Buranda State School...where children enjoy learning.

The story of Buranda is the story of a group of people with a shared vision, a belief in children, and the courage to be different. The principal and teachers at Buranda, share the educational philosophy of the late Garth Boomer, and strive to put that into practice. In particular, Boomer's notion of a 'democratic classroom', with all that is inherent in that notion, is an ideal to which they aspire.

School based curriculum theory and practice.

The community that is Buranda School today is a very different one from that of seven years ago.Where once there were 48 students, with numbers falling, the school is now capped and full at 175, with a waiting list operating. Families move into the local area so their children can attend the school. Today students are achieving excellent academic and social outcomes, teachers are enthusiastic, competent and productive in their work and parents are satisfied and supportive.

Students at Buranda are happy, motivated, articulate, creative and achieving academic results which reflect their personal best in most instances. They are wonderful problem solvers. They enthusiastically take risks, try new ideas and stretch their intellect. They wonder, puzzle, imagine, reflect, question and talk. Buranda students like coming to school and they enjoy learning.

Renewal of curriculum and pedagogy over the last eight years has resulted in a culture of innovation at the school. Teachers and students work together to create the conditions where students can take control of their own learning. These are individuals who value learning, confidently solve problems together and are flexible. They evaluate and respond to unique situations in ways that lead to successful conclusions. They do this comfortably, with assurance, and with no question about their ability to do so.

A fair and predictable environment is evident at Buranda. Students work well together and are accepting of the abilities of themselves and others. They have a good sense of self and are supportive of one another. They are good at listening to and
considering the points of view of others. They ask wonderful questions and discuss big issues with their teachers and peers. They are comfortable with changing their mind and can engage in and accept respectful disagreement.

An innovative culture has developed through shared vision, strong, committed leadership, and commitment resulting from the identification and implementation of teachers' own passions and ideals. There were high levels of teacher professional development throughout the school including formal mentoring to integrate new staff, creative use of curriculum coordination time and all teachers attaining Level One Philosophy in Schools certification.

Curriculum and pedagogy at Buranda are relevant and interesting with student learning the core of the school and high academicoutcomes expected. The curriculum includes environmental education, philosophy, New Basics and technology while pedagogy covers multi-aged, cooperative learning, inquiring and problem based curriculum, development of independent learners and use of technology.

An important part of the culture of Buranda is the valuing of, and respect for, all individuals as well as school engagement in and links with the broader community.

Throughout the process of reform of curriculum and pedagogy at Buranda, all stakeholders, particularly students, were included in the decision making. For example, teachers and students were asked, 'What makes a good school' and 'How would you like your school to be?'. From student responses the supportive school environment policy was developed. From teacher responses came the identification of passions, and hence the strategic direction for the school. It was at this point that the work began to be closely aligned with that of Garth Boomer.

Like Garth Boomer, the teachers at Buranda believe in the power of children to learn. They believe children must be given opportunities and strategies to develop an understanding of what they as individuals are good at and not so good at, and how they best learn. They believe fundamentally that children will not learn unless they are happy.

Teachers at Buranda are committed to a belief in the value of inquiry as 'an essential element in the progress of civilization' (Boomer). To this end they teach philosophy in all classes. This is one means by which they can move towards the notion of a democratic classroom, and begin to break down the traditional power relationships of the classroom, and ideally, society.

Pedagogy and curriculum at Buranda are intellectually rigorous and connected to the world outside the classroom. Students are actively engaged in the learning process. The focus is on inquiry and problem-based learning, and on the development of communication skills. Academic and behavioural expectations are clearly articulated and high.

At Buranda teachers endeavour to create an environment for students where they will learn about and accept themselves, and learn about and accept others; where they can take risks and make mistakes safely; where they can learn how to think and be thoughtful; where they can succeed and be clever.
Teachers help students understand that they are citizens of the world, and that this brings responsibilities and rights.

One example of this was when students noticed a lot of dead fish in the creek one morning as they walked to school. In groups they wrote to the local councillor, the main city newspaper, the local paper, the Department of the Environment, and their state Member of Parliament. They had a response from the council, made the front page of the local paper, had a visit from the Department of the Environment who explained what had been done and what had been found, and even had a visit from the MP, to whom they presented a petition signed by most of the students in the school. This petition was tabled in parliament and appeared in Hansard.

A second example of students accepting the responsibilities of citizenship is that as part of the environmental education program of the school, the children are working with the Brisbane City Council to revegetate the denuded banks of an inner city creek adjacent to the school. Throughout the winter months classes went to the creek to plant. A local community group and a local business are now also involved in this activity.

Philosophy in Schools

Philosophy is taught in all classes at Buranda. It underpins and integrates all the curriculum. It is the vehicle for depth, engagement and intellectual rigour. Philosophy enables ALL students to have a voice, thereby promoting socially just practices. It encourages students to be active citizens and critical and creative thinkers. It aims to develop children's ability to think for themselves and to develop the forms of regard and practices of intellectual exchange that help to sustain an open society - an ideal true to the teaching of Garth Boomer. Buranda teachers want their students to become 'thoughtful' persons, becoming both better thinkers academically, and more thoughtful towards each other. By endeavouring to develop thoughtful students, we are 'educating for the antithesis of thoughtlessness' (Boomer).

