Education matters Secondary

A content rich, comprehensive, buyer’s guide for schools.

T 2015

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Healthy principals – the lifeblood of our schools Meeting the learning needs of teachers Science in a secondary state school What your students can tell you about your practices

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Editor’s Note

A lot of Federal Government reform in Australia’s education sector has been flagged in various reports, and in this issue the Teacher Education Ministerial Advisory Group’s Action Now: Classroom Ready Teachers report gets plenty of mention. This report into teacher education in Australia has called for an overhaul of the system amid concerns some teaching graduates are not ‘classroom ready’ and have poor literacy and numeracy skills. Inside you will read feedback on the report from leading academics Glenn Finger – Professor of Education and Dean (Learning and Teaching) of the Arts, Education and Law Group at Queensland’s Griffith University – and Stephen Dinham – National President of the Australian College of Educators and Chair of Teacher Education and Director of Learning and Teaching at the University of Melbourne. The Australian Council of Deans of Education’s Professor Tania Aspland also writes on the topic in-depth, saying that investing in quality professional experience for pre-service and professional mentor teachers is the best move governments can make towards immediate and sustainable improvements in teacher quality and student learning.

Also inside I speak with Jo Mason, Director of Innovations and Professional Learning at the Principals Australia Institute about the importance of harnessing teacher and principal health and wellbeing in our schools.

Academic and public education advocate Dr David Zyngier looks at what makes a good school and what makes a good teacher.

Secondary school teacher Jeremy LeCornu shares his experiences of ‘flipping’ the classroom to improve teaching and learning outcomes.

In our ‘spotlight on’ series science teacher Sarah Chapman gives us a glimpse into the secondary school science department.

ICT teaching and learning leader Anthony Speranza talks about an innovative way students can provide valuable feedback to teachers.

Finally, make sure you turn to page 34 to read about how school sustainability leader Cool Australia is meeting the learning needs of teachers – and find out more about your chance to win a professional development course by entering our exclusive competition!

I’m delighted to bring you this edition of Education Matters – Secondary and we’d love to hear your feedback. Please feel free to pass on any comments or questions to me directly via email kathryn. edwards@primecreative.com.au or get in touch via Twitter @edumattersmag.

Editor: Kathryn Edwards kathryn.edwards@primecreative.com.au Art Director: Michelle Weston Designers: Blake Storey, Sarah Doyle Group Sales Manager: Brad Buchanan brad.buchanan@primecreative.com.au

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Ph: (+61 3) 9690 8766 E: subscriptions@primecreative.com.au Articles All articles submitted for publication become the property of the publisher. We reserve the right to adjust any article to conform with the magazine format.

Education Matters editor

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Publisher: John Murphy john.murphy@primecreative.com.au

education matters secondary

Copyright Education Matters is owned by Prime Creative Media Pty. Ltd. and published

by John Murphy. All material in Education Matters is copyright and no part may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means (graphic, electronic, or mechanical including information retrieval systems) without the written permission of the publisher. The Editor welcomes contributions but reserves the right to accept or reject any material. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information, Prime Creative Media will not accept responsibility for errors or omissions or for any consequenses arising from information published. The opinions of the magazine are not necessarily the opinions of, or endorsed by the publisher unless otherwise stated. All photographs of schools (including students) depicted in feature articles and advertisements throughout this magazine have been supplied to the publisher (and approved) by the contributing school. All material supplied by schools is done so with the understanding that such images will be published in Education Matters and may also appear on the our website: www.edumatters.com.au.

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contents

SECONDARY MAY-OCT 2015

DEPARTMENTS

SPECIAL FEATURES

Editor’s Note 4

Foreword

Adrian Piccoli, NSW Minister for Education

7

Advertisers’ Directory

8

National Education News

9

Events Diary

15

Industry Q&A

Correna Haythorpe, Federal President, Australian Education Union

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16

Flipped learning – a journey not just a destination

24

Healthy teachers and principals – the lifeblood of our schools

34

Meeting the learning needs of teachers

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Science in a secondary state school

Secondary school teacher Jeremy LeCornu shares his experiences of ‘flipping’ the classroom to improve teaching and learning outcomes.

Jo Mason, Director of Innovations and Professional Learning at the Principals Australia Institute speaks to Education Matters magazine’s Kathryn Edwards about the importance of harnessing teacher and principal health and wellbeing in our schools, encouraging positive relationships and how principals can best deal with greater autonomy.

What makes a good education system? At Cool Australia, we believe part of the answer is supporting teachers to grow in their profession. It is about nurturing a teacher’s learning needs and interests so they can adapt to new contexts, technologies and languages. And it is about creating vibrant learning cultures in which individual and teams of teachers can thrive, write Kirsty Costa and Angela Andrews.

Science is an integral component for a progressive, creative and innovative nation, and we need to engage students early with science to provide them with extensive opportunities to experience, engage, problem solve and ‘get to know’ science, writes Sarah Chapman.

42 TEMAG and the way forward: Perspectives on professional

experience, induction and professional development for teachers

Investing in quality professional experience for pre-service and professional mentor teachers is the best move governments can make towards immediate and sustainable improvements in teacher quality and student learning, writes Professor Tania Aspland.

54 Listening with intent – what your students can tell you about your practices

Often when delivering lessons teachers can be so caught up in the process that they forget to stop and try to perceive the learning’s impact from the eyes of their students and, writes Anthony Speranza, a teacher’s fundamental role should be to evaluate that impact on their students using a variety of sources, including with the assistance of students themselves.

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What makes a good school? What makes a good teacher?

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Which school?

The creation of good schools is a long-term process and a good school is an aggregation of good classrooms in which effective teaching and learning are taking place, writes David Zyngier.

When it comes the time for parents to ask this question, how does your school rate? Good marketing can ensure your school’s message will get into the hands of potential future students and parents, writes Kathryn Edwards.

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education matters secondary

Foreword

Education is far too important to be a lottery I am very pleased to contribute to this edition of Education Matters, particularly after my reappointment as Minister for Education in a re-elected New South Wales Liberals & Nationals Government. I look forward to working with the teaching profession as we continue the significant reform we have undertaken over the past four years.

Children in Australia spend around 15,000 hours at school and we expect them to be consistently challenged and continually inspired to learn by great teachers during every hour of that educational journey.

Parents rightly expect that their children will achieve at least a year’s worth of growth from every year’s teaching. Each and every year they must be taught by a quality teacher with the knowledge and skills to bring out the best in every student.

However, in Australia we cannot yet honestly claim that we meet that expectation. Student data analysed by Professor John Hattie, academic and Chair of AITSL, exposes the uncomfortable truth that a student’s performance as he or she moves through primary school is far too random – very often depending on the quality of the teaching. That is an unacceptable risk for a child and an inconsistency no school or system should accept.

Education is far too important to be a lottery and we need to take the element of chance out of school education as much as possible. Parents should expect the best teacher for their child every year they spend in school and we should — and can — deliver it.

To achieve this, we need to change what we are doing in our classrooms and our schools and how we support the teaching profession. We have begun that process in NSW and I recognise that true, sustainable change will take many years. But the

early signs are positive.

We have given public schools more local decision-making authority and we have delivered more funding directly to schools through our needsbased funding model. We can do this because NSW was the first state to sign up to the Gonski funding deal with the Federal Government.

Beyond funding and structural reforms, we are also targeting the key element of what makes teachers effective – their classroom practice. Instead of individual teachers thinking about ‘my students’, the most effective teachers and schools talk about ‘our students’. Teaching needs to be a shared endeavour.

That is why we are investing a further $224 million into Quality Teaching to provide release time for our best public primary school teachers to mentor, coach and collaborate with other teachers.

This model of whole school instructional leadership will emphasise how greater collaboration can enhance the effectiveness of teachers. It is informed by extensive research and by our Literacy and Numeracy Action Plan, which uses instructional leaders working with teachers to improve early learning outcomes.

We also know that we have many vulnerable students in our schools. That is why we have announced the first significant increase in the number of school counsellors in nearly 20 years.

NSW public schools will benefit from 236 extra counsellors bringing the ratio of school councillors per student down from 1:1000 to 1:750.

We are also providing additional flexible funding to allow schools to hire 200 additional student support officers or other equivalent wellbeing professionals.

This long overdue focus on student wellbeing is

education matters secondary

driven by the undeniable research linking wellbeing to higher academic achievement and Year 12 completion, as well as better mental health.

Appropriate behaviour and positive relationships, good health and self-esteem are all factors that contribute to students enjoying school more and achieving more while they are there.

So the scene is set. There has never been a better and more exciting time to be involved in education in NSW. What I want to see now is for these reforms to be harnessed to drive improved outcomes – whole school improvement, better teaching in every classroom, improved student wellbeing and better student results.

I want to see the impact of these reforms felt in every classroom, in every school, every day. And I want to ensure that successful practices in one school are shared across all NSW schools.

THE HON. ADRIAN PICCOLI MP Adrian Piccoli, the Member for Murray, has been the NSW Minister for Education since April 2011.

Prior to entering Parliament, Adrian graduated from the Australian National University with a Bachelor of Economics and Bachelor of Laws and was both a solicitor and farmer in his hometown of Griffith.

Since being appointed as Education Minister, he has introduced major reforms to the NSW public education system, particularly in the areas of quality teaching, local school authority and rural and remote education.

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Advertisers’ Directory

Camps and Excursions

7 50

NT Learning Adventures

Furniture, Storage and Equipment

46

Woods Furniture

Health and Wellbeing

31

Teachers Health Fund

33

Teachers Health Fund

Marketing

67

Whichschool Magazine

Printing

2 58

FSG Design and Print Manark

School Administration

5

Edval

Technology

3

The Future Tech Co

Uniforms

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Higer

20

Parallels

68

Epson

29

Gazal

education matters secondary

National Education News

Federal Government hints at taking a step back from education

“By having education at a state level rather than only at a national level means that you can experiment more with what works best.”

Bronwyn Hinz, researcher and teacher of public policy and Australian politics, University of Melbourne

The Federal Government has given a strong indication that education policy and delivery will remain the responsibility of the states and territories in its issues paper titled Roles and Responsibilities in Education.

Released on the 23rd December 2014, the paper summarises the progression of both Commonwealth and state and territory involvement in Australia’s education arrangements, along with analysis of the current education system, and forms part of the white paper on the Reform of the Federation, due for release early 2016.

Although the paper acknowledges that not all the pressures on the education system stem from the complexity of coinciding government roles and responsibilities, it says that improving the allocation of roles and responsibilities could make it easier for governments to identify what the problems are, who is responsible for fixing them, and empower teachers, parents and the wider community to hold the appropriate level of government to account for taking the action necessary to improve outcomes.

Bronwyn Hinz, researcher and teacher of public policy and Australian politics at the University of Melbourne who is currently completing a PhD on school funding and federalism, has taken a keen interest in the Federal Government’s white paper.

Hinz believes Australia’s education system does benefit from federalism, referring to the country’s two levels of government, in that it benefits from being primarily a state government responsibility as that is the perfect level to keep the system fair and suggested that the Federal Government may be trying to warm the nation up to its intention to step back from its current level of involvement in education.

“By having education at a state level rather than only at a national level means that you can experiment more with what works best,” she said. “So you could have some states starting school with children at five years of age, versus six years of age, you could organise schools in one particular way or have different needs-based funding models in place and if the policy is a success the other states can copy it, however if the copy is a flop the damage is contained and it’s easier to work out what to do next because they have other successful models in place.”

Hinz said she would like to see the Federal Government give greater power to the states and territories as they have a better understanding of what is needed in their schools.

education matters secondary

“I think the Federal Government could respect the expertise and experience of the states and territories when it comes to education, as they’re the ones that actually run the schools, employ the teachers and they have been developing the curriculum,” she said. “The Federal Government has a lot of great ideas, most of which it has actually taken from state and territory governments, and then they try to introduce those ideas across the network which is not always the best fit for state school systems.

“Unnecessary or unhelpful involvement by higher levels of government makes it more difficult for states and school principals to be able to get on with what they do best.”

The education issues paper also hints that the Federal Government could reduce its role in the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) and the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) believing it had played its part through establishing a national curriculum and creating NAPLAN, and that these could be maintained by the states and territories.

“I would like to see ACARA and AISTL continue and I would like to see the state governments’ role in them to increase, I just don’t want it to be done with the halving of their funding,” Hinz added. “The Federal Government gives a lot of financial support to ACARA and AISTL, I don’t want to see their operating budgets decrease dramatically because it would be hard for them then to do a good job.

“NAPLAN is a good thing but it’s early days and there’s a lot of improvement needed in how they fine tune the testing and in communicating its purpose – it’s not about ranking schools or school students – it’s about learning where schools and school systems should allocate their own resources.

“We need to have better use of NAPLAN and better communication so schools and parents don’t get scared by it and I worry that a big decrease in budget for ACARA and so forth will might mean that we can’t actually benefit from what it’s supposed to do.

“Principals and teachers just want to make sure the education system is as good as it can be and I think that we can get closer to that with the Commonwealth taking some steps back and handing the reins to the states and territories because the they have the track record and the relationships that make them in a better position to improve education for the students.”

9

National Education News

Govt focus on teacher education a step in the right direction Two leading academics have hailed the Federal Government’s response to teacher education reform as a step in the right direction.

A Federal Government report into teacher education in Australia has called for an overhaul of the system amid concerns some teaching graduates are not ‘classroom ready’ and have poor literacy and numeracy skills.

Federal Education Minister Christopher Pyne released the Teacher Education Ministerial Advisory Group report Action Now: Classroom Ready Teachers earlier this year as a blueprint for “critical and lasting reform” of teacher education. Led by Professor Greg Craven, the Advisory Group was asked to make practical recommendations on improving teacher education programs to better prepare teachers with the skills they need for the classroom.

Glenn Finger, Professor of Education and Dean (Learning and Teaching) of the Arts, Education and Law Group at Queensland’s Griffith University said the report highlights the need for an evidence-informed approach which focuses on teacher education students learning and demonstrating approaches which improve student learning.

“To enable improvements in both public confidence of teaching graduates and the quality of initial teacher education programs, the report has adopted a commendable approach by focusing on more rigour which ensures that all programs meet high expectations,” Finger said.

The report recommends improvement in both the content and delivery of programmes by universities through stronger partnerships with education systems and schools, and the government has accepted most of the recommendations in the report, instructing the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) to act immediately.

Key recommendations of the report include: • A test to assess the literacy and numeracy skills of all teaching graduates; • A requirement for universities to demonstrate that their graduates are classroom ready before gaining full course accreditation; • An overhaul of the in class practical element of teaching degrees; • A specialisation for primary school teachers with a focus on STEM and languages; and,

10

•U niversities publish all information about how they select students into teacher education programs.

Stephen Dinham, National President of the Australian College of Educators and Chair of Teacher Education and Director of Learning and Teaching at the University of Melbourne, said to improve student outcomes you’ve got to start with teacher education.

“It’s most important for a whole range of reasons, including the individual students and society as a whole, that we get teacher education right, so that every young person has got the opportunity to have a quality education,” he said.

Dinham also highlighted the need to improve the accreditation of teacher education courses.

“In my view, the standard is too low, it’s a very low bar, and we need to do more,” he said. “The report emphasises this, we need to do more to ensure that these courses are of the right quality, that they are informed by evidence, that the right people are teaching them, that the in school experience is appropriate, and that at the end of the day, these courses can demonstrate that they are having a positive impact on teaching and learning.”

While Finger agreed that the expectations of national standards needed to be lifted, he expressed some concern over how this could be achieved through Australia’s system of federalism.

“Minister Pyne’s approach is to leave this to the existing State and Territory bodies charged with [delivering better quality assurance], but they need to improve the national accreditation standard,” he said.

“There’s a mixed message here, particularly for those providers – such as Professor Craven’s ACU, which has programs in various jurisdictions – that is, agreement that we need national standards and higher expectations, but there might be more than marginal differences between expectations of those different accrediting authorities.

“There are currently some significant differences already and it will be interesting to see if this diverge or converge. My preference is that of the Teacher Education Ministerial Advisory Group – a reconstituted role of AITSL to enable a national, integrated approach with cooperative federalism guiding collaboration between Commonwealth and State governments.”

education matters secondary

“To enable improvements in both public confidence of teaching graduates and the quality of initial teacher education programs, the report has adopted a commendable approach by focusing on more rigour which ensures that all programs meet high expectations.”

Glenn Finger, Professor of Education and Dean (Learning and Teaching) of the Arts, Education and Law Group, Queensland’s Griffith University

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National Education News

Improving teacher education National President of the Australian College of Educators and Chair of Teacher Education and Director of Learning and Teaching at the University of Melbourne, Stephen Dinham, speaks exclusively with Education Matters magazine about the Federal Government’s Teacher Education Ministerial Advisory Group report Action Now: Classroom Ready Teachers.

How important is it for the Federal Government to focus on improving teacher graduates? Is it the right direction for improving student outcomes?

You’ve got to start with teacher education. Teacher education, both pre-service and in services, is one of the biggest leavers we’ve got to improve teaching and learning. So, we have to get teacher education right.

International measures of student achievement for Australia has shown some steady declines over recent years. But also the equity gap is becoming wider as well.

It’s most important for a whole range of reasons, including the individual students and society as a whole, that we get teacher education right, so that every young person has got the opportunity to have a quality education.

Literacy’s fundamental.

It’s the currency of learning. What we find with many kids, is when they get to the early years of high school, their learning really stalls, and in some cases goes backwards.

Stephen Dinham, National President of the Australian College of Educators and Chair of Teacher Education and Director of Learning and Teaching, University of Melbourne

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The Government has highlighted in its report that the accreditation of Teacher Education Courses should be improved. How can they be improved?

We have nationally consistent standards for that, but in my view, and I’ve been involved in accrediting courses for a long period of time, the standard is too low, it’s a very low bar, and we need to do more. The report emphasises this, we need to do more to ensure that these courses are of the right quality. That they are informed by evidence. That the right people are teaching them. That the in school experience is appropriate. That at the end of the day, these courses can demonstrate that they are having a positive impact on teaching and learning.

The report also recommended that all Graduate teachers should be teachers of literacy. How do you feel about that aspect?

Every subject involves literacy. So for every teacher, every day is using literacy and therefore every teacher obviously needs to have a high standard of literacy

education matters secondary

themselves, and to be able to move literacy forward in their students in their respective subjects that they teach.

What we really need in the teaching of literacy, is a lot of support for teachers. Particularly support that is strongly evidence-based. Literacy is an area where there’s been a lot of conjecture about different approaches and strategies and so on. We need to sort that out, and we need to give all teachers really good support in literacy.

Literacy’s fundamental. It’s the currency of learning.

What we find with many kids, is when they get to the early years of high school, their learning really stalls, and in some cases goes backwards. One of the key factors there is the fact that they haven’t got the literacy tools that they need to take them any further because the literacy demands on them in high school just become too great.

So literacy is every teachers business and we need really good across the board evidence-based approaches to literacy.

Would the test proposed to ensure education students are in the top 30% in literacy and numeracy be key to things moving forward in this area?

