Education Matters Primary September 2021 by Prime Creative Media

A content rich, comprehensive, buyer’s guide for schools. www.educationmattersmag.com.au

2021 TEMBER

SEP

Y 2022 FEBRUAR

EVOLVING FOR THE FUTURE Principally Speaking: Sheldon College What is next after COVID-19 Improving a generational decline in writing skills

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"Seasons for Growth is really a program for the times we are living in. ” Seasons for Growth Facilitator

EDITOR’S NOTE

It is hard to avoid the fact that writing skills are declining with the National Assessment Program — Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) testing indicating that writing skills are below the 2011 average. The report conducted by the Centre for Independent Studies (CIS) revealed the main contributing factors that lead to this decrease, one being that it is time to update the NAPLAN test. Researcher Fiona Mueller found that the NAPLAN test is very narrow, with her calling for a test that asks students to resposed to a series of short answers, longer form questions that pick up other parts of the curriculum. Being part of a generation where technology is forever evolving, it is easy to forget about the basics. As Mueller touches on, sometimes it is about going back to basics and focusing on the foundations of the English language - writing, reading, and spelling - in order to improve results. Technology today is at the forefront of most schooling experiences, with a push for NAPLAN testing to be a thing of the past. The first NAPLAN tests took place in 2008 and was conducted by the then Ministerial Council for Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (now Education Council), and was the first time all students in Australia in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 were assessed in literacy and numeracy using the same year level tests. Mueller says following her research about declining writing skills, she believes an English proficiency test for every year group would help test multiple components and help reduce the decline in writing skills overall. With NAPLAN testing postponed last year because of COVID-19, former Minister for Education Dan Tehan reported in August 2020 that NAPLAN was the best tool Australia had to understand what impact COVID-19 would have on children’s education and to inform what actions were needed. However, in July this year Education Ministers agreed to make improvements to national standardised testing in Australian schools to better inform teacher practice. As part of the improvements, the ministers agreed that the writing test would continue to be conducted as a census test, and the testing of spelling, grammar and punctuation (Conventions of Language) will be separate from writing as part of the annual census-based standardised assessment program.

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Federal Minister for Education Alan Tudge says NAPLAN has been an important tool to inform teacher practice and give guidance to parents on how their child is progressing, with the reforms to enhance these objectives. As Mueller highlights in her research, “any test we do to measure student’s progress in written English should include what we are required to do in real life”.

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The CIS is also calling for tougher entry requirements for university teaching courses. Research has found that initial teacher education programs have largely dropped the ball on writing instruction, at least in terms of ensuring that all graduating teachers demonstrate sophisticated control of the rules and conventions of English. It will be through a combination of improved NAPLAN testing and better equipping teachers that Australia will be able to improve its writing skills.

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

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.

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 Sheldon College

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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 SEPTEMBER - FEBRUARY

REGULARS Editor’s note 5

Buyer’s Guide

News

APPA column

Principally Speaking

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

In this edition’s Australian Primary Principals Association column, President Malcolm Elliot discusses what’s next after COVID-19 for schools, students and teachers.

Sheldon College Principal Dr Lyn Bishop OAM talks to Education Matters about how the College continues to evolve.

Hot Topic: Improving a generational decline in writing skills

Australian students’ declining achievement in NAPLAN, as well as in international testing, has revealed that writing skills are below the 2011 average with one in five failing to meet the national minimum standard.

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.

FEATURES 24 The evolving role of technology vendors in education

In a technology-forward world, collaboration is key. This is especially salient for the education sector, where fast-paced technological change has posed an ongoing challenge for schools as they develop their digital learning models.

Enhancing everyday teaching in the classroom

The ultimate test of technology in the classroom is measured based on its effective use and integration, which is why IG3 Education provides solutions aimed at practical use within the classroom.

30 How much do you know about the diversity of Aboriginal culture in Australia?

Dr Tracy Woodroffe discusses how the teaching and learning taking place today could be quite limiting and exclude Australia’s rich history and First Nations people.

34 T eachers are a lighthouse for all students, but

how do teachers keep their light burning?

The MacKillop Institute National Lead - Program Development & Implementation Ben Sacco highlights the importance of taking care of Australian teachers during the global health pandemic.

36 Helping students overcome change and uncertainty

The Seasons for Growth children and young people’s program aims to provide children with a safe space to come together to reflect on their experiences and to learn knowledge and identify support networks to help them now and in the future.

40 The importance of bridging the digital divide for primary school children

Sarah Davies, CEO of national children’s charity, the Alannah & Madeline Foundation, discusses why all children must have access to digital literacy frameworks in order to bridge the digital divide.

education matters primary

Self-paced learning Diagnostic Assessment using AI Individualised Lesson Plan Progress Monitoring and reporting Access IG3 Maths and IG3 English & Phonics 24/7 from anywhere on https://my.ig3education.com.au/ The difference between a General Assessment and the IG3 Maths and IG3 English & Phonics Multi-dimensional Assessment General Assessment

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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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BUYER’S GUIDE

TECHNOLOGY

26 ViewSonic: myViewBoard Clips ViewSonic has developed the video-assisted learning platform myViewBoard Clips for educators in search of better teaching tools. Teachers can easily access more than two million educational videos from premier brands, with the videos curated, ad-free, and suitable for all types of curricula. CURRICULUM

32 M odern Teaching Aids: ST Maths Digital Learning Platform ST Maths is an award-winning, web-based visual maths program that builds a deep conceptual understanding of maths through rigorous learning and creative problem solving.

HEALTH & WELLBEING

38 Deakin University Over the last year, concern has grown about the health and wellbeing of education professionals. The question of how to promote the development of safe, healthy work environments for educators in their communities is of particular interest for Deakin University’s Educator Health and Wellbeing Team. BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

42 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 to help make play sensible and interesting for every child.

44 Mud Kitchen: Hands-on play Mud Kitchen has products from Rigamajig, Big Blue Blocks and Koda designed to inspire kids to create and learn through collaborative, hands-on, open-ended play.

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KART

STEM | Creativity | Social Skills | Self Regulation | Growth Mindset Creativity is the most in demand skill for the 21st century. Nüdel Kart is the easiest way to get it into the curriculum.

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NATIONAL EDUCATION NEWS

Student teachers make their mark on secondary schools Victorian Minister for Education James Merlino has announced $1.3 million to go towards an additional 80 Teach for Australia student teachers into schools serving low-socioeconomic areas. The employment based pathway initiative sees intern teachers with subject area knowledge complete their Master of Teaching (Professional Practice) with Australian Catholic University while on two-year placements at government secondary schools in regional, rural and disadvantaged communities. These intern teachers, known as associates, receive coaching from teaching and leadership advisers and mentors as they attain their qualification. Teach for Australia was established in 2010 to help break the cycle of educational inequality through the provision of highquality teachers and leaders to schools in need, with the aim of giving all students the same opportunities to excel. Victoria was the first state to partner with the not-for-profit organisation. Merlino said every Victorian child deserves access to topquality education, no matter where they live or their background.

Intern teachers, known as associates, receive coaching from teaching and leadership advisers.

“We’re thrilled to be helping place an extra 80 enthusiastic student teachers into government secondary schools across regional and rural areas and disadvantaged communities, where they will not only help our kids thrive but in turn receive the support and mentorship they need to become great school leaders,” he said. Since 2010, over 600 associates have been placed in more than 100 government secondary schools across the state. EM

Young Australians impacted by COVID-19

For example, in April 2021 the average level of psychological distress among young people was below what it was in April 2020, but still higher than in February 2017. AIHW spokesperson Sally Mills.

The COVID-19 pandemic heightened some of the challenges face by young Australians with early evidence suggesting that young people experienced higher rates of psychological distress, job loss and educational disruptions. A new report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) has shown that experiences of severe psychological distress among young people aged 18–24 increased from 14 per cent in February 2017 to 22 per cent in April 2020, and of the 592,000 Australians who lost employment in April 2020, more than 1 in 3 (38 per cent) were aged 15–24. The report, Australia’s youth, brings together data about young people (aged 12–24) and their experiences of school and higher education, mental health and wellbeing, employment, living circumstances, and personal relationships. AIHW spokesperson Sally Mills said while data suggest some outcomes for young people have returned to preCOVID-19 levels, this is not always the case. “For example, in April 2021 the average level of

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psychological distress among young people was below what it was in April 2020, but still higher than in February 2017. Ongoing monitoring is needed to fully understand the longerterm impact of the pandemic,” she said. “The proportion of young people aged 15–24 not in education, employment or training rose from 8.7 per cent in May 2019 to 12 per cent in May 2020 following the introduction of COVID-19 restrictions. Since then, the proportion has fallen to 11 per cent in February 2021, a similar rate to February 2020 before the pandemic.” Despite the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, young people are faring well in a number of areas, with most 15–24 years-olds studying or working, and almost 3 in 5 (59 per cent) young people aged 15–19 years feeling happy/very happy with their lives in 2020; similar to 2019 (61 per cent). According to the report, in the past two decades rates of young people engaged in drinking at risky levels, daily smoking, and recent use of illicit drugs have fallen dramatically. EM

ReLATE

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Decrease in staff self-reported stress and fatigue

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Progress and achievement in literacy and numeracy

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Increase in trauma-informed practice by school leaders and staff

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Decrease in critical incidents

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Increased student attendance

•

Teachers reporting greater confidence in responding to challenging behaviours

•

Students reporting they feel heard

•

Decrease in staff absenteeism

Find out how ReLATE can support you and your students. Enquire today. mackillopinstitute.org.au institute@mackillop.org.au (03) 8687 7448

NATIONAL EDUCATION NEWS

NSW regional schools secure much-needed funds from budget.

NSW Budget a big win for regional students

Regional families have one less financial concern with our government investing $150 million to provide free preschool in NSW, including more than 350 regional and remote preschools, saving families up to $4,000 a year per child. Minister for Education Sarah Mitchell.

Schools and students across regional New South Wales are benefitting from record investment in their education as part of the 2021-22 NSW Budget. More than $6 billion is set to be spent on supporting teachers, new and upgraded schools and technology to connect students. Deputy Premier John Barilaro said schools are better funded under the NSW Government than ever before, with this government ensuring regional students have access to the same level of world-class educational facilities as students who live in the city. “Our kids in the bush are benefitting from a government who cares about them because this year’s budget will see a further $6 billion invested in their future,” Barilaro said. “Regional communities are also receiving record investment in school infrastructure with more than $1 billion committed to new and upgraded regional school projects across the state.” Nine new and upgraded school projects in regional and rural NSW have been approved for funding as part of the 2021-22 Budget: - Yanco Agricultural High School - Wee Waa High School - Murrumbidgee Regional High School – Stage 2 - South Nowra/Worrigee – new primary school - Hunter River High School – Upgrade

education matters primary

Hastings Secondary College Joint Use PCYC Irrawang High School Newcastle Education Campus Bombaderry High School – upgrade Minister for Education Sarah Mitchell said children from preschool, right through to primary and high school will benefit from this year’s $21.5 billion education budget. “Regional families have one less financial concern with our government investing $150 million to provide free preschool in NSW, including more than 350 regional and remote preschools, saving families up to $4,000 a year per child,” Mitchell said. “Inside the classroom, regional students are becoming more connected with roll out of high-speed internet and new devices being provided to students and teachers.” Mitchell added that regardless of where a student is located, the NSW Government is committed to providing quality education and modern spaces to learn in. “To ensure regional communities continue to have a constant supply of quality teachers we are improving incentives and the midcareer pathways to teaching for professionals. We are also investing $125 million in a Teacher Supply Strategy, due for release later this year,” she said. The NSW Government is investing $7.9 billion over the next four years, continuing its program to deliver 215 new and upgraded schools to support communities across NSW. EM

Record education budget delivers for Queensland A record $15.3 billion State Budget investment in school and early childhood education will deliver for Queensland children, students and tradies from Far North Queensland to the Gold Coast. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said almost $1.9 billion in infrastructure spending would maintain, renew and build new facilities, including 10 new schools and other facilities supporting more than 4100 jobs across the state. “The 2021-22 education budget is a down payment on Queensland’s future,” she said. “This is creating jobs to drive our economic recovery post-COVID and longer term, this is an investment in Queensland’s future workforce and leaders in our schools and early childhood centres.” Education Minister Grace Grace said this education budget was the Palaszczuk Government’s seventh record investment in education. “This continues our proud record of giving children a great start and engaging young people in learning, no matter where they live.” The education budget includes $913.7 million over seven years for 10 new southeast Queensland schools to open in 2023 and 2024 in growth corridors. They are six primary schools at: Ripley and Bellbird Park in Ipswich, and in the

Augustine Heights area; Yarrabilba and Logan Reserve in Logan; and Redland Bay. Four high schools will also be built at Palmview on the Sunshine Coast, Springfield, and in the Logan Reserve/ Park Ridge and Collingwood Park/ Redbank Plains areas. “The budget also includes $202.9 million invested over four years and $64 million in ongoing annual funding to support the continued provision of Queensland Education Minister Grace Grace. universal access to kindergarten for Queensland children,” Grace said. The education budget also includes more than 240 new teachers and more than 80 new teacher aides; $14 million in 2021-22 towards a $100 million three-year student wellbeing package; and more than $23 million to deliver on the 2020 election commitment to build and upgrade training facilities at schools. EM

Technology to empower you and your classroom From industry-leading hardware and software, ViewSonic's education solutions empower teachers and students with innovative ways to teach and learn: • • • •

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APPA COLUMN // MALCOLM ELLIOT

What is next after COVID-19

APPA PRESIDENT MALCOLM ELLIOT DISCUSSES WHAT’S NEXT AFTER COVID-19 FOR SCHOOLS, STUDENTS AND TEACHERS.

The attention of more than 7600 primary school leaders is turning to the question of “what next?” We could all do with some certainty about the future. It is for this reason that I put forward the idea of multi-year resourcing agreements as a pivotal strategic consideration for decision makers. Before the pandemic (BTP) there was, I thought, something of a blind spot in regard to the underpinnings of school effectiveness. We know that children do best in environments where there is a strong sense of routine and order. They need stability in relationships and order in their lives. We also know that for many Australian children, no matter where they live, this is not the case. This is also true of what children need from their schools. Professionally effective and caring relationships and trust are at the heart of high achieving schools. Stability and sufficiency of staffing and other resourcing is critical. This is why I am putting forward the notion that school resourcing be considered over four-year cycles, rather than the typically annually adjusted formulae with which so many of us are familiar. Elliot beliebes there is a strong case to provide certainty for schools.

