Learning Conversations News
We have been busily trying to finish reports and tie up loose ends before Marie leaves for 2½ weeks in
Marie’s delivered numerous PD days for teachers and principals and parent workshops in schools and other community venues this year. Her Reggio Inspired Weekends (RIWs) have also been a great success. If you want her to work with your school or to attend the next (and last for the year) RIW the details are at the end of this Newsletter.
There continues to be considerable activity about education at the national level. A revised version of the Draft Declaration on the National Educational Goals for Young Australians has just been released. We think it is a vast improvement on the first version we saw which was produced in September last year. Its tone and content is quite different. It’s open for comment until 3rd October and we do urge you to take the time to comment on it, especially if you were as concerned as we were about the first one. Of course, the proof will be in the Action Plan, yet to be released.
The other major national education initiative continues to be The National Quality Framework for Early Education and Care. We have grave concerns about these proposals with their emphasis on compliance and regulation, which we know are shared by many others in the field. We urge you to get your submission about this in before 19th September, particularly if you have positive suggestions to make as to how it could be differently constructed. A really useful paper to help you think about this is Towards an Early Years Learning Framework: Policy Brief No. 12 which is ‘designed to provide policy makers and practitioners with an orientation to the general issues to be considered in the development of an Early Years Learning Framework.’ For a really different approach see the British Columbia Early Learning Framework which describes the vision, pedagogical principles, and key areas of learning for children birth to five years.
Anna is about to start work on a small project for AISWA on the unintended consequences of NAPLAN. While her work will concentrate on independent schools, we believe this issue is of such importance and interest that we’ve decided to offer a Learning Conversation opportunity for anyone who would like to join us on Tuesday 7 October at 4.00pm at our premises at 272 Oxford St Leederville. We know it’s the school holidays (and some of you will be away) but we also thought it was a time that might be more possible than leaving it until fourth term. Do come and share your NAPLAN stories – the good, the bad and the ugly.
Reflections
As we have talked with others about the proposed EEC Framework we have been reminded of an analogy we heard Philip Gammage use some years ago. He talked about the challenges of ‘growing a carrot’. Pulling up the carrot every so often (or even regularly) to see if it’s growing doesn’t improve its growth. Measuring all its vital dimensions doesn’t make it grow any bigger or stronger, no matter how good the callipers are that we use or how much we compare it to all the other carrots. Berating it for not growing well enough or quickly enough doesn’t help it either. What makes the carrot grow well is a good nourishing environment with all the necessary nutrients and careful, loving attention (not constant interference or punishment). We know that growing children is a lot more complex than growing carrots, and we don’t want to push the metaphor too far. However, children do not spend their formative years in institutions like banks or engine factories that are appropriately subjected to tight, unbending regulation and accreditation. We are not opposed to having a good framework for ensuring that the environment for children is nourishing and that the people who are going to tend to their needs are the best we can provide, but we know that what makes a difference to the lives of children and their learning is the quality of the relationships they have with significant adults and other children. These cannot be legislated for - only grown themselves. We believe that if all the positive and powerful aspirations enunciated for children in the early years were aspirations for the teachers and carers who work with them as well, then we might be able to build a caring and supportive system. The research on bullying makes a strong case for suggesting that a school cannot eliminate bullying amongst children unless it has first eliminated it amongst the staff. We cannot build nurturing, respectful care and education environments for children unless we provide nurture and respect for the people who work in those places - and for the families and communities from which they come. In our experience there are far too many places where this is not so - and legislated regulations and accreditation frameworks need to encourage and support the development of positive environments rather than undermining them – albeit unintentionally.
Interesting Connections
The social agenda and early childhood education and care: Can we really help create a better world? from the Bernard van Leer Foundation (written by Philip Gammage) that looks at the changing economic and cultural context of early childhood and identifies imperatives for policy and leadership.
UNICEF, WHO and WABA along with the scientific community strongly recommend initiating breastfeeding within an hour of birth. Evidence shows that early initiation can prevent 22% of all deaths among babies below one month in developing countries. This is an extraordinary video clip
Killing Lady Bountiful, by The power differential between helper and the helped is insidious. 'Lady Bountiful' wants credit for giving without thought of return, but can't help counting her sacrifices. Refugees can spot threats to their privacy and self-respect from a mile off.
The ABC will soon screen the second instalment of a novel television series that explores the factors that impact on young children's development and wellbeing. Life at 1 was screened in 2006, and examined the lives of 11 babies and their families. Life at 3 follows the same 11 children, now aged around 3, and focuses particularly on children's behaviour (first episode) and obesity (2nd episode). The series draws on Growing Up in Australia: the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC), a longitudinal study of 10 000 children. Data, research and participant information on Growing Up in Australia.
