Newsletter 1, 2007
Welcome
to our first Newsletter for 2007. We hope your holiday break has been as
festive as ours has been. We do hope we will see many of you during 2007 - at
workshops, Conversations @ 272 or at other events during the year.
Learning
Conversations News
In January we facilitated a
two day workshop at
A series of participatory
activities developed the concepts of:
·
We all have
experienced transitions and have developed skills in managing transitions
·
There are seven
categories of skills which we can employ to manage transitions
·
There are stages
in the transitional process which may be experienced simultaneously
·
There are
differences between cultures which we can describe and enjoy
·
Curtin campus
offers many services and opportunities to support international students in
their study and lives in
Students not only gained
information about life in
Our experience has also
made us think about transitions that we all make across 'cultures' (when we
understand ‘culture’ to be ‘this is the way we do things
here’), whether they be from one country to another, or from one
workplace to another, or one school (or school system) to another - and the value
of understanding the ‘normality’ of that process, the skills t hey
already have, using a reflective process to support people as they make
transitions. Perhaps we could offer a 'transitions' workshop for your
workplace?
Reflections
What’s been happening
in education over the Christmas/New Year break – the traditional
‘silly season’ in
Perhaps most significant
was the announcement about the ‘Reforms’ to the upper school curriculum
by Mark McGowan, Minister for Education. Despite the media hysteria it seems
that these were sensible adjustments rather than wholesale revolution –
and this impression has been confirmed for us both by teachers who have
attended briefings and in person by more senior people from various systems.
You can read the Media statement by Mark McGowan, entitled Reforms Mark a Clear Path Forward, at http://www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au/media/media.nsf/HTML/Ministers+Menu
The Curriculum Council has also established a new FAQ webpage
about the changes and their implications, New WACE: Frequently Asked Questions to ‘help clarify changes arising from the Minister’s 22 January
2007 announcement.’ http://newwace.curriculum.wa.edu.au/docs/FAQs_Jan_2007.pdf
The Department of Education and
Training’s Webpage on Outcomes and
Standards in WA still provides valuable information about the
approach they are taking. http://www.det.wa.edu.au/outcomesandstandards/
There are two other relevant reports that have been
released by the Curriculum Council, reports that they commissioned to further
inform their work. Note that the Andrich Report was actually released in
September, not suppressed, as reported in the media. According to the Council,
the Tognolini Report, Meeting the
challenge of assessing in a standards based education system
which is available on the Curriculum Council’s
website, ‘confirms that the
new senior school reforms are in line with Australian and world best practice.’
A
report to the Curriculum Council regarding assessment for tertiary selection, by Professor
David Andrich, of Murdoch University ‘provides a detailed and technical analysis of many of
the important issues relating to university selection, the new WACE
examinations and the relationship between the examinations and school-based
assessment. …[It] investigates issues to be addressed and policies to be
considered in order to ensure rigorous assessment processes, valid and reliable
fine grained measurement of student achievement for university entrance and to
enable the comparability of standards between all new WACE courses.’ http://newwace.curriculum.wa.edu.au/pages/publications_report.asp
Our wish is that the debate
would return to a focus on students and their learning. This was the purpose of
the changes that began back in the mid 1990s. We would urge everyone to go back
to the Principles of Teaching and Learning and the Principles and Assessment
enunciated in the Curriculum Framework which we think are still the best
description of what should be underpinning teachers’ classroom practice.
The media also reported selectively
from a paper that Julie Bishop delivered in early November viz. The 2006 Sir
Robert Menzies Lecture: The Liberal frontier: building a civil society Http://www.dest.gov.au/Ministers/Media/Bishop/2006/11/B001061106.asp in which she spoke of somewhat more than the importance of manners and
the need for them to be taught in schools.
Most recently the ALP has released the early
childhood education policy it is to take to the next federal election. Some of
the less reported aspects are:
· ‘All four year olds entitled to receive 15 hours of
learning per week, for a minimum of forty weeks per year.
· Delivery of play-based early learning by a four year qualified
teacher.
· A commitment to a National Early Years Learning Framework to
ensure consistency of development and learning.
· •Early childhood
workforce strategy to train and retain more qualified staff:
o
1,500 new fully
funded university places in early childhood education
o
50% HECS
remission for 10,000 early childhood graduates working in areas of need;
o
No TAFE fees for
childcare trainees.
· Transfer responsibility for early childhood education and child
care into the Commonwealth Department of Education, with a new Office of Early
Childhood Education.
· Early childhood education in the top three priorities for
Federalism agenda.’
