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ER 2019
EPTEMB
JULY - S
INSPIRING LEADERSHIP Principally Speaking: Canterbury College Principal mental health Emerging classroom technologies
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EDITOR’S NOTE
The recent EduTECH event in Sydney, held in early June, was an opportunity for the entire education sector to come together and discover some of the latest developments and innovations in the education and technology space. Emerging classroom technologies such as robotics, drones, virtual reality and mixed reality were all on show, giving educators the opportunity to test out products and learn more about how they can be used and adapted to boost classroom learning and engagement.
Publisher: Christine Clancy christine.clancy@primecreative.com.au
Many of these technologies are also highlighted in this edition of Education Matters. Environmental scientist and sought after drone specialist, Dr Catherine Ball, discusses the enormous potential of this technology for the classroom, across a wide variety of subjects (see page 36). Technology company Acer reveals how esports and gamification are being used at school to drive student motivation and engagement (see page 42); and explains how its recent partnership with the University of Technology Sydney uses artificial intelligence and data science to enhance learning (see page 34). Also, CEO of the Girl Geek Academy, Sarah Moran, sheds light on how algorithmic systems and design thinking can help boost students’ passion for STEM (see page 40). Mental health and wellbeing of principals and students is another key topic of this latest magazine instalment. The release of the 2018 results of the Australian Principal Occupational Health, Safety and Wellbeing Survey earlier this year revealed that almost one in three of the principals surveyed experienced dangerously high levels of stress. In recent years, violence and aggression towards school principals has also been on the rise. With the current focus on this issue, along with the introduction of a range of initiatives and resources created to support school principals’ wellbeing, we explore principal mental health, talking to educational leadership expert Professor John Fischetti; National Excellence in School Leadership General Manager Paul Mears; and Beyond Blue; about this important matter (see page 20). The health of our students is also explored. Generation Next reveals how its annual Mental Health and Wellbeing of Young People seminars are working to help educators boost the mental health of their students (see page 24); and School Education Program Director at the Grattan Institute, Peter Goss, highlights the direct effects poor mental health can have on student learning (see page 32). In addition, Willplay unveils a range of outdoor equipment designed to engage secondary students and encourage physical activity (see page 54) and PGL Adventure Camps talks about how school camps can help students to foster new friendships (see page 55). It’s an honour to join you for this edition of Education Matters – Secondary. If you have any feedback or suggestions, please feel free to email me at danielle.gullaci@primecreative.com.au. You can also sign up to our fortnightly email newsletter, The Whiteboard, by visiting our all-new website educationmattersmag.com.au.
Chief Operating Officer: Zelda Tupicoff zelda.tupicoff@primecreative.com.au Managing Editor: Toli Papadopoulos toli.papadopoulos@primecreative.com.au Editor: Danielle Gullaci danielle.gullaci@primecreative.com.au Design Production Manager: Michelle Weston Art Director: Blake Storey Designers: Kerry Pert, Madeline McCarty General Manager (Sydney): Terry Wogan terry.wogan@primecreative.com.au Advertising: Andrew Morrison andrew.morrison@primecreative.com.au 0411 755 432 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 Canterbury College
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Copyright Education Matters is owned by Prime Creative Media Pty. Ltd. and published by John Murphy. All material in Education Matters is copyright and no part may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means (graphic, electronic, or mechanical including information retrieval systems) without the written permission of the publisher. The Editor welcomes contributions but reserves the right to accept or reject any material. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information, Prime Creative Media will not accept responsibility for errors or omissions or for any consequenses arising from information published. The opinions of the magazine are not necessarily the opinions of, or endorsed by the publisher unless otherwise stated. All photographs of schools (including students) depicted in feature articles and advertisements throughout this magazine have been supplied to the publisher (and approved) by the contributing school. All material supplied by schools is done so with the understanding that such images will be published in Education Matters and may also appear on the our website: www.edumatters.com.au.
Education Matters
education matters secondary
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contents
SECONDARY July - September 2019
REGULARS Editor’s note 3
Advertiser’s directory
6
FEATURES 28 Reducing school exclusion
Student behaviour and wellbeing expert, Sheryl Hemphill, investigates the use of school suspension and expulsion, and the effectiveness of alternative school-based interventions.
News 8 A snapshot of some of the latest news and 32 Student mental health and wellbeing matters developments in the education sector.
ASPA column
14
In this edition’s Australian Secondary Principals’ Association column, President Andrew Pierpoint is joined by Monash University Lecturer, Dr Amanda Heffernan, to discuss their current research on school leader autonomy.
Principally Speaking
16
Daniel Walker, Principal and CEO at Canterbury College, talks about how the school’s emphasis on wellbeing and modern technology is preparing students for the future.
Hot Topic
20
In light of recent research that highlights the worrying trends in regard to principal mental health, Education Matters speaks to a series of experts on the topic and investigates some of the resources that are providing support.
The Last Word
58
Minister for Education, Dan Tehan; Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority CEO, David de Carvalho; eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant; and Executive Officer of Catholic Secondary Principals Australia, Phil Lewis; offer opinion pieces on a variety of topical subjects.
4
Events Diary
How does poor student mental health impact on classroom learning? School Education Program Director at the Grattan Institute, Peter Goss, examines some of the research.
36 What’s the buzz?
Environmental scientist and drone expert, Dr Catherine Ball, discusses the potential for drones in the classroom, including practical ways of incorporating them into lessons.
40 Hackers, hustlers and hipsters
According to Sarah Moran, CEO of the Girl Geek Academy, teaching algorithmic systems and design thinking can be used to enhance student engagement in technology.
44 One size doesn’t fit all
Dr Michael Phillips of Monash University explains why one size doesn’t fit all when it comes to classroom technology.
46 A vision of ‘slow’ education
In today’s modern world, technology is entrenched in nearly everything we do. Associate Professor Miriam Tanti shares an alternative to a fast-paced 21st century life and education.
52 Translating learning theory and practice into spatial design
Learning space expert Peter C. Lippman discusses how to plan a future-focused learning environment for secondary students.
62
A calendar of upcoming education events happening around Australia.
education matters secondary
01
An interactive classroom session with a Road Smart facilitator
Road Smart is a free road safety education and training program for Year 10 students Trained facilitators will come to your school and deliver the program to groups of up to 30 students per session on a day and at a time that best suits you. Following the in-class sessions, you can download ten lesson plans from the Teacher’s Toolkit and continue to deliver the road safety message in class. There is also the opportunity for all students to take part in a free driving lesson with a professional driving instructor – either as a class excursion or taken in their own time with their supervising driver in attendance.
02
eLearning for students and their supervising drivers
03
In-car session with an instructor
Become a Road Smart school Register your interest: roadsmart@roads.vic.gov.au
04
Resource toolkit for teachers
vicroads.vic.gov.au
BUYER’S GUIDE HEALTH & WELLBEING
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
48 Open Universities Australia: Postgraduate
24 Generation Next: Mental health seminars
degrees Online education provider Open Universities Australia explains how a postgraduate degree such as a Master of Education can help educators take the next step in their career.
Not-for-profit organisation Generation Next is running a series of seminars across Australia, bringing together a variety of leading wellbeing experts.
26 Epilepsy Australia: Epilepsy Smart Schools program The Epilepsy Smart Schools program is designed to support students with epilepsy, and train schools and educators in understanding their specific needs.
CURRICULUM
30 Family Planning Victoria: Relationships and
50 VicRoads: Road Smart program
sexuality education Offering a suite of resources for relationships and sexuality education, Family Planning Victoria explains the need for schools to work with parents and the wider community to achieve the best outcomes.
A road safety education and training program called Road Smart is being delivered to Year 10 students across Victoria.
BEYOND THE CLASSROOM
54 Willplay: Playground and fitness equipment
TECHNOLOGY
34 Acer: Learner Attention Analytics Pilot Program The University of Technology Sydney, together with Acer, has launched a new program, which is currently being piloted by 200 of its students.
38 Epson: Projectors When designing its new science building, Henley High School chose to incorporate the Epson EB-2250U projector, with 26 units now installed across the school.
42 Acer: esports With esports and gamification emerging as the next big things to watch, educators are recognising the potential for these technologies to enhance student motivation and engagement.
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education matters secondary
The Urban Warrior range by Willplay promotes greater core strength and encourages physical activity for students of all ages.
55 PGL Adventure Camps: Outdoor camps Warrnambool College’s Year 7 students have been attending PGL’s camps since 2018, helping them to develop new friendships as they begin their next stage of schooling.
56 Excel Lockers: Locker supply and installation Impressed by the quality and durability provided by Excel Lockers, Reddam House School has enlisted its services once again to cater to student growth.
NATIONAL EDUCATION NEWS
Solar car challenge delivers hands-on STEM learning The University of South Australia (UniSA) and Balaklava High School are working together to develop an integrated learning program that will see staff and students build a solar car to compete in the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge.
program of integrated education around the World Solar Challenge. “There is a lot of official talk these days about the need to teach STEM skills in an integrated way, but there is very little practical guidance to how that can be achieved,”
As part of this new partnership, staff and students from UniSA’s schools of Art Architecture & Design, Engineering, and Information Technology & Mathematical Science,
said Mr Thomas. “We believe building a solar car is the perfect way to bring so many disciplines and
will provide design and construction guidance for Balaklava students, with the aim of
ideas together into one project, to give our students a hands-on, and above all, enjoyable
having a car ready for the 2023 event.
learning experience.”
UniSA Associate Professor Peter Pudney has a long association with the World Solar Challenge, and commended the ambition shown by the school.
As a first step, students from Balaklava High have been invited to observe this year’s Bridgestone World Solar Challenge, which will see UniSA compete as part of a team
“The World Solar Challenge is unashamedly difficult, but the journey of getting a car
from the Australian Technology Network of Universities (ATN), a collective including UniSA,
to the starting line, let alone the finishing line, is incredibly rewarding, so we look forward
Queensland University of Technology, University of Technology Sydney, RMIT University,
to being able to help Balaklava High School experience that journey,” Associate Professor
and Curtin University.
Pudney said.
The ATN team, led by Professor Majewski, is competing in the cruiser class category,
“There is certainly a lot to consider with developing one of these cars, but other schools have done it, and Balaklava students will learn an incredible amount from the process.”
which features sedan-like cars designed for practicality as well as efficiency. UniSA academics have project-managed work on the team’s vehicle, in addition to designing the solar collector and energy management system and contributing to the
Associate Professor Pudney will join a team of UniSA academics, led by Professor Peter Majewski, who will collaborate with Balaklava High School’s design and technology co-ordinator, Richard Thomas, and Maths/STEM co-ordinator, David Szular, to develop a
overall design of the car. The 2019 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge kicks off in Darwin on 13 October 2019, and travels through central Australia, before finishing in Adelaide a week later. EM
NESLI appoints global advisory board The National Excellence in Schools Leadership Institute (NESLI) has announced the appointment of an international board of education experts, which will work
contemporary global challenges such as the education of refugees. Speaking of the experts that make up the new board, Professor Gaffney
towards achieving equity of access of educational leadership opportunities for
added, “Their collective experience in research, policy and practice relating
schools and educators in low GDP areas around the globe.
to principalship, school improvement and education system transformation is
Ten experts make up the new NESLI inaugural International Advisory Board. CoChairs Dr Janet Smith and Professor Mike Gaffney are joined by Professor Stephen Heppell (UK), Professor Jan Heystek (South Africa), Mr Antti Ikonen (Finland), Dr
unrivalled. This will enable the board to provide authoritative and contemporary advice to assist in the design and delivery of NESLI programs for school leaders. “NESLI’s priority is providing readily accessible, needs-based, futures-focussed
Bernadine Futrell (USA), Dr George Odhiambo (Australia, Kenya), Professor Gu Qing
professional learning for the next generation of school leaders in ways that are
(UK, China), Professor Jim Spillane (USA, Ireland) and Professor Allan Walker (Hong
customised to local settings. The board will play a key role in advising on the
Kong, Australia).
development of leadership programs that will make a difference, particularly in
“NESLI is proud and delighted to announce the establishment of its new International Advisory Board, which consists of a diverse range of renowned global
addressing the needs and challenges facing educators in low GDP countries. Professor Gaffney said that these are both exciting and critical times in education
educational leadership experts who will provide us with strategic advice about our
on a local and a global scale. “The identification, development and support of school
programs,” said Dr Smith.
leaders is paramount. The International Advisory Board is ideally positioned through
She said the Advisory Board would assist NESLI in exploring important
its professional and academic networks to supporting our work in encouraging
issues including equity and inclusion, gender, principal/teacher wellbeing, and
quality practice and inspiring futures for school leaders across the world.” EM
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education matters secondary
Schools recognised for championing sustainability A number of Victorian schools have been recognised for
• Nossal High School
their efforts in boosting sustainability and adopting greener
• Warrnambool East Primary School
practices at the 2019 ResourceSmart Schools Awards.
• Footscray City College
Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio announced the winners during a ceremony at the MCG on Thursday 13 June and congratulated all of
• St Aloysius Primary School Queenscliff • Kyneton Secondary College “The winners and finalists in this year’s ResourceSmart
the schools involved for ‘contributing to a better place’
School Awards are a great mix of schools that are doing
– the theme for this year’s awards.
their bit to create a better place for future generations,” said
Carrum Primary School was named the 2019 ResourceSmart School of the Year for inspiring other schools
Minister D’Ambrosio. The ResourceSmart Schools Awards is Victoria’s largest
to act on climate change with a curriculum that makes
sustainability awards program, recognising schools leading
sustainability fun for not only the school but also the local
the way in minimising waste, saving energy and water,
community.
increasing biodiversity and tackling climate change.
The school was applauded for its biodiversity promotion,
The ResourceSmart Schools Program teaches students
recycling programs and solar energy initiatives.
about the importance of sustainability and has engaged more
Other schools across Victoria were also recognised for their
than 1400 schools across the state to collectively save over
efforts to inspire sustainability action in their communities,
$25 million through energy, water and waste efficiencies and
reduce the environmental impact of their campuses and
reduce more than 60,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases.
protect the environment. They include:
The Victorian Government will invest $2.8 million in the
• Beaconhills College
program in the Victorian Budget 2019/20 to help schools
• Truganina South Primary School
incorporate sustainability into the curriculum and provide
• Mount Lilydale Mercy College
practical learnings for students. EM
Investment in WA schools The Western Australian Government has announced it will
Among these works are the construction of four new
invest $452.8 million in 2019/20 to improve infrastructure in
primary schools, the redevelopment of several secondary
Western Australian public schools.
schools and the construction of new performing arts facilities
Additional funding will also be allocated to ensure schools will have the necessary teaching staff and resources to accommodate forecast enrolment growth. Enrolment growth in WA public schools has remained
at a number of schools. “New primary and secondary schools will continue to support the growth in our suburbs and upgrades to regional schools will ensure our students are learning in modern
solid. Public school enrolment growth of 27,000 students or
environments,” said WA Education and Training Minister
8.8 per cent has been forecast over the four years from 2019
Sue Ellery.
through to 2023. The new infrastructure funding, which is included as part
“There is a lot of official talk these days about the need to teach STEM skills in an integrated way, but there is very little practical guidance to how that can be achieved... We believe building a solar car is the perfect way to bring so many disciplines and ideas together into one project, to give our students a hands-on, and above all, enjoyable learning experience.”
With the growing focus on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), $3 million is also being
of the 2019/20 State Budget, will go towards various works
invested in converting 51 primary classrooms across Western
across the state.
Australia into science laboratories. EM
education matters secondary
Richard Thomas, Design and Technology Co-ordinator at Balaklava High School
9
NATIONAL EDUCATION NEWS
New expert advisory panel for rural and regional students In a bid to address challenges facing students in regional Victoria,
Ballarat, Bendigo, Horsham, Mildura, Morwell, Wangaratta and
the Victorian Government has announced new plans that aim to
Warrnambool across July and August to engage with regional
bridge the divide between regional and metropolitan schools.
communities.
On 17 June 2019, Victorian Minister for Education James
The Panel will be chaired by Dr David Howes, chief
Merlino ordered the establishment of an Expert Advisory Panel for
executive of the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority,
Rural and Regional Students, to examine why regional students
and include principals and regional education experts.
are falling behind their metropolitan counterparts and make recommendations on how to address the issue. The Victorian Government highlighted that the challenge facing rural and regional schools is a national issue that has
“This is about listening to local communities to understand what challenges are preventing regional and rural students from meeting their aspirations,” said Dr Howes. The Panel will make findings and recommendations that will
existed for several years, referencing national NAPLAN data that
inform the Victorian Government’s future decisions on initiatives
shows the performance of regional and rural schools is around
and supports needed to help regional and rural schools and
20 points or more behind that of metropolitan schools.
students.
“We are already doing a lot to boost results in regional and
Since 2015, schools in regional and rural Victoria have
rural Victoria, but we now need to look at what more we can do
received almost double the increase in equity funding per
and that is why this panel is so important,” said Minister Merlino.
student compared to their metropolitan counterparts. The
The Expert Advisory Panel for Rural and Regional Students will undertake consultation meetings with key stakeholders in
best use of this funding will also be considered as part of the Panel’s work. EM
School STEM awards “Educators across the country, particularly those located in rural and regional areas, have been asking for greater access to online learning and we are pleased to be able to respond to these reports by delivering products to support the needs of our colleagues.” Neil McDonald, Queensland Education Leadership Institute CEO
10
Applications for the Governor’s School STEM awards in Western
• A Scitech visit for up to 90 students for metropolitan schools or
Australia, which aim to recognise outstanding whole-of-school
free rental and delivery of a DIY Science Kit for eight weeks.
STEM education, are now open to primary and secondary schools across the state.
Finalists will be announced in September 2019 and invited to an awards ceremony at Government House later in the year,
The awards are part of the Western Australian Government’s goal of increasing Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) participation in WA schools, encouraging schools to integrate STEM across the curriculum. “STEM skills are the foundation of Western Australia’s future
where winners will be announced by the Honourable Kim Beazley AC, Governor of Western Australia. The Western Australian Government also recently released WA’s first-ever state STEM skills strategy, ‘Future Jobs, Future Skills: driving STEM skills in Western Australia’, which aims to
workforce, and our schools play an important role in cultivating
ensure Western Australians have the STEM skills they need for
students’ interest and abilities in STEM skills,” said Science
the jobs of the future.
Minister Dave Kelly.
“The State Government launched the state’s first-ever STEM
The awards recognise school leadership and student
skills strategy in May this year to reinforce the importance of
engagement in STEM education. Awards and prizes for primary
schools across all systems and sectors providing quality STEM
and secondary schools in 2019 include:
education programs for students,” Minister Kelly added.
• The Leadership Excellence Award (winner);
Applications for the 2019 Governor’s School STEM Awards
• The Meritorious Leadership Award (runner-up);
are open until 19 August 2019. For more information, please visit
• An invitation for staff and students to visit Government House;
www.scitech.org.au. EM
education matters secondary
Uncovering history through Minecraft The Victorian Government has built a virtual world of Melbourne’s underground history and landmarks in Minecraft to help students hone their creativity and problem-solving skills.
