Macquarie College – Award Winning, Forward Thinking
Local school Macquarie College (MC) has been named one of the most innovative and forward-thinking schools in Australia by leading education industry magazine - The Educator Australia.
School Principal, Rohan Deanshaw, says that MC's pursuit of its strategic intent - to work with students to co-evolve a new exemplar of future-focused schooling that contributes to the transformation of global education, was key to winning the prestigious award.
"A key element of such co-evolving is to ensure that the young people who attend MC are at the centre of any decision-making process that has the potential to impact either their learning or their day-to-day lived experience as members of the MC community," said Mr Deanshaw.
"Such intentionality is critical to the learning program at MC as we seek to intentionally equip our young people for the communities and workplaces of the future."
Whilst MC remains committed to being an exemplar of current credentialing (HSC, ATAR) through the comprehensive implementation of student-centred, data-informed, best practice teaching and learning, we are equally committed to ensuring the K-12 journey of each young person at the school is one of adventure and possibilities.
Adventure in the sense that learning, both formally and informally, engenders a sense of wonder, excitement and fun. And possibilities mean that each young person is afforded the opportunity through such learning to imagine, and then move towards, a future for themselves that explores the full breadth of their capabilities.
A ready example of such a learning experience at MC is the MC X program, in part for which MC was a recipient of this award.
Based upon the global competencies of the 6 C's - citizenship, character, collaboration, creativity, critical thinking and communication, the MC X program offers students the opportunity to learn design thinking principles using a blend of hand and power tools, along with current technology, and the various ways to approach problem solving and creative challenges. The student-driven and hands-on nature of the program was inspired through time spent by MC staff at the d.school at Stanford University as well as the Brightworks School in San Francisco and High Tech High in San Diego.
Located in MC's Design Labs, MC X has inspired a deep culture of investigation, iteration, and ideation, creating demand from students for the design labs to be available to them before and after school and at recess and lunchtimes. It is evident through the rush to participate in these free times (young people will literally run to get to the design labs) that students value the opportunity to design, create, test, refine and recreate their ideas into prototypes.
Several student businesses have been inspired through the MC X program, with 3D printers, laser cutters and numerous associated technologies and hand tools getting a workout creating various prototypes prior to a final product being sold at the MC X Marketplace. With the 'informal' learning that occurs through projects such as designing prototypes before building their chair for use at school being linked directly to the 'formal' learning outcomes in Mathematics, Creative Arts and Science, in some instances, students who would otherwise struggle to stay engaged with long sessions of 'bookwork' come alive in the design labs, where they have the freedom to imagine and create. Parents have reported many positive impacts of the MC X program on their young people, with the design thinking principles even being applied to social situations as young people deal with the challenges they face in the course of everyday life.
For the young people at MC, the focus is on their future.
Limited vacancies are available for 2022 and beyond. Contact Sarah in the Registrar's Office on 4954 6222 to enquire or visit www.macquariecollege.nsw.edu.au
To learn more about the 5 Star Innovative Schools Award, click here
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