independent
ie education
the professional voice of the Independent Education Union
V.41#1, 2011
Taking the job pledge Employment challenges for migrants and refugees n Tackling homophobia n Robots in the classroom
Question time Peter Garrett on going national
Print Post No. 243184/0001 ISSN 1320-9825
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Contents: ie V.41 #1, 2011 editorial profile news reconciliation teaching + learning
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04 Editorial This edition Going national 04 Kaleidoscope Former Big Brother housemate Camilla Severi had trouble fitting in at school 06 Australia wide Australian Curriculum looms 08 Towards reconciliation Gap stretches beyond school 09 Exclusive interview with Peter Garrett 12 The pledge – winners all round Schools provide work for refugees 14 The missing link OECD report ignores teacher voice 16 Schools go bush What’s going on outside the classroom 18 Networks bring casuals in from the cold More support for relief teachers
Kaleidoscope Former Big Brother housemate, now Brisbane FM radio presenter Camilla Severi, recollects her school days.
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19 PD for supply teachers Relief Insight 21 Coalition takes on homophobia Schools join Pride march technology leadership support staff sustainable classrooms legal conference diary opinion
22 Artificial intelligence Robots in the classroom 24 Keep the faith 26 What have I got to offer? 28 How to win grants and influence people 29 Cyberbullying – the law plays catch up 30 Dates for your calendar 30 Letters to the editor
The jobs pledge: Schools provide work experience for refugees.
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Pride march: Schools tackle homophobia.
32 Talking point: Is tutoring killing childhood? reviews
34 in review Film sequels - winners and losers
Executive Editors Dick Shearman Deb James Terry Burke Editorial Committee Cathy Hickey Fiona Stutz Tara de Boehmler Sue Osborne Sandra White Journalists Sue Osborne, Tara de Boehmler Fiona Stutz, Jim Marr Design Wendy Rapee Images: pp 8, 14, 18, 24, 27,, 29, 32-34 thinkstock.com.
IE is a tri-annual journal published by the NSW/ACT, Victorian and Queensland Independent Education Unions for members and subscribers. It has a circulation of 63,000. IE’s contents do not necessarily reflect the views of the IEU or the editors nor imply endorsement by them. Email NSW: ieu@ieu.asn.au VIC: vieu@vieu.org.au QLD: enquiries@qieu.asn.au IE online www.ieu.asn.au/publications/ Contributions Contributions and letters from members are welcome. Printing does not reflect endorsementandcontributionsmaybeedited
at the editor’s discretion. Email iemagazine@ ieu.asn.au Advertising Kayla Skorupon (02) 9779 3200 Advertising is carried in IE in order to minimise costs. Advertising does not in any way reflect endorsement of the products or services. Subscriptions IE is available free to members of the IEU, or by subscription. Tina Delandre: (02) 9779 3200 Printing Print & Mail: (02) 9519 8268 ISSN 1320-9825
editorial
profile news reconciliation teaching+learning
kaleidoscope
this edition
In this issue we feature Schools Education Minister Peter Garrett talking about the Australian Curriculum, national testing and how he feels about his new role. NSW IEU Education Issues Committee Convenor Sandra White outlines the Union’s position and we’d like to hear from you too. Do we need more or less testing? Have you been consulted about the development of the Curriculum? Email responses of up to 250 words to iemagazine@ieu.asn.au. In NSW, Attorney-General, John Hatzistergos has backed a law that allows non-government schools to expel gay students. Some schools are taking a different approach. Thirty-five supporters from Eltham College of Education in Victoria took part in the Pride march through Melbourne last month. The Victorian Safe Schools Coalition aims to create school environments where everyone can feel they belong. Do you agree with this approach? Let us know at the email address above. In Queensland staff at six schools are making donations from their own pockets to allow refugees to work full time for a term at school, gaining vital work experience, making friends and improving their English. It would be great to see this scheme spread around Australia. Elsewhere in the magazine we look at some innovative programs providing extra support for casual teachers who face difficult challenges keeping their professional development up to date. All the regulars are there, including sustainable classrooms and towards reconciliation.
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Camilla Severi
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If there are teachers who praise you and notice your individuality I think that’s special, as sometimes you just feel like one of the masses.”
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risbane FM radio presenter and former Big Brother housemate Camilla Severi initially struggled with reading and writing during her primary school years in South Africa. After moving to Australia for high school, she fell in love with drama and theatre studies, she tells IE Journalist Fiona Stutz. I was born in South Africa and grew up in Johannesburg and did all of my primary schooling there. When I was at school we started exams from about Year 4 and they were taken quite seriously. So I grew up in a much more academic background and a much more authoritarian background. I quite enjoyed the academic side of things. I didn’t really know any different so I suppose you just get on with it. When I went to Grade One everyone said, “Wow, she speaks so well and she speaks ahead of her age.” But I couldn’t read or write for a really, really long time. I had a lot of remedial problems. My Mum couldn’t understand what was going on. When she discussed it with my teacher my Mum felt like it was more the teacher’s problem than mine and that the teacher just wouldn’t adjust the way she taught to suit a child that may have learnt in a different style. In Grade Two they put me in remedial class with eight other children. It was a really small class, but most of the kids in the class had some very serious learning difficulties. I really blossomed because I had tons of time with the teacher so I went. “This is cool, I’m being taught in a different
way” and I was reading and writing before you knew it. It was interesting that I spent my first couple of years of primary school in a remedial class with kids who had pretty serious learning difficulties and for a long time they thought I was one of them. After a whole bunch of psyche testing they worked out that no, it wasn’t that. It was just the way I was being taught kind of wasn’t computing.
comforting and really enjoyed doing it even though you get nervous and there’s that kind of adrenaline rush. I really liked doing that sort of stuff so it did help with what I do now, although I still battle enormously with nerves and have to remind myself: ‘What’s the worst that could happen?’ There was an interesting drama teacher. He came to the school when I was probably in Year 11 and shook things up a bit.
In Year 4 I went into a normal class environment with a large class which was an interesting assimilation in itself. I am grateful that my Mum pushed for me to get into that class because I don’t think I was technically meant to be in there but it helped me get back on track.
We had a very regimented drama program and he sort of said, “No I’m not going to do the school play that way”. I never got lead roles in any of the plays and he said to me “I think you’re great. I think you need a lead role, here it is. I trust you, I think you can do it.”
I went to high school in Melbourne (Wheelers Hill Secondary College) in Year 8. They start high school in Year 7 in Victoria, so I was kind of a little bit late there too.
And that was really inspirational because that was the first time someone actually said: ‘No I’m not going to do the school play that way’. I had a couple of English teachers along the way who were also very inspirational.
Everyone had formed their friendship groups already and I was a little bit on the outer for the first couple of years, but once you make friends and settle in there is no looking back. I have great memories hanging out with my friends. I was on the swimming team, I was on the debating team and drama and was SRC (Student Representative Council) Captain. Drama and theatre studies were two of my absolute favourites and I loved English, but to this day I have nightmares about maths exams that I can’t do! For me performing arts were a really nice outlet. I found it very
If there are teachers who praise you and notice your individuality I think that’s special, as sometimes you just feel like one of the masses. If you can be recognised for whatever reason, like even kids who aren’t really studious, if they can be recognised for something they are great at, whatever it be, that can put you on the path to what you are really meant to be doing.
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Australia wide
MCEECDYA The national position
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tate and federal education ministers (MCEECDYA) have approved the first phase of the Australian Curriculum - subject to actions they agreed were needed before implementation. MCEECDYA says the end goal is now “substantial implementation by 2013”. The actions to be undertaken before full implementation can proceed include: n establishing a national common approach to the achievement standards and trialing and validating that approach n developing additional support materials for different states and territories
hroughout 2010, the NSW/ ACT IEU was part of a group of unions, professional, principal and parent associations that maintained the Australian Curriculum needed more work. Last November, the NSW Government said, while committed to a national curriculum, it could not approve a curriculum until it had been assured it met current NSW standards. Under the NSW Education Act, any new syllabus must be approved by the Education Minister on the recommendation of the NSW Board of Studies, and in accord with criteria set out in the Act. The NSW BOS says it will follow normal syllabus development procedures that include teachers, parents and other experts. A schedule will be developed in early 2011. The BOS wrote to schools to say the syllabus development process will: n ensure clear teaching and learning expectations as in the current NSW curriculum 6
protect children
n further refining and adjusting the curriculum content n finalising a clear overarching framework, and n developingcontentandachievement standards required for special needs students. MCEECDYA wants the work ready by October 2011. This will mean intensive consultation in the first half of the year, and some teachers can expect to be involved in briefings, meetings, surveys or pilot schemes. It is critical to let the Union know what is happening in your school and what teachers are saying about their subjects.
NSW No Australian Curriculum in 2011
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NT Ochre card to
n allow the Board to work with teachers about differences in the presentation of the Australian Curriculum n allow the Australian Curriculum to be presented in Stages rather than Years. n facilitate integration across content strands within subjects n clarify content where required, especially re teaching sequences n address outcomes for students with special needs n ensure quality outcomes are achievable within existing NSW indicative time requirements for Years 7 to 10, and within the NSW Key Learning Area structure, set out in the Education Act and, n allow a common and agreed Australian Curriculum to be presented to NSW teachers in an appropriate timeframe. Some aspects of the Australian Curriculum are not being considered for NSW implementation at this stage. These include the Achievement Standards and General Capabilities.
