The Educator 4.04

EDUCATORONLINE.COM.AU ISSUE 4.04

HOT LIST Meet 53 influencers who are reinventing the education landscape in Australia

LESSONS FROM THE FARM How Sydney’s James Ruse Agricultural High School cultivates self-sufficiency

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A CHAT WITH ANTHONY MACKAY The education leader outlines how schools can meet today’s most pressing challenges

LEARNING HOW TO TEACH STEM Initiatives that help principals introduce meaningful STEM learning

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ISSUE 4.04

CONNECT WITH US Got a story, suggestion, or just want to find out some more information?

CONTENTS

HOT LIST

18

twitter.com/TheEducatorAU www.facebook.com/TheEducatorAU

UPFRONT 02 Editorial

FEATURES

16

PASSION AND PURPOSE

The Educator sat down with education leader Anthony Mackay to get his thoughts on where the profession should go from here

42

SPECIAL REPORT

HOT LIST 2018

Australian Principal of the Year Diane Robertson is raising the bar on special education in Australia

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Educators react to the Gonski 2.0 report

04 Statistics

How schools are using social media to reach a wider audience

06 News analysis

A University of Adelaide project aims to level the playing field in schools’ digital technologies curriculum

08 Technology update

Are girls’ schools better at preparing female students for tech careers?

10 Learning and development update

FEATURES FEATURES

MAKING A PROFOUND DIFFERENCE

03 Head to head

A new initiative arms principals with the skills to implement STEM programs

From introducing cutting-edge STEM programs to arming students with real-world skills, these 53 education leaders are transforming Australian schooling

PEOPLE

Taking time to celebrate industry successes

EXCELLENCE ACROSS THE BOARD

At James Ruse Agricultural High School, consistently high HSC results are just the beginning

38 Choose, commit, succeed

The MGSE master of education program combines globally ranked academics with personalised flexibility

PEOPLE 48 Career path

Alexandra Hills State High School principal Gail Armstrong was born to lead

44 FEATURES

FUTUREPROOFING EDUCATION

Christine Ure explains how Deakin University is preparing teachers to succeed in today’s classrooms

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UPFRONT

EDITORIAL www.educatoronline.com.au

Celebrating education’s best

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ow and then, the names of principals, teachers and their schools are splashed across the front pages of national newspapers – often because of a scandal. However, at the inaugural Australian Education Awards in August, a warm and appreciative spotlight shone down on 232 outstanding Australian educators who were recognised for the profound difference they’re making to the lives of young people. Of the nominees, 153 made it into the finalists’ list, and of that impressive talent pool, 24 inspiring and hardworking individuals were declared Australian Education Award winners.

As school leaders, department heads and teachers cheered on their colleagues, clinked glasses in celebratory fashion and later danced the night away, the many pressures of the job became a distant memory. Being there on the night to interview the ecstatic winners and hear their uplifting stories was not only an honour, but also an inspiring glimpse into the ways Australian schooling is transforming for the better.

The amazing work being done across all three schooling sectors is making a meaningful and lasting impact on the lives of young people across Australia Across the spectrum of K-12 education, there is a sense of cautious optimism that education reforms – ranging from school funding to professional support for teachers and principals – will improve the quality of teaching and learning in Australian classrooms. However, there are also concerns that they will create more work for an already time-poor profession. Whatever you might think about the impact of the government’s education reforms, one thing is for sure: the amazing work being done across all three schooling sectors is making a meaningful and lasting impact on the lives of young people across Australia.

Leading from the front in this noble endeavour is a talented pool of educators who are going above and beyond to make sure this inspiring work continues. The Educator’s annual Hot List, which you can find on page 18, is our effort to recognise 53 of these movers and shakers in Australian education.

Surrounded by constant reminders of the exceptional ongoing efforts of Australian educators, it remains a privilege to oversee The Educator. I wish you all the best for the remainder of the year and a happy and healthy 2019.

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 EDITORIAL Editor Brett Henebery Journalists Tom Goodwin Abel Riototar Contributors Mark Meredith Production Editor Clare Alexander

ART & PRODUCTION Designer Joenel Salvador Production Manager Alicia Chin Traffic Coordinator Freya Demegilio

SALES & MARKETING Marketing & Communications Manager Michelle Lam Business Development Manager Dominic Tusa

CORPORATE Chief Executive Officer Mike Shipley Chief Operating Officer George Walmsley Managing Director Justin Kennedy Chief Information Officer Colin Chan Human Resources Manager Julia Bookallil

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Copyright is reserved throughout. No part of this publication can be reproduced in whole or part without the express permission of the editor. Contributions are invited, but copies of work should be kept, as the magazine can accept no responsibility for loss

Brett Henebery, editor

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UPFRONT

HEAD TO HEAD

Will Gonski 2.0 lift educational standards?

The federal government says its sweeping review into the education system will improve schools, but not all agree

Dr Kevin Donnelly

Dr Jane Hunter

Wendy Johnson

Senior research fellow Australian Catholic University

Senior lecturer, School of Education University of Technology, Sydney

Gonski 2.0 panel member and principal Glenunga International High School

“There’s no doubt that the federal government’s endorsement of the Gonski 2.0 recommendations will guarantee Australian students continue to underperform in international TIMSS, PISA and PIRLS tests.

One reason why educational standards have failed to improve, especially in literacy, numeracy and science, and why so many students leave school culturally illiterate, is because of failed education fads like personalised learning, formative assessment based on a developmental continuum and emphasising general capabilities. Instead of basing policy on evidence-based research, Gonski 2.0 simply repeats the mistakes of the past.”

“I feel very conflicted about Gonski 2.0 and its comments about pedagogy, curriculum, assessment and reporting.

I am more aligned with the first Gonski report on the equitable redistribution of needs-based, sector-agnostic funding.

This latest report places emphasis on personalisation of learning, increasing measurement and the dreaded ‘it can be fixed’ agenda for increasing impact.

The irony that does not escape me in all of this is that when measurement in schools was scaled up, Australia’s education standing – or at least as far as various ‘tables’ told us – fell. Most principals and teachers are already doing much of what Gonski 2.0 proposes.”

“If every student demonstrated 12 months’ worth of learning every year, then standards would lift dramatically.

To achieve this goal, every teacher needs a consistent means of continuously tracking each student’s learning against the national curriculum. Teachers could then design learning more precisely.

This technology-enabled targeted approach, coupled with every student mapping their knowledge and skills development, would engage far more students in the process of learning.

Families could see their children’s learning progressions mapped against key goals, and they would better understand their learning achievements.”

GONSKI 2.0’S RECOMMENDATIONS Earlier this year, the Gonski 2.0 review panel delivered its final report, entitled Through Growth to Achievement: Report of the Review to Achieve Educational Excellence in Australian Schools, calling for an extra $23bn in funding to Australian schools over the next 10 years. The panel, which was appointed by the federal government in July 2017, recommends that schools shift away from a year-based curriculum to one expressed as ‘learning progressions’, independent of year of age. The panel also highlighted a need to make teaching and school leadership professions more attractive, with clearer career pathways and better recognition of expertise.

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FEATURE / BROKER EDUCATION UPFRONT

STATISTICS

Schools and social media

BENEFITS OF SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING Increased exposure and increased traffic are the two main benefits schools have seen from their social media marketing efforts. Social media has also allowed schools to create loyal fans, better generate leads and reduce their overall marketing expenses.

Schools are increasingly relying on social media to market themselves to parents DESPITE CONCERNS about students’ use of social media at school, platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube are having a major impact on how schools market themselves to parents. In a recent survey of schools around the world, 93% agreed that social media marketing is important to their school, while 91% said social media has generated increased exposure.

93%

of schools believe social media marketing is important

66%

have used social media in their marketing for more than four years

An overwhelming majority of schools (86%) reported that Facebook is their key social media platform, and 99% said they rely primarily on visual assets such as images and video for content. The latter is likely to see more growth in the near future: 85% of schools said they plan to increase their use of video in social media marketing, while 49% said they aim to use more live video.

65%

20%

of schools spend more than five hours a week on social media marketing

said social media marketing has gotten harder over the last 12 months

Source: School Marketing and Social Media Survey 2018, Imageseven

FAVOURITE PLATFORMS

MEASURING EFFECTIVENESS

Facebook is by far schools’ most preferred social media platform – nearly all of the schools surveyed said they had used it in the last 12 months.

While 69% of schools reported that they analyse their social media marketing, only 42% felt they could clearly measure the return on investment their efforts produced. Still, a majority felt their efforts are making an impact; only a quarter said they were uncertain whether their Facebook marketing is effective or not.

WHICH SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS HAVE YOU USED IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS?

7%

Strongly agree Disagree

3%

Agree Uncertain Strongly disagree

100%

39%

21%

80%

IS YOUR FACEBOOK MARKETING EFFECTIVE?

60%

4%

DO YOU REGULARLY ANALYSE YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING?

0%

Source: School Marketing and Social Media Survey 2018, Imageseven

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15% 25% 36%

33%

25%

20%

17%

2%

30%

40%

7%

36%

ARE YOU ABLE TO MEASURE THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT OF YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING? Source: School Marketing and Social Media Survey 2018, Imageseven

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Increased exposure Increased traffic Developed loyal fans Generated leads Reduced marketing expenses Improved search rating Provided marketplace insight Established thought leadership Grown school partnerships Improved sales No benefit

0%

10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Source: School Marketing and Social Media Survey 2018, Imageseven

LOOKING AHEAD

SOCIAL MEDIA CURIOSITIES

When asked how their social media marketing might change in the future, schools continued to express a clear preference for Facebook – 62% said they planned to increase their use of the social network. However, an even greater proportion of schools (66%) reported that they’re looking to bolster their presence on Instagram.

In terms of the social media content schools want to learn more about, podcasting and live video topped the list, followed by blogs.

Increase usage

Maintain usage

Decrease usage

Never used

No plan to use

1%

50% 40%

36%

62%

30%

1% 25% 66%

14%

11% 8%

20%

1% 46% 33%

30% 37%

9% 14% 6% 9% 15% Source: School Marketing and Social Media Survey 2018, Imageseven

10% 0%

49%

49%

Podcasts Live video

25%

17%

Blogs

Video

3% Visual/ images

Source: School Marketing and Social Media Survey 2018, Imageseven

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FEATURE / BROKER EDUCATION UPFRONT

NEWS ANALYSIS

Bridging barriers with tech STEM will play a critical role in the future workforce, but disadvantaged students often lack the resources to thrive in this area. One program is helping to change that

SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, engineering and maths [STEM] skills have been identified as being critical to the 21st-century workplace.

However, studies have shown a gradual decline in student participation in these subjects in high school, raising fears of a possible tech skills gap at a time when industries such as robotics, defence and science are thriving.

To address the obvious issues this raises, the University of Adelaide’s Computer Science Education Research Group [CSER] launched its Digital Technologies MOOC program in

Education Department. A big part of the program’s appeal is that the online access and flexible nature of the course make it possible for people living in rural and remote areas to participate in sustained, high-quality PD and to interact with fellow professionals.

CSER recently partnered with FIRST Australia, an organisation that inspires young people to become science and technology leaders by engaging them in mentorbased programs that build STEM skills.

Research shows that FIRST participants are

“We are developing students to be problem-solvers and creators of technology, rather than just consumers” Dr Rebecca Vivian, University of Adelaide Computer Science Education Research Group 2014. The program supports Australian teachers to build confidence and skill in the new digital technologies curriculum and helps them to engage students in STEM education. The program has some notable collaborators and supporters, including Google Australia & New Zealand, ACARA, ESA, Digital Careers, CSIRO and the Federal

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significantly more likely to show a greater interest in STEM and the careers associated with it. They are also more likely to develop a thorough understanding of the four subject areas that comprise the acronym.

An example of this occurred earlier this year when eight students from Wee Waa High School – located in a low socio-economic town

of just 1,800 people – went head-to-head with some of the best student STEM teams from around Australia at the FIRST Robotics Regional Final in March. The Wee Waa students finished as runners-up in the competition, qualifying to compete at the world championships in Houston, Texas.

Dr Rebecca Vivian, a CSER research fellow at the University of Adelaide, says the CSER team was first introduced to FIRST Australia director Luan Heimlich at Google Australia’s very first Partner Summit in 2014.

“This event brings together universities and organisations across Australia and New Zealand working on the same goal – to bring quality computer science learning opportunities to young people,” Vivian says. “We see ourselves as working at this goal from two angles, with FIRST Australia providing opportunities for young people through their exciting robotics program and CSER training teachers through free online courses and faceto-face workshops.”