Tunnel dig site in Swanston Street and learn about artefacts recently uncovered. “Mini Melbourne in Minecraft is a fantastic resource that will enable Victorian government school students to learn more about Melbourne and its past,” said
Minister for Education James Merlino and Minister for Transport Infrastructure Jacinta Allan launched a Minecraft collaboration between the Department of Education and Training and the Metro Tunnel Project.
Minister Merlino. “Innovations such as this engage young people in problem solving and STEM subjects, inspiring them to work on city-shaping projects.”
The Mini Melbourne edition is available to all Minecraft users for download. Players can explore, build and design their own virtual corners of the city. It features sights such as Flinders Street Station, St Paul’s Cathedral, Melbourne Town Hall and Federation Square.
Minecraft is an open-world video game that allows players to roam in virtual spaces and create their own buildings and cities. Mini Melbourne is a Minecraft world-first – the first ‘virtual city’ built as an educational resource for students to learn more about the city.
Primary and secondary students from government schools across Victoria can take part in an Archaeology Adventure as virtual archaeologists working at the Metro
With over 154 million copies sold, Minecraft is the second best-selling video game of all time, behind Tetris. EM
QELi and NESLI join forces Queensland Education Leadership Institute (QELi) and the National Excellence in
areas, have been asking for greater access to online learning and we are pleased
School Leadership Institute (NESLI) have announced a new partnership that aims
to be able to respond to these reports by delivering products to support the needs
to strengthen educational leadership collaboration by providing greater access
of our colleagues.”
to professional development opportunities for educators and school leaders right across Australia.
NESLI National Director Damien Farrell added that this exciting partnership brings together two innovative leaders in the field of professional development for
QELi and NESLI will collaborate to co-create blended learning programs for educators and school leaders, leveraging QELi’s expertise in delivering high-impact, quality face-to-face training and NESLI’s experience and proficiency in designing and building online learning platforms.
educators, both heavily committed to the improvements in student outcomes that great leadership generates in our schools. “NESLI is delighted to be strengthening our partnership with QELi. A defining characteristic of our partnership is our shared vision and focus. Separately we
This partnership will also enable QELi participants to access NESLI’s online
are already supporting school leadership teams to achieve school improvement
professional learning opportunities at a significantly reduced price. This means
success by designing work-integrated programs that align to school contexts, are
educators in rural and remote areas will have greater choice and access to QELi
powered by partnerships with industry leaders and research, and are designed
professional development, without the additional pressures of travel costs and time
for educators at specific career stages. Together, we can maximise our reach and
away from schools.
impact, ultimately for the benefit of all students,” said Mr Farrell.
QELi CEO, Neil McDonald, said this new partnership with NESLI further
“We are also very keen to explore with the team at QELi our areas of shared
demonstrates each organisations’ commitment to supporting the development of
concern in the teacher and principal wellbeing space and ways that school leaders
educators and school leaders in Queensland and across Australia, and ensuring
can support early career teachers to thrive in Queensland schools.”
accessibility to all.
QELi and NESLI will launch the first joint cohort of the online Women’s
“We are thrilled to partner with NESLI to enhance QELi’s professional
Advanced Leadership Program (ALP) on Tuesday 30 July 2019, with a blended
development offering through the addition of new online programs. NESLI’s
learning health and wellbeing program due to follow shortly after, commencing
rigorous and evidence-based programs, incorporating school-based projects,
later in the year.
peer mentoring and coaching, expert tutorials and collaborative online spaces,
The Women’s ALP is a six-month online program for women who are aspiring
complement and align with the design and framework of QELi face-to-face
to or already hold senior leadership roles within schools. The program focuses
leadership and capability programs for collaboration and school improvement,”
on the interpersonal and behavioural dynamics associated with senior leadership
said Mr McDonald.
and combines rich, multi-media learning resources with peer level discussion and
“Educators across the country, particularly those located in rural and regional
collaboration. EM
education matters secondary
11
NATIONAL EDUCATION NEWS
CSIRO launches $25 million STEM plan The NSW Government has teamed up with CSIRO to launch a new $25 million
to work on their own STEM challenges, visit industry locations and learn about
program to attract, support and retain young people in Science, Technology,
STEM career opportunities.
Engineering and Maths (STEM) education and skilled careers.
According to CSIRO, STEM skills are already in high demand and growing at 1.5
The Generation STEM initiative was officially launched on 24 June 2019, with NSW Minister for Skills and Tertiary Education Dr Geoff Lee and CSIRO Chief Executive and Trustee of SIEF, Dr Larry Marshall, both in attendance.
times faster than other jobs. This new initiative aims to inspire the next generation and create a highly skilled workforce to meet the demand of current and future jobs. The first location priority for Generation STEM is Western Sydney where there is
The first program to launch is the STEM Community Partnerships Program which targets Year 9 and 10 students and provides them with the opportunity
a growing need for a STEM-skilled workforce due to major developments, such as Western Sydney Airport. EM
Are attendance rates the key to achievement? Lifting attendance rates is often viewed as the key to improving education
“A universal attendance and achievement relationship does not hold true. While
outcomes for Indigenous students and their peers, but new research by La Trobe
that finding seems counterintuitive, we need only reflect on the number of factors
University researchers suggests this link may be misleading.
required for students’ optimal learning.”
In two recent papers, La Trobe University researchers examined the causes and
The authors emphasise that their study does not show attendance never
effects of attendance rates at a Victorian urban primary school over an 11-year-
has an influence, since attendance also provides opportunities for learning and
period (2005-2015).
personal development, engagement with the curriculum, and the social learning
About 20 per cent of students enrolled in the school were Indigenous in this period, and the school serves a population in the lowest 13 per cent of income earners in Australia.
environments featuring friends and peers. “We didn’t look at these factors and their role in achievement,” Ms Baxter said. “Learning opportunities do not automatically translate to better learning. So
Lindy Baxter and Professor Noel Meyers analysed NAPLAN results in Years 3
simply encouraging Indigenous students to attend school more often may remain
and 5 from 2008-2015 together with attendance and enrolment data, and found
insufficient to yield academic success. The question remains, what factors, singly
no significant relationship between attendance rates and NAPLAN literacy and
or in combination, create higher achievement?”
numeracy scores for Indigenous or non-Indigenous students.
At the school involved in this study, students who had repeated their Prep year
The research reflects similar findings for remote schools with large proportions of Indigenous students.
also achieved higher NAPLAN results, though the authors explain that the first year of Prep likely represented a substitute for preschool. These cases occurred before
However, there is little research on Indigenous students’ attendance in urban settings, even though most Indigenous Australians live in urban areas. Ms Baxter said that improving attendance rates of Indigenous students was one of the Indigenous education policy’s key strategies.
universal access to preschool became the norm. While Indigenous students at the school had lower attendance rates and NAPLAN scores than non-Indigenous students, the majority of participants attended at least 80 per cent of classes and scored above NAPLAN minimum benchmarks.
“However, this research and recent remote region research inform us that at
Ms Baxter said school programs tailored to Indigenous students and other
some schools Indigenous (and other) students’ educational achievement bears no
financially vulnerable students helped raise attendance, achievement, and
relationship to their attendance rate, as we might have predicted,” she said.
students’ sense of inclusion.
Ms Baxter added that though there are students whose educational achievement reflects their attendance regularity, as other studies have shown, “There is no guarantee that a student will have excellent NAPLAN scores because
Examples included providing breakfast, uniforms, and financial support for everyday and extra-curricular activities. “The school also takes steps to culturally include Indigenous students and form
they attend school every day, just as students with low attendance rates can
community partnerships, making it a school of choice for Indigenous families in the
produce unexpectedly high NAPLAN scores.
area,” she said. EM
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education matters secondary
Support for disadvantaged students At the Annual Reception for Skyline Education Foundation
stories from students whose futures have been positively
Australia, The Hon Julia Gillard AC spoke about the importance
changed by becoming Skyline recipients and graduates.
of children’s education in breaking the cycle of disadvantaged families. Skyline Education Foundation provides intensive support
Supplier of education resources to primary and secondary schools, Campion Education, partnered with Skyline in 2017, and each year facilitates picking and packing donations of vital
for talented students from disadvantaged backgrounds, for
education supplies from partners including publishers Oxford,
the last two years of their secondary education. The Skyline
Pearson, Jacaranda, Nelson Cengage Learning, Cambridge
Program is the first of its kind in Australia, providing financial,
University Press, Macmillan Education, Oxford University Press,
educational, emotional and practical support for bursary
as well as stationery suppliers such as ACCO.
recipients. Each year, more than 100 VCE students in Victoria from
“At Campion Education, we are passionate about providing the best learning outcomes for students,” said James Cathro,
disadvantaged backgrounds are the recipients of textbooks,
Campion Education’s Managing Director. “Not all students with
digital resources and stationery donations.
the potential to achieve high academic results have the same
The 2019 Skyline Annual Reception took place on 28 May
opportunities, so we believe it is vital to work with foundations
2019, where the foundation’s supporters heard from former
like Skyline, who are doing great work in supporting
Prime Minister Ms Gillard, and heard inspiring and emotional
disadvantaged students to achieve their very best.” EM
Low confidence in STEM skills According to a new report, over half of Australia’s Generation Z
“We know STEM skills are rapidly becoming more
don’t think they are capable of a career in Science, Technology,
important in the future of the workforce, but I see a disconnect
Engineering or Maths (STEM), with young females showing less
with the desire to embrace these skills, especially among young
confidence when compared to their male peers.
women. Understanding the importance of these industries is
The Westpac STEM Careers and Perceptions Report,
the key to encouraging young Australians, especially women,
released in June 2019, involved a nationwide survey of 1357
about the amazing opportunities on offer. And it all starts with
Australians aged 16-24 years of age, of which 353 currently
education and breaking down the confusion or uncertainty
work in STEM-related roles.
around STEM from an early age.
According to the findings, 51 per cent of those surveyed don’t think they are capable of a STEM career. The research highlights a lack of STEM confidence among many Australians, revealing 64 per cent of Gen Z workers feel they don’t have the skills required for their future career, with three in four believing they need to upskill in STEM to future-proof their job. “I think there is a narrow perception that a career in STEM
The report also revealed many Australians are still grappling with what a career in STEM could look like, with 40 per cent of female workers not knowing what occupations are considered to be work in STEM. “Our research really highlights the lack of awareness and education about STEM careers with 77 per cent of young Australians not knowing exactly what STEM is. Having started my career in
is always highly technical, but in actual fact STEM skills open
engineering, and now leading a tech team, I know first-hand how
up a broad range of career opportunities, including working
incredibly rewarding and interesting a career in STEM is. I strongly
with technology, finance, food, fashion and travel,” said
agree with the majority of STEM workers surveyed who said they
Anastasia Cammaroto, Chief Information Officer for the Westpac
feel confident (42 per cent), challenged (41 per cent) and happy (40
Consumer Division.
per cent) in their career path,” concluded Ms Cammaroto. EM
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“We know STEM skills are rapidly becoming more important in the future of the workforce, but I see a disconnect with the desire to embrace these skills, especially among young women. Understanding the importance of these industries is the key to encouraging young Australians, especially women, about the amazing opportunities on offer.” Anastasia Cammaroto, Chief Information Officer for Westpac Consumer Division
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ASPA COLUMN // Andrew Pierpoint
Autonomy and accountability ANDREW PIERPOINT, PRESIDENT OF THE AUSTRALIAN SECONDARY PRINCIPALS’ ASSOCIATION (ASPA), AND DR AMANDA HEFFERNAN, MONASH UNIVERSITY LECTURER IN LEADERSHIP, DISCUSS THEIR CURRENT RESEARCH ON SCHOOL LEADER AUTONOMY.
Andrew Pierpoint is President of the Australian Secondary Principals’ Association – the peak body for school leaders across Australia. He was previously President of the Queensland Secondary Principals’ Association for four years. Mr Pierpoint has over 35 years of experience in high schools as a science teacher, Head of Department (Science), Deputy Principal and Principal, as well as having several system positions in the support of principals. Throughout his career, he has worked in complex rural and remote communities through to large regional and metropolitan schools. He has led communities and reference groups at district, regional, state and national levels. Mr Pierpoint’s special interests are the provision of high quality professional learning for school leaders, school leader wellbeing and he is personally highly active in school sport – particularly cricket and golf. Mr Pierpoint has demonstrated a passion for state education in Queensland for many years and possesses an excellent understanding of the principalship from first-hand experience. Most importantly, he has a genuine desire to make a meaningful difference for school leaders in the application of their ever-increasing, complex roles in schools and the broader communities they work in.
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ASPA has for many years called for increased school leader autonomy – where the school leader has a goal identified, is given the resources to provide for this goal and then ‘left alone’ to deliver that goal. ASPA also recognises that the notion of autonomy has changed, with the rise for example of independent public schools and jurisdictional priorities. The notion of principal (school) autonomy has been around in educational leadership for some time, with the definition and enactment of autonomy being varied both within and across jurisdictions in Australia. Philip Riley, in his long-term research into principals’ health and wellbeing, identified a lack of autonomy as being a contributing factor to school leader stress. Principals feeling a lack of autonomy or authority, when coupled with a perceived lack of support from their supervisor/line manager or department/employer makes for a difficult situation for the school leader (2018 Australian Principal Occupational Health, Safety and Wellbeing Survey, Philip Riley, 2019). With that in mind, increasing workloads associated with autonomy have also been identified as a source of stress for principals. Jurisdictions across Australia have, in some way, linked their respective school improvement agenda to school leader autonomy. This philosophy is to be applauded. Ideally, a principal should be able to work with their community to set their school’s vision and goals for improvement, and have the autonomy and authority to direct resources as needed to achieve those goals. However, the relationship between autonomy, accountability, and student improvement is extremely complex and needs to be balanced
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carefully. Inexperienced school leaders (including those in rural and remote locations without nearby or local support structures) sometimes struggle with the enactment of this. Research suggests that principals who are more experienced, or who have established a track record with their supervisors, are likely to view autonomy differently, and take up autonomy more confidently than beginning principals might. ASPA has partnered with Monash University to conduct research around this notion of school leader autonomy. WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT AUTONOMY Our starting point for this research is from a place of inquiry about principal workload, wellbeing and job satisfaction. We know that many of our principals are stressed and at risk of burnout (Riley, 2019). We also know that high rates of turnover have implications as they hit hardest in our most vulnerable students and communities. We know that we have an ageing principal workforce, and that there are fewer people putting up their hands to take on the role of a school principal. We are therefore interested in how we can attract people to the role of the principal, and in how we can support them to stay once they join the principalship. This is where autonomy comes in. Principals who feel that they have local influence over key aspects of their school (including achievement, focus and priorities, and curriculum) are more likely to stay in the role and to be satisfied in their work. Autonomy then, is a central element of the work in keeping people satisfied and happy in the
Ideally, a principal should be able to work with their community to set their school’s vision and goals for improvement, and have the autonomy and authority to direct resources as needed to achieve those goals. However, the relationship between autonomy, accountability, and student improvement is extremely complex and needs to be balanced carefully. principalship. However, autonomy is complex and the promise of autonomy is often murky in practice. We want to understand the realities of autonomy for principals. Research suggests that autonomy increases workload for principals – but that even when they acknowledge this, they don’t want to give it up once they’ve got it. We also know that as autonomy increases, so do external accountabilities. We imagine these accountabilities serving as a box
or frame around autonomy. Principals and schools do have autonomy – to an extent, or to the point where they’re still working towards the ‘right’ goals. We know that experienced principals, and principals who have built up a track record of trust, can push those limits a little further than new principals. Amanda Keddie (‘School autonomy as the way of the future: Issues of equity, public purpose and moral leadership’, published in Educational Management, Administration and Leadership, 2016) discussed the need for autonomous schools to negotiate their freedoms alongside pressures to work towards increasingly high-stakes external accountabilities. We want to understand the nuances of how autonomy plays out in different school systems, different contexts, and for different principals. We want to know more about the alignment between perceptions and realities of autonomy for principals, and we want to bring system and policy leaders into the equation to better understand different perspectives of the people who design and enact school and principal autonomy policies. We want to understand how autonomy shapes the work principals do each day. We hope to find the stories of success and of challenges relating to principal autonomy so that we can find pockets of hope and strategies or approaches that can better support principals to take up autonomy in their work. EM Though autonomy can increase workload for principals, those with greater autonomy are likely to be more satisfied in their roles.
Amanda Heffernan is a lecturer in Educational Leadership at Monash University, and she is a former Queensland public school principal. Her research focuses on leadership and education policy. She has a particular interest in leadership for social justice, and the working lives of school principals.
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PRINCIPALLY SPEAKING // CANTERBURY COLLEGE
Encouraging success DANIEL WALKER, PRINCIPAL AND CEO AT CANTERBURY COLLEGE, SPEAKS WITH EDUCATION MATTERS ABOUT HOW CREATING A HAPPY ENVIRONMENT, COMBINED WITH A FOCUS ON WELLBEING AND MODERN TECHNOLOGY, IS SETTING STUDENTS UP FOR THE FUTURE.
WHAT IS CANTERBURY COLLEGE’S PHILOSOPHY AND HOW DOES IT GUIDE YOU AND YOUR STAFF? Canterbury is a low to mid fee independent school in the population growth corridor of Logan, northern Gold Coast and the southern suburbs of Brisbane. Our philosophy is built on the desire to offer an outstanding breadth of opportunity to every student and for holistic development of each young person. We take our job in monitoring the academic, wellbeing and social/emotional growth of each student very seriously. It is important to all staff that every one of our students is known, understood and challenged. HOW DOES CANTERBURY COLLEGE DIFFER FROM OTHER SCHOOLS? We are blessed to be able to offer an expansive campus, built in and around 33 hectares of
Principal and CEO at Canterbury College, Daniel Walker, works with a team of over 200 staff.
bushland. Although the campus caters for almost 1500 students from K-12, it is a quiet, happy place, with room for sport and learning outdoors and large enough for some beautiful purpose-built facilities, such as our Canterbury Events Centre, Gold Coast Commonwealth Games athletics track, and the soon to be completed Aquatic and Tennis Centre.
Kindergarten students play outside with a rainbow of colours.
