NKIEEC Pedogogical Framework.The 7E’s of Effective teaching and learning is an inspiring way

to learn.

The experience of being on an island in a world heritage area is appropriate for experiential learning processes.

Skills needed to actively participate are explicitly taught.

Content is learnt using an engage, explain, explore, elaborate and evaluate model.

5 E’s Engage

Inspiring Explain

Explore

Elaborate

Evaluate

Experiential

Learning

Explicit

Teaching

NKIEEC PEDAGOGICAL FrameworkNKIEEC clearly articulates to students the high expectation regarding conduct at the centre. The motto of “respect, care and concern for yourself, others and the environment” is shared and elaborated on at the beginning of every visit. This motto is reinforced and forms a major component of the curriculum plans of the centre.

The thorough process of teacher induction at NKIEEC has an impact on the quality of the pedagogy. Teachers predominantly work in pairs and are accompanied by visiting teachers and parents. NKIEEC teachers present the same 14 core lessons repeatedly to numerous student groups over numerous years, so there are ample opportunities to refine or perfect the pedagogy. A senior staff member who has been presenting quality lessons for 15 years, has inducted another teacher who has been at NKIEEC for 8 years who has inducted /modelled/ critically evaluated/coached/ mentored and supported other staff who have had 3 years on the job at NKIEEC. This process of induction for new staff occurs over a six to twelve month period where the newer teacher is in an accompanying role and progressively takes the lead teacher role. This long term and thorough mentoring process allows the pedagogy to be the result of the accumulated wisdom of many years and contributed to by numerous teacher’s both visiting and resident. This process of making judgements whether Explicit, the 5E’s or Experiential is the best methodology is managed by the teaching staff based on input from visiting teachers and their judgements at the time. In essence teaching staff at NKIEEC have well developed skills to quickly evaluate the best methodology with new student groups.

The pedagogical framework at NKIEEC is deliberately not in prescriptive terms but acknowledges the expertise and judgements teachers bring to the centre.

The essence of the pedagogical framework is based around 3 recognised methodologies.

Experiential learning, Explicit instruction, 5E’s enquiry model.

NKIEEC pedagogy could be described as the 7 E’s of quality education.

Experiential learning experience-based learning - guide to facilitating effective experiential learning activities

The word learning is significant, since it emphasises the learner's perspective, which is crucial to the experiential learning concept.Conversely, the word teaching significantly reflect the teacher or school.Experiential learning is therefore the most meaningful name for this concept. The word experiential essentially means that learning and development are achieved through personally determined experience and involvement, rather than on received teaching, typically in group, by observation, listening, study of theory or hypothesis, or some other transfer of skills or knowledge.The expression 'hands-on' is commonly used to describe types of learning and teaching which are to a lesser or greater extent forms of experiential learning. We might also regard experiential learning as growing a person from the inside, whereas conventional teaching is the transfer of capability into a person from the outside.Experiential learning is determined and controlled by the individual for the purpose of achieving personal development and growth, whereas conventional teaching tends to be designed and delivered by an organisation for the purpose of developing the capabilities (usually knowledge and/or skills) of a group of people, necessary to meet organisational needs or to achieve a known measurable standard or

 Different types of learning and development are required for different purposes.Conventional teaching are based mainly on knowledge/skills transfer, but this does not address individual growth and potential particularly well.This is because conventional skills/knowledge transfer usually assumes (wrongly) what the individual needs to learn, and the best way in which they can learn it. In addition, the subject matter tends to be focused on organisational needs, or the need to pass an exam, which are usually a little different (sometimes a lot different) from an individual's natural strengths and preferred personal direction.Experiential learning is a powerful way to address individual growth and potential, which is commonly a much

qualification.There is a place for many types of learning and teaching, and specifically these two types:

conventional prescribed teaching

- the transfer of pre-determined knowledge/skills - 'from the outside, usually for an external purpose'.

experiential learning - development of people as individuals - 'from the inside, usually for an internal purpose'.

