Education Matters Primary March-September 2021 by Prime Creative Media

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MARCH -

BER 202

SEPTEM

COLLABORATION KEY TO SUCCESS Principally Speaking: Haileybury Junior School What makes an effective school leader Supporting student wellbeing

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The IG3 Maths and IG3 English & Phonics programs, previously known as Eduss Maths and English, have been designed around the principles of individualised learning, and providing students with learning plans based on an in-depth assessment designed to determine a student’s true level of understanding. The assessment algorithm is unique, and the use of artificial intelligence allows it to not merely assess whether a student meets the minimum requirement or pass rate, it accurately determines every student’s proficiency level. The learning plans include Interactive lessons combined with step-by-step instructions, formative reviews, continuous progress monitoring and reporting. Teachers can set specific learning plans for students in the classroom and effortlessly monitor their progress. The system provides tools required to effectively manage classes with students’ varied learning rates, and whilst it is a perfect remedial tool for struggling students, it makes provision for the more advanced students, by effectively taking them beyond their mandated year level.

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• Student-paced learning. • Interactive lessons to engage and captivate students at every level of their learning career. • Supports multi-grade learning in a classroom. • Individualised learning plan based on the students proficiency level and true level of understanding. • Continual assessment to identify learning gaps. IG3 Education Ltd has completed the ESA/NSIP ‘Safer Technologies For Schools’ assessment (ST4S) on all products on the My.IG3 portal. A copy of the report or more information may be obtained from your representative at the Department for Education, or CIO / IT Department for the Catholic Sector or Independent Schools Australia.

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EDITOR’S NOTE

Few educators could have imagined a year like 2020. When COVID-19 struck, teachers and students across the nation were forced to move to an online classroom, adapting to a new way of learning and teaching in a matter of weeks. Term three saw further rapid changes when Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews announced a state of emergency, enforcing remote learning for six weeks of the term. With students feeling the pressures of online learning – all while, dealing with the collective trauma of a pandemic – many teachers made their wellbeing a core focus. Chief Executive Officer of Education Services, Andrew Smith, says it is important to understand how the legacy of COVID-19 will continue to affect education in Australia. He says the goal now is to identify opportunities to build a more resilient education system, one that is prepared to meet the challenges of the future (see page 47).

Publisher: Christine Clancy christine.clancy@primecreative.com.au

Adding to the challenges of remote learning, educators focused on keeping students safe online with the increased used of technology during the pandemic. eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant emphasises that in moving education online, schools across the country faced significant challenges. This included how to transition daily classroom activities while protecting not only students, but also staff and the school community, from online dangers (see page 48).

Managing Editor: Sarah Baker sarah.baker@primecreative.com.au

Keeping connected online however, became pivotal in ensuring students felt happy, safe and engaged in their school work. This was made possible through technology such as interactive wireless whiteboards. ViewSonic’s product manager Michael Zhang says companies have to ensure that the technology going into classrooms supports the varying styles of lessons that could be required in the future (see page 24). With classrooms returning to some sense of normality this year, keeping students engaged with different styles of learning has become a priority for Playground Ideas and Modern Teaching Aids. Playground Ideas created a new tool called Nüdel Kart which is a deconstructable, mobile play kart that explodes into a research-backed loose parts space that children can explore with billions of different combinations (see page 40). Modern Teaching Aid further enhances those hand-on learning experiences with LEGO® Education’s BricQ Motion, that engages students in STEAM learning as they experiment with forces, motion and interactions (see page 42). After the year that has been, Education Matters would also like to thank all educators for their time and effort for the past year and the one ahead. It’s a pleasure to join you for this edition of Education Matters – Primary. If you have any feedback or suggestions, please feel free to email me at molly.hancock@primecreative.com.au. You can also sign up to our fortnightly email newsletter, The Whiteboard, by visiting our website educationmattersmag.com.au.

Chief Operating Officer: Zelda Tupicoff zelda.tupicoff@primecreative.com.au

Editor: Molly Hancock molly.hancock@primecreative.com.au Design Production Manager: Michelle Weston Art Director: Blake Storey Designers: Kerry Pert, Madeline McCarty Advertising: Danny Hernandez danny.hernandez@primecreative.com.au 0431 330 232 Client Success Manager: Justine Nardone Education Matters is a division of Prime Creative Media Pty. Ltd. 11-15 Buckhurst Street, South Melbourne 3205 Ph: (+61 3) 9690 8766 Fax: (+61 3) 9682 0044 Subscriptions Education Matters is available by subscription from the publisher. The rights of refusal are reserved by the publisher. Ph: (+61 3) 9690 8766 E: subscriptions@primecreative.com.au Articles All articles submitted for publication become the property of the publisher. We reserve the right to adjust any article to conform with the magazine format. Cover Image Haileybury Junior School

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Copyright Education Matters is owned by Prime Creative Media Pty. Ltd. and published by John Murphy. All material in Education Matters is copyright and no part may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means (graphic, electronic, or mechanical including information retrieval systems) without the written permission of the publisher. The Editor welcomes contributions but reserves the right to accept or reject any material. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information, Prime Creative Media will not accept responsibility for errors or omissions or for any consequenses arising from information published. The opinions of the magazine are not necessarily the opinions of, or endorsed by the publisher unless otherwise stated. All photographs of schools (including students) depicted in feature articles and advertisements throughout this magazine have been supplied to the publisher (and approved) by the contributing school. All material supplied by schools is done so with the understanding that such images will be published in Education Matters and may also appear on the our website: www.edumatters.com.au.

contents PRIMARY MARCH - SEPTEMBER

REGULARS Editor’s note 5

Buyer’s Guide

News

A snapshot of some of the latest news and developments in the education sector.

Principally Speaking

Hot Topic: Classroom impacts of COVID-19

Grenville Green, Principal of Haileybury junior school in Keysborough, speaks about the how the pandemic brought unprecedented levels of change, learning and innovation for its teachers and students.

Research and first-hand experiences have revealed the importance of teacher-student relationships during times of crisis.

The Last Word

CEO of the Australian Curriculum David de Carvalho; Chief Executive Officer of Education Services Andrew Smith; eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant; and Senior Research Fellow with the University of South Australia Dr Dorothea Dumuid; offer opinion pieces on a variety of topical subjects.

Events

A calendar of upcoming education events happening around Australia.

26 Selecting words for teaching print? Consider productive oral language vocabulary

Vocabulary knowledge is one of the strongest predictors of literacy outcomes across the school years, according to Dr Clarance Green.

28 The important role of supervising teachers to

APPA column

In this edition’s Australian Primary Principals Association column, President Malcolm Elliot discusses how COVID-19 has created a new normal for schools.

FEATURES

improve Indigenous educational outcomes

Dr Tracy Woodroffe explains the power of equipping preservice teachers with sufficient experience in Indigenous context.

The great 2020 school transport challenge

Dominic Luddy, GHD Team Leader for Engagement, Communication and Communities, explains how in January 2020 his team was planning its STEAM design challenges, planting excursions and site visits for local school groups when COVID-19 struck.

34 Forgetting: The challenge of teaching mathematics

With over 50 years of experience in mathematics and education, Dr Calvin Irons offers his ideas to help prevent forgetting mathematics.

36 Recognising outstanding reconciliation initiatives in education

Reconciliation Australia’s Narragunnawali Awards celebrates the actions schools and early learning services take to establish meaningful and resourceful relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

education matters primary

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STEM | Creativity | Social Skills | Self Regulation | Growth Mindset

“As a student, I thrived when classes were open-ended and gave me freedom to explore. I designed the Nüdel Kart to instantly transform any space to creatively engage all children regardless of how they learn.”

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BUYER’S GUIDE

TECHNOLOGY

40 Playground Ideas: Nudel Karts A deconstructable mobile play kart that can be reconfigured in endless ways, Playground Ideas developed Nudel Kart to encourage self-directed learning help make play sensible and interesting for every child.

2 Acer: Classroom Technology From fingerprint readers and facial recognition, to voice communication and learner analytics, Acer discusses how its innovative technologies are being used to enhance classroom learning and teacher/ student collaboration

42 Modern Teaching Aids: BricQ Motion As one of two suppliers of LEGO® Education in Australia, Modern Teaching Aids is bringing physical science to life in the classroom, and at home.

26 ViewSonic: Wireless interactive whiteboards ViewSonic’s ViewBoard promotes increased wireless connectivity and collaboration in the classroom.

44 Dream City: STEAM excursion destination

CURRICULUM

Melbourne’s newest excursion destination, DreamCity allows students to explore a range of careers through highly interactive activities that use new and emerging technologies to encourage hands-on STEAM learning.

30 IG3 Education: Educational software solutions Part of IG3 Education’s extensive range of products is IG3 Maths and English software, which use technology to properly assess students through its programs.

OTHER

19 Victorian Farmers Federation BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

23 Epson: Education projectors A new era in collaborative learning, Epson interactive projectors are the perfect ultra-short-throw projector for today’s bring-your-own device classroom. With brilliant widescreen resolution, plus advanced network connectivity and wireless performance, these projectors make it easy to share larger-than-life lessons and control the projector remotely. 38 WillPlay: High-quality premium playground equipment From a start-up eight years ago, to one of Australia’s premium manufacturers today, WillPlay has led the market with its playground designs.

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The Victorian Farmers Federation has been the voice of Victorian farmers and rural communities since 1979, advocating on the issues that matter most to you. We exist to help make Victorian farmers lives better and enhance our future.

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NATIONAL EDUCATION NEWS

Non-state QLD schools receive boost More than 40 independent and Catholic schools will be able to make $45 million worth of capital improvements thanks to a Queensland Government capital injection. Education Minister Grace Grace announced the third of four instalments of non-state school capital assistance, which will eventually total $100 million in 2020-21. “These funds will continue to provide new, modern learning facilities for young Queenslanders no matter where they go to school,” Grace said. “And as Queensland’s economy continues to open up and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, this is a continuing pipeline of work for local tradies.” The grants range from $18,500 to almost $3.7 million, and will go to schools from Cooktown in the north to Normanton in the west, and south to Tallebudgera. The funds are made available on the recommendations of the two non-state schooling sector Capital Assistance Authorities – the Queensland Catholic Capital Assistance Authority and the Queensland Independent Schools Block Grant Authority. Schools typically use the funds for a wide range of important works such as new buildings including specialist classrooms,

libraries, canteens and sports courts. Funds can also be used for refurbishing or converting existing facilities, improvements to schools ground including pick-up and set-down areas, covered walkways and landscaping. Grace stated that the Queensland Education funds were part of the Minister Grace Grace. Queensland Government’s record $1.9 billion spend on school infrastructure in 2020-21, supporting almost 4800 jobs. “This builds on our record investment of $5.2 billion in school infrastructure spending we have delivered since 2015,” she said. “This includes building 13 new schools with another nine on the way.” EM

More students to benefit from school breakfast program

“These funds will continue to provide new, modern learning facilities for young Queenslanders no matter where they go to school.” Gracec Grace, Queensland Education Minister

The school breakfast clubs program has reached a milestone with 1000 schools now participating across Victoria. As a result of the program, which is delivered in partnership with Foodbank Victoria, provides free breakfasts for kids at participating Victorian schools, allowing more students are able to learn with a full stomach and get the most out of school. Minister for Education James Merlino announced that the school breakfast clubs program has so far served more than 15 million meals to students since it was established in 2016. “We know that kids can’t learn properly on an empty stomach – that’s why we expandedSchool Breakfast Clubs program to 1000 schools to help the students who need it most,” Merlino said. “The School Breakfast Clubs program has gone from strength to strength making sure more students have access to healthy meals no matter what their background or circumstance.”

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The Labor Government has invested $58 million to expand the program by doubling the number of participating schools from 500 to 1000, providing lunches and school holiday supplies to those most in need and will begin delivering cooking classes for parents and children at 100 schools in 2021. Despite the impacts of COVID-19 during Term 2 and 3 in 2020, more than 2.5 million meals were delivered to students, and a further 1.2. million meals provided in Term 4. Foodbank Victoria chief executive officer Dave McNamara further added that the school breakfast clubs program provides more than just nutritious food – it improves concentration, builds social skills, and gives kids a better chance to create a bright future for themselves through learning. “Since 2016, Foodbank Victoria has been proud to deliver this vital program providing healthy meals to kids who might otherwise go without, giving them a happy, healthy start to the day,” McNamara said. EM

Education sector welcomes new minister Alan Tudge has been appointed as the new Minister for Education and Youth following the Federal cabinet reshuffle before Christmas. Replacing Dan Tehan, who is now Minister for Trade, Tudge brings a wide range of experience and insight to his new role. “Alan Tudge will become Minister for Education and Youth with a clear brief of improving education outcomes and helping younger Australians navigate the challenges of a rapidly changing world,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison outlined. “In recognition of the importance the Government places on driving down unemployment, Luke Howarth will become Assistant Minister for Youth and Employment Services.” Australian Primary Principals Association (APPA) offered its thanks to Minister Tehan for his work as the Minister for Education. “The APPA has enjoyed a positive working relationship with Minister Tehan in his nearly two years in the education portfolio and we greatly appreciate the support and recognition that the Minister has given to the education sector during his term,” APPA president Malcolm Elliott said. “Minister Tehan’s awareness and attention to equity and fairness in education,

particularly in a nation which has such a socially and geographically diverse student population as Australia, is respected across the sector.” In welcoming Tudge to his new role, Elliott described education as a vital plank in the platform of nation building. “The APPA looks forward to continuing on with the positive relationship it has enjoyed with the federal government and to working with the new Minister to delivering the world class education that every Australian student deserves.” he said. In addition, Universities Australia chair professor Deborah Terry said the pandemic has hit Australia hard, with Universities Australia looking forward to working with Minister Tudge, ensuring students and future generations receive a world class education.” “Australia will need even more new ideas, new skills and new jobs to power economic and community recovery. Universities are the engine rooms of that renewal,” Terry said. “Universities thank outgoing Minister Dan Tehan for his consultative and highly accessible approach to the sector during a period of significant challenge for universities and the communities we serve.” EM

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NATIONAL EDUCATION NEWS

ACARA reveals strategies to unlocking outstanding NAPLAN results.

