Education Matters (Primary): Oct 2016 by Prime Creative Media

A content rich, comprehensive, buyerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s guide for schools.

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NAPLAN Online pilot reveals future direction STEM discussion continues after science graduates struggle for employment 6 - MAR

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Planning for population changes critical to future educational efficacy Principally Speaking: Toorak College

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Editor’s Note

Dipping a cautious toe into the waters of education industry news, analysis and opinion is an incredibly eye-opening experience for the uninitiated. Perhaps even more so for an editor who has known many educators, but has never been one himself. Plumbing a small portion of these depths over the past six months or so has given me a newfound appreciation for the educators and those who support them – particularly those who stand out as exemplars of community service, environmental awareness and for their unswerving dedication to their students. Yet trawling the waters of this industry could never be as daunting as assuming the mantle of editor for Education Matters. I’m awed by the work produced by all of the magazine’s previous contributors, not least the prodigious effort provided by Kathryn Edwards, my predecessor. Since the previous edition of Education Matters, the Federal Government has maintained its attention on STEM, a concept that survived a protracted election campaign. Another ongoing issue for the timeframe is the perennial Gonski reforms. Add to that the 2016 NAPLAN results. Yet news of the extreme abuse of privacy that has occurred online in recent revelations regarding a ‘sick’ pornography ring (in which 71 Australian schools were named on the group’s website) causes a much deeper and immediate consternation. Questions of policy pale in comparison to the immediate threat posed to the mental health of Australia’s young people that is quite consistently facilitated by technology. The role of technology in the school remains a problem with many, but no clear solutions. The sheer variety of software solutions available at every level of education is dizzying, and deciding how to select the one that solves your specific problem seems like a minefield with piles of paperwork surrounding it. For these reasons we’ve compiled an issue of Education Matters that delves into matters of technology at the student level, the administration level and the policy level. You’ll hear from the Education Minister, who discusses the P-TECH initiative, as well as another installment from the President for the Australian Primary Principals Association, Dennis Yarrington, writing on the latest NAPLAN Online trials. Then, turn to page 20 for an overview of the ongoing STEM debate, including the latest developments, in our 21st Century Learning section. This is accompanied by a discussion of software available to educators, as well as some thoughts for developing an acceptable use policy for the use of computers at school, written by prominent education law expert, Charles J. Russo. Principal Kristy Kendall of Toorak College reinforces the real business of school leadership in our latest Principally Speaking feature – the business of people. And on the topic of people, The Grattan Institute’s Peter Goss has contributed his research to a discussion on how changing regional populations will impact on schools in the coming years, where some may be threatened with overcrowding issues, while others face the prospect of managing a shrinking student body. Finally, turn to the latter half of the magazine for an escape from the highly technologised world of modern learning and consider the benefits of switching off in nature. We discuss the benefits of perceived risk and unstructured learning with CEO of the Outdoor Education Group, Richard Thornton on page 56. Cool Australia also returns with an outdoorthemed lesson plan that will encourage any class to start learning among nature. It’s an honour to join you for this edition of Education Matters – Primary. These print productions can be large undertakings and we don’t always get things right, and for that reason I’d love to hear your feedback. Please feel free to pass on any comments or questions to me directly via email campbell. phillips@primecreative.com.au.

Campbell Phillips Editor

education matters primary

Publisher: John Murphy john.murphy@primecreative.com.au Chief Operating Officer: Brad Buchanan brad.buchanan@primecreative.com.au Editor: Campbell Phillips campbell.phillips@primecreative.com.au Art Director & Production Coordinator: Michelle Weston Designers: Blake Storey, Sarah Doyle, James Finlay Group Sales Manager: Terry Wogan terry.wogan@primecreative.com.au Advertising: Chelsea Daniel-Young chelsea.daniel@primecreative.com.au 0425 699 878 Client Success Manager: Justine Nardone Education Matters is a division of Prime Creative Media Pty. Ltd. 11-15 Buckhurst Street, South Melbourne 3205 Ph: (+61 3) 9690 8766 Fax: (+61 3) 9682 0044 Subscriptions Education Matters is available by subscription from the publisher. The rights of refusal are reserved by the publisher. Ph: (+61 3) 9690 8766 E: subscriptions@primecreative.com.au Articles All articles submitted for publication become the property of the publisher. We reserve the right to adjust any article to conform with the magazine format. Cover Image Toorak College, VIC 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 Oct 2016 - Mar 2017

DEPARTMENTS Editor’s Note 4 Foreword

Advertisers’ Directory

Primary Column

Senator the Hon. Simon Birmingham, Minister for Education and Training

Dennis Yarrington, President, Australian Primary Principals Association (APPA)

FEATURES 20

STEM debate continued...

Acceptable use policies

Learning about education software solutions

A recent report from The Grattan Institute has caused the validity of the STEM approach to be questioned. We provide a summary of the issue over the past two years. Charles J. Russo provides a history of litigation regarding technology in US schools, providing insight for Australian educators to develop their own acceptable use policy for computers.

National Education News

A finer understanding of software platforms and niche solutions is required for modern educators to derive the best value for themselves and their students.

Events Diary

Principally Speaking Mrs Kristy Kendall, Principal of Toorak College

Adapting schools for future population change

While many places in Australia are expected to grow over the next half-century, some regional locations will shrink. Understanding how local population changes will influence schools will ensure every generation of students receives an adequate education, writes Peter Goss.

56 Perceived risk and unstructured learning

While interviewing the Outdoor Education Group’s Richard Thornton, we learn more about the various models schools are employing to deliver Outdoor Education, as well as the benefits that students continue to derive from its practice.

64 Lesson plan: Tree-rific poems

Cool Australia provides another lesson plan. This time it’s one designed to get teachers and students outdoors and enjoying nature, while also brushing up on their English skills.

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Foreword

Ensuring students keep pace with technology AS SCHOOL STUDENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY START THEIR END OF YEAR EXAMS, THIS ISSUE OF EDUCATION MATTERS IS A GREAT THOUGHT STARTER FOR WHAT THE FUTURES FOR THOSE STUDENTS WILL LOOK LIKE. To ensure young Australians are well equipped for their future in an increasingly technological workforce we must ensure our education system is preparing them for the jobs of the 21st Century to offer them the best chance of success possible. Governments, educators, businesses and families have a responsibility to this and future generations to work together to ensure they have the right skills in those booming fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics – the STEM subjects. There are plenty of challenges and opportunities that come with a focus on STEM study, some of which Education Matters has covered before. But the need for that continued focus is clear - estimates show 75 per cent of the fastest growing occupations now require STEM skills, while PwC warned that Australia could fall behind our international competitors in world rankings unless we invested more strongly in STEM and developed a more vibrant culture of innovation.1 As our economy transitions and the effects are felt in homes and businesses around the country we know we need to respond if we are to stay competitive and relevant. PwC, for its part is doing more than simply producing reports, recently signing on as a major industry partner of the Turnbull Government’s Pathways in Technology (P-TECH) pilot program being established at a Western Sydney school. The innovative P-TECH model being funded and supported by the Coalition sees schools, local businesses and the community work together to provide pathways for young people to achieve STEM qualifications and build the skills they need to get work. A lot of discussion about STEM and the changing economy can be abstract, but P-TECH is just one example of real programs that produce real-life tangible outcomes happening across the country right now to prepare Australian students. Our National Innovation and Science Agenda has also supported programs like Cracking the Code to teach students computer coding skills along with the Little Scientists and Let’s Count initiatives designed to promote positive science and mathematics experiences for pre-schoolers. It’s no rarity these days to see toddlers swiping 1

away on a tablet with greater proficiency than their parents, but it is important that we nurture this natural understanding of technology into more useful technical skills – our children must be able to take advantage of the vast array of information and opportunities as they become available. To harness that enthusiasm for STEM that we see in young children, last year the Turnbull Government signed the National STEM School Education Strategy with state and territory education ministers. That Strategy will make sure science, mathematics and information technology subjects and learning focuses on the most beneficial areas in those big topic areas, drawing together the national curriculum and teaching reforms to bring about real improvement in STEM education and improves job outcomes for students. One of the key focuses for the Turnbull Government is to ensure our teachers have the right skills in the often-complex STEM subjects so those teachers can pass those skills along and lift student outcomes. We all know how much of an impact a great teacher can have, and a great teacher empowered with top-notch skills can lift our students even further. That’s why we took clear policies to the election focused on achieving better quality in our schools to deliver better outcomes for our students. Beyond schooling though, we’ve committed $31 million to invest in internships and post-school career advice for women in STEM. As women only make up around one quarter of the STEM workforce, it is clear that incentives need to be put in place to encourage greater diversity in the workforce. Like the P-TECH model, there is a focus on creating internships and meaningful work experience. We will keep our focus on bringing in reforms that will lift improvements for students across the education system and prioritise support for STEM initiatives, but I hope that each of you reading Education Matters will think about what role you can play. We must inspire our children to explore their natural curiosity of maths and science from an early age, and we can do that by making the activities as fun and rewarding as possible. But it must continue; we

Simon Birmingham has served as a Liberal Party Senator for South Australia since May 2007 and in September 2015 was appointed to position of Minister for Education and Training. Simon grew up near Gawler in Adelaide’s north on his family’s small horse agistment property. Simon was educated at government schools before going on to study at the University of Adelaide where he completed a Masters of Business Administration. After less than three years in the Senate Simon was appointed to the Shadow Ministry, serving as Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Murray-Darling Basin and the Environment until the 2013 election. Following the change of government in 2013 Simon served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Environment, with responsibility for water policy, including the Murray-Darling Basin, National Parks and the Bureau of Meteorology. In 2014 Simon was appointed to serve as the Assistant Minister for Education and Training, with specific responsibility for vocational education, apprenticeships, training and skills. He is now Minister for Education and Training. He is married to Courtney and has two young daughters, Matilda and Amelia. Simon is an active supporter of the Parliamentary Association for UNICEF and a proud, but sometimes frustrated, Adelaide Crows fan.

need to make sure the STEM subjects engage students at school, are continued throughout their schooling and later as they move into careers. The workplaces and world of the future will need people to not just be comfortable with STEM, but excelling in them, and I am confident that the initiatives we are putting in place across the nation will provide that preparation. Senator the Hon. Simon Birmingham Minister for Education and Training

PricewaterhouseCoopers (2015), A smart move: future proofing Australia’s workforce by growing skills and science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM)

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Taking advantage of our experience in the field, the expertise of our partners and in keeping with our commitment to bring our wonderful thermoplastic markings to every school across the country, this will allow us to offer a more responsive and reliable service to the Victorian, Southern Queensland and Northern NSW markets. The team at Living Colour (based on the Gold Coast) have over 20 years experience working with schools and helping them bring dull areas to life. “We can see how the Project Playgrounds product can add so much value to the playground spaces of any school. It fits so well with what we are doing with schools already. With our wealth of experience in the sector, we look forward to being

able to offer it to our existing and new customers alike. We also know that by being on the ground in the region and our reputation in the sector, clients can be confident in the service they will receive.” The team at Project Playgrounds Australia, together with their partners, are excited about the expansion of the business. We continually strive to offer more options through capabilities, product range and bespoke designs. Although we have installed in over 200 schools throughout the country already, we never tire of the experience – the excitement of the children when they have a new set of playground designs to jump around! At Project Playgrounds, we believe that

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APPA Column

Technology tide takes NAPLAN online CONDUCTED BY ACARA, THE NAPLAN ONLINE TRIAL INVOLVES A NUMBER OF PRIMARY SCHOOLS ACROSS AUSTRALIA. THE TRIAL WILL TEST THE NAPLAN PLATFORM AND SOFTWARE, THE SCHOOL’S TECHNOLOGY AND CONNECTIVITY. IT WILL HAVE SAMPLE ITEMS COVERING MATHS AND READING WITH A SEPARATE TEST FOR WRITING. FEEDBACK WILL FOCUS ON THE SCHOOL’S CAPACITY TO MANAGE TECHNOLOGY AND FUNCTIONALITY OF THE TEST ITSELF SUCH AS ‘DROP AND DRAG’. NOT ALL STATES AND TERRITORIES ARE INVOLVED AND THE TRIAL WILL BE A SAMPLE GROUP WITHIN THE SCHOOLS INVOLVED.

We all know what NAPLAN tests, what schools need to do to make it happen and when results come back to the school and out to parents, and when those results hit the headlines once on My School. When NAPLAN was introduced it was all about lifting student achievement and improving school performance. What many say is that NAPLAN (and My School) is not reflective of contemporary learning approaches and, overall, have not had any significant impact on school performance or change in student achievement (see ACARA Media Release, Aug 2015). The Education Council, made up of education ministers from each state and territory government and the Federal Education Minister made a decision to move NAPLAN online. The decision, it might be

said, was made on no trialling, a limited amount of information and not a lot of consultation. And by 2019 all schools would be doing NAPLAN Online. The question I have is not whether tests can be done online. My question is whether the benefit – and there are benefits –outweigh the risk, or indeed the cost. The unintended teaching and learning consequences are real. Already in one state, schools will be required to redirect limited school funds for technology upgrades and hardware purchases to implement NAPLAN Online. If introduced, we can see students in Foundation to Year 3 needing daily access to digital devices far beyond what they currently experience. The real cost of resourcing this development is high and schools will need to find the funds from

education matters primary

within current budget by redirecting money from other areas (read ‘cut’), asking parents to pay, not offering programs and the like. The Australian Primary Principals Association has raised a number of concerns with ACARA and the Education Minister about the impact of moving NAPLAN online, especially for writing. While we all acknowledge that schools use technology based tests to gain information about a student’s learning, our key concern is the impact it will have on teaching and learning not to mention the resourcing requirements for schools. Most, if not all, high performing countries do not have mass national testing. PISA and TIMSS are well-recognised sample-based tests done effectively with little interruption to the school. NAPLAN Online does not quite look like that with a two or three week period to complete the tests. Interrupting learning programs is not just about time; it is about access to technology hardware and internet connections, multi-age classes needing to be split and rooms used to conduct the tests being quarantined over that time. Every school will have to ensure every student has access to the necessary hardware. And then there are upgrades to connections and internet requirements, testing and recharging computers, storage and mass movement of students or machine around the school over the time. While all of this may read logistics, organisation and access, the implication is additional workload and resourcing to implement a change that is still to be proven. Teachers will receive information back sooner but at what cost? Will it add value to the information teachers have about their students learning?

Teachers and schools are more and more becoming focused on targeted data and assessments that provide real time information on student achievement. Many schools are using feedback from assessments to assist students in improving learning outcomes. So, if we, the education community, see 21st Century learning skills and approaches as the way of the future, why would we be accepting an approach that does not reflect individual learning and flexibility with assessment? Furthermore, according to a report by the Productivity Commission on Indigenous Primary School Achievement (2016), the education literature suggests that the key to improving student achievement, for both Indigenous Australian and non-Indigenous students, is high quality instruction. This includes assessment of each child’s learning needs, identification of strategies to meet them and evaluation of the effectiveness of those strategies. The report also noted that high quality instruction has: • effective use of data in assessing where students are at and evaluating the impact of teaching interventions; • high expectations (including a student’s expectations of him or herself); • positive student wellbeing – which facilitates engagement; • strong student-teacher relationships; and, • supportive school and system leadership, including with respect to professional development of the teaching workforce. (p59) APPA has raised with the Federal Minister and ACARA the unintended consequence of moving writing to an online assessment process. This will mean students, especially in Year 3, are assessed via an online platform, which is very different to current writing assessment and teaching. Most teachers in classrooms across Australia employ a pencil and paper approach to teaching writing. Teachers will use explicit teaching strategies, which includes assessing and providing feedback to students as they develop the skills and concept of writing. If we assess online, will this mean a change in style and approach to then teach online? The consequence will mean that each student, at least from Year 1, will need access to digital tools to ensure they can join in the lesson. Another key consequence of online assessment for writing will be the focus on digital skills and word-processing skills. APPA, at this

stage, is not convinced that computer-based marking of writing can pick up all nuances of Year 3 or Year 5 writing. The profession would need to be 100 percent confident that this would not disadvantage any school or any student. We also fear it will lead to a decrease in creativity and imaginative writing. We will get formulae-based teaching and writing, where digital skills will be the focus not writing. With the publishing of results on the My School website, schools will likely be encouraged to teach typing skills and improve word-processing ability so their students aren’t disadvantaged. With an emphasis on such skills, we will see a narrowing of the curriculum in the early years. The question for school communities is, should our education system be technology assessment driven or learning driven? Remember, NAPLAN is snap shot in time of achievement and is only one piece of information on a student’s writing development. We all know that when our students leave school they will be living and working in an environment quite different from today. There will be expectations on their skills, knowledge and capabilities to operate in a technology-based work environment. However, the reason to implement changes to our national education agenda needs to have the right drivers and demonstrate a clear purpose and benefit to teachers and students. At present, NAPLAN, where all students are required to sit the test to provide national data, is looking very much an outdated approach and one not found in other high performing countries. APPA will continue to ask the questions, express our concerns and contribute to the school education discussion. The inclusion of the digital technologies as a learning area in the Australian Curriculum helps ensure our students are developing the skills required for the 21st Century. But it’s not the only requirement. Reflection and careful analysis, creativity and collaboration, inspiration and motivation are also needed. These skills require social interaction. We need to ensure that the technology tide is not controlling our education direction. Dennis Yarrington President Australian Primary Principals Association Indigenous Primary School Achievement (2016): www.pc.gov.au/research/completed/indigenousprimary-school-achievement

education matters primary

DENNIS YARRINGTON PRESIDENT, AUSTRALIAN PRIMARY PRINCIPALS ASSOCIATION (APPA) Dennis Yarrington has been the Principal of Harrison School, a new and expanding Preschool to Year 10 School in Canberra, Australia. The school caters for 1500 students. Dennis has a Masters in Educational Leadership, Masters in Special Education and a Bachelor of Education. He has been involved in education for over 30 years, including the positions of teacher, executive Teacher, consultant and Principal of a small country school, a large regional school, Special School and establishing a large metropolitan P-10 school. Dennis has been involved with concept designs for new schools in the ACT. He has presented at State, National and International conferences on leadership, school culture and implementing learning communities. Dennis was Vice-President of the Australian Government Primary Principals Association and is currently the President of the Australian Primary Principals Association. He has experience in developing leading schools in the integration of technology, 21st Century learning tools and structures and an inclusive school community. This includes teaching and learning communities and a coaching culture to improve teacher performance.