Is the To-Do List Doing You In? on the Psychology Today website.
The Asia Education Foundation’s Call to Action: Asia literacy for every young Australian which has been endorsed by representatives of peak education bodies.
The Australian Law Reform Commission’s For Your Information: Australian Privacy Law and Practice (ALRC 108), is the culmination of a massive research and consultation exercise conducted over two years, and recommends 295 changes to privacy laws and practices.
Indigenous early learning and care (Topical Paper), prepared by Teresa Hutchins, Karen Martin, Sherry Saggers and Margaret Sims, Centre for Social Research, Edith Cowan University, is the 14th paper to be commissioned and published by ARACY on an issue identified by Facilitating Partners in the Australian Government's Communities for Children (CfC) initiative as important to their work in local communities. (from ARACY)
Australian Social Trends 2008.Current data and trends over time are presented on areas of major social interest (i.e. population, family and community, health, education and training, work, economic resources, and housing) including comparisons between
Parenting and families in Australia,byStephen R. Zubrick and others, LSAC Consortium, Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs,presenting the findings from Wave 1 of the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children involving more than 5 000 infants aged 3-12 months and a comparable number of children aged 4-5 years. It explores a number of areas relating to infants and children in Australian families with a particular focus on: parental feelings of stress and sources of social support; parenting styles and family functioning; factors influencing parents' feelings and perceptions about the way they parent their children; the roles and contributions of parents who do not live with their children; and the relationship of parenting practices to child outcomes. (from ARACY)
Sustaining effective social partnerships, byTerri Seddon and others, National Centre for Vocational Education Research,notes that "social partnerships are good tools for addressing issues which are too difficult for any single agency to tackle." The report is based on research that found that a series of key principles underpinned the sustainability of effective social partnerships, specifically: "having shared purposes and goals; having strong and well-defined leadership; establishing trust and trustworthiness; maintaining good relationships between partners; developing the capacity for partnership work; and having inclusive governance practices." A self-assessment tool has been developed that can be used by parties to a social partnership to reflect on the effectiveness of the arrangement. While the research was based on case studies specific to the area of vocational education, it is suggested that the same principles would apply in other social partnership arrangements. (from ARACY)
Supporting young children and their families: why we need to rethink services and policies,byTim Moore / Centre for Community Child Health (CCCH) Noting the discrepancy between increasing national prosperity and worsening outcomes for many psychosocial and health indicators, this CCCH Working Paper argues the need for a major reconfiguration of services that are more appropriate to changed social and economic conditions, also including the latest available evidence. (from ARACY)
Welfare payments and school attendance: an analysis of experimental policy in Indigenous educationbyLarissa Behrendt and Ruth McCausland /Jumbunna Indigenous House of Learning/Sydney
A recent dialogue held in late July at Yale University in the United States brought together Muslim and Christian scholars, intellectuals, academics and religious leaders from the
A report, Disability in Australia: trends in prevalence, education, employment and community living, from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, has noted a fourfold increase in the number of students with severe disability attending mainstream schools. It shows that while participation in education has increased among young people with disability, the gap in labour force participation between people with disability and people without disability has remained about the same.
Interesting Resources
Multicultural Mental Health Australia (MMHA) has released a number of new mental health resources, launching its ‘What Is…’ series of mental health fact sheets in over 20 languages. The fact sheets cover a range of mental health issues including: anxiety, bipolar mood disorder, eating disorders, depression, personality disorders, schizophrenia, challenging behaviours and suicide. The facts sheets are available in: Arabic, Amharic, Assyrian, Chinese, Croatian, Dari, Dinka, English, Farsi, Greek, Italian, Khmer, Korean, Krio, Macedonian, Polish, Russian, Serbian, Spanish, Swahili, Turkish and Vietnamese.
The Asia Education Foundation (AEF) is a joint activity of Asialink at the
ozhistorybytes is an innovative online journal published three times a year, with exciting articles designed for students and teachers from the National Centre for History Education
Children’s Book Council - 2008 Awards. The Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA) is a volunteer run, not for profit, organisation that was established in 1945 and is comprised of individual members who are passionate about children's and young adult literature. 2008 winners and honour books.
P5 Australia is a community based organisation with a focus on being community-based, for parents by parents, families from a variety of cultural backgrounds, enjoying a simple yet empowering approach to parenting.