Key methods to consistent high progress in NAPLAN

“So, the focus is on schools that are doing something intentional and systematic to achieve progress for their students.” David de Carvalho, ACARA chief executive

Explicit teaching, collaborating on the analysis of formative assessment data, and focused professional learning – these are some of the practices that are prevalent in schools that consistently deliver high progress in NAPLAN. The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) has recently updated the profiles of schools that consistently deliver high progress in reading, writing and numeracy. ACARA chief executive officer David de Carvalho highlighted that looking for approaches that are prevalent in these schools can bring to light practices that have potential for wider application. “It’s a contribution to the evidence on what works to improve literacy and numeracy achievement,” de Carvalho said. The 24 schools profiled are, however, not necessarily those that achieve high average results, which are often strongly correlated with socio-educational advantage. “Instead, what we’ve done is approach schools that, taking into account where their students were two years previously as well as the school’s level of socio-educational advantage, have

education matters primary

achieved progress that is above what you’d expect. And they are doing it consistently, year after year,” he said. “So, the focus is on schools that are doing something intentional and systematic to achieve progress for their students.” The schools profiled – nine for numeracy, eight for reading, and seven for writing – are from across Australia and are from government, Catholic and independent sectors. de Carvalho added that no two schools follow the same regime and there is a great diversity of practices and approaches adopted, but there are also key lessons to be learnt. “The information provided by the schools indicates that some of them do use similar methods,” he said. In addition, a number of the schools profiled also made it clear that they do not do any special preparation for NAPLAN. “To this end, schools that adopt evidence-based teaching practices, are informed by data and have sustained and focused professional development are giving their students the best chance to progress in their learning,” de Carvalho concluded. EM

Scholarships help youngest to a strong start in learning The youngest learners in New South Wales will benefit from additional educators, thanks to 40 scholarships awarded today to early childhood educators. The 40 scholarships are worth up to $20,000 each, awarded under the 2020-21 Early Childhood Education Scholarships Program, making it easier for more people to commence or upgrade their qualifications to a bachelor degree in early childhood teaching. Minister for Education and Early Childhood Learning Sarah Mitchell said the scholarships would help promising preschool and early childhood employees deepen their knowledge of early education. “Education in the first years of a child’s life is some of the most important. They develop skills crucial to success in school and later life,” Mitchell said. “It also is an important time for the child’s health, educators and parents can pick up early signs of various conditions early.” Mitchell added that early childhood educators are key to this and the scholarships

New program to benefit early childhood educators.

will help some of the best become even better. “We recognise that these scholarship recipients will deepen their understanding of early childhood environments and gain additional skills and capabilities which will be passed on to the children they teach,” she said. “Congratulations to the scholars on their commitment to education, and I wish them every success in their studies and future careers as qualified early childhood teachers.” EM

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Lessons learned during COVID-19

AT TIME OF WRITING THE WORLD IS FILLED WITH OPTIMISM THAT VACCINES WILL CHANGE THE COURSE OF THE PANDEMIC AND LIFE WILL RETURN TO SOMETHING AKIN TO OUR NORMAL.

Our normal, though, the normal of teachers, students and families, had been affected by a rise in awareness and number of issues in mental health for Australians. This included students. An APPA survey report published in February last year found that parents and teachers felt at a loss as to how to address mental health issues in children. The background to all this, experts suggest, may lie in inter-generational anxiety. Adults are understandably concerned about climate change and political upheaval destabilising economy and feelings of world security. We have all been living with the spectre of nuclear conflict which emerged at the end of the second world war in 1945. As I write these words it is as if I am writing the plot for a science fiction novel of apocalyptic vision. I do, though, feel somewhat optimistic. The foundation for optimism is people empowered by high quality education which I believe we have in Australia. Our biggest challenge is to keep working with vigour and commitment to redress social and economic disadvantage. One of the silver linings of the pandemic was

Malcolm Elliot has been a teacher for over 40 years. From 2015-2018 he was president of the Tasmanian Principals Association, representing government primary and secondary school principals. He is now president of the Australian Primary Principals Association (APPA).

that teachers, principals and other school leaders received with deep gratitude the praise and recognition of the community. Lockdown brought parents, grandparents, friends and neighbours into very close contact with what education really is: complex, different for every child, and very demanding. There was angst about Year 11 and 12 completion and ATAR. At the other end of the age spectrum families and friends experienced the demands and delights of our youngest students. The older ones could reasonably be expected to largely manage their own learning programmes. The little ones are full of the wonder of the world as they play and learn. Constant supervision, constant concentration. Teachers were deeply aware that their students would need some personal contact from them. Many families learned how truly teachers work from the heart as well as the head. I met a teacher who had made a film to explain some mathematics for a child. The film was so successful that it was shared with the whole class

Elliot says families learned how teachers work during lockdown.

education matters primary

and soon this became a regular method of teaching Not all families had the same chances of success. Hard enough with two parents, a three-bedroom home and a yard to play in. Harder still for sole or separated parents, parents who lost their jobs. Parents whose children present very challenging behaviours. Not enough space in the home. No backyard. No access to parks or playgrounds. No extra resources to call on. Very, very tough. And when the lockdowns ended there were tears of relief and joy all round. The students had missed their teachers (possibly more than some they thought they would) and teachers had missed their students. The exhaustion of the rapid pivot to on-line learning was forgotten for a while. The COVID-19 experience has shown us that we really are all in this together. There has been tragedy, sorrow, pain and sacrifice. But we also saw imaginative, creative, compassionate behaviour right across our communities. Australia has now become a positive case study for the rest of the world. As a nation we are succeeding. This is not to say, though, that our success has been complete. Understandably, mistakes have been

The COVID-19 experience has shown us that we really are all in this together. There has been tragedy, sorrow, pain and sacrifice. But we also saw imaginative, creative, compassionate behaviour right across our communities. Australia has now become a positive case study for the rest of the world. As a nation we are succeeding. made. This means our states and territories must keep working together and learning from each other throughout 2021. By sharing information and ways of working we can make continuous improvement. This commitment to continuous improvement applies to our students and our schools. Results from international educational tests PISA and TIMMS published late last year have highlighted public interest in how Australian education compares with other countries’. If we judge the success of Australian education on league tables alone we may be in for a prolonged period of disappointment. There is every chance that Australia will rarely, if ever, be ranked number one in any category. We have a socially and culturally diverse

society. We have a nation seriously challenged by disadvantage. Calm, thoughtful planning and action is needed and a sense of confidence in our teachers must be promoted. This is justified and necessary. Competition and pressure to succeed come with significant costs – often in wellbeing including issues in mental health. Life is not a competition to be won on one day. Education is not a competition to be won, or lost, on one test. Like life, education is much more complex than that. Upwards movement in international test scores may be the result of many intertwining factors. The pressure of competition is not one of them. You can be sure, though, that the joy of learning is. EM

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PRINCIPALLY SPEAKING // HAILEYBURY Principal Grenville Green believes that effective leaders build trust and collaboration with and between their teams and students.

Success through teamwork GRENVILLE GREEN, PRINCIPAL OF HAILEYBURY JUNIOR SCHOOL IN KEYSBOROUGH, SPEAKS TO EDUCATION MATTERS ABOUT HOW COVID-19 BROUGHT UNPRECEDENTED LEVELS OF CHANGE, LEARNING AND INNOVATION FOR ITS TEACHERS AND STUDENTS, ENHANCING THE SCHOOL’S SENSE OF COLLABORATION.

WHAT IS THE HAILEYBURY’S PHILOSOPHY AND HOW DOES IT GUIDE YOU AND YOUR STAFF? Haileybury’s vision is to be recognised as a great world school, and our mission is to develop high achieving students who are connected globally, to each other and to the communities in which they live and will serve. Haileybury focuses on academic excellence and developing high achieving students, but also offers a broad range of programs and opportunities to develop well rounded students. Our school lives the motto that every student matters every day. Pastoral care and student wellbeing are central to everything we do. Although at Haileybury we are proud of our history and traditions, we are also a restless school that continues to innovate and explore opportunities to benefit students. Haileybury is definitely an entrepreneurial and enterprising school. The development of Melbourne’s first vertical school, extensive operations in China and the opening of Haileybury Rendall School Darwin are all examples of this. HOW DOES THE HAILEYBURY DIFFER FROM OTHER SCHOOLS? Haileybury is committed to social justice. Our social justice program focuses on the things that matter: generosity, reconciliation, protection of the vulnerable, forgiveness, expressions of gratitude, inclusion,

education matters primary

Haileybury’s motto is success through collaboration.

sharing of resources and service. As a school, we are committed not only to provide outstanding opportunities for our students, we seek to contribute to the growth of wider education as a part of our social justice outlook. We have worked with well over 100 schools across Australia to support their development in explicit instruction, including schools in remote areas and schools with high populations of indigenous students. We have provided opportunities for our Haileybury Junior School teachers to visit schools interstate to model lessons, share resources and expertise. It has been great to see the positive impact this has brought to schools, teachers and most importantly, to students across different areas of Australia. During the Easter holiday break Haileybury worked with the ABC to plan and film a series of Mathematics mini lessons, which were broadcast nationally, allowing students with limited access to online learning to engage in Mathematics. This year we commenced development of online professional learning courses on explicit teaching. While this professional learning supports our Haileybury teachers, these are also available to educators online through Haileybury X. The first three online courses were developed 2020, with more to come in 2021. WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF THE HAILEYBURY? Haileybury opened its doors in 1892 with five staff and 17 students. In its over 125 years of history, the

school has changed dramatically. What started as a small school has developed into a large global school with campuses in Keysborough, Brighton, Berwick, Melbourne (City), Darwin and Beijing (China). IN WHAT WAYS HAS HAILEYBURY EVOLVED SINCE IT WAS ESTABLISHED? Haileybury has a proud tradition but we are forward thinking. Haileybury was traditionally a boys school for over 100 years. The year 2000 saw the introduction of girls and the introduction of parallel education. Girls and boys learn in class together through the early learning centre and junior school. In middle and senior school, boys and girls are separated into single-sex classrooms for most academic classes, while sharing the social setting of a coeducational campus. Under the leadership of principal CEO Derek Scott since 2008, Haileybury has continued to grow with the opening of Haileybury international school in Tianjin, China, Haileybury City (Melbourne’s first vertical K-12 school) and Haileybury Rendall school in Darwin. In my 16 years at Haileybury, our junior school has been greatly enhanced through continued focus and development of our unique explicit instruction model. This has continually evolved and led to continual growth in student achievement and engagement. HOW DO YOU PROVIDE SUPPORT AND LEADERSHIP TO YOUR STAFF? As an instructional leader I am actively involved in leading and the continuous improvement of teaching

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and learning and staff development. I aim to be in classrooms and engaged in teaching and learning as much as possible, across all year levels, and across all campuses. Teachers are our most valuable resource. I regularly observe and coach teachers. This also facilitates the sharing of excellent practice across our school. I am not the expert across all areas, but being involved in classrooms provides me with an awareness of strengths across our team and enables me to link teachers with others who can support their continued growth. I do, however, also enjoy opportunities to teach, team teach and model effective teaching strategies wherever I can. Our staff motto is ‘success through collaboration’. Collaboration is everything –we are better collectively and can achieve more than we ever could individually. We have amazing talents across our school. It is important to provide regular opportunities and avenues for authentic teacher collaboration and sharing of ideas and best practice across our school. HOW DO YOU ENCOURAGE WELLBEING AMONG YOUR STAFF AND STUDENTS? Every student matters every day. Every team member matters every day. It is through our everyday actions that we bring these statements to life. Relationships are central to everything we do. It is important for me, our junior school leaders, teachers and students to make time for people, help them connect and treat others with respect and care.