National Education News

HSC syllabus changes arrive in 2018 In July, the NSW Board of Studies, Teaching and Educational Services (BOSTES) released draft syllabuses for 17 HSC courses in a bid to modernise education for the ‘Asian Century’. Changes to the HSC courses in English, History, Mathematics and Science are designed to allow for deeper learning opportunities, according to BOSTES President, Tom Alegounarias. Alegounarias described these changes as offering: “a richer engagement in the subjects [students] choose

• History – Further opportunities to study Asian history, feminism and Indigenous leaders. Also, deeper analysis of WWII and its impacts on history Speaking to AAP, Alegounarias also indicated that revisions to English seek to overcome a 30-year trend in education “to underplay grammar”. BOSTES has drafted modern history electives to

distributed by BOSTES.

as Pemulwuy, Eddie Mabo and Faith Bandler, but some

School Certificate (HSC) exam questions. “For maths courses, common content and marking is being introduced to ensure students studying the higher

syllabuses in technology and Asian language courses won’t be reviewed until next year. Once confirmed, the new syllabuses will be taught to Year 11 students in 2018, giving teachers a year to adapt. At the time of writing (23 August), more than 1,200

level maths courses are recognised and to reduce any

people had attended school consultation meetings across

perceived incentive to study maths below their ability for

NSW to share their opinions on the changes, with an

an ATAR advantage,” Alegounarias said.

additional 975 providing feedback via an online survey

Proposed changes in brief:

and written submissions.

• English – Mandatory unit will focus on spelling, grammar, vocabulary and punctuation • Mathematics – Statistics to be included in all courses.

Public consultation on the draft syllabuses for HSC English, Mathematics, Science and History courses closed on Wednesday 31 August.

Educators brace for next trend in gaming The overnight popularity of mobile game Pokemon Go has

available. Educators around the country had to contend

since waned, but its success demonstrates an opportunity

with students suddenly spending even more time with

– and warning – for schools.

their mobile devices, except this time while actively

The game that encourages players to engage in an

prowling school grounds.

augmented reality treasure hunt, scouring their nearby

For St Francis Xavier College in the Melbourne

surrounds for cartoon Pokemon characters, was nearly

suburb of Berwick, the impact was more extreme, when

the victim of its own success when its servers started

a 19-year-old man crashed his car into the school while

crashing due to massive numbers of users trying to

playing the game.

access the game.

learning of facts

highlight the role of women and Indigenous leaders such

analytical assessment enabling us to also redesign High

Tom Alegounarias, BOSTES President

• Science – Promotion of critical thinking over rote

for their senior years of school”, in a media release “Increasing content depth also supports more

“For maths courses, common content and marking is being introduced to ensure students studying the higher level maths courses are recognised and to reduce any perceived incentive to study maths below their ability for an ATAR advantage.”

Increased emphasis on problem solving

Throughout July and early August, Pokemon Go rose to becoming one of the most frequently used mobile apps

education matters primary

Luckily the accident occurred at 6.50pm, and while the car damaged a fence and portable classroom, nobody was injured.

At the same time, the media published several instances of claims from people who believe the game

has left some wondering about the potential for similar games to revolutionise health and education.

offers both physical and mental health benefits, citing

Writing forThe BMJ, Glasgow-based GP Dr

its ability to motivate people of all ages to get off the

Margaret McCartney noted that: “The possibilities

couch and get moving.

for apps to make the streets an active, reclaimed

Now the app’s popularity appears to be showing signs of dwindling, as market research companies have more recently demonstrated key metrics such as

playground in which to have interconnected fun are boundless”. The breakaway success of Pokemon Go roughly

daily active users, downloads, engagement and time

coincided with a study that showed 15-year-olds who

spent on the game have dropped down from their peak

play online video games every day scored significantly

(late July) and could be trending downwards.

higher than average in maths and science (1).

The news will no doubt come as a relief for parents and educators growing weary of the latest mobile game obsession, yet the popularity of the game

1. Posso, A. (2016) Internet Usage and Educational Outcomes Among 15-Year-Old Australian Students. International Journal of Communication 10(2016), 3851–3876

71 schools named in student porn ring scandal Students from more than 70 Australian schools have been the target of a pornography ring, consisting of teenage boys and young men sharing graphic images via the internet. The shocking news broke in August, with 28 high schools in NSW, 18 in Queensland, 15 in Victoria, five in

on social media for ‘victim blaming’. A Melbourne-based mother accused Kambyra College of “slut shaming” Year 7 to 10 girls in a Facebook page that was liked over 13,000 times. “They were told boys are distracted by their legs,

the ACT, two in South Australia and two in Tasmania all

and that boys don’t respect girls who wear short skirts,”

mentioned by name on the offending website.

Catherine Manning wrote after her daughter told her of the

While the site was allegedly reported to the police on multiple occasions, it was not until the story broke in the mainstream media that it was eventually taken offline. Unfortunately for the victims of the site, simply taking

incident. The way in which educators and parents handle these concerns will become increasingly important as technology continues to allow similar situations to occur. This has

the website down has not necessarily resulted in their

triggered a number of commentators to contribute their

images disappearing from the internet.

opinions to the ongoing debate.

Speaking with news.com.au, forensic computer expert

group is predatory? Your friends?’ It’s a big question.”

“I’m hearing stories about young men who behave in very predatory ways. My daughter said to me, ‘we are taught, as girls, to be careful of men, but what if your peer group is predatory? Your friends?’ It’s a big question.”

You can read Jenny Ackland’s full insight into the event, as well as her advice to parents and educators at: https://www.linkedin.com/ pulse/whats-going-here-jenny-ackland

Jenny Ackland, Co-founder of Sex Education Australia

Jenny Ackland, Co-founder of Sex Education Australia,

Ajoy Ghosh said the website was “just one of a number of

highlighted the potential harm done to the victims in a blog

similar websites [which] contain child pornography and the

posted to her LinkedIn network, stating: “the humiliation

names of Australian schools”.

experienced by girls having their images publicly posted is

Ghosh said he had identified “about a dozen similar websites”. “…each are moderated by different people or groups of people but they are all reasonably like-minded.” Many of the victims of these online pornography rings may not be aware of it, with a simple code used to prevent girls searching for their own names. In the ensuing days, schools named on the website reacted in a variety of ways, with one in particular called out

extreme, and I have read that some are suicidal because of this”. “I’m hearing stories about young men who behave in very predatory ways. My daughter said to me, ‘we are taught, as girls, to be careful of men, but what if your peer

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National Education News

Since these revelations made headlines, a technological solution has been mooted.

federal and state authorities to assist in their intelligence gathering”.

Speaking at the Australian Institute of Professinal

Prevent and Protect was formed in 2016 using

Intelligence Offices’ (AIPIO) conference in August, Founder

software already implemented in 3,500 schools across

and Director of Prevent and Protect Pty Ltd, Ms Fi Bendall

the UK. It is designed to alert institutions to real-world

announced new software designed to protect students

issues that young people may be experiencing, including

against these kind of online threats.

domestic violence, neglect, depression and anxiety.

The solution is described as protecting vulnerable

“This is not an internet filtering system, it is an online

users by actively analysing peer-to-peer cyber bullying,

system that alerts and captures information when a high-

radicalisation and extremist grooming, instances of

grade risk is in play,” Ms Bendall explained.

grooming and sexual threats, potential self-harm,

“We want to work with schools and police to provide

deliberate access to inappropriate websites, pornography

an online system that will identify risks and alert the right

and more.

people at the right time to put in place much needed

Ms Bendall said the launch of the new online software

support to young people being exposed to online threats.

was particularly timely due to the recent news regarding

The data we capture is from inappropriate material from

the pornography scandal.

online and offline activity on social networking sites,

“This is especially timely and causing much interest

chat rooms, peer-to-peer software, interactive games,

at AIPIO due to the recent pornography scandal hitting

websites, email, instant messaging systems, word and

more than 70 schools nationally. Prevent and Protect

notepad.”

have agreed to work for free with police, intelligence,

NAPLAN 2016 results spark Gonski debate flare-up News media has been quick to pounce on lacklustre

results statewide, as it dropped to seventh place in writing

NAPLAN results, with headlines highlighting poor

test averages, second only to the Northern Territory.

performance despite record levels of funding. Released in early August, preliminary NAPLAN results reveal there has been no significant improvement in literacy and numeracy skills since 2015. Speaking to ABC News, Australian Curriculum,

that, “despite significant funding growth, we are not getting sufficient improvements in student outcomes”. “We need to move the conversation on from just how much is being spent in schools to focus on how record

Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) chief

funding can best be used for the benefit of students,”

executive Robert Randall described the results as

Birmingham said.

concerning.

But the NSW Education Minister Adrian Piccoli came

“When we look to last year there’s not the sustained

Federal Education Minister Simon Birmingham said

out in support of the Gonski needs-based funding model,

“Despite significant funding growth, we are not getting sufficient improvements in student outcomes.”

effort that we would like to be seeing on a year-to-year

who said it was “naïve” to expect a major change in

basis, so we’re a bit concerned it’s leveling off, that’s not

student performance after so short a timeframe.

Simon Birmingham, Federal Education Minister

what anyone wants to see,” he said. Results show that Years 3 and 5 saw increases

“We’re in the third year of Gonski funding. So those students who did NAPLAN in May had access to two years

in reading, spelling, grammar and numeracy, while a

of that additional Gonski funding. Remember it ramps up,

significant drop was seen in writing results for Years 7

so they’ve had access to 9 per cent of that funding,” he

and 9 since 2011.

said while speaking at the official opening of a primary

Queensland was singled out for particularly poor

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school in Cammeray, NSW.

Learning Impact Fund offers $1M in education grants Two rounds of education grants totaling $1 million was

VicHealth which has contributed $100,000 for program

announced in July by the Learning Impact Fund.

implementation and E4L, $50,000 for evaluation,”

The grants’ stated aim is to improve academic outcomes for Australian children. The Learning Impact Fund, an initiative of the new Evidence for Learning (E4L) venture, is the product of Social Ventures Australia as supported by the

explained Evidence for Learning’s director Matt Deeble Jerril Rechter, CEO of VicHealth stressed the importance of seeking solutions for mental health issues among young people. “Almost 75 per cent of mental illness begins before

Commonwealth Banks and the UK-based Education

25 years of age so it’s crucial we take a preventative

Endowment Foundation.

focus and proactively work to build resilience.

The grants are offered in two rounds, with the first

“In the 21st Century young people will face a range

open to any education programs designed to improve

of challenges including a more competitive job market,

academic achievement for Australian children, while the

growth in technology and overexposure to online content

second focuses on programs that build resilience skills for

so it’s important to build resilience early to help young

Victorian students.

people cope with life’s up and downs,” Rechter said.

“The resilience round offers grants for program evaluation, and is a co-investment from E4L and

Applications open until 5 October 2016. See http://evidenceforlearning.org.au for more details.

Queensland Minister launches ‘Respect Our Staff’ campaign During an estimates hearing at Parliament House in July,

‘Respect Our Staff’, which is designed to encourage the

Queensland Education Minister Kate Jones denied she

entire community to prevent the abuse and violence that

had not done enough to try and protect teachers from

is regularly directed towards teachers.

violent parents and students. In 2015, 150 parents were banned from schools in Queensland as a result of violence or threats against teachers, while 174 teachers received compensation as a result of being assaulted by students. While ABC News reported these figures are ‘down on previous years’, LNP education spokesperson Tracy Davis raised the issue with Ms Jones in parliament this week, saying: “It’s almost like fight club”. Jones responded that everything she had done since achieving her office was “all about empowering teachers and supporting teachers in our classrooms and schools”. The hearing coincided with Jones’ launch of a

“We need to work together to set positive examples for our children, and demonstrate respect for staff and for our schools,” she said. “This campaign reminds everyone in the school community that we can all play our part in making working and learning environments safe for all students and educators.” The campaign will consist of social media advertising and print posters that will be displayed at schools to serve

“The aim is to identify promising schoolbased initiatives that build social and emotional learning and resilience in Victorian students, which also improve academic achievement.”

as a reminder to parents, students and staff to treat each other with respect. To find out more on this initiative, visit http://education.qld.gov.au/schools/respectourstaff

new campaign for Queensland’s state schools, dubbed

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Martin Westwell, Strategic Professor at Flinders University and Chair of the Learning Impact Fund’s Research Use and Evaluation Committee

Events Diary

Upcoming events in education A RANGE OF EVENTS ARE COMING UP ACROSS AUSTRALIA FOR PRINCIPALS AND TEACHERS – FROM PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE CONFERENCES TO TECHNOLOGY EXPOS – CHECK OUT THE LIST BELOW.

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

ACE 2016 National Conference

26-27 September, Sydney NSW

Changes and challenges http://www.austcolled.com.au

Association of School Business Adminstrators NSW-ACT 2016

26-28 September, Red Hill ACT

Showcase of products and services for business and facility managers http://asba.asn.au

MoodleMoot Australia 2016

27-19 September, Perth WA

Bringing the Moodle community together https://mootau.moodlemoot.org

2016 Catholic Education Business Adminstrators Conference

5-7 October, Melbourne VIC

CEBA’s biennial conference: ‘Spring into Action’ http://www.ceba.edu.au

Australian Association for Environmental 5-7 October, Adelaide SA Education Biennial Conference 2016

TomorrowMaking – Our present to the future http://aaee2016.com

Early Childhood Australia National Conference 2016

5-8 October, Darwin NT

This is childhood in Australia http://www.ecaconference.com.au/

AIS Digital Technologies Conference 2016-08-25

10-11 October, Hunters Hill NSW

Look at the ways technology and information communication technology is being taught in schools http://www.aisnsw.edu.au/

Australian International Education Conference 2016

18-21 October, Melbourne VIC

The premier forum in Australia to connect people, ideas and research in international education http://www.aiec.idp.com/

Visible Learning Symposium

11 November, Adelaide SA

Learn from Professor John Hattie’s latest research http://www.acel.org.au/acel/ACELWEB/Events/Visible%20 Learning.aspx

Learning and Teaching Conference 2016

16-18 November, Melbourne VIC

Educating the Whole Child http://www.pearsonacademy.com.au/ltcon

Understanding Young Children’s Motor Development for Active Learning

17-18 November, Melbourne VIC

Basics of motor development in early years http://www.sanguineconsulting.com/workshops/ motordevelopment16mel/

MAV Annual Conference 2016

1-2 December, Bundoora VIC

http://www.mav.vic.edu.au/activities/professional-learningopportunities/annual-conference.html

2016 ACHPER Secondary Conference

5-6 December, Adelaide SA

Engage students in health and physical education http://www.achpersa.com.au/wb/pages/professional-learning/ secondary-conference.php

82nd International Conference on Physical Education and Sport Science 2016

5-6 December, Sydney NSW

http://iser.co/conference/2016/Australia/ICPESS/

TO HAVE YOUR ORGANISATION’S EVENT LISTED IN THE NEXT EDITION OF EDUCATION MATTERS MAGAZINE PLEASE EMAIL THE DETAILS TO CAMPBELL.PHILLIPS@PRIMECREATIVE.COM.AU 18

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NGRESS

IONAL CO INTERNAT

- 9 June 7 | O P X E &

2017

21st Century Learning

The STEM debate continuedâ&#x20AC;¦ THE MAJORITY HAVE ACCEPTED THAT STEM LEARNING IS FUNDAMENTAL FOR A PROGRESSIVE EDUCATION SYSTEM, BUT IT HAS ITS DETRACTORS. IN THIS ARTICLE WE REVIEW THE TRAJECTORY OF THIS ONGOING TOPIC OF DISCUSSION.

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The current buzz around STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) learning has been building for some time, yet the discussion hasn’t yet been normalised. If anything, discussion around STEM’s importance in Australian education only continues to be growing. Why the ongoing focus on STEM-based learning and how important is it, really, for schools to ensure they’re onboard with STEM? STEM: A BRIEF HISTORY In January 2014, the Australian Government initiated a review of the Australian Curriculum, with a resulting report released in October that year.1 It was at this point that the Government announced an additional $12 million in funding to go toward STEM initiatives, forming a key pillar of its Industry Innovation and Competitiveness Agenda under the ‘Restoring the focus on STEM in schools initiative’.2 Soon after, in 2015, PricewaterhouseCoopers released a report that found that technology and innovation represent both a challenge and an opportunity to Australian growth and jobs. Entitled, A Smart move: Future-proofing Australia’s Workforce3, the report included some oft-repeated findings, such as: • 44 per cent or 5.1 million current Australian jobs are at risk from digital disruption in 20 years • 75 per cent of the fast growing occupations require STEM skills • Transforming one per cent of our workforce into STEM roles would add $57.4 billion to GDP • Top three occupations least at risk in the workforce of the future are doctors, nurses and teachers • The top three occupations at risk are accountants, cashiers and administration workers Naturally, the discussion returned during the election campaign this year, with Labor promising $400 million for teaching scholarships aimed at encouraging recent STEM graduates to enter the education field.4 At the same time, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull floated the idea of making maths and science a requirement for finishing high school, stating it was a “big priority” for the Government.

