREATIVE INDUSTRIES:

FILM & ANIMATION The aim of this new structure is to provide a guaranteed Middle School curriculum for all girls, in which they are exposed to the breadth of DTE and Creative Industries, whilst also providing exciting, interesting and relevant choices for Year 9 students to explore in greater depth. The Australian Government’s report ‘Through Growth to Achievement’, highlights the importance in shifting education to supporting students to develop non-routine skills and ways of thinking, with advances in technology set to drive this trend further (Gonski, et al., 2018). Additionally, ‘schools need to prepare students for more rapid economic and social change than ever before, for jobs that have not yet been created, to use technologies that have not yet been invented and to solve social problems that we do not yet know will arise’ (Schleicher, 2018). The Design, Technology and Engineering curriculum areas at Wilderness School ensure that our girls develop the relevant understanding and skillset to thrive in a future, technologically driven world. Wilderness School aims to be a world leader in girls’ education with a strong commitment to ensuring we equip each girl to succeed in her personal and professional life (Wilderness School, 2019).

Our commitment to working with the best researchers and thought leaders ensures we remain true to being future focused, innovative and purposeful in providing the best possible educational opportunities in a rapidly changing world. We are excited to develop relevant and agile programs that prepare our girls to face their future with confidence and capacity.

Brad Snell Head of Curriculum

Reference List Deloitte Australia. (2019). Building the Lucky Country. Elias, M. J. (2001). Prepare children for the tests of life, not a life of tests. Education Week 21, p. 40. FYA. (2019). School-Industry Partnerships. Foundation of Youth Australia. https://www.fya.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/ FYA_CareerEducation_EducatorToolkit.pdf [Accessed 14 May 2020]. Hannon, F. (2017). Thrive- Schools Reinvented For The Real Challenges We Face. Innovation Unit Press Ignatova, M. (2017). “Here are the 20 FastestGrowing Jobs in the US”, LinkedIn Talent Blog, 7 December 2017, https:// business.linkedin.com/talent-solutions/blog/trends-and-research/2017/ here-are-the-20-fastestgrowing-jobs-in-the-us [Accessed 16 May 2020]. Mazarno, R. (2003). What Works in Schools- Translating Research into Action. Virginia, USA: ASCD Perkins, D.N. (2014). Future wise. Preparing our Children for a Changing World. San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass. Schleicher, A. 2019. The fourth industrial revolution. Education Journal, [online] (368), pp.40-41. Available at: https://eds-a-ebscohost-com.ezp.lib.unimelb. edu.au/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=0&sid=ddc9cc99-6453-4f8e-99e15bc2c146f1da%40sessionmgr4008 [Accessed 12 May 2020]. The Economist. (2020). Staff of 2030: Future-ready Teaching. The Economist Intelligence Unit Weldon, P. (2020). Defining skills for the future: What’s in a name? Australian Council of Education Research. https://www.acer.org/au/discover/article/ defining-skills-for-the-future-whats-in-a-name [Accessed 3 May 2020]. Wilderness School. (2019). The Learning That Matters Framework [Accessed May 2020]. Wilderness School. (2019). Wilderness School Strategic Plan [Accessed May 2020].