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).

education matters primary

The school’s staffing establishment would be set at the end of 2021 and be sustained at that level for the period of 2022 to 2025, for example. School organisation and programming are vulnerable to shifts in student population. In some schools a diminution of 15 students from one year to the next results in a staffing loss of a full-time teacher. Unless the school is able to sustain this loss from its own financial resources ie pay for a teacher, the school will have to be re-organised. This often means that the library, art, language, music or other important programmes are affected or even lost; or that a composite class is created for financial, rather than educationally strategic, reasons. If a resourcing agreement is in place a school would not lose any funding over the four-year period, thus insulating the school from the effect of transience in its population and providing stability in planning and implementation of teaching programmes. Should there be a change in population upwards, schools should gain funding commensurately. And, if there is a change in policy such as additional funding to

A cycle of four years could deliver some answers to clogged transfer arrangements that exist in parts of Australia. An assignment of one or two cycles would provide teachers, principals and systems with far greater predictability, and possibility, regarding movement and recruitment – facilitating a sense of systemic engagement with a state or territory’s mission of teaching and the range of opportunities to be explored as an educator. support literacy, for example, schools would still gain. And the downside? If the school population was trending downward over that four-year period, the resourcing would be adjusted accordingly at the commencement of the new funding cycle. School leadership would have had appropriate time to work with teachers, parents, systems, boards and other stakeholders to adjust operations in line with adjusted resourcing. A cycle of four years could deliver some answers to clogged transfer arrangements that exist in parts of Australia. An assignment of one or two cycles would provide teachers, principals and systems with far greater predictability, and possibility, regarding movement and recruitment – facilitating a sense of systemic engagement with a state or territory’s mission of teaching and the range of opportunities to be explored as an educator. Let’s return to the school where 15 or so students have left. Under the fouryear system the school would now notionally have 1.0 full time equivalent staffing to allocate as it saw fit. The simplest way to allocate this staffing would be in the maintenance of the organisational structure, meaning some staff members may have a little more time with their students. Over time, other opportunities may become apparent. There would be the chance to maintain levels of programming comparable with other schools meaning there would be good reason for new families to enrol their children. The longitudinal study into principal health and wellbeing conducted by Professor Phil Riley and colleagues over many years shows principals and other school leaders working long hours in an environment of work intensification. One of the most difficult tasks is managing the staffing and the flow on effects when a school loses staff. Readjusting the staffing and class allocations is no easy task as many readers will know. Teaching’s reputation as a sought- after profession is damaged when new teachers have little sense of tenure and must make important life decisions in that context. In short, the uncertainty is a disincentive to join the profession. It is very tough for principals and colleagues to farewell staff members who, but for a change in student numbers, would be staying in the school. It is often a tearful experience for students who have got to know their teachers, to depend on them, to trust them. As our profession considers “what next after COVID-19” there is a strong case to provide certainty for schools through a resource guarantee. This will provide a strong base for adaptive strategies and the relationships between learner and teacher which will underpin recovery from this time of turbulence and uncertainty. EM

Curriculum-aligned, Web-based Maths for K-8

Email: onlinelearning@teaching.com.au 7950

PRINCIPALLY SPEAKING // SHELDON COLLEGE

Sheldon College believes that relationships lie at the heart of the educational enterprise.

Evolving for the future DR LYN BISHOP OAM, PRINCIPAL OF SHELDON COLLEGE TALKS TO EDUCATION MATTERS ABOUT HOW THE COLLEGE CONTINUES TO EVOLE, THE IMPORTANCE OF LEADERSHIP, AND BUILDING QUALITY RELATIONSHIPS.

HOW DOES THE SCHOOL’S PHILOSOPHY AND ETHOS GUIDE YOU AND YOUR STAFF? The alignment of our College vision, mission and core values comprise the essence of who we are as a College and guide our daily practice. We believe fundamentally that relationships lie at the heart of the educational enterprise. Without quality relationships, schools have no meaning. At Sheldon College the quality of

relationships is built around our philosophy of “Love, Laughter and Learning.” Our role as educators is to create a learning environment where children feel safe, valued and loved; where learning is fun; and where opportunities are created that enable all students to become lifelong learners. Schools are not comprised of buildings, and bricks and mortar, but are a living expression of their guiding philosophy. The home and the school, working together, are two of the most powerful influences on earth. It has often been said that, “What the homes are, the schools will be, and what the two are, the future will be.” HOW DOES SHELDON COLLEGE DIFFER FROM OTHER SCHOOLS? I believe we are more alike than we are different from other schools. No school is immune in education today from the society in which

education matters primary

we exist. We must all be agile, innovative and adaptive, and we can’t do that in isolation from one another. Our strength and survival as a nation rests on schools becoming learning communities that work together in forging strategic partnerships, not only with one another, but with universities, business and industry on a world stage. There is far greater strength in a unity of purpose and our students deserve that. We need schools with impact -schools that add value, not only to their own school and its community, but also to the nation. IN WHAT WAYS HAS THE SCHOOL EVOLVED OVER THE PAST 10 TO 20 YEARS? Given that we are a school that is only 23 years old, we have experienced rapid growth and transformation in light of the technological revolution we are all experiencing - one that has seen our world become increasingly diverse,

globalised, complex and media-saturated. Our learning environment for our students continues to evolve and be built around new learning paradigms, leading to some highly flexible spaces for collaborative, multimodal learning, supported by ubiquitous access to mobile technologies. Existing classroom spaces are continually being converted to suit more inquiry based paradigms and new spaces that reflect the strategic intent of our College. We are driven by the knowledge that it is the learner who shapes not only the learning environment, but also the pedagogy which accompanies it. HOW DO YOU PROVIDE SUPPORT AND LEADERSHIP TO YOUR STAFF? I believe first and foremost one has to create an environment that promotes shared and distributed leadership within the organisation. Leadership is anyone and everyone, and it resides at all levels of the organisation. As school leaders we need to become strategic architects who focus our attention

Junior College teacher Mr Wesley Turner living the philosophy of Love, Laughter and Learning.

on building organisational capabilities that can foster continuous growth and innovation. We have to transform our traditional command-and-control organisations to new high performance work

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systems. Our job is to build bridges across coalitions and assist teams to work together creatively to build relationships, identify issues and to work together creatively to solve problems.

PRINCIPALLY SPEAKING // SHELDON COLLEGE

sudden move to online learning required them to become more flexible, adaptive and responsive to the needs of all stakeholders. Furthermore teachers have been forced to explore their own business ecosystem and examine ways in which they can further disrupt or differentiate learning within a changing environment. They have also been challenged by the need for improved communication with all stakeholders. This has led to a need for greater collaboration, transparency and above all ensuring the psychological safety of both students and staff.

Mr Chris Niven and students interacting with the Cartesian Plane on the maths room ceiling.

HOW DO YOU ENCOURAGE WELLBEING AMONG YOUR STAFF AND STUDENTS? The COVID-19 pandemic saw a dramatic increase in issues related to the general health and wellbeing of both staff and students. The home learning environment saw students craving a sense of belonging and connectedness. Similar circumstances arose with the pressure placed on teachers to deliver home learning through a digital learning ecosystem. The impact of these changes has seen us develop a Positive Wellbeing Framework. The framework provides the foundations to ensure students and staff can achieve our Student Exit Outcomes by feeling connected, safe and secure and through being active partners in the student’s learning journey.

interest in their out of school activities, in engaging with students and their parents on every available opportunity, and above all, having every student know and understand that you are there for them. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES FACED BY TEACHERS IN THE SECONDARY SECTOR? Teachers today have a challenging role particularly post COVID. The closure of schools and the

Some of the cast of the Sheldon College Australian School of Arts 2021 production of Les Misérables.

WHAT ROLE DO YOU PLAY IN THE DAY-TO-DAY ACTIVITIES OF THE STUDENTS? First and foremost, I think it is vitally important for a Principal to understand that true leadership and management is not a series of mechanical tasks, but a set of human interactions, and therefore it is vitally important that a Principal be highly visible in the school environment. This includes being in classrooms on a daily basis, in the playground engaging and interacting with students, in attending their sporting and cultural events, in taking an

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT, EITHER AS A TEACHER OR SPECIFICALLY IN THE ROLE OF PRINCIPAL? The most memorable moment for me in my career was winning a federal appeal to open Sheldon College after being knocked back by the New Schools Commission. We had to overcome insuperable obstacles in the early stages of the College’s development, including not having any financial backing to open a new school; to major personal financial outlays in undertaking demographic studies, market research, viability studies; to having our own home go up as collateral to the bank for many years; to asking family and friends to act as guarantors to the bank; to facing bitter opposition from other schools in the district who did not want a competitor on their doorstep; to neighbours who opposed a school being

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built on the current site and considered it as “visual pollution”; to seeking innumerable approvals from local authorities; to selecting and purchasing a site of 55 acres or so to build a school in a metropolitan area at an affordable price with no financial backing from any church, business or financier; to setting up our school every Sunday afternoon in the Pine Lodge Equestrian Centre and pulling it down every Friday afternoon because the current site was not ready when the school year began; and to encouraging parents and teachers to buy into a vision and help make that dream become a reality. WHAT TRAITS MAKE FOR AN EFFECTIVE AND SUCCESSFUL LEADER IN EDUCATION TODAY? Any successful leader in education today needs to have a covenant of purpose - to know what is important, where they collectively take a stand, and around what basis decisions are made. They must be able to articulate a clear vision for their

National eSmart Week 6 - 12 September 2021

Responsible Action

organisation - one that is driven by intensity and passion, and then have the capacity to align it with the organisation’s mission and core values. They must possess the capacity to grow leadership ability in their people and to generate intellectual capital within the organisation so that the strategic intent of the overall organisation is met. Effective and successful leaders must be able to let go of the past - to be able to challenge many of the old models, paradigms, strategies and assumptions about education that simply don’t hold up in today’s competitive environment. They have to possess strong social and emotional intelligence; have excellent interpersonal relationships, strategic thinking ability, place a high emphasis on values, ethics and integrity, be flexible, agile and innovative, and focus on continuous improvement and quality outcomes in all that they do. Leadership is not a job based on power and authority, but a function based on principles,

people skills, and the ability to engage others in consensual decision-making and problem solving. WHAT ARE YOUR FEELINGS ABOUT NAPLAN AND ITS EFFECTIVENESS? NAPLAN has its place purely as a diagnostic tool that informs our pedagogy. Unfortunately, standardised testing and the publication of league tables have cast one of the greatest shadows over our profession in my opinion. We are becoming test-preparation factories where the human, interpersonal side of learning gets lost in widespread standardised testing and international assessment comparisons. Our children are being tested to an extent that is unprecedented in our history. The current climate that pits school against school, based largely on the results of standardised testing, does little to improve the educational outcomes for our most prized national treasure that of our young people. Good schools are, and must remain values driven, not data driven. EM

HOT TOPIC // IMPROVING A GENERATIONAL DECLINE IN WRITING SKILLS

CIS Researcher Fiona Mullers says an English proficiency test is the way forward.

Improving a generational decline in writing skills AUSTRALIAN STUDENTS’ DECLINING ACHIEVEMENT IN NATIONAL ASSESSMENT PROGRAM — LITERACY AND NUMERACY (NAPLAN), AS WELL AS IN INTERNATIONAL TESTING, HAS REVEALED THAT WRITING SKILLS ARE BELOW THE 2011 AVERAGE WITH ONE IN FIVE FAILING TO MEET THE NATIONAL MINIMUM STANDARD.

The NSW Centre for Statistics and Evaluations (CESE) has indicated that high school students struggle with writing more than with reading and numeracy. The CESE report, based on 10 years of NAPLAN literacy data, revealed that one in every six Year 9 students in New South Wales fails to achieve the minimum standard required to succeed in their final years of school. As a result, students who lack sound writing skills are disadvantaged in almost every academic endeavour, unable to achieve maximum benefit from the wider school curriculum and likely to be disadvantaged in post-school life and work.

Fiona Mueller and Deidre Clary from the Centre for Independent Studies (CIS) have investigated what has led to this generational decline. In their report - Writing matters: reversing a legacy of policy failure in Australian education, the pair found that Australia has seen at least 60 years of the adoption, variable implementation and occasional jettisoning of a parade of methodologies including: learning styles, multiple intelligences, critical literacy, constructivism, whole language, process writing, genre theory and text types, balanced literacy and learning progressions. Fiona Muller says that a major consequence

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has been the near abandonment of consistent, explicit instruction about how the English language works as a system, juxtaposed with an ideological preoccupation with the socio-cultural experience of students in the classroom. “Many of us have been concerned about what some might call the basics for a long time. At a number of conferences and forums, colleagues of mine and I have been approached by practicing teachers with those concerns of the decline as one aspect which is clearly evident in NAPLAN results,” she says. “My personal concern has been for a very long time that we have adopted a whole

range of methodologies over 40 years. On the one hand the evidence of the decline in student’s capacity to write and more broadly literacy skills, and secondly a long-standing concern that we have adopted a wide range of methodologies over decades without being sure of their value in the Australian curriculum.” Outlined in Muller and Clary’s research, due to no NAPLAN testing in 2020 as a result of COVID-19, the validity of the 2019 NAPLAN results remains contested, largely because of questions about comparability between the work of students taking the tests online and those using pen and paper. In 2018, less than 80 per cent of Year 9 students achieved at or above the national minimum standard in writing. Statistics further revealed that 2019 achievement by Year 7 and 9 students in writing had fallen below the 2011 national average, but there was a slight movement upwards in the percentage of Year 9 students achieving at or above the national minimum standard. The University of Tasmania’s Dr Damon Thomas says declining student performance affects the quality of democracy because it’s about the ability of people to question something, make interpretations, [and] argue for what they need or what they want. The results “paint a dismal picture of student

progress with writing,” Thomas says. He cautions that “a nearly 10-year pattern of decline in NAPLAN writing should be warning enough. We need to pay attention to this.” A further concern is the gap between male and female writing scores, which widens with every tested year level and is equivalent to two years of learning by Year 9. Muller says the design and utility of the NAPLAN tests the extent to which a limited number of test items can reflect the curriculum, and the national minimum standards approved by state and territory authorities, are all matters of ongoing debate. “With its fixation on text types, the NAPLAN writing task has become the curriculum by proxy for many Australian schools,” she says. “The stand-alone test requires students to respond to a stimulus or prompt to produce, for example, a narrative or persuasive text. One criticism is that this restrictive approach demands one-shot-perfect productions with teachers focused on criteria and minimal opportunity for students to demonstrate their linguistic dexterity.” Muller reinforces that she is not a fan of the NAPLAN literacy test as they are currently produced because the test of English conventions - spelling

and grammar - are separate to the test of writing. “Any test we do to measure student’s progress in written English should include what we are required to do in real life,” she says. “That is to express ourselves correctly and effectively, in an increasing sophisticated way.” “In the case of English, this means achieving confidence and competence in grammar, spelling and punctuation to free the writer to concentrate on the ideas and information to be communicated in any writing task. Beyond the practical gains, an individual’s capacity to write is important because it is an enduring manifestation of thought processes and freedom of expression.” Muller says to help reduce the further decline in writing skills, an English proficiency test for every year group to allows students to show what they can do needs to be introduced. She suggests a test that asks students to reposed to a series of short answers, longer form questions that pick up other parts of the curriculum. “At the moment the NAPLAN test is very narrow. Being able to test multiple components that do check students’ capacity to express themselves in different formats, while being able to check sentence structure, grammar, subject agreement is a more effective way to test

The CIS have found that the weight of writing skills continues to rest with primary teachers.

