THE STUDENT'S VOICE

My journey and preparation towards Promethean Planet and TakingITGlobal's Education Fast Forward Debate

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Live streaming the debate at 11AM GMT

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EFF6 'From Learner Voice to Emerging Leaders' will be livestreamed on Promethean Planet shortly - 11.00am GMT at http://t.co/Q9PwDd0e

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Keep Calm listen to Young People - What we’re all about!

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Mohamed Sidibay is a former child soldier from Sierra Leone. He was a guest presenter at the EFF5 debate (July 10, 2012), entitled From Learner Voice to Global Peace and is also a guest presenter at the EFF6 Debate entitled From Learner Voice to Emerging Leaders. In a frank and moving personal statement written for the Planet blog, Sidibay explains how his own experiences show that education can make a real difference in effecting global peace. This is truly inspiring.

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Celestine from Kenya is also a part of the student team in EFF6. Here she writes about:

Should we still have exams and how much importance should be placed on them?

How big a role does technology have to play in education?

Tell us about a teacher who has inspired you and what makes them special.

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I am honoured to be joined by Vera in Kenya in EFF6 who wrote this blog on the use of technology in education and the curriculum of the future.

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This is a blog post I wrote a couple of months ago in regards to a teacher who inspired me beyond words. He pushed me, he helped me, he motivated me but most importantly he made me feel like I was important.

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What roles does technology play in enhancing learner voice?

Technology offers so many opportunities for students to express their voice and collaborate on a national and even international scale. With modern technology students can take the lead and maybe even show the teachers how it is done. Through twitter, blogging and forums students can express themselves and their opinions concisely and on a platform which allows questioning and replying from their peers. Through webconferecing, forums and websites like MeetingWords students can collaborate with other students in their class, country but even beyond that. This allows students to adopt more diverse, multidimensional, multicultural points of view which results in rounded and well thought opinions and ideas. Through sharing their voice and it being heard online, students feel important, connected and begin to love learning.  

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How is learner voice present in the classroom?

I think more so than ever learner voice was present during my final year of high school.

It was present in the class discussions we had in English in regards to themes of literature and the discussions about ethics in Biology where every person in the class had the opportunity to voice their opinions (including the quiet students we never heard from).

It was present in Chemistry as the class had control of the speed at which we learnt and how we learnt. If we got confused at one part, we were encouraged to speak up inform the teacher we were confused which resulted in a more in depth knowledge of chemistry.

It was present in Physics as we asked complicated questions which required critical thinking to answer. No question in that Physics class was a stupid question and each question was thought deeply about.

Learner Voice is present in our Student Council where students have their say on important issues and improvements.

Learner voice was so important and relevant to my year 12 education. I truly believe my learner voice being heard was what helped me to learn so much and really enjoy school.

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What does Learner Voice mean to you?

Learner voice means having a say and taking ownership of my education. It means being encouraged to share my voice, opinions and ideas, and have them heard by my educators. It is the most important thing I own in my education and is the opportunity to express my opinions and ideas through both love and passion. Learner Voice is what ensures I have the best education I possibly can. Learner voice is powerful, learner voice is beautiful and learner voice is important. 

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In 2013, I will officially be a student of the University of Queensland where I will study a bachelor of Environmental Management.

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So what is next?

For me university was the only option. I am awaiting an offer from a university. But my plan is to study a bachelor of environmental management at the University of Queensland in 2013.

While I do this I also plan to extend my volunteering capacities. Already I have volunteered to be a member of the Australian Youth Climate Coalition Queensland branches schools team. This is an opportunity that I am so thrilled to be doing in 2013 and beyond.

Who knows what the future has in hold for me? But education will continue to be a massive part in my life.  

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MY EDUCATION STORY - Part 5

Overall, year 11 was pretty horrible but 2012 was going to be my year, right? Well I was named Student Council Executive Officer with my best friend which was such a privilege. I was also asked to lead the DeforestACTION group with the support of Mr Gauthier. I grew so much as a person in 2012, I barely recognise the selfdoubting person I was. 2012 also marked the year my mum has officially beaten her cancer with five years cancer free, this gave me the motivation to do the best I could and become a better person every day.