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hild protection in the Northern Territory has taken an important step forward with the introduction of the new ‘Ochre’ card. From 1 March 2011 it will be compulsory for Territorians who work in a nominated group of child-related employment categories to receive the Working With Children Clearance and Ochre Card. Under the Care and Protection of Children Act a person in a child-related work environment who is likely to be involved and in contact which children, including those who work in non-government schools such as teachers, administration staff, school caretakers, student teachers and school bus drivers, will be required to apply for the card. The Working with Children Clearance is a criminal and employment check and will be issued through Safe NT every two years. IE reported on the concept of the Ochre card in 2008, when implementation was due in 2009. The cost of the Clearance is $50 for employees and $5 for volunteers. For more information about the Working With Children Clearance and Ochre Card visit www. workingwithchildren.nt.gov
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QLD Govt backs anti-violence measures
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ll recommendations of the Queensland Schools Alliance Against Violence final report will be adopted by the State Government, Premier Anna Bligh has announced. The report, Working Together, made the following recommendations, to: n urge all Queensland schools to adopt a comprehensive cyber safety strategy n promote the new QSAAV resources for staff, students and schools n commission an external review within 18 months using an independent bullying expert to check on the progress of implementing QSAAV report and recommendations n engage an anti-bullying expert n develop a promotional campaign to promote bullying awareness n meet annually with three education sectors to continue anti-bullying work n develop a way to communicate with students about the issues of bullying and violence, and n continue to raise the national profile of anti-bullying efforts through
national meetings with education ministers. The Catholic Education Commission and Independent Schools Queensland have both agreed to play their part in implementing the Report’s recommendations. The Premier announced the appointment of Dr Michael Carr-Gregg as the state’s anti-bullying expert. A comprehensive suite of resources is already available at the Department of Education’s website: http://education. qld.gov.au/studentservices/behaviour/ qsaav/index.html. IEUA-QNT has been represented on the QSAAV advisory committee from the outset and recommends these tools to all who work in non-government schools. Members are encouraged to review the materials and consider how, working in collaboration with their school’s management team, they can ensure their school policies, procedures and practices are the best they can be for the protection of students, staff, volunteers, parents and carers.
VIC Genuine support crucial
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IEU’s concerns about the timeline for the implementation of the Australian Curriculum have been addressed to some degree by the recent agreement between the commonwealth and states. The Ministerial Council for Education, Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs declared there would be a validation process in 2011, with substantial implementation starting in 2013. Late last year VIEU wrote to the newly elected Victorian Education Minister to raise its concerns about
the content of curriculum in the P-10 English, history, mathematics and science documents, and the lack of consultation. The Union also called on the Minister not to endorse the curriculum for implementation until teachers, parents and the education community in Victoria were satisfied that it met the quality standards existing in the current curriculum.
SA Implementation of
the National Curriculum
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he implementation of the National Curriculum in SA is being staged across several years. The Year 11 and 12 curriculum or ‘New SACE’ (South Australian Certificate of Education) was implemented in Year 11 in 2010 and will follow on to Year 12 in 2011. Part of the New SACE is a Personal Learning Project undertaken in Year 10, and 2009 was the first year that this took place. Given the implementation of the New SACE, the introduction of the National Curriculum in Years 11 and 12 has been deferred to 2015. We have to have some mileage on the‘new’model before we trade it in. In other year levels schools are expecting to implement the National Curriculum by 2012. This year will be used as a familiarisation year for English, mathematics and science with expected implementation in 2012. The history curriculum currently under development will be delivered in 2013. Some schools have opted to run the International Baccalaureate (IB) program or an IB PYP (IB Primary Years Program) that will satisfy the National Curriculum guidelines. Variation across the sectors, Independent, Lutheran and Catholic, is minimal and 2015 should see the National Curriculum implemented in all South Australian Schools.
It’s crucial that in 2013 implementation is supported with release time for teachers, quality professionaldevelopmentandsupport materials.
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Gap stretches beyond school
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chools might be out of the immediate firing line when Australian Governments develop second generation strategies for closing the Indigenous/nonIndigenous achievement gap, writes IE Journalist Jim Marr. New data highlights significant improvements in Indigenous literacy and numeracy through school-age years but reveals that, in some areas, the education gap is actually widening. Partly it’s down to counter-balancing improvements in non-Indigenous achievement but, analysis of the latest Longitudinal Survey of Australian Youth, contends other significant factors are at play. The briefing paper Early Post-School Outcomes of Indigenous Youth: the Role of Literacy and Numeracy by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) is aimed squarely at policy makers. It explores the impact of literacy and numeracy levels on “early post-school outcomes” for survey respondents between 1999 and 2007. The paper endeavours to put a value on how much literacy and numeracy contributes to the gap by comparing Indigenous and nonIndigenous real-life experience against where respondents sit in literacy and numeracy achievement quartiles. It concludes literacy and numeracy is important but half the gap, when applied to numbers going on to 8
“I would have thought you‘d want to have a fair share of your doctors, lawyers, architects etc coming from the Indigenous population.”
university, is attributable to “other factors”.
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hen it comes to Year 12 completion it attributes 60% of the 12 percentage point difference to “other factors”. “Many Indigenous young people face multiple disadvantages, such as poor access to post-school education and poor health,” researcher Nhi Nguyen writes. “The negligible gap in post-school VET study can be attributed to the higher proportion of Indigenous youth in the top literacy and numeracy quartiles participating in this pathway. This balances the low proportions in the other quartiles. “By contrast, high-achieving Indigenous youth are not participating in university study at the rate of their non-Indigenous counterparts, despite a large proportion of these young people aspiring to study at university.” Here are some of the raw numbers she worked with, comparing the experiences of 19-year-olds in 1999 with their 2007 counterparts. n completed Year 12: 1999 — Indigenous 49%, non-Indigenous 76%; gap 27 percentage points. 2007 – Indigenous 71%, non-Indigenous 83%; gap 12 points n in full-time employment or education: 1999 - Indigenous 62%, non-Indigenous 80%; gap 18 points. 2007— 66%, 79%; gap 13 points
n undertaking or completed a VET qualification: 1999 - Indigenous 26%, non-Indigenous 28%; gap 2 points 2007 – 40%, 34%; gap +6 points, and n doing, or completed, a bachelor degree or higher. 1997 – Indigenous 17%, non-Indigenous 31%; gap 14 points. 2007 – 16% - 39%, gap 23 points. NCVER Managing Director Tom Karmel told IE that while policy makers might treat specific numbers with caution they could be confident about the underlying pattern. “Essentially, what it shows is things are getting better for Indigenous students but some people say if we get literacy and numeracy right then that’s our job done but what we show here is the world is rather more complicated than that,” he said. “I can’t explain why but I can speculate that we have got to look at more than just high achievement at school if we want to change outcomes. “There are other avenues to achievement and higher earnings but, nevertheless, you would expect a fair proportion of your top 25% of academic achievers to be going to university. “I would have thought you’d want to have a fair share of your doctors, lawyers, architects etc coming from the Indigenous population. “That’s what is a little bit distressing about this – that gap in academic achievement is preventing that happening.”
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Question time Peter Garrett on going national
“Having spent 30 years as a musician and entertainer, I’ve had a huge amount of contact with young people ... I recognise how central a good quality education is to our nation.”
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ederal School Education Minister Peter Garrett speaks exclusively to IE Journalist Sue Osborne about his new job.
kindergarten and through the primary and secondary years, where students should have access to the best possible teaching and teaching materials (through a national curriculum) which enable them to reach their full potential and allow them to live their lives in a fulfilling way.”
“It was the family situation at the time that influenced those decisions, it wasn’t a specific ‘must go’ situation - I’ve experienced both forms of education and value both systems.”
“Having spent 30 years as a musician and an entertainer I’ve had a huge amount of contact with young people, and in my electorate I’ve spent quite a bit of time in and around schools, so I recognise how central a good quality education is to our nation and each and every individual who comes through the school system.
Mr Garrett spent his own primary school years at Gordon West Public and then in 1970 he started at Barker College, in Sydney’s north west.
“I sang in the choirs and performed in school performances and got a blast out of that.
“A great education means having high quality teaching and care through the course of the learning journey, from the early years in childcare or
Similarly, his children spent their primary years at a public school and attended a non-government high school.
When Prime Minister Julia Gillard proposed the education portfolio for him, Peter Garrett thought it a “terrific opportunity”.
He says his passion for social justice, political engagement and creativity developed before he started at the College, and arose from family influences.
Mr Garrett says he enjoyed his schooling and he keeps in touch with Barker.
