Education Review - Jul 2013

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Issue 5 August 2013 www.educationreview.com.au

The inspirational choice

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contents EDITOR

news 05 Principals face violence

Antonia Maiolo 02 9936 8618 antonia.maiolo@apned.com.au

Parents do the bullying

JOURNALIST

06 Conference of principals

Aileen Macalintal aileen.macalintal@apned.com.au

Building leaders through education

PRODUCTION MANAGER Cj Malgo 02 9936 8772 cj.malgo@apned.com.au

GRAPHIC DESIGN

05

09 Video-conferencing

10

Latest resource in digital learning

10 Top students flat-line

Ryan Salcedo ryan.salcedo@apned.com.au

The brightest plateau as learners at the bottom improve

SALES Donna Scott 02 9936 8673 donna.scott@apned.com.au

industry & policy 12 The education election

Luke Bear 02 9936 8703 luke.bear@apned.com.au Sam Pritchard 02 9936 8622 sam.pritchard@apned.com.au

SUBSCRIPTION INQUIRIES 02 9936 8666 subs@apned.com.au

What each side pledges on Gonski reforms

12

19 Teaching degrees

23

ATARs don’t often get candidates in

in the classroom 23 Leadership challenge

PUBLISHED BY

Give teachers the opportunity to grow

APN Educational Media (ACN 010 655 446) PO Box 488 Darlinghurst, NSW 1300 ISSN 1834-7967

25 Sustainability learning

Skills and knowledge for the next generation

PUBLISHER’S NOTE © Copyright. No part of this publication can be used or reproduced in any format without express permission in writing from APN Educational Media. The mention of a product or service, person or company in this publication, does not indicate the publisher’s endorsement. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the opinion of the publisher, its agents, company officers or employees.

Audited 15,635 as at Sept 2012

25

29 Digital citizenship

29

How to teach online etiquette and safety

community focus 32 Caring for Cambodia

Principal helps build a brighter future

workforce 34 Inspirational teachers

We reveal who made our Top 5

32

38 Men with chalk

34

UniSA tries to get more males into teaching

Stay informed for all upcoming excursions by liking our Facebook page & subscribe to our monthly newsletter.

DART Connections Video Conferencing Excursions are designed to enrich and supplement curriculum across all stages and key learning areas.

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Make it a priority to like our facebook page.

August 2013 | 3

AITSL is funded by the Australian Government

The Australian Teacher Performance and Development Framework The Framework Conversation Wheel, included in this edition of Education Review, is designed to support teachers and school leaders in discussing and planning for a performance and development culture in their local context.

The Framework itself outlines the culture required to support effective performance and development in schools, and the components of a cycle that provide a structure for appraising, developing and refining teacher practice.

“

If we create a culture where every teacher believes they need to improve, not because they are not good enough but because they can be even better, there is no limit to what we can achieve

”

Dylan Wiliam

Emeritus Professor of Educational Assessment Institute of Education, University of London.

The Framework Conversation Wheel can help to identify: • the effective work you are already doing in performance and development • how the culture and the performance and development cycle in your school currently support performance and development • opportunities to enhance the culture and performance and development cycle in your school.

See the back of the wheel for an activity suggestion for your next staff planning event.

Framework resources are available on the AITSL website including: • • • • • •

a downloadable version of the Conversation Wheel a Framework overview video an introductory animation PowerPoint presentations and activities fact sheet and infographic case study videos and artefacts.

aitsl.edu.au/performance

Have your say about Australian education reform Across Australia, educators are using the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers in various ways to help improve the quality of education for young Australians. But what impact are those varied approaches actually having on improving teacher quality?

AITSL has initiated a three-year process and impact evaluation of the implementation of the Standards, running from May 2013 until December 2015.Your participation is crucial to determine the usefulness, effectiveness of implementation and impact of the Standards on improving teaching quality. Note: this is not an evaluation of the content of the Standards.

AITSL is working in partnership with the University of Melbourne and their partner, the Australian College of Educators, to undertake this impact evaluation. AITSL is delighted to be working with a high calibre team in educational research and evaluation, Professor John Hattie, Professor Stephen Dinham and Professor Robert Lingard and Associate Professor Janet Clinton.

aitsl.edu.au

facebook.com/aitsl

How can you get involved?

We are seeking ongoing engagement with the whole spectrum of educators. Everyone has an important part to play in identifying what success looks like and the steps necessary to ensure we achieve better learning outcomes for students.

Forums and interviews were conducted over June and July in each state and territory. We now encourage educators across Australia to participate in the online national survey, which is due to be launched shortly via our website and social media channels.

To be involved visit: www.teacherstandards.aitsl.edu.au/evaluation http://education.unimelb.edu.au/news_and_ activities/projects/EAPST

twitter.com/aitsl

youtube.com/aitsleduau

news

Principals face more threats and violence Survey of school chiefs across the country finds bullying from parents is a growing problem. By Antonia Maiolo

S

chool principals encounter physical violence at more than seven times the rate of the general population, with parents and students the bullies, a new study has revealed.

Monash University researchers surveyed over 2000 principals from all sectors across the country and found that more than a third had experienced verbal abuse by parents whilst close to a quarter of them had experienced some form of physical violence.

The report found that 38 per cent had reported threats of violence, compared with 8 per cent of the general population. And 27 per cent reported actual experiences of physical violence, as compared with 4 per cent of the public.

Principals are also dealing with extremely high workloads and experiencing higher levels of stress, the report stated.

Dr Philip Riley, who led the latest Principal Health and Wellbeing Survey, is calling for each state to set up an independent task force with powers to interview teachers, parents and students about abusive behaviour in schools.

Bullying of school principals by parents is on the increase, Riley said. He explained that measures such as NAPLAN testing and the associated increased accountability were contributing to the problem.

“The pressures associated with a country-wide assessment are sparking offensive behaviours in parents, who feel that the school should be doing more for their children,” he said.

Frank Sal, president of the Victorian Association of State Secondary Principals, who has been a principal for 18 years, said the findings didn’t particularly surprise him.

“That sort of conversation among fellow principals has been fairly strong for some time now,” he said.

Sal said that he had personally faced verbal abuse and physical violence from angry parents over the years but also said it was just a small group who were behaving badly and that the vast majority were aware of how to resolve issues appropriately.

“The parents have been angry about the decisions that have

www.educationreview.com.au

been made within the school … and they’ve taken their anger out on the principal, sometimes the assistant principal or leading teachers or teachers.

“I think that we have setup the scenario with education that parents have the right to have their say and input and that’s taken to an extreme in many cases,” Sal said. “Our bureaucracies and our employers need to make sure there is support for principals and the schools.”

Riley agreed, saying, “This is a really important issue in Australia that needs to be addressed.”

“The current situation faced by many principals is unacceptable,” he said, and added that the report highlighted the need for governments and employers to take steps to provide a safe workplace for all teaching and administration staff.

He said the survey also emphasised the benefits of professional support for principals, linking this with increased capacity to cope with job-related stress. n

August 2013 | 5

news

Building better

creative leaders

Conference of principals seeks ways to help the best come to the fore.

By Pip Field

I

nspiring global leadership was the focus of the 11th World Convention of the International Confederation of Principals, held in Cairns this July.

Conference participants embraced themes relating to the future, sustainability, change, health, well-being and equity.

The 1400-plus delegates in attendance represented 26 countries and the high-quality speakers and their messages consistently affirmed the need for leadership that is creative, courageous, compassionate and collaborative if we are to challenge compliancy.

The range of keynote speakers was diverse and each one approached the critical topic of global leadership in different ways.

Dr Yong Zhao from the US, who studies the effects of globalisation and technology on learning, began by acknowledging that everyone wants a first-class education for all children, then asked what that means.

He pointed out the disconnect in many cases between the belief in the need for creativity and cultures that emphasise a homogenous curriculum and employment skills. The standardised testing/creativity dichotomy is real, he stated – you can’t have medicine without side effects.

Zhao concluded by advocating for a new paradigm in which the curriculum follows student passion and every talent is useful; where process creates authentic, product-oriented learning; where the

school is a global campus and enterprise – and distance is dead.

General Peter Cosgrove, former chief of the Australian Defence Force, spoke of courageous leadership as a journey and a constant striving for perfection. He believes that, above all, leaders and “the led” must have motivation, vision and loyalty. He argued that key qualities for leadership stemmed from: • Integrity – being honest, clear and unambiguous • Courage – having moral fibre and accepting responsibility • Compassion – achieving goals with an awareness of human costs and knowing people as individuals • Humility – realising you will never be perfect, being your own critic and therefore being aware of your frailties.

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news

Cosgrove also emphasised how crucial it is to be able to communicate these qualities, the importance of walking the walk, and of asking the question, “What do people want to hear me say?” Courageous leadership, he concluded, is the ability and commitment to enter minds and souls, to touch hearts.

Tim Costello, one of Australia’s leading voices on social justice and equity, expressed his vision for inspiring global leadership as a world where education is about forming citizens – the glue of society. He raised the challenges of educating within “the rise of globalism” and the decline of Western dominance. He stressed that education is an investment, not a cost, and that educators are leaders by definition: they are people who show respect and humility, who know the questions to ask and help their students find their calling.