We need bright teachers. That doesn’t guarantee they’re going to be a good teacher, but it’s a very good place to start. We’ve let our entry standard, in some cases, go down too low, although it’s quite variable. If you look at countries like Germany, I’ve just come back from three months working in Germany, they have a strong state-wide system of examinations for people going into teaching, at the start of their course.

At the moment, this proposal is for the end of the course. I don’t agree with that. I’d like to see something up front. Of a fairly high standard. Those people who pass, fine. Those people who may be get within an acceptable distance from a pass, whatever a pass is determined to be, they could bridge that gap during the course. But I do think we’ve got to be very, very serious about the standard of the people going into teaching courses.

Unfortunately the whole thing has been deregulated.

Undergraduate places and government-funded places have been uncapped. So universities have been greatly increasing the number of teachers in their training.

There’s been new entrances to teacher education from

some of the private colleges and so forth. We need proper workforce planning and this is where the report, I think, needs to go further.

That includes, for example, not just saying to any university, ‘you can train as many teachers as you like’, but to actually allocate places.

Because we’ve got a situation at the moment where we have an oversupply of primary teachers, yet significant shortages in Maths and Science, Languages teachers, in particularly in secondary schools. So we need to be targeting our resources to where those area of shortages are.

On the other hand, I think it’s somewhat reprehensible to allow people to train for an occupation when they’re not going to get to practice it. Certainly a lot of principals tell me they’re noticing a widening gap in the quality of people from some of these different providers, including some of the new ones. They will only hire, in some cases, if they’ve got a choice, from certain universities.

So, we’ve really got to address the issue of the quality of who’s going into education. I think the report was right, not to focus on ATARs. Because there’s problems with ATARs. For example, a third of people who go into teaching go in with an ATAR. As well as that, many people who are going into teaching are doing a career change. Average age, in many cases, 27, 28. The ATAR they got nine or 10 years ago, is probably not relevant.

But the other problem with ATARs too is, the published ATARs often don’t bear scrutiny, because there are various bonus schemes, pop up schemes, and so on, that actually enable people to get in with very low ATARs, or in fact no ATARs at all.

We need to move away from ATARs. We need to look at proper allocation of places to universities based upon the demonstrated quality of their courses and proper upfront and exit examinations. I mentioned Germany, there’s a state examination at the beginning of their training, and there’s a state examination at the end of it. At the moment, we’re talking about some sort of thing at the end, but when you think about that, it could be well too late. I mean, if someone were to fail that after doing their university training of four to five years, they’ve wasted a fair bit of time and we’ve waisted a fair bit of money training them.

Is there a need for more practical experience in teacher education?

It’s not quantity, it’s quality. One of the things that the reports often do, is say so many days of this and that, but this report hasn’t said that.

But some of the progress standards that have come out federally, had nominated numbers of days. It’s not the number of days, it’s the quality of experience, it’s the quality of the relationship between the university and the schools where its candidates are being placed.

Now, the report comes out and mentions this, and quite rightly so.

Not only do teacher education courses have to have a strong evidence base, but there has to be the use of the evidence of what we know about what’s effective in terms of university-school partnerships. And what’s the most effective way to train people. So yes, we need to increase the amount of time in schools, but it’s also the quality of what happens in those schools.

At Melbourne University, for example, we have our people going into schools two days a week very early in their program. So they get a lot of time in schools. But it isn’t just the time in school that counts, it’s the quality of experience. So we try and support them as much as we can, with special positions we provide, called Clinical Specialists and Teaching Fellows. We try to provide as much support and connection as we can between ourselves and mentor teachers. So it isn’t just a matter of quantity, it is also quality.

What are your feelings about moving teaching to a Graduate Degree?

Well I work in a Graduate Education school and we don’t take undergraduates. But, I’ve been involved in teacher education for a long time and it dawned on me very early in my career in teacher education, that taking people straight from school, training them as teachers and sending them back to school, often in the same area that they’ve come from, is not a good thing to do.

The profession as a whole has been steadily moving towards Graduate entry. There are more and more Masters at Teaching, for example, Post Graduate qualifications. Including in areas like Early Childhood and Primary, I mean, we have an Early Childhood entry program. We take in people, with a great range of experience. We’ve had corporate lawyers, we’ve had pharmacists, and we’ve had people who’ve been journalists, all sorts of people, coming in.

Now, these are people at the age of 27, 28, on average, who’ve made a mature decision to become a teacher. They’ve done other things, they’ve had other life experiences. They bring great personal resources to a school. Someone who comes in that’s an Environmental Scientist, for example, who’s coming from media and communications, as well as being a regular teacher, they’re bringing a lot of very, very useful skills that are transferable to the school setting.

I think, in an ideal world, I’d say, it should all be graduate entry, but I’m realistic. I think over time we will move more and more towards that.

education matters secondary

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National Education News

AEU to bring Gonski funding to forefront of 2016 election

“Our public schools are unique because they are the only ones which are required to educate every child that arrives at the front gate – regardless of who that child is or where they come from.

Correna Haythorpe, Federal President of the Australian Education Union (AEU)

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Newly-appointed Federal President of the Australian Education Union (AEU) Correna Haythorpe addressed its annual conference earlier this year highlighting her commitment to make The Gonski Review and needsbased funding one of the key issues in the 2016 election.

Haythorpe wants to ensure Australian children receive an education that values their potential and individuality, and that makes sure their needs are met.

“Well-resourced public schools, and the staff that make them work, are a resource that benefits the community,” she said. “Our public schools are unique because they are the only ones which are required to educate every child that arrives at the front gate – regardless of who that child is or where they come from.

“Real ‘choice’ in schooling must include a decent, well-funded public school in every community in Australia that can meet the needs of every student.”

Marking three years since the review into school funding was released Haythorpe said that needs-based funding for schools is the most important issue in the education sector and the Gonski reforms are the best chance it has had in a generation of getting real change and equity.

Haythorpe highlighted how schools in New South Wales and South Australia that have seen Gonski funding flow through to their budgets have had great results.

“Cowandilla Primary School in Adelaide received just $10,500 in its first year of Gonski funding – and yet was able to deliver a numeracy intervention program for Years 1-3,” she said. “This program delivered improvement to every single child that was involved, and will be expanded in 2015 with the second round of Gonski funding.

“Needs-based funding for schools touches on every difficulty that teachers face – whether it is class sizes, lack of support staff, or the need for literacy and numeracy programs, Gonski is our chance – we can’t have a successful society if one in seven kids are leaving school without basic skills that they need to participate in the community.

“We cannot be a successful society if children

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are effectively denied a quality education due to their postcode.”

Haythorpe launched a scathing attack on the Federal Government’s attitude towards public education and pointed it out as the biggest barrier Australia faces to being able to implement the full recommendations of The Gonski Review.

“This is a Government that has used the idea of a ‘budget emergency’ to abandon agreements with the States for the fifth and sixth years of the Gonski agreements,” she said. “In effect they have walked away from equity.

“They have also done nothing to ensure that State Governments actually deliver Gonski funding to schools, rather than divert it into other programs.”

The AEU has called on members for their support to ensure the continued success of its I Give a Gonski campaign while revealing its plan to bring it to the 2016 Federal Election.

“We’ve had a few wins and a few losses in the last three years, but the final result is still in play and colleagues, we will campaign for the full six years of Gonski funding and if we work hard enough we will win,” Haythorpe said.

“That’s why we’ve set up a campaign team, involving leaders from all of your branches, and are developing a marginal seat strategy. We will put people on the ground in marginal seats across the country dedicated to doing one thing: campaigning for the full six years of Gonski funding our kids deserve.

“Politicians from all parties need to hear that funding matters: to us, to parents and to students. They need to hear this as loudly and as often as possible.”

Events Diary

Upcoming events in education A RANGE OF EVENTS ARE COMING UP ACROSS AUSTRALIA FOR PRINCIPALS AND TEACHERS – FROM PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE CONFERENCES TO TECHNOLOGY EXPOS – CHECK OUT THE LIST BELOW.

MAY JUNE

JULY

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

2015 Early Childhood Education Conference Edutech 2015

29-30 May 2015, Melbourne VIC

Together we grow investing in our future http://www.togetherwegrow.com.au/ 2-4 Jun 2015, Brisbane QLD National congress and expo http://www.edutech.net.au/ Positive Schools Mental Health & 4-5 Jun 2015, Melbourne VIC Body of Evidence 2015 Wellbeing Conference 11-12 Jun 2015, Sydney NSW http://www.positiveschools.com.au/ Coming together for Australia’s 24-26 Jun 2015, Hobart TAS Creating conditions for children to flourish Children http://www.togetherforchildren.net.au/ No2Bullying Conference 2015 29-30 Jun 2015, Gold Coast QLD Workplace, school and cyber bullying http://www.no2bullying.org.au/ AATE/ALEA National Conference 2015 3-6 Jul 2015, Canberra, ACT Capitalising on curiosity http://www.englishliteracyconference.com.au/ SEA Annual Conference 4-7 Jul 2015, Byron Bay NSW Transforming understanding into action http://www.sea-conference.edu.au/ CONASTA 64 5-9 Jul 2015, Perth WA Science: A kaleidoscope of wonder and opportunity http://www.asta.edu.au/conasta AAMT 2015 6-8 Jul 2015, Adelaide SA Mathematics: Learn, lead, link http://www.cvent.com/events ITEC 2015 9-10 Jul 2015, Sydney NSW Interactive Technology in Education http://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/ AFMLTA 2015 9-12 Jul 2015, Melbourne VIC Pedagogies for a plurilingual Australia http://www.conference2015.afmlta.asn.au/ Drama Australia and NZ International 10-12 Jul 2015, Sydney NSW Game Changer: Innovating education through creativity and drama Conference http://www.dramansw.org.au/ International Transforming Education 13-15 Jul 2015, Melbourne VIC Reading word and world – Memes, themes and biblical dreams Conference http://www.itec.org.au/ STEM Education Conference 27-28 Jul 2015, Sydney NSW Second annual http://www.informa.com.au/ Love Learning conference 6-7 Aug 2015, Sydney NSW Ignite thinking – Connect in learning http://www.3plearning.com/au/2015-llc/ 2015 AASE Conference 27-28 Aug 2015, Fremantle WA Engagement for learning – Behaviour leads the way http://www.gemsevents.com.au/aase2015 2015 SASPA Conference 31 Aug & 1 Sept 2015, Adelaide SA World class learners, what does it take? http://www.saspaconference.com.au/ 2015 Australian Primary Principals 16-18 Sept 2015, Hobart TAS The heart of leadership Conference http://www.appaconference2015.com.au/ ACE 2015 National Conference 24-25 Sept 2015, Brisbane QLD Educators on the edge: Big ideas for change and innovation http://www.austcolled.com.au/ ASLA 2015 Conference 29-30 Sept 2015, Brisbane QLD Provoking the future: School libraries, pedagogy and technology http://www.asla.org.au/ 2015 ACSA Biennial Curriculum 30 Sept – 2 Oct 2015, Adelaide SA Curriculum leadership for a diverse Australia Conference http://www.acsa.edu.au/ PDHPE Teachers’ Association 9-10 Oct 2015, Sydney NSW Challenging minds, changing lives Conference http://www.pdhpeta.org/conference SPERA National 31st Conference 28-30 Oct 2015, Geelong VIC Mapping education policy landscapes: Rurality and rural futures http://www.spera.asn.au/

TO HAVE YOUR ORGANISATION’S EVENT LISTED IN THE NEXT EDITION OF EDUCATION MATTERS MAGAZINE PLEASE EMAIL THE DETAILS TO KATHRYN.EDWARDS@PRIMECREATIVE.COM.AU education matters secondary

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Technology

Flipped learning – a journey not just a destination SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHER JEREMY LECORNU SHARES HIS EXPERIENCES OF ‘FLIPPING’ THE CLASSROOM TO IMPROVE TEACHING AND LEARNING OUTCOMES.

Jeremy LeCornu is the Digital Learning Coordinator at Brighton Secondary School in South Australia. He is passionate about making curriculum content readily accessible to students anywhere and anytime by producing video lesson content for his Biology students. Jeremy has had great success through publishing these lessons on youtube.com/jeremylecornu and anytimeeducation.com.

As much as Jeremy loves to use video content to enhance his own teaching, he is equally passionate about inspiring and helping others. He has been responsible for leading the implementation of a whole school flipped classroom approach at two schools in Adelaide. You can read more about Jeremy’s experiences on his blog https://jeremylecornu.wordpress.com/ Brighton Secondary School has been recognised as an Apple Distinguished School and Jeremy, along with fellow staff member Sam Moyle, has been recognised as an Apple Distinguished Educator.

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In flipped learning or the flipped classroom students watch instructional videos at home and do the typical homework in class. The term ‘flipped’ is used to refer to the reversal of the traditional classwork and homework. The basic premise is that direct instruction, which is often referred to as lecture (though it is not necessarily the same thing), is not conducted in large groups. In flipped learning, the direct instruction is delivered individually, usually – though not exclusively – through teacher-created videos. This time shift then frees up face-to-face class time for richer, more meaningful learning experiences for students1.

SO, WHY FLIP? THE BIG MISCONCEPTION Flipped learning is commonly thought of as ‘all about videos’ – but this is simply not the case. Flipped learning is ‘all about class time’. The driving question that should motivate a teacher to flip their classroom is, ‘What is the best use of face-to-face class time?’ There are many valid answers to this question, however many believe that having the teacher spend the majority of the time ‘lecturing’ to a whole class is not one of them.

In this era the teacher can and should be so much more than simply a lecturer of information. Class time is best used applying knowledge with the support of the teacher and this doesn’t happen often enough in a traditional classroom.

One of the pioneers of flipped learning, chemistry teacher Jon Bergmann, highlighted this point during his keynote speech at the Future Schools conference

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held during March in Sydney. Bergmann explained that the time allocation of a traditional classroom is largely based upon Bloom’s Taxonomy2:

CREATING

EVALUATING

ANALYSING

APPLYING

ANDING UNDERST

BERING

REMEM

Most ‘traditional’ class time is spent with teachers focusing on remembering and understanding concepts and information. The students are then given homework tasks which they apply and analyse this information. The issue with this model is that the applying and analysing is essentially the hard stuff and at home there is no expert (the teacher) to assist with this.

The time allocation of Bloom’s Taxonomy in a flipped classroom is modified3. This is represented in the following diagram:

ANALYSE EVALUATE

CREATE

APPLY

UNDERSTAND

REMEMBER

In the flipped classroom, it is the remembering and understanding of concepts and information that becomes the homework. This is where videos fit. In the flipped learning model, in order to recuperate class time, video lesson content is sent home with the student. But the video content is just the tool that makes flipped learning possible – it is certainly not the focus. The focus is on the use of class time.

Most class time is spent on the hard stuff – applying, analysing, evaluating and creating. This makes much more sense as the teacher is available to support and guide the students and to work more individually/ personally with them.

In the simplest sense flipped learning enables teachers to speak with every student in every class every day and consequently this enables the development of deeper relationships. This is simply not possible in traditional classrooms and it is this that I feel is the most compelling case for flipped learning.

MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE I flip my senior Biology classes and I love it. I used to ‘lecture’ all the time and I rarely had time for practical activities and helping students to apply knowledge to exam-style questions. Now I spend most class time on these things, however this change has certainly not been an instant one. In fact, it is a continuous journey – but the journey is brilliant!

I discovered the flipped learning idea early in 2013. I was already aware of some fantastic teachers on YouTube and I decided to follow their lead and produce my own videos. I started out using an iPad app called Explain Everything. I made some pretty good videos using this app and posted them to YouTube for my students. Whilst these were a good start, I wanted to do better. I had admired the work of an American YouTube chemistry teacher named Tyler DeWitt. DeWitt’s technique uses two video cameras

to produce highly interactive videos with himself in the picture speaking directly to the student, and this is the preferred style according to DeWitt’s 100,000+ subscribers.

Through a stroke of good fortune, I made contact with DeWitt online and he invited me to the US to meet him and observe his recording studio set up and filming techniques. I visited in July 2014 and when I returned I immediately set up my own home recording studio.

I am now producing videos that look like this:

Screenshot of a biology video

Home recording studio

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I have produced over 30 videos and have reached 700 YouTube subscribers and 70,000 views.

While I’ve had great success, it is important to remember this has been a continuous journey rather than an instant change. It has been two years since I began producing video lesson content and I am a long way from finished. In fact, I have only made videos for about one-third of the South Australian Year 12 Biology coursework. However, there have

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Technology

been benefits for my students ever since the very first video I produced. While it took a long time for me to be able to ‘fully flip’ significant sections of the Biology course and receive the full benefits outlined earlier, it was still very beneficial for students to have access to video lessons. They could use them to recap concepts that were covered in lessons, or if any students missed lessons they could use them to catch up. They also make fantastic revision tools for tests and exams. A great aspect is that once a video is recorded it is captured forever and this means the time spent on planning and recording them can be utilised perpetually. Undoubtedly there is a major time outlay required to get started with flipped learning, however there comes a point where this investment is very handsomely repaid.

VIDEO PRODUCTION TIPS From my experience, I can provide some advice when it comes to producing video lesson content.

• You should make your own videos and you should appear in them, which allows you to ensure that you deliver the content exactly as you want to and it helps you to develop relationships with your students; • Keep the videos short and concise (10 minutes maximum); • Pick the recording technique/tool that best fits the purpose – there are a range of different techniques/ tools and I outline these in the section about our

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whole school program; • There is no need to use music in the background as this tends to be an unnecessary distraction; and, • J ust hit record and have a go! It can be daunting (and a little strange/unnatural) the first time you record yourself, but the more you do it the easier it gets.

storage system such as Google Drive. Students would then just need to download the videos at school and store them on their personal device. Again, at the very least DVDs or USBs could be used as a method of deployment. Any of these methods will ensure that the videos can be viewed by students offline.

THE IMPORTANT QUESTIONS There are some very relevant and necessary questions that come to mind as part of the flipped learning conversation. I will try to address them and how they can be overcome.

What if students don’t watch the videos?

This is a very common question. Although, I don’t see this as a flipped learning question, it is more so a question about homework in general. Yes, there are students who don’t complete homework. There are many strategies which we can use to deal with this.

The first thing to bear in mind is that these videos tend to be a more engaging homework task than traditional tasks. They are also not as difficult and students have the ability to pause, rewind and fast forward as necessary. As in any homework situation there needs to be a consequence for non-completion.

In my case, students are not able to enter the learning environment unless they have completed the required viewing. They are either isolated in a corner of the classroom to complete the viewing or sent to a study room while the rest of the class work on the application style lessons that I deliver. In my experience, it only takes a couple of these exclusions before students realise that there is a significant disadvantage for not watching the videos and they soon conform.

What if they don’t understand the videos?

How will the students watch the videos?

Flipped learning works best if students have their own device. This device can be anything from laptop to tablet/iPad to smart phone. With one of these devices, the students can access the videos through the internet. If they don’t have a device you could copy the videos onto a DVD or USB and they can watch them on their home computer or DVD player.

What if students don’t have home internet access?