Year 12 was much like year 11 except lucky me ended up with 5 new teachers. I changed from French to Marine Studies which gave me a full science and maths timetable that I loved. My marine studies teacher was also my Environmental and Agricultural Science teacher in year 10. I once again responded to her teaching style and breezed through the subject. For Chemistry, I got a lovely new teacher who was so passionate about chemistry and teaching that it was impossible not to be engaged in her classes. Ms Ansari was an incredible teacher who knew her stuff and told cute little stories along the way. I found myself sitting in exams going “HEY! WE LEARNT THIS! REMEMBER THAT STORY MS ANSARI TOLD US IN CLASS” and that was completely new and unheard of her me. Note taking was not regimented like it had been before but what notes we took really came down to what worked for our individual study routine.

For Physics, I got the craziest and most eccentric teacher I have ever met. Ms Edwards is an amazing teacher who was so excited about physics that the class was excited. Somehow she managed to control the most unruly year 12 class Cleveland District State High School had ever seen. She understood that some days things just didn’t make sense and that some days (*cough* most Friday afternoons *cough*) we got very distracted. As a mathematician she was so good at relating physics to maths in a way that just clicked to a mathematically minded class. For Maths, I got a new teacher who was very similar to my other one. Ms Wall is a very inspiring and intelligent person and I really responded to the way she ran her classroom. For English, I had the most unbelievable teacher. Ms Dennis is my role model in life! I hope that one day I can be as good as her in my respective passion. Her teaching style revolved around spoken conversation, those of us who joined in the conversation achieved well in the end. The best part was you didn’t even feel like you were learning, you felt like you were having intellectual conversations with your peers and teacher alike. I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS! I am so excited just thinking about it. English went from being a subject I loathed to a subject that I pretty much ran to get in the door.

I really threw myself into school life. There was not one event whether it was music or art that I didn’t attend. I competed in the interschool debating competition for the second year and had a blast. For the first time, I was at the front of the student council, running meetings and barbeques on sports days. I continued to be involved with DeforestACTION where I web conferenced with schools all over the world and developed my passion. I was accepted to participate in the fifth Education Fast Forward Debate titled “From Student Voice to Global Peace”. This was one of the most humbling and inspiring moments of my life so far. My dedication to my school community resulted in receiving an Order of Australia Association School’s Citizenship award. Another incredible moment in my life.

I finally finished my school education after 12 hard, long years. I left Cleveland District State High School with an Academic Excellence for Top of Subject – Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Marine Studies, Cultural Excellence, Citizenship Excellence, Outstanding Citizenship, Outstanding Public Speaker and the Australian Defence Force Long Tan Award for leadership and teamwork. I guess you could say I cleaned up the presentation night. I graduated with 5 Very High Achievements and 1 High Achievement. These marks got me an Overall Position of 3 (top 5 -10% of Queensland students) as well as an A in the Queensland Core skills test (statewide testing to determine overall position). 

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MY EDUCATION STORY - Part 4

In 2011, I chose to study English, Mathematics B, Chemistry, Biology, Physics and French (Distance Education). I noticed a remarkable difference when I walked into my first class in 2011. Every teacher informed me that they would no longer be checking homework and it was my choice whether I did it or not. Every teacher gave me a lecture about how my education is now in my hands. This was incredibly daunting but exciting at the same time. For the first time in my education everything came down on me. The biggest change however was the respect you received from teachers for being a senior student.

I had been told “Year 11 is harder than year 10” but I wasn’t expecting it to be as hard as it was. Everything about year 11 was difficult and challenging. I went from being a solid A student to scraping B’s and achieving a C average in Term 1. By the end of semester 1, I got 5 B’s and 1 C on my report card but still this was absolutely shattering personally. I don’t think I have ever been so emotional or cried so much in my life. On the 30th of June 2011, I wrote in my diary “Year 11 for me, is like being hit by a tidal wave and then having to attempt to keep yourself afloat while everything you have ever known and everything you love disappears.” Now that sounds very dramatic but honestly when I was there that is exactly how I felt.