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HOT TOPIC // IMPROVING A GENERATIONAL DECLINE IN WRITING SKILLS

writing skills,” she says. In 2019, a University of Tasmania study emphasised the importance of all teachers having the capacity to support their students’ English literacy. The report submitted to the government — Literacy Teaching in Tasmania: Teaching Practice and Teacher Learning — concluded that emerging evidence strongly suggests that the key to improving literacy in high school is to prioritise disciplinary literacy over generic approaches to literacy. The Australian Catholic University’s Professor Claire Wyatt-Smith insists that writing instruction is the responsibility of all teachers across the curriculum. “Students need to learn grammar, structure, terminology and what good-quality writing looks like even in things like science and economics. This is not just about essays. It’s any written

expression,” Wyatt-Smith says. Highlighted in Muller’s research, both WyattSmith and Christine Jackson, working at the Australian Catholic University’s Learning Sciences Institute, believe students’ progress in writing is at risk because Australian schools “drop the focus too early”. They believe Secondary teachers have generally resisted taking responsibility for teaching writing in their subject areas, believing it to be the work of specialist English teachers and of primary teachers, and expecting students to have developed sound writing skills before they enter high school. Muller says her and her co-author found the weight of writing skills continues to rest with primary teachers. “The expectation is that they will ensure all students develop the written and literacy skills in English that will allow them to embark on into secondary school with confidence. Unfortunately,

The CIS reported Australia has seen at least 60 years of the adoption, variable implementation and occasional jettisoning of a parade of methodologies into its curriculum.

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we have an awful amount of teachers who came through experimental programs who themselves aren’t confident in their written skills or knowledge,” Muller says. “It is this compounding process where year by year and generation by generation that knowledge and skills reserve is declining. As a result, primary school teachers aren’t able to do their best work and then of course a significant number of students entering in Year 7 have very poor skills.” Based on a study of over 200 teaching students in their graduating year at an Australian university, Edith Cowan University researcher Dr Brian Moon concluded that the capacity of secondary school teachers to support school-based literacy practices and teach disciplined-specific literacy skills is highly dependent on their personal literacy competence. “The number of graduates who fell short of expectations was quite significant and, in some

cases, the prospect of successful remediation so late in their academic career appeared poor.,” he said. Muller says The Centre for Independent Studies is now calling for tougher entry requirements for university teaching courses. Research has found that initial teacher education programs have largely dropped the ball on writing instruction, at least in terms of ensuring that all graduating teachers demonstrate sophisticated control of the rules and conventions of English. “There are fabulous teachers around Australia doing great things, but we need to be sure we are giving students the fundamental knowledge and skills to use their language and also showing them what great language expression looks like and that isn’t going to be taught in 280-character tweets,” says Muller. “You have to be able to walk before you can run, so once you understand how English works and what its elements are and how they fit together, you are then free to express your ideas in a very clear way.” EM

NAPLAN results have revealed that writing skills are below the 2011 average.

TECHNOLOGY // ACER

The evolving role of technology vendors in education IN A TECHNOLOGY-FORWARD WORLD, COLLABORATION IS KEY. THIS IS ESPECIALLY SALIENT FOR THE EDUCATION SECTOR, WHERE FAST-PACED TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE HAS POSED AN ONGOING CHALLENGE FOR SCHOOLS AS THEY DEVELOP THEIR DIGITAL LEARNING MODELS.

With the pandemic further fast-tracking the need for online and remote learning programmes, educators have relied on the support of technology providers to succeed. It has also highlighted the role that technology vendors can and arguably should play within the greater Australian school community. Acer Computer Australia has evolved from a traditional hardware supplier into a holistic technology collaborator that works directly with schools to improve student learning. There was a time when a vendor such as Acer Computer Australia simply made and supplied computer hardware to schools. However, just as the technology itself is in perpetual development, the role of Acer in the Australian education sector has changed and continues to progress. Oceanic Sales Director for Acer Computer Australia Rod Bassi says Acer’s function at schools has evolved from a basic supplier-model to one of a facilitator and partner. “We take this matter extremely seriously and delicately. The education sector of Australia has been kind to Acer in excess of 25 years and it’s safe to say that we’ve learned along that journey Acer Computer Australia has evolved from a traditional hardware supplier into a holistic technology collaborator.

together with the sector,” he says. “We have refined ourselves and lifted our offering by having an honest dialogue with schools. This collaboration approach we take with schools is essential in order to profile and tailor a solution that is suitable. While there is a lot of commonality and overlaps in the education sector, there are also subtleties and differences between each school and educator.” Bassi says a lot of the growth that has occurred with Acer in the education sector is organic and comes from having a direct communication line with schools around Australia. It also goes hand-in-hand with the evolution of the products themselves and advancing student expectations. “It is important that our products, from a technology point of view, are able to achieve and meet the needs of learning today. They need a certain level of power to drive a machine, which means they have to have adequate battery life so students and teachers can execute all day computing,” he says. “In recent years we have gravitated towards laptops and notebooks, and weight is an important factor, particularly with growing students. Remember the days when your backpack was filled with heavy textbooks? And a laptop 15-20 years ago was well in excess of 3kg. For an average weight of 1.2 kg, a contemporary Acer laptop can give you all-day computing. It has a significant amount of power to multitask and meet all the curriculum needs of today’s classroom.” Bassi further highlights that all of Acer’s education laptops come with the latest Microsoft Windows

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operating systems, which is currently Windows 10, and include built-in features that protect student privacy and data. “There are significant features in the latest operating system with virus threat protection, account protection, firewall and network protection as well as application browser control and device security,” he explained in a video panel discussion on E-Safety. “That’s stock standard and any customer that purchases an Acer product with Windows 10 will get those features straight out of the box.” Director of Technology at Ipswich Girls’ Grammar School Paul Murrin explained in the same Acer video panel discussion a technology vendor must have a mature understanding of what educators need to provide students in order to address their learning needs. “Our staff and our students are using their devices day in and day out – for every class, as well as homework or lesson planning. Working with our vendors, they need to understand how education works and Acer do that fantastically with us, they understand the product we need to put in the hands of our students,” he says. “So, technology for us is not the difficult part, it blends into the background and just works as a tool to provide quality education.” Head of IT at Loreto College Coorparoo John Salceda highlighted, in the Acer for Education panel discussion on Vendor Support, that the expectation from his side is that a technology vendor is both dependable and anticipatory. “We have a reliance on technology and as Acer are providing our laptops, we need them to be proactive and reliable. Acer provided 10 spare laptops to us before we requested or needed these, so the proactiveness is there,” he says. “A vendor also needs to be a supportive, local

partner. We’ve been happy with the support we get from Acer. Having spare parts available is important – that they are located locally, not coming from overseas, which is the case with Acer. Ideally, we would have these delivered to us the next day after we log the request.” The importance of having computing devices and parts available in Australia has never been more apparent than during the coronavirus crisis. According to an IDC estimate, the Australian PC market grew by 35.2 per cent in quarter two of 2020 from demand as all sectors, education included, moved to working from home or online learning (5). Contrariwise, Gartner reported a worldwide shipment decline for PCs in the first quarter – the worst seen since 2013 – due to the pandemic’s disruptions on supply and demand of PCs. Bassi says Acer Computer Australia’s local presence has been a key point of difference to the education sector during this time. He explained that the Australian education sector consumed four months’ worth of equipment in about four weeks during the early coronavirus onset. But besides being able to rapidly supply laptops – of which there was a particularly huge demand from the public sector – being in a position to offer local support was equally important. Salceda revealed that Loreto College relied on Acer’s ability to provide local technical support swiftly and skillfully. “Having highly skilled technical support available is essential. We won’t work without this. We’re in regular contact with the local Acer partner up here in Queensland and trust they will be available to us

A technology vendor must have a mature understanding of what educators need to provide students.

whenever we need them,” he says. Being invested in schools on an individual level, and all year round, is another key point of difference when it comes to what Acer provides. “If you look at the history of Acer, our function in the ecosystem was to make and deliver hardware and originally that’s where it stopped. As we’ve evolved organically and made products more robust and fit for purpose in the education sector, it’s only natural in the world we live in today that we help and address the security aspect,” Bassi says. CEO and co-founder of Acurus, Marshall Thompson, explained that Acurus provides Acer with a free CIS (Computer Information System) benchmark tool to run security scans for schools on their operating environment. “Through our relationship with Acurus we’ve been able to take some of those key learnings and

collaborate jointly with schools to bring them to the foreground,” Bassi says. As educators continue to navigate the digitalised learning pathway, collaboration with technology partners such as Acer is essential to their success. By collaborating together on common goals, such as student safety and improved online learning, educators and technology providers can bring about positive change and significant benefit to entire schooling communities. EM This article was written from the Beyond Supply: The evolving role of technology vendors in education whitepaper: https://www.educationmattersmag.com. au/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Acer-White-Paper_ VendorSupport-Final.pdf All references and weblinks can be found on the online whitepaper.

Acer has grown in the education sector by having a direct communication line with schools around Australia.

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TECHNOLOGY // VIEWSONIC

ViewSonic enhances video-assisted learning WITH REMOTE LEARNING STILL AT THE FOREFRONT OF MANY AUSTRALIAN CLASSROOMS, VIEWSONIC HAS CREATED A NEW PLATFORM TO ENHANCE VIDEO-ASSISTED LEARNING.

Video-assisted learning (VAL) is a method that uses videos to explain complex lessons, making it simpler to understand, and drive more engagement. While the concept of using videos to enhance learning is not new, ViewSonic says many teachers are sceptical about incorporating videos into their classes because they find it timeconsuming to prepare, requires steep learning curve, and quality video content is difficult to access.

As a result, the company has developed the video-assisted learning platform myViewBoard Clips to assist with these challenges. ViewSonic created the new VAL platform for educators in search of better teaching tools. Teachers can easily access more than two million educational videos from premier brands, with the videos curated, ad-free, and suitable for all types of curricula. ViewSonic Australia Marketing Specialist Melanie Adan says this lets teachers spend less time searching for videos and more time teaching. “Access to these videos allows educators to create interactive and engaging in-class quizzes or homework assignments,” she says. “Educators can also view student responses from these activities with the click of a button. Many of the videos have supplemental activities correlated to the content

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Teachers can browse by subject, date and duration, resulting in them spending less time searching, curating and implementing video resources.

“For teachers, it is about finding the best way to keep students interested during class and to encourage them to actively exchange ideas and feedback... For students, it is about how to keep focused in class, comprehend the lessons, and enjoy interaction with peers.”

myViewBoard Clips includes educational video content with millions of vetted, short-form videos from over 150 globally recognised content providers.

myViewBoard Clips helps teachers overcome challenges in the classroom.

of the video. myViewBoard Clips has a lesson plan feature which allows educators to put together videos and activities for a day’s lesson – this gives teachers more time to discuss with their students rather than prepare.” myViewBoard Clips includes educational video content with millions of vetted, short-form videos from over 150 globally recognised content providers. It can be accessed through myViewBoard, a free-to-use visual learning platform designed by ViewSonic for an enhanced, immersive education experience. Teachers can browse by subject, date and duration, resulting in them spending less time searching, curating and implementing video resources. Adan says one of the main challenges teachers and students face daily in the classroom is how to drive engagement. “For teachers, it is about finding the best way to keep students interested during class and to encourage them to actively exchange ideas and feedback,” she says.

“For students, it is about how to keep focused in class, comprehend the lessons, and enjoy interaction with peers.” From hardware devices to software, ViewSonic has developed different solutions to improve education spaces, and help educators and students see the difference. ViewBoard boasts myriad features including a 4K display, 20 points of touch, wired and wireless connectivity, eye-care technologies, powerful and clear speakers, Multi-OS Platform (select Android and/or Windows OS to fit requirements) and internet connectivity. The whiteboard is designed for school environments and can be readily connected to school networks. It is also 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 lifespan, so teachers don’t need

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to worry about their classroom being out of action. With children being exposed to various technology at early stages, Adan says it has found that students absorb new technology quicker than the average adult. From this, she says it can expect some benefit to incorporating new technologies in the classroom to support changing learning behaviour. “Digital technology in the classroom opens up new media types not available on its analog versions,” Adan says. “New technologies make student engagement more fun and interesting, allowing creative and quick ways of passing information.” EM

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

TECHNOLOGY // IG3 EDUCATION

Enhancing everyday teaching in the classroom THE ULTIMATE TEST OF TECHNOLOGY IN THE CLASSROOM IS MEASURED BASED ON ITS EFFECTIVE USE AND INTEGRATION, WHICH IS WHY IG3 EDUCATION PROVIDES SOLUTIONS AIMED AT PRACTICAL USE WITHIN THE CLASSROOM.

EduTouch Solutions are specifically designed for schools and kindergartens, complemented with an extensive software package and training to give teachers the ability to use technology effectively. IG3 Education Chief Executive Officer Tony Church, who has more than 25 years of experience in the sector, says EduTouch Solutions not only enhances classroom teaching, but also makes

The EduTouch Solutions not only enhances classroom teaching, but also makes learning more interesting and collaborative.