Changemakers WA, an initiative of
Teaching resources for Indigenous students from the
Sustained shared thinking – real conversations with children (PDF) contains wonderful practical examples and ideas to help staff engage in sustained shared conversations with children. It draws on Professor Iram Siraj-Blatchford's presentation (PDF) at the 2008 TACTYC Annual Conference, as well as ideas from the High/Scope program. (from ECA)
Meaningful conversations Todd Risley's seminal work highlights the clear connection between meaningful engaged conversations (extra talk) with children and long-term quality outcomes. (from ECA)
Ways to Make a Difference
The National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters Ltd (NAATI) is now accepting registrations for the New Interpreters Project in
Catchment Detox is an online game where you manage a virtual river catchment. You get to decide what activities you undertake - whether to plant crops, log forests, build factories or set up national parks. Can you repair a damaged ecosystem and create a sustainable and thriving economy? By playing the game you could win a trip to the
Indigenous Community Stories Initiative. ScreenWest in partnership with the Film and Television Institute (FTI) is calling for applications from Indigenous Communities (or individuals) who are interested in recording, preserving and archiving the stories, accomplishments and reflections of their community members. Indigenous Community Stories guidelines and the application form are available from the ScreenWest website.
Spirit of the Streets Choir In Concert with Male Voice Choir and Working Voices Choir. To celebrate International Mental Health Week and National Carers week, The Spirit of the Streets – a choir comprised of people normally regarded as the forgotten section of our society – have pride in presenting a concert in this major venue. With the same idea as the Choir of Hard Knocks (as seen on ABC TV), The Big Issue newspaper sellers of Perth have assembled this choir, which is led by music director, Bernard Carnley. The concert will be hosted by Sonia Vinci of Channel 9. At the Perth Concert Hall, 5
Sustainability Wiz takes schools on a journey towards sustainability using tools, resources and classroom and whole-school programs to drive eco-change in the school and wider community.
Make Poverty History - Stand Up – The 25 September 'Call to Action' event coincides with both the United Nation's Millenium Campaign global 'Call to Action’ and the UN Millenium Development Goals Summit taking place in
Up and Coming Conferences and Events
Quality Education for All, Australian Association of Special Education National Conference, 19-20 Sept, Esplanade Hotel, Fremantle http://www.aase.edu.au/2008_nat_conference.html
Early Childhood Australia Biennial Conference, Children: A nation's capital – Investing in our children 3–6 Oct National Convention Centre, Canberra, http://www.ecaconference.com.au/
Anti-poverty week 2-18 Octapw@antipovertyweek.org.au or 1300 797 290
8th Biennial National Early Childhood Intervention
Australasian Facilitators Network (AFN) Conference 26-28 Nov Pushing the Boundaries: Facilitation Frontiers ,
The World Indigenous Peoples Conference: Education (WIPC:E) 7-11Dec,
11th International Conference on Experiential Learning The Identity of Experience –current and future challenges for experiential learning. 8-12 Dec,
11th NZ Early Childhood Research Conference 22-23 Jan 2009, Wellington NZ http://www.childforum.com
National Investment for the Early Years / Centre for Community Child Health conference Getting it together for
The 6th International Conference of the Middle Years of
Thinking Minds: Nurturing the Design of a Better Future, 14th International Conference on Thinking, 22-26 July, 2009, Universiti Putra
Learning Conversations’ Professional Development Opportunities
Working Together – involving Parents, Principals and system Consultants
A Reggio Inspired Workshop
9am-4pm Saturday 8 November and 9am-12:30pm Sunday 9 November
Venue: PLC,
When adults in children’s lives work together, they provide continuity for the children, helping them make meaning of their world, their education and their learning and in doing so, to grow and change. But working together also provides continuity for the adults: for teacher education, for relationships with families, and for managing the social, political and economic changes that occur as children grow older and families return to paid work outside the home. In the educational experience of Reggio Emilia, co-teaching fosters dialogue and communication, collegial discussions, communication with families and reflection with pedagogistas. Co-teaching relies on differences: different points of view, dialogue and exchange of ideas, the construction of consent, and a way of being in relation to others. Mandating participation, a fear of conflict, trying to be something you are not – these and many other factors get in the way of developing an identity and a set of relationships based on difference.
In this workshop, we will explore ways in which we can strengthen our individual identities as teachers, assistants, specialists and curriculum leaders, and work together more effectively, so that we can use our different perspectives to enrich the learning of the children – and the adults – in our centres and schools.
If you are interested in participating in this Reggio Inspired Workshop, please email Marie to express your interest (marie.martin@learningconversations.com.au). Marie will send you an invoice for $165/person/weekend.
Supporting schools and community organisations
We can create a learning opportunity for your staff or volunteers, whether it be facilitating a conversation about an individual teacher’s classroom, a sector of the school or the school as a whole; developing a school or organisational plan; or developing a workshop to help you address a matter of educational or community interest. Please contact us to discuss your interests and strengths!
Contact Us
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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