Stanmore Fostering sticky learning There is no doubt the learning that sticks, the learning that causes boys to want to ask questions, and the learning that builds into something bigger is the learning that engages and excites boys. Luke del Vecchio, Mr Trent Driver, Gus Burton and Alec Machin. Photo: Daryl Charles Those of us old enough to not be able to what promotes growth for students tells undergraduate study has eroded remember which drawer/box/cupboard/ us when students have the opportunity substantially in recent years, and will house our copy of our HSC is in will all to be inquisitive and explore ideas in continue to do so as universities try to have found learning in our own ways, and ways that capture their imagination, it access the best students through a range from very different sources. For some, it helps them find their own motivation for of programs and pathways. That does not, was the teacher who inspired us. For learning. Motivated boys set up their however, diminish the need for students others, it was the idea or hands-on skill own carrot, and set themselves up for to leave Year 12 having shown their best that captured our imagination. Or it was success in what they do. of what they know and what they can do, the chance to explore something new nor diminish our responsibility to that opened a door to the future. ‘I have seen boys in support them every step of the way. This term, I have seen Year 7 boys in gales of laughter as they The range of new electives in Year 9 and gales of laughter while they wrote and traded nonsensical Year 10 is designed towalkthat balance. traded nonsensical sentences about They are diverse subjects sitting outside rhinos on skateboards. They didn’t know sentences about rhinos traditional disciplines that engage and they were learning different sentencing on skateboards’ intrigue boys in different ways. Boys are techniques. I saw Year 10 boyson the asked to build the literacy, problem solving Johnson Oval with starter pistols and There is always a fine balance in our and communication skills central to stopwatches, unaware their observations classrooms and curriculum. Watching success in Years 11 and 12, almost by of the puffs of smoke and noise would be Year 12 HSC and IB boys file into the stealth. It is exciting to see learning for used to build a model for analysing the hall for their Half-Yearly Examinations at learning’s sake that has the boys’ speed of sound. I watched Year 9 and the end of Term 1 was a reminder that, interestsin the years to come front of 10 boys argue over the applications and for many, the opportunities to do the mind in rooms all over the school. ethics of artificial intelligence, wondering things they dream of beyond the gates Success at school is an individual how their life will be different in the next (and the opportunities to do things they experience for every boy, and the decade, in ways that Ihad never considered . are yet to dream of) are still a pathways that lead there are different All these things, and hundreds of other consequence ofresults in tasks that look and disparate. If they have something in teachable moments, opened doors and similar to the those done by students common, we hope it is allthe surprises gave boys the chance to see something across the 50-year life of the NSW HSC. they have along the way. in a new way. Researchon what There is no doubt the importance of the Mr Trent Driver characterises effective learning and ATAR as the sole arbiter of entry to Deputy Head of Stanmore (Academic) 14| NEWS AUTUMN 2018| OPPORTUNITY