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learning more interesting and collaborative. Featuring a touchscreen based interactive whiteboard software, its functions include writing, erasing, commenting, drawing and roaming. “The specifically designed education solution has 20-point touch, 4K ultra-HD display with an integrated Android interface,” he says. “All EduTouch Panels include Note Interactive Software, Snowflake and four hours of basic training.” Church says the company has evolved into a leading education solutions specialist company that has delivered cutting edge education and technology programs to schools and kindergartens since 2001. As part of its commitment to the education sector, he says the company empowers teachers so they are confident to use its solutions. “With every solution we install we also provide basic training, which can be delivered online or face-to-face,” he says. “We also don’t put a limit on the amount of training a school can have for free. This ensures the product is being used effectively in the classroom.” Church says it is through this approach that IG3 Education is investing in its own future and helping grow its solutions for the education industry. As part of the EduTouch Solutions package, each panel comes with a one-year classroom license (1 teacher and 24 students) to one of the company’s supplemental online curriculum resources. Schools have the option to have access to either: IG3 Maths, IG3 English, Read Me!, or The Language Market. IG3 products assesses students through its programs. Church says every resource/plan is focused on the individual learner and can be accessed 24-hours a day from any device. The education software included with

EduTouch has the ability to be connected to any external device.

the EduTouch Solution also provides teachers with a fully interactive education solution, with the flexibility of using any other software installed on their computers interactively on the EduTouch panels. The IG3 Maths software uses an integrated multi-dimensional teaching assistant (IMTA), which is a technology that uses algorithms to determine a student’s subject knowledge and foundational level understanding. The program provides individualised learning plans for each student based on their multi-dimensional assessment, eliminating the teacher’s struggle to keep up with all the varied learning rates of their students. The IG3 English system similarly pinpoints any learning gaps that students may have developed to deliver individualised learning within set boundaries. The teacher can also set specific learning plans for the student. During a time where remote learning has been a prominent part of the classroom experience because of COVID-19, Church says that to have engagement the wireless connectivity is an important aspect when installing and using the solution. “When installing EduTouch there are a number of requirements we assess,” Church says. “First the size is determined through the school’s budget

and the size of the classroom. We then assess the environmental factors, external light, and make sure when we are installing it, it is positioned for a teacher-centred classroom.” “Schools need to be able to integrate it into their everyday teaching, so we have designed EduTouch to have to ability to be connected to any external device. “When we redeveloped out platform, we ensured it was able to run on the latest technology and standards and could be deliverable through any device.” With a historical fail rate of only 0.02 per cent, Church says IG3 Education used the highest-grade panels to optimise its display and interaction, and also offers a seven years warranty to schools across Australia. He says before an EduTouch panel is sent out for installation, his team physically checks every panel and ensures that all setting and embedded software is correctly setup for customers to create a smoother transition and to maintain its low fail rate. The EduTouch Solution is available in a number of variations – EduTouch Kindy Solution for Kindy and pre-school learners; Electronic Height Adjustable Mobile Solution to expand usage across multiple grades across multiple classrooms; Automated floor/wall mounted Stand to cater for different age

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groups (multiple grades) of users; Height Adjustable solutions with articulate brackets to allow for wheelchair access to and use of the panels, etc. Church says the different solutions for the EduTouch panels allows for IG3 Educations to accommodate different needs in the classroom and create a more collaborative learning environment. “EduTouch Solutions also improves digital literacy skills to prepare students for their future,” he says. To further implement an array of innovative and engaging learning strategies, IG3 Education also offers camera solutions, which he says has become important during online learning. The EduTouch SC26B Webcam includes a 4K ultra wide-angle 360-degree view, with clear, crisp, and natural audio that is compatible with Zoom, Microsoft Teams, WEBEX, Skype, and other popular video calling applications. “During times of remote learning, teachers need to be able to move the camera and the students need to be able to see them and be able to follow along easily. We have the perfect solutions for every classroom,” says Church. By continuing to provide teachers with comprehensive programs, that is backed by high-quality solutions, IG3 Education is dedicated to advancing the classroom experience for every school. EM

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT // EXPERT CONTRIBUTOR

How much do you know about the diversity of Aboriginal culture in Australia? MANY MAINSTREAM CLASSROOMS IN AUSTRALIA ARE PERCEIVED AS MONOCULTURAL AND MONOLINGUAL, THIS PERCEPTION COULD ALSO BE EXTENDED TO THE COMPOSITION OF THE TEACHING WORKFORCE. UNFORTUNATELY, CONSIDERING THIS, THE TEACHING AND LEARNING TAKING PLACE COULD BE QUITE LIMITING AND EXCLUDE AUSTRALIA’S RICH HISTORY AND FIRST NATIONS PEOPLE.

E 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.

3.3 per cent of Australians (798,400 people) identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander in the 2016 census (ABS, 2018). Colonial attitudes and bias would have you think that Indigenous Australians mostly live in the remote areas of Australia. The reality is that “79 per cent of Aboriginal Australians live in urban areas, and the vast majority of Aboriginal children (83.9 per cent) receive their education in government schools” (Morrison et al., 2019, p. 2). Not all teachers feel prepared and confident to teach in Aboriginal contexts – Aboriginal content, with Aboriginal students, and in remote communities (Ure et al., 2018). The geographic location or spread of Aboriginal peoples across Australia highlights a diversity and a complexity that is seldom considered when thinking about cultural aspects of classroom learning. The ABS website shows an interactive map of distribution https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australiaswelfare/profile-of-indigenous-australians . If you overlay or compare the distribution map with the AIATSIS language group map, you can develop a better understanding of the diversity of Aboriginal people represented. See https://aiatsis.gov.au/ explore/map-indigenous-australia Teachers wanting to enact cultural competence and demonstrate expected Australian professional standards for teachers may feel overwhelmed with the job at hand.

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The complication is that Aboriginal people may not necessarily be living on their own ancestral lands. There are several reasons why this may be the case such as employment availability or study options, it could also have something to do with the fact that during the processes of colonisation many Aboriginal people were dispossessed of their land, displaced, and moved to missions or homes, and stolen as a matter of government policy. Teachers can join reconciliation efforts to work together on a shared history moving forward by at least knowing the traditional owners of the land that you are on and learning how and when to say an acknowledgement of country. Make a point of teaching this to your own class. Websites and online resources such as the Gambay map of Australia’s first languages and Reading Australia have teaching notes to assist teachers to build inclusive learning programs that teach about Australian Aboriginal people. What is required is an approach that highlights the strength of Aboriginal culture and the many Aboriginal knowledges represented across Australia. A place to start looking for this is the CSIRO website with Indigenous science. Answer the following questions – Do you and your class know about David Unaipon and why he is seen on the $50 note? Do you and your class know about Charles Perkins and what he has done

This list is not exhaustive, but it is a good place to start improving professional knowledge about the cultural aspects of Australian education and for teachers to understand about implications for the classroom and supporting student success. EM

Woodroffe belives not all teachers feel prepared and confident to teach in Aboriginal contexts.

for the civil rights of Aboriginal people? Do you and your class know about Indigenous astronomy? Whether you are working on being culturally responsive, reflexive, or competent, the Australian teaching workforce is expected to know about Aboriginal Australia. This involves knowing and respecting Aboriginal culture and diversity to ensure that content is taught appropriately, knowing how Aboriginal students learn best to ensure that Aboriginal students have the best chance of academic success, and having knowledge of responsive teaching strategies and how cultural considerations impact on learning for all students in your class. These expectations are expressed as Australian professional standards for teachers 1.4, 2.4 and 1.3. My top five reads to help teachers be more informed about Aboriginal culture and considerations for the classroom are: • Malin, M. (1994). What is a good teacher? Anglo and Aboriginal Australian views. Peabody Journal of Education, 69(2), 94-114. • Price, K., & Rogers, J. (Eds.). (2019). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education. Cambridge University Press. • Harrison, N., & Sellwood, J. (2016). Learning and teaching in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education. Oxford University Press. • Beresford, Q., Partington, G., & Gower, G. (2012). Reform and Resistance in Aboriginal Education. https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/

informit.9781742583891 • W oodroffe, T. (2020). Improving Indigenous student outcomes through improved teacher education: the views of Indigenous educators. AlterNative: An International Journal of Indigenous Peoples, 16(2), 146-152.

ABS (2018). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population, 2016. Retrieved from http:// www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/ by%20Subject/2071.0~2016~Main%20 Features~Aboriginal%20and%20Torres%20 Strait%20islander%20Population%20Article~12# Morrison, A., Rigney, L. I., Hattam, R., & Diplock, A. (2019). Toward an Australian culturally responsive pedagogy: A narrative review of the literature. Adelaide, South Australia: University of South Australia. Santoro, N. (2007). ‘Outsiders’ and ‘others’: ‘different’ teachers teaching in culturally diverse classrooms, Teachers and Teaching, 13:1, 81-97, DOI: 10.1080/13540600601106104 Ure, C., Hay, I., Ledger, S., Morrison, C., Sweeney, T. A., & Szandura, A. (2017). Professional experience in initial teacher education: A review of current practices in Australian ITE.

David Unaipon was known for being a spokesperson for improving the conditions and rights for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.

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BEYOND THE CLASSROOM // MODERN TEACHING AIDS ST Maths starts by teaching the foundational concepts visually, then connects the ideas to the symbols and language.

Can a game change how you feel about Maths? ST MATHS IS AN AWARD-WINNING, WEB-BASED VISUAL PROGRAM THAT BUILDS A DEEP CONCEPTUAL UNDERSTANDING OF MATHS THROUGH RIGOROUS LEARNING AND CREATIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING, AVAILABLE IN AUSTRALIA EXCLUSIVELY THROUGH MODERN TEACHING AIDS (MTA).

ST Maths has been developed by MIND Research Institute – a nonprofit social impact organisation specialising in neuroscience and education in California. For over two decades MIND has worked towards redefining maths education and developed a successful program steeped in the belief that every student has the potential to deeply understand, and truly love maths. Education Matters spoke to MTA’s General Manager of Education Resources, Michelle Kelly, to learn more about ST Maths’ unique and innovative approach that leverages the brain’s innate spatial temporal reasoning ability to solve mathematical problems. Kelly says the ST in ST Maths stands for spatial temporal, which describes the brain’s ability to manipulate objects in space and time to solve problems. “The program starts by teaching the foundational concepts visually, then connects the ideas to the symbols, language and robust maths conversation,” she says. “This approach works so well because, with

visual learning, students are better equipped to tackle challenging problems, tackle non-routine problem solving and get informative feedback.” One of the key benefits of this approach, Kelly notes, is that when you remove language barriers, maths problems become accessible to all students, regardless of their skill level or language background. “Experience teaches us that students grasp different concepts at different times in their learning journey, so a one-size-fits-all model that requires all students to move at the same pace will inevitably leave some students lagging behind,” she says. Kelly believes that maths instruction in particular benefits from individualised, scaffolded teaching methods and regular skills practice in a variety of contexts. “A web-based program such as ST Maths that provides scaffolded support to students and accommodates non-linear learning journeys allows students to move at their own pace, repeat problem types they struggle with and

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apply mathematical thinking strategies to a diverse range of problems, which is beneficial to all students,” she says. “The more individualised the program can be,

Award-winning, web-based visual maths program that builds a deep conceptual understanding of maths through rigorous learning.

ST Maths’ unique and innovative approach that leverages the brain’s innate spatial temporal reasoning ability to solve mathematical problems.

the more beneficial it is to a large mixed-ability class where one-on-one teacher time is at a premium.” Kelly explains how ST Maths’ student interface is designed to maximise productive time on task, by eliminating the distracting and counter-productive elements of gamification often employed by other platforms.“There are a great many online maths learning programs that gamify student activity using points, rewards, flashy arcade-game-style animations and/or rely on speed. The trouble with these particular types of gamification is that they create a system that can actually be demotivating for some students or result in shallow learning,” she says. Kelly says that, instead, ST Maths utilises carefully selected elements of gamification – such as appealing characters and interesting problems – that engage and encourage students to persist while developing the deeper conceptual understanding or mathematical thinking skills needed for longterm success. In place of arbitrary points or rewards, ST Maths’ student-facing activity tracking and feedback methods focus on supporting the development of students’ confidence, as well as their ability to self-evaluate and self-correct. “Animated, informative feedback offers an intrinsically motivating learning experience that shows students the mathematical consequences of each answer. Students don’t just guess at multiple choices, or worse, get a question wrong and wonder why,” says Kelly. “This helps students understand the idea of productive struggle: the idea that they are learning when they make mistakes and how powerful it is when they figure something out for themselves.”

As a flexible instructional tool that can fit easily into many different learning environments, the program has features that both motivate students and allow teachers to track the individual progress of students at a granular level, such as teacher reports that illustrate the maths outcomes each student has covered, as well as the amount of time spent using the platform and puzzle completion. According to Kelly, not only does ST Maths increase productivity and concentration levels, but there are more than 100 efficacy studies that show how time on task is a key factor correlating ST Maths use with increased state test scores. Schools see proven, repeatable results. Kelly says that with the ST Maths program, although students are initially set at a grade level based on their class, there is no limit to where they can be placed in the maths skills continuum. “For example, a student who is confident with Number but lagging in Algebra can be set lowerlevel Algebra problems to support their development whilst moving ahead in Number,” she says. “Best of all, in the class view a teacher is given a visual alert symbol that shows when a student has had multiple incorrect attempts at a task or problem. This allows the teacher to quickly view the whole class, identify those students currently in need of support and instantly see the problem type or content area that they need additional help with.” ST Maths includes more than 35,000 puzzles with interactive representations of maths topics that align to Australian curriculum, with learning objectives that target key grade level concepts and skills. And with over 100 efficacy studies it’s proven

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to work. Large scale studies have shown that schools using ST Maths consistently outgrew similar schools in statewide ranking by an average of 14 per cent. “It really is the cornerstone of an equity strategy—providing equitable access to learning tools proven to help all students,” Kelly says. “Using diagnostic tools to identify gaps in student understanding and then assigning topics that can support students to engage and develop that conceptual understanding will go a long way in bringing all students up to grade level. ST Maths is uniquely qualified to support teachers with this goal.” To find out more about ST Maths and to enjoy a free trial of the ST Maths platform, visit MTA’s website at https://www.teaching.com.au/page/ mta-au-st-maths. EM

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

ST Maths utilises carefully selected elements of gamification – such as appealing characters and interesting problems.

HEALTH & WELLBEING // MACKILLOP INSTITUTE

ReLATE has been designed for Australian schools and aims to build teachers’ understanding.