People need certain prescribed skills and knowledge for their education and their work. But they also need to be helped to develop as individuals too, which interestingly also carries many benefits for external purposes. In work and society most problems stem from people feeling unhappy or being unfulfilled. Conventional skills/knowledge transfer teaching does little to counter these effects. Individual growth - via experiential learning - most certainly offers ways to address personal feelings of confidence, fulfilment, sense of purpose, etc. In conventional teaching schools are the primary driver of the learning content, design, delivery and assessment. In experiential learning the starting point is quite different - the starting point is the person, and the primary driver is to help the individual grow and learn and develop in their own direction and in their own way. Unfortunately the notion of developing students as individuals is regarded by many systems (and much of the educational establishment) as less efficient and effective than conventional teaching.This is because employers and educational policy-makers tend to see training and teaching in terms of

neglected approach to teaching and developing people of all ages.Experiential learning is adaptable for individual style, preferences, strengths, direction, etc. As such it is more likely than conventional teaching to produce positive emotional effects, notably confidence, self-esteem, and a sense of personal value and purpose.People need learning which is adaptable for them as individuals, and also the traditional prescriptive teaching focused on external needs, typically of the organisation, or to pass exams or gain qualifications.It is important to use the best sort of learning and development methods for the given situation.Only a balance of methods can satisfy organisational and external needs, and also help the individual grow as a confident and contented person.Teachers should consider that organisations and

organisational or bureaucratic requirements, or in terms of qualifications and standards, or in terms of short-term costs and efficiencies; and given this basic assumption it's easy to see why so much teaching avoids the costs and time in developing individuals, when the priority is so strongly to manage and achieve organisational or systemic requirements.The benefits however of developing students as individuals (in addition of course to transferring capabilities necessary to pass exams and contribute to organisational activities) are huge. By developing people as individuals - rather than simply transferring arbitrary capabilities - we develop people's confidence, self-esteem, personal strengths, and crucially a rounded sense of purpose and fulfilment which fundamentally improve attitude, life-balance and emotional well-being. These immensely important outcomes are just as important for sustainable productive work and a healthy society as the essential skills and knowledge typically represented in conventional education and work-related training.Developing people as individuals, which is at the heart of experiential learning, also implicitly enables learning methods to fit each person's own preferred learning styles and natural preferences, because learners are encouraged and helped to learn and develop in their own ways, using methods which they find most comfortable and therefore enjoyable.When students can be helped to discover that learning and development itself can be fun and emotionally rewarding, then we provide a platform for all sorts of learning and development in the future. Conversely, when we subject students to inappropriate teaching, which does not interest them or fit

societies function better when people are fulfilled and growing according to their natural preferences, far more than they do by being skilled and measured in the extremely narrow competencies that those in authority deem to be vital.Teaching students should focus on individual potential and styles, as well as on the needs of the surrounding system.

their preferred learning style, we put students off learning and development, sometimes permanently.

Experiential learning, especially used at the beginning of a student's new phase of learning, can help to provide a positive emotional platform which will respond positively and confidently to future learning, even for areas of learning which initially would have been considered uncomfortable or unnecessary. Experiential learning also brings into play the concept of multiple intelligences - the fact that people should not be limited by the 'three Rs' and a method of teaching based primarily on reading and writing. Experiential learning is a way to break out of the received teaching practices which can constrain students development in school.It does this because it is centred on the individual - not the school or the surrounding system. It works on the basis that students can and should be developed from the inside out, not the other way around. In merely transferring and conveying knowledge to a person we do very little to help them grow as individuals, and when we starve this need most people quickly begin to lose confidence and hopes of becoming someone special in life.Differences between experiential learning and conventional teaching might be represented simply as:

conventional training

experiential learning

training-centred/focused - theoretical

learner-centred/focused - really doing it

prescribed fixed design and content

flexible open possibilities

for external needs (organisation, exams, etc)

for internal growth and discovery

transfers/explains knowledge/skills

develops knowledge/skills/emotions via experience

fixed structured delivery/facilitation

not delivered, minimal facilitation, unstructured

timebound measurable components (mostly)

not timebound, more difficult to measure

suitable for groups and fixed outcomes

individually directed, flexible outcomes

examples: powerpoint presentations, chalk-and-talk classes, reading, attending lectures, exam study, observation, planning and hypothesising, theoretical work, unreal role-play.

examples: learning a physical activity, games and exercises, drama and role-play which becomes real, actually doing the job or task, 'outward bound' activities, teaching others, hobbies, pastimes, passions.