“I had two terrific music teachers at Barker, one a choir master and one a music teacher, who both had a very deep knowledge not only of classical music but also encouraged us to listen to all kinds of music without prejudice. “Listening without prejudice is the key to enjoying and understanding all kinds of music.” 9
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“I’m sure teachers will be pleased with the way the curriculum is described and recognise it is a positive tool that won’t involve them in additional burdensome tasks.” National curriculum Mr Garrett says the Commonwealth has provided significant extra funding to the states to provide quality education. In its first four years in office the Government has spent $63 billion ($16 billion on the BER) on education. The $1.5 billion earmarked for lifting literacy and numeracy in low SES schools would have a knock-on effect, providing greater support for teachers, and allowing them more time to cope with the new national curriculum, he says. “The Commonwealth is providing significant resources to the states or school block organisations in the Catholic and independent sector to provide support to teachers as the national curriculum starts to be delivered. “It is a matter for the states . . . it is at their discretion how they do it and how they work with teachers. “We’ll also be providing significant digital resources – some 11,000 items of online resources - 80% relating to the first four subjects of the national curriculum. “I’m sure teachers will be pleased with the way the curriculum is described and recognise it is going to be a really positive tool that won’t involve them in additional burdensome tasks. “It’s a huge, historic and significant step we’re taking and there will
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always be issues around certainty and concerns about how it may work in the long run, but I’m very confident teachers have the capacity to lift up to this national curriculum and they will find it a huge opportunity rather than a burden.”
National testing Mr Garrett says studying reports from overseas, particularly the US and UK, which show national testing has narrowed the curriculum, while not resulting in improved standards, was “not instructive”. “The testing regimes other schools systems have introduced are vastly different and the approaches are different. “[NAPLAN] Testing only happens every two years [for each child] … My School 2 will give additional context in relation to the testing itself, showing the progress of one tested cohort through to the next year in the same school, as well as showing the results relative to other schools and gives contextual information about the school itself, its general approach and characteristics, numbers of staff, higher school results, emphasis and the like. “Australia has a great capacity to adapt and take two or three important features and wrap them into something that has the best effect for those involved. Our taxation system and our political systems are like that, so our education system can do it.
“We don’t shy away from the fact that literacy and numeracy are benchmarks for learning across a range of disciplines, or from parents and students having editorialsome sense of how they are travelling. “We recognise that’s not the whole story and the site won’t reflect that as the whole story and I don’t think schools or parents think that.” Mr Garrett says he is not concerned about teachers training students for NAPLAN tests. “NAPLAN is around literacy and numeracy, and testing is a normative part of someone’s educational experience. “If teachers are in a situation where they need to focus on literacy and numeracy, so long as it is not holding back the student’s overall education journey, I expect that work to be done.
Special needs funding “This is critical because the terms of reference of the funding review includes the question of students with disabilities. “The funding review will consider this issue in the light of funding models generally and I’m sure the recommendations will consider this issue.” Mr Garrett said the criteria of what is or isn’t a disability would be considered, but he did not want to anticipate the work of the group.
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Make your views heard Sandra White Convenor, Education Issues Committee NSW/ACT IEU
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n its Framework for Quality Teaching, the IEUA asserts the importance of balance and proportion in education. High quality learning and student achievement is underpinned by a comprehensive approach to all elements of education including curriculum, pedagogy, the learning environment, the provision of career pathways for teachers, building teacher capacity, and other factors.
“Troublesome is the emphasis on mass standardised testing in Australian education today.”
Troublesome then, is the emphasis on mass standardised testing in Australian education today. This is now out of proportion with other elements of a well-rounded education and must therefore be challenged in our pursuit of an educated, balanced and harmonious society. Let’s not get transparency of information confused with reliability of information. Overseas reports, particularly from the US and UK, indicate that national testing has narrowed the curriculum without improving standards. Can we really dismiss this experience as “not instructive”?
Could anyone working on the ground in schools seriously believe the move to a national curriculum and teacher registration system will not involve additional burdensome tasks? With all school documentation – including teaching programs, assessment rubrics and tasks, evaluation tools, reporting instruments, pro formas and templates – needing to be reviewed and re-styled, this is just one area requiring support. Professional development will also need time and resources. Would anyone seriously expect the provision of these resources, for these and other aspects of national curriculum implementation, to be just a matter for the states? As a member of the IEUA who will be charged with implementing the national curriculum, what would you say to these statements? Send us your thoughts and make your views heard. Email responses of up to 250 words to iemagazine@ieu.asn.au.
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The Pledge
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“The structure is very simple – it is the generosity of the people at each school that makes it a success.”
– winners all round
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igrants and refugees face significant employment obstacles in their new societies. IE Journalist Fiona STUTZ reports on Job Pledge, a school-based Queensland program tackling a key issue head-on. The fundamental Christian maxim “I was a stranger and you welcomed me” lies at the heart of Job Pledge, says program creator Mark Taylor. Mark teaches at Franciscan school, Padua College, where Job Pledge came to life in 1993 as a scheme to provide work opportunities for vulnerable and disadvantaged people. In 2000 the focus shifted to helping refugees and migrants break the 12
poverty cycle by assisting them into jobs. Today, six schools in Brisbane and one in Toowoomba have implemented the program. “As Christians, or simply as decent people, we are all called to stand up for the most vulnerable in our society. It appeared to be the right thing to do and one way to ‘welcome the stranger’ by offering refugees and migrants a job in a caring and supportive environment of a school community,” Mark said. The program is funded by voluntary tax-deductible contributions of staff at each school built up over a period of time. The Job Pledge employee is usually employed for eight to 12 weeks or a full school term.
Often schools can provide employment beyond the initial Job Pledge contract. “The structure is very simple – it is the generosity of the people at each school that makes it a success.” Mark says there are many benefits to the participants: a full time job for at least one term, the opportunity to develop skills, enhance self esteem, adapt to an Australian workplace in a caring environment, make friends and contacts, improve English language skills, as well as feeling valued and being welcomed to Australian society. Participant Hanif Afzally came from Afghanistan by boat in March 2010. Four months later he began working at Marist College Ashgrove thanks to
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Hanif Afzally
Multicultural Development Association, the program’s contact organisation for referring refugees and migrants. “I was working as a teacher in a refugee high school in Pakistan for three years and I got some experience and ability to serve people. It is a great feeling to help those who really need help and education,” Hanif says. During his two terms at the school, Hanif worked as an administration officer and a librarian and was also given the opportunity to go to classes and talk to students about why he journeyed to Australia. “There are many things I learned from Marist College: how to work, how to be in an office, how to help anyone without knowing them, how to be part of this lovely community and I improved my language too.” Hanif got the good news at the end of Term Four last year that his job at the College had been made permanent. Arriving in Brisbane in 2009 from Iraq, Hind Al-Saloom took part in the program because she believed she needed to gain local experience. Employed at Mt St Michael’s College for Term Four last year, Hind worked in various positions such as welcoming parents at reception, filing, working in the library, preparing the science lab and art classes, assisting teachers and developing general computer skills.
“The important thing Mt St Michael’s College taught me was how to work as a part of a team. They also taught me a lot about Australian culture and I have learned new words I’ve not heard before. While I’ve been in school I feel I have adjusted with the Australian environment.
few different work places around the school, such as student service desk, library, art rooms and primary school office.”
“The staff I have worked with also feel that it has been good for them to have met and worked with me because they have a greater understanding of my culture and traditions.”
Mark believes the benefits of the program go beyond the participants to students, teachers and the wider school community. “Benefits for the school community include valuable cross cultural experience for staff and students, wonderful opportunities to show compassion and friendship, it gives meaning to the school ethos and vision, breaks down cultural barriers and broadens perspectives.
In 2011 Hind began further work at Milpera State High School as a teacher aide two days a week and will try to get a job in another school due to the valuable experience she received at the College. Esther Yu was an art teacher in China before relocating to Australia in 2007. After trying many times to find work and failing, she says, she lost confidence in her ability to participate in a new society. However, she says, her turning point came when Job Pledge agreed to find her work. Throughout Term 3 in 2010 Esther was employed at John Paul College and was given further employment in Term 4 in a part-time library position.
She is hopeful of finding further part time work and will undertake study in her spare time in community service or management.
