November 2009 Vol. 1, Issue 10 (PDF - 16.2Mb) - Department of ...

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4 Nov 09 Messages Xxxx Welcome to the November issue Minister for Education Bronwyn Pike Minister for Children and Early Childhood Development Maxine Morand This year’s Children’s Week, held recently across the state, was a fun-filled celebration of children’s right to enjoy childhood. This annual, national event provides opportunities for young Victorians to participate in a range of activities provided by the Department in partnership with local governments, schools, early childhood services and key stakeholders. During the week, a new initiative of the Government in partnership with The Alannah and Madeline Foundation – Children365 – was launched, to encourage all of us to cherish our children every single day of the year. You can read more about the week’s events in this edition of Shine. Also a feature of Children’s Week were the Early Years Awards. These awards recognise the dedication, leadership and innovation that community partnerships contribute to improving the health, learning, development and wellbeing of Victorian children aged from birth to eight. At this year’s awards, we once again celebrated those who work to give our youngest generation the best possible start in life. We extend our congratulations to everyone who took part in this inspirational event. Families, communities and governments all want the best possible learning environments to ensure the students of today are equipped with the skills they need to learn, grow and thrive. Our Victorian Schools Plan, together with the Building the Education Revolution package, offers an unprecedented opportunity to develop modern education facilities right across Victoria. The School Design Awards showcase the very best in Victorian government school design, and this year was no exception. Congratulations to everyone involved in this celebration of cutting-edge design – displayed in glorious colour on pages 46 to 49 in this issue of Shine. Secretary of the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development Professor Peter Dawkins Research demonstrates that the early years are crucial in setting the stage for later life and that supporting families requires comprehensive, coordinated and quality early childhood services. This year’s Early Years Awards once again celebrated the positive impact of early years education and care partnerships on Victorian children and families. Special congratulations go to Greater Shepparton City Council and Moorabool Shire Council, the joint winners of the Partnerships with Families and Communities category; Djillay Lidji Best Start Partnership, winner of the Better Access to Early Years Services category; and Ministers’ Award winner Playgroup Victoria. As fire season draws closer, it is vital we remain vigilant and do as much preparation as possible to protect our school and early childhood communities. Fire Action Week, held from 11–18 October, was an opportunity for the Victorian Government to work alongside local councils and communities to lead activities designed to boost awareness and preparedness for the approaching bushfire season.  Thank you to all schools and early childhood services for your continuing work in preparing for this year’s bushfire season. CREATIVE HANDS-ON INCURSIONS Toys, forces, levers, energy, mechanisms, structures, simple machines, angles PREP TO YR 10 All materials supplied PHONE 5241 9581 ktaylor@robotics.com.au Theatre Attack is an educational arts company who promote a creative, collaborative and interactive form of learning. We supply pioneering arts-based workshops that offer dynamic, hands-on experiences to schools.We are specialists at delivering; • Theatre Workshops addressing Social Issues • Theatre for International Students • VCE Drama & Theatre Studies Masterclass Visit our website www.theatreattack.com for information on what we can offer you and your school! CONTACT US ON: E: mail@theatreattack.com P: 03 9328 3554 W: www.theatreattack.com
Xxxx Shine 5 Briefcase Letters > I would like to respond to the article in the September edition of Shine titled ‘I think, therefore I learn’ by Eummemmering Primary School teacher Vanessa Hodgkiss (page 40). While I agree with the points raised by Ms Hodgkiss, I do have some concerns and reservations about teachers in all schools being able to promote a culture of thinking within their classroom. The reality is that schools are busy places. If one considers the crowded curriculum, the noise and distractions in the classroom, the unanticipated interruptions, the specialist lessons and so on, one reaches the conclusion that the environment and structures in any school do not always allow our students to be creative and deeper thinkers. Ms Hodgkiss is fortunate that she works in a school where philosophy lessons have been timetabled into the daily curriculum and students have the extra one hour to talk and learn about their thinking skills. This is not the case in all schools. Thinking occurs in all schools whether by inquiry learning or by groups of students sharing during the literacy and numeracy block. But unless all schools have a timetabled session it will become difficult to enable our students to become critical thinkers. We are living in a media-saturated culture that controls a lot of the thinking of our students. The question we need to ask ourselves is: how do we as educators encourage our students to be more discerning when they are exposed to media influences? We need to teach how to think carefully. Not an easy task for any teacher. It is one’s values that influence how one thinks and acts, and there are different types of values. Ultimately, all teachers need to teach students the value of respecting one another and the dignity that each person has. If students are armed with this value then not only will they become good thinkers but also good and responsible