iEntrepreneur - Mosman High School
The NSW Department of Education, Career and Workplace Learning team has produced a comprehensive entrepreneurial learning resource kit, iEntrepreneur. Designed to equip teachers with the essential knowledge, tools, and guidance necessary to integrate entrepreneurial learning into their curriculum.
The iEntrepreneur resource promotes engagement and challenge for every student in every school across intellectual, creative, social-emotional, and physical domains of potential, while explicitly identifying and addressing the learning needs of high potential and gifted students in accordance with The High Potential and Gifted Education Policy.
School context
Mosman High School (HS) is a comprehensive co-educational secondary school located in Sydney, NSW, with around one thousand students. Renowned for its commitment to providing a high-quality education, the school prides itself on fostering an innovative and supportive learning environment. Emphasising academic excellence, holistic growth, and community involvement, Mosman High School welcomes students from diverse socio-economic backgrounds. In addition to rigorous academics, the school encourages students to engage in extracurricular pursuits, including sports, arts, music, and community service, to ensure a well-rounded educational experience.
How is Mosman HS using the iEntrepreneur resource?
Mosman HS is using the lesson plans and activities provided in the resource kit to embed entrepreneurial concepts into curriculum delivery. By Integrating entrepreneurial learning across subjects, students can develop their entrepreneurial mindset.
Jess McCarthy: It's really easy for teachers to implement the iEntrepreneur resources because they're categorised under headings that make it easy to find. There are multiple resources underneath those headings, clickable links that can either be shared with students or printed out or rejigged to suit the project that you're doing.
I use the iEntrepreneur resources from the resource kit. I use the headings that were provided in the kit because they're very similar to the design cycle or engineering cycle or inquiry process, and I use them as like a journal for students to evaluate their process. I handpicked the resources, that apply to the particular project that I was doing, and I rejigged them into, like a student workbook.
Matilda: The entrepreneurial resources have helped me prepare for my future because they can help me figure out ideas if I do want to start my own business.
Jess McCarthy: By teaching an entrepreneurial mindset, it really changed students' understanding of what learning could be. They're often so focused on grades and marks and results. Teaching an entrepreneurial mindset helped them to realise that it's actually bigger than them, and it's beyond school. The best thing that has happened is that students will always surprise you.
Matilda: It’s inspired me because I know what I can do now. So, I know that there are like many possibilities.
Jess McCarthy: My advice for teachers who want to take entrepreneurship into the classroom is just do it because the students will really enjoy the journey, and I think students learn more than you expect them to. Students have so much access to knowledge and information. The entrepreneurial mindset gives them that chance to actually take it away from that classroom and create a real-world solution.
So, the iEntrepreneur resource was just so fantastic and so helpful. I knew that this sequence of learning was going to develop a really fantastic project in the end.
Student outcomes
Through engaging with the entrepreneurial processes' students will:
- develop an entrepreneurial mindset, including critical and creative thinking, risk taking, future focused, problem solving and self-directed learning skills.
- develop skills and build capacity to identify and navigate life’s challenges.
- gain experience and apply real-world skills to prepare them for their future.
Tips for teachers/schools
- Look for opportunities to incorporate real-world problem-solving, creativity, and innovation into your lesson plans.
- Encourage students to explore their interests, develop projects, and collaborate with peers to solve authentic challenges.
- Create a supportive environment where students feel empowered to experiment, iterate, and learn from setbacks.
- Collaborate with colleagues from other subject areas to create interdisciplinary projects that integrate entrepreneurial learning across multiple disciplines.
- Equip students with the resources, tools, and guidance they need to succeed in their entrepreneurial endeavours.
Reflection questions for leaders
- How can we develop a whole school approach to entrepreneurial learning and allocate resources effectively to support implementation across all stages and all key learning areas (KLAs)?
- How can we evaluate the impact of entrepreneurial learning and highlight student achievements to inspire the wider school community?
- How can we enhance teacher’s understanding of entrepreneurial education through professional learning to empower teachers to embrace entrepreneurial teaching methodologies?
- How can we foster sustainable partnerships with local businesses, industry experts, and community organisations to enrich entrepreneurial learning opportunities for our students?
- How can we enhance parental involvement to support their child’s entrepreneurial learning journey through professional learning initiatives?
Reflection questions for teachers
- How can I integrate entrepreneurial learning principles into my existing curriculum for creativity and innovation among students?
- How can I encourage students to innovate while also adapting entrepreneurial learning experiences to accommodate diverse abilities and interests?
- How can I promote entrepreneurial mindsets and facilitate collaboration, experimentation, and prototyping in the classroom?
- What resources, support, and technology can enhance the incorporation of entrepreneurial learning in my lessons, while enriching student experiences through real-world connections?
- How can I assess and recognise the entrepreneurial skills and competencies developed by students throughout their learning journey?