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Whilst facilities are important, we are more interested in the connection between teachers and students. The feedback I receive from parents is that this is what they value most about a Canterbury education. IN WHAT WAYS HAS THE SCHOOL EVOLVED IN THE PAST 10-20 YEARS? Now in its 33rd year, Canterbury has experienced significant growth in the past 15 years in particular. Our focus in technology and staff training in virtual reality and augmented reality has seen us gain a national profile in recent years. Similarly, our netball program was acknowledged this year as the leading school program in Queensland. Our built environment is modern, newlyrefurbished and conducive to new styles of teaching and learning. The College is now embarking on a new Strategic Plan which will position us for the next decade. HOW DO YOU PROVIDE SUPPORT AND LEADERSHIP TO YOUR STAFF? Principals of course play a role in modelling high standards of professionalism, communication and engagement with their staff. My aim is to be present and authentic in my dealings with staff. We have over 140 teachers and 65 education services staff at Canterbury, so ensuring my executive team are rewarding and developing talent in all areas of the College is so important too. We have recently embraced the concept of ‘project-leadership’ into our Enterprise Agreement, which allows us to reward staff, especially younger Gen Y staff, for leading smaller projects around the College. HOW DO YOU ENCOURAGE WELLBEING AMONG YOUR STAFF AND STUDENTS? Every large organisation, inside and outside of education, is grappling with new realities in staff wellbeing. We have been proactive in this area, employing a Director of Staff Services long before this was commonplace in schools. We look for proactive strategies in wellbeing – social functions, fitness and mindfulness, and recognition of the contributions of long-serving staff – as well as providing a happy atmosphere amongst various teams in the College. Student wellbeing is nurtured through an attentive Student Services team, comprised of Heads of Year, psychologists, social workers, international
Year 9 Advanced Maths is part of the suite of extension programs offered at the school.
“My teachers are putting their energies into remarkable and powerful learning activities which allow students of all abilities to thrive. This requires the time and opportunity for teaching teams to collaborate.” student coordinators and two newly-devised positions in Academic Care which focus on the tracking of student performance and personalisation of pathways. WHAT ROLE DO YOU PLAY IN THE DAY IN THE DAYTO-DAY ACTIVITIES OF THE STUDENTS? I spend up to an hour every day in classrooms across the College. I’m always surprised by how glad students are to see the Principal enter their learning space and join in with their learning. Our classrooms are happy and productive places, so it is a pleasure to be involved. We have 44 Arts ensembles and dozens of sporting teams in every sporting season, so like most Principals of independent schools, my evenings and Saturdays are pretty busy on the sidelines and in the audience.
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WHAT DO YOU IDENTIFY AS SOME OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES CURRENTLY BEING FACED BY TEACHERS IN THE SECONDARY SECTOR? The role of teachers has morphed and changed such a lot in the last decade. My observation is that the focus on devising curriculum and assessment of the 2000s has been replaced now – thankfully – by a focus on differentiating instruction and building improvement in every student’s learning. My teachers are putting their energies into remarkable and powerful learning activities which allow students of all abilities to thrive. This requires the time and opportunity for teaching teams to collaborate. Within the tight industrial parameters of a teacher’s role, sometimes this time and opportunity is difficult to come by. The availability and immediacy of
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PRINCIPALLY SPEAKING // CANTERBURY COLLEGE
“The most rewarding thing about my teaching journey is looking around the news media, professional sporting competitions, houses of parliament, successful start-ups and IPOs, and seeing students who I have taught as 12 to 17-year-olds going on to be the most amazing version of themselves.”
Prep Teacher Clair Goodall in class with some of her students.
student achievement data also changes the traditional teaching and learning cycle – the days of the semester report being the only opportunity for parents to engage in student progress are long gone. WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT EITHER AS A TEACHER OR SPECIFICALLY IN THE ROLE OF PRINCIPAL? I always regard myself as a teacher first, and Principal second. The most rewarding thing about my teaching journey is looking around the news media, professional sporting competitions, houses of parliament, successful start-ups and IPOs, and seeing students who I have taught as 12 to 17-yearolds going on to be the most amazing version of themselves as adults. There is no thrill quite like it – it is an instant motivator to go on and influence the next generation of young leaders and contributors. WHAT ARE YOUR FEELINGS ABOUT NAPLAN AND ITS EFFECTIVENESS? NAPLAN is best used in conjunction with other measures – and schools have plenty at their disposal – to personalise a literacy and numeracy approach for each student. I consider the role of teachers to identify areas for improvement in individual students and design learning activities to build mastery in that area.
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NAPLAN is one instrument that helps teachers make targeted decisions about teaching and learning. I think we are entering a new era of thinking about the usefulness of league tables which compare mean/aggregate mean results for the purposes of pitting schools against one another. Hopefully all school communities and media outlets are being a little more enlightened about the real purpose of NAPLAN.
WHAT TRAITS MAKE FOR AN EFFECTIVE AND SUCCESSFUL LEADER IN EDUCATION TODAY? Ultimately, our core job as Principals is to nurture and develop our people. Jim Collins’ mantra of “getting the right people on the bus, in the right seats on the bus” has never been more true. As Principal, I want to surround myself with the most inspirational and amazing educators and then empower them to influence and motivate their students. The great Principals under whom I have worked are able to extract enormous goodwill and commitment from their senior leadership teams. Developing our next generation of leaders in schools is also of such critical importance. EM Students enjoy the new athletics track with Athletics Coach Taneille Crase.
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HOT TOPIC // PRINCIPAL MENTAL HEALTH
Supporting mental health POOR MENTAL HEALTH AMONG PRINCIPALS IS A GROWING CONCERN; WITH ISSUES RELATED TO STRESS, ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION BECOMING ALL TOO COMMONPLACE. THIS HAS SPARKED THE CREATION OF A RANGE OF RESOURCES THAT AIM TO SUPPORT SCHOOL LEADERS INTO A BRIGHTER, HEALTHIER FUTURE.
The role of a school principal is dynamic, fluid and always under pressure. Having to oversee all that goes on in a school – from the wellbeing of young people and the day-to-day issues of teachers, to the way in which the curriculum is delivered, school programs, class schedules, policies and procedures, budgets, school facilities and maintenance, the list goes on. Add to this the increasingly complex issues coming from parents and families – and it’s not hard to see why the number of school principals who feel stressed and overworked is on the rise. While most principals are handling the realities well, increasingly mental health has become a serious issue that is having a detrimental impact on the wellbeing of many of our school leaders. The results of the latest Australian Principal Occupational Health, Safety and Wellbeing Survey, released at the end of February 2019, showed alarming figures, with almost one in three principals experiencing dangerously high levels of stress. This annual survey is led by Associate Professor Philip Riley of Australian Catholic University, who is also a registered psychologist. Results involved the responses of 2365 participants. Since being started in 2011, around 50 per cent of Australia’s 10,000 principals have taken part in the survey. According to Nadine Bartholomeusz-Raymond, General Manager of Education and Families at Beyond Blue, there are common factors that contribute to high stress levels for those in leadership roles. “It is estimated that 45 per cent of Australians will experience a mental health condition in their lifetime. These conditions tend to affect individuals during their working years, with one in five workers currently experiencing a mental health condition in Australia,” explains Ms Bartholomeusz-Raymond. “Work and the work environment can promote or negatively impact mental health. Being in a meaningful job you enjoy is good for mental health and wellbeing. However, workplaces with persistent high stress which is not well managed can increase the risk of mental health issues including anxiety and depression.” Beyond Blue provides information and support around mental health, addressing issues associated with depression, suicide, anxiety disorders and other related mental disorders. It lists the following factors that can lead to workplace stress for educators: • Time pressures and workload. • Student behaviour including lack of motivation and effort, disrespect, challenging authority and violence. • Managing instances of bullying and other behavioural issues. • Conflict with managers and colleagues. • Adapting and implementing change.
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• Being evaluated by others. • Poor working conditions. • Self-esteem and status. Though Ms Bartholomeusz-Raymond acknowledges that most jobs involve some amount of stress, which can affect staff at all levels, she adds, “While some stress can be managed well, it can become an issue when it is excessive and ongoing. Principals face the specific challenges of leading improvement, being accountable for their staff and students, and meeting the expectations of parents. Being responsible and accountable for educators and support staff whose sole purpose is to nurture, grow and enrich the learning environment of students and create a physical and mentally healthy environment is also a significant responsibility. The level of accountability and responsibility on principals’ shoulders is considerable when you recognise the expectations of their staff, parents, families and local communities. Stress is unavoidable.” And this view is echoed by the National Excellence in School Leadership Institute (NESLI). When asked about the biggest drivers of poor mental health among school principals and school leaders, NESLI General Manager Paul Mears explains, “It’s around workload, around pressure to innovate and change, but not really having the capacity to do that because the role of a principal needs to be redesigned into one that focuses on innovation and change. There is a reactive rather than a proactive approach, so the pressures are really intense. There is not enough scope to apply and achieve the things principals want to achieve due to constraints of dealing with mental health issues of students, pressure from parents, and all of the social dynamics that impact the role of a school leader. They are susceptible and immediately impacted by changes in society. We can see from the results of Professor Riley’s research that the increased levels of violence in schools are alarming.” Formed in 2015, NESLI focuses on developing, addressing and coming up with solutions for some of the emerging issues in schools in the K-12 sector – including principal wellbeing. “As schools become more complex, leadership skills become more paramount. At NESLI, we are firm believers that quality leadership results in quality student outcomes,” says Mr Mears. “We want to address the challenges and provide support in complex school environments, and wellbeing is at the forefront of that. The link between wellbeing and quality school leadership are integral. This has a profound influence on the academic wellbeing of students.” The latest Australian Principal Occupational Health, Safety and Wellbeing Survey results, which are based on 2018 data, shows stress caused by heavy workloads and not enough time to focus on teaching and learning has remained high among principals in recent years, but there has been an upward trend in both since 2015. Dealing with student and staff mental health issues, teacher
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Two teachers at Southern Cross Grammar School in Caroline Springs, Melbourne, discuss their day.
shortages, high average working hours, offensive behaviour and increased threats of violence are also contributing to high levels of stress and poor mental health for our principals – both at the primary and secondary level. Professor John Fischetti, an expert in educational leadership and Interim Pro Vice-Chancellor at the University of Newcastle, says that the latest results are, unfortunately, unsurprising. “The fabric of Australian society is tearing a bit, with social upheaval similar to the US and UK being brought to the school’s doorstep every day. Principals are the face of schools and as such are always dealing with whatever the ‘crisis du jour’ is. They are wearing the parent and student issues that come from a society that does not value educators and education as much as we should, and ironically, this comes at a time when we need great educators and education the most,” he says. Professor Fischetti believes that when it comes to poor principal mental health, hard work, long hours and people skills aren’t the root of the problem. “We have great people on the job who are excellent at the work needed. The issues young people are bringing to school, and that their parents and carers are taking out on school leaders are enormously challenging. Staff mental health issues are profound as well. “This sort of social upheaval has so many families on the edge of losing their homes, working extra jobs, stressed about their future economic vitality and it shows in their children. In addition, the pedagogies used in most places lead to disengagement of young people and this exaggerates the problems. This is across socio-economic lines.”
Fear of change or the reluctance to readily embrace the changing dynamic of schools can pose another reason for concern, according to Professor Fischetti. “We are still mostly running schools as places young people go to watch their teachers work. The passive nature of most pedagogies, assessments that are not authentic, the slow pace of change in many sectors of education from the top down is causing leaders to still hold on to the schools we know rather than invent the schools we need. The current designs put pressure on compliance, standardisation, passivity and rules rather than on creativity, personalisation and flexibility.” The survey results also highlighted that principals and deputy/assistant principals experience higher levels of offensive behaviour in the workplace than the general population. Between the survey’s inaugural year in 2011 and 2018, there was an increase in the number of principals who experienced threats of violence, up from 28 per cent to 45 per cent. Those subjected to actual physical violence rose from 27 per cent to 37 per cent. For anyone experiencing poor mental health, being able to identify that there is an issue and understand the warning signs is the first step to overcoming the problem. “It is helpful to understand the signs and symptoms of depression and anxiety so individuals can spot them in others or themselves and seek support,” says Ms Bartholomeusz-Raymond. “If you notice any persistent changes in your thoughts, feelings or behaviour that are starting to interfere with your work performance or quality of life, see your GP or a health
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professional for assessment and advice. The earlier you seek support, the sooner you can recover. “It is important for principals to remember to first put the oxygen mask on yourself, before you can expect to support your staff and students. Modelling good mental health is also important, so self-care is paramount, as well as acknowledging periods of personal challenge.” Sometimes, signs that a person is suffering from a mental health condition such as anxiety or depression isn’t obvious. With anxiety conditions, for example, the issue can often develop over time. A normal level of anxiety generally lasts a short period and is connected to a particular stressful situation or event – for example, a job interview. This is very different to the type of anxiety experienced by people with an anxiety condition, where anxiety is more frequent or persistent, not always connected to an obvious challenge, and impacts on quality of life and day-to-day functioning. Different anxiety conditions have varying symptoms, but Beyond Blue says some of the most common symptoms include: • Physical: panic attacks, hot and cold flushes, racing heart, tightening of the chest, quick breathing, restlessness, or feeling tense, wound up and edgy. • Psychological: excessive fear, worry, catastrophising or obsessive thinking. •B ehavioural: avoidance of situations that make you feel anxious which can impact on study, work or social life. A person suffering from depression may be identified if they have felt sad, down or miserable most of the time, or have lost interest or pleasure in usual activities. Typically, this becomes an issue if these feelings last for more than two weeks. Signs a person is suffering from depression include: • Behaviour changes including not going out anymore, not getting things done at work, withdrawing from friends/family, relying on alcohol and sedatives. • Feeling overwhelmed, guilty, irritable, frustrated, lacking confidence, indecisive and miserable. • Thoughts such as ‘I’m a failure’, ‘it’s my fault’, ‘nothing good ever happens to me’, ‘people would be better off without me’. • Physically tired all the time, sick and run down, headaches and muscle pains, sleep problems and loss of appetite. According to Beyond Blue, it’s important to remember that we all experience some of these symptoms from time to time and it doesn’t
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HOT TOPIC // PRINCIPAL MENTAL HEALTH
necessarily mean you’re depressed. Also, not everyone who is experiencing depression will have all of these symptoms. “While we know the expectations placed on leaders can lead to mental health issues, with the right support and treatment most people affected by a mental health condition recover and lead healthy and fulfilling lives. Recovery is different for everyone. For some people, recovery means no longer having symptoms, while for others it means learning to manage their symptoms,” says Ms Bartholomeusz-Raymond. “A supportive, mentally healthy work environment that promotes mental health protective factors can minimise the risk of the workplace having a negative impact on people’s mental health. At an organisational level, research supports the implementation of an integrated approach to workplace mental health. This is about looking at your workplace mental health and wellbeing strategy holistically, not by reactively addressing issues and risks in isolation.” The Heads Up website (www.headsup.org.au), developed by Beyond Blue and supported by the Mentally Healthy Workplace Alliance, calls on those in leadership roles to make a commitment and take action in creating a healthier workplace environment. Everyone within the workplace is encouraged to contribute to creating a healthier workplace, look after their own mental health, and look out for their colleagues. Key strategies include creating a positive workplace culture, managing risks to mental health, supporting people with mental health conditions, and adopting a zero-tolerance approach to discrimination. In looking after their own mental health, Professor Fischetti adds that the key for any leader is to also manage their own work/life balance. “Physical and emotional health are both vital. Great diets, exercise and overall wellbeing are crucial; and a support system of colleagues who ‘get it’ to serve as mentors and confidants.” As a community, Professor Fischetti lists several steps we can all take to help address the issue of principal mental health: • Value school leaders and teachers far more than we do. • Embrace changes they propose to school design so that some of the issues faced are not ones where we in the public continue wanting schools to look like they did for us, rather than taking them in a whole new direction. • Support equity-based approaches to funding.
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Persistent high levels of stress at work can increase the risk of mental health concerns.
With growing concern around the topic of principal mental health, various programs and initiatives have been launched to help support the wellbeing of principals and school leaders. After launching its Staff Wellbeing Toolkit in early 2017, NESLI recently followed this with the launch of a new forum. “The Principal Wellbeing Forum is about bringing principals together to build that social capability and be able to support each other at a network level. The principal’s role can be quite isolating so recognition of the importance of staff wellbeing, having that HR approach to manage teachers, and providing opportunities for staff to build their wellbeing and social capital, provides opportunities for principals to implement the things they’d like to into their schools. It’s very difficult to build morale in a school when staff wellbeing is at rock bottom,” explains Mr Mears. “The forum was developed in recognition of Professor Riley’s research. NESLI felt that principals faced different challenges in being leaders of organisations, and needed a program that met those requirements. This resource is fully online, so it’s a different mode of delivery and is about bringing cohorts of principals together to share experiences and talk about those issues. The social aspect is where it has its highest impact.” The issue of mental health and wellbeing in schools and workplaces is one that has been recognised by governments too. As an example, the Australian Government appointed Beyond Blue in June 2017 to lead Be You (beyou.edu.au), a resource that provides useful strategies everyone can adopt in schools and early learning services to manage and reduce their own
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stress levels and maintain a positive work/life balance. Be You is led by Beyond Blue with delivery partners Early Childhood Australia and headspace. It is a free resource available to all 24,000 early learning services, primary and secondary schools and their respective families in Australia. At a state level, initiatives such as the Victorian Department of Education and Training’s Principal Health and Wellbeing Strategy, and the Northern Territory Department of Education’s Principal Wellbeing Framework, have been created to specifically target the wellbeing of principals within their prospective states. In the Northern Territory, the Principal Wellbeing Framework, developed in partnership with the Northern Territory Principals’ Association, identifies five dimensions of wellbeing: physical, mental, social, emotional and spiritual. The framework aims to empower principals to engage in their wellbeing, be supported to grow strategies to enhance their wellbeing; and experience development in their wellbeing capability regardless of where they identify along the wellbeing continuum. In Victoria, the Principal Health and Wellbeing Strategy was launched in May 2018. It aims to protect and promote the mental and physical health and wellbeing of the state’s school principals. Its key objectives include addressing sources of stress such as workload and managing complex matters, offering specialist support and services, and equipping principals with the tools and confidence to be effective leaders. The strategy’s services, which include free and confidential health checks, early intervention services, mentoring and complex case support, were used over 1000 times by principals in 2018. The strategy also includes the Proactive Wellbeing Supervision service, which provides all Victorian school principals and acting principals with access to up to four confidential sessions per year with a psychologist. “We are in such a dynamic and exciting time,” adds Professor Fischetti. “This generation of young people finishing high school this year will be only the second group to have lived their whole lives in the 21st century. Facebook, YouTube and the smartphone have all come a long since they were born. The issues we face – from climate change to refugee settlements, to the impact of these technologies – have to be reflected in the curriculum. We need a different kind of teacher for a different kind of school. And our leaders know that. The sooner we take hold of that, the easier that transition will be.” EM
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HEALTH & WELLBEING // GENERATION NEXT
Addressing youth mental health A SERIES OF GROUND-BREAKING, EVIDENCE-BASED LIVE SEMINARS THAT AIM TO BOOST THE MENTAL HEALTH OF AUSTRALIA’S YOUNG PEOPLE ARE BEING HELD ACROSS AUSTRALIA, BRINGING TOGETHER SOME OF THE NATION’S LEADING WELLBEING EXPERTS.