Flipped learning works best if the student has home internet access as you can provide your videos via YouTube or any other online service. However, not all students have internet access at home and this must not be a barrier. There are several ways around this issue. The videos could be stored on the school server or they could be provided through a cloud

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This is a very valid question. This generation is sometimes referred to as the ‘YouTube Generation’.

However, most of the videos they are watching are about things like ‘funny cats’ and not many students actually know HOW to watch educational tutorial videos. You need to teach your students how to watch your videos. This involves identifying and extracting the key information. They will need to learn to pause and rewind when necessary. They should be taking notes and writing questions that they need to clarify with you in class. A general rule of thumb is that it takes students around double the total duration of a video to complete this successfully. The teacher must provide some time at the start of each lesson to address any clarifying questions that students may have.

THE WHOLE SCHOOL PROGRAM After sharing my experiences with our school leadership team, we set up a teacher recording studio in our new Bright Centre so that our teachers can produce high quality video lessons at school:

The teacher recording studio at Brighton Secondary School

From the beginning of this year we embarked on a flipped learning program across the whole school. Teachers have formed small (3-4 people) Teacher Learning Communities (TLCs) and their goal is to produce recorded lesson content and flip their classrooms. Obviously, with 103 teachers at our school the teacher recording studio was not going to be the technique of choice for everyone. As you can probably imagine, it is right down the far end in terms of complexity.

It was important to provide our teachers with a range of different tools and techniques for producing

video lessons. All of our teachers have a MacBook Pro and an iPad and they are extremely powerful tools for producing recorded content. There are several very effective and very simple techniques we are using.

•K eynote and PowerPoint presentations – so easy to make, or to take pre-existing presentations and record narrations to bring them to life! Export it as a video and voilà! – you have an anytime, anywhere resource for your students.

•S creen recordings with Quicktime or Screencasto-matic.com – With a screen recording, your imagination is your only limitation. With either of these two tools it is very easy to capture a recorded lesson/tutorial. Anything you can do on your computer screen can be recorded. The great thing about screencast-o-matic.com is that it is free on any platform and it can access your computer’s webcam so that you appear in the videos.

• iPad Apps – With apps like Explain Everything teachers can produce quality recorded content. It is very simple and effective.

The key aspect to this professional learning program is TIME. We have dedicated two twohour sessions per term and two of our four full day professional learning days (student free days).

Teacher engagement has been great so far. I think all teachers are motivated by a passion to collaborate with each other and improve their pedagogy – which is exactly what our flipped classroom program is all about. I am very confident that passionate teachers coupled with time to collaborate and produce content will lead to some exciting and powerful outcomes for teaching and learning in our school.

WHERE TO FROM HERE? At this early stage in our whole school program the aim for teachers is to master the techniques and produce a collection of video resources. As I have found with my own experience, this will take time.

Once they start to produce these videos and use them with their students we will be able to turn our attention to the key question. What should face-toface class time look like? The answer will not be the same for every teacher but the conversations around this topic will be powerful. It is an exciting time in our

school and we are moving in a great direction. I hope to have conveyed in this article that flipped learning is not an instant change and requires an investment of time and professional learning. However the great thing about it is there is as much to be gained from the journey as there is from the destination.

Brighton Secondary School is one of Australia’s most successful co-educational government high schools and has produced highly-accomplished scholars, musicians and athletes since being established in 1952. With 1550 students in Years 8-12, it serves a large and diverse community in Adelaide’s south-western suburbs. It has provided some of the country’s best youth orchestras, choirs and bands, outstanding academic results (including prize winners in the sciences and mathematics), and a broad range of sporting success, including National Senior School Volleyball Champions.

Brighton Secondary School promotes and supports a collaborative inquiry approach to the professional learning of teachers to ensure they deliver world-class curriculum, assessment practices and pedagogies to students.

Teachers work collaboratively in faculty teams linked to subject areas, as well as in crosscurricula Teacher Learning Communities (TLCs) to advance their knowledge and skills in developing curriculum and pedagogies.

References: 1. Flipped Learning – Gateway to student engagement by Jonathan Bergmann and Aaron Sams, published in 2014 by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE).

2. http://whitman.syr.edu/wsmhelp/faculty-resources/instructional-design-delivery/teaching-pedagogy/blooms-taxonomy.aspx 3. http://www.happysteve.com/blog/the-curious-case-of-the-flipped-blooms-meme.html

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Technology

Touchscreens Welcome to the future GUY MONTY FROM THE FUTURE TECH CO. EXPLAINS WHY TOUCHSCREENS? AND WHY NOW?

Touch technology has evolved at a rapid rate over the last decade and with it so has our use of personal technologies such smartphones and tablets. It is the fact that we spend such considerable time engaged with these devices, which has many experts in human behaviour proclaiming the human brain itself is transforming the way it processes and learns information. It seems that not only has technology been evolving rapidly, but so are we.

The sensation of fluidity felt when interacting with touchscreens renders the technology virtually invisible, as if it were simply an extension of ourselves. Simply put, it seems this is instinctively how we would prefer to engage with all technology where content is created or controlled.

Anything short of this feels frustrating.

In classroom environments, in order to achieve the best outcomes when problem solving, communicating ideas or inspiring others, it is especially paramount technology be natural to use and on our side as opposed to difficult to use and in the way of free flowing thoughts.

Up to now there has not been an elegant solution to address this. Enter large-format touchscreens, also known as Integrated Flat Panels. They provide the same advanced humancomputer interaction to PC and Mac environments that we enjoy using on touch-based personal devices. Simply connect a PC and the control is instantly transported to your fingertips. Mac computers require pre-installation of a driver, Guy Monty is a veteran of large-format, commercial touchscreen technology and for over a decade led a team providing audiovisual solutions into the Australian education market. He now is at the helm of The Future Tech Co.

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with some models allowing the same gesturing experience as using the Mac trackpad, being ideal for multi-platform schools.

Around the globe many forward thinking educational institutions are making their classrooms of today ready for tomorrow by replacing the dated, and soon-to-be obsolete, interactive whiteboard systems with touchscreens which offer the latest connectivity, high definition resolutions as well as being rated for at least 50,000 hours use.

The world’s leading audiovisual manufacturers have also ramped up their focus in this area, investing their advanced R&D and manufacturing resources to produce leading-edge products, built to the highest commercial grade standards, at affordable prices. What was once a price prohibitive dream purchase for many schools can now be a reality without the need to

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gamble with purchasing generic brands.

Touchscreens are here to stay. Schools who choose to start making the switch get to immediately enjoy the benefits of increased student engagement and collaboration, as well as being freed from the frustrations that come with owning interactive whiteboards such as slow start-up, shadowing, beam glare, light interference, constant re-calibration, image degradation; not to mention expensive installation, occasional downtime and on-going costs that come with replacing lamps, replacing projectors and servicing.

For an initial consultation contact: The Future Tech Co. 02 9227 8600 hello@thefuturetech.co www.thefuturetech.co

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Technology

Bastow Institute installs Epson EB-Z10000UNL and MeetingMate EB-1430Wi projectors LARGE-VENUE INSTALLATION PROJECTORS AND MULTI-FUNCTION, FINGER TOUCH-ENABLED PROJECTORS.

Established in 2010, the Bastow Institute of Educational Leadership (Bastow) is a branch within the Early Childhood and School Education Group at the Victorian Department of Education and Training (DET). Bastow offers transformative leadership, professional development and learning opportunities for Victorian primary, secondary and early childhood education professionals.

Recently Bastow had a requirement for a number of large-venue installation projectors and multi-function, finger touch-enabled projectors.

After a comprehensive evaluation and assessment process the decision was made to purchase multiple Epson EB-Z10000UNL and MeetingMate EB-1430Wi projectors.

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Bastow’s decision to purchase the Epson EBZ10000UNL and MeetingMate projectors was based around a requirement for a new interactive solution in the institute’s classroom spaces. Where previously they had interactive whiteboards that they found challenging to use, the team at Bastow now wanted an efficient, effective and straightforward solution that their multitude of onsite presenters could use.

In addition Bastow’s theatre projectors were out of warranty and replacement globes were costly and hard to source. There was also a requirement to increase the brightness of the screens.

The EB-Z10000UNL projector combines highlumen projection with Full HD, WUXGA performance — perfect for installation in large venues. Offering

EB-Z10000UNL and MeetingMate EB-1430Wi projectors in use at the Bastow Institute of Educational Leadership.

three times brighter colours* (3x Brighter Colours) than competitive models, Epson projectors ensure vivid images. With 10,000 lumens of colour brightness and 10,000 lumens of white brightness, the EBZ10000UNL makes content shine, even in high ambient light. Featuring 3LCD, 3-chip technology and the latest connectivity — including HDBaseTTM and 3G-SDI — this powerful performer delivers uncompromised image quality and professionalgrade reliability. Also, installation has never been more flexible, with seven optional lenses, lens shift, Curved Edge Blending, Portrait Mode and 360-degree projection features.

Epson second-generation MeetingMate interactive, multi-function, finger touch-enabled projectors also offer 3x Brighter Colours and 3LCD 3-chip technology and completely remove the need for any kind of whiteboard. This projector not only capitalises on the incredible success of its predecessor, but adds to it in many ways with the MeetingMate EB-1430Wi becoming the world’s first finger touch-based interactive projector. Such is the ingenuity of the MeetingMate that it enables as many as six participants to touch, draw, select and interact using intuitive and familiar gestures. In addition to operation using an interactive pen, with the

MeetingMate it is now possible for users to operate by simply using their fingers on the screen. Much like many of today’s tablet devices, opening and closing files, scrolling, moving and expanding objects, and annotation are just some of the possibilities available at the touch of a finger. What’s more, any image on the screen can be resized and moved as if it were an object. So, even if there is no writing space on the screen, written contents can be reduced in size to make room for new annotations.

The MeetingMate projectors also revolutionise any whiteboard, wall, flat surface or existing dryerase board as it makes them truly interactive and powerful business and teaching tools. For Bastow the touch interactivity on normal whiteboards was critical.

They were also impressed with the brightness of both models. As a result of the upgrade their theatre projectors now boast 10,000 lumens and in their classrooms the Epson projectors provide 3300 lumens and finger touch capabilities.

Critically in the case of Bastow it was the unrivalled colour accuracy from both EB-Z10000UNL and MeetingMate that was the key differentiating factor for selecting the projectors. Particularly noticeable in Bastow’s lecture theatre Epson’s 3x Brighter Colours, 3LCD 3-chip technology and

superior Colour Light Output combined to produce images that were second to none. A fact noticed and commented upon by Bastow staff and course participants alike.

Size and space were also issues for Bastow as they calculated they must have a 100” screen throw to rule out the use of interactive screens, and at 100” the cost of interactive screens simply becomes prohibitive.

Once the projectors were installed, Bastow quickly realised the new EB-Z10000UNL and MeetingMate projectors had again significantly improved on the models they replaced. Not only did they offer the brightness and length of warranty required by the institute, but in the case of the MeetingMate they now also had the only finger touchenabled ultra short throw projectors available on the market. With the easy to use solution in place and the fact that they could now also project over WiFi, all of the institute’s requirements were met.

Bastow uses their Epson EB-Z10000UNL and EB-1430Wi projectors to help deliver professional development in leadership through education in theatres and classroom spaces varying in size from 12 to 50 people.

Visit www.epson.com.au/meetingmate or www.epson.com.au/installation for more information.

*Compared to leading 1-chip DLP business and education projectors based on NPD data, July 2011 through June 2012. Colour brightness (colour light output) measured in accordance with IDMS 15.4.

Colour brightness will vary depending on usage conditions.

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Health and Wellbeing

Healthy teachers and principals – the lifeblood of our schools JO MASON, DIRECTOR OF INNOVATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL LEARNING AT THE PRINCIPALS AUSTRALIA INSTITUTE SPOKE TO EDUCATION MATTERS MAGAZINE’S KATHRYN EDWARDS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF HARNESSING TEACHER AND PRINCIPAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING IN OUR SCHOOLS, ENCOURAGING POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS AND HOW PRINCIPALS CAN BEST DEAL WITH GREATER AUTONOMY.

Jo Mason is the Director of Innovations and Professional Learning for Principals Australia Institute.

Jo currently undertakes PAI professional development and services including online services for school systems, professional associations, individual schools and other organisations in the area of leadership, whole workplace health and wellbeing, child protection curriculum, leading curriculum and staff professional development, change and performance management. Jo works across education and the private sector.

PAI is the professions own provider of professional development and runs a number of major national schools programs on diversity, community participation, health promotion and international and national leadership in Australia.

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IN WHAT WAYS IS PRINCIPAL AND TEACHER WELLBEING CRITICAL TO STUDENT WELLBEING? I believe it’s like a domino effect where the culture and the energy and the enthusiasm of all of the groups are interdependent. So when one group has good health and wellbeing it tends to flow on, and it flows on both ways, but mainly in a principal to teacher to student direction. It is quite capable of flowing the other way of course, if kids aren’t feeling good you can certainly tell – and it’s not only about that it’s about the empathy and understanding that it’s really in wellbeing.

So we’re talking about health and wellbeing and its wider sense. We’re talking about not only physical health, but we’re talking probably more about social and emotional health and wellbeing – and that’s why empathy and understanding comes into it. So if principals and teachers have health and wellbeing themselves and they also have talked about it in a conscious way, and just haven’t accepted it exists, then they’re likely to understand that some students come to school perhaps needing the school to bolster their health and wellbeing in some way. Perhaps all students need to have their health and wellbeing sustained

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through school at the very least. Principals and teachers also understand that an organisation where everyone’s feeling good about themselves, being there and working with one another is basically going to be more productive. So I think that’s the point I’d really like to make there – that it’s a conscious intention that’s coming from each group and so people are aware of the nature of health and wellbeing and their options and possibilities rather than just assuming it’s already in place, because it may not be for some people.

WHAT’S SOME OF THE NOTABLE WORK GOING ON IN SCHOOLS IN REGARDS TO HARNESSING PRINCIPAL AND TEACHER WELLBEING? With the principal and teacher wellbeing there’s a lot of work going on, if I can start at the other end, on student health and wellbeing. There are some big Federal Government programs and in an interesting way, because principals and teachers are really focused on student outcomes, having programs that focus on student health and wellbeing inevitably flows over to teachers and principals. First of all principals make a conscious decision to do it since they understand the relationship, and therefore it starts the

“If you don’t have a mechanism to renew your enthusiasm or at least sustain it and keep it going, then over time your organisational capacity will diminish – and the same is true for principals...” domino effect or the circular effect happening in the school – even if it wasn’t happening there before. The second thing is that when teachers are teaching something naturally they think about it and quite often, if not all the time, they have a think about where they’re placed in the relation to the topic they are teaching. So in the early days of [mental health initiative for secondary schools] Mind Matters it’s interesting to note that to start with we thought we were engaged with teachers in only

talking about students. Student health and wellbeing was our major target outcome. In the early days of face-to-face professional development, we thought of teachers as the professional communicators.

What we then started to understand was that in engaging in discussions about students on this particular subject matter, teachers also reflected on their own health and wellbeing. And in a lot of cases they picked up and applied ideas and thoughts because many teachers over the years have never thought in terms of their own health and wellbeing. Increasingly they are now but that was something that we noticed as we went further on with this project. So the same has happened with principals to some extent, sometimes they think, “oh yes that’s a great idea” and they don’t engage with it as an individual or professional.

But if they do engage with health and wellbeing many of them have started to reflect on it in their professional life. That’s where most people have begun because all of our efforts have tended to be focused on students. Over the last couple of years however, people have now started to think about a teacher’s health and wellbeing as a separate topic on its own. And this has been a more extensive than the general occupational health and safety focus which every organisation in education looks at. The focus has included taking into account the nature of teaching and the teaching environment, and the changes, and therefore that we need to attend to these aspects specifically. Many teachers are also engaging with students who have a greater range of needs and this puts more pressure on teaching and

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on people’s responsiveness to students. If you don’t have a mechanism to renew your enthusiasm or at least sustain it and keep it going, then over time your organisational capacity will diminish – and the same is true for principals’ and teachers’ personal capacity to keep pace with educational change.

Now there are not a lot of programs that are really focused on teachers alone mainly because money is short, and many people also feel slightly nervous about focusing only on teachers or only on principals’ health and wellbeing. The Principals Australia Institute is one of few organisations that offers it in the educational field and that’s because we’re outside the employment relationship so this doesn’t have any industrial or employment connotations, if I can put it that way. We also try and link it up with student wellbeing because they are interrelated. We’ve had to work backwards in a sense from student wellbeing to our own personal understanding of health and wellbeing before but now we’re trying to get people to understand and think about principal wellbeing particularly in a time of principal and school autonomy directly – and understand it’s not self-indulgent and it’s not a waste of money. We need to be focusing on students. As long as we keep this outcome in mind any support for our own professional health and wellbeing will flow through to better support for students.

HOW CAN PRINCIPALS BEST DEAL WITH THE GREATER AUTONOMY PLACED ON THEM THESE DAYS? First of all there are different concepts of autonomy operating in Australia and in different states. Some people have complete autonomy already, or at least close to it, and this includes independent schools and they operate often with a board. And so even when you have an autonomous situation you always have to pay attention to the needs or the accountability in some way.

For example you’re always accountable to the

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Health and Wellbeing

community to a certain extent if you’re in a remote community school. Those people who are looking at autonomy that are currently within systems and sectors will find the autonomy is going to be measured in some way. With autonomy there will be some aspects that the principal can operate with, in a much wider sphere than they have in the past, but there’ll also be some leadership areas which they will still have restrictions or requirements. So autonomy is a little bit of a loaded term in some ways – it may mean different things in different locations. But if you’re going to address autonomy it’s a bit like when any job changes, first of all you have to have a sense of what the change is going to be for you. For a lot of people who’ve operated in a system or sector, this is really a brand new ballgame isn’t it?

So you need to know what you’re actually going to be accountable for as a leader. And about what levers or what things you can influence or use to reach that accountably requirement. Because sometimes you’re given a lot of accountability but the number of systems that you can use is actually a bit limited because the system or sector still expects you to meet a set of requirements. You also need to understand as a leader that when

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you’re placed out there just a little bit further from being in the system in a traditional sense, there are going to be some other factors that might impact on your ability to reach your accountabilities. That means that you personally as a leader have a new balance within the job and you need to be aware of what that is now. If you have a new bargain or balance for your job you actually have a new job.

So you then have to have a think about how are you going to approach that new job. If you’re in a system or sector it may be because some aspects have been taken care of in the past even though you might not like the way it was done then, this new capacity actually frees you up, let’s say to do a bit more in the teaching and learning area or in the personnel selection. If that system or sector support is no longer there and you’re expected to do it, you have to have a think about how that will make your job different. It may mean that you might have less time to do perhaps an area that you really love. Let’s say it’s professional development or it might be having lots of contact with parents, because the leadership role has expanded and the balance has changed. It may mean that you have to also negotiate with your leadership team and change their job, because there will be a flow down or a flow across effect. So because jobs are so important in the modern world, and teaching I think is so much a job that depends on people’s passion and energy, which means the wellbeing link is really closely there in the autonomy sense. As a leader you have a huge opportunity here because you are freed up – which is both interesting or slightly frightening sometimes. At the same time you might have the capacity to do more in health and wellbeing than you’ve ever done before, and to orientate the school, to meet the needs of the kids even more than you do now.