“In my generation, you had to do maths or science to complete high school. Many parts of Australia now, you don’t have to do that,” he said.5 THE CHALLENGE With bipartisan support (if you include the support of many schools, teachers and parents, you might even say ‘unilateral support’), you could expect the discussion around STEM learning to begin to die down to become once more eclipsed by discussions of NAPLAN and Gonski reforms. Instead, a new report from The Grattan Institute, along with accompanying statements made by its Program Director for Higher Education, Andrew Norton, the situation has flared up again. Released in August and dubbed, Mapping Australian higher education 2016, the report led the Melbourne-based think tank to warn that encouraging young students to pursue higher education in STEM-based courses could leave an increasing number of graduates unemployed.6 Norton strengthened the statement by saying it would be preferable if fewer students chose to pursue science at the tertiary level. “If people think doing a Bachelor in Science will give them skills that are highly valued in the labour market then they should probably look at studying something else,” he said. According to The Grattan Institute, while science has added 26,800 local students since 2009, only 51 per cent of science graduates in 2015 found full-time work in the four months following graduation. That’s 17 per cent less than the national average. Graduates from life sciences degrees have particularly poor chances in the job market, but even maths and chemistry graduates have an employment rate below the average. “We’ve never seen a cohort that has done this badly – we are in uncharted territory,” said Norton. “I’m very nervous for the career prospects for recent science graduates.” Perhaps even more surprising, IT graduates also struggle to find relevant full-time work after completing their degree, with a third of recent graduates not finding relevant employment after

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JILLIAN SEGAL, CHAIRMAN OF THE GENERAL SIR JOHN MONASH FOUNDATION “We believe that in order to support the Government’s innovation agenda (and in fact to support 21st Century skills throughout the workforce) we need more science grads, not fewer. Educators at the primary and at the secondary level have a major opportunity and obligation to excite young people about the study of science and the development of investigative skills. The CSIRO’s scientists in schools program is one such example of important organisations reaching out to schools to excite young people about science. Another example is Technoda — an Israeli science/hands on facility, which is looking at establishing themselves in Australia with private sector involvement. We need to encourage an understanding among educators, students and the broader community that an undergraduate science degree is a broad foundational degree which develops the skills for understanding and contributes to any modern workplace. No other degree is as focused on training in numeracy, analysis, and an appreciation of the pace and drivers of change; thus enabling students to make lasting contributions in any role.” http://johnmonash.com/

21st Century Learning

four months. Naturally, this story drew plenty of attention as it asked educators to question whether there was a practical need for inspiring students towards STEM fields if they weren’t going to find relevant jobs in those fields. The argument is reminiscent to the common objection to teaching basic arithmetic – if a student has access to a calculator (or today, a phone), when will there ever be a practical need for long division? On the other hand, it may ask some to question whether Australian educators really need to double down on STEM learning, as we may already be over catering for it.

A COUNTERPOINT Having shared The Grattan Institute’s story through our website and fortnightly eNewsletter, Education Matters was later contacted by the office of Jillian Segal, Chairman of the General Sir John Monash Foundation. Ms Segal, a prominent businesswoman, also holds the positions of Chairman of the Australia Israel Chamber of Commerce NSW, Non-executive Director of the National Australia Bank and The Garvan Institute of Medical Research as well as being Deputy Chancellor of UNSW Australia. She contends with The Grattan Institute’s thesis in this

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matter and raised a number of specific points for educators and parents of students to consider, firstly that The Grattan Institute was “making the assumption that a science degree is a vocational degree which trains people to be scientists”. “This very narrow interpretation leads them to the observation that ‘science graduates are pushed into a general labour market in which they must compete with graduates from other fields’, and to the dangerous conclusion that ‘ideally more of science students who would already prefer another course could take it instead’. “We would argue that a science degree teaches skills which are important in any workplace: it is a foundational degree which encourages scientific literacy and challenges students to value the critical lessons learned in the process of discovery – creativity, patience and attention to detail. Segal also points out that The Grattan Institute’s own report states that ‘STEM employers report that their employeers with STEM qualifications are better at problem solving and critical thinking than are employees without STEM qualifications’, seemingly contradicting the implication that STEMbased graduates may be somehow less employable than their non-STEM counterparts. “We know that almost all of Australia’s industries, including the mining industry, the banking industry as well as the retail industry, will be subject to major, technology-driven disruption and will need technology-literate people to counter that disruption with new innovation,” Segal said. “Moreover, most of the jobs of the future will exist in industries we cannot yet predict. The key attributes of successful workers will be an enquiring mind, an analytical approach to problem solving and a sense of curiosity and enquiry. These are the attributes fostered in a science degree that will make graduates attractive to a whole range of different disciplines.” A closer looks at The Grattan Institute’s report indicates how misleading inferences may be drawn, as it emphasises the near-term employment of science and IT graduates of bachelor degrees, whereas a bachelor degree in many STEM-related fields is not considered a qualification for a career in that field. Instead students are generally

JOBS AND GROWTH

expected to go on to complete further study in the form of a postgraduate degree, as they would in the fields of medicine or law. The report’s data also confirms this, with nearly 50 per cent of science graduates going on to further study. Of these 89 per cent find employment in their preferred area. When asked about the Government’s role in supporting STEM education, including what’s being done currently, Segal described a complex balance of enhanced education outcomes, tax incentives and organisational change. “Key initiatives will improve linkages between research and academia where universities are teaching the STEM disciplines, and business which needs innovation to manage disruption,” she said. “Government is not purely for creating jobs but to create an environment which encourages investment in the start-up economy and an ecosystem of innovation.” Citing the Government’s Innovation Statement, Segal highlighted the key levers of “tax incentives to educational initiatives to changes to insolvency laws”. “As these are rolled out, including the work of the digital transformation office (the DTO), the engines of the innovation economy will be fired. This will require more workers with science mindsets.”

While the discussion at the political level has been tightly focused on encouraging and training more STEM-minded students, and although Segal’s points are certainly valid, there is still something of an air of contradiction in the Government’s approach. As state-funded research funding continues to dry up in many disciplines, some of our largest STEM-related organisations have suffered, including the CSIRO. Just last year it was announced that the Governmentfunded agency would have to lose around 275 jobs, many of which from climate-science departments. One in particular was especially lamented in the press – that of veteran scientists and Global sea-level expert, John Church.7 The reaction from the international science community was immediate, and overwhelmingly negative. In early August the Government was seen to bow to this pressure by having the newly appointed Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science, Greg Hunt announce additional funding along with the replacement of 15 climate science jobs.8 While the Government’s dwindling interest in creating science-related jobs is no doubt exacerbating the situation, Segal is firmly of the opinion that the growth has to be found in the private sector. “In relation to science-based jobs I do not think the issue is as narrow as jobs with the CSIRO,” she said. “As noted above, I think the majority of jobs in the STEM sector will not be government jobs but will come out of the private sector, out of start-ups and new services whether it be data, technology, or research related to more traditional industries within the private sector.” Whether the current attention on STEM education is to bear fruit will probably depend largely on your perspective. For some educators, this discussion has been more about introducing new buzzwords into the field of learning for concepts that were already being adequately applied. For others it may be a trigger to embrace new ideas in the classroom, such as coding and computational thinking. The one thing that everyone can agree on is this: we simply don’t know how technology will continue to disrupt industries and our lives. For that reason it seems a safe bet that we should strive to be the ones in control of it, rather than ceding control to international interests.

References: 1. Department of Education and Training (2014). Review of the Australian Curriculum Final Report. https://docs.education.gov.au/node/36269 2. Department of Education and Training (2015). Restoring the focus on STEM in schools initiative. https://www.studentsfirst.gov.au/restoring-focus-stem-schools-initiative 3. PricewaterhouseCoopers Australia (2015). A smart move: future-proofing Australia’s workforce by growing skills in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM). https://pwc.docalytics. com/v/a-smart-move-pwc-stem-report-april-2015d 4. Arlington, K. (2016). Labor to invest $400m to ensure all high school STEM teachers are qualified. The Sydney Morning Herald. http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/federal-election-2016/ labor-to-invest-400m-to-ensure-all-high-school-stem-teachers-are-qualified-20160512-gotoou.html 5. Bagshaw, E. (2016). Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull: Make maths and science compulsory. The Sydney Morning Herald. http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/federal-election-2016/ federal-election-2016-prime-minister-malcolm-turnbull-make-maths-and-science-compulsory-20160619-gpmobe.html 6. Education Matters magazine (2016). Argument against STEM focus (online only). http://educationmattersmag.com.au/argument-against-stem-focus/ 7. Hannam, P. (2016). Global sea-level expert John Church made to walk the plank by CSIRO. The Sydney Morning Herald. http://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/globalsealevel-expert-john-church-made-to-walk-the-plank-by-csiro-20160513-gov0k9.html 8. Wild Magazine (2016). ‘Step in right direction’ as CSIRO to refocus on climate science (online only). http://wild.com.au/news/csiro-refocus-climate-science/

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21st Century Learning

Fujitsu ScanSnap SV600 – A New Perspective on Scanning SMOOTH OPERATION IN OVERHEAD SCANNING ENHANCED WITH NEW CUSTOMISED FEATURES WHILE CONTINUING THE SCANSNAP CONCEPT: SIMPLE, FAST AND COMPACT

The Fujitsu ScanSnap SV600 is changing the landscape of printing. We are seeing printing opening doors to scanning books without hassle and digitizing 3D objects such as school kids artwork. The SV600 is capable of high quality scanning of large documents up to A3 size in a compact unit. The SV600 uses new Versatile Imaging (VI) Technology that maintains high image quality and ensures user-friendly operation. INFORMATION IS JUST A SCAN AWAY! Imagine that instead of paying for a textbook, you are able to just borrow it from the library, and in five minutes, scan the important pages directly to your computer. On top of that, ScanSnap scanners convert your files into searchable PDFs, so you can save time by easily searching a scanned document for exactly what you need. Think how easy it would be to search through your book using just the ‘Ctrl+F’ function. The SV600 can directly scan large documents (up to A3 size) as well as bound books to document quality. It maintains the ScanSnap series’ reputation for sharp scanned data images as well as inheriting the iconic “One Touch” feature from the ScanSnap Series. Unique features of the SV600 include an in-built “Book Image Correction” (ability to remove distortion caused by the curve of an open book) feature and “Page Turning Detection” feature, which initiates the scanning operation via the detection of page turning movements. The release of the SV600 with its simple and fast desktop to digital data capture capability, allows the scanning of documents such as broadsheets and thick books that were previously difficult to handle. Its compact design and overhead scanning operation, reduces desktop footprint and even allows capture of multiple business card details just by scattering them within the scanning area. This is a welcome addition to the ScanSnap series of personal scanners, which deliver fast and simple document digitization to PDF.”

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2. All-in-one unit lets you create and read your own digital books The page turning detection function and the image correction feature, greatly simplify and speed the scanning of book pages. Rack2-Filer Smart and Magic Desktop software, makes SV600 the all-in-one model for organizing and enabling the reading of scanned images as digital books. (1) Book Image Correction automatically corrects the distortion caused by the curve of an opened book Scanned images can be confirmed and fine-tuned using the preview dialog to ensure that the data scanned from magazines and books is as sharp as the original. (2) Page Turning Detection makes continuous page scanning efficient SV600 automatically detects when a page is turned, allowing books to be scanned at a rate of 3 seconds per open pair of pages.

SV600 FEATURES 1. Easy to digitise different document types using the new VI Technology VI Technology combines a lens with variable depth of field, a direction controlled LED lamp and a CCD linear image sensor to minimise unevenness in image quality. This ensures distortion is removed and scanning produces uniform document quality. As a result even large documents and bound books can be easily digitised. (1) Able to scan newspapers and magazines up to A3 size No need to cut or fold. Simply position the documents, books, newspapers, within the scanning area and they can be easily scanned. Thick documents (up to 30mm) such as books or greeting cards, and even those with sticky notes attached can be scanned directly without difficulty.

3. Other benefits (1) Fast start up and scanning times The SV600 is ready to scan in 3 seconds after switch on. Three seconds are needed to scan large A3 size documents. (2) “Multiple Document Detection” feature enables scanning and cropping of multiple documents in a single scan. Ideal for multiple business cards, sets of photographs, business receipts, as the SV600 does the cropping automatically. (3) Additional Bundled Software “Nuance® Power PDF Standard” for editing PDF files, and “CardMinder” for managing business cards, are buddled as standard with the SV600. PRODUCT INFORMATION SITE http://www.fujitsu.com/au/products/computing/ peripheral/scanners/scansnap/sv600/index.html Or contact Proscan for pricing and purchase options http://www.proscan.com.au/brands/fujitsu

(3) Easy Book Creation converts image data to digital books with ease The new “Rack2-filer Smart” and “Easy Book Creation” features can automatically create a virtual book based on the front cover, back cover and spine of the original. It can also be placed in a virtual bookshelf for easy selection.

(2) Able to scan old or delicate documents Because the SV600 does not touch any document surface it is possible to scan precious items that would otherwise be damaged by too much handling or feeding into ordinary ADF scanners.

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21st Century Learning

Mixed blessings: Computer use in schools THE US HAS A LONG HISTORY DEMONSTRATING WHAT CAN GO WRONG WHEN STUDENTS AND COMPUTERS COMBINE. LEGAL AND EDUCATIONAL ACADEMIC CHARLES J. RUSSO SHARES HIS INSIGHTS, INCLUDING HOW TO DEVELOP A GOOD ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY FOR YOUR SCHOOL.

Rapid developments in computer technology whether in Australia or the United States can best be described as mixed blessings in schools. On the one hand, access to online data greatly expands the horizons of student learning as administrative uses of computers help to enhance effective school operations. On the other hand, the abuse of technology when students harass peers or educators or when teachers misuse computers leads to untold headaches for building level educational leaders and governing bodies as they strive to maintain safe and orderly learning environments. As litigation involving the misuse of technology by students and teachers in the US continues to grow, this article relies on examples of American litigation to serve as a cautionary tale for Australian educational leaders and governing boards as they work to develop acceptable use policies (AUPs) to regulate computer use by students and teachers. As an initial matter, it should be noted that this column focuses on AUPs for computers because the use of mobile phones and related hand-held technological devices leads to a separate set of cases and recommendations for practice. After briefly highlighting illustrative cases involving the misuse of computers, this column offers recommendations for educational leaders and governing boards to consider when developing or revising their AUPs. LITIGATION INVOLVING STUDENTS In early cases, parents successfully challenged AUPs in federal trial courts in Missouri (Beussink ex rel. Beussink v. Woodland R-IV School District, 1998), Michigan (Mahaffey ex rel. Mahaffey v. Aldrich,

education matters primary

2002), Ohio (Coy v. Board of Education of the North Canton City Schools, 2002), and Pennsylvania (Killion v. Franklin Regional School District, 2001, Flaherty v. Keystone Oaks School District, 2003). These courts invalidated policies subjecting their children to discipline, typically for harassing peers, because AUPs were vague and overbroad in imprecisely targeting prohibited conduct. Conversely, when students viewed a website that a classmate created at home, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania refused to overturn his expulsion because their actions created a disruption in school (J.S. v. Bethlehem Area School District, 2002). Similarly, the Second Circuit affirmed an order in favor of a school board in New York that suspended an eighth-grader after officials learned that he used an instant messaging icon on his parents’ home computer to send an image of himself to fifteen friends depicting him shooting his English teacher (Wisniewski v. Board of Education Weedsport Central School District, 2008). Courts reached mixed results in disputes over student-created internet parodies. The Third Circuit, in a case from Pennsylvania, ruled that officials violated the rights of a high school senior in suspending him for creating an internet parody of his principal on the social networking site MySpace (Layshock v. Hermitage School District, 2010). The court explained that absent a connection between the student’s action and a substantial disruption of the school environment, the suspension was inappropriate. Conversely, the Fourth Circuit affirmed that officials did not violate a student’s First Amendment rights when he was suspended for creating and posting to a Web page ridiculing a classmate. The court agreed that once the expression reached school it would create a disruption. An unusual case arose in Washington State. A federal trial court refused to prevent the suspension of a student who, during class, secretly videotaped his teacher on his mobile phone and posted it on YouTube in violation of school rules (Requa v. Kent School District No. 415, 2007). LITIGATION INVOLVING TEACHERS Litigation involving teacher misuse of computers focused largely on inappropriate contact with students and the use of social networking sites. Even so, in an early case, an appellate court in Florida upheld the

revocation of a teacher’s certification at least in part because he inappropriately accessed pornographic sites on a school computer (Stueber v. Gallagher, 2002). Courts in Florida (Wax v. Horne, 2003) and Indiana (Chivers v. Central Noble Community Schools, 2006) refused to overturn the dismissals of teachers who sent messages containing sexually explicit content to students over the internet. Moreover, federal trial courts in Pennsylvania (Snyder v Millersville, 2008) and Connecticut (Spanierman v. Hughes, 2008), allowed school officials to terminate a student teacher’s placement for making inappropriate postings on MySpace and the employment of a teacher who posted unacceptable material on Facebook, respectively. More recently, The Third Circuit, in a case from Pennsylvania, affirmed a school board’s motion for summary judgment in response to a teacher’s claim that officials violated her free speech rights for terminating her employment over comments she posted on her blog (Munroe v. Central Bucks School District, 2015). The court agreed that the teacher’s having referred to her students using such terms as “jerk,” “rat-like,” and “dunderheads” was not protected by the First Amendment because her comments were not on matters of public concern. RECOMMENDATIONS As educators face the challenge of developing, implementing, and revising AUPs for students and teachers, they should keep the following ten important interrelated points in mind. First, governing bodies should involve faculty, staff, administrators, including then director of technology, parents, perhaps an older student because they tend to be well-informed about technology, and their lawyer, in developing AUPs. Second, AUPs should restrict computer access to legitimate academic, instructional, or administrative purposes. Third, in developing AUPs officials must clarify the educational missions of their school systems as they grant access to the internet. Educators should thus use their AUPs as “teachable moments” to promote programs to focus on the positive uses of the internet and technology while warning about hazards such as contacting strangers or loss of respect for others by accessing pornography that can come about as a result of unrestricted use.

education matters primary

Charles J. Russo, J.D., Ed.D., Joseph Panzer Chair of Education in the School of Education and Health Science, the Director of its Ph.D. Program in Educational Leadership, Adjunct Professor in the School of Law at the University of Dayton in Dayton, Ohio, and Adjunct Professor, Law School, Notre Dame University of Australia, Sydney, writes and speaks frequently on matters involving Education Law in the United States, Australia, and other nations.