“This program works because… the Job Pledge participants are the ones who come from a unique and often violent background, and have the courage and determination to start a new life in Australia. They help all of us discover our own humanity, and enjoy the richness and breadth of cultural diversity.” For more information about Job Pledge, contact Mark Taylor at mtaylor@padua.qld.edu.au
“(The school) tried to help me to get as much different experience as I could… related to my interests and my previous skills. They offered me a 13
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Missing link: OECD report ignores teacher voice T
he OECD’s influential triennial Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2009 report, which gathers information on educational systems, schools, families and students through surveys of school leaders, students and parents has been launched, but where, asks Education International, is the voice of teachers? Despite the report claiming good educational policy is informed educational policy in which all responsible actors (policy makers, school principals, teachers, students and parents), are provided with the knowledge that they need to make good educational decisions‚ EI cannot understand why the perspective of teachers, who are the first actors to be called upon to implement education policy in schools, continues to be ignored. EI has long argued that a questionnaire to survey the views of teachers in those schools that are sampled for the study will generate data that can augment the views of students and parents, and provide a robust understanding of the learning context in which findings can be interpreted. EI General Secretary, Fred van Leeuwen, said: “Critical analysis of how prepared students are to meet the challenges of tomorrow; how well they
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can analyse and communicate their ideas, and how equipped they are to pursue lifelong learning, among other indicators, necessarily requires that all stakeholders are able to contribute to the evidence base. “The continuing exclusion of teacher voice from this report is a missed opportunity and undermines PISA’s aim of offering informed policy guidance to governments, or using the results to show what countries can learn from each other to set and achieve measurable goals.” The latest edition, PISA 2009, the fourth since 2000, is a collection of five reports covering 65 countries including the 33 OECD member states which comprise almost 90% of the world’s economy, to assess how 15-year-old students are performing in reading, mathematics and science. This year’s PISA report is the first after-crisis review, and was therefore intended to offer an early assessment of the impact of the global financial crisis on education systems. EI notes however that the impact of the crisis was greater in many countries in 2010, after PISA, and is expected to continue in 2011 as governments cut public budgets to reduce debt. The report’s focus on reading with an assessment framework that includes printed texts as well as electronic texts, also measures mathematical and scientific competencies, and presents questions used to gather information from schools, students and parents on students‚ home backgrounds and learning environments. PISA 2009’s focus on trend analysis over the past decade states that some countries’ results have improved; others have regressed, while some have
remained the same. Overall, PISA 2009 shows minor developments because most participating countries achieve similar results to the past. Just as in the last report, PISA 2006, variation among the core group of 35 countries is smaller than that between students across all levels in each country separately. It is the difference between students and schools that makes overall achievements inequitable, not differences between education systems. Some countries are out of average range, although there is an observable correlation between levels of socioeconomic development and aggregate performance. In general, richer countries with more funding in education demonstrate better results than poorer ones. In PISA 2009, OECD argues that the biggest improvements of country performance (rise in ranking) are achieved by narrowing proportions of students in the lowest levels, rather than increasing top levels. EI believes this conclusion argues for greater equity in education, and for boosting resources for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. There is a danger, however, when governments push competition between schools, of perverse effects such as the exclusion of lower performing students and those with learning difficulties. Over emphasis on narrow indicators of performance could lead to teachers coming under pressure to neglect other important aspects of education. PISA asserts that its results will support governments in helping students to deal with rapid change, to find jobs that have not yet been created, to use technologies that
have not yet been invented, to solve problems which have not yet arisen. Such claims may be going too far. Only one country, Canada, has so far completed a longitudinal study, tracking students over a number of years. For most countries, PISA remains a snapshot sample of different 15 year-olds in each cycle. PISA reports the performance of different students in different countries (each edition of the report also brings in new countries) at different times, in different social, political and economic circumstances. Since the 2009 data collection process overlapped with the deepest economic crisis and recession in many OECD or partner countries, it is reasonable to ask how much the broader context matters, especially as the PISA analysis could not take this context into account. EI argues that education cannot be seen in isolation from the changing situation in countries, and the progress‚ or regression‚ of countries needs to be contextualised in the socio-economic climate affecting families, education systems and nations. EI also believes that while PISA data shows correlations between performance and different variables, it is simplistic to infer causal relationships. Critical factors affecting education in the broader sense remain beyond the scope and scale of the study. This article was first published by Education International, an umbrella group that brings together international education unions. It represents 30 million teachers and education workers in 173 countries and territories.
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Schools go bush “It’s not a boot camp but it is not a holiday camp either. The emphasis is on personal development and, to achieve that, the boys have to be challenged.”
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nglican boys school, Cranbrook, and Catholic co-ed, St John the Evangelist Nowra, share a belief in the power of outdoor education, writes IE Journalist Jim Marr. Cranbrook has been at it for decades through a 40-year alliance with Outward Bound Australia. Participating in annual nine-day Outward Bound adventure camps has been compulsory for Cranbrook’s Years 7-10 students since the late 1960’s when they replaced the Cadet Program. Outward Bound is at the core of a broader Cranbrook In The Field schedule that includes a variety of activities, designed to test resilience, leadership, teamwork and fitness. Each year, the school sends around 550 boys bush in a coordinated program that builds levels of challenge and return. Recently, the school had the course evaluated, positively it must be said, by Dr James Neill from the University of Canberra’s Faculty of Health. His study looked at impacts across the cycle, starting with Year 7’s in the 16
relatively benign environment of the ACT’s Orroral Valley and culminating with Year 10’s in the sub-Alpine Kosciuszko National Park. Course aims have been deliberately “ramped”, Dr Neill wrote, to increase the “depth of topic and impact” over the four years. “The aims of the Year Seven and Eight programs have a strong emphasis on ‘self’ as well as becoming comfortable in the bush and working with others. The Year 9 and 10 programs build on these aims and place a stronger emphasis on leadership, responsibility and teamwork.” Outward Bound’s Lucas Gamble said Professor Neill had tried to measure impacts on students and his recorded improvements had been “very high across the board”. But the biggest improvements came for those in the later years. “By Year 10 our instructors are really only there in a safety capacity. The students take ownership, and most of the responsibility. They are at the right age, 15 and 16, where they can,
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literally, run the course themselves,” Mr Gamble says.
Coordinator John Jakimyszyn’s passion for the great outdoors.
Sending hundreds of boys into the wilderness to camp, abseil, rock climb or expedition is a major logistical exercise. Much of that responsibility falls to Housemaster and Outdoor Education Coordinator Edwina Parsons.
Besides three-day bush camps on the Shoalhaven River he takes Duke of Edinburgh Awards courses and helps other teachers towards bushcraft qualifications.
Her involvement started more than 20 years ago when she was roped into helping on one of the courses as a teacher. She says she gained an “enormous amount” personally. So much so, she now instructs in abseiling and rock climbing and sits on the Outward Bound board. This year Edwina involved 38 other Cranbrook teachers in the bush and “hand picked” senior students to help lead Year 7 and 8 courses, as well as the Challenge Course for boys with physical or psychological difficulties. “I think going for the whole four years is important,” Edwina says. “It has more impact on the boys than a one-off experience. “It’s not a boot camp but it is not a holiday camp either. The emphasis is on personal development and, to achieve that, the boys have to be challenged. “It works in the outdoor context because we can provide adventurebased challenges that they enjoy. The boys learn about actions and consequences. Experiential learning is very much part of the philosophy.” Sometimes safety will dictate a program has to be postponed or skipped and students can be disappointed if they miss a popular activity.
Recently, he established bushcraft as a formal elective for Years 9 and 10. Nearly half the eligible students signed on this year for a subject built around canoeing, abseiling, bushcraft and survival skills. Principal Neil McCann has watched developments with interest. Impressed by the enthusiasm generated and the results he sees in the classroom, his school is set to become the first in the Catholic Church’s Wollongong Diocese to appoint a designated Outdoor Education teacher. “It has become a fantastic part of the school, but John has built it up to a point where something had to give,” Mr McCann tells IE. “Rather
Fire in the belly Outdoor Education has a long history, stretching back to 19th Century developments in the UK, Germany, Canada, the US, Australia and New Zealand. In the theoretical literature, onephrase – experiential learning – from American philosopher and education reformer John Dewey’s theory of experience, is constantly repeated. Cranbrook Headmaster, Jeremy Madin, formerly head of Geelong Grammar’s Timbertop campus, has no doubt about the benefits for his students.
than something giving in his workload we are recognising the importance of Outdoor Education and making an ongoing commitment.” St John’s experience with Outdoor Education confirms its role in building confidence and independence, he says, but the advantages stretch beyond that. “There is a strong connection back to the classroom. It’s a completely different learning style that appeals to a large number of students. “It has an environmental element that is increasingly important for our students and we have the ideal environment, right here on our doorstep, to take advantage of.” The school has interviewed for the Outdoor Education position and was confident of having someone on board when the doors opened for 2011. That will allow it to expand the elective to Year 11 and 12 students and to introduce a VET course in Outdoor Education. “I am passionate about the need to ensure that when boys leave Cranbrook they will have four things that I believe are essential: an ability to think, to value thinking and to want to think and to know that information is not knowledge, and knowledge is not wisdom; an ability to stand on their own two feet, balanced by consideration of the needs of others; a positive and spirited approach to life and a fire in the belly about something really worthwhile.” Outward Bound, he says, helps Cranbrook boys achieve these things.
“But life can be like that. Disappointment is part of experiential learning. “Retrospectively,” she says, “I get a lot of old boys saying it was the best thing they ever did but, often, they don’t realise that until later in life.” St John’s has run a more modest program for a number of years, largely driven by Pastoral Care 17
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Focus on casual relief staff
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n Victoria continuing teacher registration is now linked to requirements for ongoing profession learning. This is problematic for those not in ongoing employment, Dawn Colcott reports.