Vivian says there are several important ways principals can champion professional development in digital technologies in their

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A CLOSER LOOK AT CSER’S DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES MOOC

24,247

teachers from across Australia are enrolled in the program

2,770,602

Australian students will be engaged in digital technologies activities

24.5%

school. “In our work with over 2,415 schools across Australia, we find leadership is key to success in building staff capacity in digital technologies,” she says. “Some best practices we have identified are when leadership learn alongside their staff and include the provision of time and opportunities for whole-school professional learning as part of their school curriculum implementation strategy.”

attendance of pairs of school teachers, who then return to their school to champion professional development for all school staff,” Vivian says.

She adds that CSER’s Digital Technologies program isn’t just about the technology, but about building students’ skills and knowledge in understanding how the digital world works, and teaching them to identify problems and

“We explore the pedagogy behind a particular digital technology … rather than using lots of digital technologies at a surface level” Dr Rebecca Vivian, University of Adelaide Computer Science Education Research Group As a starting point, CSER encourages schools and principals to attend one of its free digital technologies events, where a project officer works with teachers to develop a professional development plan.

“Some success stories have involved cluster schools collaborating in an event together to establish a local network of support, and the

create solutions that harness technology.

“A core aspect is the development of computational thinking, which demonstrates that we are developing students to be problemsolvers and creators of technology, rather than just consumers,” she says.

CSER’s professional development uses both ‘unplugged’ and ‘plugged’ activities that focus

of participants are from economically disadvantaged areas

90.1%

of participants agree that they are now confident in designing and implementing digital technologies activities Source: Four years of CSER MOOCs, Infogram.com

on the key thinking skills teachers need to enable students to succeed in their learning.

“We explore the pedagogy behind a particular digital technology, unpacking multiple, contextualised and extended learning opportunities that foster deep learning, rather than using lots of digital technologies at a surface level,” Vivian says. “Building a wholeschool approach to digital technologies that is authentic, meaningful and focused on solving the problems that mean something to the students, school or community will ensure schools’ curriculum is much more than technology-focused.”

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FEATURE / BROKER EDUCATION UPFRONT

TECHNOLOGY UPDATE NEWS BRIEFS Major tech event inspires female students in Victoria In August, record numbers of students got hands-on experience with apps, robotics and coding at the Go Girl, Go For IT student tech event, which aims to inspire female students to consider a career in IT. Students from Years 5–12 from across Victoria learned how to make a voice-activated app for Amazon’s Alexa and explored robots in banking with Robogals, in addition to learning about 3D car design, digital aviation and ethical AI. They also heard from leading women in the field, including Code Like a Girl founder Ally Watson.

Program boosts students’ digital media skills The Skilling Australia Foundation’s Pathways to Technology [P-TECH] program aims to provide industrysupported pathways to increase the number of young people achieving a post-school STEM-related qualification.

Beginning in Year 10, P-TECH allows students to opt into enrolling for a Certificate III in Information and Digital Media Technology with support and mentoring from local industry partners.

Originally launched in Victoria in 2016, P-TECH now has 10 sites across Australia, involving more than 2,500 students, and four more partnerships are in development.

E-sports improves student outcomes in digital literacy Earlier this year, Ormiston College rolled out a ground-breaking e-sports program that’s helping students improve their digital literacy. The program enables students in Years 9–11 to connect with one another around a common passion in a competitive but supportive team

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environment. “By helping students to shape behaviour and cultivate a more inclusive and healthy experience in online games, we believe we are providing them with a positive and supportive environment in which they can develop the skill set and mindset to become emotionally intelligent digital citizens,” said Tamara Sullivan, the college’s head of academics and innovation.

Schools can benefit from embracing cloud computing According to one tech expert, cloud computing can allow schools to shift their focus from IT administration to improving efficiency across their school networks.

Steven Hayes, Oracle’s VP of applications for Australia and New Zealand, told The Educator that “the promise of cloud computing is to reduce the burden on IT resources and to transfer risk back to the vendor … this shift of responsibility means schools can divert precious IT resources to more mission-critical projects.” Hayes added that embracing technology that streamlines operations can also allow schools to better identify, engage and retain quality staff.

Scientists bring STEM to life for Australian students A range of high-tech innovations made their way into more than 350 Australian classrooms as part of a national STEM volunteer program in August. Led by CSIRO, the STEM Professionals in Schools program partners teachers with STEM professionals to enhance STEM teaching practices and deliver engaging STEM education in Australian schools. “[This] event is about inspiring a curiosity that will encourage more students to pursue STEM as a foundation of their future,” said CSIRO astrophysicist Dr Karen Lee-Waddell, who participated in the event.

How girls’ schools foster tech careers Research continues to show that girls at singlesex schools are more likely to take high-level STEM subjects Single-sex schools offer a distinct advantage to women pursuing careers in the tech sector. That’s the conclusion of a recent study conducted by researcher Ya-Hsuan Wang at the Institute of Education at Taiwan’s National Chung Cheng University. Wang’s study builds on a body of research showing that many female students in single-sex schools are achieving outstanding results in STEM participation.

A 2017 study from Monash University found that girls at single-sex schools are up to 85% more likely than girls in co-ed schools to take high-level STEM subjects, including physics and advanced maths. According to the Alliance of Girls’ Schools Australasia [AGSA], research has shown that girls’ schools can have a positive impact in areas other than STEM participation, too.

“We may also see an overall improvement in gender parity,” AGSA executive director Loren Bridge told The Educator. “Girls thrive in an allgirls learning environment free from gender bias, stereotyping and social pressure from boys.”

When comparing her experiences in co-ed and single-sex schools, one of the women interviewed for Wang’s study said she believed her teacher thought she should have scored behind the boys, even though she topped the class.

“It seemed to him I should be left behind boys,” the student said. “However, my high school is a girls’ school where everybody is distin-

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guished. I found teachers never treated us with gender discrimination.”

So what can schools wanting to encourage and inspire girls to participate in technologyrelated activities, subjects and careers take away from the findings of this study? Bridge stresses that girls need strong female role models, such as teachers, alumnae and guest speakers, from a young age.

“Girls thrive in an all-girls learning environment free from gender bias, stereotyping and social pressure” “It is important that girls see and hear from successful women in STEM careers,” she says.

“Both schools and families have a vital role to play in overcoming gender bias, expectations and stereotypes. We would argue that it’s a combination of family support, as well as the work that girls’ schools do in challenging gender stereotyping, that gives girls confidence in the traditionally male subject areas of STEM, and this provides the ultimate platform for successful technology-related outcomes.”

Quoting Dr Nicole Archard, principal of Loreto College Marryatville in South Australia, Bridge adds that the role of a girls’ school goes beyond merely teaching the curriculum: “What girls’ schools do is purposefully develop girls to understand their gender identity and to shape their self-concept, self-efficacy and self-confidence so girls develop the knowledge and skills required to reject and overcome the gender stereotypes that attempt to define them.”

Q&A

Troy Martin General manager, APAC INSTRUCTURE

Years in the industry 4 Fast fact Instructure’s latest survey found that life skills are the most important aspect missing from Australia’s education system

Addressing the life skills gap in schools Can you tell us more about Instructure’s latest research and what it means for Australian school principals?

Our research has shown that life skills, work experience and global exposure are the three key aspects missing from the national education system. This indicates that current models of education are still focused on achievements in basic literacy and numeracy, as opposed to the overall development of the child.

While the ability to read, write and work with numbers is vital for life, it is equally important to cultivate wider competencies that will set young Australians up for success. These include financial management, analytical thinking and problem-solving skills, as well as teamwork, curiosity, adaptability, resilience and intercultural understanding.

In your view, what are the consequences of this trend if society, parents and schools fail to act?

This could affect students’ transition from education to employment.

As the world becomes increasingly globalised, collaboration with an international workforce will become more commonplace than ever.

The ability to communicate with unfamiliar cultures and stay open to new ideas will be vital – and these can’t be cultivated if we solely focus on literacy and numeracy skills.

Without these softer skill sets, students may struggle to take on the challenges and opportunities that we can’t even imagine yet, much less thrive as adults. A greater focus needs to be placed on facilitating and practicing these skills to bridge the gap between talent supply and industry demand.

How is Instructure’s cross-border buddy program progressing, and how is it helping address the lack of life skills being taught to students?

The students across both schools – Callaghan College in Newcastle and De La Salle Lipa in the Philippines – have really embraced the experience and immersed themselves in the project. We have been impressed by the commitment and dedication of both teachers and students. Run entirely online on Instructure’s Canvas learning management system, students are tasked to identify the most creative and feasible ways they can persuade their communities to reduce the reliance on single-use plastics.

The ultimate goal is to create a more sustainable environment for current and future generations. Technology is the core element that’s enabling such rare global exposure for two schools that sit under the low-SES bracket. We also aim to build upon the life skills of these students by challenging the dynamics of teamwork and problem-solving, calling upon leadership skills, adaptability and working with people of different backgrounds and cultures.

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UPFRONT

LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT UPDATE

Helping principals become STEM leaders A new principal development initiative responds to the need for a STEM-skilled workforce in Australia

and mentoring resources will be made available for all Australian schools to use at the end of the project, alongside a research report detailing key findings.

Professor Kim Beswick from the University of Tasmania, the project’s co-director, says PASL will also feature a supporting mentoring model to be made available once the project concludes.

“This project allows principals to hone leadership skills that will enable the devel-

“This project allows principals to hone their leadership skills that will enable the development of high-quality STEM learning in schools”

Despite rapid technological advancement that has allowed many schools to discover new and innovative ways to blend STEM into their curriculum, principals still face the challenge of accessing and implementing researchbased STEM education within their schools in a way that leads to improved outcomes.

Enter the Principals as STEM Leaders [PASL] project, funded by the federal government and led by the University of Tasmania, which will involve around 200 primary and

NEWS BRIEFS

secondary schools in the government and non-government sectors. The project will deliver a set of three high-quality and accessible programs of professional learning to help principals better lead STEM teaching and learning in their schools.

The programs will draw from case studies of effective practice and will expand evidencebased approaches to STEM leadership and improving the STEM capability of students.

A suite of high-quality professional learning

Conference highlights education best practice

Educators recently got an update on evidence-based research into teaching practice at ACER’s Research Conference 2018. The event delved into a wide range of subjects, including early literacy, advances in student reporting, online group work, the value of learning progressions, and the link between disadvantage and development. “The [conference] provides an opportunity for teachers, school leaders and policymakers to find out what the latest research tells us about what works – and what doesn’t,” said ACER’s Geoff Masters.

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opment of high-quality STEM learning in schools,” Beswick says. “Following the initial meetings, cluster groups of principals from across Australia will be invited to participate.”

Beswick adds that the broad involvement of principal associations and partner universities has enabled PASL to develop highquality programs for principals in a variety of communities across Australia.

“These programs, the only nationwide professional learning program for principals leading STEM, will help Australian students to meet the ever-changing future with confidence,” she says.

Partnership helps build digital workforce

Adobe and RMIT University have formed a partnership to arm students with the skills required to succeed in today’s workplace. Adobe and RMIT’s three digital marketing courses provide education on digital marketing best practices, data-driven marketing and the game-changing impact of AI. The courses also support principals’ professional development in digital skills. “We have designed these courses to deliver meaningful and practical content that quickly upskills all participants, including principals,” said Suzanne Steele of Adobe ANZ.

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Q&A

Chris Wardlaw Deputy chair

Teacher registration gets a shot in the arm

AITSL

Years in the industry 40 Fast fact In September, AITSL released its report on teacher registration in Australia, following a national review that began in February.

The report outlined 17 recommendations to strengthen teacher registration across Australia

How will the recommendations in AITSL’s recent report on teacher registration support the professional growth and recognition of teachers?

this way of embedding these processes for teachers and school leaders.

Registration is already linked to professional growth, as it is for most professions, including the need for teachers to record professional learning. However, the panel noted that professional learning is sometimes done to simply tick a box. To better support teaching quality, the panel believes we should be looking at the outcomes of a teacher’s learning, not just the fact that they undertook learning.

Another important recommendation is for a teacher’s Highly Accomplished or Lead status to be captured in registration. Embedding the higher career stages of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers within the registration framework means greater professional recognition of teachers performing at this level, and it should raise the status of teaching more broadly.

Streamlining the teacher registration process is clearly a critical part of the overall review.

Can you tell us more about the issue of mutual recognition and how it was addressed?

The amount of administrative red tape has long been a thorn in the side of school leaders, so a reduction in this workload will surely be welcomed. What can principals expect in terms of how and when this assistance be provided?