So autonomy is a mixed bag. Once you’ve defined what it is, be clear about what it means and what it means to you personally, but at the same time have a think about what it might mean for health and wellbeing. It could be that you stop being in the middle of a hierarchy ‘sandwich’, which causes a lot of health and wellbeing

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difficulties for principals, and you may in fact have a lot more capacity to take action rather than being a bit frustrated. So that’s one of the great gifts of it. On the other hand you might be asked to be accountable to a whole lot of factors, but you’re still constrained by how much you can move around to meet that accountability.

ARE YOU ABLE TO SHED LIGHT ON WHAT WAYS PRINCIPALS CAN BEST ENCOURAGE STUDENTTEACHER RELATIONSHIPS TO FLOURISH AT THEIR SCHOOL? First of all obviously you need to believe that they’re critical. I would say that 100% of principals do believe that. But I think you actually need to continually acknowledge that this issue is important and the reason for that is because there’s so many resources, materials and frameworks, all sorts of things that people have to focus on in their role as teachers. And they’re out there demanding attention, mostly content-based, and while the resources are fantastic, at the same time people can get drowned in those and lose sight of the essence for getting it all operating is in fact relationships. The second thing I think is principals need to communicate as students will learn if they have a sense of belonging and this is engendered by an adult who’s at the school who cares about kids, who encourages them and supports them to achieve what they want to do. So the principal needs to get that message out there and they need to enable everything that’s going to give that sense of belonging to be put in place. And they need to do that by emphasising certain sorts of teaching and learning approaches that are relational rather than totally driven by content. They need to give people confidence to work on relationships first as a basis for achieving all of the other things that we have to achieve, and I think that that’s probably the most important thing. If you’ve got good relationships, you know the belonging and the stability and the connection which brings attendance, by far the most important thing, and the teachers managing teacher-student relationships but also studentstudent relationships. If it’s working, old or young

in a safe place in all senses of the word, then you optimise learning. Because children have the ability to examine things calmly and they’re also going to want to have their choices validated so therefore they extend themselves and so it goes on. So it optimises the learning in the schools and all principals understand that.

LOOKING AT THE IMPACT OF THE PARENTS AND THE WIDER COMMUNITY, HOW CAN PRINCIPALS BEST ENCOURAGE POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THEMSELVES, THE PARENTS AND THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY? I’ve seen quite a lot of this happening across the board and it’s terrific. Let’s take health and wellbeing which is what we’re talking about now, and I’ve seen a lot of people use this topic as a way to open up a dialogue very early about student health and wellbeing and then, student health and wellbeing and the school as well as parent health and wellbeing. They have positive conversations with people very early on and it’s about something obviously we all care about. They talk about its connections to learning and then they gain common ground on it and then they talk about it, and if things go wrong, contact us. I seriously think that

that this almost is the way that you approach working with parents. You need involvement, having parents and schools working together is the best possible thing for kids. But strangely it’s also really good for principals and teachers. I think working in isolation or “working at odds with what’s happening at home” is a really difficult position to be in for everybody, particularly the child, but certainly for people at the school. So if you can talk early and make opportunities to do that, get common ground and then have a method to talk about it if things go a little bit awry, that’s the way to have that. Working with the community on positive things early on, which includes health and wellbeing, is one way of operating. I’ve seen schools and communities come together on the very big issues, and another key topic of course is learning.

But one thing I do know is that principals and teachers are really quite sensitive to community views on schools and staff flourish when someone gives them a compliment that’s due to them because of their hard work.

They really need that positive feedback so we should create opportunities for people to have this feedback. On the other hand we also have to accept that a lot of people perhaps might not have caught up with some of the changes in education so we have to provide a lot more

education matters secondary

information in a way that people can actually access it.

OBVIOUSLY THE FOCUS IS A LOT ON THE SYSTEM AT THE SCHOOL LEVEL, BUT WHAT CAN PRINCIPALS DO TO HELP TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES? One of the things is principals are often, sort of left on their own or they have a sense that they are on their own in relation to health and wellbeing. This is mainly because I guess a lot of systems are focussing on so much and education is not over funded, let’s put it that way! So if I was able to I’d say that while we need to balance organisational requirements to look after teachers and principals and other staff, because there are other staff working at schools, in terms of what you can do personally there’s a great deal. I did a lot of work for Mind Matters on staff health and wellbeing, and I covered around 20 or 30 thousand people by myself and the team. I’ve also talked to about 800 principals and leaders across Australia, but mainly in NSW, about what you can do as an individual. The first thing is I guess if you can stop for a moment and consider it and think about what their beliefs in relation to health and wellbeing are. I mean many people have never even considered that they have

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Health and Wellbeing

“I think being a principal is similar in terms of health and working risk as other high-level stress occupations like the police, these are service industries and quite often we’re really working as hard as we all can but we have to understand that some of the events that we’re hearing about or we’re witnessing or we’re dealing with, have a huge impact on us personally.” to support their health and wellbeing. Because the job is changing people need to recognise that just with the passage of time, but also with the changes that are occurring, that they may need to do this much more consciously perhaps than they have in the past. And some of our belief systems, you know the fact that they’ll recover from stress by the next morning or, say to themselves “yes that was deeply distressing but I’ll get over it”, need to be examined.

I mean some of these matters tend to accumulate over time and so we’re talking to people about getting together collegially and having some structures to talk about sustainability and recovery and not just exchanging stories or, having a bit of a complaining session and saying what a tough day it is, but instead really examining things and coming out with positive ideas about going forward. And that’s quite difficult for principals; it’s about making some time for it. The other key point is to take care of ourselves in a range of ways, for example we believe that the physical aspect of health and wellbeing is really important to professionals who work in a knowledge industry and who work as managers. Quite often we find that principals and teachers are talking about intellectual things and if they’re involved in very good strong relationships, very emotional things, but they also need to have a sense of their own physical health and wellbeing.

So Principals Australia Institute really believes the physical side of health and wellbeing, and also the social aspects are as important as anything else.

Principals Australia Institute has developed a model that also includes the physical as well as community and altruistic aspects. These aspects

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are really important to get back in touch with as professionals because otherwise people get overloaded with work and they can lose their way.

We’re talking to people about, if you look after yourself more physically, you’ve got all that energy, and so then how can you motivate yourself to take care of yourself? Because a lot of these people are very smart but they still don’t do exercise for example. It’s all about making some choices and understanding that perhaps choosing physical health and wellbeing will enable them to enjoy the job more.

The other thing we’re talking about besides collegial action, is to get people to consider getting in touch with what’s really important to them in the job. Finding ways talk and express about some of the difficulties because they come across some pretty tough situations as a profession, and that includes journals and protocols for proper professional discussion. Some of the latest research that’s coming through is about mindfulness and ensuring that you’ve got good strong social networks that are outside work that can act as a nice balance in life. Mindfulness really is enabling people just to move and take a break, instead of going from one big crisis and then you’ve got another meeting, it’s enabling you to find ways just to let the stress and the build-up go for a moment so that you’re able to operate really well and to come out of the day still feeling that you want to go back the next day.

We need to also ensure that you’ve got a strong team who works with you. So we’ve been also talking to people about ensuring that that’s helping as well.

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And those things do make a difference to people.

I think being a principal is similar in terms of health and working risk as other high-level stress occupations like the police. These are service industries and quite often we’re really working as hard as we all can but we have to understand that some of the events that we’re hearing about or we’re witnessing or we’re dealing with, have a huge impact on us personally. So we do need to think about this stuff, it’s a very important topic for the future of education and to attract people to it. That’s why Principals Australia Institute is doing work on graduate teachers and we’re talking to them right from the beginning of their career about looking after health and wellbeing. Some of the people I’m talking to are saying they’re really worried that new professionals in education have this strong sense of doing as much as they can for kids but they’re not sustaining themselves and they haven’t got a sustainable method of operating in the job.

I do think that for students, teachers and the other staff at school who are not teachers but who perform important jobs, principals, and the community, if you’re doing health and wellbeing you need a slightly different focus on each. But you do need to relate to them all because in one school community certainly, these approaches need to have congruency. A principal might have a greater sense of isolation perhaps, I don’t know than other people or a greater sense of accountability.

I also think that we need to discuss it more, not as an industrial issue but from a positive sense about how we can address this. We have very intelligent people in education I believe, and I think this is bigger than the occupational health and safety perspective, it’s about the nature of the way that we do teaching and learning in Australia.

We don’t do it from worksheets and from rote we do it on the basis of what’s happening between people. Learning is a social thing and we need to acknowledge that it doesn’t occur in isolation it occurs as a whole societal thing really – and this is why the relationship of learning and health and wellbeing is really important.

Uniforms

Midford – providing quality uniform solutions MIDFORD IS A COMPANY WITH A PROUD HISTORY OF PROVIDING QUALITY UNIFORM SOLUTIONS TAILORED TO THE INDIVIDUAL NEEDS OF SCHOOLS ACROSS AUSTRALIA. MIDFORD SCHOOL WEAR IS DESIGNED TO BE BOTH GOOD LOOKING AND HARD WEARING.

Generations of Australians have grown up wearing and trusting the Midford brand. Every Midford garment is rigorously tested and made to the highest Australian standards. We have continually improved, refined and re-designed our uniforms, incorporating innovations to improve comfort and durability.

At Midford, we understand what an important statement a well-tailored uniform makes about your school. Our experienced team will work closely with your school to provide you with a uniform that your students are proud to wear.

A MIDFORD RETAIL SOLUTION Midford established the retail arm of the business after numerous requests for assistance with customised uniforms. We built an infrastructure specifically designed to manage uniform shop operations within a school campus environment.

Midford will organise to: • P urchase current uniform stock; •M anage staff; • Upgrade your uniform shop; •C reate an online order platform;

• Assist in the design of academic and sport uniforms; and, • Guarantee an income to the school.

We are proud of our commitment to providing a professional and reliable service to schools and colleges across Australia. Today, Midford operates school shops on behalf of schools in New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia in both urban and rural areas.

It is our quality, attention to detail and commercial expertise that makes the relationship with Midford a reliable and profitable option for these schools.

WHOLESALE & RETAIL SCHOOL UNIFORM SOLUTIONS

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Fully managed uniform shop Custom shop fitout Stock control and forecasting Consistent income stream

E: info@midford.com.au P: 1800 TEL MID (835 643) W: www.midford.com.au

Health & Wellbeing

Top 10 tips for a smooth flight when travelling with a baby TO AVOID SPENDING LONG, DISAGREEABLE HOURS IN THE AIR WE HAVE SOME SIMPLE ADVICE THAT BEGINS EVEN BEFORE YOU ARRIVE AT THE AIRPORT.

There is nothing worse for a parent then the thought of travelling on an airline with an infant less than two years of age or even being a passenger waiting in the departure lounge cringing at the thought that child any minute could dissolve in a torrent of loud tears. To avoid spending long, disagreeable hours in the air we have some simple advice that begins even before you arrive at the airport.

THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE LEAVING A baby can make a short flight as early as one week of age, and at 3-4 weeks, it can make a medium or long distance flight. It’s important that parents be sure their infant does not have a cold.

If the child does have a cold, it is strongly advised not to fly.

PARENT RECOMMENDATIONS BEFORE TAKE-OFF 1. All children travelling overseas, including newborns, need a passport. Make sure all your family’s passports have at least six months validity from your planned date of return to Australia. Keep a photocopy of your documentation separate from the originals and leave copies at home with someone you can easily contact in case of an emergency.

2. When you reserve your airline ticket, be sure to mention that you will be traveling with your baby.

Certain airlines attribute specific seats to parents who are traveling with very young children.

ON THE PLANE 3. To limit the effects of a change in cabin pressure when taking off and landing, we recommend ensuring your baby has something to drink, preferably something they usually drink. The act of swallowing will help alleviate ear pressure. Also, as these particular moments in the plane can be stressful, it’s advisable to let your baby suck on a pacifier.

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4. I n addition to your traditional carry-on luggage, you’re allowed to take your baby’s nappy bag with you into the cabin. Powdered milk formula is also authorised but you’ll have to ask the flight crew to provide you with spring water heated to the right temperature to prepare your baby bottles. You may also take baby food and any medications that your infant may need during the flight.

5. H ave on hand everything you may need in terms of extra clothing, nappies and baby wipes – opt for wipes instead of cleansing lotions, which have to meet air safety standards: they cannot be over 100ml, and must be placed in transparent plastic bags and presented when you go through security.

6. B lankets provided by the airlines are not sufficient for your little one. Parents should include warm, comfortable clothing (bring along your baby’s usual sleeping bag and a cap) because the flight might be long and the temperature is often kept quite cool inside the plane.

7. I f the flight lasts more than 2.5 hours, you’ll have to plan for an appropriate meal for your baby.

8. B e sure your baby drinks a lot during the flight.

Infants become dehydrated much faster than adults due to the dry, pressurised air.

9. P arents’ biggest preoccupation during a long flight is to keep their baby occupied. This should be taken into account when you book your tickets. If possible, try to reserve a flight that coincides with your child’s naptime or even a night flight. You will be able to reserve a baby crib directly with your airline company (these cribs are for children who weigh less than 10 kg and are less than 70 cm in length).

Otherwise, parents can try to recreate a cosy, familiar environment with their baby’s favourite soft toys, books and games.

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10. And here is an unexpected tip for getting your baby to sleep during the flight: taking along his car seat might help him drift off more easily because it’s familiar to him. However, be sure you have the airline’s permission in advance.

This will depend on seating availability and the size of your child’s stroller or car seat.

On arrival at your destination you may have concerns about your child being affected by time zone changes. Never fear though for if there is a time change when you arrive at your destination and your baby is less than 6 months old, this change should not have much effect as they are less sensitive at a younger age. However older infants can suffer more and we recommend adjusting to the local time by gradually delaying or advancing their bedtime.

The tip can also be applied to meal times, which should be adjusted. You can help your child be patient by offering them a light snack, like applesauce. Nothing is preordained but following these tips are a simple and easy way to ensure travel conditions are comfortable for parents, children and fellow travellers.

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Sustainability

Meeting the learning needs of teachers WHAT MAKES A GOOD EDUCATION SYSTEM? AT COOL AUSTRALIA, WE BELIEVE PART OF THE ANSWER IS SUPPORTING TEACHERS TO GROW IN THEIR PROFESSION. IT IS ABOUT NURTURING A TEACHER’S LEARNING NEEDS AND INTERESTS SO THEY CAN ADAPT TO NEW CONTEXTS, TECHNOLOGIES AND LANGUAGES. AND IT IS ABOUT CREATING VIBRANT LEARNING CULTURES IN WHICH INDIVIDUAL AND TEAMS OF TEACHERS CAN THRIVE, WRITE KIRSTY COSTA AND ANGELA ANDREWS.

Kirsty Costa and Angela Andrews are the Professional Development Managers at Cool Australia. Together they have over 30 years of experience and act as education consultants to hundreds of schools across Australia. Cool Australia is a national, not-for-profit organisation that specialises in providing teachers with tools to help students ‘Learn for Life’. We provide high-quality units of work, lesson plans and digital libraries that align with both the Australian Curriculum and the Early Years Learning Framework. Our teaching resources are online, free to access and endorsed by leading educational bodies. You may have also heard of Enviroweek, Cool Australia’s national campaign that provides a platform for early childhood services and primary and secondary schools to take action, engage their community and celebrate their successes.

Find out more about Cool Australia at www. coolaustralia.org

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One of the significant gaps in teacher training is the Australian Curriculum’s cross-curriculum priority of Sustainability. In 2014, the Australian Education for Sustainability Alliance (AESA) surveyed five thousand Australian teachers and asked them about their understanding and experience of sustainability education. AESA’s research found that: • 92% of teachers thought that sustainability was important and should be part of the curriculum; and, • 80% of teachers didn’t know how to incorporate sustainability in their teaching.

These results have been eye-opening. Over 22,000 early childhood, primary and secondary teachers currently use Cool Australia’s freeto-access resources in their classrooms to help them integrate sustainability into their curriculum. Our resources help teachers utilise contemporary ways of teaching about sustainability to enhance teaching and learning (hint: sustainability is more than trees and recycling bins). The AESA research, however, clearly indicates that more needs to be done to

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meet the learning needs of teachers.

Traditional approaches to professional development – such as peer-to-peer coaching, local network meetings, workshops and conferences – allow teachers to explore selfdirected topics, but these can be time-consuming, costly or inconvenient. Teachers working in rural schools only have access to local networks or have to travel great distances to access the professional development needed. Schools also have limited budgets and are often forced to prioritise whole-staff learning needs, which can leave significant gaps in teacher training.

Cool Australia regularly receives requests to

80%

of teachers didn’t know how to incorporate sustainability in their teaching

facilitate face-to-face workshops, but the reality is that we have limited capacity to be ‘everywhere’.

As a not-for-profit education organisation we have been forced to rethink our traditional approach.

Our experience with providing digital content has revealed that technology plays an important part in supporting teachers. And so, Cool Australia is creating a range of two hour and six hour online courses with the help of our partner TTA (Teacher Training Australia). These short courses are not designed to replace face-to-face interactions between teachers, but instead complement and enhance the wide range of professional development options available.

Online professional development has many similarities to traditional approaches but there are a few significant differences. Teachers gain access to a range of digital and multimedia curriculum resources in an independent and self-directed manner. Throughout their online learning journey they can pose questions to their peers, clarify their thinking and acquire new teaching strategies and tools. Furthermore, all of Cool Australia’s online courses include a practical component. Teachers apply their learning in their classroom or school, while still undertaking the course. This builds teacher confidence and provides an avenue for reflection, story sharing and getting additional support.

Cool Australia’s experience with online teacher professional development reveals that it: • Is cost-effective and allows schools to train a greater number of staff; • Provides teachers with 24 hours a day, 7 days a week access to learning; • Caters for different learning speeds; • Allows for richer, multi-dimensional learning experiences; • Enables teachers to go back and review content in order to deepen understanding; and, • Provides teachers with opportunities to

experience different types of technology.

We have also been astonished by how online professional development connects teachers from across Australia. One of our courses recently introduced two distance education teachers – one was based in a remote community in the Northern Territory and the other was based in Northern NSW. These two teachers would never have met in a face-to-face workshop, but the online format allowed them to share ideas and resources specific to their circumstances and learning needs. The different experiences and points of view they shared provided them both with fresh perspectives and new insights.

Australia’s continually evolving education system means that teachers require a diverse range of professional development options.

Traditional approaches will always play an important role in supporting teachers to develop their skills and knowledge. However, improved technologies are enabling Cool Australia to provide professional development which incorporates highquality content and practical learning experiences to teachers around Australia. We look forward to helping to develop expanded teacher networks, improved access to professional development and better learning outcomes for young Australians.