PRINCIPALLY SPEAKING // HAILEYBURY

with literacy and numeracy skills. Explicit teaching has proven to be highly successful at Haileybury as well as many schools we have worked with across Australia. Ballajura Primary School in Western Australia is an outstanding example of a school that has focused on explicit teaching in core literacy and numeracy skills with outstanding success.

Principal of Haileybury junior school Grenville Green.

And importantly, have fun! School should be a happy, fun and engaging place to learn for students, and I’d also like to think it should be a happy, fun and professionally engaging place to teach and learn for our staff.

in costumes for Book Week and special events. We know the students and the students know us and are comfortable to work with us in class or to be able to come and see us if they have something to share or a concern. These relationships are important.

WHAT ROLE DO YOU PLAY IN THE DAY-TO-DAY ACTIVITIES OF YOUR STUDENTS? Being visible and actively involved in teaching and learning across classrooms and year levels is vital for all of our junior school leaders. We know the students, their strengths, their areas for growth. We see them in their classrooms, in the playground and throughout day to day school life. We are actively involved from greeting students in morning to dressing up

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES FACED BY TEACHERS IN THE PRIMARY SECTOR? When I talk with teachers across schools, states and territories, one of the common challenges faced is the pressure teachers feel in trying to fit so much into a school day. Timetables are tight with struggles to cover what they intend to. We need to focus on what matters the most and what research shows works. We need to equip students with a strong foundation

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WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT EITHER AS A TEACHER OR SPECIFICALLY IN THE ROLE OF PRINCIPAL? 2020 will be memorable for all of us. COVID-19 brought about disruption in education that we have not experienced in our lifetimes. The disruption and significant challenge, however, brought about unprecedented levels of change, learning and innovation for schools, teachers, students and their families. It brought educators out of their comfort zone, and with the right supports and opportunities to collaborate, our teachers achieved amazing things. The thought of teaching primary students online was daunting, but I am truly amazed at how our teachers rose to the challenge. Our Haileybury teachers and classes, including our Prep/Foundation levels, pivoted to live online classes across the curriculum. We took the path of live teaching via Zoom. Students had their English and Mathematics classes online, as well as their Inquiry, Science, music, art, drama, PE and CDT. Technology, however, wasn’t seen as the teaching tool, it was the communication tool. The technology allowed teachers to engage and interact with their students. It allowed teachers to model concepts, work through examples together, check understanding, and support students through independent learning tasks. Brilliant teachers onsite turned out to be brilliant teachers online. Online learning wasn’t about teachers being tech experts. It was more about teachers innovating and working together to adapt teaching and learning to best suit the online environment. The adaptability of our teachers and students has been truly remarkable. WHAT ARE YOUR FEELINGS ABOUT NAPLAN AND ITS EFFECTIVENESS? NAPLAN can be a powerful tool for a school when used effectively. It provides us with a wealth of data, which allows us to explore the ongoing development of our teaching and learning in literacy and numeracy. At Haileybury we have used NAPLAN to provide ongoing feedback on our programs over many years.

What started as a small school has developed into a large global school with campuses in Keysborough, Brighton, Berwick, Melbourne (City), Darwin and Beijing (China).

There is so much more to NAPLAN than a score. It allows us to look at individual student and cohort growth. It also allows us further insight into areas of strength and those needing further support. Data doesn’t provide all the answers, but when schools take the time to analyse their NAPLAN data effectively, it can lead to great discussion and reflection on teaching and learning. Surely, such discussion and reflection can only be beneficial. The move to NAPLAN online unlocks further benefits, allowing the assessments to cater better for

individual student needs through adaptive question branching. Quicker turnaround of data will also allow NAPLAN to be used as a formative assessment tool to inform teaching. WHAT TRAITS MAKE FOR AN EFFECTIVE AND SUCCESSFUL LEADER IN EDUCATION TODAY? Effective leaders build trust and collaboration with and between their teams. Teachers have a range of diverse skills and talents. Some may have particular talents wiThe more educators engage in professional

collaboration and sharing best practice, the more we all build our collective capacity. Opportunities to collaborate are opportunities to learn. Emotional intelligence and building relationships with students, staff and the school community are key. Finally, effective leaders in education enjoy leading and bring passion to their school. What makes a great leader and school? We don’t just want students to learn, we want them to love learning. We don’t just want teachers to teach, we want them to love teaching. Similarly, great leaders love leading. EM

Applications now open! Grants up to $2,000 available for primary school students to visit primary production sites across Victoria – providing students with a hands on, practical experience in agriculture. To apply now, or to find out more go to www.vff.org.au/kidstoag or call 1300 882 833 The VFF Kids to Ag project is supported by the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, through funding from the Australian Government’s Educating Kids About Agriculture initiative.

HOT TOPIC // IMPACTS OF COVID-19 ON THE CLASSROOM

Macarthur Anglican School endeavour to make students feel safe, secure and happy at school.

Staying connected at school

FEW SCHOOLS EXPECTED A YEAR LIKE 2020. EDUCATION MATTERS LOOKS AT HOW TEACHER-STUDENT RELATIONSHIPS HELPED EDUCATORS GET THROUGH THIS UNPRECEDENTED TIME OF CRISIS.

Kylie Elling, the Dean of Studies at Macarthur Anglican School in Sydney New South Wales, has long known about the importance of relationships between students and teachers. But when March 2020 brought about a lockdown in the state, meaning the school had a matter of weeks to adapt to remote learning, she says the importance of these good relationships was truly brought to the fore. “Students need to feel safe, secure and happy before they can succeed at school,” says Elling. “COVID-19 made us sit back and realise how much impact it really did have. It has shown us how important student wellbeing is to learning.” COVID-19 required almost every teacher, parent and student across Australia to rapidly adjust to remote learning in 2020.

In a matter of weeks, schools like Macarthur had to find and implement viable alternatives to the traditional modes of teaching in a physical classroom. Australian schools were not alone. According to UNESCO, by the end of March 2020 over 1.5 billion pupils, or 87 per cent of the world’s student population, across 165 countries had been affected by school closures caused by COVID-19. In Australia, K-12 schools experienced interruptions in every state and territory, although the extent and period of closures varied significantly across jurisdictions. In early May, only 3 percent of children in Victorian government schools were in attendance, whereas the Northern Territory had returned to normal levels of 79 per cent.

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However, Term 3 for students and teachers in Victoria took a drastic turn when Premier Daniel Andrews announced a state of emergency, enforcing remote learning for six weeks of the term. As a result of the rapid onset of the pandemic, many teachers found their key focus shifted from teaching all the content online, to working to connect and establish relationships with their students with increased contact. A survey, conducted by researchers at the Melbourne Graduate School of Education at the University of Melbourne, explored the challenges and opportunities experienced by teachers as classrooms moved to remote and online learning. The survey highlighted that the rapid transition to remote learning did not leave teachers and students with much time to prepare

A survey found that three out of four of the primary and secondary school teachers said that remote learning would negatively affect students’ emotional wellbeing.

for this mode of teaching and learning, but that they nevertheless managed the task successfully. More than half of respondent teachers from primary and secondary school – 57.85 per cent – said that n that they either somewhat or strongly agreed that students were prepared to engage in learning online in the home, while 34 per cent of teachers somewhat disagreed, or strongly disagreed that students were truly prepared..

“As with social development, students’ families are seen by teachers as an important factor in determining the extent to which individual students will be affected, and how they will be affected.” In terms of social development and emotional wellbeing, the survey found that three out of four of the primary and secondary school teachers surveyed said that remote learning would negatively affect students’ emotional wellbeing to some degree. The survey reported that: “This would manifest in forms such as anxiety (including obsessive-compulsive disorder related to personal cleanliness), feelings of disconnection, withdrawal from interacting with others, and missing friends.” The survey did note, however, that a positive home environment would be a primary variable in how the lockdown affected students’ welfare. “As with social development, students’ families are seen by teachers as an

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HOT TOPIC // IMPACTS OF COVID-19 ON THE CLASSROOM

A University of Melbourne survey revealed the challenges and opportunities experienced by teachers as classrooms moved to remote and online learning.

important factor in determining the extent to which individual students will be affected, and how they will be affected,” the survey noted. When children were learning from home, Beyond Blue – a charity that provides resources relating to mental health – released support tools to help

parents and teachers cope with remote learning. “Develop a plan with your child about their schooling over the coming weeks. This will need to be done in collaboration with their schools, but it will be reassuring for them to know that there is a plan, even if it needs to be adapted later,” Beyond Blue outlined.

Macarthur Anglican School in NSW learnt the importance of relationships between students and teachers during 2020.

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The platform encouraged students to communicate with technology when face-to-face wasn’t an option. Back at Macarthur school, Elling says their work in using technology to encourage ongoing communication between students and teachers paid off. However, it was a historical investment in the relationship that was the true source of their success. “As Dean of Studies, my role at Macarthur is focused on academics, and my colleague Tim Cartwright in his role as the Dean of Students, focuses on the wellbeing side of student life. We work very closely together, allowing us to guide and support each student holistically, rather than in isolation,” says Elling. Elling says that using technology to communicate with parents as well was a key element of successful online learning. She notes it continues to this day, with parents having limited access to school grounds due to ongoing COVID restrictions. “The pandemic has meant that we are not seeing parents at the school as we normally would,” Elling says. “However, we’ve worked to keep communication lines open and speak to parents

regularly by phone when there is a pastoral concern with their child. It is about connecting with students and families and promoting that trust which leads to engagement. If a student isn’t feeling happy, safe and secure in their environment, they are not going to engage in their learning and not going to be able to give their best.” Elling notes that the biggest lesson learnt from remote learning in 2020 was that learning was about quality rather than quantity. So while it was a challenging year, she sees a lot of positive outcomes for students in the future. “At the end of the day students are our main priority. It not only strengthened our relationships with them, but as a school community.” The Australian Education survey supported that Elling wasn’t alone in seeing some positive outcomes for the school, and for individual students. “Where students may have disrupted the class, some teachers commented that the shift to working from home has put a stop to this,” the survey outlines. “It has been observed that student engagement

“As with social development, students’ families are seen by teachers as an important factor in determining the extent to which individual students will be affected, and how they will be affected.” has improved in some instances for students who would normally be disruptive and for those students who would be affected by disruptions in class. Improvement in student work was also observed, although teachers noted that this could be due to parents having significant input and editing student work. Teachers also reported that some students’ organisational and time management skills improved.”

“It was also beneficial for students who struggled in class being able to work through the content at their own pace and review it multiple times,” Elling adds. “From a teacher’s perspective we had a lot of teachers who had to learn new technology really quickly,” says Elling. “This has had a positive effect moving forward and they are now comfortable with that technology, which is something they probably wouldn’t have learnt. While our teachers and students were exhausted, I really do think we adapted things that we had to change. We are asking ourselves why didn’t we do this before, because it’s actually better for the students”. aIn addition to having some improved systems, perhaps the biggest benefit for students, says Elling, is that they appreciate being able to come to school every day. “We had students come back into the classroom after remote learning and say I am so grateful for my teachers,” she says. “We realised they took it for granted as well.” EM

Product Safety Recall Product description All Epson projectors except the L, Z, LS and EV series. For a full list go to epson.com.au/projector_recall/ or scan the QR code below. What are the defects? If the projectors are ceiling or wall mounted in a location that can result in their exposure to smoke, steam or vapours containing oils and solvents, the plastic casing can be weakened near where the projector is attached to the ceiling mount and the plastic may crack. If this occurs, the projector may fall from its mounting. Locations where these exposures are most likely to occur include near kitchens or near exhaust extraction fans. What are the hazards? If a projector falls from its ceiling or wall mounting, it may cause an injury to a user or a bystander. What should consumers do? Consumers who have a projector installed in an environment such as near a kitchen or an exhaust extraction fan should contact Epson on 1300 655 723 (Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm) to seek advice and, if necessary, arrange for a site inspection. Consumers with affected projectors will be given a free inspection service and the installation of a safety wire to secure the projector to the ceiling mount. Supplier Epson Australia Pty Ltd

See productsafety.gov.au for Australian product recall information

Examples of affected models

TECHNOLOGY // VIEWSONIC

VIEWSONIC’S VIEWBOARD PROMOTES INCREASED WIRELESS CONNECTIVITY AND COLLABORATION IN THE CLASSROOM. With schools working across multiple platforms and supporting student devices with various operating systems, ViewSonic’s product manager, Michael Zhang, tells Education Matters that it is common for teachers to want their interactive learning displays to support wireless casting to complement their whiteboarding functionality. It was this drive to simplify things for educators that inspired ViewSonic to make its whiteboarding and vCast Software Suites on its ViewBoard Interactive Displays device agnostic and easy to use. ViewSonic’s ViewBoard boast a myriad of

ViewSonic’s ViewBoard allows for interactive learning within the classroom.