Finally, he stressed that connecting with a range of people fosters interest and curiosity about where people come from, their story, and why it makes sense for them. Race, Costello said, is complete nonsense. It’s a social construct.

Panel discussions expanded on some of the broader topics the keynote speakers raised. The ABC’s Richard Aedy, as conference raconteur, convened a panel of five speakers representing Australia, Canada, China, the UK and the Netherlands. The panellists linked globalisation and how it is playing out in education to varying degrees of inter-cultural understanding among school colleagues www.educationreview.com.au

and students. Challenging compliancy requires resilience, creativity and a balancing of autonomy and control. There is a need to make the teaching profession desirable and to create a stimulating, relevant and valued learning environment.

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development researcher and adviser Andreas Schleicher explored these challenges further in his research findings on what makes schools succeed and the role leaders play in that.

In Schleicher’s research, quality teachers emerged as the starting point for school success, again emphasising the importance of making education a sought-after profession that attracts the best people. Schleicher went on to describe positive traits to look for in various educators and programs. Good teachers, he said, are highly educated and inquisitive. They have deep, practical experience; they know how learning occurs and the appropriate designs for a learning environment. They work collaboratively, acquire strong technology skills and reflect on their practice. School leadership, meanwhile, must have a vision for results and equity. Reforms, Schleicher said, are successful due to solid research and analysis, sustainable financing and a depth of involvement at the ground level to ensure teachers are active in design, and that collaborative work occurs with families, unions and trusted partners.

Finally, British actor Ben Walden presented leadership as “service to others” and focused on inspirational leadership. He sees it as a sense of purpose. Reflection and refinement are vital to inspiring others, he said, adding that vision is the core of leadership; it is seeing what life could be like while dealing with it as it is.

Walden also outlined his things to remember for leaders in a time of fear and uncertainty: show visible leadership; have a mentor and someone you can confide in; transparency is not appropriate all the time; take time alone; protect core values and have courageous conversations.

Workshops and other speakers throughout the conference put the focus on a number of issues in contemporary education. Poet and author Anita Heiss explained ways to improve learning among Indigenous Australians using literature.

Principals Australia Institute CEO Jim Davies led a workshop for school chiefs on the qualifications of a good leader. And David Fitzgerald of the English Schools Foundation in Hong Kong discussed how to prepare for the Asian century.

The one recurring, affirming message throughout the conference was “as educators, you have chosen the most important profession … an inspirational teacher is a life changer”. n

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The latest news and resources for schools and teachers At Education Review we pride ourselves on being at the forefront of ever changing teaching practices.

We provide an independent source of news, and cover the issues relevant to teachers and the classroom giving an informative, practical and insightful view into day to day life in schools.

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news

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8 | August 2013

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news

Making the world

even smaller

Web portal’s launch links students across the country to a large, growing network of online educational experiences. By Aileen Macalintal

V

irtual Excursions Australia, a program dedicated to promoting video-conferencing, was launched on July 11 at the Interactive Technology in Education Conference (iTEC) 2013. Its goal is to get education resources, expertise and research to more Australians.

The program, also known as VEA, comprises a network of content providers from across the country who put together video-conferencing technology and high-speed broadband to spread information. It has been a few years in the making.

Since 2010, a group has been pooling ideas and information for sharing among organisations that are involved in video-conferencing. The group has grown to include content providers from art, science and education organisations.

Now the portal to all that data is live.

Big potential

Virtual Excursions chair Karen Player said that video-conferencing over high-speed broadband networks allows “high-quality, interactive, curriculum-linked content and experiences for learners everywhere”.

“Video-conferencing has [allowed many] organisations to open up their resources and collections to students across the world,” said Player, who is also the Australia Museum’s outreach manager.

With fast internet infrastructure such as the national broadband network (NBN), interactive materials can be injected into curriculums across the country, despite distance.

For example, many content providers unite for VEA-coordinated showcases, including SciFest, a National Science Week festival of video-conferencing; and Clickfest – a month of free or reduced-cost conferencing every November, featuring Dinosaur Day and other events.

“The NBN increases the [access] for rural, remote and metropolitan learners … without the expense of travel,” Player said. “VEA acts as a conduit for teachers to access video-conferencing programs developed by member organisations.”

The group’s website allows educators around Australia to connect with content providers and search for resources.

Greater access to digital learning

“This is not a new idea,” said Nick Cross, of iTEC 2013 co-host and VEA partner Australia’s Academic and Research Network (AARNet). “What is significant is hitting critical mass in the range and sophistication of interactive programs.

“Virtual Excursions Australia offers schools, classes and the individual learner the opportunity to engage directly with recognised and certified topic specialists.”

Cross, who is AARNet’s education outreach manager, explained that VEA content providers use a broad range of established and next-generation interactive technologies. High-definition conferencing, telepresence, robotics, remote labs, mixed reality, software services and tactile toolsets are some of the technologies that allow students “to be at the helm of their own learning – a tenet of the 21st-century

learning agenda”. This makes affordable high-speed networks and accessibility mandatory for the digital age, Cross said, in order to enable greater connectivity.

In addition, mobile technologies have allowed students to personalise a ‘digital workbench’ and have bridged the gap between the classroom and the real world.

Cross said VEA plays an important role in linking students to these advances: “Rather than directly providing enriched, interactive experiences, Virtual Excursions Australia makes these opportunities more accessible and discoverable.”

The strength of VEA lies in the national partnership model, which includes “a growing selection of Australia’s most important arts, cultural and science institutions, vendors, educators and academics”, Cross said.

The list of VEA partners already includes the Australian Fossil and Mineral Museum, Australian National Maritime Museum, the Bradman Foundation, Fizzics Education, Literature Live and Opera Australia.

Minister Assisting for the Digital Economy, Senator Kate Lundy, applauded the program and the institutions involved.

“The Virtual Excursions web portal … will help transform education in Australia,” Lundy said. “The project will be particularly useful for those in regional and rural areas.

“Research has found that in regional centres, the relative cost of excursions is 20 per cent to 100 per cent higher than in capital cities,” the senator explained. “In remote areas, that figure can be 200 per cent to 500 per cent higher.” n

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August 2013 | 9

news

Top students

need love, too

University of Melbourne expert tells NAPLAN inquiry teachers lack the resources and techniques to support their best learners.

By Antonia Maiolo

T

oo many schools are failing to challenge their brightest pupils, a leading education academic has warned in a submission to the Senate NAPLAN inquiry.

A survey that sampled almost 37,000 students from Catholic, state and independent schools in Victoria found that the top 25 per cent of students are flatlining in literacy and mathematics, while the bottom 25 per cent are experiencing substantial improvement.

University of Melbourne education professor Patrick Griffin, in presenting his study to the inquiry, said: “The evidence of Australia’s national failure to realise the learning potential of high-capacity students is starting to become overwhelming. No country can afford this situation to remain unchallenged.”

Griffin said a reason for this could be that teachers are focusing their efforts on students most at risk of failure. He said evidence also suggests teachers lack the strategies and resources to teach their high-capacity students.

“There is a temptation for a busy teacher to focus on the lower-performing students and depend upon the high-capacity students achieving on their own,” Griffin explained. “There is a lot of pressure on teachers to ‘close the gap’ – that is, to focus on students at risk of not achieving.

But he said the rhetoric needed to be changed from close the gap to “close the opportunities gap”.

“So that everybody has the same opportunity to grow, we need to be looking at growth and development for all students, not just those at the bottom of the distributions.”

The research explored students’ growth in reading comprehension, mathematics and problem-solving. Data was analysed to compare the growth rates of groups of students in the lower- and upper quartile.

Students in the lower quartile provided almost all of the evidence of improvement.

Griffin said these findings were consistent with national trends emerging from the Program for International 10 | August 2013

Student Assessment data, which showed that the top 10 per cent of students in Australia declined in performance from 2003 to 2009.

Similar results have been identified in NAPLAN data from high-performing primary schools in the Archdiocese of Melbourne.

“We certainly cannot achieve the goal of becoming a top-five education nation by 2025 under current circumstances,” he said.

Griffin remarked that the attention given to low-achieving students should be continued and rewarded, but said the lack of growth amongst the upper quartile is a problem that this nation cannot afford.

Port Melbourne Primary School principal Peter Martin said for many years his school focused on supporting students who were performing well below benchmark.

“Students achieving above benchmark may not always have been able to access the same amount of teacher contact time,” Martin said.

But he said data such as that provided

by Griffin had increased the school’s awareness of the need to make provision for those students achieving above benchmark, and that the school had put additional support programs into place.

For example, all students at Port Melbourne Primary who are performing

12 months or more ahead of or behind benchmark in literacy and numeracy are now working on individual education plans, which are designed to ensure that these students have the opportunity to be fully extended in these areas.

The school has also moved to open learning areas, where two classes share the same space. “This enables students to work collaboratively with peers from across the two classes and allows greater flexibility in setting up targeted teaching groups than is possible in a stand-alone classroom,” Martin said.

Former director of the OECD, professor Barry McGaw, now chair of the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority and vice-chancellor’s fellow at the University of Melbourne, suggests a differentiation of the teaching workforce to address the problem.

