Jumping Into The Learning Pit

Catherine McAuley Westmead students Year 9 Design & Technology students presented on their learning pit journey
Year 9 Design & Technology students presented on their learning pit journey at the recent school assembly.

Throughout their learning students find themselves faced with challenges that place them in the ‘learning pit’.

The learning pit is a model that provides learners with a language to think and talk about learning. This is not just for students but can also be used by adults as we all continue to learn throughout our lives.

Catherine McAuley Westmead Learning Pit Graphic
The Learning Pit

Students need to be comfortable and confident about jumping into the learning pit, as well as knowing what to do to get out of it. Often the time between jumping in and working out how to get out of the learning pit is the most challenging time - and this is when all the learning happens!

Professor Jo Boaler from Stanford University states, “If you aren’t struggling, you aren’t really learning.” She goes on to say, “When we embrace struggle, it’s freeing. It changes how we go about our work. We’re more persistent. We interact with each other differently. If you live just a single day with this perspective, you’ll feel it – particularly if things go wrong. It changes those moments pretty significantly.”

Throughout the year many students have shared their journey as they went in and out of the learning pit. At the most recent school assembly it was Year 9 Design & Technology students, Olive, Ashleigh, Kathryn, Zoe and Jessica, who spoke about their journey as they put together their jewellery portfolio.

The students were faced with challenges as they worked with new tools, had the issue of items ordered not arriving on time, needed to examine all options as they learnt from videos, other people and experimentation, strived for meaning as they understood the concept and finally enjoyed clarity as it all came together and they could apply and relate to their learning experience.

The students made a fun 1 ½ minute video to show their Learning Pit journey.