The panel found that the biggest reductions in red tape are made when registration processes also form part of the requirements of a teacher’s everyday practice. This can significantly reduce duplication. There is already good practice in many schools and sectors, illustrating

New program gives students crucial life skills

Recent studies have revealed that schools are failing to prepare students for life after the classroom, but a new program is helping educators tackle this issue head-on. Launched in 11 Sydney schools this year, the Australianfirst XVenture program focuses on building confidence, emotional intelligence, resilience and leadership skills in students in Years 10 and 11. Over two days, teachers from participating schools are trained to facilitate and deliver the six-phase program in their own schools; the initiative is designed to fit into any school environment.

The panel heard about the issues some teachers face when moving interstate or trying to work in more than one jurisdiction. The profession is increasingly mobile, and the recommendations call for simplifying the process for teachers wanting their registration recognised in another jurisdiction, through mutual recognition. This involves aligning the processes used by the states and territories and adopting better information-sharing practices.

Is there anything else in the report that might be relevant to K-12 school leaders?

The expert panel has made 17 recommendations to strengthen the teacher registration system for all Australian children and students and ensure only people who meet standards of quality and suitability can be teachers. One of the review’s highlights was the realisation of how well the Teacher Standards are embedded across Australia. The role of a quality induction for early-career teachers was also highlighted, with the panel stressing the importance of teacher employers ensuring that this occurs through the training and support of mentors and leaders.

New teachers can bounce back from initial hurdles

Nearly 40% of Australian teachers quit in their first five years, but a recent study of Victorian teachers revealed that if teachers can make it past the five-year mark, they gain the confidence needed to stay in the profession.

The study’s lead author, Dr Sindu George, said teachers’ self-efficacy is a major determinant of their job satisfaction, student engagement and workplace achievement.

After five years, the teachers studied demonstrated increased self-efficacy in classroom management, instructional strategies and student engagement.

Early learning program sees dramatic benefits

A world-first early childhood education trial is showing dramatic benefits. The Leadership for Learning program, part of the Fostering Effective Early Learning study, was designed to measure the impact of a professional learning program on early educators’ practice and child outcomes.

Educators reported increased confidence and motivation, a deeper understanding of their role, and a deeper understanding of child development, while children showed impressive gains in literacy, numeracy and socio-emotional development.

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PEOPLE

THE BIG INTERVIEW

MAKING A PROFOUND DIFFERENCE The Educator speaks to Australian Principal of the Year Diane Robertson about leadership, recognition and understanding students’ individual needs

IT’S FAIR TO say that education runs in Diane Robertson’s blood. A fifth-generation educator, Robertson’s grandmother was head teacher at Young High School in the South West Slopes region of NSW, and her mother was a primary school teacher at Albion Park Public School. From a very young age, Robertson discovered that she had a passion not only for teaching, but also for leadership.

Elected as Year 6 school captain at Balarang Public School, she found that the experience resonated strongly with her.

“I finally found my first permanent position at Passfield Park SSP and went onto gain positions of assistant principal at Passfield Park, and then deputy principal for nine years at Para Meadows SSP in Wollongong,” Robertson says. “During my time at Para Meadows, I gained a Premier’s Scholarship to complete some study in the US in the area of complex communication disorders, intellectual disability and complex behaviour.”

Robertson describes the experience of looking at the world of special education across multiple states in the US as an “inspirational and insightful journey”. It was during this time that she connected with positive behaviour intervention and support, or PBIS (now known as PBL in Australia).

“I commenced some of the early work in NSW in this area, and I began to lead some new directions in positive interventions for

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complex learners for both our school and other schools,” Robertson says.

She subsequently set out to expand her leadership, speaking at conferences on evidenced-based practices to support students with high-level support needs and complex disability. Robertson subsequently gained a cadetship to complete her masters of special education at Wollongong University, after which she applied for her first prin-

Robertson went on to represent NSW on the board and management committee of the Australian Special Education Principals Association, which works at the national level to inform directions in special education.

A strengths-based approach In August, Robertson’s impact on education was recognised at the inaugural Australian Education Awards in Sydney, where she was

“Being visible is a powerful tool in building strong relationships with staff, students and parents. It supports principals to know, value and care for students and staff at their school” cipal position at Mary Brooksbank SSP in Campbelltown.

“This started a challenging and complex journey in defining a vision for a school and ensuring the students in my care had every opportunity to shine,” she says.

Robertson soon joined the NSW Special Education Principals and Leaders Association, the state’s peak body for special education, where she took on various roles over many years. “I became involved in the yearly conferences that now engage over 1,000 special educators on the teachers’ day,” she says.

awarded Australian School Principal of the Year and School Principal of the Year in the government school category. Robertson’s win was due in large part to the Success for Complex Learners Program she created at Clarke Road School, which she says has transformed the school’s thinking, practices, pedagogies and student outcomes.

The program embraces several tools that assist teachers to know their students more deeply and to understand the way brain function impacts engagement in learning. It also has encompassed several projects, including

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PROFILE Name: Diane Robertson Title: Principal School: Clarke Road School Located in: Hornsby, NSW Years as an educator: 41 Fast fact: Robertson has focused on special education for more than 25 years; her school caters for students with moderate to severe intellectual disability

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PEOPLE

THE BIG INTERVIEW

In the Zone for Learning, Communication Passport and TEACCH. “In the Zone for Learning has transformed the way we support and understand students with complex behavioural needs,” Robertson says. “It focuses on teaching students regulation skills by providing carefully designed learning environments; targeted, personalised programs; and plenty of movement and exercise.”

Communication Passport, created at The Hills School and trialled at Clarke Road School, is another program that addresses learning progressions for students with complex intellectual disability. “It aligns the delivery of teaching to the developmental

and learning is tailored to best meet the needs of students,” Robertson says. “Targeted online professional learning and action research ensures that the school keeps pace with the ever-changing context of special education.

Teachers engage 21st-century technology as a teaching tool to support student engagement in the curriculum.”

Maintaining visibility Robertson stresses that as leaders, principals need to be seen. “Being visible is a powerful tool in building strong relationships with staff, students and parents,” she says. “It supports principals to know, value and care for students and staff at their school.”

“Visibility promotes authenticity. I know every student at my school, their parents and how that child learns. My visibility means I am available to my school community and that I care deeply about our learners and our staff” needs of students, following assessments of the students’ receptive, productive, social and cognitive needs,” Robertson explains. “We work with parents as partners in understanding these programs.”

As for TEACCH, the key idea is to educate children in a way that makes the most of their strengths and works around weaknesses. “The teaching approach is very structured and uses clear schedules that children can understand,” Robertson says. “In our setting, where students have severe communication needs, these schedules are visual.”

Clarke Road School also puts a strong emphasis into ongoing professional learning, collegial support and mentoring. “All teachers are tertiary qualified and meet the Australian Teaching Standards and are mentored by assistant principals under the umbrella of a learning and support team to ensure teaching

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Robertson recently sat on a panel, questioning young students about projects they completed during the Education Week ‘Secretary for a Day’ initiative. One student commented on an “amazing” teacher they had, so Robertson asked, “What made them amazing?” The student replied, “They are out on the playground getting to know us, they are interested in our future, they care about all of us, and they challenge us to achieve our best.”

“Visibility connects you to the grassroots of why we are in education, and it allows leaders to know what is happening in their school and how teaching and learning is being delivered,” Robertson says. “Visibility promotes authenticity. I know every student at my school, their parents and how that child learns. My visibility means I am available to my school community and that I care deeply about our learners and our staff.”

DIANE ROBERTSON’S CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

Previously served as principal of Mary Brooksbank School, deputy principal at Para Meadows School and assistant principal at Passfield Park School

Is part of the national executive board of the Australian Special Education Principals Association

Received a NSW Primary Principal’s Award for Social Justice and Equity for her work and leadership with students with disability

Travelled to the United States on a NSW Premier’s Scholarship to study students with complex disability and complex behavioural needs

Earned a NSW Teach Cadetship to complete a masters of special education at the University of Wollongong

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Mark Heaney, Deputy Principal, Coomera Anglican College

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FEATURES

ANTHONY MACKAY

Passion and purpose Educational influencer Anthony Mackay tells Brett Henebery how his journey began and outlines his vision for education in the years ahead

TO SAY that Anthony Mackay AM has been a key educational influencer is an understatement. When the Melbourne Declaration was made in 2008, Mackay was on the National Curriculum Board, which was instrumental in deciding the path Australian education would take in the years ahead. He has chaired the boards of AITSL and ACER, and was inaugural deputy chair of ACARA. Mackay’s latest role was as CEO of the Centre for Strategic Education, which he recently stepped down from to take on a new challenge in educational leadership. Starting in January, he will be president and CEO of the National Center on Education and the Economy in Washington, DC. Drawing from his vast experience in local and international education, Mackay sat down with The Educator to share his vision for education and illuminate the new drivers and challenges for Australia’s school leaders.

TE: How did you become involved in the field of education?

Anthony Mackay: Following degrees in economics and education, I explored both fields – initially in banking with an internship in the area of economic policy, and then onto teaching economics and politics. From the beginning, education was my passion, and the role of education in our economy and society was my particular interest.

I pursued post-graduate studies in the economics of education and comparative education at the Institute of Education at the University of London and the London School of Economics. This was at an exciting time in the 1970s when ideas about the future of schooling

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and alternative approaches to learning were being pursued across multiple geographies.

I returned to Australia to pursue and lead approaches to curriculum and pedagogy, assessment, and certification at school level and in national and international agencies and professional organisations. There is a striking similarity today to 40 years ago – namely, the intensity of the current debate on the future of schooling and our learning system.

TE: What exciting changes are you seeing in education? And is there anything that concerns you?

AM: This year marks the 10-year anniversary of the Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians – goals designed to promote equity and excellence in Australian schooling and ensure that all young Australians become successful learners, confident and creative individuals, and active and informed citizens. There is a race on – locally and globally – to prepare young people to earn a living in a globalised, digitised and complex world. This requires an education system with strengthened goals and an urgency to ensure we provide an education worth having. It needs to be human-centred, building capacity to be complex problem-solvers.

The purpose of learning and what and how we learn is the dominant international dialogue. It is a dialogue informed by the success of high-performing education systems, drawing on advances in the learning sciences and systems thinking. It needs to become the dominant discourse in Australia, and we need our response and our actions to be accelerated, amplified and enlarged.

Governance and structural reform are required. Our learning environments need to become more powerful and productive, with learners exercising their agency. Pathways to further learning need to reflect a new world of work, and we need the learning profession to drive this most important endeavour for our economy and society – for our individual and collective wellbeing.

TE: What are the new drivers in education?

AM: Transformation of our education system is now inevitable. We have learnt a lot about how to improve schooling – prioritising early learning, directing resources to those in greatest need, focusing on teacher education and professional learning, the importance of schools as learning organisations, adjusting our assessment and qualification systems and creating new post-school pathways, and strengthening our governance and leadership of schools and the public education system – all to address the needs of our diverse society and commit to more equitable outcomes for all young people. Now we are learning how to transform our learning system.

All other sectors in our economy and society have been undergoing enormous change.

Innovation, experimentation and constant adaptation to change are essential. Harnessing the power of technology and investing in our people are crucial. Our success, viability and sustainability depend on more far-reaching reform – incremental reform is necessary, but not sufficient. We need to employ both the current practices of an evidence-informed profession and a serious investment in the

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ANTHONY MACKAY’S PROMINENT ROLES CEO, Centre for Strategic Education in Melbourne (retiring) Chair, AITSL Deputy chair, ACARA Chair, ACER Honorary senior fellow, Melbourne Graduate School of Education Deputy chancellor, Swinburne University chair of The Song Room. Why?

“This is the most exciting industry to be part of and the most important for our individual and collective future” learning sciences, futures thinking and in more serious partnerships and collaborations.

Learning is everybody’s business – government, unions, early childhood centres, schools and universities, industry, and not-for-profit organisations. Australia needs a vibrant learning ecosystem.

TE: What do you see as the main challenges for educational leaders?

AM: Transformation requires leadership – leadership of a different order. School systems around the world are being pressed to deliver new and broader learning outcomes – new measures of success – to prepare young people for an uncertain world of work and life futures, requiring the creation of work rather than seeking work. It is therefore essential to engage learners in learning that is deep and meaningful, building 21st-century competencies.

We need new and current leaders prepared for the central challenge of improving learning

and leading complex change. Leadership development focused on preparing leaders for system change has become a priority across high-performing systems. There is an emerging shared agenda: to rethink leadership capabilities; to design approaches to leadership learning characterised by learning that is high-quality, deeply personal and at scale; and to build team capabilities, collective purpose and relational trust.

This form of leadership needs to be enacted across all levels of the system, and there needs to be a commitment to constantly evaluating the impact of innovation and the effectiveness of the implementation of our change agenda.