In such an environment, there would be various categories of support staff, including teacher aides, to look after preparatory and administrative work and learner assistants who would work with students more closely.

“With a differentiated workforce like that, teachers could allocate their time to give more attention to individual students, both those who could be taken on to advanced work and those who are struggling,” McGaw said. n

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industry & policy

What’s next for reform

in schools?

Pre-election tug of war leaves federal parties’ stances closer together.

By Elizabeth Allen

12 | August 2013

industry & policy

I Bill Shorten

Christopher Pyne

www.educationreview.com.au

t played out as a giant tug of war, with the Gonski-cum-Better Schools plan as the rope.

On one side was the federal Labor Party, helped in its efforts by the states that had come on board.

On the other side, applying all its weight in the opposite direction was the Coalition team, led

by Tony Abbott and his education spokesman Christopher Pyne, and helped by states such as Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia, which had dug in their heels.

Labor began pulling with Julia Gillard as its leader but her place was taken late by a beefed up Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, with new Education Minister Bill Shorten scrambling to find his grip.

As Labor tugged and heaved and more states signed up, the Opposition finally gave ground. Despite repeatedly vowing that a Coalition government would scrap the school funding reforms, Abbott – on the day before the election was called – suddenly promised to match the extra $2.9 billion in funding that Labor has committed to over the next four years.

And on the same day Rudd visited the Governor-General, Victoria changed sides. The tug of war had been won.

At the time of printing, only Queensland, WA

and the Northern Territory had not capitulated.

Now for the election.

The Labor Party has laid out its education policies in detail, but the Coalition has yet to release its platform on the subject, beyond some details about the My School website and plans for NAPLAN testing (see p14).

There is also little information available on Abbott’s switch to a partial commitment to the spending agreements in Labor’s reform plan for school-funding.

The Opposition leader had said for months that all states would need to sign the new funding agreement before the Coalition would commit to honouring it.

But on July 25, after the Catholic Education Commission made its peace with Labor, Abbott changed his position, saying his government would allow the Better Schools model to operate for a year in those states that had signed up.

This decision recognised the reality that an incoming government would be legally required to either administer the new legislation or repeal it.

An attempt at the latter would be unlikely to meet with success because the federal Senate is controlled by Labor and the Greens until the middle of next year.

“We are not going to add to the uncertainty;

August 2013 | 13

industry & policy we’re not going to undo done deals at the start of next year,” Abbott said in an interview.

Then on August 1, came his promise to match Labor’s commitment to spend an additional $2.9 billion over the first four years. (Labor has pledged to spend $10 billion over the next six years, but most of the money would flow in the final two.)

Some background

The Gonski-inspired funding model has been a long time coming.

The review committee that businessman David Gonski chaired was commissioned in 2010. It presented its findings to the federal government in November 2011.

The Gonski committee found that the school-funding system was inequitable and called for base spending for each student, topped up by loadings that would target disadvantage.

Last February, the government released the report and its initial response.

Now, under the Australian Education Act 2013, passed by federal parliament on June 26, a needs-based funding model, with fixed rates of indexation, is due to kick in on January 1.

The model is not exactly as Gonski recommended and funds do not flow into it until 2014-15. Critics say significant funding will not arrive until 2017-18.

But over the six years from 2014 to 19, under the Labor plan, the Commonwealth’s contribution to education is to be an extra $10 billion, with the states contributing about $5 billion more, for an overall total of $15 billion in additional funding.

Under the legislation, effective from January 1, independent and Catholic schools in all states would be locked into the new model, despite media headlines about the independents reaching an agreement with the government. The federal negotiations with independent and Catholic schools actually have been about finetuning of arrangements for an extra $150 million for independents, and accountability issues for the Catholic schools.

State and territory governments that have not signed up for the new system would still be required to pass on formula-derived contributions from the Commonwealth to individual independent and Catholic schools located in their region.

However, co-contributions to such schools would be up to the non-signatory state or territory government, and would not be set by the funding model.

Similarly, governments that have not signed would decide their own level of funding to their schools but would forgo the bigger federal contribution available under the Better Schools model.

Practical distribution of federal funds to all schools would continue to be through state and territory government bureaucracies.

Coalition policies

Opposition education spokesman Pyne told Education Review that the Coalition’s “full suite of policies” would be announced “prior to the election”, but he also answered specific questions in writing.

For example, Pyne said a Coalition government would “review” the My School website. “I am concerned that the publication of NAPLAN test results on the My School website has not been of any benefit for parents, teachers, students and schools,” he said.

How it would work F US0 5 6have 7 _ signed H A C up, - the 1 new 2 0formula 1 3 - 0 7 - 3determine 1 T 1 5 : 0 6 :“We 0 1will + 1review 0 : 0 this 0 and assess whether publication of results In states that would should continue in the current form.” state and federal contributions to all schools.

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industry & policy Pyne also said a Coalition government would retain NAPLAN testing in its current format but might move it online “to ensure that results are tabulated faster, benefiting students and teachers.”

The Coalition’s Real Solutions for all Australians booklet also contains some details of its school policies, including: • Putting parents, principals and school communities, not “unaccountable bureaucrats”, in charge of determining how their school would be run to improve performance • Working with the states and territories to encourage state schools to choose to become independent schools, providing simpler budgeting and resources allocation and more autonomy in decision-making • Ensuring the curriculum is rigorous without becoming too prescriptive or overcrowded • Making more investment in science education at primary schools • Restoring the Primary Connections science education program • Working with social media operators, schools, parents and children to tackle cyber-bullying and other harmful materials and behaviour targeted at individual children online • Continuing the national school chaplaincy program.

Labor policies: funding

Under the National Education Reform Agreement, states and territories would be required to allocate funds through a needs-based model, which would deliver on average $1.5 million over six years to every school, and $4000 a student.

A benchmark amount per pupil would be based on education costs in a set of Australia’s best-performing institutions, known as reference schools. Extra funding would go to students needing more support – those from low socioeconomic backgrounds, Indigenous students and people with limited English skills or

I am concerned that the publication of NAPLAN test results on the My School website has not been of any benefit for parents, teachers, students and schools.

disabilities – and to schools that are small or located in regional, rural or remote areas.

The benchmark amount and loadings per student would be called the Schooling Resource Standard – a base amount of $9271 for a primary school and $12,193 for high schools. Nongovernment institutions would receive a proportion of this, based on a school’s capacity to raise private contributions.

The federal government would use the resource standard to calculate the amount of Commonwealth funding to provide to education authorities, which would then distribute this money to schools. State and territory governments would be asked to introduce their own needs-based systems based on the Commonwealth model.

Other Labor policies

• Changes to teacher training, including an entry process that could incorporate interviews and a portfolio of activities such as sports coaching or community involvement • All teacher education courses to meet new national standards by 2015

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industry & policy • New teachers will need to be in the top 30 per cent of the population for literacy and numeracy before they can graduate • From 2016, undergraduate teaching courses would provide at least 80 days of practical experience in schools. Graduate-entry students would have 60 days or more • New teachers would receive extra support during their first two years on the job • Schools would focus on increasing the number of highperforming students • Schools would need to have a Safe School Plan to prevent bullying • Principals would be given more autonomy • A reading blitz would focus on literacy skills to Year 3 • Students would have access to learning an Asian language by 2025 • Science would be added to the NAPLAN tests.

Stakeholders

The Independent Schools Council of Australia has welcomed the Labor government’s pledge of an extra $150 million over six years, in addition to funds under the new model. Executive director Bill Daniels said independent schools’ government funding based on student disadvantage should increase over the next six years.

The Australian Education Union has urged the remaining states to sign up for the Better Schools plan. Federal president Angelo Gavrielatos said, “We know that extra Gonski funds are set to flow to every Catholic and independent school across Australia whether or not a state or territory has signed on.

“Australia’s public schools teach 77 per cent of low-income students, 86 per cent of Indigenous students, 80 per cent of students with a disability and 84 per cent of remote students,”

Gavrielatos said. “It is these students who will benefit most from the additional resources that Gonski will deliver.”

The Australian Primary Principals Association (APPA) has also urged “all parties to agree on the new funding model as soon as possible”.

“A system of properly indexed funding for schooling, based on the appropriate Schooling Resource Standard and loadings based on need, will be the backbone of school improvement,” APPA president Norm Hart said.

The Australian Secondary Principals Association’s Sheree Vertigan described the new model as “a chance to address the great divide that exists in Australian schools and communities.” n

Key points Labor plan • New funding model to overcome disadvantage • More stringent requirements for graduating teachers • Review of teacher education courses • More autonomy for principals • More support for new teachers

Coalition plan • No new funding model for at least 12 months • Review of My School website • Retain NAPLAN testing • More autonomy for teachers • Retain the national chaplaincy program

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1 Jack noticed that the bee’s body is in three parts; a head, a thorax, and an abdomen. How many parts would that be altogether if there were six bees?

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The week beelast hive are of February was not very sunny.

5 The honeycomb cells2in a 10 One box can produce 28 kg of honey 17 hexagonal shaped. How many were sides only does11 days in February that had rain.

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6 Days How many bees will Jack needofifrain he has 11 A jar of honey costs $5 to buy at the 6 boxes?