Fourth, students, their parents, and teachers, should sign AUPs at the beginning of each school year. AUPs should make it clear that those who refuse to sign or fail to comply with their provisions are to be denied access to district-owned technology, especially the internet. Fifth, AUPs should consider differentiated provisions based on student age. For example, AUPs might allow elementary school children to use the internet only in the presence of adult supervision while rules for high school students might limit the amount of time that they spend online in one sitting. Sixth, to the extent that they are purchased and maintained with board funds, AUPs should contain clear and unequivocal language indicating that use of computer hardware and software can be restricted. This is important because by clarifying ownership issues, officials will have greater latitude in regulating access to and use of equipment. Seventh, in regulating use of district-owned computers consistent with legitimate educational and administrative purposes, AUPs should warn against visiting inappropriate websites and transmitting materials such as viruses, jokes, and the like. Eighth, AUPs should address privacy and use limitations such as preventing teachers from

21st Century Learning

working on school computers to conduct for-profit businesses while clarifying reasonable expectations of privacy, especially as it relates to sending and receiving messages. As to privacy, AUPs should make it clear that computers, or, more properly, their hard drives, are subject to random checks for compliance regardless of whether they are used by students or teachers and whether accessed in school or from home computers linked into school servers. This part of a policy should also warn users against seeking unauthorised access to the files of others, especially in such sensitive areas as student grades and personnel material while advising users not to share their passwords with anyone, including friends. On a related privacy issue, AUPs should remind educators that since anything they write on district-owned computers is subject to disclosure under state public records law, they should not put anything in print that they would not want the public to see. Ninth, AUPs should identify possible sanctions

ranging from loss of computer privileges to possible suspensions for students to similar penalties leading to dismissal for teachers who engage in more serious offenses. Additionally, as reflected in some of the litigation discussed earlier, school officials need to distinguish carefully between computer use at home or in school in order to avoid having AUPs struck down as vague and overbroad. Based on mixed results to date, disputes over the extent to which educational officials can discipline students for misbehavior involving the internet that does not originate in school or on school computers and servers, is one that is likely to receive increased judicial attention. Tenth, AUPs should be reviewed annually, typically between school years, not during or immediately after controversies. Placing this time between controversies and modifying policies affords educators better perspectives. The value in reviewing policies regularly is that, in the event of litigation, such evidence can

go a long way in convincing courts that educators are doing their best to be up-to-date in maintaining safe, orderly schools while safeguarding the rights of all in school communities in the face of rapid changes in the world of technology. CONCLUSION The challenge in keeping AUPs up-to-date is rooted in the fact that technology is well ahead of the law and is likely to remain so as students increasingly use their own hand-held devices. Still, it is essential for educational leaders to stay abreast of advances in law relating to technology. Keeping up-to-date is essential because even though the legal system is often placed in the unenviable position of reacting to emerging developments rather than adopting proactive stances to head off controversies, if leaders can implement sound AUPs, they may be able to avoid costly litigation when disputes arise over the use of technology in schools.

References Beussink ex rel. Beussink v. Woodland R-IV School District, 30 F. Supp.2d 1175 (E.D. Mo. 1998). Chivers v. Central Noble Community Schools, 423 F. Supp. 2d 835 (N.D. Ind. 2006). Coy v. Board of Education of the North Canton City Schools, 205 F. Supp.2d 791 (N.D. Ohio 2002). Flaherty v. Keystone Oaks School District, 247 F. Supp.2d 698 (W.D. Pa. 2003). J.S. v. Bethlehem Area School District, 807 A.2d 847 (Pa. 2002). Killion v. Franklin Regional School District, 136 F. Supp.2d 446 (W.D. Pa. 2001). Kowalski v. Berkeley County Schools, 652 F.3d 565 (4th Cir. 2011), cert. denied, 132 S. Ct. 1095 (2012). Layshock v. Hermitage School District, 593 F.3d 249 (3d Cir. 2010). Mahaffey ex rel. Mahaffey v. Aldrich, 236 F. Supp.2d 779 (E.D. Mich. 2002). Requa v. Kent School District No. 415, 492 F. Supp.2d 1272 (W.D. Wash. 2007). Snyder v Millersville 2008 WL 5093140 (E.D. Pa 2008). Spanierman v. Hughes, 576 F. Supp.2d 292 (D. Conn. 2008). Stueber v. Gallagher, 812 So. 2d 454 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 2002). Wax v. Horne, 844 So. 2d 797 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 2003). Wisniewski v. Board of Educ. Weedsport Central School District, 494 F.3d 34 (2d Cir. 2007), cert. denied, 552 U.S. 1296 (2008).

education matters primary

21st Century Learning

Casio - Lampfree projection WITH 200 SCHOOL DAYS EACH YEAR, AROUND FIVE HOURS OF USE EVERY DAY, THAT’S A 20-YEAR LIFESPAN. NO WONDER LAMP-FREE PROJECTORS HAVE TAKEN OVER THE EDUCATION MARKET.

CASIO may be best known for its calculators and watches, but it’s a true innovator in the projector sphere. CASIO is a pioneer in LED/Laser Hybrid Technology. Distributed in Australia by Shriro, CASIO manufactures a full range of lamp-free projectors. Being a global leader, it is currently offering its sixth generation of lamp-free projectors. The key benefits of the Japanese made projectors for education purposes are: on/off/restart within five seconds, no lamp or filter replacements, 5-year warranty and low power consumption. The unit comes with a bracket, cable cover and Wi-Fi dongle for wireless connectivity. Make the change and SAVE money. Ask for your Total Cost of Ownership evaluation and product demonstration today. Email: casioprojectors@shriro.com.au www.casioprojector.shriro.com.au

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21st Century Learning

Innovative technology platforms for educators DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY HAS ALREADY CAUSED MASSIVE PARADIGM SHIFTS IN ALMOST EVERY INDUSTRY, WITH SOME IMPACTED MORE THAN OTHERS. AS EDUCATION DECISION MAKERS BEGIN TO CONSIDER HOW TO ENSURE THEIR SCHOOL IS AHEAD OF THE CURVE, IT’S IMPERATIVE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS POSSIBLE, WHERE HIDDEN COSTS MAY LIE AND WHAT THE TRUE VALUE IS FOR YOUR SCHOOL AND STUDENTS.

Attending an education industry conference or exhibition is increasingly reminiscent of the marketing industry events of 10 or more years ago. Gone is the long-standing focus on hardware, instead nearly every second booth is manned by representatives of software companies, explaining concepts such as software-as-a-service or service-level agreements. For these reasons it’s increasingly common to see representatives from

you require unless you’re fully aware of what those capabilities are and have communicated them clearly to the software distributor. Even then it may require a trial period before you can be certain of the chosen solution’s efficacy. To help alleviate some of this pain, we’ve produced a guide to some of the common platforms available, as well as layperson definitions for some of the tech-centric jargon involved.

SOFTWARE

TYPE

SUITED FOR

DELIVERY MODEL

LOCAL SUPPORT?

PRICE

Curriculum Organiser

Curriculum management

Primary

SaaS

Yes

$143 (individual license)

Edmodo

Social LMS

K-12

SaaS

Free (costs for additional features)

Edrolo

Education provider

Year 12

SaaS

Yes

$249 (per student)

Kindyhub

Admin management

ELC

SaaS

Yes

$1 (per child, per month)

Moodle

LMS

Higher Ed

On-premises

Yes

Free (costs for training, upgrades)

Sentral

School management

K-12

On-premises or SaaS

Yes

N/A (installation, licence and support fees apply)

Xplor

School management

K-12

SaaS

Yes

$2.50 (per week, paid by each child’s parent)

KEY SOFTWARE TERMS AND DEFINTIONS SaaS – Software-as-a-service. Essentially, this is a solution delivered over the internet, rather than one that’s stored locally. As a result, users of these solutions should ask their distributor questions about data privacy, backup and disaster recovery. SLA – Service Level Agreement. This is

schools accompanied by whoever is in charge of the IT department and administration. These solutions have been created to solve problems faced my educators on a regular basis. For that reason you may be looking at software for timetabling, lesson planning, reporting, payments, payroll or any combination of those things. To complicate matters further, there’s no telling the solution you select will have all the capabilities

the agreement set out in the terms of sale that guarantees the level of service the user will be provided with. An SLA may guarantee the service won’t be removed unexpectedly, or that a certain level of communication should be expected before any scheduled outages. LMS/LCMS – Learning Management System

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versus Learning Content Management System. Very little difference between the two concepts as they are both focused on providing a tool to administer lessons. However, an LCMS will ideally have additional features geared towards creating, publishing and distributing the content of lessons, rather than simple scheduling and note taking.

TO PROVIDE SOME FURTHER INSIGHT, WE’VE SPOKEN WITH TWO CREATORS OF THE SOLUTIONS LISTED ABOVE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT WHAT THEY SPECIFICALLY OFFER EDUCATORS AND HOW THEY CAME TO DO IT. THESE ARE JUST TWO SOLUTION PROVIDERS IN A WORLD FULL OF OPTIONS, BUT GETTING TO UNDERSTAND HOW THEY OPERATE WILL MAKE IT MUCH EASIER FOR YOUR OWN DECISION MAKING PROCESSES IN THE FUTURE. DANIELLE BENNETT – FOUNDER, KINDYHUB Schools have sought to close the communication gap by the traditional means of parent/teacher interviews, term report cards and paper copy newsletters. However, these form only infrequent communication methods and are often not real-time reports of how a child is faring from day to day. The desire for a better method of communication isn’t only something that affects school-aged children and their families. Danielle Bennett, the creator of the Kindyhub app, cites the time constraints and difficulties of achieving real engagement with her two young children while at daycare as instrumental in the development of the Kindyhub app. “There had to be a more efficient and practical way of sharing information for both parents and educators,” Danielle said. “When everything else is available via a few clicks on a device, I asked the question: why couldn’t my children’s information be too?” In partnership with Peter O’Connor and Aaron Walton, who acted to provide the technical expertise and development required to create the app, Danielle now has a platform that is growing in use among childcare centres. It allows the centre to share news, updates, photos and reports directly to parents and carers in real time. “The difference between Kindyhub and other apps is that it’s highly customisable and the delivery of the information is able to be tailored for each user so it can be easily personalised to an individual or class groups, “This, in turn, increases parental engagement whilst streamlining the administration processes for the educators. Utilising flexible features, such as the Media Manager, the Events Calendar, Reporting and Communication portals, the Kindyhub app facilitates a fun and streamlined method of communication between educators and the students and their families.” www.kindyhub.com.au

MARK WOODLAND – FOUNDER, XPLOR Also starting out in the childcare sector, Mark realised the challenges of running such facilities first hand. The amount of paperwork and administration to overcome was stifling, so he decided to create his own software to handle it. The efficiencies that his software brought him enabled Mark to expand operations, while other childcare facility managers began requesting to use his solution. “Every school and childcare service faces unique challenges. When used purposefully, technology enhances the education experience. By streamlining certain tasks, teachers can spend more time with children and students, schools and classrooms can run more efficiently, and parents can quickly and easily communicate with children and teachers.” Mark pitches his software as an end-to-end solution, meaning that it should be able to handle every technological element of teaching and teaching administration, from reports, to permission forms and even school photo days. It’s Mark’s belief that good technology should allow teachers to do what they do best: teach students. “Through the use of Xplor and the reduction of administration burdens we allow educators to focus on developing social-emotional skills in addition to academic ones. These skills allow students to build up to longer and deeper explorations through interdisciplinary projects. It allows them to practice forms of mindfulness, and explore concepts like design thinking.” Perhaps most interesting about this concept is the payment model Mark has developed, in which parents are charged on a monthly basis, rather than attempting to charge the childcare or school organisation directly. “By removing teacher administration and with a mindful and gradual introduction to technology, students can learn to be responsible digital citizens who can effectively seek out resources and experts.” www.myxplor.com

education matters primary

21st Century Learning

EduTECH appoints new Head of Education THE LARGEST ANNUAL EDUCATION EVENT IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE, EDUTECH, HAS RECENTLY APPOINTED A NEW HEAD OF EDUCATION, DR MEGAN VAZEY, WHO PREVIOUSLY CHAIRED THE 2015 AND 2016 FUTURESCHOOLS TEACHING KIDS TO CODE CONFERENCES.

Every year EduTECH produces targeted information for educators seeking to maximise their own learning opportunities, and therefore provide enhanced teaching to their students. To that end, Dr Megan Vazey has been appointed Head of Education for EduTECH and FutureSchools. Not only has Dr Vazey already chaired conferences for FutureSchools, she has also been active in the field of STEM learning for years, developing professional learning in computational thinking, making, coding and physical computing, managing 49 AISNSW commonwealth-funded STEM projects. Her PhD was gained in Computing, specialising in big data. “It’s fabulously exciting to be curating EduTECH, the biggest Festival of Education in the Southern Hemisphere,” said Dr Vazey. “We

have a massive opportunity in Australia to elevate learning above and beyond anything we’ve seen before. While technology is the lever that can help us do that, it is vision, mission and culture that drives the necessary change. “Educators need to continue their work at the human interface of technology to let humans do what humans do best, and computers do what computers do best. The compelling need for school leadership, learning strategies, and teaching resources to be shared through digital networking has never been greater.” In the role as Head of Education, Dr Vazey will be tasked with talking to leaders of education, students and industry to discover what challenges need to be addressed and where things can be done better. She is currently accepting speaker submissions for either FutureSchools or EduTECH which closes on 30 September 2016. The experience Dr Vazey has gained in previous roles will easily be transferred to her new one, such as the learning derived from teaching coding. “Teaching kids to code isn’t the hard part, nor the most important,” she explains. “It’s teaching kids to think, imagine and believe that matters.” “We need a nation of computation thinkers who can work smarter, not harder, so they can look after house and home. The house is our planet, with all its environmental ecosystems, and the home is our international human family.” In omen of her new appointment with EduTECH, Dr Vazey has also been appointed a Fellow of Engineers Australia, in recognition of her status of one of the true leaders of the

education matters primary

“We have a massive opportunity in Australia to elevate learning above and beyond anything we’ve seen before. While technology is the lever that can help us do that, it is vision, mission and culture that drives the necessary change.”

engineering industry and profession. “It’s an acknowledgement of years of service in physical computing, digital technologies and computation thinking, as well as the work I’ve done in STEM education for the past few years. It’s very exciting and I’m extremely humbled to be offered the Fellow Membership.” Dr Vazey is an exciting contribution to the event, and wants to hear from you! Whether you are a world-famous author or an every-day teacher with an interesting story to tell, every application will be considered. Applications to speak close on 30 September 2016. For information, please visit www.futureschools.com.au or www.edutech.net.au.

Principally Speaking

The business of being Principal is the business of people TOORAK COLLEGE IS LOCATED ON THE MORNINGTON PENINSULA IN VICTORIA. IT OFFERS A CO-EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT FROM ELC TO YEAR 4, WITH A GIRLS-ONLY APPROACH FROM YEAR 5 ONWARDS. IT HAS A PROUD 142-YEAR HISTORY, CREATING A UNIQUE BLEND OF UPHOLDING THE TRADITIONS OF THE PAST WHILE LOOKING TOWARDS THE FUTURE OF EDUCATION. EDUCATION MATTERS SPOKE WITH PRINCIPAL KRISTY KENDALL ABOUT HER VIEWS ON CURRENT TRENDS, AS WELL AS HER OWN BRAND OF LEADERSHIP AND SUPPORT.

CAN YOU SHARE WITH US SOME INSIGHTS INTO YOUR OWN CAREER AS AN EDUCATOR? I started my career at Haileybury 15 years ago as a graduate teacher. In my first year I was given the psychology department to run, as well as coaching aerobics – these were big responsibilities for a teacher in her first year out of university. Over time, Haileybury began to consider

the possibility of introducing girls to the school, and I eventually came to be Head of the girls’ senior school. That was an exciting opportunity; to establish a girls school within what was traditionally a boys-only institution. I went on to have my own children and this made me consider early years teaching, so I moved to lead Haileybury’s Berwick campus,

education matters primary

which is an ELC-8 school. After 15 years at the same school you naturally begin to wonder if there’s a better fit elsewhere. With Haileybury being so large I looked to Toorak College as an opportunity to really get to know every one of my students. My first priority is always to get to know people, and at a smaller school like Toorak College

Principally Speaking

I’ve had the opportunity to not only become familiar with all the students and teachers; I’ve managed to get to know many of the parents and wider community associated with the school as well. COULD YOU TELL US A BIT ABOUT TOORAK COLLEGE? Toorak College is located on the Mornington Peninsula. It is a thriving co-educational environment from ELC to Year 4, with a girls’ only approach from Year 5 onwards. It has a proud 142 year history and has a perfect blend of upholding the traditions of our past while looking towards the future of education. HOW IS THE PRIMARY SECTION OF THE SCHOOL INCORPORATED INTO THE SCHOOL AS A WHOLE? IS IT A SEPARATE CAMPUS? Toorak College’s Junior School, Wardle House, caters for students from 3 year old kindergarten to Year 6. The ELC and Junior School share the 11.5 hectare grounds with the Senior School. This means the Junior students can utilise the facilities of the Senior School such as the science labs, state-of-the-art music centre, aquatic centre and gymnasium. They also access specialty staff in science and technology, languages, sport and the arts.