The annual Mental Health and Wellbeing of Young People 2019 seminars, developed by community focused not-for-profit organisation Generation Next, are designed for professionals in the teaching, community and health sectors who are on the frontline when it comes to driving change to boost the mental wellbeing of young people. So far, 2019 seminars have already taken place in Brisbane, Perth and Canberra, and will be held in Adelaide on 26 July, Sydney on 2 August and Melbourne on 30 August. Generation Next was founded to boost the mental health of children and teenagers by increasing mental health literacy, reducing associated stigma, and positively influencing
individual and community behaviour to improve the mental health of young people. It was founded by current CEO, Dr Ramesh Manocha, who is also a GP, educator and mental health expert. “I had seen a lot of issues among young people that I was really concerned about. I was quite surprised at the way the healthcare establishment was dealing with that. This represented a wider problem at a time when mental health literacy concerning young people was low,” explains Dr Manocha. “When I was working as a full time GP, I kept hearing about the youth mental health crisis, but there was insufficient working knowledge among
Generation Next’s annual seminars address a variety of mental health issues affecting young people.
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the people that spend the most time with young people. Often educators spend more time with young people than their parents. Lots of teachers approached us frustrated because many of the parenting practices concerning young people’s mental health and wellbeing were being put onto them. They felt overloaded, overwhelmed and insufficiently equipped to deal with these issues.” This led to the development of Generation Next’s annual seminars, which explore mental health issues including depression, anxiety, and drug and alcohol abuse, and also look at their origin. But why are young people experiencing an increased vulnerability to mental health issues? Dr Manocha links this to social and behavioural
trends, and various things young people are doing on a daily basis that are eroding their resilience. “We are trying to take a preventative approach, so that we are not only picking up the pieces when a young person decompensates psychologically but more importantly are trying to prevent this from happening in the first place,” he says. Research shows that the internet and social media are certainly playing a part in many of the issues arising in young people’s mental health. “There are still people that will debate this but expert opinion is largely moving towards the conclusion that excessive consumption of the internet and digital technology is harmful. For example, the World Health Organisation has recently recognised gaming addiction as a disease. The best thing we can compare that to is that cigarette smoking causes cancer. Social media is another example – there is a clear linkage between excessive consumption and poor mental health. In general, social media is impacting on girls, and gaming on boys,” explains Dr Manocha. “Then there is also the issue of accessing inappropriate content like pornography. A lot of kids are being exposed to troubling images, and often their first exposure is when they are very young. These images are sometimes so powerful they can
Child and adolescent clinical psychologist, Andrew Fuller, is among this year’s speakers.
shape how young people relate to others and their future relationships.” During the 2019 seminars, expert presenters will tackle important topics that include keeping young people safer in party environments; managing attention span in the age of digital distractions; anxiety and mental health issues in school
communities; helping young people through family separation; nurturing resilience in young people with a disability; and the effect of the internet on youth wellbeing. Among the speakers is respected child and adolescent clinical psychologist Andrew Fuller, who will share important insights on connecting with troubled young people. “There is a worrying trend where children who would have formerly been treated as in-patients in a psychiatric facility are now being treated in classrooms. The levels of anxiety and depression are quite high in schools. I think there are a number of reasons why. One of the things we’ve done in the world is harrow our version of what success is and that makes a lot of young people feel vulnerable,” he says. “With schooling, we’ve turned it into an assessment for grading kids in terms of their capacity to get into university. We have altered the nature of education dramatically. A proportion of kids will go on to university but quite a lot won’t.” Mr Fuller highlights some of the findings of his recent research into mental health that involved 193,000 young people. The alarming findings were that 59 per cent of Year 11 and 12 young women and 46 per cent of Year 11 and 12 young men reported clinical anxiety. Even in Years 3 and 4, anxiety is affecting about a quarter of the class. “So we have a problem on our hands,” he says. “The collateral damage is that we have a high number of students in schools who feel they are worthless. This research indicates around a third of young women and a quarter of young men believe they are worthless.” Dr Manocha says it’s not just parents that play a role in establishing the appropriate codes of behaviour that shape young people and make them more or less vulnerable to mental health issues. “It’s the adults in education institutions, where kids spend most of their time that now have that responsibly to not only be a good role model but to understand what is going on in young people’s heads and in their world, which is changing so rapidly.” EM
Buyer’s Guide Generation Next Ph: 1300 797 794 Web: www.generationnext.com.au
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HEALTH & WELLBEING // EPILEPSY SMART SCHOOLS PROGRAM Epilepsy is the third most common health condition in school-aged children.
Supporting students with epilepsy APPROXIMATELY ONE IN 200 AUSTRALIAN STUDENTS HAS EPILEPSY, A MEDICAL CONDITION THAT AFFECTS THE BRAIN AND CAUSES SEIZURES. THE EPILEPSY SMART SCHOOLS PROGRAM HAS BEEN DEVELOPED TO SUPPORT THESE STUDENTS, AND TRAIN SCHOOLS AND EDUCATORS IN UNDERSTANDING THEIR SPECIFIC NEEDS.
According to Epilepsy Australia, it is estimated that almost 20,000 students in Australia – or one in 200 – have epilepsy, meaning that most educators will teach a student with epilepsy at some stage in their career. Despite these figures, only a small portion of schools are properly trained in coping with and understanding the needs of students with epilepsy. Epilepsy is the third most common health condition in school-aged children (after asthma and diabetes) and is also one of the top five avoidable causes of death in people aged between five and 29. “These alarming statistics reinforce the need for schools to exercise their duty of care under the Australian Government’s Disability Standards for Education 2005 framework, to create safe and supportive educational environments for the thousands of students with epilepsy. However, only 475 schools across the country currently meet these requirements, despite epilepsy specific training being readily available,” says Wendy Groot, National President of Epilepsy Australia, the peak coalition of Epilepsy organisations.
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In addition to causing seizures, epilepsy can have an impact on learning in the classroom. Cognitive overload can potentially cause seizures; seizures can also make it difficult to concentrate and remember new information; memory difficulties can be a side effect of medication; and some children with epilepsy also have a co-existing developmental condition. The Epilepsy Smart Schools program was created to assist schools to establish inclusive, safe and educationally sound practices for students with epilepsy. Primary and secondary schools can become accredited Epilepsy Smart Schools by completing three steps. Firstly, a specific epilepsy management plans needs to be developed for each of the school’s students with epilepsy. This includes a current emergency medication management plan. Secondly, teachers are required to participate in epilepsy specific training. And finally, the school needs to promote awareness by educating the student body about epilepsy. There are online resources that can be added into the
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curriculum, or schools can take part in a ‘Purple Day’ event. Purple Day is a grassroots effort dedicated to increasing awareness about epilepsy and it can be held on any day of the year. “Considering 0.5% of the student population live with epilepsy, within which there are over 40 different types of the condition experienced, it is imperative schools take an individualised approach to meet each student’s needs,” says Ms Groot. “It is incredibly important that we see a change in the number of schools that are Epilepsy Smart. If a student has epilepsy, more than 95 per cent of schools would not be equipped to understand and modify education strategies, which is simply not good enough.” Since the launch of Epilepsy Smart Schools in February 2019, numerous schools across the nation have become Epilepsy Smart Schools. As of May 2019, five schools in Tasmania, 12 schools in Western Australia and 80 schools in Victoria have become accredited. Among these is a rural secondary school in central Tasmania, which contacted Epilepsy
Tasmania for support as well as education and training. A female Year 12 student at the school has photo sensitive epilepsy, with two different types of seizures. She has seizures triggered by visual stimuli that forms patterns – for example flashing lights, bold patterns or patterns that move visually, and tonic-clonic seizures. Due to regular seizures, she was missing out on class time which was affecting her learning. Her memory is also greatly affected by her condition. The tonic-clonic seizures are more severe. Prior to the onset of this type of seizure she experiences hot flushes and dizziness for around five minutes. During this time her temperature needs to be brought down, however if it can’t be brought down, she will fall to the floor and have a full tonic-clonic seizure. This will include her whole body stiffening, convulsions, excessive saliva and loss of body control for one to two minutes. The student typically experiences at least one of these seizures every month.
After these types of seizures, she would often have a change in mood from anger, to embarrassment and exhaustion followed by migraines and a lack of awareness for an unspecified time. Without the right support the potential for injury was high and she was often experiencing a loss of self-confidence and embarrassment following a seizure. Since contacting Epilepsy Tasmania, the school has implemented a strategy of support for this student before, during and after her seizures. Teachers are aware of the triggers and look to remove or reduce them for each of her classes. They also have a greater understanding about the difficulties of loss of memory and taking in information straight after a seizure, the exhaustion and fragility that comes with seizures. According to the school, this training and becoming an Epilepsy Smart School has allowed staff to fully support students with epilepsy, and for them to be as successful as possible in achieving their education goals.
As National Manager of the Epilepsy Smart Schools program Michele Barry adds, this student is not alone. “The data indicates that 50 per cent of all schools have at least one student with epilepsy. We also know that some parents choose not to disclose epilepsy due to stigma. When more schools become Epilepsy Smart Schools, we hope that more parents will also choose to disclose their child’s health status.” There are approximately 9500 schools in Australia. Within the next three years, the Epilepsy Smart Schools program hopes to reach 50 per cent of primary and secondary schools. “All Australian schools are eligible to become an Epilepsy Smart School,” says Ms Barry. “The more we talk about epilepsy, the more likely we are able to have an impact on stigma and create generational change.” EM
Buyer’s Guide Epilepsy Smart Schools Web: www.epilepsysmartschools.org.au
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HEALTH & WELLBEING // SCHOOL EXCLUSION
Reducing school exclusion THE USE OF SCHOOL SUSPENSION AND EXPULSION TO EXCLUDE STUDENTS FROM SCHOOL PRESENTS A MAJOR DILEMMA FOR STAFF, WRITES STUDENT WELLBEING EXPERT, SHERYL HEMPHILL.
Sheryl Hemphill PhD is a freelance writer, presenter and researcher. She has conducted research for over 25 years on the prevention of violence, antisocial behaviour, and (cyber-) bullying, as well as school behaviour management approaches. Her current focus is on sharing research findings with schools and the broader community.
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When a student engages in behaviour that threatens the safety of the student themselves or others, leadership teams need to use approaches such as exclusion. But excluding a student from school is inconsistent with the aim of school communities to be inclusive. There is also the risk that if an excluded student does not want to be in class (as is often the case), the problematic behaviour is rewarded. On top of this, research has shown that there are a range of negative consequences of suspension for the suspended student including increased antisocial behaviour, alcohol and drug use, delayed graduation, and not completing school. School leaders continue to use suspension and expulsion because they are the highest level of response available to them for serious problem behaviours. Sometimes, school staff find other ways of handling serious student behaviours that fit with the circumstances of their local communities. However, these approaches may not have been evaluated. To date, the research literature has not provided clarity on effective ways to reduce the use of school exclusion. This may now have changed. In a recent systematic review and meta-analysis of 37 studies of school-based interventions that aimed to reduce the use of school exclusion, a shortterm (six months) reduction in school exclusion was found. Reductions in the use of school exclusion for 12 months or more were not found. In the review, school exclusion was defined as removing students from teaching for a period of time and included in-school and out-of-school suspension and expulsion. The latter two approaches remove students from the school setting, whereas the former removes students from the classroom. Students included in the review were aged four to 18 years of age and attended mainstream schools.
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Published online in March in the Journal of Experimental Criminology, the review was conducted by Sara Valdebenito and colleagues at the University of Cambridge and the RAND Europe research institute. The review showed that 73 per cent of the interventions focused on changing students’ skills or behaviour, whereas 27 per cent focused on changes at the level of the school or teacher. On average, the interventions lasted for 20 weeks. Interventions were more effective at reducing in-school suspensions and expulsions. Several potential school-based approaches to reduce school exclusion were identified. The two interventions with the strongest and most reliable effects were: • Mentoring/monitoring for students; and • Skills training for teachers. The mentoring/monitoring interventions were structured and supportive relationships between students with academic, behavioural or emotional problems and non-parental adults such as teachers, counsellors, and other members of the community. The specific role of the mentors differed in each study but, in general, they were role models. They also provided support, assisted students with academic tasks, supervised academic performance, and gave students advice or counselling. Five studies on this form of intervention were included in the review. The skills training for teachers comprised establishing clear rules in the classroom, facilitating mutual respect between teachers and students, and strategies for teachers to work with parents to encourage students’ participation in school activities. A total of four studies on this intervention were included in the review. Two other types of school-based interventions were promising:
• Improvement of the students’ academic skills (two studies in the review); and • c ounselling/mental health services for students (three studies in the review). The researchers cautioned that the number of studies in their review on the specific types of school-based intervention was small. Only randomised controlled trials were included in the review; these are studies in which participants, classrooms or schools are randomly assigned to a treatment or a control group and are the gold standard for tests of interventions. Another caution about the findings was that most of the studies had been conducted in the United States of America so we do not know how well the findings apply in other countries like Australia. An important area for future research is to conduct studies in a range of countries around the world.
The review showed that 73 per cent of the interventions focused on changing students’ skills or behaviour, whereas 27 per cent focused on changes at the level of the school or teacher. On average, the interventions lasted for 20 weeks. The results of the review did not show a reduction in students’ antisocial behaviour following participation in school-based interventions compared with a control group. This is not surprising since the interventions focused on reducing rates of exclusion rather than changing student behaviour. The authors of the review called for more intervention studies that seek to understand how the intervention may impact on the use of school exclusion – what are the key elements of
the interventions that show reductions in school exclusion? In addition, the review authors encouraged the use and study of innovative approaches to the reduction of the use of school exclusion. Although the results of the systematic review and meta-analysis are instructive, further high quality research is needed to address the question of how schools can reduce their use of exclusion. Ensuring that any reductions in exclusion continue beyond six months is an area that needs to be addressed. EM By excluding a student from school, there is the risk of rewarding their poor behaviour if the excluded student doesn’t want to be in class.
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HEALTH & WELLBEING // FAMILY PLANNING VICTORIA
Let’s talk about sex
Family Planning Victoria says schools should give parents the opportunity to engage in their child’s relationships and sexuality education.
WHEN SCHOOLS WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS AND THE WIDER COMMUNITY TO DELIVER RELATIONSHIPS AND SEXUALITY EDUCATION, THEY ACHIEVE THE BEST OUTCOMES, ACCORDING TO FAMILY PLANNING VICTORIA.
Parents are often considered to be the primary educators when it comes to relationships and sexuality education, but Family Planning Victoria suggests that the best outcomes for young people occur when schools and families work together. In doing so, they open the doors for wider conversations around key topics that can continue both at home and at school. While many parents are highly engaged in their children’s education in the early years, Bonnie Lee, Manager of the Schools and Community Team at Family Planning Victoria, says that opportunities for involvement often dwindles as students get older. “At Family Planning Victoria, we recommend that schools provide parents with the opportunity to engage in their child’s relationships and sexuality education at all levels of their schooling. This could be as simple as providing information about a school program that is going to be run through to facilitating family and child sessions, both of which give parents the opportunity to support the program in the home environment by continuing with these important discussions,” explains Ms Lee. She says that providing families with information can be effective in making parents feel comfortable and confident in having important discussions with their children.
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“Some parents feel sexuality education is their sole responsibility, but we know that the best outcomes result from partnerships between the home, school and community. Research suggests that parents don’t require specialist sexual health knowledge and information, but just need to foster an open environment to allow for conversations to take place.” The results of 6th National Survey of Australian Secondary Students and Sexual Health, conducted by La Trobe University and released in early June 2019, indicate that young people for the most part are making responsible decisions about their sexual health and wellbeing. Conducted every five years, the research provides important insights into young people’s views and knowledge about this important topic. A total of 6327 Year 10-12 students in government, Catholic and independent schools from across Australia took part in the survey. Results indicated that students are largely engaging in responsible behaviours. Nearly 47 per cent of those surveyed said they have had intercourse and 77 per cent discussed their sexual health before having sex. But there is still room to improve young peoples’ knowledge about their sexual health, and to increase protective behaviour practices. “As relationship and sexuality educators, this sort of research is vital for us because we can identify what’s
working well and identify any gaps. There are lots of opportunities, as educators, to develop effective resources based on the latest survey results,” says Ms Lee. One area identified in this latest survey is where young people are getting information from. Though the most trusted sources of sexual health information were GPs (88.6 per cent), followed by mothers (59.8 per cent) and community health services (54.7 per cent); most students (78.7 per cent) had used the internet to find information about their questions relating to sexual health. When it came to speaking to others about sex, 74.7 per cent said they were most confident in speaking with a female friend and 58.7 per cent said a male friend. “There is definitely a shift in where young people are getting their information from. In the past, research consistently ranked both school programs and mums as trusted and well utilised sources of information about sexual and reproductive health. That has now shifted. More young people are turning to the internet and their friends for information about their sexual health – but the web can be difficult to navigate in regards to accurate and appropriate information, and friends may also lack knowledge and experience when it comes to these topics. That’s why it’s so important for schools to work in partnership with parents and the community,” adds Ms Lee. By involving parents in sexual health education, it can encourage important discussions to continue at home.
According to a recent report, almost 80 per cent of Year 10-12 students surveyed turned to the internet for their sexual health questions.
She says that although some parents are happy to leave relationships and sexuality education up to their child’s school, other parents feel it’s important for them to take on a more active role. “Some parents are hesitant about school programs because they don’t have a clear understanding of the curriculum, or the health and wellbeing benefits of comprehensive programs. Others may think that what is being taught in schools doesn’t align with the values of their own home environment. There is a common misunderstanding that programs don’t cater to differing values but that isn’t the case,” Ms Lee reveals. Family Planning Victoria provides a range of teaching, learning and professional development activities designed to help teachers to deliver comprehensive, age and developmentally appropriate relationship and sexuality education. These provide evidence-based and scientifically accurate information that allows for values clarification along the way. In delivering these resources, young people are encouraged to check in with their own values, as well as those of their family and the people around them. “When students are checking in with their own values, it can help them make meaning
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from the information being provided. Engaging with parents allows for that as well, and allows for these conversations to be had at home. Young people are constantly engaging with their home, school and community environments, so that is why it is so important for relationships and sexuality education to draw from all of these areas in relevant and meaningful ways.” says Ms Lee. Among Family Planning Victoria’s suite of resources is a recently developed series of podcasts called ‘Doing It’. Designed for parents/ carers and teachers, the podcasts discuss sexuality and relationships, by providing tips and tricks on navigating conversations and insights into how to answer questions with confidence. Upcoming podcasts will include interviews with a variety of experts from within the field. To access the podcasts along with Family Planning Victoria’s full range of school resources, please visit the website below. EM
Buyer’s Guide Family Planning Victoria Ph: 03 9257 0191 Web: www.fpv.org.au/schools
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HEALTH & WELLBEING // STUDENT HEALTH
Student mental health and wellbeing matters PETER GOSS, SCHOOL EDUCATION PROGRAM DIRECTOR AT THE GRATTAN INSTITUTE, SHEDS LIGHT ON HOW POOR STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING CAN NEGATIVELY IMPACT LEARNING OUTCOMES.
Dr Peter Goss is the Director of Grattan Institute’s School Education Program, and an unpaid member of Beyond Blue’s National Education Program Council for Be You. He joined Grattan in 2014, and has focused on how education systems and data can help schools and teachers adapt and improve their practice. Prior to joining Grattan, he spent more than 10 years as a strategy consultant, most recently with the Boston Consulting Group, and worked with Noel Pearson to improve education outcomes for Cape York primary school students. Peter trained as a biologist, with a focus on understanding complex systems.