Improved collaboration with interactive displays in the classroom features including a bright and sharp 4K display, 20 points of touch, excellent wired and wireless connectivity, eye-care technologies, powerful and clear speakers, a powerful internal processor powered by Android which drives PC-free operation and internet connectivity to name a few. To add to the ViewBoard and its whiteboarding prowess, ViewSonic have designed the vCast wireless collaboration software to support all BYOD devices. vCast will facilitate wireless casting of multiple devices simultaneously with content displayed via a split screen. “We want our whiteboard solutions to be simple and easy to use to encourage both teachers and students to utilise the classroom devices in an engaging and effective manner,” Zhang says. “At ViewSonic we strongly believe that technology has a major role to play in enhancing

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the pedagogy. The wireless screen sharing allows for further interaction and engagement,” says Zhang. “It does this by supporting two-way sharing between the ViewBoard and student devices. It can also wirelessly show content on multiple ViewBoards, or other displays.” Zhang reminisces that the idea of interactive displays first stemmed from digital projectors. “We have come a long way since then with interactivity now embedded in LCD Flat Panels (like TV’s) that are bright and easy to maintain. No need to worry about calibrating or changing lamps.” Zhang explains. “We also wanted to make sure that while connectivity and collaboration are important, we provided an impressive digital whiteboard application that can help support teachers in developing, presenting and improving their lesson plans and templates.” ViewBoard is designed for school

environments, and can be readily connected to school networks. They are flexible enough to be deployed in a variety of classroom settings, such as on motorised height adjustable wall mounts or mobile trollies to support group learning. They also require little to no maintenance over their life-span, so teachers don’t need to worry about their classroom being out of action. Teachers today can walk up to the ViewBoard, import all of their content needed for the lesson and begin teaching without delay or fuss. Classrooms that adopt “team teaching” have more than one interactive display which can show the same content via vCast. There is a growing trend for additional displays in classrooms, and the vCast application allows students and teachers alike to share content and presentations over multiple displays. For schools with multiple ViewBoard displays, remote management is easily supported via the ViewSonic vController software. Following a year of disruption in the classroom, Zhang says that the experience of remote teaching is

“At ViewSonic we strongly believe that technology has a major role to play in enhancing the pedagogy. The wireless screen sharing allows for further interaction and engagement.” like a preview of what classrooms will be like in the future. “We have to ensure the technology going into classrooms supports the varying styles of lesson delivery that could be required at any point in the future,” Zhang highlights. “This means ensuring that classrooms can support collaboration with students within the physical classroom, students joining the classroom virtually, and a hybrid of both. And all the while,

we need to provide an equitable experience for all students. I think technology is the perfect platform to enable this to happen. Now teachers have the technology to deliver a lesson via video whether remotely or in a classroom. This also bridges a lot of challenges students face in a physical classroom,” Zhang says. “Of course, there are other key areas outside of technology that need to be addressed, such as: on-going training, support and upgrading of infrastructure to ensure that classroom technology can be utilised confidently and to its full potential.” To support those in the education sector adopting new technologies, Zhang says ViewSonic is committed to making its products user friendly and ready for the changing landscapes within today’s classrooms. EM

Buyer’s Guide ViewSonic Ph: 02 9410 2522 Email: Tracey.gear@au.viewsonic.com Web: viewsonic.com/au

ViewBoard is designed for school environments, and can be readily connected to school networks.

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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT // EXPERT CONTRIBUTOR

Selecting words for teaching print? Consider productive oral language vocabulary VOCABULARY KNOWLEDGE IS ONE OF THE STRONGEST PREDICTORS OF LITERACY OUTCOMES ACROSS THE SCHOOL YEARS, ACCORDING TO DR CLARANCE GREEN.

E Dr Clarence Green currently lectures in the School of Education at the Berwick campus of Federation University Australia. Dr Green has published and taught in areas of the cognitive psychology of language, literacy instruction, language development, corpus linguistics, disciplinary literacy, stylistics and English grammar.

Research has shown that a student’s vocabulary size and the depth of knowledge they have about these words correlates with performance across not only in English class but across subject areas and year levels. Developing a student’s vocabulary is a crucial part of the literacy teacher’s day, given how essential it is for a child’s success in school. Children at school entry display very wide diversity in vocabulary knowledge and this gap is difficult to close and thereby contributes to social inequality. Of course, readers of this magazine and literacy teachers generally are well aware of the importance of vocabulary and do not need to be convinced. The issues more pertinent and discussed in this contribution are how do we help grow a child’s vocabulary? What words do we teach and how do we teach them? What words should we start with when teaching the printed word during the transition to literacy? These are not easy questions to answer and teachers and researchers have been investigating how we might design optimal vocabulary instruction for at least the past 100 years. We do not have the complete picture yet but have been able to draw some good guidance from the research literature. One piece of the puzzle is to consider the

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frequency of the vocabulary item in the language and in particular texts that children read at school. A word that is often encountered is clearly one that will be useful for a range of communicative tasks compared to a word that is rarely spoken, heard or read. Researchers have been able to generate wordlists based on frequency for the English language and other languages to be a professional resources for teachers, a good example being the sight-word lists commonly used in primary and ECE. Another pedagogy is the Three Tiers model, developed in the US and increasingly popular in Australia, in which teachers reflect on a text that students are using for some literacy outcome and, in the context of this text and lesson and at the point of need for their students, target the Tier 2 words in that text. These are those words that are essential for comprehension of the text, those which the students do not know, and those that will be useful across the curriculum generally (in this model, Tier 1 words are high frequency and already known, and tier 3 words subject area vocabulary that can be targeted in the subject area). Another model of vocabulary selection based in the research is to teach the vocabulary known by the majority of students in a particular agecohort to those at the grade below and/or those with smaller vocabularies in the same grade.

Researchers have been able to generate wordlists based on frequency for the English language and other languages to be a professional resources for teachers, a good example being the sight-word lists commonly used in primary and ECE. This pool of words are good candidates for vocabulary within or close to the Zone of Proximal Development for the target learners. For the initial words teachers may want to choose for early orthographic development, i.e. teaching the printed word, it is recommended to draw on the children’s oral language ability. But, we have limited information about the words children know coming into school and that are productive in their oral language communicative repertoire. Nor do we have good information on the diversity in this vocabulary knowledge amongst children. My current research at Federation University, School of Education, has been investigating what this vocabulary knowledge might look like and how we might profile for teachers the words that we might expect most children to know at approximately school entry (approximately aged five), and what words are unknown or likely to not to be known by those with smaller vocabularies. When we teach reading and writing, it is best to use the oral language resource of a child to leverage literacy development since it makes it easy for children to learn the printed representation of a word that they already use. This is because they already know the meaning and sound of the word for which they are learning to read and write, and so not having to learn all these at once. Recently published in the Australian Journal of Education, teachers might find useful when choosing the words for initial print development, ‘The oral language productive vocabulary profile of children starting school: A resource for teachers’. This article

Developing a student’s vocabulary is a crucial part of the literacy teacher’s day, given how essential it is for a child’s success in school.

and accompanying resource profiles the words used by children in their oral language communication, based on a sample of approximately 3.6 million words produced by children five years-old or under. The resource lists 2767 words containing highly productive vocabulary known by most children, as well as words in more advanced vocabularies and useful targets for those with smaller vocabularies. Words not only the list are very unlikely to be known by children coming to school, and bets avoided as exemplars when teaching initial reading and writing. The list contains words that can form the target for print activities ranging from the very productive stuff, mess, hair, show, tell, farm, moon, to the more complex airborne, delicate, mighty, curious, nouns such as manager, theatre, alien, nonsense. Having such a profile of potential already productive oral language vocabulary helps us understand children’s oral language, knowing what

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they are likely and less likely to know when choosing pedagogical targets for print literacy. Of course, this list is not a vocabulary curriculum- it is a professional resource that can assist word selection as it shows us which words like have semantic (meaning) and phonological (sound) representation that we might want to use to map the printed word to. The words children need to succeed in school are not only those in their oral language vocabulary, however. Their vocabulary development needs to be supported from rich and extensive literacy experiences on a daily basis. EM Green, C. The oral language productive vocabulary profile of children starting school: A resource for teachers. Australian Journal of Education, https://doi.org10.1177/0004944120982771

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT // EXPERT CONTRIBUTOR

The important role of supervising teachers to improve Indigenous educational outcomes DR TRACY WOODROFFE EXPLAINS THE POWER OF EQUIPPING PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS WITH SUFFICIENT EXPERIENCE IN INDIGENOUS CONTEXT.

Pre-service teachers look to their supervising teachers for guidance and see them as examples of good practitioners. This is the accountability that supervising teachers carry in return for their supervision payment. Some might argue that they supervise purely for the love of it, and their dedication to the profession. Whatever the case, the responsibility of

Dr Tracy Woodroffe is a Warumungu Luritja woman with years of experience in the field of education - Early Childhood, Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary. The majority of that time has been spent in the classroom teaching and in associated leadership roles. She is a lecturer at Charles Darwin University who coordinates, develops and delivers teacher education units about teaching Indigenous learners and the importance of Indigenous knowledge in education.

Dr Woodroffe reveals that pre-service teachers look to their supervising teachers for guidance.

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demonstrating professional practice is not to be underestimated. This becomes even more relevant considering the 2018 Network of Academic Directors of Professional Experience (NADPE) Report findings about Indigenous-specific Australian professional standards for teachers 1.4 and 2.4 regarding knowing Indigenous content and how to teach it and knowing Indigenous students and how they learn.

There is a need for more Indigenous-specific specialised aspects of Initial Teacher Education.

PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND THE POTENTIAL OF SUPERVISING TEACHERS The NADPE Report, commissioned by the Australia Council of Deans of Education, investigated pre-service teacher practicum experience, and determined that pre-service teachers were not being given sufficient experience in Indigenous contexts, that pre-service teachers were still reporting to feel unconfident or underprepared to teach Indigenous learners, and that it was highly unlikely for supervising teachers to even mention standards 1.4 and 2.4 to their pre-service teacher. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE TEACHING PROFESSION? It means that there is untapped potential for supervising teachers to change the current situation and help lead the charge in improving pre-service teacher capacity, and ultimately impacting on Indigenous educational outcomes. This cannot happen without initial teacher education providers sharpening their focus on Indigenous outcomes, in line with Federal Government annual NAPLAN reporting and Closing the Gap 2020 revised targets. I would also argue that it cannot happen without Indigenous educators’ input and mentoring. INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE AND PERSPECTIVE Indigenous educators are in the unique position of being able to see the Australian education system through two world views. They know what is expected by western standards and can also see the areas of need pertaining to improving educational outcomes for

Indigenous students. This knowledge is a cultural understanding that is important to Indigenous people but perhaps invisible to someone else. While this is the case, Indigenous educators should not be expected to shoulder the responsibility for educational change. Without a consensus and action, the current system will continue unchecked and be a mediocre version of something that could be truly inspiring. As recommended in the NADPE Report, more research is required into the Indigenous-specific specialised aspects of Initial Teacher Education and opportunities to improve the communication and professional development between pre-service teachers and supervising teachers. The Australian Indigenous Lecturers in Initial Teacher Education Association (AILiTEA) was set up to advise the Australian Council of Deans of Education (ACDE) about this specialised aspect of Initial Teacher Education. AILiTEA was developed as one of the key professional mechanisms required for success of the More Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Teachers Initiatives (MATSITI), which ended in 2016, citing the need for many more Australian Indigenous Lecturers in Initial Teacher Education to be identified, and the necessity for an association of expert Indigenous educators to advise on such matters. CONDITIONS FOR CHANGE Indigenous educator voice and mentoring, working in conjunction with supervising teachers and pre-service teachers focusing on Australian professional standards for teachers 1.4 and 2.4, while departments and initial

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teacher education providers sharpen their focus on improved Indigenous educational outcomes should create ideally optimal conditions for positive change. As usual there are limitations to consider and prepare for. The first limitation could be the small numbers represented in this workforce of Indigenous educators to provide comment, support or mentoring. Added to this is the fact that not all Indigenous educators may wish to participate or take on the extra load. Secondly, to make impact and effect change, you must be participating in the system in question. Therefore, Indigenous voice and mentoring would need to be translated across into system processes already in place. There is not always a direct translation. For example, it may be difficult to transpose Indigenous voice to fit within the standards, or for the importance of this to be understood. Indigenous educator mentoring may have cultural elements that are not necessarily recognised in current leadership pathways. A third limitation could be a lack of knowledge about what is already in place or under development in various state education departments and initial teacher education providers to improve Indigenous educational outcomes. A differentiated approach would be required to achieve the best results. Reiterating the NADPE Report findings, more research is essential into practicum experience and the impact on teacher confidence and capacity in demonstrating professional standards 1.4 and 2.4. These two professional standards are not the only ones that are relevant to the success of Indigenous students, but they are the two recognised Indigenousspecific standards that reinforce the importance of Indigenous culture in education. They are a baseline, or a benchmark of professional practice and it is not unreasonable that they should be a starting point for transformation. Australia has a bright future and Indigenous students should feel that they are a part of that. It begins with education and the opportunities that arise from educational success. Supervising teachers (non-Indigenous and Indigenous) in collaboration with Indigenous colleagues, are important players in the development of a culturally responsive teaching workforce. The examples that they set for pre-service teachers are crucial. EM

CURRICULUM // IG3 EDUCATION

Teaching made simple with educational software solutions AFTER A DISRUPTED YEAR IN THE CLASSROOM DUE TO COVID-19, IG3 EDUCATION KNOWS THE IMPORTANCE OF SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS FOR TEACHERS TO ACCESS TO THEIR STUDENTS’ WORK, AT SCHOOL OR ONLINE.