Teachers are a lighthouse for all students, but how do teachers keep their light burning? AS A TEACHER READING THIS, YOU SHOULD BE SO PROUD OF YOUR COMMITMENT TO IMPROVING THE LIVES OF YOUR STUDENTS. IN YOUR DAILY PRACTICE, YOU HELP YOUR STUDENTS MAKE SENSE OF THE WORLD AROUND THEM, AND CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUR STUDENTS TO BE LITERATE, NUMERATE, CURIOUS AND HEALTHY IN MIND, BODY AND SPIRIT. IT’S NO EASY FEAT, AND IT’S BECOME HARDER. WRITTEN BY BEN SACCO, THE MACKILLOP INSTITUTE NATIONAL LEAD - PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT & IMPLEMENTATION.

During the global health pandemic we have seen impaired learning, increased child stress, decreased connection, increased loneliness and declining mental health, including anxiety and depression. Furthermore, the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System found the impact of mental health on young people results in adverse life outcomes, impacting their ability to learn. Evidence is now emerging that highlights why schools are a critical system to deliver support and interventions to address complex stress and trauma.

The MacKillop Institute is a non-profit that seeks to build the capacity of schools and organisations to deliver trauma-informed support to those who have experienced change, grief, loss and trauma. Our model, Reframing Learning and Teaching Environments (ReLATE), has been designed for Australian schools and aims to build teachers’ understanding and responses to behaviour to improve teaching, student learning and wellbeing outcomes. We know that adverse experiences and trauma in childhood have negative impacts on

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a child’s developing body and brain and there are lasting impacts into adulthood. Teachers are the foundation for all students to productively engage in learning and feel safe and supported in their daily experiences. However, teachers are being asked to respond to students that present with a range of behaviours such as emotional dysregulation, aggression, school refusal, anxiety and heightened stress responses. Teacher burnout is real and measurable, and we must consider ways in which we are supporting our teachers to support our children. They are a lighthouse for their students, but

who is helping them to keep their light burning? We must set our teachers up for success and we must do more than just acknowledge that they need to be supported. We need to stand alongside them. The MacKillop Institute is currently engaged with schools implementing the ReLATE model. ReLATE is a whole school sustainable culture change model that is positively impacting lives. Schools currently implementing the ReLATE model are seeing incredible outcomes in both their students and teachers. “We’ve always been very conscious of the wellbeing of everyone in our school community. Since introducing the ReLATE model we can see it recognises the inter-relationship between the adults and the children within the school community. ReLATE enhances a community by building a feeling that people care about each other on a personal level not just colleagues or student peers - it goes deeper than that,” says Helen Healy, St Mary Magdalen’s School Principal. Combining educational research, social science, behavioural theory and neuroscience, ReLATE supports teachers to implement practical strategies in their classrooms. ReLATE gives teachers tools, knowledge, skills and resources that enable them to be cognisant of the impacts of adverse childhood experiences on engagement, learning, health and wellbeing. Skilled ReLATE consultants work directly with schools, to provide bespoke implementation based on the individual schools’ needs. ReLATE follows a three-year implementation cycle, with annual professional learning to deepen and embed staffs’

The MacKillop Institute has combined educational research, social science, behavioural theory and neuroscience to bring practical strategies to schools.

understanding of key concepts that informs practice. Schools are often the first and the most important place of contact for children and teachers play an important role to support student resilience and general wellbeing. However, it is critical that teachers are supported to understand how to create and sustain a counter-stress, safe and supportive environment without being subjected to hardship and unnecessary stress throughout

ReLATE is a whole school sustainable culture change model that is positively impacting lives.

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the process of their learning. While our ReLATE model focuses on reducing aggression in schools, educator burnout, managing toxic relationships and developing positive behaviour planning, we are also committed to supporting schools to respond to the complexities of their environment whilst building a climate of excellence. Through The MacKillop Institute model for schools, staff develop individual safety plans, and implement whole of school ReLATE Circles, which enables both students and staff to feel comfortable and safe to share their feelings at the beginning of the day. Schools also leverage broader understandings of neuroscience to enhance the school culture and attitudes towards adverse experiences and responses to concerning behaviours. There is a real sense that teachers are empowered to build their confidence in creating a growth-promoting climate where individuals can move forward and be capable of becoming their true self. ReLATE resonates with schools because of its acknowledgement of the place that teachers have come from and the culture of school communities that they are working within. The MacKillop Institute is calling all schools who seek to understand the ReLATE model to attend a free online information session, or to contact them directly. Dates for upcoming sessions can be found at The MacKillop Institute. EM

HEALTH & WELLBEING // MACKILLOP INSTITUTE

Helping students overcome change and uncertainty THE CUMULATIVE IMPACTS OF DROUGHT, FLOODS AND BUSHFIRES, COMPOUNDED BY RECURRENT COVID-19 LOCKDOWNS HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTED MANY COMMUNITIES. THESE SUCCESSIVE DISASTERS HAVE TAKEN A TOLL ON THE WHOLE SCHOOL COMMUNITY, INCLUDING SCHOOL TEACHERS AND LEADERS WHO ARE THE BACKBONE OF THE SCHOOL AND PROVIDING THE SAFE COMMUNITY HUB.

The MacKillop Institute is committed to supporting school professionals to support children and young people impacted by uncertainty and significant change and loss experiences with its Seasons for Growth evidence-based programs to help them understand and respond to adverse life experiences. The Seasons for Growth (SfG) children and young people’s program was developed in mid1990s in collaboration with Professor Anne Graham AO, Director of the Centre for Children and Young People, Southern Cross University. SfG General Manager, Fiona McCallum tells Education Matters that SfG is an Australian evidence-based, early intervention program that is trauma informed, and delivered to small groups of children and young people over eight weeks. “SfG is based on the belief that change and loss

are a part of life, and grief is the normal response to these losses. Often people think about grief as a response to the death of someone we care about – in our work, we describe grief as a response to the major life change and loss,” McCallum says. “The last 18 months has been challenging for many school communities with the devastating impacts of bushfires and floods and the additional uncertainty and complexity with the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent research suggests that 85 per cent of parents have reported changes in their children during the COVID-19 lockdown. “Victoria’s Commission for Children and Young People recently cited one third of young people surveyed reported psychological distress as a result of the e pandemic. The experiences can negatively impact children and young people as it affects

The program is based on the belief that change and loss are a part of life, and grief is the normal response to these losses.

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their development and overall social and emotional wellbeing. We also know that children and young people are more likely to adapt well given the timely and appropriate information and support.” Other experiences that trigger feelings of loss can include family separation, death, parental unemployment or imprisonment, loss of a pet, illness, change of house or school. These losses can trigger additional impacts including losses of routines, safety, dreams and traditions. The SfG program aims to provide children with a safe space to come together to reflect on their experiences and to learn knowledge and identify support networks to help them now and in the future. Over the past 25 years, McCallum says the SfG programs have expanded to meet the increasing needs of communities in Australia and internationally, having supported more than 350,000 children, young people and adults in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Scotland, Ireland, England and Wales. With a commitment to supporting children and young people following experiences of disaster, suicide, forced migration, home-based care, Good Grief can also adapt to support adults, parents/carers, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. “The core intentions of SfG are the development of resilience and emotional literacy in order to promote social and emotional wellbeing, with the overarching aim to improve the quality of life of children and young people,” McCallum says. “The program activities align the metaphor of the seasons with change loss experiences. We reflect on the changes that we see and feel with the seasons, like the changes in the leaves in Autumn and how we can feel we want to hibernate

in the cold of Winter when times may be difficult. The “seasons” also help us to understand that difficult times will come and go.” The eight-week small group program, led by a trained facilitator from the school, invites young people to practice new ways of responding to change, and to understand the effects of change, loss and grief while developing skills in communication, decisionmaking, and problem-solving. “The program incorporates a wide range of ageappropriate creative learning activities with content that is highly visual and makes extensive use of illustrations that have been adapted to be age appropriate across the four different program levels for primary and secondary school-aged children. We support the trained school facilitators with a comprehensive set of materials including manuals and participant journals, access to an online portal with additional resources and ongoing support and learning options,” McCallum says During a time where students have faced disruptions in the classroom because of COVID-19, McCallum says it is not unusual for children and young people to experience difficulties with understanding and regulating their emotional responses and to engage in learning. “Students and educators are citing the uncertainty and disruptions as particularly challenging from COVID-19, with students reportedly feeling isolated,” McCallum highlights. “In the past 12 months we have trained over 1,400 teachers and professionals across Australian schools. The teaching professionals trained in the program frequently report the value of the training and

The Seasons for Growth programs have expanded to meet the increasing needs of communities in Australia.

understanding the experience of significant change and loss for children and young people. “One trained facilitator recently descried SfG as so essential in being a preventative measure for kids.” McCallum describes the importance of working with the school systems and the Beyou wellbeing teams to support the integration of SfG with other school wellbeing initiatives. “A great example of this collaboration is the support provided in NSW through partnering with the Department of NSW Education to support schools in bushfire impacted areas,” she says. The SfG program not only provides support for

The Seasons for Growth program is part of the MacKillop Institute and was developed in the mid-1990s.

children. Resources are developed for parents and carers to support the wellbeing of their children. McCallum says research has indicated that the capacity of parents and carers is often impaired following major change and loss in families. “Our resources are available on the website and we invite schools to share these in their communities. We also provide online sessions for professionals, parents and carers.” Part of The MacKillop Institute, the SfG program also meets the Australian Professional Teaching Standards, with the third edition of the program released in 2015 to reflect developments in research evidence and practice wisdom, strengthening the program links with theoretical frameworks. McCallum says after speaking with school leaders, mental health and wellbeing teams, and community members about the impacts of the 2020 bushfires and concerns for mental health of children following COVID-19, it has partnered with Professor Graham to review the evidence and the views of children and their families to understand their experiences of natural disasters and the pandemic. “This research evidence is foundational to the SfG programs, and new evidence will continue to inform updates to the programs,” she says. “A trained facilitator from the NSW south coast captured the value of the program recently, stating that Seasons for Growth is really a program for the times we are living in.’’ EM www.goodgrief.org.au Good Grief is on Facebook and LinkedIn www.mackillopinstitute.org.au

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HEALTH & WELLBEING // DEAKIN UNIVERSITY

Insights on the wellbeing of school leaders throughout COVID-19 RESEARCH FROM DEAKIN’S EDUCATOR HEALTH AND WELLBEING TEAM HAS UNCOVERED THAT WHILE THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS BEEN A MIXED BAG FOR EDUCATORS, SCHOOL LEADERS’ FAITH IN THEIR ROLES REMAINS LARGELY POSITIVE. DEAKIN UNIVERSITY POST-DOCTORAL RESEARCH FELLOWS BEN ARNOLD, MARK RAHIMI AND MARCUS HORWOOD (OF THE HEALTH AND WELLBEING TEAM) RECOUNT.

Over the last year, concern has grown about the health and wellbeing of education professionals. Preventative measures aimed at addressing the coronavirus pandemic, such as the partial or complete closure of schools, colleges and universities, have had a significant impact on those working in the education sector. In many contexts, educators have been required to adapt to a ‘new normal’ where they work on the frontline of the pandemic alternating between face-to-face and online teaching and caring for the health and wellbeing of

their school community. The question of how to promote the development of safe, healthy work environments for educators their communities is of particular interest for us in Deakin’s Educator Health and Wellbeing Team. Formed by Professor Phil Riley in 2018, we track education professionals working environments and health and wellbeing over time. We currently undertake research with educators at all levels of the education system, from early childhood through to tertiary education,

Figure 1: Australian School Leaders’ interpersonal relations at workplace in 2019 and 2020 (%)

to investigate how their workplace and work tasks impact on their mental and physical health. Our aim is to provide researchers, policymakers and educational leaders with evidence that can be used to establish healthy, safe working environments. We also embed our discoveries and knowledge into Deakin’s postgraduate education courses, to better prepare the leaders of the future, and into educational policy and practice. This year, we drew on Professor Phil Riley’s research into school leaders to map school leaders’ experiences of work during 2020 – the first year of the pandemic – and identify the issues and opportunities facing this group of educators in this current context. While working conditions have been unfavourable, we were pleased to discover that school leaders reported some positive changes to their work environment. SEVERAL DISRUPTIONS AND DECLINING FAIRNESS AT WORK School leaders reported that while their workloads declined slightly, they continued to be a major burden and source of stress. Our analysis also found that school leaders’ work environments changed during the 2020 and became more fluid and unstable. School leaders reported that their work was less predictable in 2020 and they were less clear about the exact nature of their job role, expressing more doubt about their workplace tasks, duties and responsibilities.

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Figure 2: Australian School Leaders Social Support and Work Life Balance in 2019 and 2020 (%).

School leaders also reported considerably lower levels of justice at their place of work in 2020, meaning that workplace procedures, interactions and the distribution of work were perceived to be less fair than in previous years. STRONGER RELATIONSHIPS AND BETTER WORK-LIFE BALANCE But despite these challenges, school leaders also appeared to experience a number of positive changes at work during 2020. School leaders reported receiving greater levels of support from their supervisors and colleagues, and reported a stronger sense of commitment to work during the first year of the pandemic. Contradictory to some reports, school leaders also reported having a significantly better balance between work and their home lives, with work less frequently affecting the time they spent with family members and the energy they had available at home in 2020. AUSTRALIAN SCHOOL LEADERS SOCIAL SUPPORT AND WORK LIFE BALANCE IN 2019 AND 2020 (%) Overall, the changes forced by the pandemic to the work environment appear to have affected school leaders’ mental health and wellbeing. Compared to 2019, school leaders reported an increase in levels of stress and burnout in 2020. Although less is known about the impact of the pandemic on the work and wellbeing of school teachers and early childhood educators, anecdotal evidence suggests that these education professionals have been significantly impacted. At Deakin, we’re committed to undertaking robust research involving these groups of educators to better investigate their current working conditions and the status of their mental and physical health and wellbeing. To learn more about Deakin’s School of Education and research priorities in education and teaching, visit deakin.edu.au/education EM

Buyer’s Guide Deakin University Ph: 1800 963 888 Email: myfuture@deakin.edu.au Web: www.deakin.edu.au/education

Deakin’s Educator Health and Wellbeing Team are investigating how educators’ workplace and work tasks impact on their mental and physical health.