 While mainly focused on organised experiential lessons the principles below can be adapted for other forms of experiential learning and development, for which the techniques below offer an immensely helpful alternative approach compared with conventional methods of task-based review, which tend to ignore many valuable individual learner opportunities and lessons.The essence of effective experiential learning is that the entire process is centred on the learner - not the task, not the organisational objective, not the qualification standard, not the group, and certainly not the teacher's personal opinions. 

experiential learning activities - concept and principles This model can be developed for experiential learning and summarised in the diagram below.

 This 'Learning Cycle' provides a helpful simple diagram of the process of experiential learning, which is broadly:

1. do2. review3. develop and implement ideas for improvement.

Here follow the principles of experiential learning in greater detail, especially as they relate to organised lessons at NKIEEC.

 1 - learner is centralThe learner is central to the process throughout, the facilitator provides the learner with a service. The principle that the success of the experiential approach to learning depends on the learners is fundamental. Therefore the facilitator must understand that learners can only make best use of their opportunities if they are ready, willing and able to become personally involved in the learning process: learners have to be prepared to actively develop their understanding, critique and evaluate the messages in their context and then work hard to apply appropriate learning.

2 - facilitation must be light and subtle Individuals can and do learn without facilitation. Learners learn experientially by reflecting on their experiences, developing personal insights and understandings through involvement in intellectual, emotional and physical activity. This can be (and often is) done by an individual without any external help. A facilitator is not a prerequisite. Experiential learning

involves people in working things through for themselves and developing their own understanding, so facilitators should always be seeking ways to enable this to happen. Although effective facilitation can add tremendous value, facilitators should remember that inappropriate facilitation can hinder, rather than help learning; they should not instruct, proffer knowledge, proscribe or offer personal wisdom.

3 - experiential learning opportunitiesA facilitator should help create learning opportunities and enable others to recognise and make good use of these opportunities. The facilitator can provide help during each element of the learning cycle by creating an appropriate learning environment, providing an activity that will initiate the learning process, creating an atmosphere and framework conducive to constructively critical review, (guiding thinking and challenging to developing understanding) ensuring that any conceptual thinking is progressed to meaningful conclusions and opportunities for improvement identified. Facilitation is a complex and skilled process.

4 - reactions to experiences vary so don't pre-judgeYou cannot predict the learning an individual will take from an activity. Because individuals are personally involved in experiential learning individuals can take very different messages from a single event. An obvious example is one where a person fails to listen to another. If they are to learn, both individuals need to understand their part in their failure to communicate, but the causes could be numerous and therefore each persons learning very different. So for example, behaviours seen in an individual who isn't heard could be; doesn't express ideas clearly, doesn't check the 'listener has understood', speaks when the other person isn't ready to listen, doesn't help the listener understand the significance of the information, fails to develop the idea, backs down when challenged, etc. Similarly example reasons why a 'listener' doesn't listen could be; doesn't see the issue as being important, had prejudged the issue, is distracted by personal thoughts, doesn't respect the other person (and or their views). Therefore one event can provide the individuals involved with quite different or even diametrically opposed learning.

5 - single events can enable several different learning effects There is potential for the learning to be at several levels. In the example used in note 4 above I gave behaviours for not being heard, but reasons for not listening. Typically addressing and developing behavioural change is less challenging than addressing the reasons. Taking the example from above, it can be seen that there is a hierarchy of challenge that the facilitator can encourage the learner to address: realising the need (e.g. I won't be listened to if the other person is speaking) developing the skill (e.g. speaking clearly and concisely) developing the confidence or self esteem (e.g. believing that I and my views are of value) challenging personal attitudes (e.g. questioning personal drivers and belief systems).

6 - build confidence before addressing attitudes and behaviourDeveloping basic skills in a supportive environment is relatively simple, changing day to day behaviour is another matter. After having read this note it might be tempting to go straight to the fundamentals and target attitudes first. (If you have a positive attitude and personal confidence it is easier to implement personal change.) However remembering that the learner has to want to learn, it is far safer to build the learners confidence through success with skill development and behavioural change in simple or superficial areas first. When some progress has been made you can consider raising and tackling more fundamental issues like personal confidence and attitudes to others. It's worth being aware however, that a knock on effect of individuals beginning to use new skills and realise their benefits can be a growth in self esteem and personal confidence.