7 February was mostly a dry month.market. Jack produced 50 jars 20 farmers’ to sell at the market. He sold 39 jars.

How many were there than stormy days? in a more sunny days 7 There are 14 grams of8 honey How much money did he make? tablespoon. It takes one tablespoon of cold days were there than hot days?

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13 There were 2000 drones in the hive. If 9 groups of 100 flew away from the hive, how many would be left in the hive?

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16 | August 2013

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A swarm of bees flew past Jack. He chased them until he found them living in a hive. He wanted to be a beekeeper. He loved honey. He bought 5 boxes to keep his bees in, a queen for each box and a swarm of bees. The bees flew around his property searching for nectar.

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How many children chose to use an umbrella?

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How many more children preferred yellow raincoats to pink?

Michael decided to represent the information using his own table.

What does this table tell you about the pink raincoats? ©

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industry & policy

Low ATAR numbers – report’s shock finding

Less than 30 per cent of students entering teacher education programs are qualifying with an ATAR result. By Antonia Maiolo

O

nly 27 per cent of all students who enter initial teacher education programs are enrolling on the basis of an ATAR. That’s well below the average of about 50 per cent for all undergraduate applicants, a new report states.

These are among the key findings revealed in the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership’s (AITSL) first-annual Initial Teacher Education: Data Report, which contributes to the information base about key challenges new teachers face.

The report compiled data from DIISRTE’s Higher Education Statistics Collection, Graduate Careers Australia and the Education Department’s Staff in Australia’s Schools Survey.

AITSL general manager Edmund Misson said the report could change the debate surrounding entry standards for university, and that an ATAR was just one measure of an individual’s ability to complete a degree.

“You have to look at people’s achievement in other things and also personality traits – like a passion for teaching,” Misson said.

However, Misson did add that he was concerned about the admission of people with low ATARs and said a way to address this would be to put more weight on other criteria in the selection process.

Education ministers took a step in that direction at the beginning of August, agreeing to publish Year 12 study scores that help determine the literacy and numeracy skills of students entering initial teacher education programs. AITSL board chair Anthony Mackay said this data “can be used by universities to inform selection into courses and determine the appropriate level of literacy and numeracy support provided during courses”.

Data from the report indicated that most students who entered initial teacher education based on their ATAR score had a mark between 61 and 80, and 28 per cent had an ATAR of 81 and above. The report did find that a range of mechanisms

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were used to admit non-ATAR applicants, including interviews, additional testing, previous qualifications and work history.

Mackay said, “With so many people coming into initial teacher education without an ATAR or recent Year 12 results, we need to be clear about the best ways to select applicants who will go on to have successful teaching careers.”

Professor Field Rickards, dean of education at the University of Melbourne, said ATARs were not always perfect signposts of an individual’s capabilities.

“There can be all sorts of circumstances that lead to a low ATAR score … People mature and learn at different stages,” Rickards said. “But as a general rule, I’d be saying you would want people with high ATARs coming into the profession.”

Another key finding in the report was the rate of employment for teacher graduates.

Seventy-four per cent of primary teacher education graduates and 72 per cent of secondary teacher education bachelor’s graduates were working in schools within four months of completing their degrees.

Mackay said the figures on graduate employment don’t bear out some of the more alarming claims that have been made

about a lack of jobs for graduate teachers.

However, he added that many of those graduates were working part time and would like to work full time, “and we need to look at better matching workforce supply and demand”.

The AITSL report also revealed that prospective students of initial teacher education had more than 400 accredited programs from which to choose, covering all aspects of the teaching profession in Australia, making it geographically accessible for many students. And when compared with other fields of higher education, a greater proportion of students commencing initial teacher education programs come from a lower socioeconomic background.

Misson said this might be because those who came from such families tended to choose a course that was more vocationally specific.

“If you’re coming from a low-SES background, one of your ambitions in going to university is to secure your employment and income; there is fair evidence that people who are first in the family to go to university will do things like teaching and nursing,” Misson said. n August 2013 | 19

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in the classroom

‘Disciplined Collaboration’ and Michelle Jones and Alma Harris reflect upon what works and why The most effective professional learning does not take place in a course or a workshop. It happens in context with colleagues working on real issues of teaching and learning. If properly focused and undertaken, professional collaboration can result in improved learning outcomes.

Countless school hours are spent on professional learning with the clear expectation that this significant investment of time will make a difference where it matters most, in the classroom. The reality is that much of this professional activity, although enjoyable, well delivered and interesting, often fails to have an impact on student outcomes.

The heart of the problem is a disconnection with the day to day reality of teaching.

So much professional learning is simply not focused on the immediate, pressing and real issues that schools and teachers face. Just like the one-size fits-all t-shirt, many of our models of professional learning repeatedly fail to fit anybody. Yet we keep on investing teachers’ precious time and creative energy in hoping that this time the course or workshop will work its magic and result in some meaningful change or significant innovation.

Focused and authentic professional collaboration is the cornerstone of effective professional learning.

So is there another way? Research evidence confirms what most teachers already sense: that it is authentic collaboration that stands out as the dominant factor of professional learning with impact.

20 | August 2013

To work in an authentic interdependent way requires more than group work or loose forms of co-operation.

It requires focus, enquiry and sustained engagement.

It requires discipline.

By contrast, too much of what passes as collaborative learning in the guise of professional learning communities, learning circles, action learning sets, learning conversations and so on is little more than enthusiastic and sometimes misguided sharing: this is not purposeful or disciplined collaboration.

The real issue is one of impact.

This can be summed up as the difference between professional involvement and professional engagement.

In many schools, teachers are involved in various groups, working parties or teams. In contrast, engagement is where teachers actively and purposefully learn together.

Currently, the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) is piloting an approach to professional learning called Disciplined Collaboration with eight schools in six states. The long-term aim of this work is to generate effective local approaches to innovation and change that can be shared more widely.

AITSL is funded by the Australian Government

in the classroom

high impact professional learning The term ‘discipline’ emphasises that to be effective, professional collaboration needs to be focused, systematic and rigorous.

In all pilot schools there is collaborative work that engages professionals and is focused on the schools’ important issues.

The Disciplined Collaboration work is part of the broader enactment of the Australian Charter for the Professional Learning of Teachers and School Leaders, which notes that a high quality professional learning culture is characterised by ‘a focus on the professional learning that is most likely to be effective in improving professional practice and student outcomes.’

At Sandon Public School, Armidale NSW, all staff are engaged in trialling new collaborative strategies, in order to prepare for their collective investigation into how, as a whole school, they approach ‘Assessment for Learning’. Staff at Sandon have undertaken Learning Walks, which are a powerful tool to obtain a brief snapshot of classrooms, in order to collect evidence based on their specific focus.

In Glen Dhu Primary School in Tasmania, the disciplined collaboration work is focused on constructing, trialling and revising spelling strategies to reduce variability identified in student data. Teachers are working together to define what the school approach to spelling looks like and collecting evidence on changes in school culture, teacher practice and student outcomes.

St Paul’s School in Brisbane is focused on replacing the school meeting schedule with a framework that will shift the culture to meet both the academic and pastoral goals of the school’s strategic plan. All teachers are working in collaborative groups to address specific questions or issues in a systematic way. The culture of the school, as a result, is that of a dynamic learning community where creativity and innovation are celebrated.

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At Silverton Primary School in Melbourne, all teachers are part of collaborative teams where the focus of enquiry and the group leadership is rotated on an annual basis. The participants ensure that distributed leadership and collective learning directly benefit students.

In these instances, teachers are collaborating in a disciplined way in order to address issues or questions that matter to them. It is clear that when teachers learn together in a focused, authentic and disciplined way, there is far greater likelihood of professional learning with impact.

Professor Harris [admin@almaharris.co.uk] (left) was Professor and Pro-Director (Leadership) at the Institute of Education, London.

Dr Jones (right) has previously worked as a Principal of a large school in one of the highest areas of deprivation in South Wales, UK. Professor Harris and Dr Jones have recently been appointed by the University of Malaya (Institute of Educational Leadership) to support and develop professional learning programs within the region.

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August 2013 | 21

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in the classroom

Leadership’s

rich tapestry The right management weave is essential to creating a strong and appealing school. By Helen Wright

A

s schoolteachers and leaders, we understand that leadership matters in schools at all levels. A McKinsey & Company 2010 global report, Capturing the Leadership Premium, drew on a number of studies to illustrate the importance of leadership. Analysing results from Ofsted, the UK schools inspection body, the authors found that “the overall performance of a school almost never exceeds the quality of its leadership and management”, while various studies in the US show that “school leadership influences performance more than any other variable except socioeconomic background and the quality of teaching”.

Moreover, leadership stability and succession matter. One frequent writer on the subject, professor Andy Hargreaves, stated in a 2009 paper, Leadership Succession and Sustainable Improvement, that “multiple changes over long periods of time and across several leaders affect schools and undermine most efforts at sustainable improvement”.

Couple these findings with the trend the OECD identified in its 2011 report Improving School Leadership Policy and Practice, suggesting a declining number of leaders in education, and we have an urgent problem in our schools worldwide: one that requires new and creative solutions.