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If you ask a policy wonk how well a secondary school is doing, you’ll probably be subjected to statistics about Year 12 completion rates and ATAR scores. If you ask a parent, you’re more likely to hear how their son or daughter feels about school. Of course, both things matter. But the dynamic interplay between wellbeing and mental health, social and emotional skills, and academic learning, is starting to get a higher profile in policy circles. It’s about time. Social and emotional skills include managing emotions, setting positive goals, building relationships and being aware of others. They are vital for success in life – but of course they aren’t isolated from academic learning. Students with strong social and emotional skills tend to improve more quickly in those domains – a non-cognitive version of the Matthew Effect – but also progress more rapidly on academic skills. At the other extreme, poor mental health and low wellbeing harm learning. Two major Australian studies are shedding more light on how common these issues are, and how much impact they have on learning. Young Minds Matter: The Second Australian Child and Adolescent Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing is run by the University of Western Australia. It shows that roughly one in seven students has a mental disorder in a given year, with ADHD the most common disorder for boys and anxiety for girls. The prevalence of mental disorders is broadly consistent across Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. The impact on learning is already apparent by mid-way through primary school. Year 3 students with any mental disorder are six to nine months
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behind in NAPLAN compared to their mentally healthy peers. By Year 9, this gap has grown to between 1.5 and 2.8 years, depending on the NAPLAN domain. And secondary school students with mental disorders miss school more often than other students, compounding the problems. These are huge learning gaps. The Year 9 learning gap is about the same as the learning gap for students whose parents didn’t finish high school or are unemployed, two common markers of social disadvantage. To make matters worse, social and mental health challenges interact. Students from lowincome households have twice the rates of mental disorders as those from high-income households; students from unemployed sole-parent households have three times the prevalence as students who have two employed parents or carers. In effect, worse mental health may account for somewhere between one tenth and one quarter of the overall gap between socially advantaged and disadvantaged students. The second major study is the Childhood to Adolescent Children’s Study (CATS), run by the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute in Melbourne. It shows that students lose about eight months’ worth of learning from Year 3 to Year 7 if they report having low wellbeing, and nearly ten months of learning if they are bullied for two or three years. Because it tracks students as they move through school, the CATS study can tease out the links between these interacting factors. And there are strong links: students with low wellbeing in primary school are more likely to have poor engagement and learning in secondary school.
Research shows that students with a mental disorder can fall behind their mentally healthy peers.
It’s common to talk about depression or anxiety arising as young people navigate the challenges of being a teenager, or stress brought on by Year 12 exams. But mental health issues often arise much earlier than this, and are then exacerbated by the transition from primary to secondary school. Secondary schools should be alert to the possibility of pre-existing mental disorders during that transition year; they should not just ‘wait and see’, or assume that all will be well once students find their feet. But what specifically should principals do? After all, there are dozens (if not hundreds) of programs on offer that claim to improve wellbeing/reduce bullying/support mental health. There is one new initiative that can help principals cut through the noise. Be You was launched late last year as the national mental health initiative in education, with a vision of growing a mentally healthy generation of young people. It gives educators knowledge, resources and strategies to help children and young people achieve their best possible mental health. Be You is led by Beyond Blue with delivery partners Early Childhood Australia and HeadSpace. It integrates several successful initiatives into a single framework and also provides details about the implementation and evidence base of a wide range of external programs. And Be You is free, courtesy of generous funding from the Federal Department of Health. It’s great that policy makers are getting on board with mental health in schools. But in the end, each school has to choose how it will approach student wellbeing and mental health. The hard yards get done each day, with each student, in the classroom, in the hallways and on the playing fields, and at home. Be You is there to help you find the right approach for your school. EM
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TECHNOLOGY // ACER
Improving student learning in a connected world DATA SCIENCE RESEARCHERS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY SYDNEY HAVE TEAMED UP WITH ACER IN A PROJECT THAT UTILISES ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND DATA SCIENCE TO ADVANCE LEARNING OUTCOMES.
The University of Technology Sydney (UTS), in partnership with computer technology companies Acer and Intel, has launched a new pilot program that trials new methods of monitoring student attentiveness and learning in the classroom. An industry first-of-its-kind, the UTS x Acer Learner Attention Analytics Pilot Program is currently being piloted with 200 data science students in the faculty of Engineering and IT at UTS, with several high schools expected to participate in the future. The program employs the latest technology in attention analysis, with the aim of establishing a fuller understanding of student behaviour in a classroom setting. The desired outcome is the development of a proof-of-concept platform that could
help enhance student learning experiences and outcomes. The pilot program was announced in early April 2019 at the UTS campus in Ultimo by Acer’s Oceania Managing Director, Darren Simmons, and the university’s Executive Director of Data Science, Professor Fang Chen. Mr Simmons spoke of the necessity of harnessing developments in computer technology to aid the process of learning in a classroom setting in an age of ever greater connectivity. He says that with Acer selling 70,000 to 80,000 laptops in the education space annually, he was regularly confronted with questions regarding the efficacy of computer usage in student learning outcomes.
The UTS x Acer Learner Attention Analytics Pilot Program was demonstrated during a launch event in April.
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“Do students really learn better? Do they really interact better with the environment? Is the process individualised? Is it actually having an impact? These are questions that are directed to me all the time. It’s a challenge, and one that this project is working on,” adds Mr Simmons. He says the program, developed in partnership with UTS, would revolutionise personal learning in and out of schools, enable live learning and information sharing, and help develop hardware and software that will enhance the learning experience and promote the wellbeing of students. “Acer is thrilled to support the UTS Data Science team led by Professor Chen and to be part of a pilot program that will transform the education sector and be crucial in preparing students for the future,” Mr Simmons says. “In addition to education, it will also assist technology providers, such as Acer, to develop new computers and software applications and behaviour-aware computer technology to better facilitate the changing needs of the education sector.” The project involves the collection of learner data using hand gesture and eye-tracking technology combined with a graphical user interface (GUI) to record mouse movements, keyboard and digital pen usage and eye movements. The data will then be analysed using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning algorithms to determine behaviour patterns and the linkage to learning outcomes. According to Professor Chen, students in a highly-connected, digitalised world now face more distractions than ever before. Combined with the old issue of different students learning at different ways at varying paces, the presence of devices, and their potential to disrupt student attention, is putting traditional teaching approaches that rely on a standardised curriculum to the test. It also creates a greater need for educators to better understand how to capture the attention of different students. “There’s so much for a student to learn. How can they use the limited time and limited space to learn quickly and in the way that is best for their learning outcomes? The current system is that you read results or your report card after semester or after you finish the course, and you get the score,” says Professor Chen. “How can you know in between how you are performing and how you’re dealing with the content – whether you feel the content is suitable for you or not, and how the pace of the learning is for you?”
The program is currently being piloted by 200 UTS students.
Professor Chen explains the purpose of the project was to facilitate the development of learning experience that was more personalised and more responsive to the needs of individual students. “The aim of the UTS x Acer Learner Attention Analytics Pilot Program is to create an education industry blueprint that can generate tailored personalised learning programs according to learners’ behaviour patterns,” she says. “Using learners’ behaviour as a fundamental indicator of attention and analysing this with AI and machine learning technologies will enable the education sector to optimise the pace and learning materials for the needs of different learners.” During the launch, the technology was demonstrated to those assembled. When a learner sits in front of a computer, a camera will capture what the learner’s eyes are attending to, while software will register whether, and in what manner, the learner is touching and using the mouse and keyboard. According to Professor Chen, these forms of student monitoring will help determine if the individual learner is focussing on the content they should be and to what extent the student is preoccupied with other distractions. “Basically, that’s the concept: to capture all the behaviours of the learner in front of a digital device. This is tracking where you’re looking at, mouse movement, and how you’re interacting with the device.” In this manner, Professor Chen says, data would be collected and analysed to establish what insights
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can be established on the basis of particular patterns of recorded behaviour. “It is in data analysis that we can try to find out what different behaviours mean. Do they mean that the student is more engaged? Does the engagement link to a better learning outcome or not?” The pilot project is in the initial data collection stage of the program, involving two classes within the School of Computer Science UTS Data Arena, including an undergraduate class of 150 students studying software engineering, and a postgraduate class of 50 students using machine learning. According to the UTS research team, the project will also have the potential to be further extended to detect learner frustration and hesitation, the determination of which, they claimed, was essential in developing customised teaching and learning, and integral in improving student experience and wellbeing. “The purpose of the project is to make the learning experience better and more positive, and to help students learn not only in school, but in life beyond school,” Professor Chen says. “We hope that this is a step towards providing a more engaging and personalised learning experience for every student.” EM
Buyer’s Guide Acer Computer Australia Ph: 1300 308 056 Web: www.acer.com/ac/en/AU/ content/home
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TECHNOLOGY // DRONES IN SCHOOLS
What’s the buzz? DRONE EXPERT, DR CATHERINE BALL, DISCUSSES HOW AUSTRALIA IS LEADING THE PACK IN THE NON-MILITARY USE OF DRONES, KNOWN AS ‘DRONES FOR GOOD’, AND SHEDS LIGHT ON THEIR ENORMOUS POTENTIAL FOR THE MODERN CLASSROOM.
Back in 2013 the project team I was leading spent a week flying long-range reconnaissance drones off the coast of Western Australia for 10 hours, covering hundreds of kilometres per day. We used Australian technology previously used to look for insurgents in Afghanistan to look for turtles and their tracks and nests on offshore sandy islands. The innovation was not in the drone itself, but in the application of that platform to carry cameras where we needed them to be. The imagery that was returned to me over those days left me crying with joy. We were able to take photos of Mother Nature in action without her knowing we had even been there. An environmental scientist’s dream is to be able to sample the environment without causing sampling bias or affecting the wildlife you’re monitoring. This project has been frequently used as a corporate example of how to apply the Australian Australian drone technology originally designed for military use is now being used to study the environment without impacting on wildlife or their habitat.
Dr Catherine Ball is an author, founder, and ethics advocate working across global projects where robotics and new technology meet environmental protection. A sought after voice in industry, Dr Ball is now working with the application of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS), also known as drone technology, across remote communities, schools, industry and citizen scientists. Dr Ball is leading the call for discussions around the ethics of spatial data (geo-ethics) and commercial drone operations.
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Digital Technologies Curriculum. Technology is not here for technology’s sake, rather the reason why we apply technology is where the magic is found. There have been many other projects involving #DronesForGood that you may have seen or heard of in the media. From delivering vaccines in Vanuatu, to burritos in Canberra; from post-cyclone assessments in north Queensland to monitoring the corals of the Great Barrier Reef. Drone technology is coming into its own and is also coming into the classroom. Do drones have a place in schools? I think the answer is a definite yes. They are the most egalitarian technology I have ever seen, evolving fast, working hard, and creating jobs and economic growth in Australia and globally. But where can schools even start when there are so many rules and regulations around drone use? The good news is that education is more effective
than regulation and legislation when it comes to drones, and over the past few years there have been many ways in which drones have already been used in schools. There is a lot of existing work to aid principals and teachers when making decisions about drones. Firstly, the curriculum: there are so many areas where drones can be added to existing curriculum. We don’t need a new drone curriculum, but rather they can be used in makerspaces and be designed and 3D printed. They can be used in STEM subjects from working out the engineering of flight, to the maths around the speed at which rotors are spinning, technology from the materials used, and science as far as how we are applying them (e.g. turtle track monitoring). In geography they can be used for mapping either over a set up in the classroom or in the school field or on a local field trip. Drones can be discussed in ethics and legal debates, the languages used to code them can create dance sequences and racing events. Drones can be used for team building, getting kids involved who may not have access to technology at home, and engaging kids who may be difficult to reach or neurodiverse. The Digital Technologies Curriculum has many ways in which drones can be applied and is a great place to start. WHAT ABOUT RISK AND LEGAL ISSUES? My first advice is always to contact CASA (the Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority) to confirm your plans. Drones are categorised by weight, and so the small sub-100g drones (e.g. Parrot Mambo or DJI Tello) are exempted from many restrictions placed on larger aircraft and are the easiest to introduce into the classroom. There is a Remote Pilot’s Licence (the RePL) that you need to be at least 16-years-old for and can cost $1000+ which I would recommend teachers look at, but the Certificate III in Aviation (Remote Pilot – Visual Line of Sight) is a good place to start for the students if they are wanting to work towards an actual qualification in the subject. THE WAY OF THE FUTURE But what does this all mean for the future employment and skills required in Australia? There have been many predictions made by the World
Drone technology has a wide range of applications. As well as being a great tool for environmental scientists, there are many opportunities to use it in the classroom too.
Economic Forum noted in their future of work reports which always show software and digital skills, as well as the ability to understand and use technology to the best of its ability and purpose, plus innovating the applications of technology to solve problems. The cross-pollination of STEM and the Arts leads well towards this type of technology, always remembering that drones can swim, walk, dive, run, fly and crawl. Drones will be cars, buses, aeroplanes and the way we get humans to Mars. The ‘drone’ economy has been predicted to be a significant slice of the global economy in the next ten years, and the venture capitalists and technology entrepreneurs continue to put their money into these drone technologies, as well as major multinationals such as Airbus, Toyota and Google. These opportunities are where Australians can happily say we are leading the rest of the world, having been
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one of the first countries to regulate for commercial drone use back in 2002. We should ensure our students make the most of this head-start. DRONE RESOURCES As a scientist with a passion for real-world solutions and opportunities I have curated and created a number of resources which are all free to teachers and educators, including guides to getting drones into schools, interviews, panels, and safety and risk assessments. Educators can sign up and access these resources, and share any resources they may have developed, by visiting www.worldofdroneseducation.com. One of my start-ups is the annual World of Drones Congress (www.worldofdrones.com.au), with a special 50 per cent discounted rate on offer for educators. The next event will take place on 26-27 September 2019 at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre. EM
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TECHNOLOGY // EPSON
The bright side WHEN DESIGNING ITS NEW SCIENCE BUILDING, FUNCTIONALITY COMBINED WITH TOTAL COST OF OWNERSHIP LED HENLEY HIGH SCHOOL TO THE EPSON EB-2250U PROJECTOR, WITH 26 UNITS NOW INSTALLED ACROSS THE SCHOOL.
Based in the beachside suburb of Henley Beach in South Australia, Henley High School educates 1400 students from Year 8-12. The school places a strong emphasis on incorporating the latest in information and communication technology (ICT) tools into its teaching and learning spaces to enhance student engagement. Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) is among Henley’s key areas of focus. With student numbers continuing to grow, the school identified the need for a new STEM building. Following government funding, the new space was constructed. Incorporating three flexible new science labs, it was opened at the beginning of the 2019 school year and is now being used by students across all year levels. Epson projectors were incorporated into the design of Henley High School’s new STEM building.
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The new science labs each feature an Epson EB-2250U projector. “These Epson projectors were chosen because they are quite bright and can be seen in direct light. They are also good value for money. Both the projectors and replacement globes are reasonably priced. The new STEM building has a strong technology focus. Each of the three science labs features an Epson EB-2250U projector, used together with control systems and automated screens. The labs are also equipped with high definition video cameras, so teachers can record any practical demonstrations they are working on and then display them to the whole class via the projectors,” explains Andrew Dodd, ICT Manager at Henley.
New Epson projectors have been installed across the school as part of a recent equipment upgrade.
All Epson projectors are based on 3-chip LCD technology for exceptional colour, detail and reliability. This architecture continuously dedicates an entire chip to process each primary colour – red, green and blue. Unlike single-chip technology that delivers colour sequentially, this results in vibrant, realistic images and video delivered in true-to-life colour. The Epson EB-2250U projector delivers high quality images and crisp, sharp text without any distortion, at up to 300 inches wide. Though it is designed to be lightweight and compact, it delivers high brightness of up 5500 lumens and a superior contrast ratio of 15,000:1. This means there is no need to dim classroom lighting as the projected images are always bright, sharp and clear. “Staff have been really positive about the new STEM space. There are another five science labs in the school that feature the same Epson projectors. We have a total of 26 of these and the reason we use this model is because it pretty much hits the sweet spot of brightness and function versus cost. We made the decision to stick with projectors rather than using interactive panels because they allow a
“We have a total of 26 of these and the reason we use this model is because it pretty much hits the sweet spot of brightness and function versus cost.” big surface area for teachers to display content on and engage with their students,” explains Mr Dodd. These new projectors replaced older equipment, to deliver greater reliability, functionality and image quality. During the replacement program, which took place throughout 2018, the decision was made to standardise projectors across the board so staff only need to familiarise themselves with a single model, rather than having to get used to various different technologies. Designed to be compact, yet highly flexible, Mr Dodd says the new spaces are a modern interpretation of the school science lab. “There
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was a definite need for this new building. School enrolments continue to increase and the number of science labs we had was inadequate. Staff had input into the brief for the new building and said they wanted spaces that were highly flexible and allowed them to incorporate video, broadcasting and demonstrations in an effective manner. The end result is three spaces that can be opened up to create a larger space when needed.” While the EB-2250U has proven to be an ideal fit for the school’s classrooms, two larger projectors – the Epson EB-G7905U – have been installed into the school’s hall and drama space. Delivering 7000 lumens, the EB-G7905U is ideal for larger rooms. Using Epson’s 3-chip LCD technology, this model also features 4K enhancement, offering exceptional sharpness, clarity and detail. EM
Buyer’s Guide Epson Australia Ph: 1300 361 054 Web: www.epson.com.au
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TECHNOLOGY // ALGORITHMIC THINKING
40 Year 10 students from Korowa Anglican Girls’ School recently took part in a work experience hosted at One Roof, an all-women co-working space in Melbourne.
Hackers, hustlers and hipsters SARAH MORAN, CEO OF THE GIRL GEEK ACADEMY, EXPLAINS HOW TEACHING ALGORITHMIC SYSTEMS AND DESIGN THINKING CAN ENGAGE A WHOLE CLASS IN TECHNOLOGY.
Sarah Moran is CEO and co-founder of Girl Geek Academy, a social enterprise on a mission to help inspire one million women into technology by 2025. Ms Moran has been immersed in tech and STEM for most of her career. Learning how to code at the age of five and building websites and digital products throughout her teens, she was confronted by the negative stereotypes around girls and tech within the teaching world. Ms Moran has also worked across Australia and Silicon Valley, where she witnessed firsthand the challenges faced by women in the industry.