7 - the activity must be real and engaging - not based on artificial impactA learning activity is a means to an end, not an end in itself. The purpose of an experiential learning activity is to create an opportunity for valuable and memorable personal leaning. The ideal activity will engage, stimulate and challenge with individuals becoming absorbed in the task as themselves. It will not involve role play in a conventional artificial sense. All activities must be designed, managed and facilitated carefully so that the activity has impact, but it isn't so memorable that these 'activity memories' override the impact and memory of the learning. If this happens the lasting memory may be an aspect of the activity, not the learning that was realised.

8 - ensure activities allow adequate and meaningful reviewsAn effective activity provides the opportunities for learning with as few distractions as possible. It can be great fun to run 'big activities' (although some people hate them) and there is no doubt that 'ropes' courses (as 'outward bound' activities are referred to in some parts of the world) and outdoor team challenges can generate real learning opportunities, but take care. Besides the risk of big events overpowering their intended lessons, the duration of these activities often means that many learning opportunities are lost; valuable incidents can get forgotten or overlooked or submerged in the complexity of the task. Although less memorable in themselves, running several short activities (10-30 minutes) each followed by its own review will often have far greater long term impact that one big activity.

9 - careful reviews of activities are crucial The learning review is a vital stage of every activity. It should be planned as part of the design, not left to chance. Reviews can take many forms but all must engage the learners. The ideal review will involve the learner in personal thought, challenge and discussion before coming to some form of conclusion. It is often useful if a period of individual reflection, guided by

open-ended or tick-box questionnaires, is followed by a facilitated discussion. If it is to be of real benefit, the review must be an honest critique of what happened and the contributions of each individual. Real issues should not be swept under the carpet, but equally criticism must be constructive.

10 - accentuate the positivesConcentrate learning and reviews on the positives more than the negatives. It is all too easy to focus on the negatives but this can seriously undermine confidence in the whole idea of learning and development if the negatives are over-emphasised, especially for people who are not especially robust. It's obvious that if something goes wrong, or just doesn't go as well as we hoped, there will be benefit in review and change. It can, however, be equally beneficial to review what's gone well. It's not only motivating to recognise and focus on success, but finding out what caused the success and seeking ways to make greater or wider use of it can reap tangible rewards.

11 - use stimulating questions in reviews, especially for groups discussionsA review discussion is an opportunity for learners, helped by the facilitator, to develop their own understanding and draw their own conclusions. The role of the facilitator is to enable others to learn by drawing out the issues and developing the learning that is relevant to the individuals. The facilitator should ask questions that will stimulate thought about relevant issues and enable the group to use answers given to develop further thought and learning.

12 - resist temptation to give answers - ask questions onlyDon't tell people what they should learn. An observer is in a privileged position, often seeing aspects that are not obvious to others. If you observe a point that isn't raised during a review it is legitimate to raise it, but only through questioning. If, despite questioning, individuals don't relate to the point, there is no benefit in pursuing as any 'learning' will not be theirs. A better option is for you to run another activity designed to focus more attention on this specific point. Whatever happens, don't be tempted to provide a 'professional analysis' as this approach takes the ownership of the learning away from the individual.

13 - have faith in student’s ability to learn for themselvesBelieve in the learners: they can and will make experiential learning opportunities work for them. To be an effective facilitator of experiential learning you have to believe, really believe, in others. You have to believe that they have the potential to make progress and be committed to the fact that your role is to provide opportunities for others to learn and progress.

14 - it's about them not youForget your ego. Your success is individuals capitalising on their personal learning. As an effective facilitator you have to be satisfied with the knowledge that you offer and develop opportunities for others to learn, many of which will go unused or undervalued. You have to accept that you are not offering 'tangible and technical' contributions and therefore will not be able to look back and say 'I taught this person x or y'. If you're lucky however, every now and again in the years to come you will hear of some far-reaching consequences that will go way beyond what you might have hoped or imagined.