In its 2010 paper, McKinsey took a close look at what was working globally, and in its conclusions there is a glimmer of hope.

The report states that there are three distinct approaches to identifying and developing leaders:

www.educationreview.com.au

August 2013 | 23

in the classroom 1) Self-identification by potential leaders. This depends on informal mechanisms by which potential leaders can put themselves forward for leadership positions and are coached and given opportunities to develop within schools. This requires a certain level of self-confidence and is therefore likely to attract particular types, but schools arguably benefit from a range of leadership styles.

2) Giving potential leaders opportunities to take courses or join programs to build their capacity and interest. This builds to a large extent on the first approach; it requires some initial interest and a determination to devote time, usually outside school, to pursue this interest.

3) Guiding the careers of potential leaders. Here, prospective leaders gain progressively greater experience in new roles within their schools under the guidance and support of mentors. This method relies heavily on a whole-school ethos and commitment to the process of leadership development.

This last approach aligns most closely with my own sense for what works best. What I have learnt from more than 20 years’ practical experience in school leadership can be summarised as follows: • Leaders are grown as well as born • Leadership requires nurturing • Potential leaders often need their confidence built up • Leaders need opportunities for leadership • To be leaders, people need to be in the right place at the right point in their lives • It is less about roles and titles, and more about people and opportunities • People often do not understand what leadership is and can be • Leaders are there for the students; they need to be integrated into the school.

These findings and those of the McKinsey report have helped shape a metaphor that I have found invaluable for leadership development in schools – that of weaving a tapestry.

Weaving involves a loom, the warp (fixed threads running in one direction), and the weft (threads that build up the picture). When introducing a new thread, it is important to leave enough hanging at the back, so it does not pull through and unravel. The thread can then be woven backwards and forwards, picking up the colour in different places.

The colours need to be interwoven; the strongest tapestries pick up colours in different places, connect with other shades and pick up the same warp thread as others. Connections strengthen the tapestry – conversely, blocks of colours kept in isolation are less effective.

If it all started and stopped in the same place, the tapestry would be weak. The more that the colours are interwoven, the more durable the finished work will be. A tapestry can be an endless work in progress, and different people can contribute to it, but as long as there is a shared vision and a shared tension, the tapestry will succeed. And each set of weavers creates a distinctive, unique picture, making each tapestry different.

How does this translate into a model for sustainable school leadership? With a little stretch of the imagination: • Many “colours” make for a more varied, more diverse school • For the school to be strong, we need long and short threads • Colours need to be interwoven and introduced in different places at different times • When a new thread is introduced, it needs a long lead-in – a long preparation period • Schools need a master weaver or weavers – people who have the longer-term and elevated view • But the tapestry succeeds best if it is woven together, as a collaborative effort.

And how are we weaving the tapestry at my school, Ascham?

Firstly, we are developing the weft, our different-coloured threads: developing our staff as leaders in the school. This means 24 | August 2013

widening the knowledge pool, and enabling staff to learn from one another through shared practice sessions, which will extend into shadowing and observation.

Creating whole-school professional development that is connected to our school’s strategic vision is part of this, as is developing a culture of sharing. We work at keeping the conversation about leadership going, talking to individuals about opportunities and looking after them.

We are developing induction processes to match, making sure we leave long threads when inducting new leaders into the school, so that they don’t unravel.

Secondly, we are developing the loom: generating opportunities for staff to lead. This means creating cross-school working groups; building structures for teachers to present outcomes of any external training and apply them; developing in-house leadership training; spending time learning and understanding staff potential; and encouraging a leadership mindset.

My hope is that in time we will be able to learn from and develop more master weavers, working with other schools. I hope to see schools collaborate on leadership, creating opportunities for teacher visits and exchanges, managing shared projects, developing cluster groups at different tiers of interest, encouraging shadowing and observing across different schools, and engaging with national and international organisations.

There is much to be done in developing a sustainable leadership model for our schools: we need to get weaving. n Dr Helen Wright is headmistress of Ascham School in Sydney and the author of Decoding Your 21st Century Daughter.

This article is based on her presentation at the World Convention of the International Confederation of Principals in Cairns in July 2013.

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in the classroom

Sustainability

education:

slow growing Many schools want to incorporate sustainability education, but don’t know where to start.

By Antonia Maiolo

A

lthough many Australian schools have committed to incorporating sustainability education into the curriculum, new research shows that most have yet to do so.

The first phase of a research project on Education for Sustainability (EfS), designed to address this issue, has found that, for many schools, implementing sustainability across the institution is a slow process that could take years.

The research project, due for completion by the end of the year, has been funded by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations and is being managed by the Australian Conservation Foundation on behalf of the Australian Education for Sustainability Alliance (AESA), which comprises education, union, youth and environmental organisations. A total of

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3466 teachers responded to the project’s online survey, including 331 head teachers and 187 principals.

According to the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), EfS should be applied as a crosscurriculum priority in all subject areas, including English, mathematics, science and history.

Early data reveals that a key barrier to embedding EfS throughout schools is a lack of support and comprehension among teachers and principals as to what EfS is. There has also not been enough professional development for teachers to gain the knowledge and skills needed to integrate EfS into their own classrooms.

The research has found that the majority of teachers who have introduced EfS have done so at their own expense and

on their own time. In almost all cases, they were driven by an existing interest in sustainability or the environment.

Dr Jennifer Pearson, president of the Australian Association for Environmental Education (AAEE) – one of the AESA’s member organisations – is on the steering committee for the project. She said teachers needed more support; for the past 10 years, the Australian Sustainable Schools Initiative (AuSSI) has been the only national system to help teachers incorporate sustainability into schools.

Pearson said the report also indicates schools need support to find resources that are endorsed and appropriate for the Australian curriculum.

“The main barrier [teachers see] to adopting EfS is having to include extra subject matter into their long-held curriculum planning,” Pearson stated.

“They are anxious that, given the crowded curriculum with an emphasis on numeracy and literacy, they will not be able to accommodate EfS.” August 2013 | 25

in the classroom She said principals or head teachers could also be a barrier if they weren’t committed to sustainability learning.

David Butler, convenor of the AAEE’s Teachers and Teacher Education Special Interest Group, said few Education Department executives and leaders understand the “philosophy” of sustainability education.

Because of this, they “do not make EfS a part of their core business of curriculum, assessment and reporting, with associated funding and professional development”, Butler said.

He stressed that in order for EfS to prosper, students, parents, principals and community members all need to be involved.

Also, he added, “Until relatively recently, sustainability and EfS have not been a core part of teacher education courses at tertiary level,” and as a result they are still foreign concepts to teachers and principals.

Despite this, there are some Australian schools that have successfully adopted EfS strategies.

Immanuel Lutheran School, Gawler (ILSG), in South Australia, for instance, has taken a whole-of-school approach. An example of this is the Monday afternoon market. Parents can enjoy a social catch-up while buying fresh produce, with all proceeds going back into the garden.

This has allowed the school to invest in environmental sustainability through the purchase of rainwater tanks, a gardening shed, tools and equipment.

Another school in SA, Fulham North Primary School in western Adelaide, has created a food garden and orchard that all classes are now using.

Students have been involved in creating a citrus grove as well as biodiversity plantings around the campus. They have also been making lunches using produce from the garden.

In Western Australia, Coolbinia Primary School in Perth has secured a host of grants to continue initiatives that give children hands-on experiences that help set long-term habits of living sustainably. The school has integrated sustainability into the curriculum – in English, mathematics, science and the arts – and across the school using AuSSI-WA resources.

Pearson’s advice to schools is to start small: identify just one project or Education for Sustainability principle that teachers and students want to implement.

“This could be something to do with water, energy, waste reduction, consumption of resources or diversity of cultures,” she said.

Pearson also suggests approaching your local AuSSI coordinator or AAEE, Scootle or Landcare group, all of which are experienced with helping teachers and may be able to provide an expert to visit the school.

“Talk to your parents and administration about what you hope to achieve, as they may be able to help with resources and volunteers for your small project/activity,” she said. “When you have the information, talk with your students to finalise the plan so that their ideas have been incorporated in the early stages.”

The EfS research project’s second phase aims to provide feedback and reports on current best-practice approaches. n

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in the classroom

Sustainability teaching tips Kellie Bollard, who writes books on environment-friendly education for young children, offers some advice.

Consult and engage with your school community. Explain why you want to improve sustainability and ask for ideas. Get everyone to buy into the program.

Form a good core team that is enthusiastic and will continue to come up with new ideas. An environment club or green team is a good way to keep students engaged and excited.

Start with small steps. Set quantifiable targets and celebrate and share your successes. You don’t need to begin with big-ticket items – using both sides of every piece of paper is a step in the right direction!

Incorporate and embed your plans into the curriculum.

Science, maths, literacy …

Sustainability education does not occur in isolation!

Remember some green dates. They provide targets and a focus.

Examples, Clean Up Australia Day, Earth Hour, International Composting Awareness Week, World Environment Day, National Tree Day and National Recycling Week.

Connect with other schools. Implement sustainability initiatives and share ideas, stories and resources. Join a local environmental network group.

Use available information. There are plenty of great websites and pieces of literature to help you on your quest for sustainability. See www.growingupgreener.com.au/links.