There needs to be a commitment to a ‘profession-led’ learning system – producing learning that is powerful for all young people.

TE: You’ve occupied multiple national and international roles, but you’ve also recently taken up the role of

AM: The Song Room represents the power of a small not-for-profit taking on a very significant national challenge. It is committed to delivering arts programs and resources into Australian schools that will improve the social and emotional wellbeing and learning outcomes of students, particularly those experiencing disadvantage. To have the opportunity to join forces with The Song Room’s great CEO and team of staff and expert board of directors is a real privilege. We have the opportunity to make a special contribution in a world that increasingly requires creativity, imagination and improvisation to tackle significant problems.

The power of the arts is widely recognised in providing young people with the knowledge, skills and dispositions to become agents of change. This is particularly important in our diverse society, and even more so for young people from disadvantaged communities and for young Indigenous Australians. The work of The Song Room is symbolic of our collective challenge – to become a creative people in a smart nation to achieve a sustainable future.

Restating my passion and purpose for education: this is the most exciting industry to be part of and the most important for our individual and collective future.

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SPECIAL REPORT

HOT LIST 2018

HOT LIST

In an industry rife with talent and strong leadership, these 53 individuals are truly moving the needle for Australian education

ANOTHER YEAR has passed, and education professionals around the country have continued undertaking outstanding work in the name of ensuring students have the highest-quality educational experiences possible. Determining those whose work merits inclusion in The Educator’s annual Hot List remains an unenviable task and one that remains virtually impossible without the assistance of readers.

Earlier this year, The Educator asked you to nominate the individuals you believe deserve a place on this prestigious list, and

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once again, a raft of excellent nominations flooded in from across Australia. On the pages that follow, you’ll meet the 53 individuals who made the cut and gain insight into the exceptional work they’ve done to secure a spot on this year’s list, from championing the latest tech innovations to establishing new standards of best practice in Australian education.

This list is by no means comprehensive; if there’s another educator you feel should have been included, please send your comments to theeducator_editor@keymedia.com.au.

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HOT LIST INDEX NAME

SCHOOL

PAGE

NAME

SCHOOL

PAGE

Allen, Peter

Scotch College

35

McConnell, Rebecca

Living Faith Lutheran Primary School

25

Bain, Laura

The Springfield Anglican College

27

McIntosh, Simon

Parkmore Primary School

36

Baucke, Adrienne

Parkmore Primary School

20

McVeity, Jen

Seven Steps to Writing Success

34

Bradley, Kerrie

Callaghan College, Waratah Technology Campus

32

Miller, Gregory

St Luke's Catholic College

35

Campbell, Carri

Faith Lutheran College

31

Moffatt, Ellen

Korowa Anglican Girls' School

23

Cross, Anna

Haileybury

20

Mueller, Jane

Living Faith Lutheran Primary School

27

Curtis, Ros

St Margaret's Anglican Girls School

30

Noonan, Vanessa

Sheldon College

27

Dao, Rebecca

Ingleburn Public School

24

Dennis, Michelle

Strathcona Baptist Girls Grammar School

31

O’Brien, Mary-Lou

Melbourne Girls Grammar School

33

Pennie, Liv

Become Education

32

Doherty, Saraid

Yarra Primary School

28

Pincott, Jack

Ormiston College

30

Duyckers, Bek

Perth College Anglican School for Girls

22

Pinnington, Mia

Coomera Rivers State School

30

Entwistle, Brad

Imageseven

23

Plaskett, Jake

Ruyton Girls School

31

Fitzsimmons, Phil

Findon High School

22

Francis, Steve

Happy School

28

Ramsden, Chris

Accelium/Mind Lab

34

Gervasoni, Kelly

St Andrews Lutheran College

26

Reddan, Fran

Mentone Girls' Grammar School

25

Gill, Ryan

Masada College

36

Roberts, Stephen

All Saints' College, Perth

22

Goltz, Garry

Gladstone Senior High School

25

Rome, Annette

22

Greene, Ashley

Ormiston College

23

St Margaret's School and Berwick Grammar School

Grieve, Rachel

Grace Academy, Grace Lutheran College

35

Roy, David

University of Newcastle School of Education

24

Grossek, Henry

Berwick Lodge Primary School

27

Russell, Tim

All Saints' College, Perth

36

Hall, Jessica

Ave Maria College

32

Saliba, Rachel

Practically Learning

24

Herd, Simon

Medowie Christian School

26

Savery, Mark

Emmanuel College

31

Hill, Esther

All Saints' College, Perth

34

Innes-Hill, Patrick

Emmanuel College, Josiah College

28

Smith, Jason

Tamborine Mountain State School

26

James, Murray

Sheldon College

36

Smith, Reid

Ballarat Clarendon College

28

Kendall, Kristy

Toorak College

27

Tozer, Paul

Numurkah Secondary College

20

Knowles, Tim

Cire Community School

34

Turnbull, Joanne

Valentine Public School

32

Lewis, Matt

Lidcombe Public School

33

Vine, Jennie

Wooranna Park Primary School

26

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SPECIAL REPORT

HOT LIST 2018 ADRIENNE BAUCKE Acting principal PARKMORE PRIMARY SCHOOL

PAUL TOZER Principal NUMURKAH SECONDARY COLLEGE

Over the last four years, Paul Tozer has led his school community to develop highly engaged students who are connected to their learning, whilst also having a large hand in the improvement agenda of his network.

Data from the Student Attitude to Schools Survey, NAPLAN testing and the Staff Opinion Survey shows that Numurkah Secondary College is above the state average across the board and leading in all of these key metrics.

Tozer has developed clinical practice rooms equipped with fish-eye cameras that can record visuals and sound of the entire classroom. He has led his staff on how to use this technology and has coached teachers on how to engage in productive self-reflection and how to be a critical friend for peer observations. By giving staff the ability to focus on a range of areas within the classroom and the capability to review a situation multiple times, the technology has proven to be an outstanding development tool for building teacher capacity.

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Parkmore Primary School’s latest results on the Student Attitudes to School Survey showed growth of more than 20% in the area of student voice and agency.

That’s largely due to the work of acting principal Adrienne Baucke in the realm of student wellbeing, a topic she has presented on at the Positive Education Schools Association Conference for the past two years. In 2017, her presentation focused on the implementation of positive education in a small government primary school; this year, she shared her successes in increasing student voice and agency.

Baucke was also the only representative from an Australian government primary school to present at the 5th World Congress of the International Positive Psychology Association in Montreal in 2017. At a regional level, she has presented at a number of training days where she has shared her knowledge with teachers from the local area. Baucke’s work has also led Parkmore Primary School to be recognised for its achievements in student wellbeing, including as a finalist for Best Student Wellbeing Program at the Australian Education Awards.

ANNA CROSS Deputy principal, middle school HAILEYBURY

In her quest to develop the world’s best middle school program, Haileybury’s Anna Cross has spent hundreds of hours researching models based on the future of work. Cross is collaborating with top middle schools around the globe to ensure the program aligns with Haileybury’s vision to be “a great world school”. The new middle school program is based on developing enterprising and ‘work smart’ skills, both of which Cross believes are critical in supporting modern student needs. She is also embedding Haileybury’s middle school with a culture of continuous improvement in which research, innovation and creativity are valued.

In her short career, Cross has developed varied knowledge and experiences that incorporate wellbeing, teaching and learning, co-education, and international programs. She has developed new and innovative programs, implemented significant change, and improved academic and wellbeing outcomes, including reshaping the middle school programs at several leading Melbourne independent schools and implementing a VCE program in China.

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SPECIAL REPORT

HOT LIST 2018 ANNETTE ROME Principal ST MARGARET'S SCHOOL AND BERWICK GRAMMAR SCHOOL

In just 18 months at St Margaret’s and Berwick Grammar, principal Annette Rome has already established the Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching, which links staff to professional learning and research they can use to make a meaningful impact to teaching and learning. The centre, along with the school’s Victorian School for the Performing Arts, hosts the Unicorn Series, which brings together the broader community, academics, students and parents to discuss topics such as ‘What Makes a Good Teacher?’ and ‘Happy to Learn, Learning to be Happy: Wellbeing and Learning’. This series has prompted a regular appearance on local radio, which has made the educational discussions informative and accessible to the broader public.

As a previous president of the Australian College of Educators (Vic), Rome has supported new teachers through presentations and individual mentoring, all on a voluntary basis. She also has worked with the Principals Australia Institute to refine the principal certification process, which certified the first principals in 2018.

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PHIL FITZSIMONS

STEPHEN ROBERTS

Principal

Director of art

FINDON HIGH SCHOOL

ALL SAINTS’ COLLEGE, PERTH

Phil Fitzsimons has transformed Findon High School by implementing a student-empowered model of learning in an incredibly short period of time.

Through this model, vulnerable young people are engaging in their learning journeys and entering into partnerships with community enterprises and organisations, creating a safety net of support and belonging.

The school held a forum on studentcentred learning that included the community and parents, which forged a unity of purpose. Local businesses gave input on the graduate capabilities needed for the workplace, and Findon students acted on this information to develop a learning model that will teach students hands-on skills and put them on a solid path to employment in the industries of the future.

As director of art at Perth’s All Saints’ College, Stephen Roberts brings artists from all genres into the school environment and then invites the college community and other schools to collaborate. As a result, All Saints’ has become a conduit that links the arts industry with students and the wider community; visual artists, theatre groups, orchestras and filmmakers are all invited to work with the students.

Roberts’ goal is to empower students, who then become ‘experts’ to grow in their own schools. The students can talk first-hand about their experiences of working on authentic projects, and media and film students work to create a documentary about the experience. This takes the art experience out of a predetermined course and into a more fluid space.

BEK DUYCKERS Head of Imaginarium PERTH COLLEGE ANGLICAN SCHOOL FOR GIRLS

Bek Duyckers’ role at Perth College isn’t easy to find elsewhere. Duyckers heads the Imaginarium, an initiative unique to the school, which caters specifically for gifted girls of very high ability. It’s a place where innovation, curiosity and creativity are encouraged, and where rigorous intellectual development occurs. Duyckers has built and grown the Imaginarium to cater for gifted girls in Years 1–9 from any school in Western Australia.

The Imaginarium’s approach is unlike anything else available in Australia in that it holistically develops gifted girls’ cognitive, social, emotional and vocational domains, in line with empirical research in the field. Positive psychology underpins course content, supporting the positive development of gifted girls’ self-efficacy and self-concept and enhancing their overall state of wellbeing.

Over the past year, Duyckers has completed her second masters in education, specialising in gifted education, whilst also continuing to complete her doctoral research with a focus on developing students’ intercultural communication competence. Her work has also been published and selected for presentation at international conferences.

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ASHLEY GREENE Year 10 coordinator and science teacher ORMISTON COLLEGE

BRAD ENTWISTLE Asia Pacific HR director IMAGESEVEN

Brad Entwistle founded Australia’s leading school marketing firm, Imageseven, in 1990. The firm services independent and Catholic schools across Australia. Entwistle’s long-term vision to bring corporatelevel marketing professionalism to the education sector led him to develop a systematic approach to school marketing that has revolutionised the practice and outcomes for Imageseven’s clients. His ‘insight applied’ approach of generating strategic insights that can be translated into meaningful real-world execution has earned respect from school heads around the globe.

Entwistle and his team of 26 marketing professionals have forged successful partnerships with schools by being able to work alongside school heads, school boards, staff and parents. Always preferring to place the client in the foreground, Entwistle has quietly supported heads and school marketing teams through times of change, marketplace disruption and enrolment stress.

Ashley Greene is a role model for other staff and students at Ormiston College. She became the college’s fourth staff member to be named an Australian Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert for her leadership in innovative approaches to teaching and learning – in particular, her use of digital tools and methodologies to create, connect and collaborate with students, colleagues, parents and the wider community.

Greene has been a key driver in developing a mixed-reality pathway across the college and is constantly investigating, evaluating and sharing how this technology can improve student performance in tasks such as spatial understanding, memorisation and mental imagery. Greene has led the use of 3D modelling and mixed reality in her science classes to provide students with authentic learning activities that develop the skills they need to become digital creators.

ELLEN MOFFATT Head of Year 9 KOROWA ANGLICAN GIRLS' SCHOOL

With seven years of teaching experience under her belt, Ellen Moffatt is developing both a national and an international presence.

Her work at Korowa Anglican Girls’ School has involved the design and implementation of a school-wide wellbeing curriculum. She has also created an exciting year of challenge and choice for Year 9 students, who enjoy peak learning experiences each term that complement their academic endeavours.