Resources • Explore Cool Australia’s online professional development at www.coolaustralia.org/onlinecourses • Learn more about TTA at www.tta.edu.au •V iew the AESA’s report ‘Education for Sustainability and the Australian Curriculum Project Phases 1 to 3’ at http://www. educationforsustainability.com.au/efs-in-the-curriculum/ aesa-final-report-now-available

EXCLUSIVE COMPETITION! Education Matters readers have the exclusive opportunity to win one of four ‘double passes’ to Cool Australia’s online professional development courses. The double passes will allow you and a friend or colleague to enroll in a Cool Australia two hour or six hour course of your choice.

Each double pass is valued at $635!

Imagine what you could do with one double pass to participate in a Cool Australia online course. Upskill your curriculum knowledge? Enhance your teaching?

Meet educators from across Australia? Rack up some more state accredited PD hours? Courses are hosted by Teacher Training Australia (TTA), learn at your own pace and in your own time.

So tell us in 25 words or less what Cool Australia course you’d love to do and why!

Step 1. Visit www.coolaustralia.org/onlinecourses to find your favourite Step 2. E nter at www.coolaustralia.org/emcomp by 5pm on Friday 26th June 2015.

The four most persuasive answers win! Good luck!

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Administration

EdvalAttend LEVERAGING THE POWER OF EDVAL AND EDVALDAILY.

Edval Timetables is an Australian born company which is now a global success story. We work with many schools across all states of Australia, including sites through Asia, the UK, with a large number in Ireland.

Our technology grew from a Sydney University research project. Edval now has a team of passionate and committed timetabling consultants, serving our schools around the globe.

Hundreds of thousands of students rely on Edval timetables every day.

INTEGRATED ATTENDANCE AND WELFARE EdvalAttend is a comprehensive student attendance and welfare solution that is tightly integrated with Edval through EdvalDaily. Daily variations to the timetable, such as events, excursions, staff absences and covers are seamlessly synchronised with EdvalAttend, so

that teachers clearly see which students are not expected to be in class when marking their rolls and what classes they may have been assigned to cover on their timetables.

Teachers can mark rolls using a web browser, or on a smartphone or tablet PC. They can record students arriving late or leaving early to the minute, issue hall passes to students to see another teacher, visit the amenities or go to sick bay. Lesson notes can be created and flagged to email students who missed the lesson. Icons can be created to alert teachers to medical conditions or behaviour monitoring and will appear on the roll marking interface.

ATTENDANCE Increasingly, schools are being required to account for the presence and absence of students throughout the school day, not just at the beginning or end, resulting in teachers having to allow more time for roll marking rather than providing quality teaching. Making that roll marking process as quick and efficient as possible is therefore important.

EdvalAttend requires the teacher to make only necessary changes to the roll, as all students have a presumed present or absent status. The teacher only needs to change the student’s status, if it is different to the presumed status. If there are no changes to be made, the roll can be marked with a single click.

ASSESSMENT EdvalAssess allows teachers to create tests and assessments and assign them to their classes, capturing important details such as weighting; date assigned, date submitted, estimated study time and overall mark. The assessment tracking system enables teachers to accurately track when students submit their assessments, whether it is on-time or late and generate assessment notes if required.

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“Technology consulting provides a total end-to-end solution.”

WELFARE EdvalAttend’s integrated welfare solution can be used as is or can be customised to suit the schools’ specific requirements and supports positive and negative behaviour management programs.

Teachers can create students notes directly from their class roll, and immediately refer the issue to another teacher for further action. Additional details can be added at a later point, timed interviews conducted and outcomes assigned.

EdvalAttend then automates the outcomes via a workflow, such as: • Creating absence explanations for the student.

• Notifying relevant teachers via sms or email.

• Notifying parents by sms, email or letter.

• Assigning icons to display on roll marking interfaces.

• Adding or removing of merit points.

• Allocating the student to detention.

COMPREHENSIVE • Period by Period roll marking.

• SEATING PLANS. • Student notes and welfare.

• Referrals and outcomes.

• Absence Explanations.

• TWO WAY SMS to parents.

• INTEGRATED MESSAGING. • Document templates.

• Extensive reporting.

• Lesson Notes.

• ASSESSMENT SUBMISSION. • MULTIPLE DEVICE interface.

“Anywhere, anytime access to real-time roll data.”

CUSTOM REPORTING EdvalAttend’s extensive reporting capabilities allow teachers to run detailed reports on students, classes and years, providing easy access to information for student reporting. Teachers can also customise reports specific to their needs that can be saved and run as required ANY DEVICE EdvalAttend’s mobile optimised interface makes it easy to mark rolls when out and about, whether it is on an oval with a PE class or out on an excursion, without sacrificing the functionality of the browser based interface.

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WHY EDVAL? Edval is a trusted provider of unparalleled software, unprecedented solutions and quality support to hundreds of schools across Australia. We listen to our customers and create innovative software based on their needs and requirements.

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Spotlight on Science

Science in a secondary state school SCIENCE IS AN INTEGRAL COMPONENT FOR A PROGRESSIVE, CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE NATION, AND WE NEED TO ENGAGE STUDENTS EARLY WITH SCIENCE TO PROVIDE THEM WITH EXTENSIVE OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPERIENCE, ENGAGE, PROBLEM SOLVE AND ‘GET TO KNOW’ SCIENCE, WRITES SARAH CHAPMAN.

Sarah Chapman, the Head of Department of Science at Townsville State High School, North Queensland, is in her twelfth year of teaching. Sarah has a passion for developing science programs that are innovative and engage students in becoming more involved in science, aware of their environment and actively involved in their community.

Sarah’s innovative programs and links with the community and James Cook University have inspired students to commence their life-long passion for science early. She also devotes her personal time to designing and delivering a range of innovative science professional development workshops in order to improve the standards of science teaching. This has led to her being invited to speak about her work at local, state, national and international professional workshops and conferences.

Sarah has received numerous recognitions for her science teaching, including the Prime Minister’s Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching in Secondary Schools in 2013.

Sarah graduated from James Cook University with a Bachelor of Science with Honours Class 1 in 1998 and a Graduate Bachelor of Education in 2003.

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When visiting Townsville State High School, you soon become aware of the importance of science in the school. Many students have particularly chosen this school over the local catholic and private counterparts because of the science programs run at this school. Many visitors, whether they be; the Prime Minister, Federal Members of Parliament, State Science Ministers or teachers from other local schools, want to know the secret formula to the great science reputation that Town High has.

Well there is no easy answer to this question, however I will outline some things that makes this science department and school so great.

THE SCHOOL When looking more closely you cannot pinpoint a singular entity, you need to look big picture

and then examine more in depth, in order to best understand where this school stands apart. Town High has a unique ethos or set of beliefs which supports a school wide feeling of family and support.

The school has a strong sense of community, togetherness and staff support is more than evident.

Staff here go above and beyond, they really care for each other and the students they teach. Examining the big picture, the school is the place to start. The people in the school, each and every staff member, make it a very enjoyable place to work.

SCIENCE STAFF Town High does have an excellent Science Department. I am very fortunate to be a part of a fantastic school and team of exceptional teachers.

The staff within the Science Department are

Science staff at Townsville State High School.

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exceptional! In terms of the greatest strength of the department, my staff are the greatest strength.

PASSION The science staff at Town High have a great deal of passion and commitment for their profession.

They go above and beyond for their students by consistently improving the learning experiences, resources and support they provide. Going the extra mile to provide hands-on experiences for our students, providing lunch time and after school support, connecting science to the cutting edge are just some of the things the science staff do at Town High. The staff are passionate about the team they work with and collaboration is second nature in our department. Staff are always sharing their ideas and contributing innovative ways of doing things and supporting each other.

SPECIALIST KNOWLEDGE The majority of staff in the Science Department have specialist knowledge in their area of teaching, with many having a specialist Science Degree or additional science training as a part of their education studies. This specialist knowledge assists in the development and extension of quality programs by ensuring high standards are set and the science is both relevant and challenging. Having specialist knowledge promotes student engagement by being able to provide multiple scientific perspectives and experiences to assist a student in the development and consolidation of their understanding on a particular topic.

Having these specialist skills also supports the teaching beliefs that are very strong within the Science Department. We are all strong believers that we are not just teaching science, we are teaching our students to be scientists. With this ethos in mind all collaboration and sharing is aimed to uphold and sustain hands-on learning experiences for our students.

INNOVATION, CREATIVITY AND COLLABORATION The staff are encouraged to be innovative and creative in their teaching. Using their depth of knowledge and collaborating new ideas, staff are not locked into traditional ways of teaching science. A great team and strong beliefs to promote quality science goes a long way to ensuring that both the students and teachers enjoy the learning experiences. Staff include the Scientific Assistant in their discussions in order to further extend the ideas, planning and collaboration of the team. The Scientific Assistant is a strong part of our team, she provides teachers with a range of support and ideas in our collaborative, planning and teaching processes.

Having intelligent and passionate people as a part of a Science Department provides a constant stream of ideas and conversation. There are always people there to challenge your ideas and practise.

This makes work dynamic both in a professional sense and in the classroom. As a teacher you are always trying to improve what you do and how you do it. Being in an environment with people that are all challenging each other really stimulates growth and investment in your profession.

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EXTRACURRICULAR The passion and love for science and teaching also extends beyond the classroom for the Science Department. Our department provides a range of extracurricular experiences and support for students at our school. This is certainly something that sets us apart. We have an after school Science Club where students can design and conduct scientific investigations in areas of science that interest them.

This club is made up of students from both Junior and Senior Secondary and they support each other through the investigative process. We also are providing science homework help after school and a lunch time Robotics Club. Staff have also taken students on their own weekends to places around our region to engage in activities from learning about flight and getting to fly a glider, to participating in local science festivals. Involvement of community members and scientists from local research organisations (through the CSIRO Scientists in Schools Program) are also key dimensions in deepening the learning experiences for our students. The links we have with external specialists are highly-valued and truly enhance our teaching and learning programs.

Staff in the Science Department also embrace

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Spotlight on Science

a range of extracurricular activities during National Science Week. This is a week where staff go above and beyond, everyone pitches in. This is a week where the Science Department gets to engage students, staff and community in a range of science activities. We have had professional molecular gastronomists working with our students, an artist in residence collaborating with students to express what

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Science means to them, we have even attempted a Guinness World Record. All activities aimed to promote and engage students, non-science staff and the community in science. This is an important week to share how fascinatingly brilliant science is!

CHALLENGES With such a strong team ethos, at times where there may be challenges (either in or out of the classroom or personal), teachers are always supporting each other and pitching in. In 2014 our Science Department unusually lost a number of staff to promotion or retirement and 2015 has seen five new teachers join. This has proven to be very challenging on the team and myself as the Head of Department. For a team that is very strong and works together effectively, having a significant increase in numbers has put strain on the Department. Staffing changes are always a weakness, as change can come with its challenges. Change in staff can also be a strength to bring in new perspectives. The collaborative nature of our Science Department has proven to be an inspiration and guiding force for our new teachers. They see how the established team work and share ideas, and this assists in building the

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capacity of our new teachers too.

Resourcing can also be a weakness in any Science Department. To provide innovative and hands-on programs does require substantial resources. Limits in resourcing can influence teachers to be creative in how they develop resources, however at times it can also limit what can be provided for students. Resourcing for staff professional development can also be challenging at times, however the school administration is optimally supportive of the range of professional development initiatives that the Science Department has accessed.

Meeting the curriculum and assessment requirements, completing risk assessment documentation, complying with ethical standards and State Government requirements can present a myriad of challenges for the Science Department. Staying abreast of the legal and ethical requirements in order to conduct a safe and professional workplace can also be challenging when time is a certain limiting factor.

Input from experienced staff, the Scientific Assistant and I all helps to ensure things are maintained to a high standard.

RESULTS As a result of the hard work and commitment of the Science Department, teachers have a good rapport with their students. As the staff have strong collegial bonds, this flows on to reinforce a family feeling amongst the students. Some student will return to visit the teachers and school over a decade

after their graduation, highlighting the strong bond formed when they attended the school. Along with the relationships, the academic results for students studying science at Town High also reflect the strength of the Science Department. On average our pass rates for students studying senior science sits above 90%. Between 85% and 90% of our students choosing a tertiary education pathway after school choose a science related area of study.

DYNAMIC ENVIRONMENT REQUIRES DYNAMIC STAFF Science is a dynamic subject that questions and tests in the pursuit for truth. A Science Department needs to reflect the elements of science by also being dynamic and evolving with the needs of the students and the multiple dimensions of science. Like the scientists that research and study science, the environment they work in needs to be collaborative and diverse, this too should be reflected in the staff of your Science Department.

Overall, after this reflection it is for certain that I am very fortunate to be a part of a fantastic team of science teachers. I thoroughly enjoy my job as the Head of Department and a teacher at Town High and this can certainly be attributed to the team of great people I work with. The supportive and family nature of the whole school staff also brings pride and enjoyment for what I do. It is humbling to be a part

of a Science Department that is so passionate and inspires the scientists of tomorrow.

VISION AND HOPE FOR SCIENCE EDUCATION IN AUSTRALIA Science is an integral component for a progressive, creative and innovative nation. For Australia to best address the many challenges that our economy and Earth face, we need the most talented and dynamic scientists we have ever fashioned.

To grow this exceptional knowledge currency, we need to engage students early with science, and provide them with extensive opportunities to experience, engage, problem solve and ‘get to know’ science. Students need to build on their natural sense of wonder and have the opportunity to question and test the world around them. Opportunities need to be provided at primary school to engage with specialist teachers that are passionate about science. Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) should be a central component of learning.

Science should be more STEM-based in secondary school and would include more learning time devoted to allow students to consolidate a deeper understanding and broaden their experiences with the science they learn. There should be extensive hands-on experiences and problem-based learning experiences, to develop students’ thought processes, to skill them to persevere and work through problems, and to be creative and innovative. To see that science is ‘messy’ and to develop their own passion for finding the truth in the things they know and see is a necessary experience for science students.

Science at secondary school should be seamless with university, where students interact with scientists as their mentors and engage with research, community and industrial scientific environments.

There needs to be opportunities for students to collaborate with the ‘real’ scientific world and begin their life as a scientist before they walk out the gate from secondary school. This could provide more certain and clear pathways for students to see that science is a real, tangible, life and world-changing career.

The final piece in my vision is the teacher. It is necessary to have a passionate teacher that loves their subject, this can bridge the greatest of marginal divides and interest barriers, and go beyond

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comprehension at times to engage a student. As my staff certainly demonstrate passion, due to their love and in-depth knowledge for their subject areas, my vision would be to reflect this in the teaching profession. Teachers should have a stronger base to draw knowledge from, such as a specialist degree in their teaching area. This prerequisite combined with an internship model for teacher training, where there is a more immersive, supported and scaffolded environment for teacher development, would support teachers to develop their teaching skill base, depth of knowledge and passion for teaching and science.

My hopes and vision may seem utopic to some, however I believe with a united vision and the key goal to see science be a prominent force in everything from the student to schools, homes, community, states and our great nation, anything is possible.

AUSTRALIAN SCIENCE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION Founded in 1951, the Australian Science Teachers Association is the federation of Science Teachers Associations from all Australian states and territories. It is the national professional association for teachers of science and a powerful voice influencing policy and practice in science education. Please visit www.asta.edu.au for more information.

Looking for professional development opportunities? CONASTA is the annual National Science Education Conference of the Australian Science Teachers Association (ASTA) being held this year in Perth from July 5-9th. Listen to Australia’s brightest scientists, experience amazing workshops and only attend the days relevant to you with dedicated lab tech, primary and secondary days! asta.edu.au/conasta

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Making the Grade

TEMAG and the way forward: Perspectives on professional experience, induction and professional development for teachers INVESTING IN QUALITY PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE FOR PRE-SERVICE AND PROFESSIONAL MENTOR TEACHERS IS THE BEST MOVE GOVERNMENTS CAN MAKE TOWARDS IMMEDIATE AND SUSTAINABLE IMPROVEMENTS IN TEACHER QUALITY AND STUDENT LEARNING, WRITES

PROFESSOR TANIA ASPLAND DipTeach KPTC, GradDip(SpecialEd) MGCAE, BEd Qld., BA Qld., MEd Deakin., PhD Qld. As President of the Australian Council of Deans of Education, Professor Aspland leads the peak association that represents 43 of the 48 Deans of faculties and Heads of Schools of Education in Australian universities and other higher education institutions. ACDE informs policies, strategies, conversations and research in higher education, particularly teacher education. It is currently working with the Federal Government and other agencies to implement the Teacher Education Ministerial Advisory Group (TEMAG) Report recommendations.

Professor Aspland has had an extensive career in three states and is a national leader in teacher education course development. She is currently Executive Dean, Faculty of Education and Arts at the Australian Catholic University.

Prior to ACU, Professor Aspland was a Professor in Education at the University of Adelaide.

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Government has identified professional experience or the “practicum” as the most important part of teacher preparation programs. Investing in quality professional experience for pre-service and professional mentor teachers is the best move governments can make towards immediate and sustainable improvements in teacher quality and student learning.

This change is also reflected in submissions to the Teacher Education Ministerial Advisory Group (TEMAG) review that outlined three planks to improve teacher education – selection, accreditation and practical experience.

Earlier this year TEMAG Chair, Professor Greg Craven, told an Australian Council of Deans of Education (ACDE) Deans’ Forum: “Every single person or group that came before TEMAG emphasised the centrality and criticality of the professional experience. Every single submission talked about its importance…every single person proposed the greater integration of practicum and professional experience with university, teaching and theory.

“It has universal acceptance. The jury is in on this,” he said.

The Federal Government’s response to the TEMAG Report recommendations said that timely, high-quality, structured and supported practical experience was critical for teacher education students to develop the knowledge and skills they needed to be effective teachers. Students should receive professional experience as early in their initial teacher education training as possible.

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As one Dean in the ACDE forum said: “Professional experience is where the rubber hits the road for students.” It is when teacher education students find out whether they are suited to the profession.

“We all know those dreadful experiences of someone who progresses through the program, is absolutely terrific, they think they really want to be a teacher, and then they discover something from there – like they don’t want to teach, or that they have difficulties engaging with students, or even worse I would think, that children cannot engage with them,” Professor Craven told the Deans.

However, while there are already Australian Professional Standards in place, there is a pressing need to reconceptualise the nature of professional experience for contemporary times, and ensure that there is greater consistency in delivery and the quality of engagement with teachers.

Pre-service teachers cite professional experience as the most important part of their teaching degree. Great teaching careers are founded on both the knowledge gained at university and through graduates working alongside accomplished teachers in schools.

Previous models of teacher ‘training’ tended to separate the theory learned at university and the practical experience gained in schools. This model of practicums, with teaching students being ‘helicoptered’ into schools and then back to the books at university, is no longer appropriate, nor supported by the profession.