citizens. Kon Bouzikos Good Samaritan Primary School Roxburgh Park > Response As an educator myself, I completely understand how busy the school day can get, and the overwhelming demands placed on teachers. But developing thinking skills definitely needs to be made a priority. Thinking is an integral part of learning, and not a separate subject. Before my school timetabled Philosophy sessions in, it was something that was (and still is) integrated into all areas of our teaching. The extra time allowed us to focus more on the skills, but that extra time was not essential. Instead, teaching for effective thinking is concerned more with the way in which we deliver our content, and how we allow our students to think more deeply about what they are learning in class. In fact, many teachers already encourage skills such as reflection during their classes. I completely agree with Mr Bouzikos regarding the media and the overwhelming impact it can have on our students and indeed their thinking. Perhaps this is why it is so important for us to teach our children to think for themselves. Promoting and teaching effective thinking not only allows students to develop the skills to think effectively, but also helps them to value good thinking, and to develop the disposition to be thoughtful and considerate. Just as students need to be taught to write well, they also need to be taught how to think well. And as busy as our school days may get, teaching thinking is important, and it really can make a difference. Vanessa Hodgkiss Eummemmering Primary School > The recent announcement by Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard that by 2010 the public will be able to view teachers’ qualifications is welcome news. Whilst many of us successfully struggled in the 1970s against post-colonial recalcitrance to ensure that all teachers were four-year qualified, there has still been widespread opposition to the publication of teachers’ and administrators’ qualifications by a school for parental scrutiny. The abolition of the Common Roll was a further blow to the free circulation of proper information about teachers. This new measure will help parents, students and the community realise just how well-qualified their teachers really are, and give a good indication of their passion for their work. It may also help create pressure for teachers to be properly funded for professional development studies with training organisations and universities, leading to recognised postgraduate qualifications that will ensure growth in their own expertise and assist in better student outcomes. Dr Edward Reilly Sessional lecturer School of Education Victoria University > Thank you for your excellent publication, Shine. I work as an early years intervention teacher and am the parent of two teenagers. Shine provides me with hours of reading for both work and home. As I read, I note down all the websites that are of interest to me, then spend more hours following up this information! As a parent, I would also like to acknowledge another fantastic initiative – Joining the Chorus. My daughter has attended the solo singers ensemble every Saturday morning for the past three years. She has had the opportunity to meet and work with professionals at the top of their field, from choreographers to directors and performers. Performing to large audiences in venues such as the Regent and Comedy Theatres, Hisense Arena and Albert Park are experiences she never imagined possible! The learning experiences offered by JtC extend far beyond the artistic, to the important life skills of team-work, perseverance, self-discipline, independence and city survival skills. All this for only $200 a year! Thank you for your coverage of JtC productions and keep up the good work! Lesley Haine Neerim District Rural Primary School Email editor@edumail.vic.gov. au Letters may be edited for space.
Page 1: Shine A publication of the Departme
Page 6 and 7: 6 Nov 09 Briefcase Xxxx What’s ne
Page 8 and 9: 8 Nov 09 Briefcase Xxxx What’s on
Page 10 and 11: Cyberethics summit showcases studen
Page 12 and 13: 12 Nov 09 Xxxx Snapshot 7:30am, Bas
Page 14 and 15: 14 Nov 09 Xxxx Helping autistic chi
Page 16 and 17: 16 Nov 09 Xxxx upset when the refer
Page 18 and 19: A fast heartbeat is okay Sometimes
Page 20 and 21: 20 Nov 09 Early Childhood Early chi
Page 22 and 23: Early Years Awards wrap-up The Earl
Page 24 and 25: 24 Nov 09 Leadership Curriculum est
Page 26 and 27: 26 Nov 09 Xxxx OG kids exhibit at N
Page 28 and 29: great Australian autobiographies Co
Page 30 and 31: 30 Nov 09 International Education O
Page 32 and 33: 32 Nov 09 Regional Network Leaders
Page 34 and 35: 34 Nov 09 Time Xxxx Management Time
Page 36 and 37: Xxxx 36 Nov 09 Opinion Joanne Blann
Page 38 and 39: “I remember being in Year 10 and
Page 40 and 41: Distance Education Centre celebrate
Page 42 and 43: 42 Nov 09 School Services Officers
Page 44 and 45: 44 Nov 09 Regional Xxxx Network Lea
Page 46 and 47: 46 Nov 09 Xxxx School design awards
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54 Nov 09 Research Xxxx Q&A with Pr
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56 Nov 09 Research Xxxx RECENT STUD
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62 Nov 09 Xxxx eLearning Using ICT
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64 Nov 09 Xxxx eLearning Great webs
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Classnet 68 Nov 09 Xxxx movie comp
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70 Nov 09 Xxxx Regional Roundup Goo
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74 Nov 09 Xxxx Appointments The app
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76 Nov 09 Classifieds ACCOMMODATION
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78 Nov 09 Classifieds PROFESSIONAL
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November 2009 Vol. 1, Issue 10 (PDF - 16.2Mb) - Department of ...

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