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Junior School students share their passions
Taking action in lockdown was sometimes a struggle for all of us, but during Term 3, Junior School students at Elsternwick found that ‘getting things done’ was suddenly much easier when they were asked to find their passion. Extensive research suggests that when students are given autonomy within a task and have a feeling of ownership, greater motivation to achieve the task is evident – and what better way to exercise that autonomy and sense of ownership in lockdown than with your own Passion Project?
The Passion Project helped motivate the students by enabling them to inquire into areas of strong personal interest. To help the students consider what was possible for their project, they listened to stories and researched young people such as Malala Yousafzai and Greta Thunberg, who have both taken action to follow a personal passion.
Students used an inquiry process to explore the interests they were passionate about, with careful questioning, interactive discussions and expert presenters to help inspire them. The process strengthened their research skills as they formulated their approach to gathering information. They then synthesised the information and chose the best medium through which to share it.
From a poster about the game of tennis with highlights from Ash Barty’s efforts, to an engaging magazine about interior design, the end results were a wonderful demonstration of student voice and student agency.