Grammar Gazette- Issue 1, 2013

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lose’ (cited in Abrams, 1986). We each of us possess ‘an individual life, to spend, to use, or to lose’ and girls must learn to judiciously engage with the world, apply their knowledge wisely and ‘spend’ their life with integrity. While a school is much more than its buildings and grounds, the provision of inspiring and contemporary learning places, physical and virtual, is where we often see most clearly the tangible evidence of new ideas, priorities, and approaches to teaching and learning. I left Girls Grammar the day after the opening of the Cherrell Hirst Creative Learning Centre. I return to a new project — the Year 7 and Research Centre — that will allow us to reconsider the composition of learning spaces and the future needs for scholarship and research. Within learning spaces connectedness will have the greatest impact on student development and growth: from the great wisdom of the past to the new ideas and creativity of the future; between teachers and their students in the vein of the Socratic method; as tangible evidence before us blends with the ideas of the virtual world; and between our colleagues and peers in the here and now, or with people from around the world. Evidence-based research must continue to drive teaching practice at Girls Grammar. Effective teachers have high expectations for their students, belief that the ability of students to learn is changeable rather than fixed, and capacity to foster the effort that leads to achievement (Hattie, 2003). All students, regardless of their particular interests or individual abilities, must be able to experience academic success. Scholarship is not just a classroom activity; it is as much about attitude and a broader conception of education as it is about traditional methods of learning. A Girls Grammar education embraces life-wide learning; engages students in music, the arts, culture, sport and service; and recognises the particular strengths and needs of the individual, seeking to draw out the very best in every girl. The Outdoor Education programme at Marrapatta enriches our girls’ education beyond the purely academic realm. The newly acquired facility at Fig Tree Pocket will allow us to expand the possibilities in sport and beyond. And the creative and performing arts areas continue to thrill us with their accomplishments. A range of opportunities allow girls to discover what makes their hearts sing, to explore worlds outside their own, and to appreciate the need for an open-minded approach to life. Grammar girls understand the importance of utilising their talents in the service of others and contributing generously to their world. Heraclitus’ analogy of the river reminds us not that all things are changing so that we cannot encounter them twice, but perhaps something more subtle and profound — that is, that some things stay the same only by changing (Graham, 2011). Am I the ‘same [wo]man’? Essentially, yes; however, my experiences at schools in Sydney, further study, professional development in Canada and at Harvard, and reflection over time have broadened and deepened my knowledge and experience. I return to Girls Grammar with new ideas and fresh perspectives. I grew up on a farm in Queensland and

the longest period in my teaching life was spent at this School, so my return is both professional and personal. Brisbane Girls Grammar School’s proud heritage of scholarship, commitment to well-rounded education, and leadership in the education of young women will continue in the years ahead as we strengthen our identity as an international leader in education.

REFERENCES

Abrams, M. H. (Ed.). (1986). The Norton anthology of English literature . Ontario: W.W. Norton Company.

Brecht, B. (1984). The Caucasian chalk circle . London: Methuen.

Claxton, G. (2007, June). Expanding young people’s capacity to learn. British Journal of Educational Studies, 55 (2), 1–20.

Graham, D. W. (2011). Heraclitus. In E. N. Zalta (Ed.), The Stanford encyclopedia of philosophy (Summer 2011 edition). Retrieved from http://plato.stanford.edu/ archives/sum2011/entries/heraclitus/ Hattie, J. (2003). Teachers make a difference: What is the research evidence? Retrieved from http://www.decd.sa.gov.au/limestonecoast/files/pages/new%20 page/PLC/teachers_make_a_difference.pdf McWilliam, E. & Taylor, P. (2012). Personally significant learning. In Grammar Insights 2012. Brisbane: Brisbane Girls Grammar School. Papert, S. (1998). Child power: Keys to the new learning of the digital century . Speech delivered at the Imperial College, London. Retrieved from http://www. papert.org/articles/Childpower.html

Russell, B. (1946). History of western philosophy . London: Routledge.

GRAMMAR GAZETTE