When undertaking her masters of education at the Melbourne Graduate School of Education in 2016, Moffatt developed a passion for educational neuroscience, particularly the neurobiology of the ‘aha’ or ‘light bulb’ moment. She was invited to speak at the 2018 Global Forum on Girls’ Education in Washington, DC, where she shared a synthesis of current research on the topic and proposed areas for further research.

Moffatt has also worked with the not-for-profit organisation Try Mentoring for the past two years, where she offers support, guidance and positive role modelling to young people.

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SPECIAL REPORT

HOT LIST 2018 RACHEL SALIBA Director PRACTICALLY LEARNING

DAVID ROY Lecturer in education UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

An award-winning educator, teacher and researcher, David Roy uses his research to inform inclusion and equity practices for children across Australia, with a particular focus on children with disability.

Roy works with schools, systems and politicians to develop meaningful and pragmatic means to offer achievement for all in education. He initiated the NSW Parliamentary Inquiry into Education of Students with a Disability and is working with multiple agencies to implement the inquiry’s recommendations, whilst pushing for a wider evidence-based royal commission into disability in Australia.

Roy has a passion for the integration of multiple curricular subjects via a polymath approach. He is particularly focused on engaging science and the arts together to encourage students to be creative in preparing for the future challenges. Roy draws on his 17 years of experience as a teacher and 10 years as an academic to engage a wider audience to recognise the important role and status education and schools should have.

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As director of education consultancy Practically Learning, Rachel Saliba works to create connections between home and school to help children thrive. She serves as a guide for schools and families to embrace a culture of parent engagement in learning so that together, they can provide the support and encouragement children need to love learning, feel confident and achieve their best.

As part of the national KidsMatter Framework, Saliba was employed by St Mark’s Catholic Parish Primary School to develop strategies to build a positive school community and social capital to support parents and carers. Her collaborative and creative approach enabled the school to shift its culture and embrace parent engagement in learning. As a result of her work, the school reported a marked difference in student behaviour and wellbeing. Saliba’s work with St Mark’s culminated in it being identified as a lighthouse school to showcase the impact of the KidsMatter Framework.

Today, having worked with more than 20 schools and counting, Saliba has developed her own framework that is proving to have significant impact in building sustainable family/school partnerships. She is currently implementing this program in schools around Victoria, including St Joseph’s Primary School in Chelsea.

REBECCA DAO Relieving principal INGLEBURN PUBLIC SCHOOL

Rebecca Dao has spent 20 years in education, including more than 16 years in the special education sector. She has worked across state education systems in both mainstream and special education, and has led specialist teams interstate in developing specific professional development opportunities for staff to enhance inclusive practice with an emphasis on autism, intellectual impairment, speech language impairment, and the gifted and talented domain.

Dao is leading change in education through innovation and entrepreneurship to empower learners to be future-focused global citizens. She has presented at several state and national conferences on Making DREAMS [Dare to Revolutionise Education Authentically across Multi-dimensional Systems] a REALITY [Resilient, Empathetic, Active Lifelong learners to Inspire Tomorrow’s Youth].

www.educatoronline.com.au

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REBECCA MCCONNELL Director of learning and innovation LIVING FAITH LUTHERAN PRIMARY SCHOOL

Rebecca McConnell has been the driving force behind transforming the curriculum at Living Faith Lutheran Primary School. She has introduced a forward-thinking, student-centred curriculum based on 21st-century competencies that supports the

school’s move to agile learning spaces.

The curriculum includes project-based learning, Daily 5 literacy and a maths program based on Carol Dweck and Jo Boaler’s research into growth mindset.

McConnell provides structure and training to support staff through changes, while giving them the freedom to take risks and grow their own practice in directions that excite them. McConnell has also developed a strong culture of risk-taking based on best practice and research through a formal prototyping professional development program.

FRAN REDDAN Principal MENTONE GIRLS' GRAMMAR SCHOOL

Principal Fran Reddan has completely turned around Mentone Girls' Grammar to focus on empowering women with innovative curriculum practices and staff development. She has created an enterprise culture for the school, including an Enterprise Academy where students can create their own businesses, which helps them develop real-world skills and prepares them to thrive in today’s fast-paced world.

Reddan has also led the development of a wellbeing curriculum to support students through the challenges girls face throughout adolescence. Mentone Girls’ Grammar has created innovative and first-of-their-kind wellbeing journals for students across the school, from the 3-year-olds in the Early Learning Centre to the 17-yearolds in Year 12. The journals include everything from financial literacy and mental health guidance to enterprise skills and wellbeing support, with a planner at the back.

The journals are currently being reviewed for issue again in 2019.

GARRY GOLTZ Principal GLADSTONE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

As the principal at Gladstone Senior High School, Garry Goltz leads Central Queensland’s biggest school, which has more than 1,500 students. He took on this role after serving as principal of Toolooa Senior High School from 2014 to 2017, where he transformed the school from one languishing and struggling to the fastest-improving state

high school in Central Queensland.

Prior to that, he led Moura Senior High School to become one of the fastestimproving schools in NAPLAN results across all of Queensland and transformed the school from an environment of disrespect and misbehaviour to one with close community links, strong values and positive behaviour. Goltz also spent six months as assistant regional director within the Central Queensland region in 2017 and was highly effective in leading principals to develop their capacity for school leadership.

www.educatoronline.com.au

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HOT LIST 2018 SIMON HERD Principal MEDOWIE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL

Simon Herd leads Medowie Christian School as a mentor and coach, spending many hours encouraging and growing the leaders around him. His commitment to delegated leadership has seen the school grow by more than 20% in the last year. Herd’s empowering leadership style has also allowed him to attract a globally significant leadership team, earning him the respect of politicians and an invitation to share his progressive educational vision with parliamentary leaders.

Herd has also developed strong engagement with the local business community and is exploring ways his internationally certified leadership, coaching and speaking skills can not only bring the broader business community together, but also add value to their operations. Herd has seen the value in establishing a community that embraces difference and has successfully led Medowie Christian School to be accredited to take international students. This approach provides students the opportunity to engage in global education, which Herd believes is a foundation for success beyond school.

JASON SMITH Principal TAMBORINE MOUNTAIN STATE SCHOOL

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JENNIE VINE

KELLY GERVASONI

Assistant principal

Middle and senior school teacher

WOORANNA PARK PRIMARY SCHOOL

ST ANDREWS LUTHERAN COLLEGE

Jennie Vine has been spearheading transformative practice for the past seven years, igniting passion, purpose and agency with primary-aged students.

In doing so, she is spreading the message that positive impact in the world is based on good character, a thirst for learning, grit and tenacity.

Wooranna Park Primary’s Enigma Missions program lets students connect with professionals in the field, cross-referencing complex information and creating action projects as their journey develops. Students present their research in learning symposiums attended by parents, peers, secondary college students, professionals and other staff members. Audience members cross-examine each presenter using complex questioning techniques to ensure that the student’s learning has been transferred into long-term memory. The program allows students to explore subject matter well outside of the primary curriculum.

Kelly Gervasoni is at the forefront of innovation and change for disengaged students at St Andrews Lutheran College. She is currently implementing Wonder Women, a social-emotional learning program that addresses low self-efficacy, low self-esteem and low engagement with middleschool female students. Based on the college’s annual student wellbeing survey, which demonstrated an increase in the number of female students who feel a lack of purpose in life and are disengaged with their studies, Gervasoni undertook thorough research via a literature review to investigate what factors influence the implementation of a social-emotional learning program for middle-school girls. The program she developed aims to recognise and assist transitions in physical development, cognitive abilities, emotional modifications and self-esteem that adolescents commonly experience.

To lessen tension between students, parents and the school, principal Jason Smith took the unusual step of banning homework at Tamborine Mountain State School, replacing it with ‘work at home’ strategies that include philanthropy, entrepreneurship, family time, sports, and cultural and art pursuits. Smith has also transformed the school’s staffing and curriculum for the 21st century by employing specialist teachers in STEM, science and digital technologies, which is rare for a primary school.

Smith has also created the Tamborine Mountain Learning Academy partnership. One of the programs born from this partnership is the Young Scholars Program, which identifies high-performing students in Years 4–6, puts them in the same class for two years, and links them with the local high school for further extension and enrichment. Students in the program have experienced two years’ worth of growth in one year of learning – a feat the director-general of education called a “game-changer” for the school’s students.

www.educatoronline.com.au

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HENRY GROSSEK

KRISTY KENDALL Principal

Principal

TOORAK COLLEGE

Kristy Kendall is a leading voice in education and an expert on educating girls. A regular speaker at education conferences, she was invited to present at the Global Forum on Girls’ Education in Washington, DC, earlier this year. Her presentation explored the social, emotional, cognitive and moral developmental periods of girls and how disruption in the form of school transition can have detrimental effects on a student’s mental health and academic performance.

Under Kendall’s leadership, Toorak College’s academic results have increased, and it is now ranked number 22 among primary schools and number 50 among secondary schools in Victoria. Kendall has also expanded extra-curricular opportunities in line with her philosophy of exposing students to a range of challenges and opportunities to inspire them to find their passion, aim high and dream big.

LAURA BAIN E-learning coordinator and digital technologies teacher THE SPRINGFIELD ANGLICAN COLLEGE

In the past year, Laura Bain has gone from emerging leader to industry expert in the field of education technology. Her work with digital technologies and STEM in the primary years of education has gained attention around Australia and internationally. Believing that age is not a barrier when it comes to achieving amazing things with technology, Bain has expanded the school’s 1:1 program to commence in Year 3. She combined this with a self-created technology training program that aims to equip students with the skills to be responsible, smart and safe users of technology. Bain, who is recognised as a Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert, has commenced the study of her master of education with a goal to make an even greater impact on the education system in the future.

VANESSA NOONAN Head of digital pedagogy and innovation SHELDON COLLEGE

Vanessa Noonan is leading the development of dynamic learning opportunities for students at Sheldon College using state-of-the-art facilities. She has been inducted in the area of digital media, technology and ICT integration by international leaders such as Ian Jukes, Stephen Heppell and Alan November. Her latest project is centred around ArtScapes, a cutting-edge digital arts facility that allows students to work with digital media tools and virtual- and mixed-reality platforms that have never previously been used in Queensland schools. Well respected for her drive, knowledge and resourcefulness, Noonan also led the development of the Sheldon College Learning and Innovation for a New Queensland [LINQ] Precinct, a world-class facility of interdisciplinary project-based teaching and learning.

BERWICK LODGE PRIMARY SCHOOL

In response to the need for better-trained teacher aides to support the educational needs of children with special needs, Henry Grossek developed a multi-faceted course that not only enhances the teaching support skills of prospective aides, but also provides units of training in first aid, library administration and office administration. The course develops multi-skilled aides who can consequently provide school principals with greater flexibility to deploy aides across a variety of roles within the school. It also keeps teacher aides from being vulnerable to losing their jobs when the students they are allocated to move to other schools.

JANE MUELLER Principal LIVING FAITH LUTHERAN PRIMARY SCHOOL

As principal at Living Faith Lutheran Primary School, Jane Mueller encourages the development of contemporary soft skills from preschool to Year 6 to allow students to develop critical thinking, collaboration, empathy, resilience, grit, innovation and entrepreneurship. Mueller has been recognised as a highly effective principal who enables and supports change while creating a culture that recognises the need to redefine schooling to enable students to be productive and happy in the contemporary world. This has resulted in many visits from educational leaders from around the world, for whom Mueller has created an innovative series of highly sought-after in-school symposiums.

www.educatoronline.com.au

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HOT LIST 2018

PATRICK INNES-HILL SARAID DOHERTY

Principal EMMANUEL COLLEGE, JOSIAH COLLEGE

Principal YARRA PRIMARY SCHOOL

During Saraid Doherty’s stint as principal of Parkmore Primary from 2016 to 2018, the school was named to The Educator’s Innovative Schools list three times and was a finalist at the Australian Education Awards for Best Student Wellbeing Program. Doherty was recently appointed principal of Yarra Primary School in innermetropolitan Melbourne. A speaker at national and international conferences, Doherty is building a reputation for her expertise and success in positive educational leadership and is a passionate advocate for strengthsbased approaches to build resilient and thriving school communities.

REID SMITH Head of curriculum, assessment and instruction BALLARAT CLARENDON COLLEGE

Reid Smith’s leadership has been instrumental in guiding teachers at Ballarat Clarendon College to make conscious and deliberate choices that bring greater alignment between evidence-based pedagogical theory and their own classroom practice. Helping teachers to reimagine key elements of their work – such as the nature of

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Patrick Innes-Hill is a principal who’s not afraid to push the boundaries of education to enable all students to learn and thrive. After much research and planning, Australia’s first purposebuilt school for children with autism opened its doors in 2018 under InnesHill’s leadership. The school, Josiah College, forms part of the prestigious Emmanuel College, one of the leading private schools in Gold Coast. It was built from the ground up in close consultation with specialists from the Bond University Centre for Autism Spectrum Disorder, with every detail planned according to the specific needs of the students, from the architecture to the use of colours and even the movement of the school's fans.

lesson planning – requires painstaking effort. Smith has contributed the patient yet tenacious leadership necessary to trial and embed evidence-based practices in the everyday work of the college’s staff.