From New Directions for Early Childhood Education: Universal access to early learning for 4 year
olds – ALP Education Policy http://www.alp.org.au/download/now/new_directions_for_early_childhood_education.pdf
Media
Release: http://www.alp.org.au/media/0107/pc290.php
Of course, policy
is one thing – it’s implementation is another!
Interesting Connections
Growing up in
- 84% of the 5-6 year olds had started school.
- Most children (over 90%) looked forward to
going to school.
- Over three quarters liked their teachers a
lot.
- Most of the children were reading at home for
at least 10 minutes a day.
An important new study, "Parental Leave in Australia
Survey" was included in Wave 1.5. The parents of the infant cohort were
asked a series of questions about their employment and leave taking around the
birth of the study child. Some initial findings from the survey are included in
the Annual Report. Almost 70% of the infants' mothers were in paid employment
during their pregnancy. The survey data show a complex pattern of leave taking
by employed mothers around the birth of their children. The Annual Report includes
articles on parenting, child care, grandparents and work-family life.’ A
copy of the report is available from the Growing Up in
http://www.aifs.gov.au/growingup/pubs/ar/annualreport2005-06.html
ABC Parents
Everything you need to know about raising children, from newborns to school age
with links to the Raising Children website and lots of other relevant ABC links
as well.
A special FuturemindS focus
feature looks at the current most popular alternative education methods (Steiner and Montessori) and asks whether
they are helping students and the changing face of education read full article
Education & Broadband: Serious About Games bMegan Elliott
http://www.newmatilda.com//home/articledetail.asp?NewsletterID=290&ArticleID=2005&email=1
‘Imagine
building a world where you can tackle a global health epidemic; or pulverise
the cancer cells multiplying in your own body; or negotiate a lasting peace
between the Palestinians and Israelis; or grow your own enterprise into a
multinational corporation; or explore the laws of physics. The on-line computer games industry is no
longer solely the domain of interactive entertainment, and shoot-em-ups.
On-line computer games now exist that deal with issues relating to science,
health, defence, education, and social change — and over 50 per cent of
on-line gamers are women. On-line computer games are part of corporate offices, classrooms (in schools and
universities), factories, and doctors’ clinics.’
‘The
backers of the One Laptop Per Child project are
looking at the possibility of selling the machines to the public. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6246989.stm
One
idea would be for customers to have to buy two laptops at once - with the
second going to the developing world. Five million of the laptops will be
delivered to developing nations this summer, in one of the most ambitious
educational exercises ever undertaken. Michalis Bletsas, chief connectivity
officer for the project, said eBay could be a partner to sell the laptop.’
Parents’
Top Tips for Helping a Discouraged Child by Robbie
Fanning, M.Ed. from Schwaub
Learning.
‘Can
anything cause more instant heartbreak for a parent than the sight of a
dispirited child? And children with learning and attention difficulties
experience more than their fair share of discouragement as they struggle to
learn. Research tells us that when a child is overcome by a strong emotion like
discouragement, you
must first deal with the emotion
before trying to tackle the problems that caused the emotion. That’s also
what parents who are members of our MVP (Most Valuable Parent) Research Club
seem to do intuitively. The MVP club is composed of parents who have signed up
to participate in projects aimed at helping Shwaub Learning better understand
their needs and to refine our offerings. They were asked them, “What is
your top tip for helping when your child is discouraged?” Here are their
tips, sorted into ten categories, starting with ways to empathize with your
child’s discouragement.’ http://www.schwablearning.org:80/articles.asp?r=1054&f=search
Interesting Resources
Good Beginnings http://www.goodbeginnings.net..au/index.shtml
Good
Beginnings aims to create a caring
environment with families, communities, service agencies and governments
working together so that all children can have a good beginning.
Full
colour children's book available in our store
"What does my Dad/Mum
do in prison?"
"Does my Dad/Mum eat
when in prison?"
"Hello Dad".....Infant
communications for fathers (DVD)
The
latest fathering brochures designed for expectant and new fathers are now
available for purchase
A
few tips that can make air travel with children a happier experience for
everyone
‘Alex Kjerulf, Happy Hour is 9 to 5: How to Love Your Job, Love Your
Life and Kick Butt at Work. http://positivesharing.com/happyhouris9to5/
- he explains and provides approaches to being happy AND professional AND
productive. Alex's blog, The
Chief Happiness Officer, is read by 100,000's of
people - he's really, really proud of that.’
‘Ever wonder how a school can
combine all the new technology tools available (podcasts, wikis, blogs) to link
their students, teachers, and parents together? In A Day in the Life of Web 2.0, by David Warlick, the author
walks readers through an innovative school's use of tools to promote
communication and collaboration.’ This is also an excellent place to
learn more about Blogs, Wikis,
RSS (Rich Site Summary - or Really Simple Syndication), Social Bookmarking etc.
as well as how to use them in schools.