15 - getting started Perhaps not surprisingly the best way to start is to experience facilitating - actually have a go at it: experience the process. Find a group of people who are happy to be 'guinea pigs' and just try a simple activity that is tried and tested. Think about the activities you've experienced yourself in the past. Talk to other people. Ask the potential delegates if they have ideas and preferences or recommendations.

experiential learning - footnoteThe vast majority of teaching in education and work continues to be conventional, narrow and highly prescribed - not experiential. Teaching is oriented virtually exclusively to meet external needs, not people's individual needs and potential.

Explicit Instruction

“The Mantra”.Every child matters every day.

Every child has a good day every day.

The big teacher imperatives.

THE TEACHER MUST BELIEVE THAT EVERY CHILD CAN ACHIEVE HIGHLY – NO MATTER WHERE AND WHEN THEY START.

THE TEACHER MUST BE FIRM AND FRIENDLY.

THE TEACHER MUST PORTRAY ALL STUDENTS AS GOOD STUDENTS – HIGHLIGHTING THEIR GOOD QUALITIES.

The big student imperatives.

A teacher/Teachers whom they believe cares for and supports them.

The work they are required to do is at the level of their capability.

They have friends at school – they are included.

The six givens.

High levels of presentation for all work

Correction of all set work – all work is at least acknowledged, specifically set work is corrected, often by the teacher other times by student, other student, HOD etc

Repeating the work not up to standard – there are no exceptions to this

Work routines to be constantly emphasised and reinforced

Display – dynamic and linked to current work and people.

Classroom Tone – the teacher is in charge and teaching, the students are at work and learning

The Four Pillars.Teacher directed/accountable learning

Explicit instruction done well by all

Moving student learning from short-term to long-term memory

Effective relationships between teachers and students.

The Lesson Sequence1. WARM UP2. LEARNING INTENT3. SUCCESS CRITERIA4. I DO5. WE DO6. YOU DO7. PLOUGHBACK

Explicit Instruction.

Teaching students to ‘KNOW’ something Vocabulary, Concepts, Rules 1. Establish the purpose and goal of the lesson “By the end of the lesson I want you to know what personification is” 2. Activate prior knowledge Provide students with examples OR Provide students with an opportunity to discuss what is already known 3. Organise new knowledge Introduce new knowledge by making links to existing knowledge Provide examples and non-examples 4. Store Assist students to store new knowledge for later recall using rote learning, mnemonics, concept maps, visuals, memory pegs etc. 5. Recap/Debrief Review the purpose and goal of the lesson The brain as a pattern detector rather than a rule rememberer EG- Words their way

Teaching students how to ‘DO’ something Skills and Processes

1. Establish the purpose and goal of the lesson “Today we are learning how to analyse a character” 2. Model the skill/process ‘I do it’ TO Show students how it is done and why it is done this way 3. Guided practice- ‘We do it’ WITH Help students do it, give them feedback on how to do it correctly 4. Independent practice- ‘You do it’ BY Give students an opportunity to practice and internalise the new skill 5. Recap/Debrief Review the purpose and goal of the lesson

The Five E’s are:Engage: The idea of “engage” is to get the students excited about and interested in the lesson and

learning that will follow. It might be a demonstration, a quick activity, an interesting reading, or maybe even a discussion centered on what the students already know about the topic. The idea is to “engage” the student’s curiosity about the topic. The engagement activity can also help the teacher learn what the students already know about a topic and even reveal some misconceptions.

Explore: After the engagement activity, there follows an “explore” activity. The idea of “explore”

is to allow the students to experience some of the concepts involved in the lesson. Too much teacher intervention should be avoided. Students will work together to investigate and question the concepts. Through exploration, students begin to develop an understanding of the ideas involved in the lesson or unit.

Explain: During the “explain” stage, the teacher may provide more information for the students

so that they can begin to explain the concepts in more depth and in their own words. The activities during the “explain” stage might involve further discussions, videos, interactive notes, or further reading. The “explain” stage is often what teachers jump to first without doing the “engage” and “explore” stages. Once students have been engaged and have had a chance to explore, they are much more interested in dealing with explanations.

Elaborate: The “elaborate” stage is where students apply their knowledge to new situations.

Students might do further lab investigations or solve similar related problems. They might carry out projects or get involved in decision-making (bioethical debates, for example). During this stage students are refining and deepening their understanding of the concepts by seeing new applications and perhaps even exceptions.