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HEALTH & WELLBEING // ALANNAH & MADELINE FOUNDATION

The importance of bridging the digital divide for primary school children SARAH DAVIES, CEO OF NATIONAL CHILDREN’S CHARITY, THE ALANNAH & MADELINE FOUNDATION, DISCUSSES WHY ALL CHILDREN MUST HAVE ACCESS TO DIGITAL LITERACY FRAMEWORKS IN ORDER TO BRIDGE THE DIGITAL DIVIDE. Davies says building digital intelligence across all Australian society is an absolute must to keep children safe from online harm.

So much of life nowadays happens online. Digital technologies bring many positive opportunities to children, and reforms to NAPLAN assessments will see Year 6 students being tested on digital literacy, if the school opts in. But those children who can’t access high quality digital resources or information about how to use them safely may be excluded from basic educational and career opportunities and are also at risk of exploitation. WHAT IS DIGITAL LITERACY AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? Digital literacy describes the set of skills and knowledge that students need to appropriately identify, select and use digital devices or

systems. Knowing and understanding how to make the most of the technologies available to them, adapting to new ways of doing things as technologies evolve and protecting themselves and others safely in digital environments are essential skills for all our children. Poor digital literacy levels can lead to significant disadvantage over a lifetime, with digital inclusion being critical for people to engage in education, employment and public life, as well as to access health, financial and community services. WHO IS MOST AT RISK OF EXCLUSION? Many of Australia’s most vulnerable children also have the lowest levels of digital literacy and

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digital inclusion. According to the Australian Digital Inclusion Index (ADII): • Households with the most precarious access to technology and the lowest digital skills tend to be those which are already struggling with other barriers, such as low incomes, unemployment, disability, internet access through mobile phone data only, and education levels below Year 12. Indigenous Australians are particularly affected. • Major inequalities exist between capital cities and rural areas. The Australian regions with the lowest digital inclusion are all rural, including Murray and Murrumbidgee (New South Wales), North Victoria, North-West Queensland and Southern Tasmania. • There are 130,000 primary school children at

Dex is the main character who guides students through the gamified learning experience.

public schools in the most digitally excluded parts of Australia who suffer disparities in resources. In particular, the ADII notes that 800,000 school-aged children are growing up in families in the lowest income bracket, where digital inclusion scores are well below the national average. A survey of nearly 2,000 Australian teachers found that four out of five teachers believed students’ access to educational technology was affected by their socio-economic circumstances. CHILDREN NEED SUPPORT IN THEIR ‘MIDDLE YEARS’ The years between the ages of eight and 14 are hugely significant for children, encompassing the onset of puberty and the move from primary to secondary school. The middle years are also a critical time for children’s digital literacy and wellbeing. An ACMA report found that more than threequarters of Australian children aged 12-13 owned the mobile phone they used, while one in six primary school children have their own social media account. And with the advent of under-13 specific sites,

such as the proposed Instagram for Kids, YouTube Kids and Messenger Kids, as well as six of every 10 kids playing games online, children are very much using digital technology to form social networks. COVID-19 The onset of COVID-19 saw a rapid transformation in the way our children learn. Lockdowns and remote learning are especially hard on families in the lowest income bracket, many of whom lack access to suitable devices and tech options, have fewer digital skills, and who pay more of their household income for digital services, compared to the rest of Australia. New statistics from the Office of the eSafety Commissioner saw online risks continue to rise through the first half of 2021, even in the absence of extended lockdowns. Complaints of serious cyber bullying against Australian children, for example, have been up by almost 30 per cent on the same period in 2020. REDUCING DIGITAL DISADVANTAGE Building digital intelligence across all Australian society is an absolute must to keep our

The onset of COVID-19 saw a rapid transformation in the way children learn with remote learning.

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CEO of the Alannah & Madeline Foundation Sarah Davies.

children safe from online harm. Teaming up with international digital intelligence think tank, the DQ institute, and the Accenture Australia Foundation, the Alannah & Madeline Foundation has recently launched Digital Licence+, an education and training program aligned to the Australian curriculum which builds digital intelligence among 10 to 14-year-olds. A completely updated and reworked version of the eSmart Digital Licence, Digital Licence+ offers an exciting, gamified learning experience for students to explore an interactive story world to build digital intelligence. Focusing on building the knowledge and skills of students across areas including technology use, cyber risk management and online security, Digital Licence+ supports the development of important social and emotional skills in the middle years and assists educators to cater for different learning levels. A targeted rollout of the Digital Licence+ aims to address the digital divide in regions with low levels of digital inclusion. Across Australia, 100,000 students from schools in regions that have a below average ADII rank will be offered free access in 2022. Visit www.esmart.org.au EM

BEYOND THE CLASSROOM // PLAYGROUND IDEAS

Creativity: Nature or nurture? OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS CREATIVITY HAS BECOME AN INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT SKILL, AND EDUCATION SYSTEMS AROUND THE WORLD ARE TRYING HARD TO INTEGRATE IT INTO THE CURRICULUM. BUT IT’S BEEN CHALLENGING TO PUT RESEARCH INTO PRACTICE, ACCORDING TO EDUCATOR AND NÜDEL KART FOUNDER, MARCUS VEERMAN.

Veerman has been working with creativity researcher and consultant Dr Tim Patston to demystify creativity and communicate the benefits of teaching these skills to students. Dr Patston’s research found that certain creativity attitudes, when combined, were a better predictor of Year 12 scores than conscientiousness. “In other words, students who had specific attitudes, skills, and attributes of creativity did better than students who just worked hard,” says Veerman. “Perhaps of more importance is that these elements of creativity are not gifts bestowed at birth to some, but can be taught and developed in the classroom from the early years of school to all students so everyone can reap the benefits.” Dr Patston has identified three main factors required for creativity to thrive which are the right Attitudes, Processes and Environment. Veerman refers to this as the APE factor. It’s this APE factor that makes us humans truly unique and so incredible. “This really is a gamechanger for teachers who know creativity is essential but lack a road map to implement it in the school environment,” says Veerman.

For Veerman, the third factor, the environment, is the area that has consumed him for the last three years. He says, if students are put in a classic classroom environment, it will often hinder their creative response, even if the students’ attitudes and processes are good. The three factors all need to work in harmony. To equip teachers with the tools to teach creativity, Veerman’s Nüdel Kart creates an instant environment for students to practice and demonstrate those attitudes and processes. Teachers can then observe, and after that, teach the students the attitudes they need to further develop. “Teachers lead the way through a collaborative and genuine, two-way dialogue with the students to help them build the skills,” he says. “We need to create authentic open-ended challenges, or even better, let the children develop their own. Both these approaches help students to build their creativity.”

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Dr Patston says although teachers have a conceptual understanding of creativity, and believe that it is important, they often lack the bridge which will enable them to include it in their everyday teaching programs and assessments. “An open-ended Nüdel Kart session doesn’t have a lot of rules. This lack of structure necessitates that children practice these higher order thinking skills like leadership, self-regulation, negotiation, conflict resolution, all critical for success in this century,” Veerman says. “Instead of the teachers guiding the classes and themes, by using the Nüdel Kart, tasks can be created by the students and will help to cover many of the skills that have been traditionally hard to teach in a rigid classroom environment. This kind of student engagement can be combined with the curriculum to create a deeply engaging holistic learning environment with higher levels of wellbeing.” With the help of Belgian STEM toy designer, Emma Ribbens, Veerman co-designed the

shopping trolley sized kart for up to 30 children. They then rigorously tested it around the world with wealthy private schools all the way to Syrian refugee camp schools. “We found the same results - the kart creates a highly stimulating, mobile learning space that trusts a child’s unstoppable urge to learn through exploration, experimentation, and imagination,” he says. Winner of two Australian Good design awards, the Nüdel Kart is a deconstructable, mobile kart that explodes into a research-backed loose parts space, with 340 pieces, that children can explore with billions of different combinations. “On top of this we worked really hard with teachers to ensure the kart wasn’t a burden. It is mobile and compact for storage and most importantly, simple to pack up for a tired, time-poor teacher,” Veerman explains. 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. Following the successful launch of the Nüdel Kart, Playground Ideas has launched the Nüdel Rover, a smaller, more transportable and more affordable version of the original kart. For smaller groups of up to eight children. Veerman says the Rover was specifically designed to have an additional therapeutic aspect to it.

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

Students use problem solving and negotiation to build more than just vehicles.

Playground Ideas has launched the Nüdel Rover.

“It is of course, designed for educators, but this new size is also perfect for educational occupational therapists, social workers and other allied health specialists to use with students for social skills development and other lagging skills. The materials and quality are the same, it is just smaller in size with a focus on health and wellbeing as well as learning,” he says. For 12 years, the charity Playground Ideas has supported over 2.5 million children in 143 countries to have more time to express themselves freely and enhance their creativity skills to succeed in the future through play.

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Nüdel Kart is its new chapter to support learning and development for this century. “Education systems are on the way to a creativity revolution, and Nüdel Kart provides teachers with the environment to continue that journey,” says Veerman. EM

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

BEYOND THE CLASSROOM // MUD KITCHEN

Hands-on unplugged play key to kids’ learning THEY’RE BIG, BOLD, UNPLUGGED AND IDEAL FOR SCHOOLS, MUSEUMS, AND COMMUNITY SPACES LOOKING TO INSPIRE A GENERATION OF CREATIVE THINKERS, PROBLEM SOLVERS AND COLLABORATORS.

Sydney-based business Mud Kitchen was founded five years ago by Liz Rossiter who had a passion for unstructured, screen-free play that allowed kids to create their own world. Following months of research, travel and product curating, Mud Kitchen was born. Rossiter says the name was inspired from the childhood classic mud kitchens and hopes when people hear the name they are reminded of the memorable playful moments as kids. Growing up in the US, Rossiter spent summer holidays travelling around with her family going to children’s museums where her imagination came to life.

It was these experiences that she drew on when she started to see the gap in the Australian market and began curating a collection of resources and equipment to spark Australian kids’ imaginations. “Kids in classrooms deserve to have playful opportunities that are screen-free and unplugged that aren’t about digital experiences,” Rossiter says. “I love the idea of a balance. We live in the modern, technology-driven world world where there is a strong need for balance to that in the classroom. We find equipment from all around the world that encourages hands-on experiential play

Mud Kitchen is a supplier of Big Blue Blocks.

education matters primary

Big Blue Blocks allows children to become immersed in their play.

to offer that perfect, unplugged balance.” When searching for new equipment and resources to be part of Mud Kitchen, Rossiter says she looks for things that are high-quality, are unique to Australia, foster play-based learning, and are inclusive and gender-neutral. “I think to me one of the most important things is that they aren’t prescriptive. There isn’t just one way to play with them…they need to be open-ended,” she says. “It is this type of play that is perfect for inspiring imagination because it has a million and endless combinations.” “That then allows kids to feel empowered, learn at their own pace, enjoy the process of learning and failing, and be challenged.” With a focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Maths (STEAM) learning concepts, Mud Kitchen also ensures its products encourage thinking, learning to enjoy the process of play, and encourage engagement. Within the last two years the company secured exclusive distribution rights in Australia and New Zealand for two globally acclaimed play-based educational product ranges that are helping schools, educators, and community groups around the world engage children in learning through fun and their own unlimited imaginations. Rigamajig and Big Blue Blocks are two products designed to inspire kids to create

and learn through collaborative, screen-free, hands-on, open-ended play. Rigamajig is a series of large-scale wooden building kits that inspire children to follow their curiosity through engaging, creative, and playful STEAM learning. The colourful wheels, cogs, nuts and bolts combined with gears, pulleys and ropes are intuitively designed to give children the freedom to create threedimensional, mechanical contraptions that are only limited by their imaginations and sense of invention. Big Blue Blocks from US-based company Imagination Playground is a collection of megasized bright blue arches, bends, planks, and cylinders, accented with chutes, channels and other uniquely shaped loose parts that children can stack, line up, move around, sculpt and connect in endless combinations. Made of aerospace-grade, lightweight, waterproof foam, the scale and tactile nature of the Big Blue Blocks allows children to become immersed in their play, inspiring them to invent their own worlds, environments and activities - and have fun at the same time. “Rigamajig and Big Blue Blocks are fantastic, unplugged loose-parts play products that provide an outlet for unleashing that creativity – transforming any space into a playground that encourages children to have so much fun they don’t realise they have been learning valuable STEAM skills the whole time,” Rossiter says. “At Mud Kitchen we are continually talking to teachers, educators, parents and community groups who are looking for proven, evidence-based teaching resources that will engage children in STEAM-based learning as a balance to digital or screen-based activities.” Rossiter says she knows that children find the creative freedom of playing in a low-tech way incredibly empowering when so much of their world today is technology based. With schools setting up STEAM hubs within the classroom, she says the spaces are usually heavy on robotics, coding and screen time and believes there is a need to put more hands-on play equipment into those spaces. As a supplier of US-based company Kodo, Mud Kitchen also sells its Magnet Walls which include a wide range of STEAM learning benefits. “The Magnet Walls are a vertical metal backing board with magnetised ramp, tube, and

Rigamajig is a series of largescale wooden building kits.

chute accessories that you can create an endless range of ball runs,” Rossiter says. “The product can be implemented into teaching coding for example. If you have a ramp, it can be viewed as a piece of code and when you create a pathway for a ball run, using a variety of ramps, tubes, or chutes, that pathway is like a completed bit of code, and if it’s successful, the ball gets to the bottom and drops into a bucket. If it’s not successful, you have to go back and work out the variables that will make it run smoothly - using if/then statements, and working through challenges in a playful way.” Rossiter says all three products also create opportunities for teachers to see how students learn in different ways. She says the products allow students who want to visualise and investigate and discover see that process and apply it to something more theoretical. This also offers the chance for students to build skills in resilience, problem-solving, and team work. “Kids learn through touching and seeing and some of the more conceptual ideas like technology are difficult for those who learn

education matters primary

more visually,” she says. “Everyone enjoys playing and it gets students collaborating and talking. From this, teachers can see students emerge as a leaders who might not outwardly engage in a normal classroom environment.” Rossiter says studies show that when children engage in high levels of engineering play, they are more likely to exhibit 21st century skills, such as critical thinking, collaboration, communication and creativity. “Mud Kitchen brings together the best handson unplugged play-based learning resources from around the world, inviting Australian children to collaborate, communicate, create and think critically in fun and engaging ways,” she says. EM

Buyer’s Guide Mud Kitchen Ph: 1300 79 60 62 Email: liz@mudkitchen.com.au Web: www.mudkitchen.com.au