HOW DO YOU PROVIDE SUPPORT AND LEADERSHIP TO YOUR PRIMARY SCHOOL STAFF? I encourage all my staff to consider themselves as experts in their fields. Teaching is a profession, so I remind my staff that they are brilliant at reading and regulating children’s emotions, building their confidence, guiding their thinking, inspiring their questions and doing this in 20 different ways at once! Teaching is one of the most difficult professions there is and it is important for teachers themselves to regard it as such. WHAT ROLE DO YOU PLAY IN THE DAY-TO-DAY ACTIVITIES OF THE PRIMARY STUDENTS? A firm belief I hold in running an ELC – Year 12 school is that no year level is more important than any other. The early primary years provide vital building blocks for learning and are also critical for developing a child’s own perception of self. I enjoy spending as much time as I can reading to the students, involving myself in whatever extra curricula pursuits they choose and observing their successes and struggles in the classroom. I even enjoy morning duty at the crowded drop off zone! WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT, EITHER AS A TEACHER OR SPECIFICALLY IN THE ROLE OF PRINCIPAL? As the new principal of Toorak College, I know my first year will be a memorable one. The community has made this year special for me with their support and encouragement. The students at Toorak College have the most amazing spirit; they laugh at themselves, they truly support one another and they love to give anything a try. This sense of spirit I wholeheartedly embrace and represent. The community puts a smile

education matters primary

on my face each and every day.

arrived at through that partnership approach.

WHAT TRAITS MAKE FOR AN EFFECTIVE AND SUCCESSFUL LEADER IN EDUCATION TODAY? I am in the business of people. That was the business I entered as a graduate teacher over 15 years ago and it is that same business I am in as Principal. Remembering to keep students at the centre of all of your decisions is key. I believe successful leadership involves constantly changing, inventing and reinventing yourself; and always learning. Educators have an enormous moral obligation and responsibility to be the absolute best they can be. As a leader, my job is to continually inspire our educators to do this each and every day.

WHAT ARE YOUR FEELINGS ABOUT NAPLAN AND ITS EFFECTIVENESS? I absolutely believe NAPLAN is an important tool for teachers for benchmarking, both internally and against the broader trend. Such a system can act as a trigger for reflection within a school as it’s based around core skills that every school has a responsibility to ensure it’s delivering on.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CRITICAL ISSUES YOU NOTICE THAT OFTEN APPEAR IN THE MEDIA? I get exhausted at the blame game that goes on with schools. The view that the education of children is quite heavily or solely the responsibility of the school seems to be the standard line in current reportage. Of course, I’m relentless when it comes to ensuring my teachers are the best they can be, but a child’s mental, social any physical development is a threeway partnership between parents, teachers and, yes, the students. It’s part of a young person’s journey to make mistakes, but it’s then the responsibility of the parents to work with the teachers to help direct them. Ultimately it’s the student that has to decide on the path they take, but that will only be successful if it’s

CAN YOU DISCUSS ANY OBVIOUS EXAMPLES OF DIGITAL DISRUPTION YOU’VE ENCOUNTERED IN EDUCATION? I’ve actually been very involved with a company called Edrolo, having been invited to teach the entire Year 12 psychology course online. The idea is to level the playing field for students across the state, providing access to an expert teacher to help them perform at the highest level. The early years working with Edrolo saw us question many things regarding the role of digital technology in the classroom. For example, why do we need a textbook? Perhaps we can replace that antiquated notion with online resources. What makes for great teaching? Maybe we could inspire teachers to teach in a different way if they had access to the best technology? I’ve been very active in the space and believe if we can supply the content then we can allow teachers the time to make connections, organise their thinking and push or extend the boundaries of what’s possible.

education matters primary

I sometimes think back to those days when I was in school. If you really wanted to buy the latest hit single, you’d have to go to Brashs to by the CD. Now, all students have to do is press a button and the song downloads. I feel like in many ways the education system is still caught in the Brashs era and we need to shift that. I’ve been very lucky to get to work with Edrolo in a bid to begin changing the paradigm. HOW IS TOORAK COLLEGE PLACED REGARDING THE NEW FOCUS ON STEM LEARNING? This is one area that Toorak College is an absolute leader in a number of ways. Students as young as ELC receive STEM-inspired material and we teach prep students to code. It’s not a standalone thing, either. We’re incorporating elements of STEM into every subject we teach, encouraging students to consider how they solve problems or invent solutions. We’ve a number of staff members that have led various conferences, even internationally, on the subject of STEM teaching. It’s something that’s not only important for students in general, but something that’s doubly important to teach young girls. In furthering our commitment to STEM learning, Toorak College is embarking on a new project to create a whole new building designed around the concepts of imagination, creation and implementation, and so it ties together ideas of strategic thinking, with marketing and even entrepreneurship. This is not just about STEM knowledge but also about incorporated STEM thinking into everything we do.

Facilities Management

Carpet Care IN TODAY’S FAST-PACED SOCIETY, CLEANING IS RESTRICTED TO TIGHT SCHEDULES, WHATEVER THE DAY, WHENEVER THE TIME, AND THIS HAS HAD A DIRECT IMPACT ON CLEANING TURNAROUND TIMES.

To deal with these time constraints, the carpetcleaning paradigm has shifted. The focus is no longer on cleaning stains after they occur; rather a proactive approach to maintaining carpet appearance and cleanliness has developed instead. This involves preventative maintenance measures such as dry vacuuming and interim cleaning with the use of carpet cleaning equipment. Tennant’s innovative ReadySpace® Rapiddrying Carpet Cleaning Technology cleans and dries carpets in under 30 minutes. This minimises area closure times and allow for the removal of soils before they become embedded in the carpet fibres. Carpets remain cleaner over time, last longer and extraction is required much less frequently.

Tennant also provides a complete line of vacuums for daily carpet maintenance. Tennant’s vacuums are durable and versatile with heavyduty, cordless, wet-dry, backpack and wide-area vacuum options available. Most of our vacuums

are also available with HEPA filtration systems to maintain indoor air quality and certified by the Carpet and Rug Institute. More Information: tennantco.com/au/education 1300 TENNANT

INVEST IN A COMPLETE CARPET CARE SOLUTION TENNANT HAS EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KEEP YOUR SCHOOL’S CARPETS LOOKING GREAT We offer a complete line of upright, backpack and canister vacuum cleaners, well suited for both small and large areas. We also provide restorative carpet cleaning equipment including portable extractors, deep cleaning extractors and daily use carpet cleaners.

Professional Development

Leadership development

TAKE THE NEXT STEP IN YOUR CAREER. Apply now for the Master of Leadership. Flexible delivery to suit busy professionals. Find out more monash.edu/education

If you’re an aspiring leader, then the Master of Leadership at Monash University is for you. Select from specialisations such as Curriculum and Pedagogy, Organisational Learning or Principal Preparation. Alternatively, select General Leadership Studies and tailor your unit choices for a more broadly applicable leadership qualification. The best part is that the course structure is flexible so you don’t have to decide before you start. Recent graduate Kerri McLeod selected units that were extensions of the work she was already leading in her school, so it was applicable to her day to day operations. Kerrie said she “enjoyed the supportive feel that occurred during weekend intensives and contact workshops, as well as the opportunity to extend and challenge myself with my own career development and professional thinking around education.” Study full time, part time, on campus or off campus in Clayton or even Singapore (Organisational Learning specialisation only). Learn how to lead in learning communities and inspire others to adapt and innovate. Make your mark in Education. Enrol today. Call 1800 MONASH or visit www.monash.edu/education/postgraduate.

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SUBSCRIBE TODAY Every two weeks you will receive... • The Latest news in education • Discussion of key issues • Innovative products and resources • Videos • Rich content that is highly valuable to education professionals CONTACT: Chelsea Daniel-Young at chelsea.daniel@primecreative.com.au or (m) 0425 699 878

Professional Development

Keilor Views Primary School’s implementation of Visible Learning “RECENTLY AT THE VISIBLE LEARNING CONFERENCE, PROFESSOR JOHN HATTIE STOOD UP IN HIS OPENING ADDRESS AND SAID, “I’M LOOKING AT YOU ALL AND THINKING ‘WHAT IF I GOT THIS WRONG?’” I FEEL THE SAME WAY WHEN EDUCATORS ASK TO VISIT AND I ALWAYS END UP IN THE SAME PLACE – THAT KEILOR VIEWS IS A LIVING, BREATHING EXAMPLE THAT HE DIDN’T.” – CHARLES BRANCIFORTE, PRINCIPAL OF KEILOR VIEWS PRIMARY SCHOOL, MELBOURNE

Keilor Views Primary School was formed in January 2010 from the merger between Keilor Downs Primary School and Calder Rise Primary School. It is located in Australia, 25 kilometers north west of Melbourne in the suburb of Keilor Downs, and on the former site of Keilor Downs Primary School. Keilor Views has 420 students, ranging from the preparatory level (5 years old) to year 6 (11–12 years old). The students are ethnically diverse, with many speaking a language other than English. Many are from homes where the income is below the national average. The 24-member teaching staff is drawn largely from the two former schools. It is led by Principal Charles Branciforte and Assistant Principal Rita

education matters primary

Szrenko. Rita is also the school’s curriculum and assessment leader, and has worked as the school’s teaching and learning coach. The Approach This story is primarily focused on the concept of ’Know Thy Impact’. It looks at how teachers and leaders at Keilor Views Primary School are learning to look for evidence of their impact on students, considering this evidence through their students’ eyes and taking on board the lessons for their own learning and practice. As a consequence of the classroom observations and walkthroughs that had become a normal part of the school’s routines, the leadership team had a strong sense of what was going on inside classrooms. This was affirmed through implementation of the Visible Learningplus tools and processes, such as student interviews and focus groups. It was clear to the team that students were often not at the center of teaching and learning and certainly did not have the understandings and strategies they needed to “see themselves as their own teachers.” When the student focus group were asked about what they thought a ’good learner‘ looked like or did, they gave the following responses, most of which indicated a passive approach to learning: “Listens to the teacher.” “Does their work.” “Well-behaved.” “Not distracted by others.” “Tries their hardest.” “Starts their work straight away.” “Very little talking “Head down.” “Does neat work.” “Focused.” “Asks questions.” As a consequence of this inquiry, the school decided that its central purpose was to support each

student to achieve “at least one year’s growth for one year’s work.” Its strategic outcome for students, the outcome through which this purpose would be achieved, was to grow students as visible learners. Our aspiration for Visible Learning in our school: All students at Keilor Views Primary School will show greater than a year’s growth for one year’s input in all learning disciplines, and they will exhibit qualities of assessment capable visible learners. The language of learning, assessment, and feedback will be embedded across the school. Following a trip to New Zealand, Keilor Views Primary School joined with 21 other schools in the region to enroll in the Network Visible Learning three day series. A Visible Learningplus consultant took on the role of critical friend and external coach, guiding the school in its review of learning needs for students, teachers, and leaders. The school formed a guiding coalition, with the leadership team taking responsibility for planning the whole-school journey, and selected teachers were invited to focus on classroom practices. The team understood that the school’s intended outcomes for students needed to be intimately connected to the intended outcomes for teachers and school leaders. The importance of developing the characteristics of visible learners in educators as well as in students was summarized in the following statement: We are an inclusive educational setting that prides ourselves on the delivery of a quality curriculum based on the principles of Visible Learning where we are building assessment-capable learners. When teachers see learning through the eyes of their students and students see themselves as their own teachers, we become highly visible learners together. Our ongoing evaluation against the principles of Visible Learning forms the basis of our whole-school strategy. It impacts on all we do, from providing an engaging curriculum, to creating high expectations, to closing the feedback loop through formative assessment that promotes individual growth, to maximizing attendance, and to creating a shared

vision that raises enthusiasm for learning. Quantitative data is critical to an understanding of impact at both the classroom level and the whole-school level: We regularly look at and share student data of achievement and growth as a way of reflecting on the learning and the effectiveness of our professional program. We evaluate and re-evaluate based on what other support needs to be in place. Teacher benchmarking data is collated each term in order to analyze whole-school achievement in reading. The data is shared with staff to facilitate discussions centered on the key questions, “Where are we going?” “How are we going?” “Where to next?” As they implemented Visible Learning in their school, the guiding coalition at Keilor Views was deeply aware of the need to build relationships of trust and challenge; there had to be transparency in the way we operated and the default position of ‘trust’ was paramount- trust in the data you are receiving from the previous teacher from year to year, trust that the intention of ’educational walks‘ into your classroom is to identify growth and learning points in students and to provide you with quality feedback, trust that this coaching model really is reciprocal and will help build your professional capacity, trust in the research, and trust in the instructional knowledge of the school’s leadership. The Impact Following the completion of its first impact cycle, the teacher observations and walkthroughs revealed that teacher pedagogy had become more consistent and was more in line with what is needed for both students and teachers to be assessment-capable. Changes at the school level, such as opportunities for collaborative planning using shared templates, were supporting the shifts. Visible Learning began to take on a momentum of its own: “I began to get very deliberate about my planning

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and delivery of learning content. My planning documents were no longer just for compliance; they were a living, breathing reflection of what was happening in my room. The more purposeful I got, the clearer the student voice became about success and achievement.” Today, Keilor Views is regarded as an exemplar school by other school communities who visit on a regular basis to see the shifts that have taken place. Keilor Views understands that the journey is never over. Ongoing inquiry into impact means that there is always something new to learn and improve upon: The school has a plan in place that includes specific targets and strategies for achieving those targets. The plan sets out the learning and change that is needed for all groups – students, teachers, leaders, and families/communities. It explains how the learning will be undertaken, how it will be monitored, and how the school will know it has achieved its targets. Joy in the Journey “When I am lucky enough to take school tours of prospective families or visitors to our school, I can’t wipe the smile off my face. It is only when I step back and observe where we are at that I realise the extent of our journey and all that we have been able to achieve. The key to our success is attributed to many factors, but the standout aspect for me, coming from a teaching and learning perspective, is the goal congruence of the leadership team. Everything we do leads back to ’How will it help students learn?’ and ’What is best for our students?’ This is our core business and this is what we should be spending time on. We have come a long way in recent years and I look forward to seeing what lies ahead!” – Charles Branciforte, Principal of Keilor Views Primary School, Melbourne Corwin is the exclusive provider of Visible Learningplus professional learning and development in Australia. For more information, visit au.corwin.com.

Professional Development

Master your career in education THE NEXT FOUR TO FIVE YEARS IS A TIME TO SHINE IN THE EDUCATION AND TEACHING INDUSTRY.

A report by the Australian Council for Educational Research shows a promising outlook for employment growth in the years up to 2020, due to a significant boom in the number of school-aged children entering classes. For existing educators, this means there is a window of opportunity to flourish, as the demand for quality teachers with recognizable and up-to-date skills rises. To maximize the opportunity, considering current and evolving employment trends in the field, a Master of Education can help you to stand out from the crowd. As career experts highlight, a key emerging trend is the rising number of professionals in the sector with postgraduate qualifications. Employers are increasingly seeking highly qualified teachers with up-to-date expertise across

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current pedagogical practices that can bring a deeper level of skills to schools. Recognising this demand, and building on a highly successful undergraduate program, one of Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading universities, Curtin University, which was recently named a rising star in higher education, in partnership with Open Universities Australia (OUA) launched the Master of Education to help those looking to enhance their skillset and take their career to the next level. Head of the School of Education at Curtin University, Lina Pellicone, explains that the new Master of Education degree provides an opportunity for qualified teachers practicing in a range of Educational contexts to enhance their pedagogical and theoretical knowledge and expertise, and to develop some specialized knowledge in an area of choice.

“The new Master of Education is a relevant and valuable pathway for educational leaders in many fields to develop their skills further and enhance their opportunities for employment or promotion,” she says. “The degree offers students an essential foundation in Educational Research approaches and the online course will allow students to choose pathways that focus on the important educational areas of STEM Education, Advanced Pedagogies, Language, Literacy and Applied Linguistics.” Associate Professor Pellicone points out that these pathways have been developed by experts in each field and will provide students with expertise in areas of great current interest and demand. CEO of OUA, Paul Wappett, highlights that the flexibility of the Master of Education course online enables busy educators to continue exploring their passion at a deeper level whilst working and also puts students in the best position to take advantage of career advancement opportunities. “Through OUA, students can study this one-year equivalent course online, giving them the ability to continue working in the field to gain more experience and attain their postgraduate degree at the same time – the ideal combination in the eyes of employers,” he explains. In addition, students that complete the course online have the opportunity to fast track their degree commencement by enrolling in time for study period four*, which runs from November 28th to March 10th,

Paul Wappett, CEO Open Universities Australia

meaning there’s no need to wait until next year to get started. The exciting new postgraduate program offers teaching professionals a way to gain a competitive edge and develop a deeper skillset that includes knowledge across the latest cutting edge approaches to teaching and critical independent thinking.

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In addition, students who complete postgraduate qualifications not only open themselves up to more professional and lucrative advancement opportunities, but are also able to open doors to potential global employment prospects. The new Master of Education offers students the chance to explore subjects such as International Trends in Education, the Foundations of Educational Research and Negotiated Research Projects, as well as electives such as the Educational Applications of Digital Technologies and Sustainable Education. Upon completion of the new Master of Education, students are well placed to seek further studies in Educational Research and can apply to enter doctoral programs. For students looking to enter the teaching profession after successfully completing an undergraduate degree in another discipline, Curtin University and OUA will also be launching a Master of Teaching in 2017. For more information on the newly launched Master of Education visit www.open.edu.au. Students who hold a four-year teacher education degree or equivalent are eligible to apply for the Master of Education. *Enrolments for study period 4 close on November 13th, 2016. 1. http://research.acer.edu.au/policyinsights/2/ 2. Career FAQs

Furniture

At Woods, we’re for flexible learning EDUCATION IS OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE, NOT ONLY FOR THE CHILDREN OF TODAY, BUT ALSO FOR OUR ENTIRE WORLD TOMORROW.