‘Intelligent
survey software for serious primates of all species, SurveyMonkey has a single purpose: to enable anyone to create professional online
surveys quickly and easily. Find out what everyone is talking about... ‘It provides step-by–step instructions
to design
surveys, collect responses and analyse the results.
Data Wise: A Step-by-Step Guide to Using Assessment
Results to Improve Teaching And Learning edited by Kathryn Parker Boudett, Elizabeth A. City, and Richard
J. Murnane - shows
how ‘examining test scores and other classroom data can become a catalyst
for important schoolwide conversations that will enhance schools' ability to
capture teachers' knowledge, foster collaboration, identify obstacles to
change, and enhance school culture and climate. The rich experience of the
contributors—among them exemplary school leaders and top scholars in the
fields of statistics and testing—is reflected in the complexity and
realism of the case studies that illustrate each chapter.’
Alfie Kohn, in an article, "The Truth about Homework," in School-Age Notes
(November 2006; www.SchoolAgeNotes.com)
makes these observations...’There is something perversely fascinating
about education policies that are clearly at odds with the available data. Huge
schools are still being built even though we know that students tend to fare
better in smaller places that lend themselves to the creation of democratic
caring communities. Many children who are failed by the academic status quo are
forced to repeat a grade even though research shows that this is just about the
worst course of action for them. Homework continues to be assigned — in
even greater quantities — despite the absence of evidence that it's
necessary or even helpful in most cases. The dimensions of that last disparity
weren't clear to me until I started sifting through the research for a new
book… decades of investigation have failed to turn up any evidence that
homework is beneficial for students in elementary school. Even if you regard
standardized test results as a useful measure, homework (some versus none, or
more versus less) isn't even correlated with higher scores at these ages. The
only effect that does show up is more negative attitudes on the part of
students who get more assignments.... regardless of one's criteria, there is no
reason to think that most students would be at any sort of disadvantage if
homework were sharply reduced or even eliminated. Nevertheless, the
overwhelming majority of American schools — elementary, secondary,
public, and private — continue to require their students to work a second
shift by bringing academic assignments home. Not only is this requirement
accepted uncritically, but the amount of homework is growing, particularly in
early grades.....’
Up and Coming Conferences and Events
Hawker Brownlow Education 4th Annual Thinking & Learning Conference
- "Teachers at Work" at The Heath, Caulfield Racecourse, Melbourne,
from 8-10 May 2007. Guest speakers will include Dr David Sousa, Carol Ann
Tomlinson, Spencer & Laurie Kagan, Jay McTighe and Robin Fogarty, Michael
Pohl, Karen Boyes, Michael Nagel and Clinton Golding. Some of the topics to be
covered include Research on Brain Science, Differentiation, Habits of Mind,
Boys' Education, Win-Win Discipline, Cooperative Learning, Multiple
Intelligences and Understanding by Design. For more information, please visit www.hbe.com.au/TAW.html
or call us on +61 (3) 8558 2444.
2007 World
Forum on Early Care and Education 15th – 18th May, 2007 in
The 13th
International Conference on Thinking 17th - 21st June, 2007
Children and Young People are Key
Stakeholders. 23rd- 25th July 2007,
Perth
Learning Conversations’ Professional
Development Opportunities
Reggio Inspired Workshops are
designed for people who are inspired by the principles of teaching and learning
from Reggio Emilia, whether you are just beginning on your journey or have been
working with these inspirations for a long time. A skeleton workshop is created
from interested participants’ reflections on their teaching and learning
journey and we then ‘work into the future’ as the weekend
progresses. In doing this, we try to live the process. One workshop is held
each term and the first one for 2007 will be hosted by
The remaining dates for
2007 are 12th–13th
May, 18th- 9th August and 3rd–4th November
(not 10th-11th November as previously announced).
This year Marie will be
working with Susan Margaret to offer a Living
Project with the Language of Music on 27th – 30th September. Living
Projects are truly inspirational learning experiences for all participants
including the facilitators, as anyone who has attended one will attest. If you
want the opportunity to really to work on your ’learning edge’,
then this is the workshop for you. Contact Marie for further details.
Conversations @ 272
Learning
Conversations continues to hold open a space
for conversations about learning. The place is
In
February, we hope you will come and share your stories about Beginnings and in March we hope it will be
more about Transitions – or
anything else that is on your mind!
Contact Us
Call Anna on 0438 902 586
and Marie on 0409 034 692
Or email to anna.alderson@learningconversations.com.au
or marie.martin@learningconversations.com.au
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