Students and teachers at Hawkesbury High School are embracing the future through flexible learning spaces and future-focused learning - and that builds their skills and capabilities to thrive in a rapidly changing and interconnected world.
The school's focus on the future helps students to develop their creativity, critical thinking, collaboration and communication. These are skills relevant to the modern world which build on the traditional reading, writing and arithmetic.
As an example, students collaborate with NASA through video links with NASA engineers, allowing them to access satellite footage to help understand the effects of climate change.
A big part of future-focused learning are enthusiastic teachers who know and understand the needs and talents of students and draw out the hunger for knowledge.
Teachers and students work together in flexible learning spaces, using a range of teaching and learning strategies which take advantage of modern technologies.
"When we bring the 4 Cs into our classrooms, we don't 'add' anything to the existing curriculum," Principal Igor Maric said.
"We help students develop these skills by changing how we teach and learn in our classrooms.
"It is the process of learning, not the content of learning, that helps students enhance their creativity, critical thinking, collaboration and communication skills and helps them become responsible and mindful global citizens."