THE LAST WORD // Australian Curriculum

Significance of indigenous curriculum

ACARA’S CEO, DAVID DE CARVALHO (DDC), SAT DOWN WITH PROFESSOR MARK ROSE (MR) TO TALK ABOUT THE ABORIGINAL & TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER ADVISORY GROUP AND THE IMPORTANT PLACE OF FIRST NATIONS AUSTRALIAN CONTENT IN OUR CURRICULUM. DDC: You were one of the original members of the Advisory Group; why did you join? MR: I was interested in the idea of a national curriculum and making sure the Aboriginal voice was there, obviously for Aboriginal people but also for non-Aboriginal people. I do a lot of speeches and I often ask – what did you learn at school about Aboriginal people? And the chorus is “nothing or very little worthwhile”. DDC: You’ve said when you were at school you were taught that “Aboriginals couldn’t live in houses as they would burn the floorboards to light fires”. Did this play a role in your wanting to have a voice in the curriculum? MR: I grew up in a convent as a result of my dad being a stolen child, which brought about significant family disruption, and so I found my way into teaching and a principalship. The Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, of which I co-chaired the Victorian Review in 2003, drew a link between inadequacies in the curriculum tarnishing professional decisions in all the social indicators. Each of the “closing the gap” measures are important, but education for First Nations and the broader communities is the tipping point. DDC: How much has the curriculum changed when it comes to that First Nations voice in the curriculum? MR: We used to rely on accidental heroes, creative educators who saw a hole and tried to fill it; sometimes they got it right, sometimes not. But the movement started to become everyone’s business. If you live, work and raise a family on this land,

then you have a right to know about your cultural heritage. In the vacuum of the broader community not being educated around Indigenous issues, that void was filled at times with stereotypes and warped paradigms. Authenticity is what we as educators do; it is not about compliance or conversion; it is about letting people know differing viewpoints. DDC: The proposed changes to the First Nations Australian content in the Australian Curriculum received a lot of media coverage, both positive and negative. What was your perspective of that? MR: Not far from me, there are schools where I can walk in and be welcomed in Woiwurrung, the language of the Wurundjeri people. When I sit and listen to the stories of Elders a generation above me and they talk about how they weren’t allowed to go beyond Year 8, and I think about the number of Aboriginal PhDs that are flooding the higher education sector and the work I do with Aboriginal students, it is just sensational how far we have come. It’s not just an Aboriginal issue, it’s making sure the curriculum reflects the true picture of Australia. I have read with interest some of the concepts in the press … thank God we live in a country where people can express an opinion … but a lot of that opinion is not well informed, and provides the best argument for why we need to get this curriculum balanced. DDC: Some advisory group members have been criticised in the media for comments made previously; how has that been?

education matters primary

MR: Everyone has said things that if you had your time again you might or might not have said differently. If you trawl through comments people have made out of context and suggest someone feels a certain way because they retweeted a comment … and then say the whole group is flawed, that is not a rational argument. People were being tagged as un-Australian. We have members who have served on Australia Day Councils and received Australia Dayawards, there are PhDs and a couple of centuries of cumulative education experience. We were targeted individually and collectively and that is very disappointing – they are as fine group of educators I would ever want to have instant coffee in any school staffroom. DDC: What would you like people to know about the advisory group? MR: The group puts the kid first regardless of whether the kid is black or white. We want a balanced curriculum that tells the truth and shows how people can have different perspectives on the same events. If you keep focus on the past you can’t go forward – you have to put the past in context. We need to recognise, as Charlie Perkins said, that “We cannot live in the past. The past lives in us.” We all have a shared commitment to Australia being the best country we can be. EM

Education Services // THE LAST WORD

Lifelong learning starts at school THE ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT (OECD) RECENTLY PUBLISHED LEARNING FOR LIFE: THE LATEST EDITION OF THEIR SKILLS OUTLOOK REPORT, EDUCATION SERVICES AUSTRALIA CEO ANDREW SMITH DISCUSSES. The report finds that lifelong learning is an important factor in a person’s ability to succeed in labour markets and societies that are being shaped by mega trends such as increasing life expectancy, environmental change, globalisation and rapid technological change. A key feature in this year’s report was the impact of COVID-19 on students who experienced lengthy periods of remote learning: a very important topic, which Education Services Australia (ESA) also examined in an Australian context last year. The OECD finds that the skills needed to continue learning during the COVID crisis are also key to developing a lifelong learning mindset. Teachers, schools and education systems have an important role to play in promoting positive attitudes toward lifelong learning. An estimated 1.6 billion students globally were forced to make the transition from a traditional learning environment to a more challenging alternative: remote schooling. While some students were able to keep up with the transition to remote learning, many others, particularly young and socio-economically disadvantaged learners, experienced large learning losses. It is commonly accepted that unless these learning losses are tackled, these children’s long-term social and economic prosperity will suffer. Factors that contributed to learning loss include lack of digital infrastructure in homes, lack of previous experience with digital tools, differences in parental support, and variations in teacher capability and confidence. These were all factors that ESA found similarly prevalent in Australia.

While teachers have always played a particularly important role in the educational development of students, the pandemic has highlighted the creativity and resourcefulness demanded of teachers in a digital society. The increased need for teachers to provide socialemotional support to students and to collaborate with parents in supporting students’ learning goals during distance learning are trends that will likely continue into the future. The OECD report found that in the short term, the pandemic could lead to an increase in early school leavers. In the medium and long term, lower engagement could result in the current generation of students failing to develop positive learning attitudes at a time of profound structural changes that will require people to upgrade their skills throughout their life. Beyond the impact of the pandemic, today’s students will need to be successful learners in the digital world. Research shows that there are two key roles for education here. First, to drive student uptake of digital technologies for learning, and second, to develop students into discerning and critical users of technology. As technology advances, it is increasingly important that young people are prepared to take part in a workforce that is increasingly shaped by technology. Given the rapid rate of technological change, students today must develop a set of broad skills and perspectives that support lifelong learning in novel and unfamiliar digital environments. Teachers, schools, and systems have been creative in adopting digital and technologybased strategies as alternatives to the traditional

education matters primary

classroom. Following the experience of COVID-19 and the resulting digital transformation across education and schools, we can expect systems to accelerate their efforts to address challenges and harness opportunities in digital innovation more widely. To combat these risks, teachers in classrooms across the country are working hard to identify the learning and wellbeing needs of their students, because when teachers know what students need, they can plan and teach in a targeted way. Teachers themselves are lifelong learners. Providing access to high quality professional learning that is made freely available through trusted online platforms is vital to supporting classroom teachers. Teachers looking to enhance their understanding and skills in supporting student wellbeing can find self-paced online professional learning available on the Student Wellbeing Hub. For those with an interest in developing engaging programs that embed digital technologies into classroom practice, the Digital Technologies Hub has an array of resources to expand teacher’s repertoire. Working together to meet the needs of teachers, we can help ensure that young Australians establish the habits that will make them lifelong learners from the early days of their schooling. EM

THE LAST WORD // eSafety

A framework for getting students to safely navigate the online world

LAST MONTH, OUR TEAM LAUNCHED THE BEST PRACTICE FRAMEWORK FOR ONLINE SAFETY EDUCATION. THIS IS AUSTRALIA’S FIRST-EVER NATIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR SCHOOLS AND TEACHERS DESIGNED TO HELP EDUCATORS EQUIP YOUNG PEOPLE WITH THE NECESSARY SKILLS TO SAFELY NAVIGATE THE ONLINE WORLD, WRITES ESAFETY COMMISSIONER JULIE INMAN GRANT. It establishes a consistent national approach that supports education systems across Australia to deliver high quality programs, with clearly defined elements and effective practices. Schools across the country now have access to this Framework that can be used to develop, assess or refine whole-school online safety education programs using evidence-based practices. The Framework is designed to address the needs of every student from F-12 in ageappropriate ways, providing guidance in five key elements, outlined below Within the Framework each element has associated ‘effective practices’ designed to guide educators when developing online safety education programs and policies. The foundation of these elements and effective practices were developed out of a two-part process to research and identify ‘what works’ in online safety education, led by Professor Kerryann Walsh from the Queensland University of Technology. Online safety education has often been inconsistent, both in content and delivery, this is why we designed and developed the Framework in consultation with child online safety education experts and educators across the country, to ensure that schools are equipped with practices that are evidence-based and can be tailored to meet the needs of their own communities. What can these evidence-based approaches look like when designing online safety programs? 1) An approach needs to recognise the rights and

responsibilities of students to participate safely online, and to empower them to have a voice when it comes to their online safety education. The framework encourages educators to work together with their students, understanding how they use technology to engage online and the challenges they face, and building this into a co-designed online safety program that is relevant and age appropriate. 2) Online safety programs should be framed around the pillars of building resilience and managing risk. Programs should be strengths based and grounded in recognising the positive impact technology has in the everyday lives of students - for example, helping students understand the positive role social media can play to amplify messages about social issues in a community. Fear based messaging should be avoided. To help them cope if things do go wrong, education should provide students with an opportunity to understand the different types of risk they can be exposed to online, and strategies that can help build resilience and prevent risks turning into harms. This means teaching children when and how to seek help - and how to help others if they can see they are struggling. Teaching students about risk of harm and resilience needs to vary depending on the age and particular needs of students – it is not a one size fits all approach. 3) For online safety education to work, it needs to be an effective school wide approach. It should

education matters primary

aim to build the capacity of students, as well as every member of the school community. That’s why the framework recommends that online safety lessons are structured so that each lesson builds on the previous ones, with clear goals and learning objectives. Educators can also bring parents and carers on the journey by sending relevant information home – the eSafety website has a wealth of information for this. Teachers should also be trained in teaching online safety, using training such as eSafety’s Teacher Professional Learning program. 4) Online safety education should be integrated across the curriculum, teaching a range of skills from critical thinking, to help seeking and social and emotional learning. There should be specific lessons focused on online safety, as well as opportunities to build skills into lesson plans across learning areas– for example, teaching critical thinking should include examples of how this applies in an online context. 5) Online safety can never be ‘set and forget’, but continuously improved through review and evaluation. This allows schools to ensure that approaches are working for the school, and programs keep up with emerging issues and evidence about what is working. To download and implement these landmark resources visit esafety.gov.au/educators/bestpractice-framework. EM

University of South Australia // THE LAST WORD

Goldilocks Day: How should children be spending their time?

DOT DUMUID, SENIOR RESEARCHER FELLOW AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA, DISCUSSES THE GOLDI-LOCKS PRINCIPLE AND HOW GIVE CHILDREN EQUAL PRIORITY TO PHYSICAL, MENTAL, AND COGNITIVE HEALTH DOMAINS. As parents and caregivers, many of us spend a lot of time shaping our children’s time. From when we wake them in the morning, to when we put them to bed at night, we’re prompting them to do their homework, take out the rubbish, turn off their screens, practice their instru-ment, eat their lunch, and play their sports. The list is endless! Yet, with all these activities on the go, how do we – and they – achieve the best balance? As competing demands have become more complex and varied with increased digitalisation and ever-present social media, not to mention being turbo charged by the pandemic, finding a way to bring healthy balance to our daily activities seems more important than ever. Government guidelines recommend that school-aged children achieve at least one hour of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in their day, but that they also get between nine and 11 hours of sleep, all the while restricting recreational screen time to less than two hours. Alt-hough this recommended daily balance of activities has been approved by panels of experts and adopted by many countries and health bodies (including the World Health Organisation), it’s very difficult for children to achieve. In Australia, it’s estimated that only about 15 per cent of children meet all three guidelines – sleep, screen time, and physical activity – which, while being relatively low, still trumps those in other countries where compliance is as low as 6 per cent. Such a low compliance for all three guidelines is striking, especially considering compliance for individual guidelines can be quite high (up to 70%) essentially, it’s easier to achieve one guideline, but reaching all is much harder.

Of course, as we only have 24 hours in any given day, increasing one activity means decreasing another, we must make trade-offs. From our research, it seems that children who are increasing their physical activity to one hour a day are taking this time from sleep, so while they may achieve guidelines for physical activity, they now fall short of sleep. Or, if they increase their sleep to meet the sleep guidelines, they no longer have enough time to meet required hours for physical activity! Exactly what the best balance of daily activities looks like, may depend on what families value, and in terms of how these activities are expected to impact their child’s health and wellbeing. For example, if physical fitness is prioritised over mental health, we might sacrifice sleep for an early morning gym session. Or, if reducing adiposity is preferred over academic performance, we might skip studying to take a run. But can we have the best of all worlds – a ‘Goldilocks Day’ – where the balance of daily activities is, as in the children’s fairy tale, “not too little, not too much, but just right”? We all know that families are busy places, where parents, carers and children alike try to fit in all number of activities into the 24-hour window. But in doing so, we’re making decisions about which activities we value over others. How we balance our time can impact our health and wellbeing. As our research shows, the op-timal durations of sleep, sedentary behaviour, and physical activity will vary depending on our motivations. For example, if we want to boost children’s physical health, their optimal sleep should be about 10 hours a night, but with moderate-to-vigorous physical activity about two

education matters primary

and a half hours a day – more than doubling the recommended Australian guidelines. If focusing on improving mental health, children need to sleep even longer – for at least 11 hours – with the extra sleep being subtracted from all other remaining activities. In contrast, the optimal time-distribution for cognitive or academic health needed very little moderate-to-vigorous physical activity – only about 40 minutes – which is nearly half of what is recommended by Australian guidelines. Instead, optimised cognitive health required additional sedentary time (about 11.7 hours), while maintaining sleep within recommended levels. So, physical, mental, and cognitive domains of health are optimised by different allocations of time across daily activities. As parents and caregivers, we care about all aspects of our children’s health and want to find the best middle ground. That’s where the Goldilocks Principle comes in: what is the best bal-ance of all activities to achieve the best health outcomes overall? Well, if we give equal priori-ty to physical, mental, and cognitive health domains, a Goldilocks Day comprises 10.4 hours of sleep, 9.7 hours of sedentary behaviours (which could be reading or screen time), 2.4 hours of light physical activity, and 1.5 hours of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Apply-ing an individual and tailored approach to what works best will, well, work best. Making the most out of your day, and helping your children make the most out of theirs, is a juggling act. EM

