Our entire teaching staff were catapulted into 2021 with a full day of professional learning with our Neuroscientist-in-Residence, Dr Jared Cooney Horvath on Friday 29th January. Continuing his work with the College in 2021, Dr Jared is lending his significant expertise to our learning program. Harvard educated and now based in Melbourne, Dr Jared will be working with our teaching staff as he did in 2020. Last year, we worked with him on the neuroscientific basis of learning, and explored a number of learning principals drawn from research about the human brain.
We began this year with a session that asked the question, Are human beings born with certain skills, talents, and abilities – or are these learned through experience? The session on genes, plasticity and intelligence laid the foundation for exploring why it is so hard for some students to move knowledge and skills between contexts. We looked at the basic human learning process and considered the tricky issue of transfer. Finally, we looked at the learning trajectory, namely the different stages of learning, from surface through levels of deep learning and then transfer. Staff looked at what teaching techniques and strategies best align with each level. A big day of incredible learning!
Dr Jared will continue his work with Geelong College this year, through public lectures, student sessions in the Senior School, and through development of our staff. We will also continue for a third year in our Year 9 Cognizance Research Project, in partnership with Independent Schools Victoria.
An exciting year of learning about and through the world of neuroscience.
Emily FitzSimons
Director of Teaching & Learning
Associated Project