Evaluate: In the “evaluate” stage, the teacher assesses the learning that has occurred. Although

teachers tend to think of traditional tests, evaluation can take many other forms, both formal and informal. Evaluation may involve lab reports, presentations, or discussions where the teacher is looking for students’ ability to apply new concepts and skills. It is valuable to have students evaluate their own knowledge by assessing how well they can apply their learning to related situations.

The following activities are the most common delivered in school programs. The delivery method predominantly used is nominated. It should be noted that a 2hour activities can contain aspects of all 3 pedagogies. For example snorkelling; gear fit up is done “explicitly”, whilst in water aspects are “experientially” delivered and the follow up discussion is based on the scientific process of “5e’s”.

Examples of a staged approach to support inquiryThe following table shows some examples of an inquiry-based approach to teaching science and how they relate to the way scientists work. Whilst presented as a linear progression, it may be necessary to revisit stages to develop complex concepts. At times, the approach will be cyclical in nature.

Ways scientists work

Examples of approaches to support inquiry

Interactive approach 5Es instructional model

Orientate, enhance, synthesise

Identify a theme, area of interest or problem.

Prepare

The teacher:

ascertains students' understanding

assembles background information.

Engage

The unit of work begins with activities designed to:

capture students' interests and stimulate curiosity

raise questions

ascertain prior understandings

compare students' ideas.

Orientate

The unit of work begins with activities designed to:

focus students' interest on the problem or phenomenon to be explored

ascertain their prior understandings.

Ask questions

 

 

Explore

Students:

clarify the topic and focus their thinking on

Explore

Students undertake hands-on activities where they:

experience the phenomenon Explore Enhance

 

aspects of it

participate in an activity (preferably hands-on) that enables them to become more familiar with the topic.

or concept explore the

questions they have raised and test their ideas

explore and solve problems.

In relation to the problem or phenomenon, students:

undertake investigative hands-on activities

test their ideas

voice their understandings

compare their ideas with scientific explanations

are introduced to appropriate scientific terminology.

Plan

 

 

Student questions

Students explore the topic and pose further questions.

Explain

Only after students have had opportunities to explore do they have opportunities to:

compare their ideas with scientific explanations

use scientific terminology

construct explanations that can be justified using information collected.

Conduct

 

Investigate

Students and the teacher:

select questions to investigate

plan and carry out investigations to help students finalise their answers to the selected questions.

Elaborate

Students have opportunities to:

apply what they have learnt to new contexts

develop a deeper understanding of the problem or phenomenon as they discuss and compare ideas.

Process

Evaluate

 

 

Reflect

Students have the opportunities to:

compare their views on the topic before and after exploration, questioning

Evaluate

Students and / or the teacher:

look(s) for evidence of changes in students' ideas, beliefs and skills

Synthesise

During this phase students:

reflect on their learning

demonstrate what they know and can do.

Communicate

and investigation

reflect on what has been ascertained and what needs further exploration.

evaluate(s) what students know and can do.

Activities at NKIEEC with preferred Pedagogy.   

Alternative Energy

The Centre role models sustainable living practices and students explore energy efficient buildings. Students investigate types of energy including fossil fuels and renewable energy sources. Students visit one of Queensland’s largest stand alone alternative energy sites and examine wind and solar power, gas generators and associated equipment. Hands on interaction with various models is also a key component of the lesson.

Pedagogy : 5e’s; Experiential

Aquaria Activities

There are two parts to the aquaria activities that complement each other. Students participate in an activity that demonstrates the journey of water from the mountains to the ocean and how it can become polluted in many different ways. Depending on availability, students look at the different fish and marine life in each fish tank and identify different species and the different ecosystems represented in each tank. The lesson is powerful as students realize the effects of pollution and is relevant to many Science units.This activity links well with the litter study activity.