Research available grants if you need funds to implement your ideas.

Embrace sustainability. Fundraising opportunities such as a Mother’s Day stall can become sustainable: grow cuttings from the garden to sell, grow seedlings to give as gifts, make your own recycled paper and use it to make greeting cards.

The list is endless.

Try these ideas and focus areas. And remember to monitor, record and celebrate your successes: 1) Waste. Conduct a waste audit. Measure by weight or volume the amount of rubbish your class creates. Estimate how much you can reduce your footprint by introducing recycling bins, a compost bin/worm farm for organic waste, or a low-waste lunch policy – even if it is only once a week to begin with.

2) Water savings/efficiency 3) Energy savings/efficiency 4) Start a kitchen garden or orchard. This can be a whole plot or a few raised garden beds, or just start with big pots to grow herbs. Encourage students to cook and eat their produce.

5) Biodiversity. Build or improve native gardens to encourage biodiversity. This has the added benefit of making your school more visually attractive.

6) Climate change 7) Transport For more information visit www.growingupgreener.com.au

www.educationreview.com.au

August 2013 | 27

in the classroom

28 | August 2013

in the classroom

Digital

citizenship

for children Online safety and behaviour are fast-evolving issues, but traditional education methods still work.

By Darcy Moore

H

ow do we best educate children to be thoughtful about their online security? Staying on top of the problem, when technological innovation gallops at breakneck speed and new tools are available daily, is a major challenge for most of us. However, it is not just about the technology.

Philosophical and political issues need to be discussed, such as privacy and surveillance.

What does this mean for the classroom and home? How do we help children to be safe while respecting their privacy? How do we help them to understand the wider societal debate? What do young people need to know and when? How much privacy does a teenager need? What is the balance between parental and teacher responsibilities? What does it mean to be a good digital citizen?

Parents and teachers need to be both tech-savvy and wise if they are to successfully answer these questions and support

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children. Young people are growing up in a society struggling with the ever-changing nature of privacy, and in which debates are raging about how surveillance operates in democracies.

High-profile cases of whistleblowers – who are either alerting the public to misuse of technology or behaving in treason-like ways, depending on your ideology – have highlighted the concept of “big data” and how governments and corporations use this information for sometimes dubious purposes.

The clever young person can see the family or classroom as a microcosm of the larger world. This provides opportunities to discuss rights and responsibilities for home and school, and more generally as a citizen. What are the agreed rules and what are the consequences for transgressing the boundaries? How can a parent be mindful of their young child or teenager’s privacy in a sensible manner?

August 2013 | 29

in the classroom Starting the conversation

Often our own personal challenges mirror the big picture, so the way governments and corporations behave, ethically or otherwise, should be part of the conversation we have with our children, especially teenagers.

For parents and teachers, what works in most situations is a policy of discussion and democratic decision-making at home or in the classroom. It is not always possible but it is the best way to ensure that teenagers are more likely to behave in an appropriate way online. Talking is good.

These discussions will invariably involve personal security in a practical way. How do I manage personal data on my computer, tablet and smartphone? What would happen if I lost my smartphone? What settings should be employed to ensure the phone can be traced or at least wiped?

These are good conversations to have for all members of the family. These chats may well include issues for previous generations: in the days when waiters took a physical imprint of my credit card, where did the carbon copy end up when the waiter threw it in the bin? When many people’s phone numbers, full names and addresses are still in the telephone directory, what does this mean for privacy?

Why do most people have mailboxes

without padlocks in their front yard?

A policy that parents may find worthy of discussion is where monitor screens are located in the house. Is it wise to have bedrooms connected with video game platforms, televisions, computers, smartphones and other wirelessly linked devices? Not allowing screens in bedrooms but locating them in the communal living areas of the home has a host of health benefits that can be pointed out to children.

For example, it is well documented that young people need more than eight hours’ sleep each night. Many are not getting them: the temptations of gaming and social media in the bedroom can prove irresistible. All devices could be charged overnight, in another space, including those belonging to the adults.

Classroom rules

Similarly, teachers should seek to have negotiated classroom rules, aligning with school policies, that have been formulated in consultation with parents and students. Most rules are easily agreed to, as they are common sense and mirror other social conventions. Smartphones in classrooms can be a great tool, or a distraction when the lesson apparently becomes irrelevant for some individuals.

The rules need to be clear.

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Teachers who value the interests of their students tend to make better connections with them and have a more positive impact on learning outcomes.

These adults have an important role in modelling the appropriate use of technology for young people, especially by demonstrating their own learning in using technology safely.

Parents and teachers, in particular, need to model appropriate behaviour online.

It is important that they have the skills to maintain credibility with students. Adults need to stay up to date and share their skills professionally, and for fun. Teachers and parents who cannot walk the talk often lack credibility with teenagers, especially if they are pontificating about the evils of technology.

Children need to be encouraged to ask adults questions about their technology habits and challenges. How do you use new (or old) technologies to create and share? How do you manage your devices and online security? What is your personal password management like?

How did you overcome online challenges from people being nasty? What creative pieces do you share online? What is your publicly viewable digital identity and footprint like? What happens when your name is googled?

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in the classroom Model citizens

Digital citizenship is a concept of more importance than just being respectful to others online. Like national citizenship, it involves rights and responsibilities, and it is complex – often vexed – with many perspectives jostling to be considered.

Good digital citizens understand netiquette, how to manage money online safely, copyright issues, and how to protect their own reputation. They know about settings for social media sites and how to post photographs, especially of others, responsibly. It is understood that if you want to keep something private, do not post it online, even if you believe it cannot be viewed widely. Do not reveal your address, phone number or other details that identify your location to a stranger.

Be careful that the metadata in photos, especially Instagram, does not reveal your whereabouts publicly.

One skill to instil is that when things go wrong online, people should avoid escalating the situation. Responding inappropriately to an insult, or becoming involved in a “flame war”, can have unintended consequences. Teaching children to seek adult assistance is key. If something bothers them online – an image, comment or site – they should tell someone older about it.

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But it is important to keep a sense of perspective about the dangers of the internet. The statistical reality is that driving in a car is far more dangerous than hopping online. Statistically, a relative or close friend is more likely to hurt a young person emotionally, physically or sexually than someone they met online.

Often, though, risky or ill-considered online behaviour from young people mirrors far more worrying offline activities. The two worlds can merge – unsafely. Teachers and parents play a large part in understanding the larger challenges and finding the appropriate assistance.

Pros and cons of exposure

We inhabit a world that no longer forgets the online indiscretions of youth (or middle or old age). This has serious implications for those seeking, or wishing to maintain, employment. Many companies outsource employee profiling and CVs are quietly pushed aside when online searches reveal the jobseeker does not have an appropriate reputation for the position.

Being careful about what is posted online is a key skill for all.

On the flipside, the jobseeker who knows any online search will reveal their creative work, positive contributions to a wide range of sites and excellent digital reputation will

soon see the far-reaching opportunities that new technologies make possible. For students, hobbies or interests discovered in lessons at school can lead to wider recognition as emerging talents are shared.

Children shouldn’t be deterred from exploring the online world altogether. New skills can be learnt in the process that will be essential later in life. Parents and teachers need to help children secure their future by developing skills and knowledge appropriate to the times.

In an age of radical transparency, adults must educate children about personal safety and digital security. Because tools and contexts change rapidly, there is no foolproof way of doing this, other than having open lines of communication in the home and classroom. In this connected age, personal relationships and trust are still the keys to ensuring young people are protected and nurtured.

Some things never change. n Darcy Moore is an educator, blogger (at darcymoore.net) and photographer, and a deputy principal in NSW. He has taught in the UK and Denmark and currently lectures pre-service teachers at the University of Wollongong.

August 2013 | 31

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community focus

Precious

opportunities I

n January this year, Simon Gipson, head of St Michael’s Grammar School in St Kilda, Melbourne, waved goodbye to friends and family and set off for Cambodia. There, he spent his threemonth long-service leave volunteering for the Cambodian Children’s Fund (CCF), an organisation that aims to provide a future for impoverished children.

One of Gipson’s major aims was to support and advise Scott Neeson – an Australian-born former Hollywood film producer and founder of CCF – on providing these children with the opportunity to enter university.

Neeson’s work was the subject of an episode of Australian Story shown on the ABC last year, which inspired Gipson to get involved.

32 | August 2013

“For me, this trip was an opportunity for renewal and for growth,” Gipson says. “It was about taking me back to why I entered this profession in the first place, and that was to make a difference for kids. And what more fundamental opportunity could I have than working with the poorest of poor in Phnom Penh?”

Once Gipson arrived in Cambodia, he journeyed to the south-western outskirts of the Cambodian capital, to the impoverished industrial neighbourhood of Steung Meanchey. This is where Neeson decided to set up CCF back in 2004.

The majority of children in CCF’s care at the time were garbage pickers and also primary carers for their siblings, living and working on Phnom Penh’s former main garbage dump.

A documentary inspired a school chief to spend his long-service leave helping poor children in Phnom Penh. It became a passion.

By Antonia Maiolo CCF started out looking after the health and well-being of about 87 youngsters.

