Orientation at Griffith University

Date: 15 - 16 May 2018

Before we begin our IP, we had to go for an orientation programme at Griffith University, Mt Gravatt Campus. Luckily, the Translink website (https://translink.com.au/plan-your-journey) was really easy to navigate and we managed to find the right bus stop and the right bus to get on. The Translink website helps us to find the fastest way to get our destination depending on the time that we are living and it is usually accurate. It is also in our favour that the bus stops are close to our accommodation!

A few stops later, we safely arrived at Mt Gravatt campus! We then met Dr Kay Hartwig, our Australian supervising professor, who gave us a quick tour of the campus. The campus was splendid (so was the Nathan campus, which we went later in the afternoon). Dr Kay explained that we had to prepare a practicum file that we need to bring to school. This is a similar practice back in Singapore. Dr Kay ran through the necessary documents that we need for practicum, which includes things like an observation list (to track our observations), an index of lessons taught as well as an observation and feedback template that either the preservice teacher or mentor teacher can use to either record the observation or to record feedback. With that, we were all set for school!

Us and Dr Kay in her office! 

We then had lunch with the Dean of Education and Professional Studies, Professor Donna Pendagast, at one of the cafes in the campus. The café, M28 (btw, which is also how the buildings are labelled within the campus), served delicious food and really wonderful coffee. If you are coming over to Mt Gravatt campus, do drop by this café! They sell really good coffee and their food are delicious. Trust us, the coffee is really good.

Some of the food that we can get from M28

We had a nice chat with the professors before we were off to Yarranlea Primary School, which is conveniently located within the university campus!

Us at the front of the school! 

Yarranlea was an interesting school as firstly, it is a relatively small school, with about 29 students, from preparatory to Grade 6. The next interesting bit was that this school runs on a Multi-Age system. Unfamiliar? Well, we were lost too. Thankfully, the principal of the school, Mr David Costin, enlightened us about it.
In a multi-age model, students of different ages are deliberately grouped together and the lessons run by themes. Such a model, as explained by Mr Costin, is supported by familiar theories from Vygotsky and all too familiar terms like Constructivism. It was a fascinating system where it models the real world, where we have to work with other people that are of various ages. Through this system, we could see how students would be able to learn teamwork and communication with other people that are of different ages from them. We certainly had an eye-opening experience from this little trip to Yarranlea.

Us and Mr Costin, the principal of Yarranlea Primary School 

We also found out that the university have free food days! There will be food trucks that are parked somewhere in the school campus, giving out free food. Fortunately, we were lucky to be inside the campus on the day where the food truck came. We had bratwurst and it was really good!

We went to the university, but where is the school? Well, read more about it in our next post!