Pedagogy : 5e’s;

Bush Walks

North Keppel Island is a National Park and is a beautiful island to explore. There are a variety of walks students, ranging from a short walk to Mazie Bay, a walk to the Mangroves at Considine Creek or a half day walk to Bald Hill and around the island. Provisions can be made to take morning tea or lunch on extended walks. Bushwalking exposes the students to a variety of ecosystems as well as spectacular views. Pedagogy : 5e’s;

Campouts

Students enjoy camping out in a tent with friends. Many students have not been camping before, so a tent construction and pack up are demonstrated. If students are camping out at the Centre, campouts can be combined with a campfire at night. It is also possible for students to camp away from the Centre at locations such as Conical Island, Humpy Island, Considine Beach and Bald Hill and these may incur a small additional fee for National Park Camping Permits. If students are camping away from the Centre, adequate preparation time must be allocated to allow for preparation of students backpacks, related equipment and travel time. The Centre can provide about twenty tents, twenty backpacks, and ten trangias. A campout links well with talks on Minimal Impact Living and food preparation activities such as dehydrating food. Pedagogy : Experential ;

Cooking ( Minimal Impact)

Students enjoy being involved in food preparation. Dehydrated food is rehydrated when needed. This activity links well with a campout. It is relevant for a variety of core learning outcomes, including Mathematics when working out the amount of weight lost when dehydrating. Pedagogy : Explicit:

Cultural Studies

The Kanomi people were the original inhabitants of North Keppel Island and the Woppaburra people inhabited Great Keppel Island. Students learn about the way these tribes lived and how they utilised the land and the ocean. Students visit Mazie Bay where the Kanomi people lived and learn about the midden located there. Students visit the cultural cabin to view a variety of artifacts. The aboriginal painting in the dining hall tells the story of the Kanomi people living at North Keppel Island for at least 4000 years. Pedagogy : Explicit:

Evening Plankton Trawling

Students participate in a powerpoint lesson on plankton prior to the evening meal. Students learn about phytoplankton, zooplankton, stages in the life cycle and the food web. After dinner, students go out on the Centre’s boat and use a plankton net to collect plankton. Students then view the plankton in the dry lab using microscopes and are fascinated by the different types or features of the plankton. Pedagogy : 5e’s;

Fish Dissection

Dissecting a fish is a hands-on, real life and practical activity. Students identify features of the internal and external structure of the fish and discuss different functions and adaptations. Students discover similarities between the functions of some of the organs of the fish and some organs in humans. Pedagogy : 5e’s;

Group Initiatives

Group initiatives involve students working together to achieve cooperative goals. Initiative activities can include the spider web activity, a balance activity entitled boat ride, toxic waste, acid walk, log shuffle, and an islands activity. Initiative activities encourage the students to work together and develop leadership skills. Pedagogy : Experiential ;

Intertidal Explorations

The intertidal zone is an amazing and diverse ecosystem. Students are briefed on safety and care when exploring the area. Students enjoy exploring the area and are encouraged to look carefully for sea cucumbers, brittle stars, false abalones, tube worms, organ pipe coral and a variety of shells. Students are fascinated by the marine life they find under rocks and in small pools. Students need to bring closed in shoes that can get wet for this activity. Pedagogy : 5e’s; experiential ;

 

Litter Studies

Students collect and categorise litter at Mazie Bay. It is an empowering activity because students have learnt about the environment during their stay at the Centre and then take a positive action to care for the environment. Discussions are conducted about the litter and where it may have originated. Students come to realise that the litter that is thrown onto the street at home may end up in the ocean. This activity links well with Aquaria Studies. Pedagogy : 5e’s;

Low Ropes

Students enjoy the challenge of the ropes course activity. The low ropes course has five elements. Students learn spotting skills and participate in trust activities when they still have their feet on the ground. In groups of three, students then take turns at the ropes course. As well as being challenging, it is a very positive experience as students learn to support each other. For safety on this activity four adults from the visiting school are needed as well as a North Keppel Island staff member. Pedagogy : experiential ;

Mangrove Studies

The grey, yellow and milky mangroves are three different species of mangrove at Considine Creek at North Keppel Island. The three different species can be identified by differences in their root and leaf structures, as well as where they live. The mangrove area can be described as a ‘nursery’ as it is a place for young fish, crabs and other marine creatures. A mangrove walk can be interesting for all age groups, with younger students enjoying the diversity of life. Pedagogy : 5e’s;