Now it cares for more than 2000 children through its education, healthcare, nutrition and safe-shelter programs.

“One of the things Scott was endeavouring to do was find ways of giving these kids access and opportunity through education,” Gipson says.

All CCF students are involved in the CCF Education Program, with intensive English as the focus. The program concentrates on reading, writing and comprehension.

The students also do computer studies, which include web design and office software. They are integrated into the Cambodian public school system for courses in the Khmer language, mathematics and science.

community focus ‘My transformation’

“The passport out of poverty is education,” Gipson says. “It is the great social leveller. It provides opportunity; it provides hope – and a way of transcending limitations.”

Gipson, who has since formed a close bond with Neeson, got to work by helping him set up an articulated international learning program for teachers and staff at the Steung Meanchey School.

Reshaping the curriculum and building an understanding amongst teachers about the specific needs of individual students was Gipson’s focus.

Overcoming history

During the 1970s, the Khmer Rouge exterminated many of Cambodia’s welleducated citizens, leaving the school system in complete disarray. Gipson says one of the great challenges has been trying to lead the teachers to a different understanding of education.

Even today, Cambodia invests little in education. In terms of percentage of GDP, its spending on education is one of the lowest in Asia, Gipson says. Teachers in Cambodia are so poorly paid in the

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government sector – receiving only roughly $70 a month – they are forced to take bribes from families to top up their salaries.

“If you want to get curriculum resources, you pay the teacher. If you want to get the exam you have to pay the teacher. If you want to get the exam marks, then you pay the teacher,” Gipson says.

Having recently returned to Cambodia, Gipson is helping CCF bring in a head of teaching and learning who will implement a strategic plan for the next two to three years designed to build quality teaching, with a specific focus on developing Cambodian educators.

Gipson’s wife, Sue, who used to be a teacher, has also volunteered with the organisation, having spent time working directly with Cambodian teachers in the slums.

“One of the things I have always pushed [is that] if you want to make a difference for kids, you have to ensure that you have the best-quality, best-supported, best-trained staff that you can possibly have,” Gipson says. “We know quality teachers make quality difference in learning outcomes for kids.”

Having worked in education as a teacher, school leader and consultant in Australia, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, the US, the United Kingdom and New Zealand for more than 30 years, Gipson knows what it takes to run a school. His experience has brought a suite of skills to CCF. His abilities in corporate governance and business experience also support the work of the organisation.

Neeson has described Gipson as an “honorary in-house” member of the team.

“My transformation has been that I think it’s an obligation of everyone to actually see that the most important thing they can do is to make a difference to those less fortunate than themselves – be that in Cambodia, Mozambique, Costa Rica, or indeed Arnhem Land or on the streets of St Kilda.

“Just going to work there you are doing things … from an extraordinary position of privilege and experience but you suddenly realise that by doing simple things you are making an extraordinary difference,” he says. “There’s absolutely no doubt in my mind that education is the pathway that will lift these kids from where they are.”

Gipson hopes that the St Michael’s community will be able to forge its own sustainable relationship with CCF through a possible exchange program with teachers from Steung Meanchey School.

He believes this would also help the Cambodian teachers improve their English skills.

“I’d really love to be able to get at least the first pair over this year,” he says, adding that the program still needs some fine-tuning to be able to provide the best possible opportunity for success. n For more information, go to www.cambodianchildrensfund.org We would like to hear from you if you have a similar story. Email editor Antonia Maiolo at antonia.maiolo@apned.com.au

August 2013 | 33

workforce

Inspiring choices We asked you to nominate teachers who are making a real difference to their class, school or community. Here is our first Top 5 Inspiring Teachers round-up, as chosen by you. By Antonia Maiolo

Leading online learning Fiona Banjer is part of a project to deliver additional instruction where it’s needed the most After 15 years in the education field, Fiona Banjer says her current role is one of the highlights of her career.

Banjer, an early-years teacher, is using technology to “flip” the classroom, making learning more exciting and engaging for her students.

She is working with Project 600, a collaborative online learning program for Queensland students that is helping boost students’ achievements in literacy and numeracy. Each day she logs on to her computer in the library to teach in three or four schools in the South East Region of Education Queensland via iConnect/Elluminate web conference.

Banjer teaches 16 classes in total. Last semester she taught 18, but has had to cut back following her promotion to team leader. This year she has also been seconded to Brisbane School of Distance Education to deliver Project 600 Year 5 numeracy to more students in the South East Region.

34 | August 2013

“I am one of seven very fortunate and brave souls who form a team and deliver the learning program to 1200 students,” Banjer says.

The project’s leaders work out of their base schools from Monday to Thursday and meet up every Friday to discuss teaching methods and upcoming lessons.

Banjer’s students attend two web conference sessions of 60 to 70 minutes each week, for 11 weeks.

Content for the weekly lessons was chosen based on local and national NAPLAN data.

The children also complete 20 to 40 minutes of online learning activities each week via a virtual classroom, and Banjer encourages them to complete these activities at home if internet access is available there.

Banjer is known as a supportive team leader and can be found most nights chatting online with others solving maths problems, refining the course design and sharing her thoughts and experiences.

Name: Fiona Banjer School: Park Lake State School State/territory: Queensland Feedback on her work with Project 600 has been positive from everyone involved. One school even threw an end-of-project party and presented Banjer with flowers.

“The school visits were marvellous,” Banjer says. “All of the children were so excited to actually meet me in person.

It was a privilege and I will treasure the memories.”

Colleagues say she is “an inspiration to many teachers within her school and outside her school within Queensland”.

In her spare time, Banjer is working on a doctoral thesis on how to develop the lifelong learning capabilities of students, and helping to build community partnerships through social media for Project 600.

She is also developing a website to feed through news and calendar alerts with the new QSchools information app.

workforce

Leading the band Dani Rocca has proved that music programs benefit students in all aspects of their learning Dani Rocca has got the whole of Tate Street Primary School marching to the beat of her drum with her innovative music program, which is boosting students’ confidence and their academic results.

Since taking up the role of head music teacher, Rocca has given Tate Street students, who tend to come from disadvantaged backgrounds, access to a school choir, marimba band, ukulele band and a brass band, on top of the 60-minute music classes that are provided to all grades each week.

When Rocca first started at Tate Street three years ago, none of these programs were available; the school had no proper music program and few instruments.

But under her enthusiastic guidance, this all changed.

Rocca first contacted as many people as she could to find grants to pay for new instruments and fund extracurricular music classes, as well as spending www.educationreview.com.au

countless hours of her own time renovating the old instruments. She also put together a proper curriculum and a variety of music groups for the students to get involved in.

Rocca says the school music program is particularly important to Tate Street students, as few get music lessons outside of school. Apart from daily music classes, each week Rocca dedicates three lunchtimes and one recess to giving music groups extra time to practise.

“I have some students who will come to all of those every week,” Rocca says.

Tate Street principal Terry Scott says that since bringing in Rocca in 2010, the music program has gone from strength to strength, and that it has had a positive impact on students’ performance in their other subjects: the school’s 2011 NAPLAN results showed improved results in reading and literacy.

“We have no doubt at all that there is a connection between the performing arts program here at Tate Street and

Name: Dani Rocca School: Tate Street Primary School State/territory: Victoria

the dramatically improved results with much thanks to the amazing Ms Rocca!”

Scott says.

Rocca has even set up a program in the literacy block where she uses songs to help students develop their language skills. “Singing for literacy is a really good example of how we can use a musical skill to address literacy skills as well,” Rocca says.

She says music gives the students a sense of place and belonging, especially when they join related groups. Rocca arranged for the school’s marimba band to attend an intensive camp in preparation for a performance at the Port Fairy Folk Festival in May this year.

“I feel really excited all the time,” Rocca says. “I love seeing my kids enjoying making music together.”

August 2013 | 35

workforce Leading Indigenous engagement Jeremy Robinson is literally growing the skills of NT Indigenous and special-needs students In the small island community of Milingimbi, just off the coast of Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory, Jeremy Robinson is busy getting Indigenous kids and children with special needs excited about the environment.

For many years, Robinson has been coordinating and teaching a horticulture program at Milingimbi Community Education Centre, getting Year 2 to 10 students to nurture a garden on the school grounds. They have the opportunity to plant, care for and harvest the crops and as a result are acquiring lifelong skills.

Crops include tomatoes, basil, eggplant, chillies, beans, passionfruit, mangoes, guavas, limes, jackfruit, black sapote, mulberries and native plums.

Robinson says he enjoys introducing students to new experiences and helping them gain new values, attitudes, skills and knowledge. Most of the kids respond positively to the program, and he believes

there is a correlation between their connection to the garden and a reduction in vandalism to it over the years.

“Students come over to my house after school hours and tell me if people are in the school and pulling up the plants,” Robinson says.

“One student said to me recently while working in the orchard that he would like to bring his own children to school one day to work in the orchard like he does.”

One student with special needs has become so attached to his lawnmower that he refuses to let anyone else have a turn.

The program continues to grow with Robinson’s plans to get the older students with disabilities to operate a mobile café. The idea is that they will travel around the community at lunch and dinner times to supply healthy eating options from the vegetable and fruit harvested from the school garden.