As a top national priority, professional

“It is important that teacher education students begin to take responsibility for the learning of young people from the start or in the first semester of their teaching degrees.”

experience is currently being reconceptualised by all partners to include internships, observations, school-based tutorials, joint clinical practices, mentor training, and supervised practicum or community placements – all elements that the recent TEMAG Report says should be designed to provide graduates with multiple opportunities to ‘learn to teach’ through field-based quality mentoring and partnerships. This reflects the call by government for a more clinical focus on teacher preparation whereby would-be graduates are required to observe and be engaged in classroom practices in a systematic and sustained manner with quality teachers; teachers who are identified and upgraded as lead or mentor teachers.

It also reaffirms that, “pre-service teachers should be exposed to a wide range of school-based experiences during this time, from delivering the curriculum and managing students in a classroom to working as part of a school community”.

STRONGER CULTURE OF COLLABORATION It is important that teacher education students begin to take responsibility for the learning of young people from the start or in the first semester of their teaching degrees. Optimal outcomes depend on them being connected to a national network of teachers, teacher learning, teacher development and research and evidence that informs and improves their teaching. The ACDE submission recommended that teacher education students become registered with their local regulatory authority on enrolment rather than on graduation, and government has supported this aspiration in its response to TEMAG. Over the past five years there has been a marked cultural shift towards a more collaborative and national professional experience framework.

This is largely a result of effective conversations

across stakeholder groups, led by the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL). To achieve the changes required, stakeholders need to continue their commitment to improve how teachers, schools and universities work together to prepare graduate teachers.

Teachers, bureaucrats and principals must sustain their commitment to actively contribute to the critique and reconstruction of teacher preparation, and be central to, course design and accreditation, the delivery of the course and the assessment of impact of programs on student learning. The diaspora of teacher educators is more actively crossing the boundaries of universities and schools to become a community of advocates that strive to enhance the quality of teacher preparation, induction and professional development. Ultimately, this is a win for the quality of learning offered to students in our schools. Government has demanded that the latest research and best practices must contribute to the future of teacher assessment, developing classroom ready graduates, and the teaching of literacy and numeracy. This reconceptualisation and cultural shift must also include a different relationship with our industrial advocates. It’s a joint responsibility.

TEMAG’s Action Now, Classroom Ready Teachers report proposes a deeply integrated system in which partnerships of higher education providers, school systems, and school communities work together to achieve strong outcomes.

In its response, the Federal Government said it will, “instruct AITSL to establish and publish the essential requirements for practical experience, identify best practice examples in Australia, and model partnership agreements and other supporting materials for universities. This work will be developed in partnership with universities, schools and education authorities.

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“AITSL will also outline clear expectations for the supervision and assessment of teachers undertaking practical experience. This will assist universities and schools to identify and prepare highly skilled teachers to supervise practical experience, and to undertake rigorous, continuous and consistent assessment of teacher education students for classroom readiness.”

INDUCTION Many professions – like law and medicine – have structured entry into the workforce yet teaching graduates are usually on their own in the classroom from day one. Graduates need a structured, scaffolded period of transition as they come to the end of their course and move into teaching profession. ACDE has made a recommendation that initial teacher education should extend into the first two years of classroom teaching. It is well accepted that graduate teachers require ongoing mentoring and support for induction into the profession, as well as into the educational and community contexts.

While more data is required to inform future

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Making the Grade

policies and practice, the evidence we have highlights a disconnection between how early career teachers and school principals perceive the availability of school-based professional induction programs in the crucial first two years of teaching.

The Longitudinal Teacher Education and Workforce Study 2013 found more than 97% of principals identified induction programs as available in their schools but 20-26% of graduate teachers identified induction programs as not available.

Further, the Staff in Australian Schools Study 2013 pointed to ongoing professional learning opportunities as the most common form of support for newly employed graduate teachers, but the study also noted a lack of school support and induction. The study found there was a need for better early career training in the most challenging culturally, linguistically and socio-economically diverse environments.

Principals identified the key challenges faced by newly employed graduate teachers as classroom management, pedagogy and catering for diverse learners. Early career primary teachers perceived a need for more professional learning in supporting students with disabilities and teaching students with a wide range of backgrounds and abilities.

Both primary and secondary early career teachers

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perceived a need for more professional learning in dealing with difficult student behaviour. These needs can be ongoing throughout a teaching career but are critical throughout the induction and transition period.

TEMAG FINDINGS ON INDUCTION The Action Now, Classroom Ready Teachers report found that: • There is no profession-wide approach to supporting teacher development in the important early years in the classroom; • The quality and quantity of induction support varies across states and territories, sectors and schools; •D espite many excellent initiatives, employers and schools are not consistently offering effective support for beginning teachers through their transition to proficiency and full registration; • S takeholders have identified a need for improved support for beginning teachers, including mentoring by highly skilled teachers; • There is concern that induction support is inadequate for beginning teachers in temporary employment and in ‘hard to staff’ schools; • E ffective induction is critical to successful transition into classroom teaching practice. It

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includes structured mentoring, observation and feedback; and, • High-performing and improving education systems demonstrate a commitment to structured support for beginning teachers in their transition to full professional performance and in doing so, build and sustain a culture of professional responsibility.

ACDE is most supportive of working with government and the profession to address each of these shortfalls through providing needs based professional development to graduates and teachers; professional development that is context specific, based on research evidence and aligned to ongoing teacher registration. There is evidence that much of this is already in place in some jurisdictions.

LIFELONG LEARNING ACDE recognises the importance of teacher professional learning that ensures continuous improvement in teaching quality and student outcomes and enhances the career prospects of many of the 440,000 registered Australian teachers.

However there is a need for research-based professional development that meets the needs of individual teachers, professionally, intellectually,

culturally and contextually. Such professional development needs to be appropriately financed by government and employing authorities. The fact that there are very few national scholarships to support ongoing professional learning for teachers is of concern. Teachers in Australia rarely receive an automatic increase in their remuneration with the awarding of a higher degree in contrast to a number of international practices.

Despite this situation many Australian teachers continue to engage in professional development over the lifetime of a career.

Interestingly, on the international scale, Australia rates well with its professional learning opportunities. The OECD’s Teaching and Learning Survey 2014 found that Australia has one of the highest percentages of teachers who reported undertaking some form of professional development in the year prior to the survey.

Three out of four teachers did not self-fund their professional development and Australia had one of the highest reported percentages for providing time for professional growth during working hours (79%).

An Australian analysis of the TALIS Report, by the Australian Centre for Educational Research, also found that: • Australian teachers are more likely to attend workshops and conferences and participate in networks for their professional development; • They are less likely to visit other schools or undertake formal qualifications than their international counterparts; • The wide inclusion of teachers with a high rate of participation is countered by a low number of days; • Australian school systems are centred more on maximising overall participation in professional development than focussing on the intensity of offered professional development; and, • For every content area listed, Australia exhibited the lowest percentage of teachers reporting a moderate or large positive impact on their teaching when compared to each sub-group.

The analysis suggests that the findings invite further investigation into the satisfaction and appropriateness or quality of the professional development received, or whether there are other factors that reduced its perceived impact. Teachers may need additional days to gain full benefit from these opportunities. In the current context however,

before extra resourcing is made available it will be incumbent on teachers to demonstrate that professional development has a positive impact on student learning. Only then is it likely that funding for sustained professional learning be viable and credible.

This call by government for teachers to demonstrate impact may endorse a current practice in some contexts that all teachers be required to undergo ongoing performance management by employers. Professional development resources would be integral to such an approach. It is argued that models of performance management that provide teachers with appraisals and feedback can be powerful tools to improve the quality of teaching and student outcomes. However almost 62% of Australian teachers believed teacher appraisal and feedback was largely undertaken to adhere to administrative expectations -- a figure unchanged over five years.

Only 29% of Australian teachers report thought feedback received was based on a careful review of their teaching practices. This compares to just under half of the teachers in the 34 countries surveyed compared with just under 50% of TALIS teachers. This is a challenge for the future.

MOVING INTO THE FUTURE ACDE will continue to work for change and improvement in institutions that engage in teacher

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preparation, and with schools, communities and systems. The Deans recognise that there is a need for strong partnerships to develop highly capable teachers and continued excellence in the teaching of future generations.

The ACDE Deans’ Forum in March committed to working in a partnership with AITSL and the Federal Government. It will contribute to expert groups on: • Rigorous selection into initial teacher education (ITE); • Improved and structured Professional Experience; • Strengthening the accreditation process; • Robust assessment of graduates to ensure classroom readiness; and, • What research and data is required to enhance ITE? ACDE is optimistic that early implementation of many TEMAG recommendations will begin next year.

References 1 http://www.studentsfirst.gov.au/teacher-educationministerial-advisory-group 2 https://docs.education.gov.au/node/36789 3 http://www.aitsl.edu.au/australian-professional-standardsfor-teachers/standards/list 4 http://www.studentsfirst.gov.au/teacher-educationministerial-advisory-group 5 http://www.aitsl.edu.au 6 https://docs.education.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/ ltews_main_report.pdf 7 https://docs.education.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/ sias_2013_main_report.pdf 8 http://research.acer.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent. cgi?article=1001&context=talis

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At Woods, we believe that education is of the utmost importance – not just for the children of today but for our world tomorrow.

This belief has driven our team, for over half a century, to study how children learn – from a behavioral, ergonomic and cognitive perspective – to develop furniture that is flexible, adaptable and stimulating.

It’s this philosophy that inspired our ergo-dynamic PantoFlex chair. Designed by one of the world’s greatest furniture designers, Verner Panton, the PantoFlex chair promotes correct posture, improves blood and oxygen circulation, assists the developing musculo-skeletal system and most importantly contributes to an increased attention span. And that’s only half the story.

To find out more about our innovative range of educational furniture visit woodsfurniture.com.au or call 1800 004 555.

We’re for flexible learning

School Camps and Excursions

Higer, the obvious choice for school contracts HIGER BUSES HAVE BEEN IN THE AUSTRALIAN MARKET SINCE 2008, AND CAN NOW BE SEEN SERVING SCHOOLS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, FROM THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS SCHOOLS IN SYDNEY AND MELBOURNE, TO SMALLER SCHOOLS IN REGIONAL CENTRES.

For a bus operator, there is no cargo more precious than a group of school children, so when Norwest Coaches was allocating buses for its private school run, they selected their largest and most luxurious vehicle, the Higer H9250 Midi Boss.

Norwest Coaches is a charter business in the north-west of Sydney, primarily operating club and pub courtesy runs and specialised school runs. Fleet Manager Steve Trlin says the company bought its first Higer about eight months ago and it is used

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for transporting students to two different schools in Sydney’s Hills District.

“We know that parents want their children to get to and from school in safety and comfort, and we felt the Higer could offer both,” he said. “The bus uses very well regarded component brands, so we knew it was going to be reliable, and the quality of the finishes is very high.”

The Midi Boss is powered by a Cummins ISB e5 6.7 litre power plant, which is mated to an Allison

“The Higer Midi Boss is used on our Hills Grammar and William Clark school runs,” Trlin said. “There are children on this route travelling more than 30 kilometres per day, so it’s essential we can transport them not only in comfort, but on a bus that is extremely reliable and very safe.

automatic transmission for easy-starting and efficient operation. The model also features Wabco ABS disc brakes and Firestone airbag suspension, and like all Higer buses, the 41 seat Midi Boss is equipped with seatbelts.

“The Higer Midi Boss is used on our Hills Grammar and William Clark school runs,” Trlin said. “There are children on this route travelling more than 30 kilometres per day, so it’s essential we can transport them not only in comfort, but on a bus that is extremely reliable and very safe.

“One of our requirements when choosing a new bus is that the brand be well-supported in Australia with ready access to parts and servicing. Higer really fits the

bill on that front. We need the Midi Boss to be available for the school runs, so the Cummins workshop were able to service the bus at 6pm on a Friday. This kind of flexibility really makes a difference to us, allowing us to keep the bus on the road and generating revenue when we need it to.”

According to Trlin, the Higer Midi Boss was very well received by Norwest Coaches’ young passengers. “They really have been overwhelmed by the quality and luxury of the coach that takes them to school every day.”

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‘TWO FOR THREE’ OFFERS VALE FOR MONEY Passenger safety has always been a priority of the Higer brand – Higer has the way in Australia in providing lap-sash seatbelts across its range. Higer now also offers “2 for 3” seating, which allows two adults, or three primary school students to share a seat, all with the safety of lap-sash seatbelts.

CEO of WMC Group, importer of Higer buses to Australia, Neil Bamford says that the “2 for 3” seating gives a new level of flexibility to the Higer range.

“We understand that schools need to get the most out of their buses, and 2-3 seating allows schools to safely carry up 35 students in our popular H7170 Munro.

“Adding the extra capacity without adding significantly to the cost takes the already competitive H7170 Munro to another level in terms of value for money,” he added. “The seats are ADR approved, factory-fitted, and are now available as an option for all buses in the Higer range.”

Higer buses are sold and serviced from dealers across Australia, and can be seen at www.higer.com.au

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ARNHEM LAND

DARWIN KAKADU

KATHERINE

Whether you travel to the heart of the Red Centre or the inspiring Top End, an excursion to the Northern Territory will help you discover, explore and learn new skills.

TENNANT

CREEK

Students naturally create deeper bonds with each other on their NT excursion and learn to think in a more critical, creative and caring way. NT Learning Adventures is made up of a group of tour operators offering a variety of experiences ensuring educational, safety and risk standards are met with each excursion, as well as a bit of fun for all! Discover how you can teach sustainability, history, Aboriginal culture and much more beyond the school yard.

WIN$1000

GRANT TOWARDS YOUR SCHOOL EXCURSION TO THE NT Be creative with your application and tell us how a trip to the NT enhances the educational outcomes of your school.

Valid from 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016.

Visit the website for full terms and conditions.

ALICE

SPRINGS ULURU

9 day Central Australian camping adventure from $125 p/student p/day*

Highlights: Visit Alice Springs, Royal Flying Doctors, Simpsons Gap, Kings Canyon, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park and experience Aboriginal culture.

Includes: • All entry fees and touring as per itinerary • Camping throughout tour (superior Pyramid tents with built-in floor) • Flight and return coach transport • Professional coach captain and experienced host/cook • All meals as per itinerary

*Price of $125 p/student p/day is based on 40 students travelling from Melbourne, teachers FOC. Valid till March 2016.

Prices are subject to change. Prices available from other departure points. Other conditions apply. Visit www.acrossaustraliatravel.com.au or call 03 9370 1499 for more information.

ntLearningAdventures.com

Camps and Excursions

School excursions – are they really worth it?

THESE DAYS STUDENTS ARE TRAVELLING FAR AND WIDE AROUND THE GLOBE FOR THEIR SCHOOL EXCURSIONS – IT’S BECOME THE NORM. BUT WHAT IF YOUR STUDENTS STAYED A LITTLE CLOSER TO HOME AND LEARNT MORE ABOUT AUSTRALIA? WHAT IF THEY COULD LEARN ABOUT ABORIGINAL CULTURE “HANDS ON”; SUSTAINABILITY “HANDS ON”; AUSTRALIAN HISTORY “HANDS ON” – WOULD YOU GIVE THEM THAT OPPORTUNITY?

Tourism NT and over 30 tour operators in the Northern Territory are showcasing ‘NT Learning Adventures’ to Australian educators and students.

In addition to being your hosts and guides, these NT operators are passionate about their products, they love to share their knowledge, and their experiences are all aligned to real educational outcomes. We’d like to introduce you to a few of our favourite people and places in the NT. NORMAN CRAMP – DARWIN MILITARY MUSEUM On the 19th February 1942 war came to Australian soil for the first time in the shape of two devastating air raids by Japanese Naval and Army air forces. The raids on the 19th February, in which

education matters secondary

some 253 people lost their lives, were the first of 64 such raids carried out by the Japanese during the period February 1942 to November 1943.

The attacks on Darwin by 188 enemy aircraft, the same battle group that had attacked the US Naval Base at Pearl Harbor in December 1941, were the first, largest and most destructive enemy attacks on Australia before or since. While the raids had a demoralising effect on many of the population in the township, the Australian spirit shone through with the military personnel doing their best to repel the attackers and in doing so defending their country and their fellow citizens. An Australian Army personnel who featured prominently on that fateful day was Gunner John (Jack) Mulholland.

Jack Mulholland was interviewed by DMM staff a year or two before his death in 2013, where he speaks of under-trained military personnel, of being issued with obsolete ammunition for the guns and ammunition that was rated ‘not to be used in tropical climates’. Jack’s experience was that there was a degree of panic within the ranks and the civilian population which he attributed to the confusion following the surprise attacks, the misunderstandings of orders issued to some of the military personnel (i.e.; to leave the town and form up in the bush down the track) and the lack of visible law and order. He also mentioned that he thought his gun crew, or at least one of the guns in his battery, had brought down a Japanese bomber that had been seen to crash into Darwin Harbour. Jack, in his own laconic manner said; “It was more a case of he flew into our

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School Camps and Excursions

fire rather than us hitting him!” Jack remembered the Darwin Hotel being left totally abandoned after the first raid with cups of tea and smoking cigarettes left in the dining room and bar areas and rooms left open and unlocked as the guests (occupants) had made a hasty departure. He said he and his mates removed certain items from the hotel to clean the barrels of the guns and to refresh themselves. One can only assume (hope) it was water rather than alcohol! Jack Mulholland survived the war and finished his military career as a Captain in the Australian Army. He was a regular visitor to Darwin over the years to commemorate the bombing of Darwin and he and his family donated various items of memorabilia to the Military Museum and the Darwin High School.

The attacks on Darwin are an important part of Australia’s history as they remain the largest, most

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concentrated, prolonged and devastating attacks on Australian soil to this day.

There are many stories to be told about that day and the days that followed and in that regard, the Defence of Darwin Experience within the Darwin Military Museum has gone a long way in telling the story via its multi-media, high-tech, immersive and interactive digitised display of Darwin leading up to, during and after the first raids. It is a must see experience for anyone interested in Australia’s wartime history.

EARTH SANCTUARY – OUTBACK TO THE FUTURE – A STUDENT’S PERSPECTIVE – MELBOURNE STUDENT, AGE 15, 2014 What’s life like in the Australian outback? I had heard stories about the Northern Territory from my

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parents and teachers but I never really knew what to expect on my school camp to Alice Springs. I did know it was a long, long way away from home and the coast, and that I may even lose phone reception.

But what would eventually take place in the company of my classmates and teachers would prove to be life changing.

While in Alice Springs we spent our first afternoon and evening at the Earth Sanctuary exploring the region’s unique ecology and indigenous culture.

Our guides weaved conversations about land and culture, perception, survival and ceremony as we walked through native bush and watched the sunset over the ancient MacDonnell Ranges. While at the Earth Sanctuary, life back home felt like another planet away, we explored the interconnected worlds of various lizards, birds and marsupials and how the world’s oldest living culture thrived amidst the extreme weather and conditions. Did you know it snowed at Uluru/Ayers Rock in July 1997? Did you also know that it reached 45 degrees plus in the middle of summer and it can last for months? Now that’s extreme!

Later we explored sustainability in the past and the present through the responsible use of energy, water, shelter, food, utilities and how our wellbeing is deeply connected to our world-view, the way we think and the reasons why we think the way we do? Our class viewed solar and wind farms, geodesic domes and we even generated kinetic power from a bicycle to power lights.