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I started coding in 1990 when I was five years old. No, I wasn’t some super genius. I had a very thoughtful teacher, Mr Cam, who secured a classroom full of Australian-made Microbee computers. As he learned how to use them, he encouraged us to learn alongside him. Picture a classroom full of primary school kids swapping code across computers, playing each other’s games with pride and laughing when the code wouldn’t do what we thought we’d told it to. Learning technology was a very collaborative activity and this social butterfly fell in love with building the internet. Today, many teachers inspire the next generation to fall in love with the T in STEM. It might have taken nearly 20 years, but almost
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every school classroom across Australia now looks and feels like mine did growing up. But there’s still a long way to go. When kids illustrate what they want to be when they grow up, they can usually draw a scientist, an engineer and a mathematician. But what does a technologist look like? Technologists build the future, so unless you’re drawing a crystal ball, that can be hard to visualise. Technology is a relatively new profession, and the other professions have been socialised far more effectively. With more time to make these roles visible in society, they are now richly developed in our stories and culture. If I want to dress up as a famous technologist do I go as Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs or Elon
Musk? For a start they’re all men who live in San Francisco, so not exactly relatable. The idea of going as Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak standing next to the Apple II doesn’t really connect mentally with learning drag-and-drop block coding on your iPad. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said at BUILD 2019, “Right now as we speak there are more software developers being hired outside of what is considered the ‘tech’ industry and it’s only going to grow.” So now every traditional career has technologists too. I run school holiday programs teaching women and young girls together in the one classroom. The first activity is for everyone to close their eyes and imagine what it looks like to build the internet. On my screen I show a stock image of a ‘hacker’ – a dude in a hoodie sitting alone in the dark. “Put your hand up if this is what you think of when you think of hacking?” Up goes every adult’s hand, met with looks of confusion from young girls. Because they are too young to consume some of the media that glorifies this kind of hacker, those girls haven’t been hit with the stereotypes. But a new risk is on the horizon. Technology is moving faster than the curriculum, and coding as we know it is becoming daggy. As a woman who thought she’d found a bargain when she scored her Frozen pyjamas for half price, I can assure you – youth culture moves fast. If we think teaching young people the same block coding lessons in Scratch and Code Studio
Students had the opportunity to hone in on their STEM skills with industry experts from Deloitte and 99designs.
will still be cool in 2020, think again. This is already happening in high schools, where kids in Year 7 are being ‘taught’ things they’ve already learned in Year 3. It’s frustrating young people and turning them away from technology altogether. At Girl Geek Academy we ensure we go beyond coding to explain the broader roles and skills in a technology team: hackers, hustlers and hipsters.
Students worked in teams of three, to collaboratively build a start-up.
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A hacker is a builder or coder and uses algorithmic thinking, a hipster is a designer who makes things look good using design thinking, and a hustler uses systems thinking to make sure people actually use the technology once it’s built. These skills are the core ingredients you need to build tech products, and a good technologist is able to dabble in all three. We are also using the influence of pop culture to inspire young people to think more broadly about careers in technology. Our Girl Geeks book series for young girls aged 9-12 features four friends who discover their talents as hackers, hustlers and hipsters in their classes at school. There is a real risk the digital wave currently driving inspiration in young people will age quickly and no longer be considered cool, so we need to think about what’s next in terms of inspiring emerging future technologists. According to the Australian Government’s Department of Industry, Innovation and Science, 75 per cent of jobs will require STEM skills by 2026. We need all hands on deck to ensure young people not only learn the basics but commit to technology careers and be supported to study the right things at the right time. EM
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TECHNOLOGY // ACER The META High School esports League allows schools in Australia and New Zealand to access local and national leagues, training, development and esports arenas.
Not the traditional classroom IN THE MODERN-DAY CLASSROOM, ESPORTS AND GAMIFICATION ARE EMERGING AS THE NEXT BIG THINGS TO WATCH. ACER DISCUSSES WHY EDUCATORS ARE NOW EMBRACING THESE TECHNOLOGIES TO BOOST STUDENT MOTIVATION AND ENGAGEMENT.
From developing critical strategy skills to working in teams, esports is proving to be an alternative, yet effective solution to maintaining and developing greater engagement with students and learning. esports refers to competitive multi-player gaming tournaments, often played with a huge spectatorship. Its appeal has grown rapidly in the past decade, with the rise
WHAT DOES THE ESPORTS PHENOMENON LOOK LIKE IN THE CLASSROOM? Within the typical classroom, the slight mention of video games in the classroom would sound like a strange concept – video games traditionally have been associated as a distraction or something that takes time away from study. Yet some studies have shown that competitive gaming, or esports, have surprising benefits on students’ performances outside of the gaming arena. Most recently, high schools in Australia have begun to shift their thinking towards esports as a legitimate sport. Just like basketball or netball, multi-player games like League of Legends focus on the concepts of teamwork and communication. This concept, collective responsibility,
Acer’s Predator Gaming booth at the Intel Extreme Masters Sydney event, held in May 2019.
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of video streaming services, such as YouTube and Twitch, allowing gamers around the world to come together and compete – all on a digital playing field. The rising legitimacy of esports as a team sport has captured the attention of teachers and schools, who are noticing the gaming passion of their students in their classrooms. But teachers are not the only ones recognising this, with brands like Acer tackling this head on and partnering with high schools to integrate esports and gamification into their curriculum.
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encourages players to coordinate their efforts to not let the team down. These skills can be translated into everyday life, promoting team spirit and friendship, as well as allowing natural leaders to emerge. A recent initiative that has integrated esports and education is META High School esports League. Developed by Adelaide Football Club and Riot Games and sponsored by Acer and Intel, this initiative provides all schools across Australia and New Zealand the opportunity to have access to local and national leagues, training, development and esports arenas. The idea is to allow students to hone their craft, but also facilitate social and academic progress that in turn can improve student engagement and school attendance. THE POWER OF GAMIFICATION FOR LEARNING The growing interest of esports in education taps into the larger trend of introducing gamification in the classroom. Gamification is viewed as a disruptive solution to the current education system, with its ability to bring out the best of traditional classroom teaching through the digital learning tools available. While it is unconventional, gaming does present itself as an alternative way to help build skills necessary for personal and educational development. The application of gamification can unlock formative life skills such as self-discipline and the ability to deal with adversity. By engaging with students who may not be as responsive to traditional teaching methods, such technology
A student tests Acer’s Mixed Reality headset during EduTECH.
mitigates the otherwise subsequent decline in their motivation and engagement. Growing accessibility of immersive technology, such as Acer’s Mixed Reality Headset, is also making it easier for educators everywhere to explore the endless possibilities to create new and innovative ways, improving life skills and academic outcomes for students involved. esports and gamification are becoming more prevalent in learning and education in Australia. Through emerging initiatives such as META and advancing technology devices, it provides a layer
of fun and enjoyment for students, transforming their attitudes and perspectives towards learning. Ultimately, new technology provides teachers the confidence to embrace new methods of teaching, providing support to all students – regardless of the different learning styles. EM
Buyer’s Guide Acer Computer Australia Ph: 1300 308 056 Web: www.acer.com/ac/en/AU/ content/home
TECHNOLOGY // EFFECTIVE INTEGRATION
One size doesn’t fit all ACCORDING TO DR MICHAEL PHILLIPS OF MONASH UNIVERSITY, THERE IS NO ONE SIZE FITS ALL APPROACH TO TECHNOLOGY FOR THE CLASSROOM. INSTEAD, HE SAYS, IT’S IMPORTANT FOR EDUCATORS TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE TECHNOLOGY WORKS AND WHETHER OR NOT IT’S THE RIGHT FIT FOR THEIR PARTICULAR CLASSROOM.
As educators, we are often exposed to advertisements promoting the use of digital technologies in our classrooms. Additionally, pressures from State and Federal curriculum documents and even from school leaders and parents can make teachers feel as though they have to constantly be using the latest hardware and software. While there are undoubtedly a range of ‘state-of-the-art’ examples in which teaching and learning are enhanced through the use of educational technologies, the ‘state-of-theactual’ in many classrooms is quite different. Many educators struggle to keep up with the latest technological developments and to consider the ways these might best work for the students they are teaching.
Dr Michael Phillips is a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Education at Monash University. His work focuses on the knowledge expert teachers develop when integrating educational technologies into their practice. Additionally, Dr Phillips researches the ways in which expert teachers make active decisions about their classroom technology integration. His research regularly involves collaboration with colleagues from Australia, the United States, Europe, Asia and the subcontinent.
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TEACHING IS A PEOPLE BUSINESS All of the great teachers I have met share one thing in common. They love working with people. At its core, I believe teaching is a people business. If you cannot relate to the students in front of you, it is going to be very difficult to understand what may or may not resonate with them. Not understanding what motivates, engages and frightens the students in your classroom means that you are likely to miss the mark more often than you hit it. So, trying to work out what technologies might work as part of your teaching practice has to start with the students you are teaching. With the latest app, there may be great opportunities that others rave about, but if this isn’t going to resonate with your students, then it is unlikely to have similar results for you.
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With the latest app, there may be great opportunities that others rave about, but if this isn’t going to resonate with your students, then it is unlikely to have similar results for you. The first thing to consider is your pedagogical knowledge – understanding the relationship between your teaching and your students’ learning. The first thing to consider is your pedagogical knowledge – understanding the relationship between your teaching and your students’ learning. At the heart of this relationship is people and not all technologies are going to work in the same way with different groups of people (or even with the same group of people at different points in time). CONTENT IS A BIG DEAL The particular information that you are presenting to your students does make a really big difference. Unlike secondary school teachers, primary teachers so often need to be familiar with such a huge variety of content. The way that content is organised reveals a great deal about the nature of the knowledge that is being taught.
Credit: The TPACK framework, reproduced by permission of the publisher, © 2012 by tpack.org.
The form of technological knowledge that my research has shown to be really important is understanding the connections between technological opportunities and constraints... Asking: In what ways does this technology allow me to better represent particular content to my particular students at this particular point in time for a very particular purpose lies at the heart of effective technology integration.
The TPACK framework suggests that the most effective educational technology integration occurs when technological, pedagogical and content knowledge overlap.
Even if we take what appears to be one subject – like Science – we can find really important differences between Biology and Chemistry, for example. While biologists typically like to think in terms of systems and how these systems interact with one another, chemists typically like to break down the more complex structures into each of their constituent parts. This means the way information gets represented looks very different for these topic areas and one thing that digital technologies are able to do really well is represent information in a variety of ways. Thinking deeply about your content knowledge allows you to carefully consider what digital
technologies will allow you to best represent different types of information – this is not a one size fits all model. GETTING DOWN TO THE TECHNOLOGICAL BIT Many teachers I have worked with start with considerations of the technology – “What button do I need to press to make it…?” is the kind of question many teachers ask. While the technical aspects of some technologies can make things challenging for some teachers, many of the really well designed, newer forms of technology are powerful but also user friendly. Instead of worrying about which buttons you are going to need to know about, I encourage educators
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to think about a deeper form of technological knowledge as well. The form of technological knowledge that my research has shown to be really important is understanding the connections between technological opportunities and constraints, and your pedagogical and content knowledge. Asking: In what ways does this technology allow me to better represent particular content to my particular students at this particular point in time for a very particular purpose lies at the heart of effective technology integration. An easy way to picture this is in the TPACK framework diagram in which technological, pedagogical and content knowledge are represented as overlapping circles. Punya Mishra and Matt Koehler, who developed this model, argue that the most effective educational technology integration occurs at the nexus of these three circles – when our Technological, Pedagogical And Content Knowledge (or TPACK for short) all come together in our own particular context. EM
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TECHNOLOGY // A SLOW APPROACH
A vision of ‘Slow’ education IN A FAST-PACED WORLD, WHERE TECHNOLOGY IS EVER-EVOLVING, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR MIRIAM TANTI DISCUSSES THE IMPORTANCE OF A ‘SLOW’ APPROACH TO TECHNOLOGY-RICH EDUCATION.
Associate Professor Miriam Tanti is the Acting Head of the School of Education in NSW and the ACT at the Australian Catholic University. She prepares both undergraduate and postgraduate preservice teachers to teach in contemporary learning environments, through the meaningful integration of digital technologies. In addition, she has worked with schools and school leaders to develop Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM), Problem and Project Based Learning frameworks and Action Research. Associate Professor Tanti completed her PhD through the University of Sydney. The PhD, and subsequent research, has focused on developing a Slow educational framework that presents a vision for sustainable learning. She is currently writing a book, on Slow, due for release in late 2019.
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During the 25 years I have been involved in education it has undergone significant change. I have witnessed firsthand the impact global influences, accelerating change and increased technological complexity have had on education, knowledge, teaching and learning. I have watched, as education has become increasingly perceived as the key to national competitiveness, tilting education’s balance in favour of the vocational and economic development of human capital and on the commodification of learning and teaching. Education now utilises a model crippled by too much content and too little time to think, built upon the provision of knowledge and skills that governments think businesses require, informed by political agendas looking for ways to educate more people to even higher levels. All of this contributes to the dichotomous relationship between technological advancement and innovation on the one hand, and the conservation of humanity and the humanistic pursuit of knowledge, understanding and wisdom on the other. My research is not anti-innovation or technology, in fact and perhaps surprisingly, it demonstrates that the modern world need not sacrifice concepts of right, wrong, ethics, morals and long-term vision, to technology. But rather, the informed and purposeful utilisation of technological innovations can help orchestrate a recovery of education and humanity. To do this, I offer an alternative to the ‘fast’ of 21st century life and education, through the sharing of a ‘Slow’ way of living, teaching and learning. A Slow approach that embraces the joys and challenges of discovering one’s self and one’s natural rhythm and tempo in a speed-hungry world, an approach that identifies teaching and learning as humanistic, social and multidimensional and puts this view forward as a guide for future developments in education.
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WHAT IS ‘FAST’? The increased emphasis on the economy, ubiquitous nature of technology and the pressure on educators to serve the needs of ‘the knowledge society’ is breeding a culture of Fast knowledge. The National STEM School Strategy (Office of the Chief Scientist, 2013) and the Digital Education Revolution (Rudd, Swan & Conroy, 2007 plus other reports) saw the rapid increase in access to technological resources and an interdisciplinary understanding of STEM, which required teachers, and students, immediately adopt these new initiatives. The immediacy of adoption, without sufficient pedagogical dialogue, critique and reflection limits the effect a ‘national strategy’ and ‘educational revolution’ can have on learning. This is educational reform focused heavily on the ‘here and now’ and short-term measures that are unlikely to adequately prepare students for a 21st century world of uncertainty, complexity and changing technological innovation. TOWARDS ‘SLOW’ The exploration of ‘Slow’ is best approached through Slow Food, which was the Slow Movement’s founding organisation. Slow Food was a revolution conceived in Italy when McDonald’s opened a franchise amongst the historic architecture of the Piazza di Spagna in Rome. A revolt was held in the name of traditional foods that were increasingly at risk of disappearing forever as a speed-hungry world turned increasingly to fast food over food that was ‘good, clean and fair’; food connected to people, culture and place – Slow Food. Fast food represented everything commercial and industrial; where ingredients were sourced internationally with the financial gains a priority
The research uncovered the essence of Slow in education as consisting of the following elements: fostering a Slow state of mind, discovering natural time, valuing the process of learning, nurturing connectedness and embracing Slow technology. over taste, where food preparation was centred on standardised procedures regardless of location and tradition and where food did not reflect the culture, local climate or conditions – each hamburger a clone of the other, completely disconnected from the city in which it was purchased and consumed. A metaphor we could aptly use to describe 21st century education. A system where teaching practice still reflects its industrial roots; where the emphasis is on knowledge that is standardised, of specific use and that which can be measured, over that which is merely contemplative and demonstrates respect for our cultural inheritance; where exam results are prioritised over engagement in rigorous discussion and debate for no reason other than to pursue one’s natural curiosities and establish deep connections; and where the focus is on short-term rewards over long-term implications. To counter the fast food trend, Slow Food was established to protect traditional culture, the environment and biodiversity. In the Slow Food manifesto, Slow is defined as an awakening of our senses through a strong philosophical position motivated by the desire to experience life more fully, to enjoy the company of like-minded people through which one can pursue one’s natural curiosity. Second, Slow values tradition and character, because eating well means respecting culinary knowledge and honouring the complexity of the gastronomic practices undertaken. And third, Slow is about making moral choices, where taste holds the central position supported by our direct relationship with food growers, our direct link to the natural
environment in which we live. A philosophical position that education too could benefit from. The literature on Slow in education is embryonic, as most debate has occurred only in the last 20 years. There have been a few advocates for Slow in education, the most prominent being Holt (2002), who called for the commencement of the ‘Slow School Movement’. As a result, I undertook a large research project to explore exactly what Slow may look like in education, and the benefits. The research uncovered the essence of Slow in education as consisting of the following elements: fostering a Slow state of mind, discovering natural time, valuing the process of learning, nurturing connectedness and embracing Slow technology. Below is a brief summary of each. STATE OF MIND A Slow state of mind is one that is mindfully aware. It is open and responsive and requires continual examination and reflection, as the tensions between Fast and Slow are evaluated on an ongoing basis, and as a way to translate experience into meaningful learning. A Slow state of mind encourages us to engage with the moments of our everyday lives in a more considered and meaningful way, to feed our sense of curiosity, as a catalyst for questioning, searching, hunting and inquiring – leading to a journey of engagement and investigation of the world. This is important in the development of learning for the long term as we move into the complex and unknown territory of the future, with issues and problems that have no definitive answers and solutions. DISCOVERING NATURAL TIME Slow requires time – time to think deeply, talk more, explore, reflect, engage and rejoice in each moment. Students need to be able to exercise choice and control of what feels like the right number of tasks to undertake; reflecting tempo, rhythm and pace in tune with, and unique to, each individual. Such a view of time, one that is more subjective, personal, dynamic and supportive of the connection and engagement with learning and learners connects education with meaning and authenticity. In this way time is transformed, providing an opportunity for learning to resonate with students as the learning activities flow naturally and in tune with each student’s world, tempo and rhythm.
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APPRECIATING PROCESS Shifting the focus to the process of learning, away from a focus on ends, means creating activities that encourage learners to think, take risks, succeed, fail, collaborate and communicate. Projects and problems are a way of piquing learner interest, offering intrinsic motivation, and awakening curiosity and demand for information over extended but flexible periods of time. In this way, learners become active participants, not passive recipients, with a call for each of them to be engaged in continual thought, inquiry, discovery and action as a way to develop empathetic, caring and compassionate people who value learning. CONNECTEDNESS Slow is about connecting to self, others and place. Connectedness is a way of thinking described as looking inward to the internal rhythms of the self. It involves asking life’s bigger questions to gain clarity, insight and wisdom. Understanding ourselves is to be able to give sense and purpose to life and can be recognised via learners questioning, trying, challenging, testing and experimenting. In addition, connectedness encompasses the emphasis and opportunity to work with others to generate new ideas and initiatives as a way to broaden one’s perspective and increase empathy and awareness for the consequences personal decisions and actions can have on others. SLOW IN EDUCATION Slow, in education, will not naturally occur – it needs to be made explicit. Making Slow experiences a part of education requires educators to be conscious of the value and role of Slow. The implication is that educators need to open up these areas of inquiry. It is also through awareness that Slow can cause educators to question personal epistemologies, so that Slow might be adopted in their own lives too. Educators need to reconceptualise Fast in their personal and professional lives in order to foster an alternate, slower reality in the future. This is thinking that would take us into the depth of our experiences: ourselves, others and nature. The implication is that such thinking and understanding could see the personal experience and education effectively pursued through the experience of Slow. EM
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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT // OPEN UNIVERSITIES AUSTRALIA
Become a leader in secondary school education IF YOU’VE EVER THOUGHT ABOUT STEPPING UP FROM YOUR CURRENT POSITION TO BECOME A LEADER IN SECONDARY SCHOOL EDUCATION, OPEN UNIVERSITIES AUSTRALIA SAYS THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A BETTER TIME.