This belief has driven our team, for over half a century, to study how children learn – from a behavioral, ergonomic and cognitive perspective – and to develop furniture that is flexible, adaptable and stimulating. Our product range positively enhances the educational environment, ensuring our children are reaching their full learning potential. We offer an extensive range, service and support to education facilities across Australia. Our support and services commence with the initial contact or enquiry and continue years down the track with our valued Woods clients. We provide professional advice on how to integrate best practices into the learning environment, which in turn inspires education and allows students to perform better in a flexible and stimulating setting. We are proud to say we take a “hands on” approach, with our people travelling all over Australia to work with educators, architects and specifiers to design and provide the best possible learning and teaching outcomes. Woods is committed to Australian manufacturing. Whilst many of our competitors have chosen to use imports as the key source of their furniture supplies, our company remains Australian owned and continues to manufacture our award winning, innovative furniture right here in Australia, as we have done since 1953. By investing in CNC machinery and hightech equipment, Woods has the technology to produce the majority of the components for its broad furniture range in house. Additionally, having our own extensive warehousing facility, teamed with strong alliances with locally-based transport companies, Woods has the resources to meet customer expectations and requirements by delivering our products anywhere throughout Australia in a timely manner. At Woods, not only are we committed to providing inspired and flexible learning environments, we are also passionate about

providing a better world for future generations. At our factory we have adopted processes of utilising solar power, harvesting rainwater, waste minimisation, resource conservation, recycling and sustainable manufacturing decisions and processes. It is this consideration that sets us apart and this is the contribution we are making to the world of tomorrow. Our products are GECA certified (Green Tick). This provides our customers with the confidence that our products meet environmental, human health and ethical impact criteria. Additionally, all Woods products are VOC Emissions Certified and contain no volatile compounds or carcinogens that cause chronic irritation to children. Naturally, Woods considers this an important factor when developing furniture that will be used daily by many children. Additionally, we proudly manufacture our products to the highest quality standards, of AS/NZS 4610, ensuring our products meet the demands of classrooms today and well into the future. We back this promise with a 10-year warranty on the entire Woods range. By implementing best practice in management control, business practices,

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operation performance, communication and coordination Woods achieved an ISO 9001 accreditation. Ensuring we maintain a consistent level of service and product delivery throughout the company. With our own in-house research and development team, Woods is constantly expanding and refining its line of products to ensure we keep providing current furniture designs, relevant to today’s complex learning and working environments. Our strategic partnership with VS, a German company, arguably the world’s best designer and producer of ergo-dynamic and flexible school furniture, ensures Woods is always at the forefront when it comes to innovation and design within the Australian education system. By incorporating our design philosophy with products that are produced to the high Australian and New Zealand Standards, in an environmentally sustainable way, we are creating furniture that not only enables students to reach their full learning potential, but also contributes to a better future for them and the planet in which they live. Visit www.woodsfurniture.com.au for more information.

At Woods, we believe that education is of the utmost importance – not just for the children of today but for our world tomorrow. This belief has driven our team, for over half a century, to study how children learn – from a behavioral, ergonomic and cognitive perspective – to develop furniture that is flexible, adaptable and stimulating. It’s this philosophy that inspired our innovative Hokki Stool. An intelligent ergo-dynamic stool designed to improve motor and muscular-skeletal development of growing children. To find out more about our innovative range of educational furniture visit woodsfurniture.com.au or call 1800 004 555. We’re for flexible learning

School Populations

People pressure: Planning change FORECASTING EDUCATION DEMAND IS AN ESSENTIAL TASK FOR POLICY MAKERS, SETTING THE FOUNDATIONS FOR SUCCESS WHETHER THE SCHOOL POPULATION IS GROWING OR SHRINKING, WRITES PETER GOSS.

Dr Pete Goss is School Education Program Director at Grattan Institute, an independent public policy institute. He is the lead author of its two recent reports Targeted Teaching: How better use of data can improve student learning and Widening gaps: what NAPLAN tells us about student progress. Pete is passionate about developing school education systems that maximise the learning growth of every student. He brings to education a perspective of how to deliver change, based on over 10 years’ experience as a strategy consultant in the UK and Australia, most recently with the Boston Consulting Group. He originally trained as a scientist, with a PhD in genetics from Harvard University.

Ensuring every school is a great school is the most important thing in both primary and secondary education. At the same time, there must be a school for every child to go to. This sounds obvious and easy, but rapid changes in demographics mean that it has been harder than it sounds (and US-based results from online charter schools are so poor that full time e-learning is not a viable option).1 Online learning alternatives do exist and the education system continues to be disrupted by new technologies, but there is as yet no evidence to suggest online learning can act as an adequate substitute for the physical place of learning: the school. Recent research in the U.S. showed that “the majority of online charter students had far weaker academic growth in both math and reading compared to their traditional public school peers.” The challenge for Australian policy makers – and parents – is that our population continues to grow in extremely variable ways. Some densely-populated areas will see high growth in demand for schools, particularly inner-city Melbourne and to a lesser extent in the North Shore of Sydney, as well as Western Sydney. Other areas are witnessing rapid growth around greenfield sites, such as Melbourne’s outer growth corridors. My analysis of population projections2 shows the incredible pace of this growth in some areas. For example, the local government area of Wyndham (between Melbourne and Geelong) will need around 100 new classrooms every year for the next decade3. In Queensland, the outskirts of Ipswich are seeing new suburbs – doubling the size of the city4 – spring up over the coming years. In contrast, many middle-ring suburbs are now seeing very low population growth. Regional cities, which depend on regional economies, cannot be easily generalized: some are growing strongly, while others have relatively flat populations. And outside their regional hubs, many regional parts of Australia have shrinking populations of school age children. We have a patchwork quilt of the growth in education demand, yet education still needs to be delivered locally. So, how do we ensure there is a school available when students need it?

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Underlying this general challenge are three specific challenges for schools that exist in three very different contexts. 1. HIGH GROWTH, LITTLE ROOM The first challenge can already be seen in the fastgrowth areas of the inner-city, where land is already at a premium. Where there has been a failure to put land aside for schools when an area goes under development, such as can be seen at Fisherman’s Bend in Melbourne, the Government (or private interests, in the case of private schools) has to then pay over the odds to acquire the necessary land5, which has been known to quadruple in value over a short timeframe. In inner-city areas with only small blocks available for schools, we need to develop different models for what schools should look like. The education departments in Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia each have vertical schools under development – the first government schools of their kind in Australia – in South Melbourne, Parramatta, and Adelaide parklands. These will be multi-storey buildings with outdoor spaces at multiple levels. Even at schools like these it’s of vital importance that kids have access to outdoor spaces in which to play, as this has been shown to be critical for physical and mental development. When schools become overcrowded, as enrolment rises above the intended capacity of the school, the evidence suggests that students learn less effectively.6 Overcrowding can therefore be a real problem for educators and school planners, more so than the size of the school per se. The growth we’re now witnessing in inner Melbourne and Sydney is the result of a ‘mini’ baby boom that occurred around 2006.7 The first children of that boom are currently in Grade 5. Planning was further complicated by the fact that young families often choose to stay in inner city apartments rather than moving out the suburbs. As night follows day, primary school children become secondary school children, so from 2018 onwards we know that secondary schools in those areas will become increasingly crowded unless

new schools come online. This is complicated by the fact that affluent inner-city parents are avoiding some inner city schools that are not perceived to be ‘good schools’8, leading to schools that have lots of capacity nearby other schools that are over-subscribed. 2. HIGH GROWTH, NEW COMMUNITIES The second challenge occurs in the brand new suburbs such as those in outside of Ipswich in Queensland, the new developments to the south of Perth and in Melbourne’s growth corridors, and some parts of Western Sydney. These areas will see long-term population growth and so new schools will absolutely be needed, not just temporary classrooms. The complication is that the location, design and culture of schools in a brand new area can greatly influence the integrity of that community. The local primary school in particular should become the beating heart of the community, bringing people together, and developing community spirit with fetes and similar events. Given that there are few preexisting community services, these primary schools should be designed to include early learning and childcare facilities – even maternal health services. State Governments are aware of the importance of the school as the heart of the community, and have been trying some new models, such as community hubs9, that integrate a range of services with schools. However, the evidence around what models work best is still mixed10, and it will be a continuing challenge to ensure we get these right. If a new suburb doesn’t develop a sense of cohesive community as the first generation of children grows up, it will face much bigger challenges further down the track. 3. LOW GROWTH AND SHRINKING In some regional areas, where the population is shrinking, some schools will face eventual closure. Just as challenging, they will need to find ways to adapt to shrinking class sizes and fewer resources to offer a diverse and rich curriculum in the intervening time. Yet, no less than any other young Australians, students in these schools deserve a high quality of education the entire time. CURRENT PERFORMANCE Long-term planning is essential, especially in selecting the right sites for new schools. That is to say, school planning needs to ensure schools are becoming available at the right time, before current schools become overcrowded. Being half a step ahead in planning is probably cheaper and better in terms of education outcomes than being two steps behind and needing to catch up. How well this has

been done so far varies by state. Victoria and New South Wales had, overall, no growth in the school-age population11 for around 20 years, from the mid-80s to the mid-00s. They are now playing catch up, because their new normal is high population growth. To deal with these changes, both Education Departments (which do the planning) and Treasury (which approve the funding) must operate in new ways in order to scope new projects and approve investments, as well as engage with the community on a different level. The launch in May 2016 of the Victorian School Building Authority is a sign that planning is getting more high-level attention, and New South Wales has also announced record investment in school infrastructure.12 In comparison, Queensland and Western Australia have had somewhat more consistent growth in population.11 This allows more of a ‘continuous build’ mindset, which is intrinsically more efficient than a reactive approach that occurs in fits and starts when pressures become too much to bear. South Australia and Tasmania have seen and slowly shrinking of school populations11 so they’ve been weathering the impacts of the third scenario as described above. Their big challenge is how to keep schools thriving even as enrolment naturally shrinks. TURNING CHALLENGES INTO OPPORTUNITIES For the educators themselves, it’s important to gather relevant data that can inform on the size of each local cohort and when they’re expected to arrive in schools. But doing this planning school-by-school is the wrong answer. Ultimately, the education system is interconnected, regardless of how we might see it from time to time. This means that the entire system will benefit from greater levels of communication between Government schools, Catholic schools and

independent schools of all kinds. A consultative, rather than purely competitive, approach should be considered between these various groups in the interests of gaining the best results for the entire student body. Existing schools will also be affected. Some schools will need to rethink their catchment areas. This is particularly true of popular secondary schools in high-growth neighbourhoods who are expected to be hit with a wave of enrolments in the next two-to-three years as the 2006 baby-boomers start high school. In the longer term, existing inner-city schools blessed with extensive grounds should expect to come under pressure for their space to be used to benefit the broader community, representing an operational and design concern for them. Under what terms will those spaces be used and how does the school manage the situation? Some schools may see it purely as a challenge, while others may grasp it as an opportunity to demonstrate additional value. In cities that are becoming more densely populated, land becomes increasingly more precious and needs to be used efficiently. THE NEXT DECADE IS VITAL While there is always uncertainty in population projections, Australia’s total population as well as the number of births is forecast to grow over the long term.13 That means the next decade is an opportunity to experiment and learn how well different approaches work. All of us in the education space must take on board this opportunity, because we’ll need that experience for the next decade and the one after that. Growth in Australia’s population is higher than we’ve seen since the 60s and 70s. Now is the time to begin systematically planning, implementing and testing new approaches and new designs for schools, for the benefit of future generations of students.

References: 1. Anon, (2015) Online Charter Schools Students Falling Behind Their Peers. Media Release. Center for Research on Education Outcomes, Stanford University. https://credo.stanford.edu/pdfs/Online%20Press%20Release.pdf; 2. Goss, P. (2016) Should you worry about a schools shortage? It really depends on where you live. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/should-you-worry-about-aschools-shortage-it-really-depends-on-where-you-live-53296; 3. Cook, H. (2016) Schools shortage crisis hits Victoria. The Age. http:// www.theage.com.au/victoria/schools-shortage-crisis-hits-victoria-20160113-gm4wzq.html; 4. Queensland Government population projections, 2015 edition; Australian Bureau of Statistics, Regional population growth, Australia, 2013-14, (Cat no. 3218.0).; 5. Goss, P. (2016) Schools crisis comes with massive waste of tax dollars. The Age. http://www.theage.com.au/comment/schools-crisis-comeswith-massive-waste-of-tax-dollars-20160121-gmapgp.html; 6. Anon. (2014) Do Crowded Classrooms Affect Learning? Frontiers Academy. http://frontiersacademy.org/do-crowded-classrooms-affect-learning/; 7. Harradine, N. (2011) Mini baby boom puts pressure on education system. ABC News. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-12-07/mini-baby-boom-puts-pressure-on-educationsystem/3717900; 8. Jacks, T. White flight: race segregation in Melbourne state schools. The Age. http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/ white-flight-race-segregation-in-melbourne-state-schools-20160430-goj516.html; 9. See The National Community Hubs Program, an initiative of Community Hubs Australia, supported by the Scanlon Foundation and the Australian Government Department of Social Services. http://www.communityhubs.org.au/about-community-hubs/the-program/; 10. McDonald, M., Moore, T., Sanjeevan, S. (2012) Primary schools as community hubs: A review of the literature. Murdoch Childrens Research Institute. http://www.rch.org.au/ uploadedFiles/Main/Content/ccch/Schools_as_Community_Hubs_Lit_Review.pdf; 11. Australian Age Structure in 2015. Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australian Demographic Statistics and Population Projections, Australia, 2012 (base) to 2101 (no 3101.0 & 3222.0). http://www.abs.gov.au/websitedbs/d3310114.nsf/home/Population%20Pyramid%20-%20Australia; 12. New South Wales Department of Education (2016). $1 Billion boost to school infrastructure in record education spend. Media release. http://www.dec.nsw.gov.au/ about-us/news-at-det/media-releases-minister-piccoli/state-budget-announced; 13. Projection Results – Australia (last updated 2013). Australian Bureau of Statistics. http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/3222.0main+features52012%20(base)%20to%202101

education matters primary

Before and After School Care

A fresh approach to childcare SHERPA KIDS IS AN INTERNATIONAL COMPANY WHICH RUNS BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL AND VACATION CARE ACTIVITIES WITH PRIMARY SCHOOLS AND OTHER COMMUNITY FACILITIES. WE HAVE SOME 100 LOCAL OWNERS WORLDWIDE, LOOKING AFTER AROUND 5,400 PRIMARY SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN EVERY DAY, SUPPORTING OVER 100 SCHOOLS.

Sherpa Kids’ activities include arts and crafts, music and drama, sport and games, cooking and technology. Many of them are based on specific themes, such as the circus, recycling, sporting events and space, and are tailored to fit in with the individual requirements of schools, their curriculums, children engagement and the surrounding environment.

Global Company sharing Cultural Diversity “Currently servicing over 150 schools by 100 local owners working with over 5400 primary school aged children daily”

Sherpa Kids aims to deliver a ‘fresh and vibrant’ approach to childcare – and to “give children such a great time that they do not want to go home!” In addition to offering a wide range of activities, it also capitalises on its international connections by, for example, encouraging Sherpa children from Adelaide in Australia to send postcards to children in County Cork, in Ireland, to

learn about life on the other side of the world. By using a franchise model, Sherpa Kids not only benefits from the local knowledge of the provider, it also contributes to the economic and employment prospects of local communities since all decision-making is done at local level by owners and franchisees are encouraged to source products locally. Contact us today on (08) 8354 4886.

Sherpa Kids believes in making it easier Have Sherpa Kids partner with your School Community today

Before School, After School and Holiday Care vicki@sherpa-kids.com.au www.sherpa-kids.com.au 08 83544886

JOIN WITH US TODAY AND UNLOCK THE POTENTIAL OF TRUE GLOBAL REACH FOR YOUR COMMUNITY. Call Sherpa Kids and enquire how your school could possibly be partnered with a like minded school across the globe. Australia, South Africa, England, Ireland, New Zealand, Canada. Sherpa Kids have over 170 schools to share cultural experience and stories.

“Let us unlock the imagination of children around the world with story telling, imagination and play, through OSHC”

CALL US TODAY +61 8 8354 4886 www.sherpa-kids.com.au

Before and After School Care

Children’s wellbeing in the modern world AUSTRALIAN KIDS HAVE A VERY DIFFERENT CHILDHOOD TO THEIR PARENTS. A GENERATION AGO KIDS PLAYED IN THE STREETS, OFTEN OUT OF SIGHT AND CONTACT FROM THEIR PARENTS FOR HOURS ON END. IN MANY NEIGHBOURHOODS TODAY THIS WOULD BE REGARDED AS PARENTAL NEGLIGENCE. WHERE ONCE KIDS FOUND THEIR OWN WAY TO SCHOOL ON FOOT OR BIKE, TODAY MOST KIDS ARE DRIVEN TO SCHOOL. THE GAMES THEY PLAY ARE ALSO DIFFERENT, THE VAST MAJORITY OF GAME TIME IS SCREEN BASED – WHETHER IT IS AT HOME, IN THE CAR, OR AT A FRIEND’S PLACE – THE SCREEN IS THE FOCAL POINT. ALL OF THIS HAS IMPLICATIONS FOR CHILDHOOD LEARNING AND WELLBEING AND THE ROLE OF SCHOOLS, WRITES ANTHONY PHILLIPS – DIRECTOR, CAMP AUSTRALIA.

Many young families today have tried to follow the Australian dream and so look to buy their own home so that they can settle down and raise a family. With property pricing being what they are, this is usually a significant financial burden. There are a number of flow-on effects from this which significantly change the

Anthony Phillips is a qualified teacher with over 30 years’ experience in education and school aged care services. As founder and Director of Camp Australia, a leading and trusted after school care organisation providing services to more than 600 schools. Through the Camp Australia Foundation Anthony also strives to positively impact the lives of children beyond the school yard fence.

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physical nature of childhood today: • In three out of five Australian families both parents work; • Housing blocks are smaller, houses are bigger, making backyards much smaller; and, • Safety concerns discourage kids being on the street or at home unsupervised.