The outback became my new home and classroom, finding bush foods and traditional medicine, making damper, navigating using the Southern Cross, finding the star Arcturus that some Aboriginals used to find foods. But nothing would ever prepare me for what would come next – sleeping under the Milky Way galaxy in my swag and losing count of the thousands of stars. As I lay there in my swag, my thoughts turned into dreams as all the big questions circled around me about the Earth, the galaxy and what great adventures lay ahead for my class tomorrow.

The outback is the best classroom in the world!

It’s so different from life anywhere; it made me think differently and appreciate that amongst our many differences we all have similar needs and wants. It’s challenging, but rewarding. My NT journey was the best ever!

Maruku@Uluru

Darwin FreeSpirit Resort

Nitmiluk Tours

Maruku@Uluru offer students hands on workshops with traditional Aboriginal artists and the opportunity to create their own art work. We explore the culture of the desert as well as the meaning of the various icons of the region including the animals, the landscape and a background to the stories of Uluru and Kata Tjuta.

Sessions can run either at Uluru or in Yulara. Students will can allow creativity to take hold when they produce an art piece that holds great meaning to them through patterns and shapes they have learnt from their Aboriginal artist, along with their own experiences from their excursion.

Only 17kms from Darwin city, we offer a range of accommodation options to suit travelling school groups. Resort facilities include; Elements Café (meal packages can be arranged), 3 Swimming pools, Jumping Cushion, Entertainment programs, BBQ areas and much more – it’s the ideal destination for your school’s Top End adventure! Please mention this ad when you call.

Nitmiluk Tours presents the ‘Footsteps of Our Ancestors’ immersion program based at Nitmiluk Gorge just outside of Katherine. Specifically designed for school groups in mind, this program encompasses the lifestyle, culture and traditions of the Jawoyn people by providing hands-on learning experiences for a range of group sizes and ages. The program can be catered to suit educational outcomes along with accommodation and catering packages if required.

08 8935 0888 Darwinfreespiritresort.com.au Crocodylus Park

08 8971 0877 nitmiluktours.com.au Darwin Military Museum

0499 829 635 maruku.com.au Austour

Let Austour bring your school excursion to life. Allow us to present new generation product for outback fun and learning. It’s what we have loved doing for many years and the Northern Territory is the perfect location for students to learn about and participate in Indigenous studies, the environment, landscapes, walking the Larapinta Trail, visiting communities and much, much more. Visit our website and see how we combine many new initiatives to make your itinerary meaningful, exciting and a true Austour Northern Territory Learning Adventure.

Crocodylus Park has added an eco-boat cruise to their impressive attraction.

The 45 minute cruise will take you around a constructed river system to view large crocodiles in their natural habitat. Your experienced guide will provide your students with an insight into the biology and ecology of these impressive animals, insights into other wildlife inhabiting the area, as well as learning about the native vegetation and its traditional uses.

Crocodylus Park is a perfect attraction for school groups to visit, with multiple learning outcomes of the Australian curriculum covered.

Crocodylus Park is located just five minutes from Darwin Airport and has its own bus stop, making it a must see in your Top End Adventure.

1800 335 009 austour.com.au

08 8922 4500 crocodyluspark.com.au

ntLearningAdventures.com

Darwin military museum, set on four acres of tropical gardens right by the sea, is a must see for student groups to learn a little bit about what life was like during the war years. The museum has also developed a very special ‘Defence of Darwin’ experience which includes immersive and interactive displays of the time leading up to, during and after the bombing of Darwin on the 19th February 1942, an extraordinary moment in Australian history. See the website for links to the Australian curriculum www.defenceofdarwin.nt. gov.au School group discounts apply!

08 8981 9702 darwinmilitarymuseum.com.au

Administration

Listening with intent – what your students can tell you about your practices OFTEN WHEN DELIVERING LESSONS TEACHERS CAN BE SO CAUGHT UP IN THE PROCESS THAT THEY FORGET TO STOP AND TRY TO PERCEIVE THE LEARNING’S IMPACT FROM THE EYES OF THEIR STUDENTS AND, WRITES ANTHONY SPERANZA, A TEACHER’S FUNDAMENTAL ROLE SHOULD BE TO EVALUATE THAT IMPACT ON THEIR STUDENTS USING A VARIETY OF SOURCES, INCLUDING WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF STUDENTS THEMSELVES.

During my seemingly short teaching career, there are two questions that I have constantly grappled with: ‘What makes an effective teacher?’, and to a greater extent, ‘How does one measure their effectiveness?’

In my opinion, John Hattie’s (2009) influential work in the study of what makes a difference in our classrooms, has made huge inroads into answering these complexities of teaching. It is with little surprise that Hattie’s work is gaining in worldwide popularity and momentum. His study represents the largest collection and analysis of evidence-based research which investigates what is actually working in schools when it comes to improving learning.

I became interested in Hattie’s work after his first major release, Visible learning: A synthesis of 800+ meta-analyses on achievement. After hearing him speak, I took a number of his principles into consideration, mainly in the areas of calculating effect sizes, providing quality feedback to students, and constructing meaningful learning intentions and success criteria with students.

In his second major release, Visible Learning for teachers: Maximizing impact on learning, Hattie presents eight ‘mind frames’ or ways of thinking that must underpin every action and decision made in schools and educational systems if they are striving to improve the quality of education. Hattie argues that teachers and leaders who develop these ways of thinking are more likely to have major impacts on student learning.

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8 MIND FRAMES OF TEACHERS, SCHOOL LEADERS, AND SYSTEMS 1. Teachers/leaders believe that their fundamental task is to evaluate the effect of their teaching on students learning and achievement.

2. Teachers/leaders believe that success and failure in student learning is about what they, as teachers or leaders, did or did not do…We are change agents!

3. Teachers/leaders want to talk more about the learning than the teaching.

4. T eachers/leaders see assessment as feedback about their impact.

5. Teachers/leaders engage in dialogue not monologue.

6. Teachers/leaders enjoy the challenge and never retreat to ‘doing their best’.

7. Teachers/leaders believe that it is their role to develop positive relationships in classrooms and staffrooms.

8. Teachers/leaders inform all about the language of learning.

(Hattie, 2012, pg 169)

PERSONAL HEALTH CHECK FOR VISIBLE LEARNING

“The power of honest feedback from the people who matter most in the classroom should never be underestimated.”

Mindframe 4, the idea that student assessment can be treated as feedback to the teacher, can be a hard pill to swallow for some teachers. It forces us to realise that every single student in our care has the capacity to learn, and that the teacher and school is responsible for facilitating that progress of each child. Too often, teachers tend to blame ‘undesirable’ outcomes or academic results on student absence, attitude to learning, or social / behavioural factors.

However, by believing that we, as teachers, can master ways to progress every child, we can begin to make decisions which will lead to actions that make this happen.

Hattie states that all schools can be optimised to esteem the positive impacts that can lead to improved student learning, and for teachers, ‘knowing thy impact’ becomes crucial in determining and understanding one’s own effectiveness. Hattie suggests that teachers administer the following ‘personal health check’ for the principles of what he calls ‘Visible Learning’.

More recently our school, St. Mark’s Primary School, was fortunate enough to participate in the Visible Learning Plus program; a guided change process of professional development and practice

1. I am actively engaged in, and passionate about teaching and learning.

2. I provide students with multiple opportunities for learning based on surface and deep thinking.

3. I know the learning intentions and success criteria of my lessons, and I share these with students.

4. I am open to learning and actively learn myself.

5. I have a warm and caring classroom climate where errors are welcome.

6. I seek regular feedback from my students.

7. M y students are actively involved in knowing about their learning (that is, they are assessment capable).

8. I can identify progression in learning across multiple curriculum levels in my students work and activities.

9. I have a range of teaching strategies in my day-to-day teaching repertoire.

10. I use evidence of learning to plan next learning steps with students.

(Hattie, 2012, pg 193)

which is based on Hattie’s work. One of the first topics of conversation, after being inducted into the program, was to complete the suggested checklist by Hattie.

For me, the point of seeking ‘regular feedback from my students’ particularly stood out. In the last few years I have come to realise the merit of asking students for feedback on my practise, but I determined that it should be increased in frequency, across multiple subjects or curriculum areas, and at various points of the teaching and learning cycle if I was to be the best teacher I could be.

In Bill Gates’ Ted Talk Teachers need real feedback (2013), Gates highlights the concern that despite teachers having one of the most important jobs in the world, many institutions and educational systems lack an effective approach to providing quality feedback to help teachers do their jobs better. He discusses his project Measures of

Effective Teaching, which works towards building quality teaching practices, by analysing classroom observations, conducting student surveys, and measuring student achievement gains; which seem to go a long way in allowing teachers to reflect on their practises.

I think that the problem of teacher reflection is that, every day, the minds of teachers are filled with processes to carry out and tasks to accomplish. We think about how we meet the needs of a variety of students, all-encompassing of learning, social and behavioural factors. We see our role as implementing curriculum that has links to content, outcomes and assessments. We plan and deliver lessons continually,

My teacher has made the learning objective and success criteria of the lesson clear to me Yes

My teacher made the learning objective and success criteria of the lesson clesr to me Yes Not sure - 2 No - 1

18 85.7%

Not sure 2 9.5% No

1 4.8%

Not sure No Were you successful today? How do you know?

Yes - 18

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Administration

occasionally reflecting in haste.

Often when delivering lessons, we are so caught up in the process that we forget to stop and try to perceive learning from the eyes of our students. We tend not to realise the direct impact on our students, and whilst in ‘teacher mode’, our fundamental role should be to evaluate that impact on our students using a variety of sources.

I believe that a powerful source in evaluating the impact of the teacher can be with the assistance of students themselves.

The power of honest feedback from the people who matter most in the classroom should never be underestimated. It takes a certain level of bravery, and a possible paradigm shift of ‘it’s my fault they are not learning, not theirs’ in student to teacher relations.

However, by listening intently to student voice, one can empower themselves to refined practises by constantly reflecting on their impact to improve.

In the past years I have been looking at ways of regularly seeking feedback from students. This has ranged from a variety of paper-based templates and tools to illicit anonymous and honest input from students. More recently, I have preferred to use electronic platforms with increased efficiency and effectiveness for gathering feedback.

Using Google Forms (a free online web survey collector) has been a great way to collect feedback from students. A form can be designed with a range

To what extent are your maths skills developing during these sessions?

Not at all A llittle Somewhat

of methods for collecting information, from short or long answers, to providing scales or multiple choices.

The form is sent to students who can complete the survey on any type of electronic device. Students can easily enter their feedback, and the collection for the teacher is an absolute breeze. At a glance, I can see all of the results and even manipulate the electronic data to filter results and understand trends. Reserving two minutes at the end of the class becomes really worthwhile, as you explain to students that their feedback will, in turn, make you a more effective teacher.

Below are some examples of questions with short answers that I ask students. They are designed to illicit interesting responses and give insights as to how the student views themselves, the topic, and the role of the teacher. I may ask only one question or several at a time: • What worked well today?

• What could be improved for next time?

• Were you successful today? If so, how do you know?

• Will you be able to use this learning later in life?

• What further questions do you have about ______?

• How much did you enjoy today’s lesson?

• How much did you learn in today’s lesson?

• What did you like about this lesson?

• To what extent do you feel that your skills in ______ are developing?

• How much have you learnt about ______ this week?

• What do you now understand better after having completing this topic?

• What would you like to learn more about in the next lesson?

• Was today’s lesson useful for you?

At other times, I prefer that students think about a

statement, and provide an answer to their agreement using a Likert scale: To what extent do you agree with the following statements?

• My teacher helps me to achieve.

• My teacher helps me understand the work.

• My teacher helps me to learn new things.

• My teacher sets goals that are challenging for me.

• My teacher’s lessons are interesting.

• My teacher makes me feel welcome in the class.

• My teacher gives clear instructions that are easy to follow.

• My teacher often gives me feedback about my work.

Often, text fields are given to students so that they can explain their reason for agreeing or disagreeing with the statement.

CONCLUSION There are many factors that contribute to the overall development of students. Influences such as parenting, family situations and social status all contribute to students’ learning. However, in most cases, the manipulation of these factors are completely out of our control.

Conversely, the quality of teacher practises that lead to student achievement in the classroom being the largest influence that we do have control of, can certainly be improved through reflection. Personally, I have found that seeking honest feedback from students has helped me to reflect and develop my own professional understanding into how I approach teaching and learning.

Sometimes when I read responses from students, I may be affirmed, surprised, or even laugh. On occasions, I have even been mortified! However, I can honestly say that every single piece of feedback that

A great deal Explain your answer briefly below. Why are they developing? Or why are they not developing?

To what extent are your maths skills developing during these sessions?

Somewhat - 16

A great slice - 9 Not at all - 0

A little - 16

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education matters secondary

Not at all

0 0%

A little

16 39%

Somewhat

16 39%

A great deal

9 22%

I have received from students has made me a better practitioner. I believe that great teachers are never afraid of inviting or facing difficult challenges. Most

importantly, inviting student feedback has helped me to become a better, more empowered, and reflective teacher every year.

My teacher helps me understand the work

1 2 3 4

Strongly Strongly Disagree Agree My teacher makes sure I am learning all the time

My teacher helps me understand the work 1

0 0%

2

27 11.3%

72

3

122 50.8%

48

4

91 37.9%

144

1 2 3 4

Strongly Strongly

120 96

24

Disagree Agree My teacher helps me to learn new things

1 2 3 4

Strongly Strongly

0 1

2

3

Disagree Agree

4

My teacher makes sure I am learning all the time 105

1

3 1.3%

84

2

32 13.3%

3

102 42.5%

4

103 42.9%

63 42 21 0 1

2

3

4

My teacher helps me to learn new things 1

7 2.9%

2

35 14.5%

63

3

92 38.3%

42

4

106 44.2%

126 105 84

21 0 1

2

3

4

References Cantrell, S., & Kane, T. (2013). Ensuring fair and reliable measures of effective teaching: Culminating findings from the MET project’s three-year study. MET Project Research Paper. Retreived from http://metproject.org/downloads/MET_Ensuring_Fair_and_Reliable_ Measures_Practitioner_Brief.pdf Gates, B. (2013). Bill Gates: Teachers need real feedback [Video file]. Retreived from https://www.ted.com/talks/bill_gates_teachers_ need_real_feedback Hattie, J. (2009). Visible learning: A synthesis of 800+ meta-analyses on achievement. Abingdon: Routledge.

Hattie, J. (2012). Visible learning for teachers: Maximizing impact on learning. Abingdon: Routledge.

education matters secondary

Anthony Speranza is the ICT Teaching & Learning Leader at St. Mark’s Primary School in Dingley, Victoria. During his time at St. Mark’s, he has established several digital literacy initiatives, developed cyber-safety and global citizenship programs, and introduced multimedia software and hardware into P-6 classrooms. Currently he is implementing a 1:1 Chromebook Program and is supporting teachers and students from Years Prep to 6 to utilise Google Apps for Education. He is an authorised Google Education Trainer, Google Certified Teacher, and the recipient of the 2014 DLTV Educator of the Year as awarded by Digital Learning and Teaching Victoria. He is passionate about contemporary spaces, pedagogies, and collaborative practices amongst educators.

Anthony is an avid speaker at the local, state, national and international level.

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Industry Q & A

New AEU President weighs in on education sector THE AUSTRALIAN EDUCATION UNION’S NEW FEDERAL PRESIDENT, CORRENA HAYTHORPE, SPEAKS EXCLUSIVELY WITH EDUCATION MATTERS MAGAZINE.

WHAT PLANS DOES THE AUSTRALIAN EDUCATION UNION (AEU) HAVE TO EDUCATE WIDER PUBLIC ON GONSKI REFORMS AND THE BENEFIT OF THEIR IMPLEMENTATION IN LEAD UP TO THE 2016 ELECTION? The issue of school funding is an issue that parents and the community understand, particularly with respect to making sure that their schools have the resources that they need in place. Because we’ve been campaigning now for some years to get Gonski school funding reform in place, we have developed a very broad network of people and have over 130,000 who are a part of our subscriber community and are supporters of our campaign. So in the lead up

to the next federal election we plan to engage those people to engage their networks, friends, and family to make sure we can reignite the awareness around the importance of needs-based funding being in place to make sure that all children across Australia have the resource that they need to achieve a high educational outcome.

New South Wales and South Australia in particular have made a full implementation of Gonski. We have five states that signed up to the National Education Reform agreement and just after the previous federal election the Abbot Government made a deal with the other states which really was a deal that meant that those states did not have the same

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Former primary school teacher and Australian Education Union SA Branch President, Correna Haythorpe, took over as President of the Union from Angelo Gavrielatos in February 2015.

Correna spent 17 years as a teacher in public primary schools, mainly in low-SES areas of northern Adelaide and Port Pirie, in South Australia.

She became active in the SA branch of the union in the 1990s and served as Women’s Officer for the SA branch, focusing on paid maternity leave and better conditions for female teachers, before serving as President from 2008 to 2013.

She led the union through a long-running industrial dispute with the SA Government as well as organising the “I Give a Gonski” and “Stop TAFE Cuts” campaigns. She took on the additional role of Deputy Federal President of the AEU in 2013, working closely with former Federal President Angelo Gavrielatos and Federal Secretary Susan Hopgood.

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Industry Q & A

level of accountability and transparency around the funding. So it really is very different in terms of what happening around Australia with the Gonski implementation.

In states that have put the money into schools and state governments that have made that full commitment in terms of the funding, we’re seeing the very real benefit now of programs put in place in those schools. Support programs or support staff that have been employed, and children receiving that one-on-one help that they need to make sure they can achieve the best education outcomes possible. So parents in some schools communities are seeing the benefit and they can tell the story in the lead up to the election about what’s possible when we have needs-based funding in place in our schools – and it’s going to be a very positive story. Our big challenge of course is getting those states that have not yet implemented the full Gonski principles to actually commit to doing so and that the Abbott Government commits to making sure that they fund Years 5 and 6.

LOOKING AT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT’S RECENT FOCUS ON IMPROVING GRADUATE TEACHERS, HOW IMPORTANT DO YOU THINK THIS FOCUS IS? IS IT THE RIGHT DIRECTION FOR IMPROVING STUDENT OUTCOMES? We stand for quality in terms of initial teacher education and we believe it’s vitally important that students have access to high-quality teaching courses and that those courses provide them with the particular expertise they need to be classroom ready at the end of that study. Reforms of the sector are vitally important, however, the recent Teacher Education Ministerial Advisory Group report didn’t go far enough.

The report identified that there were many teaching courses that were not meeting the national standard and that for us is a huge concern because if students are participating in those courses how can they be reassured that they are going to be classroom ready at the end of that process? The report made a recommendation that there should be a national regulator in place to ensure that these courses meet national standards but that was rejected by [Federal Education] Minister Pyne and we think that’s very disappointing because we do believe there is cause for a national regulator to

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lift the quality of those courses. It’s also very, very important for people to have ongoing support whilst they’re studying and I know there was a headline issue around literacy and numeracy tests for student teachers at the end of their course. We think it’s very important not to focus on a single test but that students actually have access to ongoing support during their course and ongoing assessment. They need to have access to that so they can work out what changes they need to put in place and what skills and expertise they need to develop to become classroom ready.

