Teaching and Learning

Latest News

Year 9 – Civics: Using Surveys to Connect Students to Real World Political Issues

Brad Tyrrell
      Students work in teams to research factors which influence voter behaviour. Traditionally students would investigate political issues through a text book. This Civics programme made use of technology to allow students to connect with political issues through news and social media websites as well as political surveys created by students for their parents. Students were able to connect the theory in the classroom to the real world issues faced by their families and society. This resulted in significant improvement in students engagement and understanding.  

Coaching Support for Teaching and Students

Brad Tyrrell
A key part of the Scotch College Information Learning Technology success is the investment in specific Information Learning technology Education Specialists (ILTES) to support teachers and students in integration of technology. The ILTES is a teacher with the primary role of supporting staff and students with the integration of contemporary learning technologies to optimise the teaching and learning experience. They ensure the latest technology is utilised in a way that results in the best possible learning outcomes and experiences, review and implement current and evolving pedagogies to provide rich and differentiated learning environments and contribute to the development of effective learning…

Year 6 – Working with Clips

Brad Tyrrell
    Michael Campbell teaches across a number of disciplines at Scotch College and is keen to encourage his students to transform their learning experiences using creative approaches across each of the learning areas of Science, Mathematics and Physical Education. Michael uses Clips with his class to create instructional videos and for the students to create and share their learning. Students can redefine their learning by using multiple environments and spaces to leverage deeper learning within each subject area. The ease and functionality of the Clips app enables students to achieve a creatively published video in a short period of time.      

Infrastructure and Apple TV

Brad Tyrrell
  Scotch College has fully embraced the Apple ecosystem, as such Apple TVs are an important tool for the College in delivering educational content. All classrooms in the College whether equipped with TV’s or ultrashort projectors are equipped with Apple TVs to allow staff and students to project content no matter where they are in the room using their iPad or MacBook Air. All meeting rooms and larger venues are also equipped with Apple TVs to make connecting to more complex audio visual systems as simple as possible. Finally, all the boarding houses are equipped with Apple TVs in their recreational…

Year 7 – Using Popplet to classify organisms

Brad Tyrrell
  As part of learning in Science, Toby Robinson would generally ask students to complete a handwritten dichotomous key in their Science journals.  However, Toby encouraged the students to use the app Popplet, which was distributed through the use of Classwork, to organise their thinking and classification of organisms.  Exploring new teaching and learning opportunities in the area of Science has allowed for students to show more creativity and personalisation using higher-order thinking tasks.  Using the Classwork and Classroom app, has given Toby the ability to recognise students who have misunderstandings as they complete their work and frees him to have…

Year 6 – iPad Slow motion camera use in Tee Ball

Brad Tyrrell
      Michael Campbell, Middle School Physical Education specialist, realises the importance of students being able to see their practice in action in order to be able to identify strengths and weaknesses in body movement.  Michael harnessed the potential of the iPad as a mobile device to organise students to record themselves and their peers in collaborative activities looking specifically at their physical skills and practice in slow motion.  Recording the student’s tee-ball striking skills challenged them to improve their execution by viewing and discussing their slow-motion action.  The boys used airdrop to share their footage to their collaborative partners which they…

Year 7 – Science Podcasts using GarageBand

Brad Tyrrell
      Students in Year 7 at Scotch College utilised the functionality within Garageband to respond to their research about the invasion of cane toads in Western Australia by creating collaborative podcasts. Initially, the students worked together through a scaffolded activity in Pages to research, plan and create their scripts for the activity. Once familiar with Garageband, the students worked collaboratively within jam sessions and real-time collaboration to create their podcasts. Previously, teacher Andrew Arbuckle, would have asked the students to complete a hand-written report.  In reflecting on the activity Andrew has been excited by the engagement of the students and the…