Seeking to understand more about the way children’s background knowledge might impact their comprehension of a text, Smith began a PhD earlier this year to investigate the interplay of a child’s domain knowledge with their level of textual understanding. He hopes his research will make a substantial contribution to literacy education in Australia.

A FRANCIS CEO HAPPY SCHOOL

Steve Francis is an expert in leading effective change processes in schools.

More than 600 schools subscribe to receive Francis’ weekly Happy School articles and use them to boost staff morale and wellbeing. This year, Francis launched a 12-month, self-paced professional development program called WELL Productivity, designed to support teachers to improve both their wellbeing and effectiveness. More than 30 schools across Australia and New Zealand have implemented the program.

Francis also led the development of the Survey My School instrument to assist schools in measuring and improving school culture. In recognition of the need to encourage and develop positive and supportive school cultures, Francis developed a process for assessing and certifying schools that meet certain criteria as Employers of Choice. This year, Francis has worked with schools to increase student voice and ensure teachers are receiving formative feedback from their students using the Survey My Class instrument he developed.

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HOT LIST 2018 MIA PINNINGTON STEAM specialist teacher COOMERA RIVERS STATE SCHOOL

Mia Pinnington’s STEAM classroom is an innovative space. Having secured several government grants, Pinnington has improved not only student learning outcomes, but also teachers’ professional development. Year 6 students in Pinnington’s STEAM specialist lessons participate in her myDesign Solutions program each year, which has led to an increase in student participation in science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics aligned with the Australian Curriculum.

Pinnington also created the iDesign program, which allows participating schools to attend a teacher PD session, access weekly lessons and resources to use with their students in their own schools, and then select high-performing students to participate in a Day of Excellence design challenge in four different digital learning events.

As a member of Coomera Rivers’ school council, Pinnington has developed a common commitment with community stakeholders around student learning and has influenced the whole-school explicit improvement agenda.

JACK PINCOTT Dean of activities ORMISTON COLLEGE

The growth of e-sports over the past few years has been staggering; by 2020, the industry is estimated to be worth US$1.4bn. By bringing e-sports into the school environment, Jack Pincott has provided Ormiston College with a unique opportunity to develop its own digital literacy component to the program. This includes compulsory targeted lessons each week focusing on teamwork, peer-to-peer learning, resilience and good sporting play behaviours in online environments. Through Pincott’s leadership, initiative and drive, the college is not only at the forefront of e-sports programs in the high school setting, but also seizing this opportunity to further develop students’ positive online footprint.

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ROS CURTIS Principal ST MARGARET'S ANGLICAN GIRLS SCHOOL

Ros Curtis has increased St Margaret’s focus on literacy and numeracy, which has landed the school in the top 15 Queensland schools across all four categories for NAPLAN (in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9). An academic advising model for Years 9–12, introduced earlier this year, has successfully increased students’ engagement with their learning, leading to more self-reflection and self-management.

Under Curtis’ leadership, the school developed and successfully implemented the St Margaret’s Framework of Quality Teaching and Learning. She has developed and promoted both internal and external professional development programs, and 52% of her teaching staff either have or are pursuing a masters degree.

In addition, Curtis’ two former deputies are now principals at excellent schools, and a former dean is a deputy principal.

www.educatoronline.com.au

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CARRI CAMPBELL Year 9 coordinator FAITH LUTHERAN COLLEGE

JAKE PLASKETT Director of learning innovation RUYTON GIRLS SCHOOL

Jake Plaskett’s recent accomplish­ ments at Ruyton Girls School include designing authentic signature programs and experiences that engage the local community and are underpinned by future-focused pedagogies; reimagining the current elective model and introducing a new structure and timetable amendment to allow more student choice and voice in Years 6–10; co-constructing learning that matters through an authentic semester-long internship program for students in Years 9 and 10; and engaging professionals to share their work experiences and education journeys through Power Lunch programs.

Plaskett’s ambition is to inspire change across the educational landscape, not just in Australia but globally. He recently founded a profitfor-purpose organisation called the Significant Learning Institute [SLI], which serves to provide learnercentred online professional learning to everyone, everywhere. SLI currently offers seven online courses and is in beta-testing across 16 schools in Australia, pending NESA accreditation for NSW teacher professional learning.

The topics covered range from Project-Based Learning to Flipped Learning, from Leading Learning Innovation to Co-Constructing Assessment that Matters.

Carri Campbell is the brainchild behind her school’s Hot Shots Robotics program, a concept that started three years ago with a vision, strong leadership and seven enthusiastic students, and eventually led to a funding grant to successfully establish robotics in the school. The program has now grown to more than 32 students who professionally compete at a national forum.

Campbell is also the driver behind Faith Lutheran’s International Women’s Day event, which engages female Year 9 students to prepare and serve a shared meal for Year 10–12 female students, staff and guests. This year, the group participated in a panel discussion surrounding the theme of parity and what this means to women in 2018, which inspired the school’s women and girls to #pressforprogress by motivating and uniting friends, colleagues and communities to think, act and be gender inclusive by challenging stereotypes and bias.

MICHELLE DENNIS Head of digital learning and innovation STRATHCONA BAPTIST GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL

Michelle Dennis has presented at both in-house and external professional learning forums in the area of educational technologies and has been a key driver in the implementation of new technologies that drive the learning environment and program at Strathcona Baptist Girls Grammar. She has redesigned the Strathcona Year 7 and 8 interdisciplinary project to be focused around digital technology, including coding, and gave it the new name #CoLAb to evoke the program’s technical and collaborative aspects. Dennis has also supported many staff in their teaching, including the use of virtual reality in the classroom. She has developed and introduced the studies of Digital Futures at Year 8, Creating New Worlds in Virtual Reality at Year 10 and VCE VET Creative Digital Media for students from Years 10–12, which have sparked considerable interest from students in their elective choices.

MARK SAVERY Head of e-learning (P-12), STEM and social innovation coordinator EMMANUEL COLLEGE

This year, Mark Savery has played a critical role at Emmanuel College as an advocate for education transformation, using virtual, augmented and mixed reality to bring engagement and a deeper learning experience to students. With a focus on students being creators of content, not just viewers, Savery has inspired students to use available tools like Microsoft’s Paint 3D and game-based software like Minecraft to create their own 3D models and export them into the VR environment. Students work collaboratively and individually to engage in the design process, then share their projects in virtual and augmented reality or by 3D-printing their creations. Savery continues to encourage the use of technology to the college’s executive staff.

www.educatoronline.com.au

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HOT LIST 2018 JESSICA HALL Teaching and learning leader AVE MARIA COLLEGE

Jessica Hall is a leader in the field of innovation in educational leadership excellence. Hall’s learning and leadership disposition is evidenced by strong strategic insight, exemplary change management and collaboration skills, as well as a tenacious capacity to deliver.

At Ave Maria College, Hall has introduced CHALK, an interactive online portal that supports growth and development in teaching practice. Her leadership in this role has ensured that staff, students and senior leaders can effectively offer feedback on teacher practice, celebrate achievements and ensure an efficient mechanism for staff professional learning on a semester basis.

Hall has also been responsible for the successful implementation of the school’s learning management system, which has been widely applauded by staff, students and parents.

KERRIE BRADLEY Sports coordinator CALLAGHAN COLLEGE, WARATAH TECHNOLOGY CAMPUS

Kerrie Bradley has built strong links with Sports Australia to introduce new ways to improve physical activity programs and practices at Callaghan College. Serving as a role model for her students by staying fit and encouraging good, healthy eating habits, Bradley imparts knowledge

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JOANNE TURNBULL Teacher librarian VALENTINE PUBLIC SCHOOL

In a single year, Joanne Turnbull took Valentine Public School’s traditional library space and turned it into a high-powered media centre. Her efforts have led to a significant improvement in student engagement and greater confidence among teachers in embedding technology into their teaching. The new state-ofthe-art media centre enriches class content learning through the explicit teaching of the general capabilities and cross-curricular priorities. The space also ensures that students engage with literacy learning that supports future-focused skills. Within this space, students work collaboratively with an emphasis on becoming the architects and creators of technology, rather than merely consumers of it.

and advice to her peers and students in a way that helps them feel a sense of achievement. Her enthusiasm and encouragement have had a noticeable impact on school athletics and swimming carnivals, as well as specific sports events.

Student numbers have risen, and their hunger to compete and win is much stronger; several of Bradley’s students have competed at the international level. In addition, by staying in contact with student carers, Bradley has been able to receive and implement feedback.

LIV PENNIE Co-founder and CEO BECOME EDUCATION

Rather than join the quest to predict the future, Liv Pennie’s postgraduate research led her to a robust evidence base in the fields of vocational and educational psychology. Evidence shows that students who have an idea for their future that excites them and confidence that they’ll be able to navigate towards it demonstrate short- and long-term benefits such as increased academic and community engagement, decreased anti-social behaviours such as delinquency and truancy, and better academic and vocational outcomes. Pennie and her company, BEcoME, have used this research to transform career education by empowering young people with the skills to explore, design and navigate their future. Pennie has created a unique workshop solution that is being automated and turned into an app that can be used all over the world.

www.educatoronline.com.au

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MATT LEWIS

MARY-LOU O’BRIEN

Principal

Chief digital officer

LIDCOMBE PUBLIC SCHOOL

MELBOURNE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL

Matt Lewis’ leadership, social awareness and keen sense of what students need have led him to introduce growth mindset training for staff and parents at Lidcombe Public School, allowing students to build resilience and prepare them for real-world success.

Lewis also oversees Literacy, Language and Learning [L3], a program in operation since 2011, which teaches reading to students in the early years. Under Lewis’ leadership, the results of the L3 program have been so outstanding that Lidcombe is one of only two schools that has the capacity to train other schools in L3, currently impacting upon 15 other schools.

Mary-Lou O’Brien has made leaps and bounds in the effective use of technology for the girls at Melbourne Girls Grammar School [MGGS]. She led one of the first full-choice ‘bring your own technology’ programs, which frees students from technology constraints, enabling them to choose their own device for learning.

O’Brien also has a major focus on role modelling for girls in STEM. In 2011, she created a small networking group of independent school e-learning leaders that still meets once per term. She also co-created the Centre for Educational Enterprise at MGGS, a community hub that unites world educators through shared knowledge, success strategies, research and global partnerships, with the goal of progressing outstanding practice in education.

O’Brien regularly shares her thoughts, visions and passion with others within the education community, which holds her in very high esteem with her peers.

www.educatoronline.com.au

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HOT LIST 2018 CHRIS RAMSDEN Education consultant ACCELIUM/MIND LAB

Chris Ramsden often hears that his work is “amongst Australia’s best-kept secrets”; others say he was ahead of time when introducing the first iterations of Mind Lab some 11 years ago.

Throughout his career, Ramsden has demonstrated resilience, dedication and foresight whilst training teachers in the art of metacognition and transference. Ramsden’s high-quality, evidencebased and evidence-generating game-based methodology has forged purposeful and positive partnerships with more innovative schools throughout 2018.

Mind Lab’s Evidence for Learning initiative has recently mapped the work to its evidence toolkit, which Ramsden supports with a strong commitment to grow and assess aspects of critical and creative thinking and personal and social capabilities.

Throughout 2018, Ramsden has shared his work in conference workshops, keynotes and industry roundtables, discussing, amongst other topics, agile learning in the 21st century.

JEN MCVEITY Creator and CEO

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ESTHER HILL

TIM KNOWLES

Dean of teaching and learning

Principal

ALL SAINTS’ COLLEGE, PERTH

CIRE COMMUNITY SCHOOL

Esther Hill is the passionate promoter and director of the Beyond Boundaries Institute at All Saints’ College. A future-focused hub, the Institute has developed student-run Propeller Industries, operated from a ‘hangar’ on the college grounds, which includes a pop-up shop selling goods students have made on-site and enterprises where they redistribute other goods.

The second stage of the college’s Creative Industries program is where students work with service partners such as disabled surfing, aged care, dementia charities, Anglicare for the homeless, and Teach Learn Grow for Indigenous work and projects in India. Organisations pitch their problems to the students, who then have the opportunity to solve real-world issues.

