Aspire Program (8-9)
Welcome to the Aspire Program
Experiential Learning
Experiential Learning is about actively engaging students in new experiences that have real life consequences. Students investigate and make discoveries developing the knowledge themselves, as well as hearing or reading about it from others. Through these experiences, students develop deeper understandings, skills and values. Through their personal reflections, they develop new and different abilities, attitudes and theories to think, see and interact with world in which they live.
Experiential Learning is about promoting an environment where students are at the centre of all planned learning activities. It’s about providing authentic experiences and lifelong memories that can be recalled explicitly when required in the future. It’s about using the world in which they live and interact as a classroom for deeper learning, using different environments that challenge them to think differently, to contribute in a meaningful way to the world in which they live and solve real life problems. It requires them to take risks and learn from their success and mistakes, to push their boundaries and limits in areas of interest or weakness. It’s to reflect on experiences leading to personal growth. In the end, this all results in the ability to use new knowledge in their pathway through their senior years and beyond.
Learning at MCC
Blending traditional, and real life learning allows students to experience a blend of traditional teaching methods supported by real life learning experiences. Our focus is to synergise the theoretical learning of students in the classroom with practical learning experiences outside the College in the real world. The cognitive development of the brain recognises a deeper level of learning and understanding when students are actively involved and motivated in their learning experience.
The organisational structure behind our Experiential Learning Model has a Sub-School Leader supported by a Year Level Leader. Students will have one day a week dedicated to Experiential Learning. The Experiential Learning days run on Wednesdays and Fridays. Students will be required to meet at a designated spot in the city prior to heading off for the days planned activity. Students will be taught to travel safely and support by teachers during this process. The days are planned around linking what students have learnt in class to the world in which they live. This could revolve around historical facts, interviews, research tasks, investigation, surveying, tours, specimen gathering, problem solving, experimenting, communicating, listening and reflecting.
To find out more, please click on the link to download our Aspire handbooks.