EVENTS

FLOURISH: WELLBEING AND WELFARE IN EDUCATION 6 September, 2021 Brisbane, QLD Web: https://www.bodysafetyaustralia.com.au/ flourish-conference Flourish: Wellbeing and Welfare in Education in Brisbane has been created to support principals and school leadership teams with access to the latest research and resources available to support their communities. SUPPORTING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES 7 September, 2021 Adelaide, SA Web: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/ supporting-students-with-disabilities-adelaidetickets-154112311071 This course introduces teachers working in mainstream settings to resources and strategies that better support students with disabilities. All resources can be used within any classroom and are designed to ensure the student with a disability is as independent as possible. BEGINNING TEACHER CONFERENCES 11-12 September, 2021 Bundanoon, NSW Web: https://www.nswtf.org.au/ beginningteacherconferences These conferences are aimed at members who are in their first few years of teaching. Content covered includes: processes for achieving accreditation at Proficient teacher with NESA; advice for teachers already maintaining their accreditation at Proficient; planning and programming; classroom management; and Aboriginal education. SOCIAL GOOD SUMMIT AUSTRALIA 18 September, 2021 Kensington, NSW Web: https://www.socialgoodsummit.com.au/ The Social Good Summit Australia (SGSA) is a United Nations Foundation affiliated event that connects

individuals, Corporations, Not-for-profits, Government and Grassroots organisations to inspire and discuss solutions for the greatest challenges of our times. THE SANTOS SCIENCE EXPERIENCE 21-23 September, 2021 Toowoomba, QLD Web: https://www.scienceexperience.com.au/ when-where The program is designed to engage students who are interested in science, engineering and technology with the opportunity to gain knowledge about careers and participate in a wide range of hands-on activities, under the guidance of experts from USQ and the Department of Agriculture and Forestry. 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. VIC WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP WORKSHOP 6-7 October, 2021 Melbourne, VIC

education matters primary

Web: https://liquidlearning.com/events/vic-womenleadership-workshop-wilm1021a-m Essential skills and tools to enhance your effectiveness as a leader in an evolving environment. Develop your individual leadership style; lead with emotional intelligence and authenticity; lead high performance for yourself your team and the organisation; strategic planning for your leadership development and career. STEM REGIONAL AND LABTECH 2021 8 October, 2021 Wangaratta, Victoria Web: https://stav.org.au/event/stem-regionaland-labtech-2021/ Theme for this conference is STEM Innovation: Food for Thought. Felicity Furey is the inaugural STAV STEM Ambassador and a leader in STEM education. She is an award winning business leader, engineer and entrepreneur who helps students and educators get excited and inspired about STEM. TERTIARY EDUCATION MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE 2021 11-13 October, 2021 Online conference Web: https://www.atem.org.au/conferences/ tem-conference The Theme for the TEMC 2021 Online Conference is ‘Bright Futures’. The conference will focus on looking forward and will showcase how together as a sector we can regroup and use the learnings from 2020 to create a vibrant tertiary sector. THE EDUCATION SHOW 12-13 October, 2021 Melbourne, VIC Web: https://www.theeducationshow.com.au/ visiting-1 The latest cutting edge learning and teaching resources along with programs, support services and technology will be showcased to educators from across Australia. Visitors can also attend the Free Seminar Program.

educationmattersmag.com.au

Education Matters Magazine and educationmattersmag.com.au are informative, valuable resources for decision makers of both primary and secondary schools Australia-wide. We provide a content-rich, comprehensive buyer’s guide of the most reliable, trustworthy school suppliers in the market. This is coupled with the latest in news and expert views about the topics and issues currently impacting the education sector. educationmattersmag.com.au is a one-stop shop for a wide variety of products or services for your school. You can browse our categories which include technology, professional development, curriculum, health and wellbeing, beyond the classroom and more; or use our search function to find exactly what you require.

For further information, contact: Danny Hernandez Mobile: 0431 330 232 Email: danny.hernandez@primecreative.com.au

NOW AVAILABLE

ON iPad

WHICHSCHOOL APP for iPad AVAILABLE NOW

VIC Edition 11 - 2019

www.schoolcompare.com.au

A Guide to Non-Government Schools - Victoria

WhichSchool magazine is excited to present the WhichSchool app. Available for free via the App Store, the WhichSchool app will help you make one of the most important choices in your child’s life. Through the app you’ll have easy access to school profiles, photographs and videos, all designed to give you a clearer idea of the options for your family. For your free download, search for WhichSchool in the Education section of the App Store.

IN THIS ISSUE Alternative Schools Choosing the Right School Principally Speaking: St Margaret’s and Berwick Grammar

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS

PRINCIPALLY SPEAKING... Dr Mark Merry, Principal at Yarra Valley Grammar, speaks to WhichSchool? Magazine about how creating a positive culture and learning environment is helping students to pave their own paths to success. What is the philosophy of Yarra Valley Grammar and how does it guide you and your staff? Yarra Valley Grammar is primarily an educational institution, so the main focus clearly has to be on the intellectual pursuits of our students, expanding their horizons and giving them as many opportunities as we can so that when they finish school, they have as many pathways available to

them as possible, whether that be university or something else entirely. Our philosophy is that we co-share the responsibility of educating students with their parents, who are their primary educators. The responsibility of nurturing and growing their children from the age of three to age 18 is more than just academic. It is also

The Wells Centre provides a place for students to meet as a community and work in groups or individually.

A multi-storey student-centred hub, The Drennen Centre is the centrepiece of the campus redevelopment.

Students are the most important here. We are fortunate to have students who love coming to school to learn and teachers who love coming to school to teach. That’s certainly a great strength of ours.

The Drennen Centre, named after Wesley’s first female Principal Dr Helen Drennen AM, features student facilities that include: • The first on-campus dedicated chapel, featuring a striking façade.

How do you provide support and leadership to your staff? With staff, we have a collegial leadership model, which means it is not overtly top down, or about giving people orders. Schools are probably among

Student and staff wellbeing is central to the mission of Yarra Valley Grammar.

the most qualified workplaces – everyone has a graduate or postgraduate degree. There are a lot of conversations happening about where schools are going and where they should be going. At Yarra Valley Grammar, it’s more of a partnership with staff than a hierarchy; and that’s first and foremost how you support your staff. Of course we have wellbeing programs in place for staff, but generally speaking, providing support and leadership comes down to how you run a school on a collegial basis rather than the traditional hierarchy approach. How do you encourage wellbeing among staff and students? At Yarra Valley Grammar, we see the wellbeing of both staff and students as being central to our mission and central to our values. We want high performing people who can handle the pressure of the job and feel supported.

An initiative that we’ve introduced last year for students is called the Resilience Project, which is a partnership with an outside group working with our children to help them develop life and coping skills, and navigate their way through childhood. It has been very well received here.

Commencing in Year 5 at Wesley College offers each child a smooth transition from the upper primary years in preparation for Middle and Senior Schools. The campus expansion has enabled the school to provide additional places for Year 5 and 7 students through the Glen Waverley Middle School Expansion

• A spacious whole-campus library with dedicated resource areas for Junior, Middle and Senior School students, break-out areas, reading spaces

vision for a contemporary learning facility.

and study rooms. • A dedicated Year 9 precinct designed to prepare students for transition into Senior School (Years 10 to 12). • Language classrooms fitted with acoustic and audio-visual equipment and specialist English

Junior, Middle and Senior School students, breakout areas, reading spaces and study rooms and is complemented by The Charlaftis Collaborative Learning Hub. The Hub is a high-tech learning space and theatrette designed for flexible learning.

A spacious library houses dedicated resources for

“We have been thrilled with the calibre of students who have joined us through that scholarship already,” Mr Evans says. “The students have really been prepared to try new things, embrace the diversity of learning at Wesley and grasp opportunities.”

This permits the school to deliver academic and wellbeing programs in ways and environments that

Applications are open for the Glen Waverley Middle School Expansion scholarship and others via the school website www.wesleycollege.edu.au.

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recognition to the transitions central to the adolescent middle years.

adolescents at this important stage in their

At the Senior Boys campus, the approach to

These boyologists not only teach boys, they also have the expertise and experience to connect with boys, meaning that we strive to form the nurturing relationship with each boy to enable him to consider the many roles he will confront beyond our gates as a father, husband, partner, employer, employee, leader and servant in the broader

learning is both innovative and traditional, adopting 21st century pedagogies while also appreciating

community.

that enduring values denote men of character embodying generation-courage, respect for self and others, integrity and compassion.

St Margaret’s and Berwick Grammar School believes that a successful education for each boy is to be known, valued, celebrated and cared for in an environment which promotes challenge, excellence, achievement and personal growth. A successful education for the world these boys will one day enter as men is one in which they will be required to have skills as much as knowledge. The House based wellbeing system promotes these skills by providing a smaller community for each boy within the larger school community where he is led, mentored and nurtured by peers as much as teachers.

redevelopment was our opportunity to create dedicated spaces for service, language learning and for our Year 9 students. “The Year 9 precinct caters to the needs of

it believes suits single gender academic learning best. The existence of brother and sister schools also permits healthy and appropriate social and emotional development that evolves from girls and boys working together.

The purpose built and designed facilities for boys enable the freedom for physical expression and an appreciation that self-discipline provides the framework for achieving any goal. A wonderful new High Performance Athletic Centre strongly demonstrates the school’s commitment to the adage of a healthy body and healthy mind, which is integral to a holistic approach to educating each boy for the man he will one day become.

“We recognise our students as social, intellectual, cultural and spiritual human beings,” says Nick Evans, Wesley College Principal. “This

The concept for The Drennen Centre gives greater

These senior boys demonstrate House Spirit as they compete in Cross Country.

relational learning) are focused on how we best prepare each boy who enters our gates for the successful completion of examinations, but also to lead a fulfilling and honourable life with a strong moral compass. Established in 1926, St Margaret’s and Berwick Grammar School is an independent nondenominational school with a proud tradition of educational excellence. Its unique educational model of learning provides a co-educational ELC and Junior School with single gender senior campuses for girls and boys.

scholarship. Designed by award-winning architects at Cox Architecture, the development meets the school’s

“The best education for boys is one rich in nurturing the mind, but it must also seek to nurture the heart and spirit of each student.”

A dedicated team of ‘boyologists’ (teachers skilled in both teaching and reaching boys through

The concept for The Drennen Centre, and the Middle School redevelopment as a whole, gives greater recognition to the transitions central to the adolescent middle years.

My most important part of the day is having a chat to students, so I try and do that each and every day. It helps to keep me engaged and helps with me knowing them and them knowing me.

VIC 2020

of independence and responsibility they have cultivated through the Year 9 Clunes residential learning program.”

Language Preparation Program classes. • The Charlaftis Collaborative Learning Hub, a hightech learning space and mini-theatrette.

What role do you play in the day-to-day activities of the students? This is one of the toughest things about being the principal of a big school. If I’m not careful, a lot of my time can be spent in the office, at meetings and shuffling through papers, so every day I drop into classrooms and locker areas, and it’s the incidental conversations that keep me engaged with the students.

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development, supporting them in developing independent study habits, preparing for transition into the Senior School and continuing the sense

Year 8 students Achila, Jeremy and Dharmesh enjoy learning amongst friends.

At St Margaret’s and Berwick Grammar School, the goal of its Senior Boys campus is ‘To grow good men’. The school proudly offers a distinctive education for boys that values the pursuit of academic achievement and excellence, while promoting the development of character as a vehicle for success as a man in the 21st century.

The first stage of the Middle School redevelopment, The Wells Centre for Years 5 and 6, opened in 2018.

Yarra Valley Grammar is situated in a beautiful park environment on 29 hectares. There is wildlife living in the forest which is part of our school.

The main driver is our culture – the way people treat one another, their interactions, the high expectations they have of everyone else. The culture is based around engagement in their studies and caring for each other. These combined elements make for a very positive culture at Yarra Valley Grammar and that is what make us a successful school.

GROWING GO OD MEN

“A carefully considered educational brief was behind the redevelopment,” Mr Evans said. ‘It recognises that learning is flexible. Students may be studying in groups or presenting to a whole class, or building roads and race tracks for robots on the floor. Cox Architecture consulted with staff and students, designing a modern and flexible space which very much aligns with contemporary ways of learning and teaching practices.”

How does Yarra Valley Grammar differ from other schools? We are very fortunate that we have a number of great schools in our area. They are different types of schools but are all great schools.

In terms of resources and facilities, the school is in a really great place, and students love that. If we show value in a particular area of study through investing resources and facilities, the students will follow.

The new library features dedicated resource areas for Junior, Middle and Senior School students.

The Drennen Centre has opened its doors and provides a new learning and social space at the centre of the Wesley College Glen Waverley Campus.

We are not only a school but also a community of adults whose job it is to help our students navigate through all of the challenges they are faced with throughout their childhood and adolescence.

In what ways has the school evolved since you joined the school as principal 10 years ago? We’ve had a fairly robust plan to grow the size of the school. Since 2009, we’ve grown from about 1000 students and are now nudging up to 1400 students, which is 40 per cent growth in 10 years. Over that time we have also had a robust building program, so we have constructed eight new buildings.

Dr Mark Merry and the winning Yarra Valley Grammar Billy Cart team at the Maroondah Billy Cart Marathon.

AT A NEW STUDENT -CENTRED HUB

about nurturing character, wellbeing, engagement with sports and physical activity and much more.

Year 9 student Sam engaged in his Design Technology creation.

The Drennen Centre offers a library, chapel, learning hub, Year 9 precinct and language classrooms.

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VIC 2020

The best education for boys is one rich in nurturing the mind, but it must also seek to nurture the heart and spirit of each student. At St Margaret’s and Berwick Grammar School, this type of learning for each boy occurs as much in the outdoors, on the sporting field, as a member of a debating team or musical ensemble, as it does in the Mathematics or Geography classroom.

St Margaret’s and Berwick Grammar School seeks to provide each boy with necessary skills, through its wellbeing curriculum, to think both creatively and critically to resolve conflict and solve problems but to also develop the type of interpersonal capacities which will enable them to thrive as articulate, confident and respectful men.

A group of Year 11 boys get together to study at the library after school.

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TODAY

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VIC 2019

Education Matters Primary September 2021

Articles inside

The importance of bridging the digital divide for primary school children

The Last Word

Events

Helping students overcome change and uncertainty

Teachers are a lighthouse for all students, but how do teachers keep their light burning?

APPA column

How much do you know about the diversity of Aboriginal culture in Australia?

Enhancing everyday teaching in the classroom

The evolving role of technology vendors in education

Hot Topic: Improving a generational decline in writing skills

Principally Speaking

Buyer’s Guide