I did French by distance education in order to study chemistry in a classroom. I had set homework and 2 scheduled lessons a week. I definitely had the motivation to keep up with the work load but as the year went on I found it easier to get behind as I put my science subjects first. Honestly, while I managed to pull off a B in the class I just wasn’t every good at the spoken aspect which meant I wasn’t learning much as my class could speak very well. Chemistry and Physics were both very challenging subjects for me to grasp but once I had a strategy to manage my exam stress, I achieved well. I had the same maths teacher as I did in year 10 but I was really struggling with the content. I was very fortunate that my parents were in a financial situation where they could employ a maths tutor. My maths tutor really showed me that I really understood the content but choked in exams. In maths exams, I firstly didn’t study enough, I didn’t manage my time well and I let my stress and anxiety get to me. The most beneficial thing my maths tutor taught me was how to cope in exams and I believe that was what allowed me to excel in all subjects during semester 2 and beyond. I absolutely hated English but kept up with the work and involved myself in the class. I was honestly the luckiest student ever to have the BEST biology teacher ever (bold statement I know). I am so honoured to have been educated by Mr Chris Gauthier and his teaching with compassion, thought and technology made biology easily my favourite subject.

Despite this hardship, I kept pushing on. I involved myself Student Council for the second year, I did debating for the first year and I facilitated an Optiminds team. In semester 2, my life was completely changed forever! Mr Gauthier had been involved with this project called DeforestACTION where he was working towards becoming an eco-warrior in a movie about saving the rainforests of Borneo from palm oil. In semester 2, he gave me and four other students to begin a DeforestACTION group at our school. I didn’t really know what I was agreeing to but I accepted the opportunity really because I thought “that will look fantastic when I go for a school leader”. DeforestACTION turned out to be more than that. It gave me a place where my voice was heard, where I fitted in and where my passion was encouraged. In 2011 and 2012, as a small group of 10 we raised over $5000 to protect and reforest the rainforests of Borneo. DeforestACTION became the most important part of my education and offered me some life changing opportunities.

I finished year 11 with 6 Bs which wasn’t too bad considering my marks earlier in the year. I received an Academic Excellence for Top of Subject – Biology, Citizenship Excellence and Cultural Merit. I also received the Australian Defence Force Long Tan Award for Leadership and Team work. When I left school on the last day of the year, I promised myself that 2012 was going to be my year

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MY EDUCATION STORY - Part 3

Year 10 was one of my favourite years in high school. I chose to study English, Preparatory Mathematics B, Health Education (compulsory), Living Science (Biology), Physical Science (Chemistry and Physics) and Environmental and Agricultural Science (EAS).I also began throwing myself into every citizenship opportunity I could find such as Student Council and the Environment committee. I had become a student who would do anything to get to the top and set myself very unrealistic goals resulting in great disappointments. I also began loving science and maths and thoroughly disliking English. It was a hard year for me in English as I did not receive above a B the whole year and as you can imagine for a straight A student this was simply heartbreaking. My teacher’s attitude towards myself really got me down and resulted in me believing I was just not good enough at English. Thus I believed my academic career was over because I had absolutely no hope if I couldn’t even get an A in English. Despite this intense self-doubt, I carried on pretending to believe in myself. My Maths teacher was one of the most empathetic and kind people I have had the honour of meeting. I excelled in maths mainly due to the fact that my teacher had a warm and inviting classroom which I thoroughly enjoyed going to. It might have also had something to do with this so called “natural talent” also but my teacher explained things in a way which had me interested and begging to learn more. On reflection, she was a wonderful teacher as well as a wonderful person and I am honoured to have been taught by her. I breezed through EAS without really trying that hard but in saying that I probably worked harder than I remembered in class.

I excelled the most in the sciences, once again thanks to my teachers. I breezed through EAS without really trying that hard but in saying that my teacher left a lot of the learning up to us through activities in class. This worked well for me as I learnt better while having fun and being involved in activities. My teacher for Living Science (Biology) and Physical Science (Chemistry and Physics) was the first teacher I believe has ever really believed in me 100% and understood my desperate need for success. Mr Noorden made me feel more like a normal human being than a silly over achieving student who cried every time she got a B. I can’t quite put my finger on whether I just understood the subjects or really responded to his teaching style. Chemistry, Physics and Biology felt like they literally just clicked and made sense. For the first time in my education, I was able to help other students rather than needing help from my peers. I finished year 10 with an Academic Excellence for Top of Subject – EAS and physical science.  I have a clear memory of sitting in the audience at Presentation Night and thinking that girl who was top of Chemistry, Physics , Biology and Mathematics B would be me one day. My goal for 2010 was to be Dux of year 10, in hindsight this was a completely unrealistic goal for me to have but I was still incredibly disappointed. Leaving year 10, I was no longer the horrible person I was in 2007 but in fact I was worse than that person. I was so certain that 2011 was going to be my year.