As principal of Cire Community School, Tim Knowles takes the rough diamonds of his local community and gives them every opportunity to shine. The multi-campus school works with youth at risk of disengaging from education, many of whom come from families where parents have had poor school experiences. Twice a year, the school conducts compulsory engagement interviews for every student, along with a significant adult in their lives, to activate their personal learning plan for the next six months.

This process has resulted in close to 100% engagement. The significant increase in school attendance for some of the school’s most vulnerable young people is a marked difference from their experience in a mainstream school environment.

SEVEN STEPS TO WRITING SUCCESS

In creating the Seven Steps to Writing Success program, Jen McVeity has helped raise the literacy levels of more than a million children. The program improves not only NAPLAN scores, but also school data to track real student literacy. Aggregate data of 1,500 students in F-6 shows an 11% increase in writing skills on the NAPLAN band in just six to 10 weeks. The program has also been shown to improve student engagement within a matter of weeks.

McVeity says the Seven Steps’ simplicity and verbal collaboration are key to making students feel engaged and confident. “They want fast lessons and quick gains – and they love the improvement,” she says. Teachers have reported that since implementing the program, their writing classrooms have transformed from quiet, serious places into “buzzing hives of creativity and excitement”.

www.educatoronline.com.au

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PETER ALLEN Director of teaching and learning SCOTCH COLLEGE

At Scotch College, Peter Allen and his team have created genuine change that they have yet to see replicated in schools elsewhere. Scotch College runs two curriculums in Year 11 and 12 across two single-sex schools by having cross-campus classes and a bus that ferries students between every lesson.

Allen says the college has “thrown the Australian Curriculum in the bin” in a Year 9 and 10 STEM elective, for which three teachers teach in an open space with no content, no assessment and no reporting – and it remains the college’s most popular elective.

Scotch College has also partnered with a local creative agency, FORM, to establish the Art of Creative Learning program, which sees teachers work with artists to redefine how they teach subjects like maths and science to encourage creativity.

GREGORY MILLER Principal ST LUKE'S CATHOLIC COLLEGE

As part of the Catholic education system of Parramatta, Gregory Miller’s mission is to design and establish a new normal for pre- to post-school education. Miller has partnered with the University of Technology in Sydney, using an online platform to understand how learning activities can translate into general capability expressions.

Throughout their secondary years, students at St Luke’s increasingly get time back for self-paced learning, self-developed courses and to engage with community partners. Ultimately, students will map their own personalised learning plan in consultation with their parents and learning mentors, and with the support of life coaches. The student achievements are validated in real time with an approach of ‘catch them doing good’. The focus is on community and how students relate to one another, not how they measure themselves against others.

RACHEL GRIEVE Dance coordinator GRACE ACADEMY, GRACE LUTHERAN COLLEGE

Rachel Grieve is one of the most respected dance teachers in Queensland and is changing the shape of dance as a subject across the state, including creating a unique new curriculum for use in dance classes throughout Australia. Grieve’s work has the potential to transform the way dance is taught in Queensland by including contextual, analytical information and practical elements in a production that is readily viewable by mass audiences. She has personally designed a curriculum on the company’s production of Cinderella that is now being used in classrooms across Queensland. Her work is likely to be used for decades to come by schools in Australia and potentially across the globe.

Grieve sits on the district panel for review and moderation of all assessable dance work in the region’s schools and has personally designed the curriculum used in several schools.

She is accredited as a leader within the Lutheran Church of Australia and its schools. She also uses her skills to influence the next generation of teachers and is regularly sought out as a mentor and guide.

www.educatoronline.com.au

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HOT LIST 2018 RYAN GILL Head of teaching and learning, Years 7–12 MASADA COLLEGE

Ryan Gill is a key figure in the development of Cultures of Thinking and Flipped Learning pedagogies across Australia. Having taught and held leadership positions in the UK and Australia, Gill’s current role has developed to focus on the pedagogies and practices of teaching and learning, actively promoting a learning environment in which collective and individual thinking is valued, visible and actively promoted. He regularly facilitates at conferences and educational institutions, including the highly acclaimed Masada College Think Centre. Gill also serves as a coach for the online Creating Cultures of Thinking course at Project Zero and as a fellow at the Project Zero Classroom at Harvard University.

SIMON MCINTOSH Mathematics leader PARKMORE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Making his second consecutive appearance on The Educator’s Hot List, Simon McIntosh has continued to promote a Jo Boaler-inspired ‘math revolution’ in the Riversdale Network, located in the inner east of Melbourne.

In 2018, McIntosh developed an attitudinal survey for students participating in Parkmore Primary’s Mathematical Mindsets program to begin to track the impact of the modern curriculum structure on student growth and mindset development. By sharing the school’s discoveries with other schools in the network’s professional learning community, Parkmore Primary has continued to drive its ‘math revolution’ beyond the strengths identified in its own classrooms.

For 2019, McIntosh is vying to present his work on Parkmore’s Mathematical Mindsets to the International Positive Psychology Conference in Melbourne, continuing Parkmore’s efforts to be at the forefront of positive education.

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MURRAY JAMES

TIM RUSSELL

Director of ICT

Dean of student wellbeing

SHELDON COLLEGE

ALL SAINTS’ COLLEGE, PERTH

Murray James has developed a positive culture to lead change within the realm of ICT and digital pedagogies across Sheldon College by inspiring others to think beyond the visible possibilities.

James has led the development of the school’s Learning and Innovation for a New Queensland [LINQ] Precinct, which uses interdisciplinary project-based teaching and learning to focus on the cross-disciplinary implementation of media, business, design and technologies.

James’ latest project is ArtScapes, a cutting-edge digital arts facility that allows students to work with digital media tools in virtual- and mixed-reality platforms, allowing them to access resources that are only often found in industry and universities. James’ approach to teaching and learning offers creative classroom training across various and constantly evolving media disciplines, coupled with participation in regular master classes and industry experiences.

Tim Russell strategically planned and implemented the Heads, Hearts and Hands service learning program at All Saints’ College. He has creatively embedded ethics and justice into the curriculum from pre-kindergarten to Year 12 and has expanded the college’s outreach program and collaborated with its Creative Industries unit to have service providers, such as the Salvation Army, disabled surfers and Disability Services, meet with the Creative Industries class to share real-world problems. The students then employ their design thinking skills to come up with and pitch solutions to the providers.

Additionally, Russell has actively engaged the alumni and families in the college’s outreach program so that the entire community is now actively involved in the Heads, Hearts and Hands approach to making a difference in the wider community. In total, Russell has developed 40 service programs for the college.

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SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

MASTER OF EDUCATION

Choose, commit, succeed The right master of education qualification can make all the difference to a teacher’s prospects – and one university is finding ways to make that goal more attainable than ever

WHEN THE institution a student is considering applying to for a master of education program ranks as number one for education in Australia and among the top six in the world, that student might be either apprehensive about their prospects of a successful application or plain excited about the possibilities about to open up.

The Melbourne Graduate School of Education [MGSE] at the University of Melbourne is quick to assure those in the former category that it attracts a wide variety of students from across the education sector: schools, early childhood settings, vocational institutes and universities.

Dr Mary Leahy, course coordinator of the master of education program at MGSE, says a master of education provides students with the opportunity to develop individualised programs that meet their interests

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and further their aspirations. She adds that those who can derive the greatest benefit from the program are “students who work, or are seeking to work, in government departments in Australia and across the world, or at consulting firms, international development agencies, and community organisations. This includes work in related fields – for example, health practitioners who have moved into clinical or health education.”

Leahy explains that there are a variety of motivations that drive people to seek a master of education degree, including “the desire to expand and deepen knowledge, to build capacity for promotion, and to create a pathway into further study and research”.

And, in a highly competitive and increasingly global labour market, a masters degree can significantly improve employability, as

students can build specialist knowledge to deepen or broaden their portfolios, skills and experiences.

“The people who will benefit the most from a master of education are those who are passionate about their profession and the outcomes they can achieve through education,” Leahy says. “It includes those who seek to make a difference both to the quality of learning for students at all levels of education and across the wider community. Many will be in, or aspiring to, leadership positions.”

Maximising the opportunities Education professionals are often concerned about the practicalities of being able to undertake a master of education program while also juggling work and family, but Leahy is reassuring.

“The course is designed to be as flexible as possible,” she says. “Students benefit from the high level of engagement enabled through a face-to-face teaching model. Classes are offered after work or in intensive mode over weekends or in mid-week blocks. Most students can enrol in the load that is appropriate, given their other commitments.”

Leahy says some people wonder whether further study will make a significant difference, but she has no doubts. “Our subjects are built around the big ideas, the critical debates and the most pressing problems in education,” she says. “They expand thinking and inform practice.”

Leahy advises that when making a decision about postgraduate study, potential students should consider “the quality of teaching, the breadth of subjects and the flexibility of the course design”.

The master of education program at MGSE offers all those attributes. Just a cursory glance at the sheer wealth of programs and expertise available makes it clear that the school’s claim to be “a global leader in teaching and education research” is not an idle boast.

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“The people who will benefit the most from a master of education are those who are passionate about their profession and the outcomes they can achieve through education” Mary Leahy, Melbourne Graduate School of Education

Why MGSE? When asked how MGSE’s master of education program distinguishes itself from similar qualifications offered by other institutions with respect to its teaching methodology, course design and structure, Leahy notes that “students can develop the program that suits their situation, previous experience and aspirations. They can undertake one or two specialisations or develop a more bespoke program – for example, by drawing together subjects from leadership, assessment, evaluation and policy.”

MGSE offers nine specialisations – Arts Education; Assessment and Pedagogy; Equity, Diversity and Social Change; Leadership and Management; Literacy Education; Mathematics Education; Policy in a Global Context; Science Education; and Student Wellbeing – along with more than 50 electives.

“With approval, it is possible take subjects

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SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

MASTER OF EDUCATION

“Our subjects are built around the big ideas, the critical debates and the most pressing problems in education. They expand thinking and inform practice” Mary Leahy, Melbourne Graduate School of Education from other education graduate courses,” Leahy adds. “And there is also an option to undertake a research pathway towards the end of your study.”

Leary adds that Commonwealth Supported Places [CSPs] are guaranteed for eligible

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applicants to MGSE, beginning in 2019. This reduces the cost to less than $7,000 per year for full-time CSP students. She also points out that advanced standing of up to 100 credit points is available for qualified teachers, reducing the length of the full course from two

years full-time to just one.

When selecting an educational institution at which to complete a master of education, Leahy notes that “most potential students will look at the course first and then the institution. The value of a qualification is underpinned by the standing of the university that issues that qualification. Further considerations include the cost of the course and the logistics of attending classes and allocating time to do the work.

“There is never a perfect time to study,” she adds, “but it is important that you can make the commitment. You give yourself the best chance to learn and develop when you allocate time to fully engage.”

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FEATURE / BROKER EDUCATION FEATURES

SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT

Excellence across the board There’s much more to James Ruse Agricultural High School than impressive HSC results. The Educator spoke to principal Megan Connors to find out more

EACH YEAR, when the HSC results are announced, Sydney’s James Ruse Agricultural High School celebrates – and with good reason. In 2017, the school marked its 22nd year in a row atop the HSC list. Yet for Megan Connors, only the school’s sixth principal since 1959, educational excellence means much more than great HSC results.

“All school communities strive for excellence,” Connors says. “We aim to cater to the specific needs of our gifted students, and we focus on developing all their gifts into talents: academic, social, emotional and physical. To achieve our goals, we as teachers work in partnership with our students and parents, valuing student voice, encouraging engagement of all stakeholders, saying yes to many opportunities, and promoting proactive student and staff wellbeing.”

That wellbeing is strengthened by collaborative sporting and other various co-curricular enrichment and extension activities. Before school, during recess and after the final bell rings, the school’s grounds are abuzz with clubs, workshops, performances, competitions and Olympiad preparations. Students also participate in a broad excursion program in Australia and overseas.

A school’s physical environment can have a significant influence on the culture it exudes, and this is certainly true at James Ruse AHS. The school gets its name from its five-hectare farm, which is tended to by students. The farm, which includes a student plot area, school orchard, tool and machinery sheds, animal sheds, leased school paddocks, and a dam, lies

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adjacent to the school on the northern side. Its primary function is agricultural education, providing a hands-on environment where students observe and actively participate in its running. The farm also provides opportunities for students to grow and harvest their own crops and to conduct experimental trials. At the centre of it all is an idea, deeply rooted in the legacy of the school’s founder, that selfsufficiency is a pathway to success.

cient. Ruse applied himself diligently to his task, proving himself to be not only a hard worker but also, by local standards, an enlightened farmer who made effective use of the limited means at his disposal. Today, a replica of his tombstone stands in the front garden of Barrengarry House, the administration block at James Ruse AHS. Connors says that in addition to building on Ruse’s legacy, the school’s priority in recent

“I believe and advocate that all teachers are leaders, and it is through the combined leadership of us all that we can achieve our vision” Megan Connors, James Ruse Agricultural High School Towards self-sufficiency James Ruse was a Cornish farmer who, at the age of 23, was convicted of breaking and entering and was sentenced to seven years’ transportation to Australia. After arriving at Sydney Cove on the First Fleet with 18 months of his sentence remaining, he boldly applied to Governor Arthur Phillip for a land grant.