Networks bring casuals in from the cold “These professional learning communities connect colleagues, schools and current knowledge.“
Research conducted by The Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT) in 2007 indicated that casual relief teachers (CRTs) were usually not included in school professional development (PD) activities and the sessions on offer did not relate to their work. They often bear the cost of their own professional learning. This group of teachers struggles to be acknowledged, and reports often being marginalised by colleagues and experiencing significant barriers to professional learning. The VIT identified this inequality and recognised these teachers were less likely to be able to fulfill registration requirements. To address this, the Institute facilitates self-managed, sustainable learning communities operating locally. Two visionary CRTs working independently recognised that their personal needs extended to others working casually. They established their own CRT groups as a solution to the problem. This was the origin of the concept of CRT networks that the Institute adopted. These professional learning communities connect colleagues, schools and current knowledge. They provide benefits for the teachers’ professional learning, the schools they work in and, most importantly, for the students they teach. Networks are linked to a local school where the teachers meet regularly after-hours to develop professional knowledge and practice and to share experiences and ideas with colleagues. The activities range from informal discussion, to updating on practical issues by teachers working in the school, to more formal full-
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day seminars with an educational consultant. The leaders of these networks have proven to be the most important element of their success. They are proactive volunteers who are able to build relationships, identify the learning needs of the group and source appropriate presenters. The Institute takes on the role of support and guidance for network leaders by convening meetings that deal with approaches to managing the group, succession planning and sourcing PD activities. The PD that leaders source relates to the uniquely identified needs of each particular network. Outcomes have been positive and extend beyond professional learning. Members acknowledge the empowerment that they feel in regard to collegiality, sharing knowledge and skills and a sense of belonging to the profession. This now extends into school communities who support the networks and include them in their PD sessions. School leaders recognise the benefit of having relief teachers who are familiar with their school’s understanding of teaching and learning. The success of the program is evident in the dramatic growth of networks from two in 2007 to over 25 in 2010 and increasing. A good example of the networking and communication between teachers can be found by visiting one of the network blogs on the Institute’s website — http:// sheppartoncrtsupportnetwork.blogspot. com/ Dawn spent 30 years teaching primary students prior to becoming Manager of Professional Learning at the Victorian Institute of Teaching. She delights in working with beginning teachers and their mentors and in the support and facilitation of the learning of casual relief teachers.
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PD for supply teachers
“Today’s schools can’t run efficiently without confident and reliable relief teaching staff.” The workshop does not educate participants on ‘what’ to teach, but shows the ‘how’ aspect of teaching which often can be more difficult, Carmel says. It allows participants to share their best strategies, learn from colleagues and reflect on quality practice. In conjunction with the workshop, Carmel began a blog in 2009 www. relief-insight.blogspot.com.
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upply teachers play a very important role in many schools. Every day these teachers face new students, year levels, classroom environments, school rules and new sets of individual needs, writes IE Journalist Fiona Stutz. Though the benefits of being a supply teacher include greater flexibility and the ability to network with different schools and other teaching staff, often one of the greatest challenges can be access to professional development at school level.
Over the years Carmel has developed strategies that alleviate some of these challenges and focus on the ability to build relationships quickly for the benefit of both the children and the teacher. In 2006 after the Australian Catholic University approached Carmel to speak to final year education students on what it means to be a supply teacher, she developed a workshop specifically for supply teachers.
IEUA-QNT member and supply teacher Carmel Kuhr has taught for over 20 years in Catholic education as a primary school classroom teacher.
The ‘Relief Insight’ workshop gives an insight into the supply teacher’s world, and can benefit general classroom teachers who wish to diversify their teaching strategies and management styles.
Carmel admits that one of her biggest challenges as a supply teacher is keeping up with general information and professional learning opportunities in the school environment.
The workshop is endorsed by the Queensland College of Teachers (QCT), with the attendee able to add three hours to their professional in-service log.
“My continuing professional learning is my responsibility and I actively work at seeking out opportunities that suit my needs and interests,” Carmel says.
“In my experience supply teachers, whether experienced or newly graduated, are eager to share ideas and be valued in our schooling systems.
“This collection of ideas, tips and management strategies has been born from the need to share professionally the teaching skills one requires to effectively and efficiently manage and engage today’s primary school student,” Carmel says. The blog is not location specific, and thus supply teachers from throughout the country can benefit from her advice. The ‘Relief Insight’ handbook can also be downloaded from the website. In Queensland all teachers must complete Continuing Professional Development (CPD); full-time teachers must access CPD at least 30 hours per year. Adjustments are made for teachers who are employed less than full-time, such as supply teachers, with CPD requirements increasing with teaching hours. The Queensland College of Teachers (QCT) website has made available two online professional development resources to aid supply teachers with meeting CPD requirements. Completion of the QCT online CPD resources will form part of the individually identified CPD component. Information is available at http://www.qct.edu.au/ supplyteachers/index.html 19
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What a difference a union makes
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Coalition takes on homophobia T
hree in five SSAGQ (Same Sex Attracted Gender Questioning) young Australians have suffered verbal abuse, and one in five has been physically abused, a 2010 report says. The Safe Schools Coalition Victoria aims to turn those figures around. When gay pride took to Melbourne streets in February, 35 supporters from Eltham College of Education found themselves sandwiched between the Geelong Lesbian Group and Monash’s Queer Department. Marching at number 31 on the official Pride March Victoria order of entry, the Eltham students, teachers and parents received a rousing reception from onlookers and participants. It was just one action the co-ed school has taken as one of four non-government schools who have already joined the state’s Safe Schools Coalition, an organisation that challenges homophobia and tries to create a supportive environment for all students. Writing Themselves In 3, an Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society report, contains some disturbing statistics. Its 2010 survey found 75% of SSAGQ young people had experienced some form of homophobia. Further, it reported, 80% of reported abuse, verbal and physical, was occurring at school.
Last year, then Victorian Education Minister Bronwyn Pike announced funding and support for the Safe Schools Coalition Victoria. The idea came from a successful initiative in several US states where public/private partnerships fund schools to join forces and initiate change within the education system and their local communities. In Victoria, the coalition aims to create safer educational environments where “same sex attracted and gender questioning young people are supported, where every family can belong, where every teacher can teach and every student can learn”. The project is being delivered as a partnership between Rainbow Network Victoria and the Foundation for Young Australians (FYA). School staff are supported in working with same sex attracted and gender diverse students, and thereby help to enhance the academic performance of young people who might in the past have dropped out. So far, 24 schools have joined the coalition and over 300 school staff have accessed professional development. Eltham College’s involvement in Safe Schools Coalition Victoria has won overwhelming support from the school community, Principal David Warner said.
80% of reported “abuse, verbal and
physical, was occurring at school”.
He reported the endorsement had come from students, parents, teachers and members of its board. “Anything I have heard back from parents has been positive,” he said. “In the main, our community expects that we would be there.” He said one senior student had been an early advocate of linking with the Coalition. Mr Warner says it dovetailed with the school’s attempt to build a culture centred on relationships. “We have worked very hard to create a culture where young people, their teachers and families are all comfortable with who they are,” he said. “We saw it as something we should join. For us, it was about putting our money where our mouths were.” For more information on the Coalition contact Roz Ward at r.ward@latrobe.edu.au or phone (03) 9285 5153 Reference Hillier, L. et al (2010) Writing Themselves In 3: the 3rd national report on the sexuality, health and wellbeing of same-sex attracted young people in Australia. Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society, La Trobe University: Melbourne.
Launch of the Safe Schools Coalition in Victoria
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Artificial intelligence
Pre-service teachers Theresa Larcombe (left) and Sam Williams (right) explore robots with students.
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here’s nothing robotic about the learning promoted by Dr Rosie Thrupp and her team of enthusiastic pre-service teachers at Central Queensland University, writes IE Journalist Sue Osborne. Dr Thrupp runs an outreach program in which students go into schools to show experienced teachers how to use robots in the classroom. If she had her way, Dr Thrupp would have all school students, regardless of age and ability, exposed to robotics. Her team uses Lego NXT robotics kits, which include a programmable computer so kids can design a robot to accomplish any challenges they give it.
“I think a lot more learning can come from this resource than a teacher telling kids how to assemble a robot. “It’s trans-disciplinary in nature, it has science, maths, SOSE [Studies of Society and Environment], design technology and literacy applications. “Children have to develop their visual literacy to follow the graphic instructions on how to put the bits together. “As time goes on, you can give them design challenges and enter robotics competitions. There’s lots of oral literacy as they have to discuss and argue about the best way to approach a design challenge.
“I noticed there was a growing movement towards using robotics in schools, but it was mostly secondary and used by ITC departments,” Dr Thrupp says.
“I would argue against the tendency to restrict this to the gifted and talented, as there’s a whole range of kids who can benefit from this opportunity to reflect on their thinking.”
Robotics was often aimed at gifted and talented students.
In Queensland the State Government is backing a K-12 robotics program
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in schools, for the reasons Dr Thrupp outlines. It’s not only students who benefit from the robots. Dr Thrupp says the program is helping the pre-service teachers. All her students are exposed to robotics, but she has a voluntary group called TREKAS (Teaching Robotics Education across Key Learning Areas) who run the outreach program in the Bundaberg area. “The beautiful thing is they get lots of extra time in schools working with children and teachers. They get to build their confidence by doing these things over and over. “They say to me ‘now we know how to manage classroom resources’ or ‘now we know how to manage 30 kids in a classroom’. They also get to teach an experienced teacher themselves. “This is also great for the experienced teachers who may not be able to get to a PD session. The student comes
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“I think a lot more learning can come from this resource than a teacher telling kids how to assemble a robot.” into their classroom and shows them how to do it and they can have a conversation about it.” Dr Thrupp says some teachers appear to lack confidence when it comes to introducing a perceived ‘high tech’ activity. “This shouldn’t be isolated to the technology department - it’s just a brilliant tool and really great for kids on alternative pathways.”