IG3 Education has evolved into a leading education solutions specialist company that has delivered cutting edge education and technology programs to schools and kindergartens since 2001. Today, the company has shifted its focus from designing education solutions software to a full range of interactive hardware and software solutions. Part of its extensive range of products is IG3 Maths and English software. With a passion for transforming education, IG3 products properly assesses students through its programs. IG3 Education Chief Executive Officer Tony Church, who has more than 25 years experience in the sector, says the products’ major strengths is their ability to effectively deliver curriculum and

IG3 Education is dedicated to advancing its use of different tools to instruct, test, review and teach students.

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online resources. “Every learning plan is focused on the individual learner, so looking at this kind of solution takes the worry out of making sure everyone is on the same level. The system does it for you,” Church says. The IG3 Maths software uses an integrated multi-dimensional teaching (IMTA), which is a technology that utilises proprietary intelligent technology algorithms to determine a student’s subject knowledge and foundational level understanding. The program provides individualised learning plans for each student based on their multidimensional assessment, eliminating the teacher’s struggle to keep up with all the varied learning

rates of their students. “If a student is in Year 6, you can run a full assessment of the student on the entire maths curriculum,” Church explains. “Based on the requirements for Year 6 maths, it will then go back through all the topic areas and determine the proficiency level the student is at. “For example, if the student missed the basic concept of common dominators in Year 3, the system will take them back to that level of proficiency and an automated learning plan is prepared. The student will follow that and be brought up to the required level, whilst continuous progress reports are made available to the teacher.” By aiming to pin-point any learning gaps that the students may have developed over their learning career, the IG3 English system similarly delivers individualised learning within set boundaries. The teacher can also set specific learning plans for the student. “The English product follows a similar format to IG3 Maths, where it also assesses the student’s knowledge and proficiency level. However, a key feature is that the system is also able to test students beyond their year level. By doing this you give

“Every learning plan is focused on the individual learner, so looking at this kind of solution takes the worry out of making sure everyone is on the same level. The system does it for you.” opportunity for more gifted students to also excel with better resources,” Church says. Following the recent impacts of COVID-19 on the education system, IG3 Education has seen the growing shift towards online resources in the classroom and a spike in software sales. The company’s goal is to continue focusing on what it does in education solutions and working towards being more of a software delivery platform. With hardware becoming more of a commodity

IG3 Education takes the stress of teaching away and delivers free basic training.

The IG3 Maths software uses technology to determine a student’s subject knowledge and foundational level understanding.

and needing to be replaced on a regular basis, Church sees the access to information and online software as the key to education delivery. “IG3 Education will continue focusing on the education sector and whilst we’ve come a long way, we believe there is still a lot of work to be done,” he says. “Content that you have available today will change. The key now is to stay on top of it. We have a team of five people who only focus on our education solutions and software site, making sure that it’s up to speed at all times and has the latest versions of security certificates implemented, and ensuring the content remains operable on all platforms.” IG3 Education takes the stress of teaching away and delivers free basic training for both its hardware and software solutions. Church takes pride in knowing that the company’s service delivery and training is of a high

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standard, and critical to ensuring its solutions are effective. “We have always provided free basic training on our products for schools. We generally do this in face-to-face sessions or online, and we will continue to do that because it is important for us to know that schools are using our products effectively,” he says. By continuing to provide teachers with structured and comprehensives programs, that is backed by high-quality solutions, IG3 Education is dedicated to advancing its use of different tools to instruct, test, review and teach students. EM

Buyer’s Guide IG3 Education Ph: 1800 334 633 Email: info@ig3education.com.au Web: ig3education.com.au

CURRICULUM // EXPERT CONTRIBUTOR

The great 2020 school transport challenge DOMINIC LUDDY, GHD TEAM LEADER FOR ENGAGEMENT, COMMUNICATION AND COMMUNITIES, EXPLAINS HOW IN JANUARY 2020 HIS TEAM WAS PLANNING ITS STEAM DESIGN CHALLENGES, PLANTING EXCURSIONS AND SITE VISITS FOR LOCAL SCHOOL GROUPS WHEN COVID-19 STRUCK.

Dominic Luddy is GHD Team Leader for its Engagement, Communication and Communities team, and is supporting the Major Transport Infrastructure Authority and North East Link Project to develop a long-term approach to school engagement in Victoria.

The massive upheaval of 2020 and the pandemic could simply have led us to down tools. Instead (perhaps it comes from mixing with engineers) we decided to go to work on solutions to keep in touch with students across the state. We are major transport projects in Victoria. North East Link, Level Crossing Removals, Metro Tunnel, West Gate Tunnel, Regional Rail Revival and a number of major road projects. Suburban Rail Loop and Melbourne Airport Rail are joining the family too. It’s an unprecedented investment in transport infrastructure for Victoria. But why the school focus and determination to keep in touch during the pandemic? These projects, many stretching ahead for years to come, are for them. Young Victorians deserve to understand what is happening and why, and to be able to get involved in shaping their future transport systems. And who knows, there could be a career there for them. There is a nationwide shortage of engineers, and we make it our job to promote the STEAM subjects that support this professional pathway. And of course, when these projects are happening just down the road, it’s vital to connect with students and their families. So how did we manage it last year? Often we had the carpet pulled from under us and just had to be agile to make a planned program work virtually – in the case of Regional Rail Revival, twice over! Regional Rail Revival partnered with Bendigo Tech School and other local partners to offer Design Challenge 2050 – a team-based competition for Years 5 to 8 in the Bendigo region. The challenge asked students for their ideas on the future of public transport, and to consider the

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question, “what does the smart and connected city of 2050 look like?” Originally designed as a face-to-face program, Design Challenge 2050 was eventually delivered almost entirely online, with students visiting the local tech school to access equipment to develop their prototypes and submissions. More than 100 students from seven schools participated in the challenge. The support of our partners proved invaluable and the subsequent online model now provides greater flexibility and scope for expansion – with strong support for rollout to other regional rail lines in 2021. The same challenge led the Regional Rail Revival project in Gippsland to rethink their planned engagement with primary schools as part of the Gippsland line upgrade.

Almost 200 students from two local primary schools joined a series of online events exploring the world of construction and improvements to Apex Park in Stratford as part of works for the new Avon River rail bridge. These included a competition, “my first day in the park”, and worksheets that encouraged safe behaviour around the new bridge and faster moving trains. Usually a magnet for school groups, the Metro Tunnel Project’s visitor centre in Melbourne’s CBD remained closed for most of 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic but schools could book online learning sessions which included a live Kahoot Quiz to test retention and add an element of competitive fun. This new offering was complemented by a big update to the Metro Tunnel Education Program website, adding a suite of new themed activities for kids to learn about about Victoria’s biggest ever public transport project. Projects trialled many different platforms to engage remotely – including Zoom and Webex but perhaps the most successful was Facebook Live, as demonstrated by the Metro Tunnel team. Sessional teacher Sian Fitzpatrick and Murphy Whitmore, one of the younger members of the digital team, ran a 20-minute session focussed on the big machines that build our tunnels. Up to 200 people joined the session live – comments and questions were hard to keep up with! – and the video of the event has been viewed more than 4,000 times. Use of online platforms has made a huge

Tree planting and learning about native species is in the curriculum for Belle Vue Primary School students.

difference in putting role models in front of students, and will doubtless continue to do so. Rail Academy (part of the Level Crossing Removal Project) partnered with Jacobs Engineering Group to deliver a webinar to female students from Years 7 to 10, where participants heard from some of Victoria’s foremost female industry leaders and completed a real time STEM design challenge. Their challenge was not a small one – building a new station and managing a budget while

contributing to sustainable development goals. All from the comfort of their own home. But home schooling doesn’t always mean being stuck indoors. Like most Victorian students, Belle Vue Primary School kids spent Term 3 learning at home – but that didn’t stop their sustainability group from getting their hands dirty! A team from the North East Link Project sent 19 students a native tree with a pack of supplies and ran an online lesson on how to care for their tree at home. When the students returned to school late last year, the project helped them plant their trees alongside more than 200 others planted earlier in the year. The trees are growing a denser, healthier understory around the school’s playing fields. So, as we look forward to a hopefully happier, healthier and more liberated 2021, what can schools and students in Victoria expect from these massive transport developments? As a family of projects within Victoria’s ‘Big Build’, we are taking it to the next level – developing brand new resources and working collaboratively to bring work-related learning and support for STEAM subjects to more students than ever from pre-school right through to secondary. We’re building partnerships with Tech Schools, careers organisations and leading players in the promotion of diversity to share the opportunities that our projects can bring with the broadest possible audience. EM

Students learn about tunnel boring machines on the Metro Tunnel website.

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CURRICULUM // EXPERT CONTRIBUTOR

Forgetting: The challenge of teaching mathematics WITH OVER 50 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN MATHEMATICS AND EDUCATION, DR CALVIN IRONS OFFERS HIS IDEAS TO HELP PREVENT FORGETTING MATHEMATICS.

Mathematics is a discipline of interconnected knowledge that is built on prior learning. Students are being asked to recall concepts, skills and procedures in order to successfully learn new material. Learning new content is next to impossible if pre-requisites have been forgotten. This makes the study of forgetting crucial. The initial, and still relevant, scientific studies involving forgetting were conducted by Hermann Ebbinghaus in 1886. He and psychologists since his initial work have researched methods to improve recall and use the diagram at the right to show how repeated visits to the content over a period of time, helps learners remember longer. It is counterproductive to teach content in large/long blocks. Teaching needs to revisit the

Dr Irons is the author/co-author of the award winning Stepping Stones F-6 mathematics curriculum.

Dr Calvin Irons has been involved in mathematics education for over 50 years. He started his career as a specialist teacher of mathematics in Iowa after completing his BA, and MA at the University of Northern Iowa in 1967. In 1975, he accepted a position at the Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia where he has been involved in the teaching and the development of mathematics curricula for primary schools.

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content in a planned cycle. This type of instruction is called spaced learning and has been shown as one of the most important influencing factors for retention. Spaced learning is the one overarching approach, but it does not give specific teaching strategies to be used within activities. The following ideas should be incorporated in the spaced learning approach. 1. USE A VARIETY OF REPRESENTATIONS – REAL WORLD, CONCRETE, PICTORIAL, WORDS (ORAL OR WRITTEN), AND SYMBOLS. One of the greatest contributors to forgetting, is the over-use of abstract symbols. Students remember when the material is linked to real world

One of the greatest contributors to forgetting, is the over-use of abstract symbols. Students remember when the material is linked to real world situations, concrete objects, or pictorial images. situations, concrete objects, or pictorial images. For example, students remember the steps to divide when the process is linked to sharing. Real context also makes it possible to use concrete materials to act out the steps. In the example at the right, money could be used to work out the answer. In the classroom, teachers will often use manipulatives to act out the steps. By using and connecting multiple representations, students are more likely to remember the process. 2. CONNECT NEW LEARNING TO WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN. Often, new ideas in mathematics are presented in isolation. For example, multiplication facts are important and can be mastered if they are taught as a group with the same overall thinking strategies. Visual

materials, like cards shown at the right, help students learn ‘x 2’ facts (2 x 3 = __, 2 x 4 = __, 2 x 5 = __, 2 x 6 __ and so on) using doubling. This helps students remember all the facts in the group of ‘x 2’ basic number facts. Once students are confident with all of the ‘x 2’ facts, they use doubling again to learn the ‘x 4’ facts. In this way students see that the ‘x 4’ facts can be learned using the same strategic thinking. 3. ENCOURAGE STUDENTS TO BE MORE INVOLVED IN THE LEARNING. This means that students should be more active to verbalise and describe more of what they are learning. Finally, re-visiting the content at strategic intervals means you can remember much more, for much longer. Do not be afraid to repeat discussions, with slight modifications. For example, address

the same computation in a different context, with food rather than money. In many current programs, symbols are introduced very early, perhaps because they are an efficient way of representing certain concepts. This can limit students’ understanding of the concept and what these symbols represent because the symbols don’t have meaning for the students yet. This greatly reduces their ability to make connections by applying their knowledge to new situations. At ORIGO we introduce symbols gradually, to build a deeper understanding of the concepts underlying abstract symbols. In this way, students are better equipped with the confidence and ability to apply mathematics in new and unfamiliar situations. We encourage you to see it for yourself and give it a try with the resources we have created for at home learning. Built along a developmental scope and sequence, teachers can share these weekly plans with parents to reinforce grade level skills and standards and stop the curve of forgetting in mathematics. EM

Co-founder of ORIGO Education and professor of mathematics education at the Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Dr Clavin Irons.

