Page 4 - 2023 - The Altiora Vol 75

COMING IN 2024: YEAR 7 ODYSSEY PROJECT
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4 | COMING IN 2024: YEAR 7 OD YSSEY PR OJECT

GINED
THE LEARNING JOURNEY REIMA
THE LEARNING JOURNEY REIMAGINED
There are clutch moments in life that just need to be
taken. The Odyssey story is one such time.
Over the past four years, the world has undergone
significant and fundamental change. Until the
Learning from Home experience, many had not
questioned the traditional setup of schooling that
sits students down, keeps them quiet and asks them
to perform in high-pressure situations. Learning
was teacher focused, very fast-paced and subjects
were separated unnecessarily. Returning from the
pandemic, there was an opportunity and, more
importantly, a consensus that our students deserve
better.
Current research from the Grattan Institute shows
that up to 40% of students across Australia are
disengaged, and the way forward is to challenge In August the Teaching Team were warmly welcomed
students to participate and take risks*. by Dr Hugh Chilton and the ScotsX team at the
Scots College, Bellevue Hill. They describe this as “a
At the end of 2022, the Principal, Mr Steven Coote, parallel ‘school-within-a school.’ [An] active learning
floated the idea of an innovative Year 7 program that experience, redesigning learning together with a team
places students at the centre of their learning and of expert adults, without the fixed mindset of ‘what
closely interrogated the educational status quo. school should be’. Our collaboration with Dr Chilton
and his team, together with opportunities to see
Working with Heads of Department, Heads of House, ScotsX in action was a pivotal moment for Odyssey.
the Registrar, library staff and Junior and Senior
school teachers, the idea of the Odyssey Program In September, members of the Odyssey team travelled
was born. It would be a purpose-built, student- to Barcelona, London, Dorchester, Wales, Oxford
centered approach to learning that saw students as and Kent to see some schools that are internationally
powerful and capable. It would use a combination of recognised for their innovation. These schools,
instructional coaching, project-based learning, direct whilst all very different in context, had a mindset
instruction and peer feedback to provide an education of innovation, breaking established moulds and
that is unique to Blue Mountains Grammar School. challenging the status quo.

In February this year, a Development Team of 28 Since then the team has been busy building programs,
staff listed frustrations with the current model of resources and the quality assurance aspects of the
education with possible solutions. Recurring themes project. We have worked with Heads of Department
were the pressure of time, high-stakes testing, a to find the balance between the different Odyssey
narrowing of curriculum, decreased student agency, channels and are in the final stage of project
engagement issues, lack of self-regulation, inflexible development. Plans are moving into actions as we
success criteria and a lack of social enterprise. Some repurpose learning spaces to reflect this more active
of these were problems to solve and some of these and dynamic style of learning.
were tensions to manage; while we could not change
what was in the curriculum, we were able to dissect There is no question that Odyssey is going to be a
and alter the way we delivered it. game changer. Let the journey begin!

Using Patrick Lencioni’s Working Genius model, the
Executive team reflected on applicants and their mix
of ‘gifts’. Lencioni’s model calls for a mix of wonder,
imagination, discernment, galvanizing, empowering
and tenacity; to balance a team where all of these gifts
must be present within the group.
We were thrilled to have Ms Jacqueline Grassmayr
(Head of English), Ms Danie Evans (Senior Drama
teacher and Head of Ziele House), Mr Brad Hoffmann
Mr Chris Sanders
(Senior PDHPE teacher) and Mrs Sandie Naumann Mr Chris Sa nders
edagogy a
Director of P
vation
nd Inno
(Senior Mathematics teacher) named as the Odyssey Director of Pedagogy and Innovation
Teaching Team, who will work very closely with me to
deliver a superb learning experience to our students. * https://grattan.edu.au/report/engaging-students-
creating-classrooms-that-improve-learning/