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or the majority of her 10-year principalship at St Gertrude’s Primary in Sydney’s west, Sharyn Dickerson has been immersed in a huge building project, writes IE Journalist Sue Osborne. In recent years it’s been a BER project adding a new hall and library to the 735-student school (one of Sydney’s largest Catholic primaries), but in previous years the buildings have been expanded to incorporate Year 5-6 boys from a neighbouring primary school. While its been challenging, Sharyn has seen the building work as an opportunity to develop her leadership role, that of her staff, and the school community at large. “The principal should not think of themselves as a sole person at the top, it’s all about building relationships and consulting,” Sharyn says. “I’m very big on distributive leadership, which makes teamwork work when you are undergoing a huge project like this. “While my time has been taken up with the building work, it’s been an opportunity for others to develop their leadership capacity. “That’s all members of the school community, whether it’s the leadership team, classroom teachers, parents or even the kids.
Keep the faith “You have to keep faith in the people around you and give them the opportunity to really shine.”
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“The parents have contributed to getting air conditioners for the school and come up with lots of ideas for that. Even the kids have put in their ideas. “Valuing each person and treating them with dignity at all times creates the right atmosphere. “You have to model the kinds of behaviours you want. If I was too stressed out about the building works than I wouldn’t have got the best results from others. “You have to keep faith in the people around you and give them the opportunity to really shine. That’s been a bonus of this building project.”
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“A principal is challenged to ensure all on the bus are travelling in the same direction and feel comfortable in the seat in which they are travelling.” challenge people in a fair way. It’s never about the principal alone; it’s about the team. “I work in a Catholic school, so I try to live those values every day. I tell the secretaries they are the ‘face of Jesus’, but I have to be that face as well.
Embrace change “A principal must also be an agent of change. Change in life and education is inevitable. Everything is always evolving. “He/she must be able to embrace change and lead it with encouragement and support.
Acknowledge gifts Sharyn has been a member of the IEU’s Education Issues Committee and an IEU rep on the NSW Board of Studies, contributing to the development of both primary and secondary syllabus papers in science and technology. For three years she was also the initial Catholic Liaison Officer based in the DET for external assessments eg Basic Skills, Primary Writing and ELLA and SNAP in Secondary. “From all my past experiences I’ve learnt to acknowledge people’s gifts while identifying where they need extra support and help, with a mind to maintaining their dignity and integrity. “Always keeping people informed about what’s going on and including them in decision-making allows them to feel ownership of a project, and will lead to better implementation. “You need to be a good listener and open and transparent in everything you do. You also need to be able to
“A principal is first and foremost an educational leader so it is vital that he/she has a deep understanding of quality and relevant pedagogy and has established credibility with those he/ she is leading. “Leadership is learnt not taught so it is important that layers of leadership are created to enable all teachers to not only be leaders of learning in their own classrooms but to have opportunities to utilise their own gifts and talents in a variety of meaningful educational leadership roles. “Michael Fullan once said it is important that everyone is on the same bus and in the right seat. “A principal is continually challenged to ensure that all on the bus are travelling in the same direction and feel comfortable, supported, competent and confident in the seat in which they are travelling.” Sharyn puts her beliefs into practice with weekly one and a half hour professional development sessions at her school.
Last year every single teacher led one of the sessions in an area of their interest, giving them a chance to exercise their leadership skills as well as increase their professionalism. A people first, especially student first, philosophy is crucial for all principals, Sharyn says. Principals are in danger of being overwhelmed with paperwork, and the increasing demands for accountability created by NAPLAN could make it easy for them to lose sight of the big picture. While pouring over the statistics, it is important to remember that each child is an individual and that assessment data should be used to improve students’ learning. “I’m lucky I have a background in assessment and know how to use statistics for teaching and learning, but that’s something I’ve had to develop with many teachers.” Sharyn likes to maintain as much contact with students as possible and says she has an open door policy. “It’s amazing what you can learn when you’re in the playground. “Always remember being a principal is a privilege and an honour, you have the capacity to develop and influence a lot more children as a principal than you do as a teacher.” References Michael Fullan is Professor Emeritus of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto and a worldwide authority on education reform.
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divere roles diverse people
What have I got to offer? M
any school support staff are looking for a new role or, even, a new career. Anne Paten provides some tips on your next step.
n can I list my career and life goals?
Perhaps you are comfortable in your current role at your present school. Or maybe you are seeking a change, feeling there are steps you could take to achieve a satisfying and rewarding career. Preparation, planning and persistence are fundamental to success.
Research
In order to maximise your opportunities, you must be proactive and take charge of managing your own career. You will need to think about your life stage, family commitments and your particular circumstances and preferences. You need to decide if you are happy in your current role and perhaps discover ways to make it more satisfying. Or you may want to explore new career options and this will mean focusing on how you might improve your career prospects. Ask yourself — what are my longterm goals? Making decisions about future directions is not easy; it requires reflection, research and it takes time. You need to know yourself well, research opportunities and take the time to formulate your goals.
Reflection The first step is to reflect and do a personal audit. You need to work out what you have to offer an employer. Some questions to help you reflect include: n what are my qualifications, skills, strengths and personal attributes? n what are my interests and values? 26
n what can I do to improve my career prospects? n where would I like to be in five or 10 years’ time? In seeking new career options, it is important to explore the opportunities. If you are seeking a promotion, this may require raising your profile, building confidence to apply for a new position, and in some cases, completing additional training. If you are seeking a career change, it will mean researching the labour market, investigating possible careers to suit you and identifying courses of study to lead to your new career. In this phase, you may ask yourself the following questions: n could I make my current work role more satisfying? n are there other career options available for me?
adjustments along the way and, most of all, try to be realistic. It may take several years to complete training and move to a new career, but the rewards will be worth the time and effort. Remember to stay positive and persistence will pay off.
Marketing Once you have decided on a new role or career, you need to prepare a professional resume to market yourself to employers. The resume is your essential marketing tool. It should list your contact details, provide a comprehensive summary of your qualifications, skills, employment history and achievements. You should include a list of three referees, preferably from your more recent employment.
“The resume is your essential marketing tool.”
n what training is required? n what costs are involved? n am I prepared to do further studies?
Time Whether seeking career advancement or a new career, it will take time to achieve. You need to formulate your goals and implement an action plan. You may have to build bridges; this may involve undertaking professional development or completing formal studies.
Employers focus on candidates’ skills and achievements and they use past work performance as an indicator of future performance. It is essential when listing your skills to demonstrate your proficiency, and with achievements highlight your accomplishments in previous work roles.
You should try to broaden your network of contacts, or perhaps find a mentor who has been successful. Such strategies may help open doors to new opportunities.
Often candidates feel uncomfortable in making claims about themselves but it is necessary to overcome this reluctance. Other candidates will list impressive achievements and you must do the same, or you will not compare favourably.
Prepare a timeline for this journey, be open to reassess and make
You need to verify your claims with supporting evidence. For example,
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Networking is the key you could write: “As an Integration Aide, commended for capacity to work with individual students, significantly improving their learning outcomes”. Your referee could then confirm and support this claim. It is estimated that 70% of jobs are never advertised, so it is critical that you build a strong network of contacts to help you access job vacancies. You must be entrepreneurial and plan strategically to market your potential benefit to possible employers. It is critical to extend your contact base and to try to access possible vacancies through broad networking.
Career Coaching If you need assistance, you can enlist the services of professional careers counsellors, who will allow you to better appreciate your talents and broaden your horizons. They will guide you through the career development process and support you in your search for a fulfilling career.
Think of all the people you have worked with over the last five years, contact them and see if they might be of assistance as you plan the next stage of your career Consider all those you have met through church, sporting or interest groups — they may be a source of new contacts in your search for employment You may have done voluntary work with a community organisation and you will find other volunteers and client contacts in such groups
You must take the initiative to carve out a successful and rewarding career.
Family and friends all know people, they have your best interest at heart and they will all have their circle of work and social contacts
Be positive. It is in your hands and you can do it.
The Union offers training opportunities and is a good source of information and advice on occupational reclassification and career progression
Anne Paten is an experienced Career Development Consultant with more than 20 years’ experience as a Careers Counsellor. She has been a Teacher and Employment Consultant and currently consults with individual clients and is a seminar presenter in Melbourne.
Talk to people, find out their career pathways and learn how you can adopt some of their strategies to achieve your desired outcomes.
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How to win grants and influence people
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magine this: You manage a sustainable education grants program. You know a good application from a wool-pulling one. There are over 300 applications on your desk for assessment. How will you decide? Through his wonderful work in Earth Education, Steve van Matre once said: “Environmental education is about change. If there is no change, there is no point”. If you are applying for a grant, you are looking to improve or change something, so you will need to convince the assessors that your project is worth supporting. The first task, therefore, is to get clear about what you want to do.
Know your school Know your school and how change can happen there. Know what you want to change about systems, practices, learning, relationships and performance. Funding bodies want to be sure you are clear about these things. Wishywashy applications don’t give funders confidence. Nor do project processes that rely on crossing your fingers and hoping like hell. Clarity does.
“Wishy-washy applications don’t give funders confidence. Nor do project processes that rely on crossing your fingers and hoping like hell.”