The success of the program can be attributed to Robinson’s teaching style.

Leading revival Rhonda Knight has led a doubling of student numbers at her primary school Rhonda Knight casts her mind back over her 40-year education career in a small town in Victoria, the past 13 of them as the principal of Coburn Primary School in Melton, 40km west of Melbourne.

Described as a true inspiration to staff and students, Knight has turned the school into an environment that the students and the community can be proud of, and a place that caters to the specific needs of all its students.

But Knight, who says she always loves a challenge, was first confronted with a school that was in desperate need of a makeover.

“It was a school in need of someone to actually take care of it,” Knight says. “The first 12 months totally consumed me – I threw everything into it.”

The school was soon brightened up with paintings and mosaics. As a result, vandalism declined while enrolment grew.

In 2005, there were just 340 children at 36 | August 2013

the school, now there are almost 700.

Many parents and students say that the reason they are at Coburn is because of Knight’s unique leadership style.

Her focus has always been on the students – looking at every child as an individual with different abilities and needs. She has introduced 30 teaching aides to address the specific needs of students, including 50 pupils with special needs who attend Coburn Primary.

“Every child is an individual and every child can learn, and that’s been my heavy focus for about five years,” she says.

Knight is interested in the development not only of her students but also of her staff. Over the years, she has become a mentor to many of her teachers, and has set up an exchange program to encourage their professional development.

Teachers and students at Coburn can now engage in an annual exchange program with a partner school in Auckland, New Zealand.

Name: Jeremy Robinson School: Milingimbi Community Education Centre State/territory: Northern Territory He uses various methods to create an inclusive learning environment, adopting some local language, some signing and experiential work modules. “[He] makes all students feel included, especially those with additional needs,” a colleague says.

Apart from the horticulture program, Robinson coordinates the Milingimbi sports teams and athletes with disabilities for the Arnhem Schools Cluster, helping local students compete across Australia.

He is also a mentor to a young employee with special needs who works as a groundsman at the school, part of an initiative that Robinson helped implement three years ago to address the lack of employment opportunities for young people in the area.

Name: Rhonda Knight School: Coburn Primary School State/territory: Victoria

“I think seeing another system and how another school operates is far more beneficial than attending a two-hour in-service or conference,” Knight says.

“You see another way of doing things and you bring fresh ideas into your school.”

In fact, she says helping the teachers, kids and other schools progress has been what she has enjoyed most about her career.

Knight hasn’t decided whether she will walk away from education entirely when she retires. With a lot yet to offer, she says she may continue to work within the sector in some way in the future.

“If I have some knowledge I can share, if I can help somebody, whether it be kids or teachers or other schools or other principals, I am more than happy to be able to share that.”

workforce Leading engagement Cassandra Bawden’s work with disadvantaged and less-academic kids goes way beyond the school gates Teaching is more than just a job for Cassandra Bawden; it’s part of her everyday life.

The Year 7 and 9 teacher from Mount Clear College in Victoria has a passion for helping disadvantaged kids and spends a lot of time supporting them, both in and outside of school hours.

Bawden is the coordinator of the REAL (Real-life Experiential and Applied Learning) program at her school, which has been set up for Year 9 students who are at risk of dropping out, offering them a pathway into more vocation-based learning. She spends most of her time providing these students a sense of belonging and achievement.

“The ongoing joke at work is that I’m never in the staffroom at lunchtime,” Bawden says.

Every Friday, Bawden takes the Year 9 class to a different location for the day, where she provides breakfast,

bringing bread and cereal. On top of this, Bawden spends most of her afternoons planning activities for her class, phoning businesses to get them involved in the REAL program. On weekends, Bawden can also be found encouraging her students at sporting events.

She says engaging with the students and their families both in and outside of school and knowing what struggles they may be experiencing in their personal lives is important to helping her understand each student’s particular needs.

“Little things like asking about a sick family member and if there is anything I can do to help, can make a big difference to these kids,” she says.

Although she has got her hands full with the REAL class, Bawden is also a Year 7 teacher for the LEAP program (Learning by Exploring and Applied Practical Skills), which is focused on students who have low literacy and

Name: Cassandra Bawden School: Mount Clear College State/territory: Victoria

numeracy skills and behavioural issues.

Bawden’s colleagues say that her dedication to her students is “amazing” and that she continues to show students that anything is possible regardless of family, life and academic challenges.

“These two classes are extremely difficult to teach, but Cassie continues, each year, to come back and do it all again,” one colleague says, adding that she has “committed to continually putting her hand up to teach students in a supportive and caring environment”.

Bawden says that while her job is at times challenging, it is also extremely rewarding.

“Just listening to the kids’ stories and seeing their passion and determination to succeed against the odds is what really keeps me going,” Bawden says.

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August 2013 | 37

workforce

UniSA draws more men into teaching It’s a profession that’s dominated by women, but South Australia’s biggest university is trying to redress the imbalance. By Aileen Macalintal

T

he University of South Australia (UniSA) has employed a range of strategies to attract male students into its teaching courses. Professor Geraldine Castleton, dean and head of UniSA’s School of Education, said, “We ensure we recruit male students as ‘student ambassadors’, who do an outstanding job of promoting our programs to both male and female potential students.”

Activities include trips to schools, visits by schools to campuses and open days.

UniSA has also funded the MENtor program, which pairs males studying early childhood education with recently graduated male teachers. Castleton emphasised, however, that these students get the opportunity to work with both male and female teachers, “as effective teachers have a very significant impact on students’ learning opportunities and outcomes, irrespective of gender”.

“Teachers are very important role models for students,” she said, “so all forms of diversity in our education workforce, whether based on gender or other qualities or characteristics, are essential.”

The university’s programs are having an effect. “We have seen a pleasing increase in males enrolling in initial teacher education in recent years,” Castleton said.

In the undergraduate four-year BEd program, the overall percentage for commencing and continuing male students in 2010 was 14.6 per cent, rising to 15.6 per cent in 2011, 16.3 per cent in 2012 and 17.4 per cent in 2013.

“There has been a similar trend in our graduate-entry two-year (or equivalent) Master of Teaching,” Castleton said, “with the overall percentage for commencing and continuing male students in 2010 at 34.6 per cent, rising to 39.6 per cent in 2011, a slight drop in 2012 to 38.1 per cent but returning to 39.5 per cent in 2013.”

She said the university would be happy to see these percentages continue to rise.

UniSA’s data showed that the most popular programs with male students are the primary/middle and secondary specialisations.

“Our ultimate goal is to prepare our graduates with the appropriate knowledge, skills and attitudes to effectively enhance the learning outcomes of all students in our schools, childcare centres, preschools or 38 | August 2013

other education contexts, [regardless of] the gender of the graduate,” Castleton said.

At Flinders University, meanwhile, enrolments in its wide range of bachelor of education double degree courses in 2013 show that, generally, teaching is still not a man’s world.

Out of 209 enrolments for the BEd Early Childhood/BA course, 200 are female. BEd Early Childhood and Special Education/ Bachelor of Disability Studies has 78 female enrolees against three males.

The male figures are much higher for the BEd Middle and Secondary Schooling/ BA course, where 41 per cent of the 362 enrolees are men. BEd Middle and Secondary Schooling/BSc enrolments are virtually even, with 53 of the 99 students

being male. And for the BEd Middle and Secondary Schooling/Bachelor of Health Sciences, male enrolments are significantly higher for a change: 164 of the 264 total enrolees, equating to 62 per cent.

The grand total from Flinders University data shows that males represent 28 per cent of the total enrolments – 843 males compared with 2180 females.

Professor Kay Whitehead, deputy dean of the School of Education, said Flinders has a comprehensive mentoring and support program for all first-year students.

“Our focus is the quality of teaching and learning, rather than the gender of the people who undertake the work,” she said.

Steve Portlock, president of SA Primary Principals Association, said a mixture of male and female teachers is important in primary schools.

“Any program that aims to attract more males into primary schools is beneficial,” he said. “Male teachers, especially in junior primary classrooms, provide students with an important male role model.”

In fact, a male teacher may be some pupils’ first male role model, he said, so it is critical that they are friendly, fair and assertive but not aggressive.

Unfortunately, the nurturing role of the teacher is stereotypically associated with women – and there are other prejudices that men need to overcome. “I believe that some males were put off entering primary teaching in the past because of concerns about being ‘too close’ to students and the accusations that may have been made against them,” Portlock said.

However, he believed that the balance has changed. “School communities now recognise that teachers can be warm and empathetic in a non-sexual way,” he said.

But as professor Whitehead stated, it is not the teacher’s gender that determines their effectiveness, as research shows, “but a relevant and engaging curriculum, student-centred teaching and respectful and socially just relationships”. n

Enrolments in undergraduate and postgraduate education courses by sex in 2013 at Flinders University

EDUCATION COURSE

FEMALE

MALE

TOTAL

Percentage (%) of males

70

4

74

5

1438

642

2080

31

501

138

639

22

PhD by coursework

25

26

51

51

Graduate diploma

14

2

16

13

2180

843

3023

28

Bachelor (graduate entry) Bachelor (pass) Master’s by coursework

Total (inc graduate certificate and other bachelor categories) Source: Flinders University

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