Inquiry Learning @ Graceville State School
The Australian Curriculum outlines the content and skills to be taught at each year level in all Key Learning Areas across our school. At Graceville, these Key Learning Areas are designed using the inquiry philosophy, principles, and practices of Kath Murdoch. Learning is driven by planned understanding goals which enhance the students' curiosity and their understanding of the way the world works. Inquiry pathways allow students to investigate a concept that connects across a number of learning areas; and within a year level the pathway to understanding may look slightly different depending on the students' interest and current knowledge-base. Some examples of concepts investigated are sustainability, forces and gravity, rules and decision-making, identity and cycles of life. You may hear students discussing their interesting journeys especially in the areas of Science, Humanities and Social Sciences (HaSS), Health and the Arts.
Students at our school are actively involved in wondering, questioning, investigating, clarifying, synthesising and articulating ideas and responding to their learning so they learn to participate responsibly and effectively in society.
Graceville State School also endeavors to prepare students for lifelong learning in the 21st Century, where jobs that will exist in the future have not been created yet. Teaching and learning across learning areas focusing on content AND process – meaning that students focus their learning on not only the “WHAT" we are leaning (Subject content) but also the “HOW" we are learning. The “HOW" we are leaning is referred to as our “Learning Assets", which contain skills and dispositions that ask students how they can be effective: Self-Managers, Collaborators, Thinkers, and Researchers & Communicators.
The Graceville Student Learning Ambassador program is an integral part of what makes the school so special. The voluntary program consists of year 4 – 6 students who are in years 4 – 6 that seek to strengthen and enhance their Learning Assets and gain a better understanding of the associated dispositions through workshops provided by school and community members at various times within the school term. Ambassadors in the program actively participate in special days, information events, school visits and other events as requested by the school or the administration team. They develop their communication and management skills by meeting and helping visitors to the school; and provide students and parents with information about how we learn “The Graceville Way".