Such clarity will help you design your project to meet grant criteria – which is an essential requirement. It may feel at times that the process treats you thus: “As flies to wanton boys, are we to the gods, — They kill us for their sport” (Shakespeare). Be assured this is not the case. Grant bodies are responsible for the funds they distribute. Give yourself the best chance of winning a grant by making your project clear, innovative and feasible (against such things as scope, time and resources). Other recommendations include: n link student learning to change and environmental improvements n link your proposed project to wholeschool environmental planning and goals. n if possible, create links with the community
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n think broadly about sustainability. it’s not only about trees and gardens n show how your project processes or outcomes will be maintained n ensure the project is cost effective. can it be supplemented with other funds n say how the project will be evaluated to yield the data required by the funding body, and n check the checklists of what is required. You might want to try this… As your application nears completion, invite colleagues to role play the assessors. Your job is to convince them that the proposed project meets the criteria. Ask them to be brutal and then kind as you talk about how to improve the quality of the project and application. Talk to people. Their creative responses may strengthen your project. And, if it doesn’t get funded by the grant, you still have supporters who could help you find others ways of making the project happen. Check these resources: Information on the NSW DECCW’s eco-schools grants: http://www. environment.nsw.gov.au/grants/ schools.htm Lots on grants: http:// sustainableschools.nsw.edu.au/ Default.aspx?tabid=688 National Australia Bank information on school-community grants: http:// www.schoolsfirst.edu.au/sf-tipslanding/ References Steve Van Matre is an American environmental activist, author and educator. He is the founder of the Earth Education movement and chair of the Institute for Earth Education. King Lear, William Shakespeare Phil Smith Immediate Past President, Australian Association for Environmental Education. KnowHands Education Consultancy. phil@knowhands.com.au
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legal
Cyberbullying law plays catch-up M
ost educators are aware that ‘cyberbullying’ in the school context refers to the deliberate and repeated misuse of technology to harass, threaten, insult or ridicule students or staff, writes Sally Kift. Examples include threatening texts, emails or instant messages; online denigration, vilification or defamation; derogatory websites; distributing private pictures or videos; and online exclusion or impersonation. Although increasing, cyberbullying among young people is not as prevalent as face-to-face bullying. However, recent research suggests that cyberbullying causes more mental health problems than face-to-face bullying because of its wider audience and 24/7 nature.
The law Despite the potential for serious consequences, there is no Australian law that deals specifically with cyberbullying. As such, the existing law’s response is patchwork and far from clear.
Civil liability Schools can be sued for damages for not intervening in severe cases of bullying, as recent cases of face-toface bullying in Victoria and NSW have shown. The civil law of negligence imposes a duty of care on school authorities to take reasonable precautions to prevent both physical and psychiatric harm in circumstances where the teacherstudent relationship exists. In some cases, the courts have held that this relationship may extend beyond school gates and hours. The
potential ramifications of this, when cyberbullying occurs in students’ homes and after hours, are uncertain. A negligence inquiry is two staged: Was the risk of harm (from cyberbullying) reasonably foreseeable? Would a reasonable school authority, principal and/or teacher, acting in accordance with accepted school practice, have taken precautions to avoid the risk in the circumstances? It seems that reasonable precautions would now include schools having a good anti-bullying policy – one that includes cyberbullying and is broadly disseminated, implemented and enforced. On-campus use of technology should be monitored and precautions taken to prevent cyberbullying via school property or school-hosted online forums. It may be that the duty to take precautions could also be triggered if the school became aware that habitual cyberbullying was taking place, especially when quite simple steps might be taken in response (eg, informing parents, counselling students, and taking preventative steps to ensure that impact at school is reduced).
Criminal liability Calls have been made for cyberbullying to be criminalised. Criminal sanctions are certainly another tool in the cybersafe armoury and many already exist that are applicable – most obviously, (cyber)stalking and the (mis)use of communications devices (such as the internet and mobile phones) to threaten, menace or cause offence.
However, a specific offence would be no guaranteed fix and difficult to draft effectively. Considerations include: n children under 10 are deemed incapable of criminal conduct, while those between 10-14 years are presumed not liable (though this is rebuttable) n would criminalisation effectively deter this type of impulsive, anti-social behaviour typically engaged in by young people with underdeveloped empathy skills? n how would one offence capture such diverse behaviours? Dedicated offences in the US look similar to stalking provisions we already have. Should cyberbullying by racial vilification or discrimination be dealt with separately? n what ‘intent’ – guilty mind – should be required? n why enact an offence against cyberbullying now, when we have never legislated against face-to-face bullying? n is criminalising young people the answer? Recently in the US and Canada, children as young as 12 and 13 have been charged with child pornography for ‘sexting’ — sending nude photos via mobile phones. In Australia, such a conviction would result in the child’s name being placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register. Ultimately, like most complex social issues, the law is no complete solution but, with some desirable clarification, it does have a role to play. Sally Kift is a Professor of Law at Queensland University of Technology.
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Letters
Diary
to the editor
Teach Survive Thrive Conference Friday 6 May, Mercure Hotel, Sydney. This IEU conference, for teachers in their first years of teaching, will be registered with the NSW Institute of Teachers for the maintenance of accreditation on elements 5, 6 and 7. The keynote speaker is Peter Miles, author of Don’t Just Stand There, Yell Something, who will discuss behaviour management. Contact Iva at iva@ieu.asn.au for more details.
Woman’s Conference Friday 19 August, Mercure Hotel, Sydney. Jed Kearney, ACTU President, will be keynote speaker at the conference, entitled Women and Equity – Achievements and Action in the International Women’s Day centenary year. The afternoon session will include a panel on equity and achievement. Contact Betty at betty@ieu.asn. au for more details.
Early Childhood Conference Saturday September 10, Mercure Hotel, Sydney. Details to come. Contact iva@ieu.asn.au
Support Staff Conference Friday, 16 September, Mercure Hotel Sydney. Details to come. Contact Cassie at cassie@ieu.asn.au.
Environment Conference Friday, 21 October, Mercure Hotel, Sydney. Details to come. Contact Iva at iva@ieu.asn.au.
Send your letters (250 words maximum), comments and suggestions to iemagazine@ieu.asn.au. The editor reserves the write to edit contributions.
Which side are you on? I laughed my head off when I got to the final page of your latest magazine (November issue of IE), having been very pleased with your sustainable classroom article: Don’t Eat The Earth to Death, with its highlighted quote: “Animals raised for food in Australia will produce as much ... global warming … than (sic) all our coal-fired stations put together”. And there, on your last page, was an NGS ad highly suggestive that, with them, one can continue to eat Australian beef, rather than small footprint beans, and the clear inference of an unimpeded lifestyle of giant footprints with an NGS retirement. Fortunately I have a healthy scepticism that enjoyed the irony of it, but might some of your less sophisticated readers be terribly confused? Now is the time for you to decide on what side of the divide you really are — and give out the message you truly believe in. Leave the obfuscation to the politicians. Sincerely Gaynor McGrath IEU Member
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Don’t eat the earth to death – how to reduce your foodprint
K
angaroos don’t fart. Well, they do, but they don’t produce methane like cows and sheep do. This is important because methane is a gas with greenhouse warming capacities 25 times stronger than CO2. Eating kangaroo instead of cows and sheep can reduce our eco-foodprints. The food footprint is the ecological indent made by what we eat and drink. Food choices, including ‘food miles’ (the distance food travels between production and consumption – oranges from California, asparagus from Peru) are a part of our ecological footprint, which, in Australia, is 7.7ha per person – more than three times the global average.
Eat local
“Animals raised for food in Australia will produce as much or more global warming over the next 20 years than all our coal-fired power stations put together.”
Some food choices have greater footprints than others. Grazing animals have large water and greenhouse impacts. It takes about 50,000 litres of water to produce one kilogram of beef, compared with only 2500 litres to produce one kilogram of white rice – and much less for fruit and vegetables. Animals raised for food in Australia will produce as much or more global warming over the next 20 years than all our coal-fired power stations put together. A key step in preserving the integrity of eco-systems is to eat only delicious, fresh, local, organic food every day, every week, every month and every year. With the population rising and the threat of climate change, vegetarian food is becoming an option.
Go meatless We could be deriving more of our food and medicines from trees, reducing our impact on the land and increasing carbon sequestration in the soil and in the trees.
A focus on food in schools opens a pantry of ideas for teaching and learning – about nourishment, fuel and fibre, drought resistance, indigenous and exotic varieties. Examine land practices such as the use of pesticides and their impact on soils, the role of insects, the structure and function of eco-systems; and investigate dietary considerations of seasonal produce, taste and freshness. There are as many things to learn as there are to eat. Schools can plant gardens, raise chooks, grow fruit trees. Kids can discover in-season foods, do a foodmile study of lunches, visit local suppliers, hold an Eat Local day each week, eat lower down the food chain, go meatless for two meals a week, reduce food waste and eat leftovers. On average, Australian households throw away about $600 worth of food each year, so show students how to plan shopping to buy only what they need. Big problems are consequences of small actions. Global warming is an example of that. Conversely, big solutions are rooted in small actions. Wise food choices will enable us to avoid devouring the planet one bite at a time. We may never be Master Chefs, but we can be Miser Chefs when it comes to impacts on the planet. Eat, but don’t eat the earth to death. Check out the Australian School Garden Network at http:// australianschoolgardensnetwork.ning. com/ and Kids Gardening at: http:// www.kidsgardening.com/teachers.asp Phil Smith, Australian Association for Environmental Education Anna McKenzie, Australian Association for Environmental Education.