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AWARDS // RECONCILIATION AUSTRALIA

Derek Oram Sandy and Derek Oram Senior of Yerongpan Aboriginal Dancers share cultural knowledge and practices whilst visiting Barefoot Early Childhood.

Recognising outstanding reconciliation initiatives in education

RECONCILIATION AUSTRALIA’S NARRAGUNNAWALI AWARDS CELEBRATES THE ACTIONS SCHOOLS AND EARLY LEARNING SERVICES TAKE TO ESTABLISH MEANINGFUL AND RESOURCEFUL RELATIONSHIPS WITH ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER COMMUNITIES.

The Narragunnawali: Reconciliation in Education Awards is the only national awards program in Australia that recognises and celebrates educational environments implementing outstanding reconciliation initiatives. Reconciliation Australia, in partnership with the BHP Foundation, holds the awards every two years. General Manager Tessa Keenan says 2020 was an incredibly challenging for schools and early learning services. “COVID-19 presented some barriers to things like developing and maintaining relationships and being out in the community. We’re excited to learn how schools thought outside the box to overcome these challenges to maintain relationships and

their commitments to reconciliation,” Keenan says. “Taking a moment to reflect on the reconciliation journey and celebrate achievements helps to support a shared sense of pride and unity within the school community.” Covering schools across the Government, Catholic and independent sectors, finalists are acknowledged for the way they strengthen relationships, build respect, and provide meaningful opportunities in the classroom, around the school, and within the community. The winners of each category will receive $10,000 in prize money, the opportunity to be part of a short film, a feature article in the Narragunnawali newsletter, and a commemorative trophy, all in recognition and

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support of the school’s reconciliation measures. AWARD JUDGES This year’s judges—Geraldine Atkinson, Professor Peter Buckskin and Sharon Davis—have been involved since the first awards in 2017. Keenan emphasises that Reconciliation Australia is very humbled to have the judging panel it does for the third awards running. “Geraldine, Peter and Sharon individually and collectively have an incredible amount of knowledge and experience in education,” Keenan said. Geraldine Atkinson is a Bangerang/Wiradjuri woman, president of the Victorian Aboriginal Education Association Incorporated (VAEAI), and

advocate of early childhood education. She has devoted her career to expanding the possibilities available to Koorie people through education and has always regarded education as being the best instrument of progress. Professor Buckskin is a Narungga man from the Yorke Peninsula, South Australia. He has been passionate about the pursuit of educational excellence for Aboriginal people for more than 40 years. He is also the co-chair of Reconciliation South Australia and a fellow of the Australian College of Educators. Sharon Davis, is a proud Aboriginal woman from the Bardi and Kija peoples of the Kimberley committed to enhancing the education experience for Aboriginal students, families and communities. She is the Director of Education at the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, trustee of the Roberta Sykes Indigenous Education Foundation, and a member of the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership’s Advisory Group for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education. Keenan explains that a key part of celebrating the achievements of the schools is sharing them with the broader community. “When the judges visit the finalists of the Narragunnawali Awards, they will also be accompanied by a small film crew from Wirrim Media, who will be capturing these reconciliation stories, so that we can share them with all schools and early learning services across the country to hopefully encourage their next steps,” she says. PREVIOUS NARRAGUNNAWALI AWARD WINNERS 2019 schools category winner, Maclean High School, located in northern New South Wales was commended for developing strong, longstanding and ongoing relationships with their local community. As a result, the school has enabled respectful consultation and collaboration with local elders and the Aboriginal community to implement strong cross-curricula learning projects with a focus on local perspectives. Since winning the award, the school has developed digital resources for staff and students. In the first year of the awards in 2017, Queanbeyan Public School was awarded for its display of deep and broad relationships with its community, and creating a palpable sense that Aboriginal and Torres Strait people, histories, and cultures are an integral part of the school and its environment.

EDUCATION LEADS RECONCILIATION The 2021 State of Reconciliation in Australia report, a landmark report produced by Reconciliation Australia every four years, shows that the role of education is a driving force in the reconciliation movement. It shows that 80 per cent of Australians believe it is important for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures to be taught in schools and speaks directly to actions educators and educational institutions can be doing in this area. In order to be eligible for the Narragunnawali Awards, schools and early learning services wishing to apply must have a published Narragunnawali RAP. Schools that haven’t yet started the process of developing a RAP, can do so at narragunnawali.org.au Applications are now open until midnight on 30

April 2021. Narragunnawali is a word from the language of the Ngunnawal people, traditional owners and custodians of the land and waterways of the area on which Reconciliation Australia’s Canberra office is located. Keenan says the process of nominating a school or putting together an application is part of the celebration too. “It’s an opportunity to reflect on acknowledge the hard work that goes into creating social and cultural change, implementing initiatives, maintaining relationships and building respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and perspectives right across the school,” Keenan highlights. EM

2019 schools category Narragunnawali Awards winners Maclean High School (NSW).

NAwardsWorkshop: Narragunnawali Awards 2019 finalist awards workshop.

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BEYOND THE CLASSROOM // WILL PLAY The Urban Warrior Range is built to handle anything that students can throw at them.

Re-engaging students in play through high-quality premium playground equipment

FROM A START-UP EIGHT YEARS AGO, TO ONE OF AUSTRALIA’S PREMIUM MANUFACTURERS TODAY, WILLPLAY HAS LED THE MARKET WITH ITS PLAYGROUND DESIGNS. With so many schools focused on sustainability, Nathan Lee, General Manager of the family-owned and operated WillPlay, says that the use of quality, sustainable materials in playgrounds shouldn’t come at an extra cost. The Bundaberg-based company designs and manufactures playground and outdoor fitness equipment for use in schools, parks, hospitality and other commercial sectors. Lee tells Educations Matters that WillPlay’s differing factor is that not only does it do custom designs, but it is committed to offering only premium materials. “We use aluminium, stainless steel and Australian-sourced recycled plastics. What other

companies offer as an upgrade at an additional cost, we offer as a standard product off the shelf,” Lee explains. Lee says the company takes pride in removing the worry out of new investments by offering complete turnkey solutions, tailored to meet customer’s specific site and budgetary requirements. With a commitment to high-quality, environmentally friendly Australian-made products, WillPlay works hard to offers exceptional value, quality and after sales service. “WillPlay can also custom design and build a system to suit any budget and make [a school’s] wildest ideas come to life. We offer a complete

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manufacture and installation service. We can project manage all aspects of your project from design through to construction and maintenance,” Lee highlights. “We offer complete open space recreation solutions including equipment, shade, installation and softfall surfacing.” WillPlay’s passionate teams have extensive experience in the design, development and manufacturing of playground and fitness equipment, designed specifically for the Australian market. Using its in-house manufacturing facility, WillPlay are continuously developing new product designs and uses for materials to offer industry

leading designs and play value. “We have installed at least 1500 playgrounds around Australia. One of the biggest premium projects we designed and installed from scratch was in Western Australia which was an eight-metre tall, custom-designed light house,” says Lee. “We have installed a lot of our Urban Warrior range, which is designed to engage students of all ages.

“With an emphasis on activities that develop cardio-vascular fitness and improve core strength, the Urban Warrior range can help with a student’s overall fitness, strength, and posture.” WillPlay’s Urban Warrior Range is inspired by obstacle courses, combining the best of play and fitness equipment. Manufactured from WillPlay’s premium materials including stainless steel, aluminium, recycled plastics and timber composites, the Urban Warrior Range is built to handle anything that students can throw at them. “With an emphasis on activities that develop cardio-vascular fitness and improve core strength, the Urban Warrior range can help with a student’s overall fitness, strength, and posture,” says Lee Lee notes that improved core strength and posture has been linked to higher concentration levels and improved educational outcomes in students of all ages. The system also encourages social engagement and can add an element of competitiveness. “Following the rise in popularity of television shows promoting similar obstacle course activities, the Urban Warrior system really encourages activity,” Nathan says. As an added benefit, WillPlay’s Urban Warrior range can be incorporated into a school’s Physical Education program. The structured flow of the course allows students to be benchmarked and compare their own results/improvements in fitness over a defined period of time. With the increased emphasis on physical challenge and movement, this system encourages activity even among older students, as they start

WillPlay’s Urban Warrior Range is inspired by obstacle courses, combining the best of play and fitness equipment.

WillPlay is committed to offering only premium materials when building its building playgrounds and outdoor fitness equipment.

getting too old for traditional playgrounds. “With these students no longer feeling the need to play, Urban Warrior encourages activity and social interaction beyond the play years,” Lee highlights. The individual elements can be set as a closed circuit, or scattered around a larger area, creating a cross-country style training course. Encouraging students to move between elements can improve cardio-vascular fitness and helps achieve the minimum daily movement that many students are missing out on in today’s world. With momentum building around WillPlay’s playground and fitness designs, Lee is confident that

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the company will continue to grow and be Australia’s premium outdoor play and fitness brand. “Despite some companies out there using digital technologies to entice students to get out and play, we have a strong focus on the more traditional way,” says Lee. “We want to get kids out there and engaging with themselves, friends and the equipment.” EM

Buyer’s Guide Will Play Ph: 1300 132 047 Email: info@willplay.com.au Web: willplay.com.au

BEYOND THE CLASSROOM // PLAYGROUND IDEAS

Teaching what can’t be taught: Nüdel Kart NON-PROFIT PLAYGROUND IDEAS HAD A MISSION 12 YEARS AGO TO BUILD OVER 40 PLAYGROUNDS FOR REFUGEE CHILDREN ON THE THAI - MYANMAR BORDER AND THIS BIRTHED A MOVEMENT WHICH HAS NOW IMPACTED 2.3 MILLION CHILDREN IN OVER 143 COUNTRIES.

From this heritage Playground Ideas created a new tool which has just won two Australian good design awards and is supporting teachers across Australia to run creative, STEM-based play programs for students in and out of the classroom. In 2007, founder and chief executive officer, Marcus Veerman established Playground Ideas to provide schools and communities all over the

world with the free tools and resources they need to build a DIY playground. However, Veerman saw a gap in their offering. “We help thousands of grassroots communities create customised play and learning spaces every year, but for various reasons that model doesn’t work for everyone,” Veerman says.

Playground Ideas wanted a way it could make a high impact change in children’s development quickly and in an affordable way. With the help of a Belgian STEM toy designer, Emma Ribbens, the pair co-designed a product that is a highly stimulating, mobile play and learning space that encourages selfdirected creative exploration. And so, the Nüdel Kart was born.

The students at Buchan Primary School used problem solving and negotiation to build more than just vehicles.

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Collaboration and communication are key to some of the best ideas and creations.

Students can use the kart to develop and connect structures using ingenuity and engineering.

The Nüdel Kart is a deconstructable, mobile play kart that explodes into a research-backed loose parts space that children can explore with billions of different combinations. “On top of this we worked really hard with teachers to make it compact to store and simple to pack up by children so it really is a huge support in the learning process,” Veerman explains. About the size of a large shopping trolley and designed for up to 30 children, three to 12-yearolds, the Nüdel Kart is designed to trust a child’s unstoppable urge to explore, experiment, and imagine. In this environment the children naturally focus on creativity, leadership and the foundational

STEM skills, including problem solving, innovation, invention, social skills and negotiation. “Information is now easily attainable but it’s these core skills which students need to practise daily to thrive in everyday life.” Veerman states. “Unlike recycled “junk” loose parts, there is not a single piece in the kart that the child can identify as a known object, and therefore the child has to invent meaning on-the-fly which really sets their brains alight.” Compared to most construction and STEM toys where there is an obvious order and way to do things, Veerman designed the kart with a combination of order and some deliberate chaos thrown in.