While these are relatively easy for parents and teachers to comprehend, the impact of the internet and social media is perhaps less understood. While the internet provides children with access to an unprecedented level of information, it is not without its problems. Firstly many young children cannot distinguish between fact and fiction, or quality and nonsense on the internet. Secondly the internet makes the full breadth of human nature available to anyone who wants to see it – and unfortunately to many who do not. Subsequently the internet is not a safe neighbourhood. Social media is also proving to have some unforeseen consequences. One familiar to many schools, although more typically high schools, is cyber-bullying. One less understood by older generations is the relentless pressure on children to be ‘on’ because their peers are also their paparazzi. With modern phones, any mistake can be recorded and published on social media before the individual has even had time to recover their breath or get their bearings. With these things in mind perhaps we should be grateful that more kids are not suffering from stress and anxiety, rather than surprised that a few of them are. Many parents are trying hard to ensure physical activity is part of the kid’s child-hood. It is one of the reasons that organised sport is such a major part of the lives of many children outside of school hours. However while this is commendable, structured sporting activities, particularly competitive ones, do not replace all of the benefits children were getting from unstructured play a generation ago. Unstructured or free play allows children to explore and extend their physical and mental

capabilities in their own way. Learning life skills like negotiation, compromise, leadership and teamwork in a variety of circumstances and often from a number of perspectives. For example a simple game of hideand-seek quickly gives a child the perspective of both the hunter and the hunted. Imagination games allow children to explore the role and importance of rules as they create their own world order. They also help them to understand that in order to lead, one needs to have the ability to get others to follow. Many of these games by their nature combine physical and mental stimulation and activity in ways that build a child’s self confidence in both of these spheres.

education matters primary

It is perhaps a little ironic that after school care, which a generation ago was regarded by children as restrictive, is now one of the best opportunities a child has for free play. This is not to say that it is unstructured chaos, or a longer version of lunch time. However, quality after school care does provide children with a safe environment in which they are encouraged to explore their own ideas as well as new things. After School Care is not what it used to be, it delivers a safe, reliable and nurturing environment for kids to play and grow and it definitely makes kids smile – that is why we do it.

Before & After School Care

OSHC providers measure up SCHOOL LEADERS CAN NOW HAVE FAITH IN THE QUALITY OF CARE IN AFTER SCHOOL HOURS CARE PROGRAMS WITH THE NATIONAL QUALITY FRAMEWORK (NQF) ASSESSMENT PROCESS.

OSHClub director Scott Bull said that school leaders now have much more transparency regarding the quality of the OSHC programs running at their schools, whether they run their own program or have partnered with an external company such as OSHClub. “Under the federal NQF, all childcare facilities across the country are assessed in terms of their quality of care. It ensures that the quality of all OSHC services is continually evaluated and that a continuous improvement plan is in place for each site to offer an even better quality service.” OSHClub welcomes the NQF. “For the first time, a set of rules and regulations is in place to cover all OSHC services nationally. Each OSHC site is assessed as part of this process and then given an overall

rating, based on the quality of the service provided.” Scott sees this assessment process as an important and valuable part of the OSHC industry. “Twenty-eight OSHClub programs nationally have so far been assessed by ACECQA. Seventy-one per cent of these are meeting and/or exceeding the new quality standards. We are delighted with these results which are notably the highest in the OSHC industry. OSHClub has worked closely with ACECQA to develop the NQF assessment process and we have developed our Policies and Procedures to ensure they are in line with the new regulations and guidelines. “The need for Before and After School Care is ever more apparent,” he continued. “Over the last 12 months, the utilisation of our established programs has increased significantly. We have also experienced

I love OSHClub Australia’s highest quality Before & After School Care programs What makes a really Top Quality Before and After School Care Program? HAPPY CHILDREN

HAPPY PRINCIPALS

HAPPY PARENTS

> Fun activities > Friendly staff > Lots of friends to play with

> No work for the school > Flexibility to meet the school’s values and needs > Potential financial return

> Happy, safe children > Peace of mind > Great value for money

Call Philippa now on 51

0478 199 335

to find out what makes everyone happy. education matters primary

marked growth in the number of new services we now provide onsite at schools nationally as more school leaders understand the need for OSHC in their community.” Scott says a quality OSHC Program is a vital component of a school’s service. “Ensuring a program is compliant under the NQF can take up a significant portion of a school leader’s time – time which could and should be directed to the school’s core business. However this is OSHClub’s core business – which is why many more schools are approaching OSHClub, asking us to take over the running of their current program.” Find out more about how an OSHClub After School Care program will benefit your school by calling Philippa Younger on 0478 199 335.

Before and After School Care

The Emotional Economy MANAGING DIRECTOR OF EXTEND, DARREN STEVENSON SHARES SOME WISDOM ON THE TRANSACTIONAL NATURE OF RELATIONSHIPS

Every interaction has an emotional undertone. Our reactions to others, and theirs to us, have a far-reaching impact on the future success of any relationship. Like the exchange of any currency of value we exchange emotions with other people through even the most fleeting interactions. This exchange of emotions is known as the Emotional Economy. When you arrive at work in a bad mood, you’re able to pass on some of that gloom to those around you in the same way as you can pass around happiness when you’re in a good mood. The emotional economy exists in all age groups and in all relationships. When children arrive at school unhappy, they too can pass

on their gloom to their peers and even their teachers. Even one or two negative interactions in a day can make someone decide they’ve had a bad day. That’s why it’s important to help children and adults alike understand their contribution to the emotional economy. Starting this conversation with children when they’re very young will help them become aware of their impact on others from a very early age so it becomes second nature as they move towards adulthood. The emotional economy has one critical difference to a currency exchange and that is perceptible choice. We make conscious choices as to whether to give or receive money in exchange for goods or services. We are far less

aware of our choices in giving and receiving emotions. And the younger you are the less aware you are of your impact on others. Although children are often less aware of their power to choose what they give or receive emotionally, the power does exist within each of them. John Gottman’s magic ratio says in loving relationships you need five positive interactions to counteract one negative interaction. Another way to look at this is one good deed doesn’t erase one bad deed. It takes five good deeds! And that’s in loving relationships! It’s been suggested that it can take up to 17 good deeds to counteract one bad deed when two people are less familiar or friendly with each other. So people young and old can benefit from knowing just how destructive negative interactions can be to relationships even if they’re infrequent. We have a challenge for you and the children in your care. Spend one entire day, from the moment you wake until the moment you go to sleep, sharing only positive emotion with every single person you encounter during that day. That includes family, friends, work colleagues/teachers, acquaintances and strangers. Use all available means you have to provide a positive experience to everyone with whom you interact. It can be as simple as making eye contact and smiling. It can be more involved such as expressing generosity, empathy, or actually being helpful. At the end of the day, as you drift off to sleep, think about how you feel. Ask yourself, was today a good day or a bad day? I think I already know the answer. Extend is a leading provider of high quality Outside School Hours Care services within primary schools throughout Australia. Visit extend.com.au to read more useful articles for school leaders.

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Health & Wellbeing

Top 5 experiences: New Zealand THERE IS NO BETTER PLACE TO VISIT THAN NEW ZEALAND, WHICH IS A MIX OF STUNNING NATURE AND THRILLING ADVENTURE.

Australians make up almost half of all visitors to New Zealand and the below tips will help you ensure you get the most out of your holiday break. 1. CITIES TO VISIT New Zealanders love town nicknames, and all of our top picks have alter-egos that describe their unique atmosphere and culture. Auckland - The ‘City of Sails’ The largest city in New Zealand, built around 2 harbours. It has the nick name due to the popularity of sailing in the region. Rotorua - The ‘Sulphur City’ Thermal activity is a highlight but the hydrogen sulphide emissions from the hot pools have given this city its nickname. Wellington - The ‘Windy City’ The capital city of New Zealand. Its proximity to the mouth of the narrow Cook Strait leads to strong winds in this city. Christchurch - The ‘Garden City’ Known for its expansive parks and public gardens making this city a relaxing stop on the East coast of the South Island. Queenstown - The ‘Global Adventure Capital’ The home of adventure and with everything from bungee jumping to skiing. Dunedin - The ‘Edinburgh of the South’ A city on the South Island, settled by the Scots and aimed at emulating the romantic characters of Edinburgh. 2. FOOD TO EAT Whitebait - A seasonally available fish patty made from immature, translucent native freshwater fish which migrate from spawning in the sea each year. A whitebait fritter is served without gutting or de-heading. Roast Kumara - New Zealand name for sweet potatoes. Hangi - A traditional Maori feast cooked in

heated pit. Meat and vegetables are slowly steam cooked in a covered pit in the ground. L&P - Or Lemon and Paeroa is a sweet carbonated lemonade style drink which is ‘world famous in New Zealand’. Pavlova - You will most likely know about this one due to the rivalry between Australia and New Zealand on where the Pavlova was invented. 3. VISIT A VOLCANO New Zealand is home to many dormant and active volcanoes including that of White Island. White Island is a volcanic island just off the coast of the North Island of New Zealand and is still active. The island is a different world, with its smoke plume, yellow sulphur stones and green Crater Lake to absorb. Most of the volcano lies under sea level which means you can step right on to the top of the volcano. Have you ever been able to say you stood on an active volcano? 4. STEP INTO MIDDLE EARTH Ever wanted to visit a beautiful magical place filled with wizards, elves and dwarves? New Zealand is home to ‘Middle-earth’ with over 150 locations across the country being used to film The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies.

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Some of the main places from the film are also stunningly beautiful and include glow worm caves, active geysers, mountains, rivers of bluegreen, fjords, river valleys and scenic waterfalls. 5. ADVENTURE INVENTIONS If you are someone who loves a thrill, there is no better place to get involved in the action than in the country that invented it! Zorbing - Invented in Rotorua, Zorbing is essentially stuffing yourself into a plastic ball and rolling down a hill. You can do it wet, dry, on your own or with your friends. Bungee Jump - Visit the first bungee jump at its original location at Kawarau Bridge bungy at the Kawarau Gorge Suspension Bridge near Queenstown. Jet Boating - The jet boat can take you places no other boat can. It is fast, exciting and takes you to beautiful locations. This content was compiled by AGA Assistance Australia Pty Ltd ABN 52 097 227 177 trading as Allianz Global Assistance (AGA). While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of all information, AGA does not accept liability for any errors or omissions. Photography Credits: Niradj and ChameleonsEye, Shutterstock.com

Physical Education

Perceived risk and unstructured learning: Education in the great outdoors MANY SCHOOLS HAVE UNDERGONE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN THE WAY THEY OFFER OUTDOOR EDUCATION, BUT THAT DOESN’T ALTER HOW CRITICALLY IMPORTANT IT IS FOR LEARNING AND HEALTH OUTCOMES IN YOUNG PEOPLE.

Children need space to grow. It’s a fundamental concept that continues to come under threat in the contemporary world of population density, helicopter parenting and social sensibilities regarding risk and responsibility. No educator wants to deny their students’ need to explore the world around them, but there remain real issues regarding how best to allow this without putting the school or the teacher in a more vulnerable position. Yet the benefits of facilitating unstructured, experiential learning experiences remain undeniable. In April this year, researchers from eight different countries and a variety of academic backgrounds met in Denmark to reach an evidence-based consensus on the benefits of physical activity for children and young people between the ages of six and 18. They produced an expansive statement that notes the evidence for the positive benefit of exercise in the regions of: fitness and health; intellectual performance; engagement, motivation and wellbeing; and social inclusion. At a similar time, research from Australian optometrists demonstrated that outdoor light plays an important role in reducing the chances of myopia, or short-sightedness, in children. Their findings show that children need at least two hours of natural light each day for optimal eye development. Even the benefits of spending time in nature are becoming starker. Japanese researchers conducted

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of key reasons. Firstly, it’s completely meaningful. That means this form of learning is underpinned by real experiences that students take with them in life. That’s something of a departure from the more abstract learning that occurs in the classroom, which often takes the form of watching, reading and writing. An actual experience may be successful or unsuccessful, but they’re always meaningful. That’s because adventure and challenge is important to humans. What the specifics of that adventure or challenge is can vary greatly; it could be something as simple as spending time in a different context with classmates they wouldn’t normally spend time with. If you can push the students to the point where they start to feel unsure of themselves, then you can give them the space to making meaningful achievements. We also like to use the term memorable. I sometimes find myself discussing school camps and those kind of experiences with adults. The fact that they may not recall the specifics of what they’d been learning in class, but they did recall what they did on

a study where they observed the physiological impacts of people who spent 15 minutes walking in nature daily, versus those wandering around city streets. Their results found that even a brief walk amongst greenery resulted in a significant decrease of the stress-related hormone cortisol, a two per cent decrease in blood pressure, as well as a four per cent drop in heart rate. In a bid to discover more about how modern schools are offering outdoor opportunities to their students, Education Matters’ Editor, Campbell Phillips, recently spent time chatting with Richard Thornton, Chief Executive for The Outdoor Education Group. Campbell Phillips: Richard, what’s all the fuss about Outdoor Education as far as you’re concerned? Richard Thornton: Well, I may be biased as it’s been my life for the past 25 years, but we believe primarily in experiential learning – that you can learn from doing things. I believe that’s important for a number

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Physical Education

these camps is very telling. The phrase is a little out of fashion, perhaps, but experiential learning can be described as ‘character building’. When I started working in this field in 1990 the term was used quite often. It’s a term that describes what parents want for their children above all else, that they can find their place within life and learn about themselves, their strengths and recognise the areas they can improve upon. I recently met a person who had joined one of our programs some years ago. She was candid in telling me that the experience hadn’t been her cup of tea, but that she’d never forgotten it, either. Every time she needed to overcome adversity, she was able to recall her experiences with us and realise she could do whatever was needed to be done. CP: There seems to be something of a resurgence in the population of Outdoor Education in the past five or so years. Why is that? RT: People realise that this mode of teaching replaces something that has been lost from modern society over

the past 50-plus years. It’s also about learning some of the skills we are continuing to learn as a culture and it therefore gives kids a level of self-reliance that will set them apart from their peers who never have the opportunity to have these kind of experiences. Education is so often about achievement via tests and exams. I see Outdoor Education as an avenue for providing young people with the tools they need to find work in the real world. Skills like teamwork and leadership ability. At some point I feel parents and schools started making the mistake of spoon feeding kids to ensure they reach a certain level, to make a certain grade. Now there’s a revitalisation of the concept that people need to learn how best to help themselves in life. CP: How are schools currently managing to offer Outdoor Education? RT: Some still manage their own Outdoor Education programs, but in some cases there’s an argument to be made for the cost efficiencies and additional value offered by an experienced third party provider. Mostly

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this is because organisations dedicated to providing these experiences tend to be better equipped to offer them. They can also offer a broader range of experiences as a result, as well as enhanced flexibility should plans have to change at the last minute. One common reason why we see schools choose not to provide their own programs is simple: risk. By comparison, we have a whole department that just looks at risk management and we’re leading the world in managing risk in perceived high-risk environments. Part of the secret to effective outdoor education is presenting perceived risk and then managing it in such a way that no real risk becomes evident. For school principals, risk and compliance are a significant part of their daily life, so being able to outsource a component that results in a minimal level of risk makes things that much simpler. There are excellent Outdoor Education programs being delivered from within schools, and some will adopt a hybrid model where a third party like ourselves works in partnership with the school to deliver a specific part of their program. Sometimes

we’ll have staff embedded within the school, sometimes they only want us to assist when out in the field. I think that any of those models are fine so long as they do have an Outdoor Education program at all age levels. CP: Perceived risk is an interesting concept, but one that must be difficult to sell to some educators as well as parents. How do you overcome those concerns? RT: There’s been some great research recently emerging on this very area from a partnership between the outdoor sector and the University of the Sunshine Coast and Federation University. For example, after a twelve month study of incident data, Outdoor Education has been shown to be safer than playing common sports like cricket, netball and rugby. As with anything, there will always be an element of risk, however studies like the one mentioned above demonstrate that the risks involved in Outdoor Education are very low when compared to, for example, sports played on the school oval. For Outdoor Education to be successful it needs to be challenging, and part of that challenge is the perception of risk. Take a high ropes course as an example; you can climb and experience the perceived risk of falling, but in reality there’s a safety rope, an instructor and a system designed to secure the climber. This analogy holds pretty much across the board, with any of our offerings from K-12. There’s always a safety rope to prevent an incident occurring, yet the student still perceives enough risk for the program to be worthwhile – so they can feel like they’ve made a real achievement.

location an hour or two away. For younger year levels, generally we would start with outdoor activities that can be set up at their school, allowing students to begin exploring and creating in shorter interactions. School camps can then be offered from Grade 3 onwards, generally increasing in length with each year, but with less of

a journeying element than what might be included in secondary school. In particular, the Grade 5 experience is really critical to start getting out and working with other people in order to achieve a variety of goals. This is the first instance where we would introduce leadership activities and the first real challenges that become very meaningful in later years.

CP: What does the ideal Outdoor Education program look like? RT: The ideal Outdoor Education program is one that’s regular and sequential. It should eventually lead up to at least one major experience each year, culminating in something very significant in secondary school. Of course, not every school has the funds or facilities available for this, but there are often ways of offering an experience at a cut-rate. For example, your typical day excursion could range from something costeffective, like navigation exercises within a short train ride from the school, to the same exercises performed after catching a bus to a wilderness References: Bangsbo, J., et al. (2016). The Copenhagen Consensus Conference 2016: children, youth, and physical activity in schools and during leisure time. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2016; 0:1–2. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2016-096325 Read, S. A., Collins, M. J., Vincent, S. J., (2015). Light Exposure and Eye Growth in Childhood. Clinical and Epidemiologic Research, 56, 6779-6787. doi:10.1167/iovs.14-15978 Park, J. P., Tsunetsugu, Y., Kasetani, T., Kagawa, T. & Miyazaki, Y. (2010). The physiological effects of Shinrin-yoku (taking in the forest atmosphere or forest bathing): evidence from field experiments in 24 forests across Japan. Environmental Health and Preventative Medecine, 15(1): 18–26. doi: 10.1007/s12199-009-0086-9

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Physical Education

Sporting Schools: Resources for teachers SPORTING SCHOOLS WANTS OUR NEXT GENERATION PLAYING MORE SPORT. TO DO THIS WE NEED TO ACT NOW TO ENSURE OUR CHILDREN BUILD SPORT INTO THEIR DAILY LIVES. BASED ON THE PLAYING FOR LIFE PHILOSOPHY, SPORTING SCHOOLS PROVIDES SAFE, FUN AND ENGAGING ACTIVITIES FOR ALL CHILDREN, REGARDLESS OF THEIR ABILITY.