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Meaty subject I’m writing about the article Don’t Eat the Earth to Death – How to Reduce your Foodprint -that appeared on page 23, November edition of IE (v.40#3,) on eating sustainably, which had some terribly inaccurate information about meat in it. Being from a cattle producing family, I’m consistently frustrated by the inaccurate information in the media but would have thought that an education magazine would have correctly researched the matter.
The article states it takes about 50,000 litres of water to produce a kilogram of beef, when in fact research undertaken by the University of New South Wales in 2009 found that it takes between 27-540 litres to produce a kilogram of beef. Figures such as 50,000 litres are what is known as virtual water figures, which attribute every drop of rain that falls on a farm to the production of red meat and ignore that most of the water ends up in waterways such as dams and rivers, to grow trees and plants and in pastures not grazed by cattle. Clearly these figures aren’t useful when looking at the water used to produce beef. The article also claims that the industry will produce more emissions over the next 20 years than coal.
There are three major points that are inaccurate which I’ll briefly explain, but you may be interested in looking at and also promoting a resource that the red meat industry in Australia has developed:www.RedMeatGreenFacts. com.au.
This figure isn’t referenced, but according to the Australian Government National Greenhouse Accounts 37% of Australian emissions currently come from electricity generation – most of which is coal and only 10% comes from livestock production.
The site has all available data and information about the red meat industry’s environmental impact, including water, emissions and biodiversity.
In addition the livestock industry is the only production industry to have reduced emissions and has done so by 7.5% compared to increases in industries such as transport and
electricity generation, up 26.9% and 54.1% respectively. The conclusion that the article seems to be making is that a vegetarian diet is better for the environment, which completely ignores the complexity of the argument. There have been studies undertaken which dispute this such as a WWF funded study last year that found that vegetarian diets can actually be worse for the environment due to their reliance on soy protein which is often grown on cleared country in areas such as Brazil. When looking at the sustainability of food production people should consider working with the environment and in Australia that means working with limited arable land (only 7%), so grazing cattle and sheep is an environmentally sustainable way to produce food and also in many areas the only way to produce food for our growing population. I generally enjoy reading the magazine but I am extremely concerned that incorrect information is being given to teachers who will then pass it onto students. Regards Rosanne Pietsch IEU Member
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Is tutoring killing childhood ?
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talking point
A system of haves and have-nots Larry Grumley Secondary English Teacher Catherine McCauley College, Westmead, Sydney. The proliferation in the use of tutors raises two critical questions. First, what kind of educational system do we have that tutors become the norm rather than the exception? And second, how do we as educators deal with the increased pressure parents and students feel that in order to compete they must be tutored? Primary students can be spending hours each week with tutors to pass a selective school test or NAPLAN, while high school students have three or four nights a week seeing tutors to supplement their study.
Unrealistic expectations David Forbes former Principal of Stella Maris Primary School, Point Cook, Melbourne. In January this year David took up the position of Principals’ Officer for the VIEU. It is difficult to give a definitive answer to this question as there are a number of valid reasons why parents might elect to have their child tutored. My concern is when parents have unrealistic expectations and use tutoring as an extra demand rather than an aid to learning. When this happens the child is being pressured to perform and of
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course this could have a detrimental affect on their development. I have witnessed many cases where both parents are working and they use a tutor to help children complete homework and project tasks. As the world gets more competitive families are looking for other ways to give their child an advantage.
I wish these were the exceptions but they are not. I rarely assign extended responses (which are completed for homework) as too often the work handed in is not that of the students. The present school term is less than a week old and I have been asked half a dozen times for the names of tutors – not to complement knowledge or understanding. Parents and students are turning to a tutor as soon as a mark or a grade is not what was expected.
Electing to have a child tutored ideally should be done in consultation with the school to ensure continuity of learning.
The tutor has become the primary short cut to perceived educational ‘success’. Not additional work or revision, but a tutor. Not, ‘I can do this with more effort’, but a tutor. Not rewriting and revising, but a tutor.
After school activities, including tutoring, should allow children time to play and relax after a long day at school— essential to a healthy childhood.
We have to decide if we want a split system of schooling — the have-a-tutor and not-have-atutor, or address the inherent reasons for this disturbing trend.
What students want Vincent Ryan, 13, Mount Carmel School, Yass, ACT. I’m in Year 7 and so far I’ve never been tutored and I’m happy about that. I think that I’d be embarrassed about getting tutored. When I do the HSC, I might want to be tutored to make sure that I get a really good mark. I know a kid who was tutored when he was in Year 5. He didn’t like going because it was like going to ‘school’ after school. He got his Mum to ask his teacher if he could get out of doing homework but the teacher said “no” because it wasn’t what they did in class. My father said that his parents were good to take him because it cost them money, and his Mum had to drive him there and back which was a real nuisance because she had a lot of other things to do. Even though he still got a D in maths, he learnt how to do long division before I did and he is my age.
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When my cousin was in Year 12, she asked to have a private maths tutor. She was really smart and competitive and wanted to get a really high score in the HSC. It worked for her because the tutor explained things and gave her confidence. The tutor also knew a lot about what would be on the exam paper. When it comes to tutoring, teachers and parents need to consider what the student wants. If they want it they’ll do well and if they don’t it could be a big waste of money.
Avoiding the parent trap Parent: Andrea Fox, Queensland. The more experience I get as a parent, the more I try to resist parenting anxieties — but a born researcher like myself finds it difficult to ignore the siren call of debate and analysis. I feel a creeping anxiety in even considering this question. Who is getting their children tutored? Is it everybody? For children struggling with a particular subject or for children wanting to top their class? Have teachers started structuring their lessons with after-hours tutoring in mind? Are they hoping my child will consolidate her learning through after-
hours tutoring rather than in class? Will she fall behind? Will she know she is falling behind? Can she succeed without tutoring? She is five, is it already too late?
makes the connection for herself – is this like the authors she learns about at school who write under pen-names? Was their anonymity for the same reason, she wanted to know.
But when I think about her after-hours learning I think about how she comes home in the afternoon and jumps on the trampoline with her little brother playing ‘poison ball’. Watching her I see that she is figuring out how to predict the angle the ball will bounce at so as to avoid being hit by the ‘poison ball’. That’s physics.
This is how I want her after-hours education to happen. I want it to happen because it is enjoyable, because children’s brains are hard-wired to seek out and absorb knowledge, and because they are surrounded by people learning. I want her to learn out of curiosity, during play, over dinner, and in conversation, which reminds me – The Great Family Dinner Anxiety, I really must conquer that one someday.
And over dinner she listens in on a conversation her father and I are having about people making comments under ‘nicknames’ on internet forums and she
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in review:
Film sequels – winners and losers
T
he film industry seems to be constantly driven by the need to make sequels (or even prequels) when an original film achieves a great deal of success.
progressively more exploitative and repetitive, although box office figures have been sufficient to continue the series. The recent 3D version was both unpleasant and nastily irrelevant.
Capturing the initial storyline and key characters, and then expanding on them to create new stories, and hence a continuing large audience, is a major part of many film studios and production companies.
On the other hand, The Godfather films maintained their relevance and quality for all three versions, mostly based on intelligent scripting and clever direction.
Currently we are experiencing the seventh incarnation of the Harry Potter films, which have continued due to strong box office demand, but also due to different directors creating some distinctive visions of the central characters and their stories. There is also a built-in audience based on the original novels. The same can be said of the Twilight films that are about to go into their third sequel, attracting a large, loyal audience. But film sequels usually tend not to be very successful, with many failing artistically as well as at the box office. The original Saw film was a critical and box office success, but each successive sequel has proven to be 34
Other examples of effective sequels include the Lord of the Rings trilogy, as well as the superb Toy Story animations, with the third version of the film providing an even more compelling and well-crafted narrative than the first two. Again by contrast, the original Jaws film was a successful confluence of terror, editing and effects, while each subsequent sequel turned out to be predictable, poorly written and especially the 3D sequel, mindnumbingly silly. The original Pink Panther films with Peter Sellers were amusing and occasionally very clever, and each sequel at that time had enough entertainment to achieve good returns. The recent incarnations of the Pink
Panther with Steve Martin have been much less successful due to silly plotting and repetitive set pieces in the story. Sequels ranging from the Home Alone films and the Oceans 11, 12 13 series, to the French Connection, to Lethal Weapon, through to the Terminator and Alien films, have varied in quality and audience appeal, revealing how important it is to establish a key set of characters and a compelling narrative or situation, to ensure a large audience and a reasonable critical response. The ultimate example of the whole sequel/prequel saga is of course the Star Wars films, that began at episodes 4, 5 and 6, and then over 20 years later episodes 1, 2 and 3 were completed. Perhaps this is the best example of the art of the sequel. Peter Krausz is Chair of the Australian Film Critics Association (www.afca. org.au) and is a regular film critic and film journalist on Melbourne Radio 3CR and 3KND. He can be contacted at: peterkrausz8@gmail.com
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