As the Australian population continues to grow, so does the number of students moving through the secondary school system. This increase is creating ongoing demand for qualified teachers to take on roles of leadership. For those already working in the industry, the task of upskilling can seem near impossible. After all, educating the next generation can leave little time for much else – let alone attending on-campus lectures and tutorials. While this may have been a barrier to career advancement for educators in the past, the tide is turning. Online education is empowering teachers of today – offering them the ability to fit postgraduate study in with existing school responsibilities. National leader in online education, Open Universities Australia (OUA), offers more than 25 postgraduate degrees in education from leading Australian universities. This allows education professionals to reach their full potential as leaders through online study – without having to sacrifice income, family or existing school commitments. THE MAKING OF A TRUE LEADER What are the skills that set leaders in education apart? Petrah Harslett, founder of Teachers On Net and Tap for Teacher, has had countless interactions with principal associations and education experts. She explains, “Being able to apply leadership skills to different areas comes down to emotional intelligence and the ability to get along with others – and build a team around you. Empathy, collaboration and communication are key skills; and this is the case for both primary and secondary schools.” VALUE IN COLLABORATION In addition to emotional intelligence, Ms Harslett praises the ability of true education leaders to take a collaborative approach to their work. “If you’re a maths teacher for example, it’s less about how brilliant you are at maths; and more about how well you get along with other staff members and how well you are able to work with them to achieve the desired outcomes.”
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A Master of Education provides educators with the opportunity to get involved in lots of projects at their school, forces them into opportunities where they have to work on their leadership skills, and offers them visibility. YOUR PATH TO SUCCESS Whether leadership means becoming a head of faculty, curriculum coordinator or principal, a postgraduate degree such as a Master of Education is integral to success. Postgraduate degrees in education give students the ability to enrich their critical thinking, inform new perspectives and show employers that they are up to the challenge of solving complex educational issues. “A Master of Education provides educators with the opportunity to get involved in lots of projects at their school, forces them into opportunities where they have to work on their leadership skills, and offers them visibility,” Ms Harslett says. FINDING THE RIGHT FIT As thousands of Australians are realising, OUA simplifies the task of finding the right degree for career progression. OUA offers hundreds of degrees and subjects from leading Australian universities in one place – making it easy to compare on curriculum, price and university rankings. As well as demystifying choice, OUA offers students the ease of studying online – a benefit being taken advantage of by working professionals who are keen to upskill while maintaining their career. In some degrees, students can even mix and match subjects from multiple universities. This allows those looking for career progression to tailor the outcomes they’d like to achieve. There’s also the option to weight study loads up and down, depending on how busy life at home (or school) becomes.
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While teaching in Beijing, Nahin Juma Edmunds studied a Master of Education online through Open Universities Australia.
At the end of their degree, students will graduate with exactly the same qualification from their chosen university as if they had studied on campus. NAHIN’S JOURNEY Nahin Juma Edmunds, a teacher at Aidi International School in Beijing, chose to study the Master of Education with Curtin University online through OUA as a final step in his education. As his career progressed, Mr Edmunds became a Head Teacher in his workplace’s art and design program. During this process, being able to juggle
his classroom commitments while developing leadership skills was paramount. “Open Universities Australia gave me the freedom to study whilst working at the same time,” he says. “I can work all day and study without having to rely on a particular class time.” SEIZE THE OPPORTUNITY With more than 25 Master of Education degrees from leading Australian universities available to study online, Open Universities Australia is giving secondary school professionals the chance to reach their full potential. EM
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Open Universities Australia gave me the freedom to study whilst working at the same time. Buyer’s Guide Open Universities Australia Ph: 13 OPEN Web: open.edu.au
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CURRICULUM // VICROADS COMMUNITY PROGRAMS
The Road Smart program is designed to promote safe driving for pre and learner drivers.
Students learn to be Road Smart PROVIDED FREE OF CHARGE, ROAD SMART IS A ROAD SAFETY EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROGRAM DELIVERED TO YEAR 10 STUDENTS (OR EQUIVALENT) BY TRAINED FACILITATORS, RIGHT ACROSS VICTORIA.
Designed to build on the existing road knowledge and skills of students, Road Smart aims to establish the foundations for safe driving in young drivers. “Our students really appreciate this program and we are looking forward to the driving component now,” says Year 10 Coordinator, Belgrave. Funded by the Victorian Government and delivered by VicRoads Community Programs, Road Smart is an initiative that supports and enhances Victoria’s Graduated Licensing System. The Graduated Licensing System is Victoria’s new approach for anyone aged under 21 who is learning to drive. It requires at least 120 hours of learner driving practice with a supervising driver, followed by a year on red P-plates and three years on green P-plates before a driver is fully licensed. Drivers must have a zeroalcohol limit and mobile phone use is banned. On red P-plates, there is an additional restriction that only one peer passenger may travel with the driver. Since the introduction of the Graduated Licensing System, Victoria’s road casualties for younger drivers have been significantly reduced.
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“All of your facilitators were absolutely wonderful. The day went really well and the kids definitely got something out of it. Can you please thank them (for the 100th time, I’m sure) for such a fantastic day. And I look forward to planning it again next year,” says Year 10 Coordinator, Langwarrin. Road Smart is a comprehensive program for pre and learner drivers. It entails: • An interactive classroom session delivered by a trained facilitator; • Online eLearning modules for learner drivers and their supervising drivers; • A free in-car driving lesson with a professional driving instructor; and • A teacher’s resource toolkit that is linked to the Victorian Curriculum. “Thank you for providing this service for our students. The feedback has been very positive,” says Head Teacher Year 10, Vermont South. VicRoads Community Programs are funded under the Road User Vehicle Access group by the Transport Accident Commission (TAC).
The Road Smart program is designed to provide students with a broader understanding of road trauma and its causes; the importance of a staged approach when learning to drive, and their own responsibility for promoting road safety. By taking the program into schools, Road Smart can directly reach young pre-learner and learner drivers and teach them the importance of practising safe driving. “Thanks for sending three brilliant presenters once again. My students were well behaved because your guys were engaging and the material relevant,” says Year 10 Coordinator, Belgrave. Road Smart replaces the Keys Please program that was successfully delivered to Victorian Year 10 students for around 18 years. Road Smart is an improved, more targeted program. It is delivered to smaller groups and introduces eLearning and an on-road opportunity that Keys Please did not provide. “A sincere thanks to all involved in supporting students – the program provided our students with a wonderful introduction to the world of driving. The students were initially very apprehensive but quickly relaxed into learning. The theory was extremely
Road Smart aims to help students understand their own responsibilities when they get behind the wheel.
engaging and very appropriate and the practical was an amazing opportunity for them. I was fortunate enough to witness the faces of students returning from the driving lesson and I am happy to report the smiles were broad and the chatter, sheer delight,” says Year 10 Coordinator, Canterbury. To become a Road Smart school, please email to register your interest. EM
Buyer’s Guide VicRoads Community Programs – Road Smart Email: roadsmart@roads.vic.gov.au Web: www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/safetyand-road-rules/road-safety-education/ secondary-schools/road-smart
DON’T MISS OUT ON OUR UPCOMING SEPTEMBER PRIMARY AND OCTOBER SECONDARY EDITIONS OF EDUCATION MATTERS. These bumper editions will include: ROBOTICS Our special Hot Topic feature on Robotics will investigate how this technology is being used to enhance student engagement, provide hands-on STEM learning, and help prepare today’s students for the world of the future. MATHEMATICS AND TUTORING For some students, maths skills come naturally, for others a little help goes a long way in improving outcomes. In this feature, we look into some of the programs and resources being used to assist students of various skill levels to improve their mathematical abilities. HEALTH AND WELLBEING PROGRAMS Looking after our physical and mental health is important. This has resulted in a range of effective programs being developed and implemented into schools to help improve the health and wellbeing of students, teachers, principals and school staff. We highlight some of the tools currently available. To be part of this exciting issue, please contact
Andrew Morrison M 0411 755 432
E andrew.morrison@primecreative.com.au
BEYOND THE CLASSROOM // LEARNING SPACES
Translating learning theory and practice into spatial design WHEN PLANNING A FUTURE-FOCUSED LEARNING ENVIRONMENT, THISÂ PROCESS CANNOT BE BASED ON NORMATIVE THEORIES, BUT RATHER, MUST BE GROUNDED IN CONTEMPORARY LEARNING THEORIES, SUCH AS SITUATED AND PERSONALISED LEARNING THEORIES, EXPLAINS LEARNING SPACE EXPERT PETER C. LIPPMAN.
SITUATED LEARNING THEORY Situated learning theory examines the transactional relationship between the learner(s) and the physical environment. Before the design begins, the purpose of the settings and how they will be used must be fully examined; for the social situations inform the design of the settings so that learners may become engaged in the practices of each. For the last 25 years, Peter C. Lippman, M. Phil., Assoc. AIA, has been researching, writing about and designing activity-based learning environments for the future. By providing insight that reaches beyond the current normative mindsets about learning environments, Mr Lippman is able to fashion dynamic places for learning. His approach is holistic, not fragmented, as he understands that learning environments are places in which learners are always acquiring knowledge in relationship to an ever-evolving physical environment. This approach recognises that the goal is not the design of dynamic buildings, but rather creating places for learning. An acknowledged thought leader in the field of educational architecture, Mr Lippman has been invited to work around the world where he guides municipalities, school districts, schools and design professionals in creating places for learning. He is the author of Evidence-Based Design for Primary and Secondary Schools: A Responsive Approach to Creating Learning Environments (2010) and the founder of Places Created for Learning.
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PERSONALISED LEARNING THEORY When planning secondary schools that are grounded in situated and personalised learning theories, the group learning areas (aka General Learning Areas) must break away from the traditional image of
instructional spaces, where students are confined to sitting at a desk listening to a teacher or completing the same assignment as the other students. Within group learning areas, learners may pivot between an interactive presentation and the teacher walking throughout the space, encouraging them to engage in activities that they have planned. PLANNING GROUP LEARNING AREAS Since these settings support teachers having access to each learner and each learner having the choice and opportunity to move within, between and across locations in the physical environment to access resources and others, the areas should be planned
The Big Picture Education Group Learning Areas at Hunter Sports High School also aim to support the different ways people work.
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At Hunter Sports High School in the Big Picture Education Group Learning Areas, zones have been crafted so that users may easily move through the space.
with numerous activity settings in which teachers and learners alike may work comfortably, settle and reflect on a task/project before engaging in it – independently or with others and/or virtually.
While a group learning area may be thought of as an open learning environment with few walls (hopefully, not angled), these areas must not only support cooperative group work, but must also allow
for didactic teaching and independent work. To achieve a place that supports the diverse ways that people participate with others and acquire knowledge, the group learning areas must be understood as a place where activity settings may be attuned by learners. The attunement of the spaces by the users is a consequence of integrating a combination of moveable furniture and built-in cabinetry which informs learners how the settings can be used. When planning these areas: • C reate a visible (open) learning environment; • P lan for activity settings – areas in the learning environment that may be attuned to support the pedagogy of the place; • R ecognise the importance of corners as places that offer a sense of prospect and refuge; • Value the spaces-in-between as learning zones that provide space for movement and allow learners to become engaged peripherally with others; and • Realise the potential of walls as additional focal points in the room for display and, where possible, are locations where activity settings may be located. EM
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BEYOND THE CLASSROOM // WILLPLAY
Bringing out the ninja WITH TODAY’S YOUTH TYPICALLY LESS ACTIVE THAN IN THE PAST, WILLPLAY HAS LAUNCHED A RANGE DESIGNED TO APPEAL TO STUDENTS OF ALL AGES, ENCOURAGING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND PROMOTING GREATER CORE STRENGTH.
WillPlay’s Urban Warrior Range combines the best of play and fitness equipment to enable an amazing play area that can be so much more than conventional play equipment. The Urban Warrior range has been designed to engage older students who no longer feel the need to ‘play’. With an emphasis on physical challenge and movement, this system encourages activity without the perception of play that can often be a disincentive for secondary students to get involved. When students reach secondary school, their incentive and desire to play disappears, being replaced with more sedentary activities. Add this to the undisputed fact that teenagers are less active than previous generations, the ability to increase activity levels during school hours is a real benefit. With an emphasis on activities that can develop cardiovascular fitness and improve core strength, the Urban Warrior range can help with a student’s overall fitness and strength, and help to improve posture. Improved core strength and posture has been linked to higher concentration levels and improved educational outcomes. Following the rise in popularity of television shows promoting similar obstacle course activities, the Urban Warrior system encourages activity and participation by students of all ages. The system also encourages social engagement and can add an element of competitiveness. As an added benefit, WillPlay’s Urban Warrior range can also be incorporated into the school’s Physical Education program.
WillPlay’s Urban Warrior range allows schools to benchmark and track fitness outcomes in students from Prep to Year 12.
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The structured flow of the course also allows students to be benchmarked and compare their own results/improvements in physical performance and fitness over a period of time. The individual elements can be set as a closed circuit or scattered around a larger area, creating a cross country style training course. Encouraging students to move between elements can improve cardio-vascular fitness and helps achieve the minimum daily movement that many students are missing out on in today’s world. Elements of the system can also be ordered individually and incorporated into conventional play areas. In addition, this allows a circuit to be built in stages, as budgets allow. Manufactured in Australia from premium materials including stainless steel, aluminium and recycled plastics and timber composites, these units are built to handle anything that students can throw at them. WillPlay is an Australian manufacturer of play and fitness equipment, which can assist schools with formulating the ideal play and fitness spaces, from the initial design concept through to the construction. Talk to your nearest WillPlay distributor to help design the ultimate obstacle course for your school. EM
Buyer’s Guide WillPlay Ph: 1300 132 047 Web: www.willplay.com.au
PGL ADVENTURE CAMPS // BEYOND THE CLASSROOM
Cementing relationships AT WARRNAMBOOL COLLEGE IN VICTORIA’S SOUTH-WEST, YEAR 7 STUDENTS TAKE PART IN A CAMP AT CAMPASPE DOWNS, HELPING THEM TO FORM LASTING NEW FRIENDSHIPS AS THEY ENTER THE NEXT CHAPTER OF THEIR SCHOOLING.
Set amid 180 acres of natural bushland in the Macedon Ranges, Campaspe Downs is one of three sites run by PGL Adventure Camps, which offers a range of outdoor adventure-based programs that can be tailored to suit each school’s desired outcomes. Warrnambool College began using PGL’s services for its Year 7 camps in 2018. According to Matthew Williams, Sports and Events Coordinator at Warrnambool College, the school places high importance on extracurricular activities such as camps and outdoor education. “Students are involved in multiple outdoor activities throughout the Campaspe Downs camps, which enhances student learning by creating authentic relationships with the staff and other students. This has a studied effect that enhances classroom outcomes,” says Mr Williams. In his role, Mr Williams is tasked with the planning, coordination and delivery of camps, local and interstate sporting excursions and local school and community events. He works across the entire school from Years 7-12, in partnership with teachers.
By attending school camps, he says that students develop interpersonal skills such as communication, reasoning and teamwork. Students often gain the skills necessary to achieve group success in a given task as well as enhance their empathy, trust and resilience with their peers through group activities. They also have the opportunity to try new activities such as canoeing, raft building, navigating high ropes courses or abseiling. “These camps offer students the opportunity to develop social skills necessary for school life and their own personal development. Student activities are designed to necessitate teamwork and engagement in a fun setting to foster new relationships between the students as well as strengthen teacher student relationships through minor games and major activities,” Mr Williams adds. “The importance of students attending camps away from school is a large part of the camp philosophy. The Year 7 camp helps to form relationships for students entering a new school community.”
The ‘Leap of Faith’ aims to foster determination and courage. Students climb a six-metre pole before diving for the trapeze bar.
Students at Warrnambool College participate in outdoor camps in Years 7, 8 and 9. In addition to the high value the school places on academic outcomes, it also places a large emphasis on personal development and wellbeing, which are strengthened through student involvement in outdoor camps and other initiatives such as the school’s Academy Program, which gives students the opportunity to focus on a pursuit of their choosing such as soccer, AFL, netball or basketball, for example. EM
Buyer’s Guide PGL Adventure Camps Ph: 1300 859 895 Email: info@pgladventurecamps.com.au Web: www.pgladventurecamps.com.au
Climbing is one of the many activities students can take part in during PGL’s camps.
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BEYOND THE CLASSROOM // EXCEL LOCKERS
Quality with service to match IMPRESSED BY THE QUALITY AND DURABILITY PROVIDED BY EXCEL LOCKERS, REDDAM HOUSE SCHOOL IN SYDNEY ENLISTED THE COMPANY’S SERVICES ONCE AGAIN TO CATER TO STUDENT GROWTH, BUILDING ON A BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP THAT EXTENDS ALMOST A DECADE.
Reddam House is a co-educational school that caters to students from Kindergarten to Year 12. It was opened in 2001, starting with just 160 students. Today its student base has grown to more than 800, across its two campuses in Woollahra (Primary and Middle years) and North Bondi (Years 10 to 12). Excel Lockers undertook the initial locker installation at the North Bondi campus. With growing student enrolments, the school saw the need to install additional lockers. “The most recent time we used Excel Lockers, it was because our student numbers have expanded. We wanted all of our lockers to match so we went with the same company we have previously used,” says Kate Hall from Reddam House’s North Bondi campus. Excel Lockers was able to customise its product in order to match existing lockers, however with a few additional benefits. “As the lockers are situated on a covered veranda, we needed to make sure they couldn’t be impacted by weather. With this installation, we developed an enhanced base system with a waterproof element and closed off the bottom of the lockers to make them look neater,” explains John Lupton, National Sales Manager at Excel Lockers.
These lockers were supplied to Cammeraygal High School in Sydney.
Excel Lockers was established by Tony Downes in 2006, bringing extensive industry experience to his new venture. Based in Brisbane, the business specialises in manufacturing and installing lockers and supplies its products and services nationwide. The locker ranges are manufactured using the latest in computer-controlled machinery to ensure optimum strength and durability. Their robust construction is coupled with heavy-duty recessed padlock fittings and heavy-duty hinges, to ensure they can handle anything students can throw their way. Together with supplying a high quality product, Excel Lockers prides itself on its high levels of customer service, providing tailored solutions to meet each school’s individual requirements. Mr Lupton says that it’s all about delivering exactly what schools want, not just what’s on the order form. For new builds, the business is involved in projects early on, liaising with architects to determine how it can build its lockers into what the school is trying to achieve. “I’ve found Excel Lockers very easy to work with. They are easy to get in touch with and deliver what they promise,” says Ms Hall. “All-round, Excel Lockers has been great.” EM
Buyer’s Guide Excel Lockers has worked with numerous schools, including supplying these lockers at St John Fisher Catholic School in Brisbane.