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“There is a rigid mathematical pattern in the design so the parts fit together beautifully but not always in the ways a child might expect. The kart doesn’t tell kids how to put things together or to create anything;, it’s all up to their imagination and creativity to guide them,” Veerman says. “Say you want to put two pieces together, but the holes only line up in certain places. This encourages the child to stop and consider what else they have around them to fulfil the goal they have set themselves, they may also need to negotiate with another child who has the parts they need or even merge their ideas which we see a lot.” Nüdel Kart creates a rich environment for a child to dramatically build their skills in a self-directed way which builds their confidence and their own agency over learning. “Agency is a skill teachers can’t teach because as soon as you start teaching it, it’s not agency anymore, that’s the paradoxical nature of encouraging independent learning. It has to be driven intrinsically by the child in a stimulating environment that they are attracted to,” Veerman highlights. Self directed learning allows teachers to stand back and observe children learning naturally and to know exactly where that student is at. “They can springboard from those observations into the curriculum using the child’s momentum instead of their own, which can be really exciting for a teacher,” Veerman explains. Due to the kart being used for a whole classroom “all that learning is embedded in a deeply social context so they are practising crucial social skills at the same time, so you get this holistic, double benefit”. In an education system like Australia’s, where the curriculum has become increasingly over-scheduled and the wellbeing of students is more important than ever, Playground Ideas strives to see children have more time to express themselves freely and choose the areas they want to explore every day at school. EM

Buyer’s Guide Playground Ideas Ph: 0432 738 719 Email: nudel@playgroundideas.org Web: playgroundideas.org

BEYOND THE CLASSROOM // MODERN TEACHING AIDS

The building blocks of essential skills for students MODERN TEACHING AIDS IS PROUD TO HAVE BEEN A SUPPLIER OF LEGO® EDUCATION TO SCHOOLS IN AUSTRALIA FOR OVER 10 YEARS, PROVIDING HANDS-ON SOLUTIONS FOR TEACHING STEM AND 21ST CENTURY SKILLS.

LEGO® Education’s new tech-free hands-on solution, BricQ Motion, engages primary and secondary students in STEAM learning as they discover physical science in action. BricQ explores the science of forces and motion within a playful sports context while fostering creativity and developing engineering and math skills. BricQ Essential is targeted at Primary School, while BricQ prime is

BricQ Motion is a 523-piece set that includes four mini-figures and a variety of uncomplicated-build elements.

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BricQ Motion engages primary and secondary students in STEAM learning.

targeted at High School. LEGO® Education BricQ Motion Essential is aimed at giving primary students the experience of working with elements such as gears, levers, axles and pulleys to plan and conduct investigations in the context of sports. Split into two levels, lower and upper primary, students in the younger years use the tool to determine whether design solutions are able to change the speed or direction of an object with a push or a pull. Modern Teaching Aids Content Manager Cazz Read tells Educations Matters how BricQ can be implemented into the classroom. “It is a tool that can be introduced in the early years, and then used to grow and develop new skills,” Read explains. “The whole intention of the product is that you can get the essential kit, and start with lower primary, introducing those physical science concepts. Then you can build on them in upper primary before moving onto the secondary program, which aligns with the LEGO® Education philosophy of a learning continuum.” This introductory STEAM experience offers two units of seven to eight standards-aligned lessons, one each for the lower and upper primary grades. The lessons include everything from videos

and printable worksheets that excite and inspire students, through to lesson plans, teacher videos, assessment rubrics and mathematics and language arts extensions tho support teachers. BricQ Motion Essential offers engaging, sportsthemed curriculum units ‘Train to Win’ and ‘Winning with Science’, where students try out new sports, meet sports heroes while exploring key science concepts such as push and pull, forces and patterns of motion. The set is a 523-piece set that includes four minifigures and a variety of uncomplicated-build elements. LEGO® designed the colour-coded sorting trays to guide the building process and make it easy for teachers and students to clean up at the end of class. The set also includes replacement parts and two printed building instructions booklets. Read emphasises that the new product not only allows more blended learning in the classroom, but opens the door to possibilities beyond the walls of the classroom. BricQ enables educators to continue delivering STEAM curricula within a playful sports context while driving strong learning outcomes in a blended learning environment. BricQ is highly-engaging, but also builds

Modern Teaching Aids has been supplying LEGO® Education to schools in Australia for over 10 years.

valuable skills. “It has taken the LEGO® Education name and brand that all the kids know and love, and once more implemented theory and education curriculum around it,” says Read. EM

Buyer’s Guide Modern Teaching Aids Ph: 1800 251 497 Email: sales@teaching.com.au Web: teaching.com.au

BricQ allows students to explore the science of forces and motion.

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BEYOND THE CLASSROOM // DREAM CITY

Inspiring students for the careers of the future

STUDENTS CAN EXPERIENCE DIFFERENT CAREERS FIRST-HAND AT DREAMCITY.

Imagine a place where students can code robots, operate flight stimulators, fight virtual fires, perform surgery and even produce television programs. This is all possible at DreamCity, a new hitech edutainment venue in Melbourne’s CBD that seeks to educate, entertain and inspire students from 3-13 years of age. It is Melbourne’s ultimate excursion destination where Science, Technology, Engineering, The Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) collide in an explosion of fun. A unique concept in “edutainment”, DreamCity allows students to explore a range of careers through highly interactive activities. All activities have been designed by teachers and support the Victorian Curriculum and general capabilities. Students have the opportunity to use critical and creative thinking and fine motor skills. Everything is designed to encourage students to interact with Information and Communication Technology and engage literacy and numeracy skills. “An excursion to DreamCity is a dream come true for educators,” says Michelle Hortle, General Manager and Education Specialist at DreamCity.

“The hard work is done for you. All our activities are aligned to the curriculum. It gives authentic opportunities for assessment of speaking and listening and the Personal and Social Capabilities. “It enables students to experience realworld, hands-on learning encouraging students to keep an open mind about what their futures might hold.” Students may find their calling within the DreamCity production studios, as a TV presenter, Podcast host or the Technical or Creative Director behind the scenes. For those interested in design and coding, students can explore the possibilities of programming and engineering all under the supervision of the DreamLeaders. “Our staff (DreamLeaders) are extensively trained to deliver a quality program that will have students pushing boundaries and experiencing things we could only have dreamed of at the same age,” Hortle says. “The magic of DreamCity is something we are lucky enough to witness everyday, but it lasts well beyond the activities here. Teachers and parents tell us about the impact they see at school, or even at home.”

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“It enables students to experience real-world, hands-on learning encouraging students to keep an open mind about what their futures might hold.” DreamCity airlines transforms the students into trainee pilots where they must undertake rigorous training in flight school before taking to the sky in the flight stimulators. Here, students learn about aerodynamics and the physics of flight. In the virtual reality studio, students put on an Oculus Rift S headset and enter a world of creativity, where the options are endless and STEAM skills are put to the test. For schools who teach units about communities, DreamCity has everything you need, including traditional career paths such as nursing and firefighting, but with a futuristic spin. As a neonatal nurse, students experience what it’s like to care for babies – weighing, measuring,

DreamCity airlines transforms the students into trainee pilots with its flight stimulators.

In the virtual reality studio, students put on an Oculus Quest headset and enter a world of creativity.

At Dream City fire station students can fight fires by using equipment used by firefighters in real emergencies.

and feeding. As young surgeons, students can perform a laparoscopy, or as junior firefighters they can gain an understanding of the chemistry of fire and learn how to fight fires though augmented reality. “We know students learn best when they have hands on experiences. At DreamCity all our pods use real equipment,” Hortle highlights. “In our surgery, students are using the authentic laparoscopic training units that doctors use in their university training. At our fire station we provide thermal imaging cameras, used by firefighters when attending a real emergency.” “It adds a level of authenticity to what we are doing and allows students to broaden their understanding of the opportunities ahead of them.” Hortle says her team loves the times where they see student’s faces light up, when they have those ‘aha moments’. “Ultimately, we want them to have fun. We want them to be entertained and inspired. The education comes along as a nice little by-product for the students, but the program at DreamCity also provides teachers with

complete curriculum alignment.” The newly opened DreamCity Sports Academy features an NBL approved DreamCourt surface, and is home to a range of agility, accuracy and fitness drills. There really is something for everyone. It’s no secret that STEAM is at the core of each of the experiences, providing hands-on opportunities to further students’ skills and knowledge in Science, Technology, Engineering, The Arts, and Mathematics. Students are guided through each of the experiences by DreamCity team members. Hortle says the activities aren’t about training students, but rather about giving them ideas about what their future could look like. “A student likes writing scripts, but isn’t a fan of being on the screen? Great! We want to show students that there are lots of opportunities in these fields, that are all equally important than those that

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first come to mind,” she says. “Our aim is not to create electrical engineers, surgeons or firefighters, but to simply inspire students with the possibilities their futures may present them with.” The DreamCity team strive to show students that there is more to a career than what meets the eye. “Our activities are preparing students for the future by broadening their STEAM skills so they can think critically, problem solve, work in a team and think outside the box,” says Hortle. EM

Buyer’s Guide DreamCity Ph: 03 9957 5912 Email: info@dreamcity.com.au Web: dreamcity.com.au

THE LAST WORD // Australian Curriculum

Are we taking our democracy for granted?

DAVID DE CARVALHO, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF THE AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM, SHEDS LIGHTS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF STUDENTS UNDERSTANDING AUSTRALIA’S DEMOCRACY.

Each year there is hand-wringing over NAPLAN results, and every three years the angst rises when the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) results are announced. But we don’t seem to have similar concerns over results showing students’ languishing skills, knowledge and understandings of our rights, legal obligations and shared values. Given what we’ve recently witnessed in the United States, we should be asking ourselves, “Why not?” The results of the 2019 assessments in the National Assessment Program – Civics and Citizenship (NAP–CC) are out. A sample of around 5,600 students in Year 6 and 4,500 students in Year 10 from 627 Australian schools answered questions based on the Civics and Citizenship content in the Australian Curriculum and completed a survey. The results provide valuable insight into students’ understanding and appreciation of democracy, civic processes and institutions, and how these are perceived. They are both encouraging and concerning. On one hand, survey results show a promising evolution of Year 6 and Year 10 students who are engaged citizens: they are concerned about our environment, they embrace the diverse values immigrants bring to our shores, and approximately 90 per cent of them expressed positive attitudes towards Indigenous cultures. They also paint a picture of a generation of students who are concerned about their planet and increasingly get involved in raising money for a charity or social cause. However, just 38 per cent of Year 10 students reached the national proficient

standard for knowledge in civics and citizenship. This figure has hovered around this mark consistently for many years and compares with a little over 50 per cent for Year 6 students. There appears to be a worryingly low level of understanding about, and appreciation for, our democratic institutions and why they are important. These are the institutions that underpin our society’s values around justice, fairness and equality of opportunity, and give our future generations the opportunity to shape their world. While literacy and numeracy are clearly important foundations, what are they the foundations for if not for what the Alice Springs Education Declaration (signed by all education ministers in December 2019) refers to as one of the goals of schooling: active and informed members of our community? Schooling should help students develop curiosity about public affairs. We know teachers play a crucial role in supporting students’ understanding and interest in civics and citizenship. The report includes a dedicated chapter for teachers, which assists in how the Civics and Citizenship curriculum and the History curriculum can be used in teaching and learning of the skills and capabilities required to become “active and informed members of the community”. The chapter also includes exemplar questions and answers to help teachers. The tweens and teenagers surveyed are living through a momentous era in history. These are the digital natives who are being educated in a rapidly evolving world. We know they are engaged when it matters to them but there is no question, we want to lift these results.

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Some have suggested that this knowledge deficit is because issues of sustainability, such as the impact of carbon dioxide on the atmosphere (a scientific issue), are taking up too much space in terms of what is taught in the classroom. But that is a false dichotomy. It is like saying we want you to learn about the rules of tennis but not play the game. Learning about democratic processes and about issues that need to be discussed and decided on through those processes go hand in hand and are the basis of being a citizen in a democracy. We need to ensure all aspects of our values are understood and we cannot allow the quality of our public conversation on important matters of public policy to slip into slanging matches. It’s as if we’ve forgotten how to have respectful debate or are afraid to do so because it means engaging rationally with others with whom we disagree. We don’t have to look too far to see what the future might hold if our cultural resilience in the defence of civics and citizenship fails. A slippery slope of complacency can lead to the steps of the Capitol. It’s not too late. We can start by asking why the results are so poor and seeing if we can lift the proportion of our 15and 16-year-olds who know about and value our Australian democracy. EM

Education Services // THE LAST WORD

Technology key to classroom success during COVID-19

THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC TRIGGERED AN UNPRECEDENTED DISRUPTION TO AUSTRALIA’S SYSTEM OF CLASSROOM-BASED LEARNING, FORCING TEACHERS TO ADAPT, SAYS ANDREW SMITH, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF EDUCATION SERVICES AUSTRALIA. It is important to understand how the legacy of COVID-19 will continue to affect education in this country and to identify opportunities to build a more resilient education system, and one that is prepared to meet the challenges the future. Education Services Australia’s Voice of Education Research Report 2020 illuminates some of the unique challenges experienced by systems, sectors and classroom teachers as they were forced to adapt to new ways of teaching and learning. CONFIDENCE AND CAPABILITIES VARY One of the most significant findings was the wide variation in the capability and digital literacy of teachers and their confidence in deploying digital technologies to complement their teaching. Many teachers transitioned smoothly while others continued to apply “analogue thinking in a digital world”. Keeping the skills of the workforce “current” emerged as a key priority for stakeholders, with 68% declaring it “extremely important” to build workforce capability and confidence around effectively selecting and integrating education technology into their teaching practice. Even in jurisdictions where there was only a short disruption to classroom learning, the experience of COVID-19 helped some teachers overcome their reluctance to embrace new technologies, and there is now “a growing appetite and willingness to use technology in the delivery of education”. There is a growing demand for targeted professional learning that enhances teacher’s ability to integrate education technology into their teaching to support student engagement and learning.