The request was rejected by the governor, who claimed there was a lack of evidence that Ruse was entitled to his freedom. However, two months later, the governor permitted Ruse to occupy an allotment near Parramatta.

He made this concession partly because he knew Ruse to be industrious and partly because he was anxious to discover how long it would take an emancipist to become self-suffi-

years has been to continue to build the capacity of both staff and students. “Targeted professional learning to meet the needs of individual staff and the school priorities is essential,” she says. “The goal to educate the whole child and create lifelong learners relies on teachers truly differentiating both our curriculum and co-curricular programs.”

To that end, the school has expanded its Stage 5 curriculum. “Building on the success of accelerating agriculture, we now offer accelerated PDHPE and Music 2 to our Year 10 students,” Connors says. “The creation of our creative and performing arts faculty has been hugely successful.”

The school also has a wellbeing team, which has created a proactive program to

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JAMES RUSE AGRICULTURAL HIGH SCHOOL AT A GLANCE

Selective, co-educational public high school located in Carlingford, NSW

The school enrols 841 students from Years 7–12

build resilience, resourcefulness and growth mindsets among students.

“I believe and advocate that all teachers are leaders, and it is through the combined leadership of us all that we can achieve our vision,” Connors says. “Building relationships with our parents, ex-students, other schools, universities and the wider community is an ongoing goal.”

As society copes with rapid change, preparing students for an uncertain and complex future has been at the top of the priority list for school leaders across Australia, and Connors is a principal with her finger firmly on the pulse in that regard.

“Ensuring our students develop their personal capabilities – and, in particular, their communication, collaborative, creative and critical thinking skills – will give them the skills to flourish in the dynamic world they will enter post-school,” she says.

At James Ruse AHS, work experience is formalised in a Year 10 program, and alumni nights link current students to the school’s alumni community, who are given the opportunity to participate across a range of activities.

“We also provide more than 60 extracurricular opportunities for students,” Connors says, “ranging from our Duke of Edinburgh program to poultry squad to Olympiad training programs and the High Resolves Student Leadership program.” The

High Resolves program gives Year 8, 9 and 10 students the opportunity to chair each of the school governance committees and participate in a range of other leadership programs.

“The creation of a cross-curriculum program from Year 7 to 10, beginning with our introduction to the creative and critical thinking program in Year 7 and progressing to the Year 10 Urban Challenge, equips students with confidence, collaborative skills, and the ability to voice opinions and solve real-world programs,” Connors adds. “Our programs emphasise the importance of being globally aware and being an active and responsible citizen.”

Cultivating wisdom The school’s wellbeing program encourages awareness of mental health issues and the farreaching impact of resilience. Supporting this are various mentoring and support programs, guided by the welfare team, to look after the emotional needs of gifted and talented students.

James Ruse AHS also takes parent engagement to a new level by allowing the P&C body to participate in school governance and run information nights for each year group. One example is the Mothers’ Club, which works to enhance the quality of school life and puts parents to work in the library, the canteen, the uniform shop and with music, participating in presentations and sharing their expertise.

James Ruse has topped the HSC list 22 years in a row

Around 97% of students are from a non-English-speaking background

Connors says these connections extend to alumni students and staff, who also have their own association and term newsletter.

“At James Ruse, our students, staff and parents are committed to our school’s ASPIRE values: acceptance, service, participation, integrity, respect and endeavour,” she says. “A culture based on high expectations for all is supported by our strong wellbeing curriculum and large number of exta-curricular activities.”

Connors adds that the school prides itself on developing student agency. “Inclusion and acceptance of everyone is very much part of our culture,” she says. “Students work together and with their parents and teachers to achieve highly and develop the soft skills that are necessary to prepare them for a fulfilled and successful life. Our goal is to ultimately develop our students into young men and women of wisdom.”

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SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

EXPERT SPOTLIGHT

Futureproofing education Deakin University’s Faculty of Arts and Education is sparing no effort to supercharge teacher quality in Australia. The Educator’s Mark Meredith spoke to acting executive dean Christine Ure to find out more

“THE SUPPLY of teachers cannot be turned on and off like a tap. It takes years to create a teacher.”

Professor Christine Ure wrote those words in 2015 – and she should know, having spent almost 40 years of her professional life teaching teachers how to teach. Today, she’s the acting executive dean of Deakin University’s School of Education, one of the largest and most successful teacher education providers in Australia, and a consistent high performer in world education tables.

“My passion has always been about people and how to improve the quality of education,” Ure tells The Educator. “Teachers are the key to young people’s access to a future that is full of hope and opportunity.”

Like the teachers it strives to produce, Deakin University’s School of Education is a high achiever, boasting a QS ranking of 5 in Australia and 30 internationally. In the area of education research, the university obtained

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a rating of 4, positioning its research above world standard.

But for Ure, the school’s unique selling proposition for aspiring education professionals is the sheer scale of teacher education programs on offer at all levels. These include specialisations in early childhood education, health and physical education, primary and secondary teaching, as well as an option for the International Baccalaureate.

“The school’s flagship Master of Teaching degree provides a postgraduate teaching qualification for graduates from any discipline other than education to teach in one or more early childhood, primary and secondary sectors,” Ure says. “The Master of Teaching includes many options for higher degree specialist studies and pathways into research and doctoral studies,” she adds, giving a raft of examples, from teaching languages other than English to education business leadership.

“We actively contribute to educational debate in academic and policy settings both locally and internationally. And we’re a national and international leader in offering tailored in-service professional development programs for educators, using both intensive and cloud-mediated learning,” Ure says, citing a string of collaborative programs the School of Education has undertaken in Hong Kong, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, China and throughout Australia.

Raising the bar on teacher quality The federal government has placed a strong focus on lifting the quality of Australian educators before they enter the classroom, and Deakin’s School of Education has taken steps to meet this all-important objective.

“Drawing on the school’s strong tradition of research in teacher preparation, we have developed new models of industry and professional partnerships through our Teaching Academies program to improve the classroom readiness of graduating teachers,” Ure says. “This innovative model has improved the quality of professional learning for both pre-service teachers and their mentors.”

Ure explains that school placements are supported by a specialist teacher, known as a site director, who is employed by the university to bridge the school and university contexts. Pre-service teachers are placed in groups in schools, and site directors coordinate assessment circles, where they can present evidence of their practice in a professional seminar with peers and classroom and mentor teachers.

Academy schools also engage more directly in the delivery of study components of teacher education courses. “In addition, some classes may be taken off-campus in an Academy school, where pre-service teachers work in groups with classroom teachers to assess, plan and implement teaching in a whole-class setting,” Ure says.

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She points to Deakin’s Network for Exceptional Teaching for Disadvantaged Schools [NETDS] program, employed in collaboration with other Australian universities, as another example of the university’s commitment to turning out quality teachers. NETDS allows pre-service teachers to engage in a program that incorporates a specialised curriculum and supported school placement in a network of partner schools.

“My passion has always been about people and how to improve the quality of education.

Teachers are the key to young people’s access to a future that is full of hope and opportunity” Christine Ure, Deakin University School of Education

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SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

EXPERT SPOTLIGHT

Ahead of the curve The Australian teaching and learning landscape is rapidly changing. So how does Deakin University’s School of Education ensure the programs it offers remain relevant by the time its students graduate and enter the classroom?

“Programs such as the Teaching Academies and NETDS ensure that Deakin teaching graduates are highly skilled,” Ure says. She also points to the Deakin Hallmarks, which encourage graduates to develop high-level professional skills via an innovative approach to acknowledging graduate learning outcomes.

“Hallmarks are a micro-credential that further support graduates to differentiate themselves to potential employers,” Ure explains. “Deakin Hallmarks are prestig-

PROFILE Name: Christine Ure Title: Acting executive dean School: Deakin University School of Education Located in: Melbourne Years in the industry: Close to 40 Fast fact: Ure was awarded the 2017 Australian Council of Deans of Education Award for her “outstanding contribution to education and the ACDE board” “This program prepares high-achieving pre-service teachers to be professional and personally prepared with the skills they need to teach in schools that have high support needs,” Ure says. “Close work between the university and partner schools ensures graduating teachers are well prepared for more challenging teaching assignments from the first day of teaching.”

In addition, the university’s education research centre, Research for Educational Impact [REDI], collaborates with international scholars, government agencies,

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“Close work between the university and partner schools ensures graduating teachers are well prepared for more challenging teaching assignments from the first day of teaching” Christine Ure, Deakin University School of Education industry partners, schools and other stakeholders to help inform cutting-edge best practice in Australian schools.

“REDI’s researchers prioritise research for education rather than research on education,” Ure says. “Our researchers take an outward-facing approach to delivering and translating high-quality research and research training into outcomes that are relevant and meaningful to communities.

REDI research addresses local and global challenges, and positively impacts educational theory, policy, teacher practice and student learning.”

ious university awards that recognise Deakin students’ outstanding achievements in skills such as communication, digital literacy, teamwork, critical thinking, problem-solving, self-management and global citizenship.

“We developed Hallmarks through consultation between faculties and relevant employers, industry or professional bodies to ensure they signify outstanding achievement as valued and judged in professional life,” she adds. “Achievement of a Deakin Hallmark validates wider employability skills and encourages an appreciation of the learner’s personal professional development.”

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PEOPLE

CAREER PATH

STRENGTH TO STRENGTH Leadership has always come naturally to Alexandra Hills State High School principal Gail Armstrong

After teaching at Cleveland District State High School in Queensland for eight years, Armstrong returned from maternity leave to take her first leadership position “I was on maternity leave, having had my second child, and was asked if I’d cut the leave short to return to act as subject master for English. I loved it, and in 1984 was appointed to the position, which I held for four years”

1977

GETS HER FIRST TASTE OF LEADERSHIP

1990

LEARNS TO BE A PRINCIPAL Armstrong returned to Australia inspired and full of enthusiasm for her role as deputy principal at Browns Plains State High School “This was my first real experience of working closely with a principal, and I learnt a lot, particularly about coping with the stress of the job. With his encouragement, I applied to be the foundation principal at Sunshine Beach State High School”

1995

STEPS UP AS DIRECTOR OF SCHOOLS Armstrong had a short but significant stint as director of schools in the Ballina area of NSW, which she calls “a reality check” and “a lesson in humility” “After six months in the role, there was a change of government, and my position was made redundant.

Thankfully, I had only taken leave from the Queensland Department of Education and was able to return. Some good has to come from every experience, and in this case, the time I had as a supervisor of principals confirmed that all I ever wanted to be was one of them”

2003

HEADS UP ALEXANDRA HILLS After acting roles at Marsden and Kenmore State High Schools, Armstrong was appointed to Alexandra Hills State High School in Redlands City, Queensland.

Her 45-year education career culminated this year in a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Queensland Secondary Principals’ Association “I’ve been here for nearly 16 years and have loved every minute with wonderful support from my deputies and every P&C executive. The school is a dynamic place where innovation has thrived in response to the needs of a diverse student group”

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1989

MOVES TO CANADA At the end of 1988, Armstrong was invited to take up an exchange position as a guidance counsellor at O’Neill Collegiate, a school for the performing arts and gifted students in Ontario, Canada “My family – husband and now three children – set off for a wonderful adventure in Canada. O’Neill was a great school, and it was a privilege to be accepted into that school community, giving me the opportunity to experience firsthand the unique practices which led to their excellent student outcomes”

1992

OPENS A NEW SCHOOL

By January 1992, the new school at Sunshine Beach was ready and opened with 150 Year 8 students. This provided yet another new environment and a new challenge for Armstrong

“I had to learn many things through trial and error. I quickly learnt the critical role the principal plays in building relationships with parents and the wider community, and the absolute importance of the support the administration team provides to the principal” 1996

LAUNCHES COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP Armstrong moved on to Loganlea State High School, located in a seriously disadvantaged community. It proved to be an exhilarating place to work, as organisations and agencies were keen to partner with the school to enhance the educational provision “I was a founding member of the Logan Education Alliance, an active partnership amongst the local schools, TAFE and Griffith University, and set up a very productive group with my school, TAFE, Griffith University and the Logan Hospital”

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