WHAT IS PLAYING FOR LIFE? The Australian Sports Commission’s (ASC’s) Playing for Life philosophy is about encouraging children to have fun and get active by focusing on skills, rather than drills. Playing for Life complements the Australian Government’s $100 million Sporting Schools program which is all about giving children positive experiences with sport to develop a lifelong interest in sport.

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Aligned to the Australian HPE Curriculum, the online resources help teachers plan engaging games and activities within a safe, inclusive and challenging environment and can be used for: • Health and Physical Education lessons • Short physical activities and classroom energisers • Lunchtime/break activities PLAYING FOR LIFE ONLINE RESOURCES With more than 140 Playing for Life activity cards available, this free online resource is designed for teachers to use every day with a focus on having fun, having a go and getting active. The Playing for Life cards are designed to help teachers better plan, organise and deliver each lesson and use games to introduce the skills and tactics of a particular sport or structured physical activity. Each card provides a clear learning intention, identifies the skills and curriculum content to be taught, and provides strategies to differentiate learning according to students’ needs. The cards also provide tips on effective coaching techniques and strategies to promote positive classroom management. Each activity card provides information on: • Bands of learning (F-2, 3-4, 5-6)

• Content descriptions • Skill focus (Fundamental Movement Skills) • Activity focus • Learning intention • Equipment required • What to do • Tips to adjust the game (to make it easier or harder) • Tips for safety The activity cards can be filtered online according to Activity Focus, Bands of Learning, Content Descriptions, Game Category, or Skill Focus to find a game that meets student needs.

• Resources aligned to the Australian HPE curriculum to support teaching outcomes • Professional, peer reviewed literature on the benefits of physical activity and sport • APST mapped professional learning opportunities • ASC services, including school camps and AIS experiences To access the website and learn more, visit sportingschools.gov.au/teachers. THE SPORTING SCHOOLS PROGRAM Sporting Schools is a $100 million Australian

For more information on Playing for Life and to access the resources, please visit sportingschools.gov.au/P4L. NEW WEBSITE RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS As part of the Sporting Schools program, the ASC has a focus on building stronger connections between the school and sport systems. To support these connections, the ASC is looking at ways to develop greater alignment with the needs of the education sector. Through looking at what professional development opportunities currently exist for teachers, the ASC has worked to redevelop an online learning portal that engages teachers as learners and connect them with the knowledge and resources to effectively deliver sports based activities in the school setting. This resource will act as a conduit to connect teachers with the ASC’s online learning resources including:

Government initiative and the nation’s largest sportbased participation program with more than 5,000 schools already registered! The Sporting Schools program is a key part of the ASC’s Play.Sport.Australia. strategy and is designed to get more children playing more sport. In partnership with more than 30 national sporting organisations (NSOs), Sporting Schools has resources to help sporting clubs, coaches and teachers to deliver sport before, during, and after school hours. The range of sports being delivered through this nationally accredited program is giving children an excellent choice of sports that they can do at the community level as well, from rugby league, tennis and golf through to water polo, orienteering and table tennis. Through Sporting Schools, children are getting out, moving and playing with their friends, improving their fundamental movement skills and developing skills for life, including resilience, respect and teamwork. By bringing sports, schools, and community organisations together, Sporting Schools aims to increase participation in sport during school years, and to help connect students with local sporting clubs in their community. Sporting Schools proves that a community that works together; plays together! Registration is free for all schools, the programs are tailored to the education environment, and all sessions are delivered by NSO-endorsed coaches. To register and learn more about the Sporting Schools program, visit the website sportingschools.gov.au.

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Camps & Excursions

Melbourne Discovery Melbourne Discovery Group knows school accommodation. Planning a camp can be stressful but we make it easy. If you want a stress free, easy and educational camp that, most importantly, is full of fun? Then Melbourne Discovery Groups should be your number one choice. We are the premier provider of school group accommodation in Melbourne. Ideally located in the heart of the city and right on the doorstep of everything the city has to offer. Take advantage of the free tram zone to get to all of Melbourne’s major attractions or make your way by foot through Melbourne’s famous laneways. School camps are what we do with free itinerary planning, on-site catering and numerous facilities such as a conference room and cinema. Our expert groups consultants will help you every step of the way and make sure your school camp goes off without a hitch and that you get to see the most that Melbourne has to offer. Melbourne Discovery Groups has you covered. For further information go to: www.melbournediscoverygroups.com or call +61 3 9329 4012

Skills for life Lifelong learning skills and capabilities in line with the Northern Territory Curriculum can be gained at Basecamp Wallaroo, which recognises these foundations as essential for preparing students for life. Discover naturally occurring situations for teaching, learning and substantial evidence gathering, delivered in an integrated, challenging and fun context. Basecamp Wallaroo’s programs are designed to meet the specific needs of every individual class or school, combining camp and schoolbased activities to achieve your specified outcomes. Exciting and challenging activities range from bushwalking and orienteering through to abseiling and rock climbing. Students will gain a greater appreciation for nature and the outdoors while spotting wildlife or simply telling stories by the campfire. Nesteled within Australia’s ‘last frontier’ – the rugged landscape of the Northern Territory – with all of it’s amazing flora and fauna, fresh air and tropical weather, Basecamp Wallaroo offers the best of physical and mental stimulation, as well as team building fun, to ensure you and your students have a memorable and enlightening experience. Even better, unstructured and nature-based learning is great for health and wellbeing, as well as individual self-esteem, making any experience at Basecamp Wallaroo unforgettable.

One of our biggest challenges as adults is giving children the skills to cope with life itself. Basecamp Wallaroo provides an opportunity for teachers and children to explore, learn, grow and develop strong team building skills in an idyllic, fun and safe environment.

Are you prepared to take the journey... www.basecampwallaroo.com Darwin office 08 8942 2872 Mobile 0409 950 444 PO Box 2470 Darwin NT 0801

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DARWIN KAKADU

ARNHEM LAND

KATHERINE

TENNANT

CREEK

ALICE

ULURU

SPRINGS

Come on an adventure to the Northern Territory

to discover, understand and learn new skills that will stay with you and your students for a lifetime. Students will have an extraordinary chance to connect with the real Australian landscape, the people and the culture of the NT. This experience is second to none and will leave your students with a deeper understanding of the importance of sustaining our history, environment and culture for their future.

AUSTOUR OUTBACK EXPERIENCE

From

10 Days and 9 Nights

Aboriginal guided touring components Kakadu National Park Nitmiluk National Park Katherine Gorge Cruise The Devils Marbles Alice Springs sightseeing Kings Canyon Rim walk Cave Hill sacred art site and Indigenous immersion experience • Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park

$1499 per student

Highlights: • • • • • • • •

Includes:

• Experienced and accredited driver/guide • Tour Manager responsible for tour operations and catering • Comfortable tents (sleeps 2) with vinyl floor and mattresses • Meals as per itinerary • Entry fees and touring as per itinerary

*Ground content only. Price is subject to availability. For full itinerary and terms and conditions please go to www.austour.com. au or contact 1800 335 009.

SAVE & LEARN IN THE NT

Grants from $1000 per trip available to all interstate schools visiting the NT. Simply apply online to save and learn! See our website for more information www.ntlearningadventures.com

Valid from 1 July 2016 to 30 June 2017. Visit the website for full terms and conditions.

Sustainability

Outdoor learning – tree-rific poems COOL AUSTRALIA IS A LEADING DIGITAL NOT-FOR-PROFIT EDUCATION PROVIDER. WE SUPPORT OVER 47,000 AUSSIE TEACHERS WITH PROGRAMS THAT INTEGRATE TOPICS SUCH AS SUSTAINABILITY, ETHICS, ABORIGINAL HISTORIES AND CULTURES, HUMAN RIGHTS, ECONOMICS, HEALTH AND WELLBEING ACROSS ALL SUBJECT AREAS ALIGNED TO THE AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM. CHECK OUT OUR FREE-TO-ACCESS UNITS, LESSONS AND DIGITAL LIBRARIES. SKILL UP AND EMPOWER YOURSELF WITH ONLINE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COURSES. CELEBRATE A YEAR OF ACTION WITH ENVIROWEEK IN TERM 3.

Nature and poetry go hand-in-hand. Many famous poets were inspired by nature, including William Blake, Oscar Wilde, Geoffrey Chaucer and John Keats. Poetry encourages the use of creative expression and descriptive language. This activity teaches students about using adjectives to help their reader imagine the scene being painted by poetry. This activity also allows for students to reap the benefits of being outdoors while learning the outcomes of the Australian Curriculum. Time required: 60 minutes Learning goal: Students understand the value and importance of trees to humans and our environment. They recognise how they can use their senses to experience trees, and understand how to convey these experiences into poetry. They recognise how poetry can convince people about the importance of trees. Essential questions: Why are trees important? Why is it important to receive feedback about artworks? How can you give feedback to others in a truthful but kind manner? How can you use feedback to improve the quality of your artworks? What are the mental, physical and academic benefits of completing classroom activities outside? Curriculum links: Year 5 & 6 English

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General capabilities: Literacy, Critical and Creative Thinking. Cross-curriculum priority: Sustainability OI.2. Resources required: Seven large pieces of cardboard, each labelled with one of the following: Sight, Sound, Touch, Taste, Smell, Thinking, Feeling/Emotion. Seven whiteboard markers or thick textas. The book Planting the Trees of Kenya: The Story of Wangari Maathai by Claire A. Nivola. Student Worksheet (paper or online copies), free-toaccess from Cool Australia’s website. Digital technology opportunities: QR codes, digital sharing capabilities Lesson Sequence: Part A. Story and Rake thinking routine - 25 minutes Part B. Poetry Writing, Editing and Sharing - 25 minutes Part C. Reflection - 10 minutes PART A. STORY AND RAKE THINKING ROUTINE Step 1. If you aren’t already outside, take your class to your outdoor learning space. Review outdoor learning rules and the benefits of outdoor learning with students, including potential hazards and actions to take in the event of hazards. Step 2. As a class, read Planting the Trees of Kenya:

The Story of Wangari Maathai by Claire A. Nivola. Step 3. To help consolidate student thinking, engage students in a class discussion using the following questions: What’s the most important reason we have trees? Why is this the most important reason? Step 4. Invite students to participate in the Rake thinking routine on the Student Worksheet. This requires students to use their senses to observe the nature around them. In this activity students are asked to observe how they experience trees by answering the following questions: What do trees feel like? What do trees smell like? What might trees taste like? (WARNING - some trees are toxic so don’t actually try tasting them!) What do you see when you look at trees? What do trees sound like? How does being around trees make you feel? What does being around trees make you think about? Hot tip: While students are completing the Rake thinking routine, prepare for the next activity by spreading out the seven pieces of paper or cardboard labelled with one of the following (Sight, Sound, Taste, Touch, Smell, Thinking, Feeling/Emotion) with markers/ textas in the learning space to form a large circle. Step 5. Working in seven groups, invite students to share some of their responses to the questions above, adding ideas to the relevant seven cards spread around the learning space. Encourage students to be creative in thinking about what words can be added to the cards. Give groups 2-3 minutes at each card. As students rotate through the activity, you could reduce the amount of time they spend at each card, as it may become increasingly difficult to think of new ideas. Monitor student attention and behaviour, and shorten the time at each sense, if necessary.

PART B. POETRY WRITING, EDITING AND SHARING Step 1. Reconvene the class and explain that they will use the words on these seven cards to write a poem about trees, and that they will get to decide how to use the poems to help other people realise the importance and value of trees. Before beginning, engage students in a discussion around the words and phrases written on the card to ensure students are familiar with them, how they are used and how they apply to the topic. Step 2. Revise the concept of adjectives and encourage students to use them in their poem. For revision, you could teach the rap below: WORD RAP A noun is a person, place or thing, Like boy or house or playground swing. An adjective describes nouns well, A smile, blue sky or beautiful shell. A verb is an action or being kind of thing, Eat, run, were, be, shout and sing! Step 3. As a class, create some examples based on student ideas. For example: ‘branch’ - strong branch; ‘wind’ - fierce wind, etc. Lead students to the question: What effect do adjectives have on the reader? (Example answer: To help the reader create an image in their mind).

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Step 4. Explain that students will write their own poem, using one short descriptive sentence for each of the five senses. Step 5. Place the pieces of cardboard back into the large circle formation so that students can use the brainstormed ideas to write their poems. Ask students to sit at the pieces of cardboard again. Explain that the lines of the poem don’t have to be written in order. Encourage students to move to the different senses in their own time. Emphasise that their poems need to reinforce the importance of trees. Students can write their poems in the spaces provided on the Student Worksheet. Step 6. At the end of the writing time, ask students to whisper their poems aloud to check their sentence structure and the meaning of each sentence. Students then form pairs and read their poems to each other. Give students an opportunity to share their poem with the whole class.

For more information and download the full activity: www.coolaustralia.org/activity/outdoorlearning-tree-rific-poems-years-5-6/ Cool Australia would like to thank The Youngman Trust – managed by Equity Trustees.

Transport

Premium transport for the First XI THE NEW MASTER 12-SEATER BUS IS THE IDEAL SMALL GROUP TRANSPORTER FOR ANY SCHOOL WITH AN EYE ON STYLE, COMFORT AND REDUCED RUNNING COSTS.

Buying a new Renault Master 12-seater Bus is a good way for school administrators and principals to encourage teachers to volunteer to escort pupils to off-site engagements. The Renault Master Bus is based on the highly successful van of the same name and is very easy and comfortable to drive. It’s very safe too, with the engine up front, not between the seats, meaning there’s a larger, safer crumple zone in front of the occupants. And with dual airbags, a driver head and chest airbag, ABS and traction control, ESP and Grip-Xtend as well as a myriad of clever electronic aids, both passive and active safety systems give their all in the protection of those on board. Renault Australia has specified the Bus with 12 seats so that there is plenty of legroom and shoulder room for growing kids, while behind the back row of four individual buckets seats there is a huge space for school bags or sports kit, or both. The uncompromising luggage space means teachers don’t necessarily need to tow a trailer when taking the bus away on a camping weekend, making life easier for all concerned. Plus a roof rack can carry up to 200 kilograms (including the rack). An optional cargo barrier will be available complete with two metal shelves to allow the floor-to-ceiling space to be safely, yet fully loaded. Because the barrier sits behind the rear seats, a glazed panel in the roof provides the required third emergency exit and allows in plenty of light. All emergency exits are equipped with a hammer to break the glass in case of the need to evacuate in a rush. Renault has priced the Master Bus from $59,990 (Manufacturer’s List Price, but less for ABN holders), making it exceptionally affordable. Renault running costs are reduced with up to 30,000 kilometres between scheduled servicing or once per year (unlike some that demand a day at the dealership after just 10,000 kilometres) and the first three scheduled services costs only $349 each. Renault protects its LCVs with a 3-year/200,000-kilometre-factory warranty, and this can be extended to five years, which is very

handy for schools that don’t clock up big km on a regular basis. Of course there are lap/sash seat belts for every seat as well as ISOFIX connections and tether strap hooks on two seats, just in case smaller tots are carried. The air conditioning system has been designed to cope with Australian conditions, which means it can cool the cabin down very quickly even if the bus has been left in the sun for a while at a cricket or netball game. That means the engine doesn’t need to be left idling to run the A/C all the time, reducing fuel consumption and emissions. Getting in and out is easy, too, with a powered step emerging from under the side sliding door aperture even for models with the manually activated door. An optional electrically powered side sliding door is controlled by the driver. Should the driver attempt to drive off with the side door open an alarm sounds and the door

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automatically begins to close. Teachers will love driving the Renault Master Bus because it is very quiet, with barely any engine noise reaching the cabin. The smooth automated gearbox makes very slick changes and the elevated driving position gives a commanding view over the road. Despite being 6.2 metres long and almost 2.5 metres high and over two metres wide, the Master Bus doesn’t feel huge on the road, or even when parking, thanks to a standard reversing camera. Smooth sides and flush glazing also help to reduce wind noise from reaching the cabin, making the Bus exceptionally pleasant on longer journeys, even on the freeway at cruising speeds. The 2.3-litre single turbo diesel engine is also very light on fuel with around 10 or 11.0-litres per 100-kilometre consumption easily achievable, depending on load, topography and headwinds. With a 100-litre thank, that means a theoretical range of more than 1,000 kilometres per fill, helping to further drive down the cost of transporting the First XI. “We have designed the Master Bus to meet the needs and exceed the expectations of school users in Australia,” says Lyndon Healey, Model Line Manager for Renault LCV. “We have a bus that is easy to drive, efficient to run and affordable to service. “It is comfortable to drive and to sit in as a passenger, and it is exceptionally spacious down the back, with particularly generous luggage space especially compared with typical rival vehicles. “For schools looking for a smart, spacious and affordable solution to moving small groups of pupils or teachers around, the Master Bus fulfils their requirements perfectly,” he says. “And if the 12-seat configuration doesn’t work for you, talk to us to see how we can devise a version to meet your exact needs. After all in Europe there are more than 380 different variants on the Master van theme, so there will be a solution that’s right for you,” Lyndon says. Find out more about the new Renault Master 12-seater Bus at renault.com.au

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