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT ONE OF THE MAIN RECOMMENDATIONS BEING A SPECIALISATION FOR PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS WITH A FOCUS ON STEM AND LANGUAGES? The reality is in many primary schools across the country there are already specialist teaching programs in place. We think it’s important for teachers to have access to broad curriculum expertise, that’s very important for a child’s development as a whole, but you can’t implement provisions around having specialist teachers in place without looking at the resources that will need to be in place to support that.

One of the things that we would like to see is a two-year post-graduate degree and we think that that will provide additional time for student teachers to take up a specialist teaching course, but also it would provide time to make sure that student teachers spend a greater amount of time in classrooms.

It’s not about an education degree being purely post-graduate but we think there needs to be a compensation right across the nation with the education sector about post-graduate study. If you have a look in South Australia the government there has announced that new teachers there will do a Master’s degree by 2020. Now that’s one way forward and there may be other avenues for universities to consider and be very open to be a part of the conversation about what post-graduate study can look like.

THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS ALSO PUT SUPPORT FOR SCHOOL PRINCIPALS BACK ON THE AGENDA RECENTLY. WHAT WAY DO YOU THINK IS

education matters secondary

BEST TO ADD GREATER SUPPORT TO PRINCIPALS IN SCHOOLS CONDUCTING THEIR DAILY WORK? We have many principals that are members of our union and we work very closely with them particularly around issues of workload and education leadership. Principals want to be educational leaders in their schools, they want to be driving curriculum change and supporting their teachers, their support staff and their school communities to achieve the best outcomes possible. There is no doubt, and there are many studies that have been run recently, which have demonstrated that the workload of principals is escalating. We support high-standards for leadership but we think there needs to be some recognition of the additional resources that principals need, the ongoing professional development that they need and also the mentoring and support that they need to be fantastic educational leaders.

GOING BACK TO LATE LAST YEAR AND LOOKING AT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT’S REVIEW OF THE AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM AND ITS KEY RECOMMENDATIONS – HOW CONFIDENT ARE YOU OF ITS IMPLEMENTATION? Let’s not forget that the Review of the Australian Curriculum was implemented at a time when full curriculum rollout had not been completed. In the first instance we had significant concerns about reviewing a curriculum that had yet to be fully implemented, and around the country in many

states and territories there was a timeline in terms of curriculum implementation, and in particular the secondary sector had some curriculum areas that were being implemented this year and in 2016. So that in itself was an issue, reviewing something that’s not been fully-established.

There were a number of recommendations of the review. I think the one that is interesting refers to the over-crowding of the curriculum.

Whilst particularly in the primary sector many educators would say that there is an issue with respect to over-crowding of the curriculum, we would be concerned about some of the discussion around removing things such as sustainability and climate change and environmental issues from the curriculum. We believe very strongly in educating the whole child. Numeracy and literacy skills are vitally important but we also want school students to be active participants in society and have a broad understand of issues such as climate change and other things that could affect their life after school.

The states are already well on their way in terms of implementing the Australian Curriculum, so that is happening. There has already been an intense process between the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) and education professionals working in the field to road test the curriculum and to get things in place. Our concern is that reviewing something that had not been fully implemented has not actually allowed

people to have the capacity to participate in a review in a reflective way because really you’ve got to see how the curriculum is implemented, what sort of issues might arise at a classroom level, and if it’s not implemented then I would question how you can do that.

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE RECOMMENDED RESTRUCTURE OF ACARA SO IT IS “AT ARM’S LENGTH” FROM EDUCATION MINISTERS AND THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT? I think ACARA has had a key role to play in terms of not only the curriculum development but the implementation of that and it is an organisations that is respected in the field and we think there is still a strong future for ACARA to lead the work around curriculum development.

LATEST FIGURES FROM THE PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION CONFIRM THAT AT LEAST 100,000 STUDENTS WITH DISABILITY ARE NOT GETTING SUPPORT IN SCHOOLS. ARE WE LIKELY TO SEE AN

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INCREASE IN THIS SUPPORT FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT? The issue around students with a disability is absolutely critical. We’ve been through a national disability data collection process to work out how many additional students actually require funding.

That was a commitment that was made by the Federal Government through the implementation of Gonski school funding reform. What the Abbott Government has done has put that funding on hold and said the disability loading will not be implemented until 2016. So we know that we’ve got an additional 100,000 children in the sector who are currently not receiving the resources that they need in our schools. We are very concerned about this and we believe it’s a vital issue that must be addressed in the May budget by the Abbott Government because we want to see the commitment to the disability loading in place so that those children and their families can be reassured that the resources are in place for them in school.

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Education Matters

What makes a good school? What makes a good teacher?

THE CREATION OF GOOD SCHOOLS IS A LONG-TERM PROCESS AND A GOOD SCHOOL IS AN AGGREGATION OF GOOD CLASSROOMS IN WHICH EFFECTIVE TEACHING AND LEARNING ARE TAKING PLACE, WRITES DAVID ZYNGIER. Which of the following may be the most complex or difficult task to achieve? a. Sending rockets into the space; b. Making an artificial heart; c. Making the fastest super computer; or, d. E nsuring real academic excellence of EACH student in EVERY classroom in your school?

The answer of course is (d) as all the other choices have already been achieved and even surpassed. Yet ensuring that every child maximises his or her learning and potential in every classroom in Australia is far from being achieved and is becoming more and more difficult.

The Gonski Review was all about how the inputs can be configured in different ways so that all children can have access to the best possible education, regardless of where they live, the income of their family or the school they attend.

As Jane Caro, writer, media commentator, lecturer and co-author of What Makes a Good School? tells us: Parents spend a great deal of time and energy justifying their choice of school but I’ll let you into a little secret known only to the advertising industry. All purchase decisions (and choice of school is a purchase decision whether you pay fees or not) are made emotionally and then post-rationalised. So all that stuff you tell yourself about reputation, discipline, gifted and talented programs etc. may be comforting but it’s not really why you choose a school.

The differences between most schools are largely cosmetic. Compare two superficially very different girls’ high schools. The first school was a high-fee, prestigious private girls school, the second a bog standard public girls’ high school in the same

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suburb. Apart from the richness of racial and religious backgrounds in the public school, the difference between the intelligence, literacy and behaviour of the girls in what many would call a ‘good’ school and many a ‘not-so-good’ one was non-existent1.

IT TAKES TIME The creation of good schools is a long-term process. A good school is an aggregation of good classrooms in which effective teaching and learning are taking place – quality of classroom learning: • I ntellectual quality that produces deep understanding of concepts, skills and ideas.

•A supportive classroom environment characterised by positive relationships where learning is expected and supported.

•C onnectedness and significance: learning needs to be meaningful to students and as much as possible anchored to their needs and passions.

• E ngaging with student diversity: the most powerful lever for disadvantaged students.

CHOICE Choice makes people anxious and too much choice makes people unhappy.

Market and advertising make us believe that the more you pay the better the school – the adage that if you pay peanuts you get monkeys – however the greater the hurdle doesn’t mean the school is any better.

Jane Caro suggests that the choices can be compared to supermarket shopping – the brand name products compared to the plain label – ignore the superficial marketing hype and fancy exteriors but

carefully compare the contents – usually like schools the contents are equivalent.

We’ll always need to dig underneath the advocacy, the labels and the hype. When all factors are taken into account, there is a surprising lack of any significant relationship between different school types and levels of student achievement. Whatever the label, management and governance, most schools teach the same centralised curriculum with similarly trained teachers catering for mainstream students.

Some schools work hard to satisfy deeply held but often dated beliefs about what makes a good school – beliefs held not only by parents but also by grandparents who are often a soft touch for school fees.

IT’S ALL ABOUT WHO YOU ARE! If you want to know how your child will turn out – look in the mirror! The family background and parents have the absolute greatest influence on student outcomes, then the teacher, the principal, school resources and finally the child’s peers.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT SCHOOL When choosing a school parents operate on two levels. They are concerned about the levels of student

“In highly effective schools, principals are in constant and meaningful communication with the school community and work to build partnerships beyond the school in pursuit of the school’s objectives.”

achievement in their chosen range of schools but, above this, they want to know about the social profile of the students already enrolled at each school. As parents, our concern about schools is often about who our kids will sit next to in class.

This isn’t an easy task: just about everyone has an agenda as well as an opinion. As Federal Education Minister Christopher Pyne said we are all experts when it comes to education, “because we all have been to school!”

The differences between schools don’t amount to a great deal in educational terms. But there is no

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shortage of schools with special titles or labels that are apparently able to levitate student achievement, produce well-rounded citizens and ease our mounting anxieties as parents. There are endless debates about the merits of single-sex versus co-ed schools, public versus private, specialist versus comprehensive, religious versus secular, nearby versus distant, big versus small – and more recently, locally versus centrally controlled. Once you account for differences in inputs and advantages – including students, teachers and resources – the labels don’t add up to much at all.

The real social and academic differences between our schools are grounded in the family and social profiles of enrolled students. There is nothing new about that, but it is concerning that such differences are widening in our quasi-market school system.

Nor is it new that the achievement of students is primarily generated by home background; in this respect Australia resembles the pattern found across the OECD. But Australia is different in a key respect: far more of our disadvantaged kids go to schools alongside their peers, and most advantaged kids are in schools with other advantaged kids. We are compounding, not reducing, the impact of socioeducational status.

ANY SCHOOL CAN BE A GOOD SCHOOL Any school can be a good school, one in which effective teaching and authentic learning are nurtured and constantly developed to help students achieve.

The challenge for parents is to discover the real depth of student engagement and learning. In the process they have to reserve judgment about such things as raw test scores, student ranks, neat and full workbooks, docile students in neat rows and hours of homework.

Principals and teachers in good schools will talk about effective learning and what constitutes good teaching — in particular how professional teacher knowledge, practice and engagement works in their schools. Good teachers know their students and their subject matter, are themselves learners and work alongside colleagues to improve practice across the school.

1. G ood schools have strong and effective school leaders whose primary focus is on establishing a culture of learning throughout the school. The school is organised, and resources are allocated, in

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pursuit of this overarching purpose. The principal, with the support of the school leadership team, drives the development of school policies and sets and articulates goals for school improvement.

• A high priority is placed on professional learning, leadership and collaboration among all school staff. In highly effective schools, principals are in constant and meaningful communication with the school community and work to build partnerships beyond the school in pursuit of the school’s objectives. The principal must have the respect of students, parents, and staff with a vision, high expectations, and the ability to help others succeed. This person must be able understand people, and motivate them, creating a positive attitude throughout the building.

• Successful schools have a sense of trust built on the back of an honest and caring leader.

Many factors go into helping a child become a productive adult, and there is no way one assessment a year can measure success or failure. The fact that so many people believe that one test on a couple of mornings can determine school quality, teacher quality, and student learning shows an alarming lack of understanding in what makes a good school.

• This factory model of assessment would have been great 50 years ago, when schools were modelled after and trained students for work in factories. However, that day has long passed.

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Leaders in education need to look at what it takes for students to succeed and help create schools to educate the students of today and tomorrow.

2. In good schools learning is seen as the central purpose of school and takes precedence over everything else. They have the highest expectations for and of the school, teachers and students. High expectations are set for student learning, whether in classrooms or other learning contexts. There is a deep belief in the ability of every student to learn and to achieve high standards with appropriate and sensitive teaching. Class time is used as learning time; classrooms are calm and busy; and interruptions to learning are discouraged.

Outstanding schools recognise and celebrate successful learning and high achievement. Only the best is good enough. Quality is expected, and nothing less is acceptable. Passion for excellence is a driving force each and every day. A good school has an involved staff working together, pushing themselves and their students to be the best. Failure is not an option for the teacher or the students.

3. I n good schools, teachers have a thorough and up-to-date knowledge of their subjects and a deep understanding of how students learn particular subjects.

• The best teachers work to improve their ability to teach. They read and explore the techniques used by others in a never-ending effort to better

themselves and their skill. Effective teaching demands that the teacher be knowledgeable in the subject area. The teachers must have a detailed understanding of what is being taught.

• This understanding includes an appreciation of how learning typically proceeds in a subject and of the kinds of misunderstandings learners commonly develop. In these schools, teachers know their students well: their individual interests, backgrounds, motivations and learning styles. These schools insist on the mastery of foundational skills such as reading and numeracy, and also work to encourage high levels of critical thinking, creativity, problem solving and teamwork.

• Teachers in good schools encourage students to accept responsibility for their own learning and teach them how to continue learning throughout life. Students’ abilities and needs are different.

To effectively teach all students, the school staff must understand this. The teaching and interactions with students must reflect the needs of each, with the understanding of each as an individuals.

4. Good schools are characterised by outstanding school cultures. Most importantly students want to be there! Effective schools have a warm climate.

Students feel welcome and know that the staff cares about them. Although there is pressure to perform, it comes in a way that promotes learning, with an expectation that students will excel and the support is provided to make it happen. In these schools students have a sense of belonging and pride.

• They enjoy learning and are engaged and challenged. The school provides a physical and social setting that is safe, well organised and caring.

• Values of respect, tolerance and inclusion are promoted throughout the school and cultural and religious diversity are welcomed and celebrated. In such schools there is a strong commitment to a culture of learning and continuous improvement and an ongoing search for information and knowledge that can be used to improve on current practice.

•N o two classes, or two students are identical. A good school has teachers that understand this and differ instruction to best help students be the successful. Key concepts are presented in

ways to enable visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners grasp it. Students are actively involved in learning with a variety of opportunities to grasp key concepts.

•D iscipline should not be an issue. Students must respect others and failure to do so cannot be tolerated. Students must understand school and class rules and expectations, and adhere to them. When discipline is necessary, it is not vindictive, but just a consequence when a student does not do what is required.

5. Good schools have well-developed systems for evaluating and monitoring their performance.

• They promote a culture of self-evaluation and reflection and collect and use data to inform decision making at all levels.

• They recognise the importance of providing meaningful performance information to a range of stakeholders, including parents.

• These schools place a high priority on the early identification and remediation of gaps and difficulties in student learning.

• They give timely feedback to students in forms that can be used to guide further learning, and they encourage students to develop skills in monitoring their own progress.

6. Good schools have high levels of parent and community involvement.

• P arents are encouraged to take an active role in discussing, monitoring and supporting their children’s learning.

• P arents are involved in setting goals for the school and in developing school policies. The school itself is seen as an important part of the local community and these schools often find ways to involve business and community leaders in the work of the school, as well as to establish partnerships with other agencies and businesses to advance school goals.

•N ot all parents have the same expectations of schools and parents often have different priorities for their children. But research suggests that parents have a shared interest in seeing their children attend school. They also look to schools to promote values such as respect for others, honesty, tolerance, fairness and the pursuit of excellence.

REFERENCE 1. http://splash.abc.net.au/newsandarticles/blog//b/209194/no-school-is-perfect

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Dr David Zyngier was a teacher and principal, and now is a senior lecturer in curriculum and pedagogy at Monash University, Australia. His research focuses on teacher pedagogies that engage all students but, in particular, how can these improve outcomes for students from communities of disadvantage. In 2012 he was awarded an Australian Research Council fellowship of $365,000 to research Democracy and Education. He is Co-director (with Dr Paul Carr) of the Global Doing Democracy Research Project, an international project examining perspectives and perceptions of democracy in education to develop a robust and critical democratic education with over 60 researchers in 20 countries. A book based on that research, Can Education make a difference? Experimenting with, and experiencing, democracy in Education, was published in June 2012. The ruMAD Program which he developed with teachers in 2001 was awarded the Garth Boomer Prize in 2009 for its excellence in collaborative teaching and learning. He developed the E-LINCs (Enhanced Learning through Networked Communities) program, winner of two prestigious School’s First Awards, in 2010 $25,000 seed grant and a National Impact Award of $50,000 in 2011.

This project researches new approaches and innovative solutions to student disengagement using grass roots partnerships rather than top down government interventions. Dr Zyngier received a $22,000 grant from the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development and a $30,000 grant from the Telematics Trust to pilot an on-line mentoring of graduate teachers in 2010-2012. Dr Zyngier was awarded an Erasmus Mundi Fellowship from the European Union to study in Paris in 2014. He is also on the editorial board of a number of prestigious education journals and a regular commentator for The Conversation and an expert commentator for the Australian Council of Education Leaders’ online journal.

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Marketing

Which school?

WHEN IT COMES THE TIME FOR PARENTS TO ASK THIS QUESTION, HOW DOES YOUR SCHOOL RATE? GOOD MARKETING CAN ENSURE YOUR SCHOOL’S MESSAGE WILL GET INTO THE HANDS OF POTENTIAL FUTURE STUDENTS AND PARENTS, WRITES KATHRYN EDWARDS.

In Australia parents are empowered with the choice over where to send their children to school.

Parents have the flexibility to choose any school within their budget – be it big or small, near or far, religious or non-religious – and at any stage during their child’s schooling years. It could be the local primary school for their child’s primary years, and then off to a boarding school for their child’s secondary years. Or perhaps the local high school and then a private college for years 11 and 12.

If you want to enter a parent’s mind during their decision making process good marketing and a strong word of mouth is paramount.

Managing director of publishing company Prime Creative, John Murphy, says it is critical for schools to have a solid marketing campaign to support its reputation and word of mouth within the community.

“The importance of professional marketing cannot be underestimated. In this day and age people reference opinions and ideas from numerous sources. Word of mouth is strong but so is the web, print, radio, television and other mediums.”

“The importance of professional marketing cannot be underestimated,” he said. “In this day and age people reference opinions and ideas from numerous sources. Word of mouth is strong but so is the web, print, radio, television and other mediums.

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“Deciding on which school to choose for your child is an important decision and as parents you want to be well informed – I know this from personal experience as my children are approaching high school age – so it makes sense

IN THIS ISSUE Alternative Schools Choosing the Right School International Baccalaureate Principally Speaking: St Margaret’s and Berwick Grammar School

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for schools to professionally and consistently market their point of difference and position in the marketplace, to set out exactly what their values are, and for parents to decide if this is the right school for their child.”

Murphy adds that reputable school guides, such as Prime Creative’s WhichSchool?, form a successful part of a school’s multi-platform marketing strategy as they provide all the relevant information a parent is looking for in one place.

“It also gives schools the opportunity to communicate where their values and priorities sit,” he said.

Neil Pierson, storyteller at the Centre for Marketing Schools, said parents want to know what is unique about your school and who they are entrusting the care of their children to.

“When it comes to school marketing schools should focus on one or two ways, do it well and then add others, rather than being overwhelmed by all the choices.”

Prime Creative is the publisher of Education Matters. For more information visit: www.primecreative.com.au

Take advanTage of the modern media landscape Today’s parents are informing themselves on their education choices through a variety of media – websites, apps, print magazines and more.

WhichSchool? engages all of these modern mediums of communication and is now encouraging schools to take advantage of these options by facilitating the creation of your own customised content.

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