Year 6 – Mathematics Angles Keynote Scaffold

Brad Tyrrell
    As a Middle School Mathematics teacher, Tyson Waterman’s classes have been largely dependent upon the more traditional paper and pencil options to study and consolidate mathematical understandings. However, through the use of a Keynote scaffold, Tyson challenged his students to take mathematical concepts into authentic learning situations by challenging the students to go mobile with their devices to find angles in their environment. The students worked collaboratively to identify different shapes and angles and to audio and photo record and use the Apple Pencil functionality to annotate their images. The task was open-ended enough to…

Year 5 – Learning and Teaching with Classroom and Classwork

Brad Tyrrell
    Year 5 students at Scotch College are adept at navigating several systems in Andrew Well’s Year 5 class. The use of Classroom and Classwork have become an integral platform to allow for a multi-faceted approach to learning which incorporates the use of a variety of apps for each specific learning task.  Classwork as a mode of delivery benefits both teacher and student in the ability to allow accessibility options and methods of interaction with speech-to-text, audio, video and app interaction available to be submitted in the space.  Independence and choice in utilising a number of different apps and integrating their…

Year 10 – Working Collaboratively in Physics

Brad Tyrrell
  Students work in teams to research how physics is applied in real world situations. Traditionally students would articulate their knowledge of Newton’s Laws with images and text. With the use of movies and presentation tools students are able to demonstrate applications of physics in action. This example demonstrates how a game of soccer can be used to define the Newton’s Laws of motion    

Year 6 – Mathematics Dictionaries

Brad Tyrrell
  As a Middle and Senior School Maths specialist, Sophie Berry has redefined her approach to teaching and learning with iPad by identifying the possibilities for consolidating student understandings through the use of a multi-modal maths dictionary.  Ultilising a Keynote scaffold, the students completed their understandings of keywords from maths lessons by using audio, screen recording and video to share their comprehension of the steps needed for each of the concept areas.  Distributing this through Classwork allowed Sophie to collaborate in real time with the students and feedback on misunderstandings and misconceptions of the concepts.  As a personalised task, the students…

Year 8 – Visual Arts using Sculptura

Brad Tyrrell
Working with clay in visual arts takes continued and consistent practice to finalise an artwork which matches the image in a student’s imagination.  Utilising the options and opportunities the iPad presents, Year 8 students, working with direction from Visual Arts teacher, Scott Bycroft, were given the opportunity to practice and create their sculpting skills through the app Sculptura; giving endless opportunities for change and redesign.  Student learning is redefined in approaching their inquiry through research communicated through video and audio in their Numbers documentation and presented their final sculpture through the medium of 3D printing.    

Pre Primary – Structures are constructed to meet basic needs

Brad Tyrrell
    The Pre-primary boys at Scotch College are always excited to share their ideas and observations about the world. However, for these young emergent writers, representing their thoughts on paper can be difficult and relies on an adult to scribe. To develop their agency and ensure each child’s voice is heard, we are teaching the boys to use technology to independently record their observations visually and orally. They are now empowered to take charge of their own learning and share this with others.  

Year 7 – Video Analysis of Sprinting using iPad

Brad Tyrrell
            Student agency has been the driver in transforming the learning experience for Michael Brinsden’s Year 6 Physical Education and Health students at Scotch College. Prior to the introduction of the analysis of sprinting Keynote activity, students would be observed on a one-to-one or group basis and annotations taken as students performed, proving both time-consuming and offering students limited chance as success. Redefining the learning experience by personalising and putting the ownership in the hands of the students freed Michael to spend more time individually to focus on skill development and to be given the opportunity to assess students at what they…

Early Childhood – Self-expression

Brad Tyrrell
Heading The importance of developing an understanding of the learner’s journey is at the core of the digital experience for Kindergarten teacher Olivia Harnwell. Students are empowered to share their personal journey to demonstrate their learning. Digital devices are available for the students to create and record their curiosities and discoveries as well as being available for students to follow steps in a process to create and share. Olivia has found ways to connect with families through the use of QR Codes to view specific work that celebrates individual learning.