Manta Towing

Students of all ages can participate in this fun activity. Students are towed behind the boat on a floating line, wearing snorkelling equipment, to enable them to see a variety of reef ecosystems. This activity is often combined with snorkelling to allow younger students to experience the reef whilst feeling secure and safe by holding onto something. Pedagogy : experiential ; Explicit:

Microscope Activities

Students are fascinated by the hidden world of plankton, details in flowers and freshwater ecology. There is a set of about ten microscopes that are available for students. The microscopes are used in the evening plankton trawl activity. They can also be used when combined with a flower dissection activity. Students become immersed in discovering parts and details of flowers that they previously had not noticed. The microscopes can further be used to look at tiny freshwater creatures that can be collected from the dam at the Centre. Pedagogy : 5e’s;

Navigating

In small groups students learn to work together and share when they use compasses and GPS units to navigate around a set course. Students learn about directions and pacing. The orienteering course also links with Science as each mark is a plant and students need to identify features and adaptations of each plant. Pedagogy : 5e’s;

Outrigging

Outrigging provides students with opportunities to develop teamwork and leadership skills. Students examine the history and cultural aspects of outrigging. The Centre has one single and two double outriggers, which allows up to thirty students to outrig at one time. Generally a rotation is done to allow all students the opportunity to participate. Reef viewers are taken to allow exploration of fringing

reefs. Depending upon weather, nearby islands may be visited. Pedagogy : experiential ;

Raft Building

This activity provides students with an opportunity to develop teamwork and communication skills. It allows students to design, develop, test and appraise their raft. During testing a small expedition may be undertaken. Pedagogy : 5e’s; experiential ;

Screen Printing

The Centre has two screens for printing, one displaying the Centre’s logo and the other featuring the Reef Guardian symbol. Students need to bring a shirt or calico bag to print. Students are encouraged to do a screen print on one side and paint their own environmental message on the other side. Calico bags are successful as it is hoped that students use their calico bags rather than plastic bags when back on the mainland. A shirt can also be a means of educating, when others read the message on the shirt. Pedagogy : Explicit:

Snorkelling

Students enjoy the opportunity to snorkel at the Great Barrier Reef. The reef around North Keppel Island is fringing reef and displays a diversity of fish as well as soft and hard corals. Students are briefed on how to get ready for snorkelling and safety when snorkelling. Students’ first snorkel is always a beach snorkel, where students learn snorkelling skills such as how to breath through their snorkel and use their fins. Explicit.If visiting staff program a second snorkel, this is from our boat, “Gundoo Spirit” where students take a boat ride to a nearby reef and jump off the boat into the water. experiential Snorkel sites are chosen depending on the weather. For safety for this activity it is required that a visiting adult becomes a ‘spotter’ and stays out of the water and looks out for the students. In the water, as well as a North Keppel Island staff member leading the snorkel, there is

generally at least one other visiting adult in the water with the students to offer support and encouragement. Snorkelling is often combined with manta towing, especially with younger students. Snorkelling links with a range of C2C units. Visiting teachers are requested to identify the outcomes in their program and student discussions are conducted prior to and following the snorkel regarding these outcomes.5e’s

Pedagogy : 5e’s; experiential ; Explicit:

Survival at Sea

Students participate in a problem based scenario. Students are taken for a joyous boat ride, when suddenly the ‘boat strikes a coral reef and begins to sink’. This means that the students need to use the RFD to get all of their peers safely to shore. Students are allowed to take only one item with them to help them survive on the ‘deserted island’ until help arrives. A fantastic activity for team building and developing cooperation and leadership skills. Pedagogy : experiential ;

Swimming

Students enjoy their afternoon swim under the supervision of the visiting teachers and a North Keppel island staff member. The Centre provides stinger suits or wetsuits. Students take to the beach with all safety equipment including the rescue float, flags to swim between and fun equipment to play with. Visiting students can only swim while a registered teacher with a current Bronze Medallion is present. All NKIEEC staff have this current qualification. Pedagogy : experiential ;

Water Monitoring

Water is a precious resource. Australia is one of the driest continents in the world and is becoming drier each year. All of the water used at North Keppel is rainwater. During their stay at the island, students monitor and record the amount of water used by individual cabins or the whole centre. Students devise ways of using less water and are encouraged to use these strategies back at school and home. Pedagogy : 5e’s;