REMOTE LEARNING HIGHLIGHTS EQUITY GAPS Systemic inequity in access to technology, fast broadband and digital literacy skills meant the experience of COVID-19 differed considerably across age-cohorts and socio-economic bands. The transition to online and remote learning further exacerbated inequities for many students in remote areas and those from educationally disadvantaged backgrounds. Maintaining continuity and consistency in their learning environment was particularly challenging for these students. Stakeholders voiced concerns about the possibility of COVID-19 causing a “tail-effect” that could be seen for some time, as the COVID-19 learning gap continues to reveal itself. This will likely be more pronounced in jurisdictions which experienced longer periods of online learning. BUT IT CAN ALSO HELP TO BRIDGE THOSE GAPS One of the valuable lessons emerging from COVID-19, was confirmation that online and remote learning had advantages for students who do not work at pace within the traditional classroom environment. For some students, the experience of COVID-19 proved successful in facilitating a learning environment more tailored to their needs. Positive feedback from this cohort of students indicates there are opportunities to explore how digital pedagogy might provide education solutions tailored to closing equity gaps. SAFETY AND SECURITY ARE PARAMOUNT The experience of COVID-19 has placed a heightened focus on online safety and security

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for students. When asked about the post-COVID classroom over the next three to five years, stakeholders cited ‘online safety and security for students’ as the most important issue the sector would have to manage. Three quarters of those surveyed rated it as “extremely important”, placing it on a par with quality professional learning for teachers, quality curriculum resources, and accessible technology solutions. There is strong demand for information and awareness resources from students, teachers and parents to assist them in selecting education technology products. DISRUPTION IS A CATALYST FOR INNOVATION While issues around access and equity were front of mind for many stakeholders, the research has also shown many in the educator sector believe COVID-19 played a role as a catalyst to drive broader acceptance of the need for more flexible methods of teaching and learning. Ensuring Australia’s education system is wellplaced to weather the next challenge to businessas-usual will require an upskilling of the workforce, so all classroom teachers have the confidence to migrate to effective online learning when necessary. Issues of equity and access, teacher capabilities and the importance of online security and data governance – already fundamentally important concepts for the sector – took on new significance. EM

THE LAST WORD // eSafety

School support for online safety

WE HAVE ALL HEARD THE FAMILIAR CATCH-CRY: ‘WHY DON’T THEY TEACH THAT AT SCHOOL?!’ FROM SUSTAINABILITY TO SWIMMING, HAND-WASHING TO HEALTHY EATING, EDUCATORS ARE TASKED WITH SUPPORTING STUDENTS IN ALL AREAS OF LIFE. AND WHILE STAYING SAFE ONLINE HAS BEEN AN IMPORTANT PART OF EDUCATION FOR SOME TIME, THE EMPHASIS SINCE THE SPREAD OF COVID-19 ADDS A NEW DIMENSION, WRITES JULIE INMAN GRANT, AUSTRALIA’S ESAFETY COMMISSIONER.

STEPPING UP SKILLS When the world locked down last year, educators stepped up and proved just how flexible and talented they are: meeting the need of changing from classroom teaching to remote learning in a matter of weeks. In moving education online, schools across the country faced significant challenges – including how to transition daily classroom activities while protecting not only students, but also staff and the school community, from online dangers. Difficult as it is, COVID-19 clarified just how important it is for schools to have defined strategies to prevent and respond to online harms. Understanding the skills young people need to protect themselves online is now an everyday consideration for Australian educators. Emerging from these uncertain times what’s clear is that educators need comprehensive support to make informed, and positive, decisions for students and the broader school community. ESAFETY SUPPORT FOR EDUCATION eSafety is the world’s first government agency committed to keeping its citizens safer online, and we recognise the importance of understanding what works in online safety education. To help meet educators’ online safety needs, eSafety was able to provide input to the Australian Curriculum connection on  online safety last year. This resource is a guide for educators to

identify content in the Australian Curriculum that supports the teaching and learning of online safety. We have also developed a range of classroom resources that support the curriculum. We know that teaching schedules can be hard. That’s why we offer webinars to specifically meet the needs of education staff. These explore the latest online safety research, examine case studies and provide the tools and strategies to help integrate online safety into existing programs and student wellbeing planning. In 2020 our professional learning webinar for teachers – Online risks and protective factors – was popular, covering some of the most challenging issues in schools such as cyberbullying, inappropriate content and unwanted contact. To ensure more educators can access this valuable content, we expanded availability, offering more dates in 2021. A new 2021 webinar, Online harmful sexual behaviours, misinformation and emerging technology, will commence in April with dates soon to be published on the eSafety website. eSafety’s Toolkit for Schools offers educators further support. Launched last year, the toolkit helps schools create safer online environments with 35 resources on topics such as guidelines for social media use and tips for responding to incidents that happen outside school hours. The toolkit also includes activities for students to take the lead in online safety and tips for parent-carer education

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and engagement. In addition, there are tips for supporting staff wellbeing online and for staff using social media. This comprehensive Toolkit was developed with input from teachers and education stakeholders across the country about the online safety challenges to student safety. Student voice surveys are a new addition to the Toolkit in 2021. These surveys provide educators with students’ perspective when evaluating online safety programs, policies and practices. The three surveys cover students from lower primary (F-Year 3) to secondary (Years 7-12). They can be adapted to suit the needs of students and school communities. ONLINE SAFETY VIRTUAL CLASSROOM At eSafety we know that by teaching students about risks and benefits online, we can better prepare them to be safer, interact respectfully with others and consider online safety when using digital devices. This month, eSafety will host a new live virtual classroom to support the National Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence. Designed for students in Years 3-6 this virtual classroom will look at positive up-stander behaviour, supporting friends online and recognising the harm that can be caused by cyberbullying. Registrations are now open. The eSafety website offers a range of content and welcomes new subscribers to regular updates. EM

University of South Australia // THE LAST WORD

Kicking education goals for Indigenous kids

DOT DUMUID, SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOW AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA, EXPLAINS THE IMPORTANCE OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FOR CHILDREN’S HEALTH AND WELLBEING, ESPECIALLY WHEN JUGGLING WORK, SCHOOL, AND GENERAL LIFE. SHE ALSO HIGHLIGHTS THE IMPORTANCE OF EXERCISE BEING UNDERSTATED, AND PARENTS ALWAYS ON THE LOOKOUT FOR WAYS TO ENCOURAGE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY.

Organised or community sport is a great way for kids to become active more regularly, especially as research shows that children’s participation in organised sports not only improves health and wellbeing but also educational outcomes. Importantly, sports could be a way to boost educational outcomes among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, and this is the focus of new research conducted by the University of South Australia, the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and the University of Sydney. Education is pivotal to improving opportunities for all Australians, but despite current initiatives to improve participation and achievement in education, Indigenous Australians continue to face educational disadvantage. And although research shows that sport can have positive impacts on academic achievement, little research exists in this space for indigenous communities. Recently, I’ve been working with UTS indigenous researcher, Professor John Evans, to explore how sport can impact the academic performance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander school-aged children. Using data from Australia’s Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children, we followed the progress of 303 year five students to assess their cumulative sports participation against their academic performance. We found that continued participation in organised sports was positively associated with better numeracy skills.

Children who participated in sports achieved a seven per cent higher score in their PAT Maths assessment, and a five per cent higher score in their NAPLAN test. Incredibly, children who participated in sport across multiple years achieved numeracy skills were about 2-7 months more advanced than children who did less sport. Recent findings from Prof Evans’ work show that Indigenous children who participate in sport can boost school attendance and self-esteem. But why would sports participation improve numeracy? Firstly, playing sport is very likely to involve exercise at moderate and vigorous intensities, which, as research shows, can increase brain circulation, and improve neuroplasticity. Trials in this space also show that very short bursts of vigorous physical activity can positively impact executive function and attention in children. Secondly, playing sport requires cognitive effort. Children learn how to respond to feedback, to master skills, to work within rules, to devise strategies for success, and how to focus their attention. Essentially, sport is training their thinking, and in this way may translate into improved learning and better academic performance. Another possible explanation for increased academic performance is the emotional and social skills that children develop during organised sport. Sport involves teamwork, discipline, and negotiation, which can be translated into academic performance. Playing a

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sport builds a child’s self-esteem and resilience and provides them with a sense of belonging to community. Additionally, when playing sports, children are less likely to be doing things that are less productive, in favour of things that are more beneficial and structured. One study on this topic found that children who were involved with a sports club once or twice a week, watched 28 minutes less television, than they normally have watched in a week. Sport can provide additional social interactions, which is significant because such opportunities are often limited in rural and remote communities. Curiously, despite improved numeracy scores, these same benefits did not translate to literacy skills. Some evidence suggests that exercise selectively activates regions of the brain that are also involved in mathematical operations, which makes sense when you consider that children practice simple calculations in while playing sport, for example, ‘how much time is left?’, or ‘how many points do we need to win?’. Of course, there is still much to learn. While our findings link continued sports participation across junior primary years with better numeracy skills, understanding the role of sports in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, and learning from the communities themselves, is critical if to reducing educational disadvantage. EM

EVENTS

ASIA PACIFIC SUMMIT ON GIRLS’ EDUCATION 11 - 12 May 2021 Virtual Web: https://www.agsa.org.au/event/2021-summiton-girls-education/ The virtual event features an impressive international speaker lineup specifically chosen for their expertise in areas relevant to the education of girls. Participate in the two-day summit from the comfort of your home or office or view on-demand recordings of all sessions anytime anywhere. NATIONAL EDUCATION SUMMIT - BRISBANE 4 - 5 June 2021 Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre Web: https://nationaleducationsummit.com.au/ Join principals, school leaders and educators from K-12 at the National Education Summit. Held over two days educators can experience innovative conferences and interactive seminars delivered by experts and thought leaders. Educators can also engage with exhibitors showcasing the latest in resources at the The Education Show, an education focused free trade expo. NATIONAL EDUCATION SUMMIT - MELBOURNE 23 - 24 July 2021 Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre Web: https://nationaleducationsummit.com.au/ Join principals, school leaders and educators from K-12 at the National Education Summit. Held over two days educators can experience innovative conferences and interactive seminars delivered by experts and thought leaders. Educators can also engage with exhibitors showcasing the latest in resources at the The Education Show, an education focused free trade expo. NATIONAL FUTURESCHOOLS FESTIVAL 17 – 18 August 2021

Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre Web: https://www.terrapinn.com/exhibition/ national-future-schools/index.stm Australia’s largest K-12 educations showcase, FutureSchools is a schools-only festival of ideas. Featuring over 220 speakers, the two-day event is designed to upskill, inspire and motivate educators as they deal with disruption within the education landscape. EDUTECH 17-18 August 2021 Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre Web: https://www.terrapinn.com/exhibition/ edutech-australia/index.stm EduTECH is the LARGEST International Education event, bringing together every member of the education life cycle together under one roof over two day. This year, EduTECH celebrates its 10-year anniversary at a new location. Join us for EduTECH 2021 to share ideas, learn better practice, develop the latest strategies learn, network with 1000’s of educators and explore the latest innovations in global education technology. EDUBUILD 17-18 August 2021 Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre Web: https://www.terrapinn.com/exhibition/ edutech-australia/edubuild-2021.stm EduBUILD is Australia’s largest education buildings, infrastructure and facilities management conference and trade show for education leaders and decision-makers involved in design, construction, renovation, maintenance, operation and management of buildings for schools, colleges and universities. LEARN@WORK 2021 17-18 August 2021 Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre

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Web: https://www.terrapinn.com/exhibition/ edutech-australia/learnwork-2021.stm The Learn@Work expo is Australia’s key annual workplace learning, training and development event, bringing together hundreds of L&D professionals across Australia. PESA AUSTRALASIAN WELLBEING IN EDUCATION CONFERENCE 19 - 21 August 2021 Sydney, NSW Web: https://www.pesa.edu.au/ The Positive Education Schools Association’s annual conference will focus on the theme ‘Bridging Theory, Research and Applications’ and look at current developments in wellbeing and educational research. CONASTA SCIENCE EDUCATION CONFERENCE 26 - 29 September, 2021 Canberra, ACT Web: https://asta.edu.au/conasta The annual science education conference of the Australian Science Teachers Association (ASTA). In 2021 CONASTA will be hosted by the Science Educators Association. As the major science education event in Australia, CONASTA has a strong reputation for offering high quality and stimulating professional learning experiences for science teachers, school laboratory technicians/managers and others with an interest in science education. AUSTRALIAN INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION CONFERENCE 2021 5 - 8 October 2021 Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre Web: https://aiec.idp.com/ The Australian International Education Conference (AIEC) is the major opportunity each year for international education professionals to meet, learn about major industry trends and to network with Australian and international colleagues.

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