ST Pius X Catholic Primary School has developed an interactive technology hub that will take students’ educational experience into the 21st century, according to principal Daine Burnett.
Launched this year, the hub was built with a focus on design thinking processes and project-based learning which encourages students to be co-operative.
Assistant principal Kim Hughes is responsible for team teaching with each classroom to ensure the ideas of the four C’s (communication, collaboration, creativity and critical thinking) are incorporated throughout daily lessons.
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READ NOWThe innovation hub is equipped with the latest technology including virtual reality (VR) gear, robotics components and whiteboard desks.
Mr Hughes said the new facility allowed children to tap into the style of learning that suited them best.
“This is a bit of a pilot room; down the track we hope to start transitioning all classrooms to run in a similar way,” he said.
Mr Hughes described how he had been using the technology available to work with Year 6 students who are learning about natural disasters.
“Generally natural disasters would be taught as, ‘this the definition of an earthquake’ and ‘this is diagram of what two tectonic plates coming together looks like’,” Mr Hughes said.
“But, that method doesn’t allow a connection to the material so I used our VR to ‘take’ the children ‘into’ the aftermath of an earthquake.
“Afterward I could see the change in their engagement immediately as it suddenly became more personal to them.”
The development of the hub has been a joint community project with the St Pius X Parents and Friends Association contributing to its funding.
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