Philosophy improves academic and social outcomes for students because it teaches them to think for themselves and to respect and value one and another. This spills into all other facets of life in and out of school. In 2000 Buranda received a Strategic Initiatives Grant to promote philosophy. This allowed them to become more knowledgeable about and skilled in the teaching of philosophy, so they could better teach their own students and assist other schools to implement philosophy programs in their own schools. In 2003 they received Quality Teacher Program funding to write an online course 'Philosophy in Schools' and produce an accompanying video. This project is current.

The jigsaw that is Buranda is complex. Many changes have been made to produce what it is today. However, it is the teachers' view that the major catalyst for change at Buranda has been the teaching of philosophy.

Included here are some examples of student work in philosophy - examples of which there is no doubt Garth Boomer would approve!

Discussion: Yr 6/7 - Is listening the same as hearing?

• Listening is hearing on purpose. Hearing is random.
• Listening is when you intend to hear and hearing is mainly what you overheard.
• Listening is sort of like looking out for signs and trying to comprehend them whereas hearing is like glancing - it's unexpected sometimes.
• You can choose to listen but you can't choose to hear.
• With listening it's more like concentrating than using your ears and with hearing it mainly uses your ears instead of your concentration.
• When you are listening you know what someone is saying. When you hear it's like having the radio on in the background - you can hear it but you're not listening to every word they say.

Discussion Yr 6/7: 'Existence'

Class read 'The Bunyip of Berkeley's Creek'. Themes identified by students for discussion were existence, memory and perceptions. The questions elicited included :

• If the bunyip was standing in front of the man how could he (bunyip) not exist?
• What does it mean to exist?
• Can something exist to one person and not to another?
• Why did the man say, 'There's no such thing as a bunyip?'
• Did the bunyip exist or is it just a mixture of the other animals?
• Can animals see things that humans can't?
• Why do some people say that things don't exist just because they haven't seen them?
• How do we know that what we see is true?
• How did the bunyip know that the other creature was a bunyip?
• Why didn't the first bunyip look in the mirror to see what he looked like?
• How can you look like another thing?
• Why did both bunyips ask exactly the same question when they came out of the swamp?
• Why do we have memory?
• Where is it stored?
• What is memory?

Discussion: What does it mean to exist?

Margaret: I don't think something has to be solid to exist. For example time exists and dreams exist.
Paul: People need to believe something exists for it to exist.
Breanna: I agree with Paul and Margaret. If you put those two ideas together ... then if you believe in something it exists, whether it is solid or not.
Katie: There are two types of existence, solid and not solid.
Jordan: It's like truth. It can be what you believe or it can be what is actually out there even if you don't know it. This is the same.
Ashley: Maybe Katie is not real but we all think she is, so she exists.
Steve: I think existence is being in reality. It doesn't need to be touchable.
Teacher: Can you explain that more clearly please?
Steve: I think existence has to be in the real world.
Rita: But how do you know what's in the real world?
Breanna: How do you know this here today is the real world?
Aaron: This world here now has more chance of being real than not.
David: Is there a real world?
Teacher: What do you think?
David: I don't know.
Teacher: Does anybody?
Margaret: I think there's two things that make this the real world. Firstly, if you fall over you hurt yourself and feel it. In what we think is a dream you don't hurt. Secondly, in a dream it's like watching a video. We can't control it.
Teacher: So you're saying those two things mean this here could not be a dream?
Margaret: Yes.
Claire: I don't think there could be a real world because why would we be arguing about it?
Breanna: Can Margaret repeat what she said before?
Margaret: I think there's two things that make this the real world. Firstly, if you fall over you hurt yourself and feel it. In what we think is a dream you don't hurt. Secondly, in a dream it's like watching a video. We can't control it.
Breanna: Is there a real world at all?
Ashley: There must be because how come we're all having the same dream now?
Beth: When you think about something in your mind it exists. Does that mean that when you stop thinking about it it no longer exists?
(silence)
Teacher: This morning you left your house and you probably haven't thought about it since then. How do you know your house is still there?
Aaron: But someone else might have been thinking about it...does that mean things only exist if someone is thinking about it?
Robert: The reason your house exists when you're not thinking about it...well it's like ...you don't think about your breathing all the time but you're still breathing! It doesn't stop just because you stop thinking about it or we'd all be dead. That's like your house.
Steve: If you go home does that mean the school stops existing?
Paul: I don't think that things disappear if you stop thinking about them.
Steve: It's impossible to stop thinking.

Teacher instructs class to close eyes and stop thinking.
Prove to your neighbour you exist. (Much pinching, pushing, poking. 'I believe she does, so she does.' 'Let me tell you something you don't know.' etc)

Discussion on Descartes... 'I think therefore I am.'

Peter says, 'I can prove we exist.' Goes around classroom asking each child, 'X, do you think?' Each child replies in the affirmative, so Peter says, 'We are all here. We all think. Therefore we all exist.'

Steve: NO! Peter said 'I think, therefore YOU are!' That's WRONG! Descartes said 'I think therefore I am'!