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Excel Lockers Ph: 0408 886 346 Email: john@excellockers.com.au Web: www.excellockers.com.au
WIN
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Projector Model Code: MPTW4001 Maxell Ultra-Short Throw Interactive Laser projector. Includes Wall mount (HASWM06) and Finger Touch module (FT01B)
Education Matters is an informative, valuable resource for decision makers of primary and secondary schools Australia-wide. Introducing Maxell’s new, highly innovative 3LCD ultra short throw laser interactive projector which can reach up to 4,200 ANSI lumens. This new projector is light weight, compact and environmentally friendly. This next generation projector provides unparalleled image vibrancy and clarity all wrapped up in a sleek, stylish design. Ideally suited for producing up to 110” images in limited spaces and is specifically designed to meet the diverse needs of educators. To find out more about Hitachi’s Digital Presentation Solutions, visit www.hitachi.com.au/dps/
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THE LAST WORD // Minister for Education
Achieving their full potential MINISTER FOR EDUCATION, THE HON. DAN TEHAN MP, REVEALS EDUCATION FUNDING AND REFORMS THAT SEEK TO BENEFIT ALL STUDENTS; AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A NEW INSTITUTE THAT AIMS TO DRIVE VARIOUS IMPROVEMENTS. The Australian Government believes that every Australian child, no matter where they live, should have access to a world-class education. Our Government is providing record funding to ensure all Australian students have the opportunity to reach their potential. We are also implementing important reforms that ensure our record funding delivers the best outcomes. The Quality Schools package will see more than $310 billion provided to all schools – an extra $37 billion, an increase of 62 per cent per student. Every state and territory government has signed up to the National School Reform Agreement that commits the Australian Government and the states and territories to work together to implement the reforms recommended by David Gonski that will improve our nation’s education system. In response, the Australian Government will be collecting better data to improve the national evidence base. We will create a unique student identifier so that students can be better supported no matter where they live. This will enable us to track the performance of all students, including rural and regional students, to provide a clear indication of where students may be lagging, and what can be done to address that. We will also establish a new national evidence institute to drive improvements in teaching practice, school systems and policies. The institute’s work will identify ‘good practice’ in our classrooms and translate it into practical tools to ensure it becomes ‘common practice’ throughout Australia’s teaching profession. But our work does not stop there. Every parent will tell you the best asset in their school is the teachers. We want to attract more high-quality teachers into classrooms by expanding
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the successful Teach for Australia program to target the next generation of school leaders. The Australian Government will invest an additional $15 million to train more high-achieving teachers to work in rural, remote or disadvantaged schools. We will ensure that teaching students learn how to teach phonics for use in the classroom to improve literacy. It is vital that teachers receive the support they need to succeed. The Australian Government is backing our teachers so they can focus on teaching. We are tasking the Australian Institute of Teaching and School Leadership to develop a National Strategy to support schools to tackle the abuse of teachers in the classroom. We will work hard to ensure that principals and teachers are free from excessive red tape, giving them more time to focus on teaching their students. As part of the Australian Curriculum review due to occur in 2020, the Australian Government will also place on the COAG Education Council agenda a review of the compliance and regulation that teachers face. The Australian Government has established a $30 million Local School Community Fund to support local government, Catholic and Independent schools with specific projects to benefit students and local school communities. We will provide $200,000 to each federal electorate to support priority projects in schools, such as IT upgrades for a specific cohort of students, excursions for students from remote areas, sporting facilities, or equipment for students with explicit needs. Our Government understands how important it is that all children and young people in Australia learn to become digitally literate in a safe
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and supportive environment, and develop the knowledge, skills and confidence to manage digital systems and combat risks. But we also know that, increasingly, student wellbeing inside and outside the classroom is becoming an issue for parents and teachers, particularly as we see the rise of cyberbullying and the inappropriate use of new technology. The Australian Government wants every child to feel safe and happy at school. We also want to ensure that our children are concentrating in class so they can get the best possible education. We will work with the states and territories on best practice policies on mobile phone use in classrooms. Our Government wants to bring out experts from France and Ontario, Canada – where they have put in place bans on mobile phones in schools – to provide advice and guidance to state and territory governments as to how schools could go about limiting the use of mobile phones in the classroom. Through these initiatives, the Australian Government is helping ensure every child achieves their full potential every year they are at school. We will continue to work hard to make sure no child is held back by disadvantage. From our record funding to all schools to our support for teachers, the Australian Government has a plan to ensure every Australian child, no matter there they go to school, gets the world-class education they deserve. EM
THE LAST WORD // ACARA
Teaching our national story CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF THE AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM, ASSESSMENT AND REPORTING AUTHORITY (ACARA), DAVID DE CARVALHO, DISCUSSES INCORPORATING ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER HISTORIES AND CULTURES INTO THE AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM. By way of introduction, I am the (relatively) new CEO of ACARA. However, my first job was as a teacher, as is the story of many of the staff at ACARA. Having current or former teachers on-staff gives us, as an organisation, a good knowledge base and a great resource to inform the work we do. A major part of ACARA’s role has been the development of the Australian Curriculum, which is now fully endorsed by all education ministers and being implemented nationwide. The Australian Curriculum is three dimensional. It has eight key learning areas, seven general capabilities, and three cross-curriculum priorities, one of which is the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures. This cross-curriculum priority is not a separate or additional key learning area. Teachers are invited to integrate aspects of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander experience and perspectives into the way they teach the key learning areas. The 2008 Melbourne Declaration on the Educational Goals for Australian Schooling becoming “active and informed citizens” is a key purpose in education. In order to do this, Australian children and young people should develop an appreciation for the perspective and experience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Seeing things from the perspective of Australia’s Indigenous peoples reveals different aspects of our national story. There has been a strong desire among teachers for more support in implementing the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures in the Australian Curriculum. Teachers told us they can generally see a connection between this
cross-curriculum priority and some of the learning areas, like Humanities and Social Sciences, and the Arts, but asked for advice on how they can embed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander learnings in other subject areas, particularly STEM subjects. In October we released 95 elaborations of how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people understood and applied scientific concepts in their daily life. One elaboration explains how students can learn about chemical sciences and different types of chemical reactions used to produce a range of products by investigating the methods employed by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to convert toxic plants into edible food products. Another elaboration explains how students can investigate how fire research has evaluated the effects of traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ fire regimes and how these findings have influenced fire management policy throughout Australia. The elaborations help students understand aspects of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures while they are, at the same time, improving their understanding of key scientific facts and ideas. The elaborations are available to teachers to support a more engaging experience for students. They are not a compulsory element of the curriculum. In supporting teachers to deliver the curriculum in this way, the hope is that Australian children and young people will be given the opportunity to learn about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures within the context of the key learning areas.
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The elaborations also help teachers provide a more culturally responsive curriculum experience for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, resulting in better educational outcomes, and increased achievement and engagement among students. Teacher background information is also available on the Australian Curriculum website for Years 5-10 and explains in detail the cultural and historical significance of the chosen topic and how it connects to the core science curriculum content. There is also a list of consulted works, provided as evidence of the research undertaken to inform the development of the teacher background information. More recently, ACARA, along with the CSIRO, has developed illustrations of practice, showing students learning Aboriginal traditional ecological knowledge through the Australian Curriculum: Science, through on Country and Classroom Projects (also known as ‘two-way science’). Illustrations of practice show the different approaches teachers take in teaching the Australian Curriculum content, based on their local context. I am pleased at how well these resources have been received and hope you encourage teachers within your schools to fully utilise them. The full list of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander elaborations and teacher background information for the Science curriculum and the illustrations of practice are available online at www.australiancurriculum.edu.au. EM
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THE LAST WORD // eSafety Commissioner
Why we need to upskill educators in eSafety ESAFETY COMMISSIONER, JULIE INMAN GRANT, DISCUSSES HOW SCHOOLS AND EDUCATORS CAN WORK WITH PARENTS TO DEAL WITH ONLINE CHALLENGES FACED BY YOUNG PEOPLE. Guiding young people to positively shape their digital practices has never been more important. Whether it’s for school, socialising or entertainment, almost everything they do is enabled through an internet-connected device. And it’s happening from a younger age – our survey of 3520 Australian parents revealed 81 per cent have allowed their pre-schooler access to the internet. While this exposure to digital technology can create diverse and rich experiences, our research shows that young people also encounter a range of negative experiences online, such as being contacted by strangers, being left out by others or having mean things posted about them. Of these young people, only 8 per cent spoke to a teacher or Deputy Principal and just 8 per cent spoke to a school counsellor about their online issue. However, a larger number reported speaking to their peers (28 per cent) or their parents (55 per cent). At eSafety we are dedicated to helping Australians have safer online experiences, especially young people. We operate the world’s first (and still only) legislated cyberbullying complaints scheme, where young people under 18 can report serious cyberbullying and then we work with social media providers to get the harmful content removed. We also run a legislative-backed reporting tool for victims of image-based abuse – or the sharing of intimate images/videos without consent. From the complaints we receive, we know many of these online issues are closely linked to social conflict occurring at school. But the problem of bullying – online and offline – extends far beyond the school gates. It is embedded in the values and norms of wider society. So to effectively address this behaviour, we need to take
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a holistic approach, including a whole-of-school and whole-of-community approach. To assist educators with this, eSafety has developed an accredited Teacher Professional Learning Program, empowering teachers with the confidence and competence to guide their students through a range of online challenges they may encounter. The live-webinar sessions help teachers understand the current trends in technology, the latest cyber-related laws and the education resources and strategies that can empower students to deal with online challenges. They also cover the common online safety concerns of families, and the resources and strategies available to help families address these concerns, including ideas for how to engage the whole school community in online safety awareness. Educators play an increasingly important role in helping shape positive online experiences for young people. Not only can teachers initiate important discussions about online safety issues in the classroom and help students deal with these issues by using eSafety resources like the The YeS Project, they can also help bring parents along on the journey. Understandably, parents are grappling with a generation who do not know a world without the internet and connected-devices. Issues like screen-time, gaming and access to online pornography are primary parenting concerns – and represent a set of challenges our own parents did not have to deal with. While three in four parents from our nationwide survey say they took some form of action to try and keep their child safe online, there is a significant knowledge gap, as time-
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poor parents struggle to keep up with the everchanging online trends of young people. Less than half of parents feel confident dealing with cyberbullying, or managing online threats, like contact with strangers – which we know one in four Australian teens have experienced. A whopping 96 per cent of parents told us they need additional online safety information to help them manage the online risks children are exposed to. Schools are a key gateway to getting essential online safety information to parents and carers. But they are also time-poor, so a variety of channels to reach busy parents can be looked at – whether it’s having them acknowledge technology and cyberbullying policies, holding parent-information seminars, or including regular articles about online safety in the school newsletter or app. As digital technologies continue to infiltrate our lives, for the good and the bad, we all need to take responsibility for keeping children safe online. I encourage teachers to step up to the challenge – register for eSafety’s Professional Learning Program, explore the resources, support and reporting available, and pass on our advice and information for parents and carers. Teachers who are competent and confident in dealing with online safety issues not only help more students effectively deal with online issues; the whole community benefits by being engaged and informed about how to help young people stay safe online. EM
THE LAST WORD // Catholic Secondary Principals Australia
The value and importance of practitioner voice EDUCATIONAL CHANGE AND INNOVATION ARE COMPLEX CONCEPTS IN OUR CONTEMPORARY WORLD, SAYS PHIL LEWIS, EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF CATHOLIC SECONDARY PRINCIPALS AUSTRALIA. A significant body of research highlights the importance and value of involving practitioners in research, decision making and new initiatives. Practitioners can triangulate action research by involving the people ‘in touch’ with the lived experience of the action. Their involvement will provide a legitimacy of knowledge in relation to the complexity of teaching and learning. Collaboration with practitioners at all levels must go beyond a tokenistic form of subsidiarity. Authentic collaboration requires integrative thinking and opposable mind approaches. STUDENT VOICE Students are directly or indirectly affected by all decisions made in a school. Hence, as Russ Quaglia and others would argue, students have practitioner insights into the operation of a school. They are central to the action and can offer valuable information and contribute possible solutions for school leadership. Student voice is also a very practical way of engaging students with several of the general capabilities of the Australian Curriculum. TEACHER VOICE Helen Timperley and others have demonstrated that teacher voice in their professional learning is vital for relevance and authentic engagement. The ongoing commitment of teachers to their learning has also resinated in the work of the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) and is further evidenced in the Teacher Standards. Context is very important in schools. Therefore, professional learning needs to be tailored to the needs of the teacher and the school. Practitioner voice is paramount if there is going to be a sustainable and purposeful program. Through
professional learning teachers can be lifelong learners and engage with general capabilities too. PRINCIPAL VOICE Systems and governments need to value the voice of principals, who are central to action, are in touch and possess a legitimacy of contextual educational knowledge. It has been heartening that national education organisations like AITSL and the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) genuinely collaborate with national peak principal associations. Principals provide feedback and ideas for initiatives, and valuable agency to introduce change and development. At system and government levels there has been evidence of policy and practice change that may have benefitted from the inclusion of the practitioner principal voice. In the future it would be a great development for Australian education if the autonomy and practitioner voice of principals was even more valued and trusted well beyond a neoliberal paradigm. Google, Apple, Microsoft and many other contemporary organisations keep improving and developing for a modern world through high levels of trust and investment in staff. Some may say there has been too much ‘talk down’ to the practitioners (Hansen and Trank) rather than engaging in an equal exchange. As Beech et al. illustrate, talking down is far more likely when practitioners are just visions of our social constructions rather than real people sitting at the same table. The future of Australian education will be best served by this genuine collaboration of principals and their associations with governments and systems. All three stakeholders need to bring a
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commitment and resourcing for the collaboration to be highly effective and benefit students. IN CONCLUSION As with many other matters in education there are a multitude of levels to be engaged with for any lasting change to be affected. Teachers and principals as practitioners need to do their part to facilitate continuous improvement and provide relevance for students in their school’s context. The practitioner voice is, in my opinion, more powerful and practical since practitioners speak from experience not just the ‘théorie de la journée’. Arguably teachers and principals have a unique perspective that must continue to be valued in Australian education. They are innovating in classrooms and schools, reflecting on practice through sharing powerful experiences as well as new ways of thinking about education, leading, teaching and learning along with their students. They are actually doing the work. At a local contextual level, their involvement in educational initiatives is vital. Similarly, at a national and system level, the work and voice of principals needs to be valued to facilitate innovation on a broader scale. Policy and practice initiatives in a vacuum or political whim will not be as powerful as genuine engagement with practitioners at all levels of the education landscape. All stakeholders need to collaborate and commit to worthwhile initiatives that will ultimately benefit our students. EM
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EVENTS
WASSEA CONFERENCE 1-2 August 2019 Perth, WA Web: www.wassea.asn.au/event/wasseaconference-2019 Hosted by the Western Australian Secondary School Executives Association, this year’s event will explore the theme ‘Courageous, Curious, Collaborative’. BEHAVIOUR MANAGEMENT IN SCHOOLS 1-2 August 2019 Melbourne, VIC Web: www.criticalagendas.com.au Aimed at primary and secondary teachers, year level coordinators and professionals involved in the education sector, this national conference investigates student behaviour. ANNUAL STEM EDUCATION CONFERENCE 6-9 August 2019 Sydney, NSW Web: www.informa.com.au/event/conference/stemeducation-conference/ This event will delve into various STEM programs, how to bring STEM into the classroom and some of the key issues surrounding STEM. LEADING A DIGITAL SCHOOL CONFERENCE 8-10 August 2019 Melbourne, VIC Web: www.iwb.net.au/digital Designed to assist current and aspiring school leaders with the integration of effective digital technology at their schools. ANGLICAN SCHOOLS AUSTRALIA CONFERENCE 9-10 August 2019 Hobart, TAS Web: www.anglicanschoolsaustralia.edu.au ‘Awe and Wonder’ is the theme of this year’s event, which will bring together principals, chaplains, senior staff and members of school councils. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT NETWORK SCHOOL LEADERS’ CONFERENCE 15-16 August 2019 Gold Coast, QLD Web: www.griffith.edu.au/pdn-school-leaders-conference
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Based on the theme of ‘Strategy: Success by Design’, the conference will feature six keynote speakers and four workshops across two days. SASPA CONFERENCE 15-16 August 2019 Adelaide, SA Web: www.saspa.com.au/conference Based on the theme ‘Looking Deeper: Beyond Certainty’, this South Australian Secondary Principals’ Association event is open to all secondary education leaders. VPA CONFERENCE 15-16 August 2019 Melbourne, VIC Web: www.vpaconference.com.au A variety of speakers will feature at this Victorian Principals’ Association event, which is based on the theme ‘The Courageous and Creative Leader’. EDUCHANGE 2019 22-23 August 2019 Melbourne, VIC Web: www.educhange.com.au A professional learning event designed for teachers and school leaders in the primary and secondary sectors, EduChange aims to inspire and offer practical ideas that can be used at your school. ADVANCING STEM EDUCATION ROADSHOW 26 August 2019 Brisbane, QLD Web: www.criterionconferences.com/event/stemroadshow-brisbane This event aims to provide practical solutions to common challenges in STEM advancement. It will bring together a range of STEM experts, who will share their insights and experience. NATIONAL EDUCATION SUMMIT 30-31 August 2019 Melbourne, VIC Web: nationaleducationsummit.com.au Aimed at principals, school leaders and educators from K-12, this event will feature a range of conferences, a symposium, free seminars and a free trade expo.
education matters secondary
THE EDUCATION SHOW 30-31 August 2019 Melbourne, VIC Web: www.theeducationshow.com.au Showcasing the latest learning and teaching resources, programs, support services and technology for educators, the Education Show is a professional development event for principals, school leaders and educators. EDUCATION FUTURE FORUM 13 September 2019 Sydney, NSW Web: educationfuture.com.au The Education Future Forum brings together the best of McCrindle’s research and analytics with The Excellence Centre’s hands-on experience and innovation. HTAA CONFERENCE 2019 1-3 October 2019 Marryatville, SA Web: www.historyteacher.org.au/conferences/ Presented by the History Teachers’ Association of Australia and in partnership with the History Teachers’ Association of South Australia, this year’s event will be centred around the topic of ‘History Matters’. AGTA 2019 CONFERENCE 1-4 October 2019 Gold Coast, QLD Web: www.agta.asn.au ‘The Innovative Geographer’ is the theme of this year’s Australian Geography Teachers Association Conference, which will bring together teachers from across Australia to share their own innovations for the Geography classroom. ACEL 2019 CONFERENCE 2-4 October 2019 Hilton Sydney NSW Web: www.acel.org.au The three-day Australian Council for Educational Leaders’ flagship National Conference will focus on the theme of ‘Vision and Voice – Setting the Learning Agenda’. It will feature various globally renowned international speakers.
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Specifications vary depending on model.