Connect April 2011 Supporting Student Participation ABN: 98 174 663 341
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Number 188 Connect April 2011 supporting student participation ABN: 98 174 663 341 Planning a Student-Led Digital Literacies and Media Unit • Environmental Action by Students • News from NSW and Vic State SRCs • How an SRC Agenda works ... Resources: • Understanding Student Voice • Web Resource for SRC Teachers • Alternative Learning Program Scan • Rights-Based Education (UK) • For We Are Young And ...? • Students as Education Planners (USA) • Connect on-line - for FREE Print Post Approved: PP 340646/0008 ISSN 0158-4995 $4.00 Connect This Issue: Number 188: April 2011 s I work with many students (and teachers) in schools, I am 3 Towards a Student-Led Media Unit ClassTV-SYN-Channel 31-Education Paul Van Eeden Amore and more struck by the need to have some deep discussions with 7 Paul Van Eeden: interview Connect U students that could lead towards a 10 Getting the most from the VISTA Ning new understanding and agreement on the purposes of Website Scott Duncan, VISTA education and schools. 11 VicSRC: Zero Carbon Pedal Power Kosh Arulsothy VicSRC Recognition Awards 2011; VicSRC Regional Student Not for the fi rst time, I’m made aware of the disengagement Conferences 2011; Whittlesea SRC Cluster; Stand Up ... Speak Up!: of many students – either actively (and disruptively) or (more 6th Annual VicSRC Congress; VicSRC Competition VicSRC often) passively (and hence less visibly). ‘Engagement’ remains a buzz word (as does ‘boring’), but this is too often reduced to either 14 NSW State SRC: Enviro Inspiro! 2011; Director-General for a coercive measures about attendance, or to trivial ideas about ‘making Day; Digital Citizenship; 2011 State SRC Conference Noel Grannall learning fun’. (A primary school student told us, many years ago, when 15 How do we get to talk about it ... and why?: refl ecting on involvement with a Student Action Team: “It doesn’t have Getting on the Agenda Roger Holdsworth to be fun all the time; just worthwhile.”) 16 Understanding ‘Student Voice’ Underlying all these concerns is a worry that we continue Peter Anstee, Claire Rollinson, Benn Scully, High Wilson to regard education – even perhaps innovative and participatory approaches – as still ‘doing things to’ students, rather than working 17 Rights-Based Education: Review Derry Hannam alongside them towards common and understood purposes. And 20 Students as Education Planners Adam Fletcher I’ve argued for many years that we need to get away from only seeing the purpose of education to be something that will deliver 21 News & Reviews: A Call to Action: Scan of Alternative Learning Programs in Australia; VISTA Wine and Cheese future outcomes (which may, for some students, be uncertain or Nights; Second Strike Training Days; For we are young and ...?; unconvincing) and talk about education that enables students to Connect archived - free do valuable things now - to make a diff erence to their world. In turn, that orientation means that we would concentrate on developing 23 CLEARINGHOUSE: Local and Overseas Publications; the things students can do (seeing them as experts and as having Friends of Connect; Websites strengths), rather than focusing on what they can’t do. So perhaps it’s time to start talking with students about these ideas and agreeing on purposes that make sense to us all. Cover: I’m involved in a few school-based initiatives that may lead in ClassTV at the MCG that direction: • two primary schools are continuing the explicit work exploring - photo from Paul Van Eeden; see pages 3-9 ideas of engagement – work that began at Preston South and Pender’s Grove Primary Schools (Switched On to Learning); • one secondary school is challenging a group of marginalised Why does Connect exist? and disengaged students to investigate what the school can do to become more inclusive of their needs; Connect has been published bi-monthly since 1979. • another secondary school is considering work with the ‘middle group’ of students - those neither strongly engaged nor highly It aims to: disengaged, but just ‘drifting’ – to investigate how school can • document student participation become more purposeful for them. approaches and initiatives; Behind all these approaches is the idea that we need to forge • support reflective practices; a new explicit or implicit ‘contract’ with students about purpose • develop and share resources. – in a way that excites them and in a way that engages them as the purposeful ‘drivers’ of their education. That’s a challenge for us all - in all our classrooms and Connect: organisations. Hopefully, as these approaches develop, we’ll keep ABN: 98 174 663 341 you informed through these pages. However, I’d also encourage you Connect is edited and published by: Roger Holdsworth to take all opportunities to open up similar conversations. 12 Brooke Street, Northcote 3070 Victoria Australia Ph: (03) 9489 9052; Fax: (03) 8344 9632 Roger Holdsworth E-mail: [email protected] Connect acknowledges the support of the Australian Youth Research Centre, Melbourne Next Issue: #189: June 2011 Graduate School of Education, The University of Melbourne Deadline for material: end of May, 2011 2 Connect 188: Digital Literacy: Student Participatory Approaches Towards A Student-Led Media Unit A Collaboration Between ClassTV, SYN, Channel 31 and Education magine a Student-Led Digital Literacy and Media Unit that involves Over 40 schools have provided students across the state in producing media that is accessible by content and various Education all Victorian schools. Such a Unit could be based in a coordinating Department areas have paid to have I initiatives filmed and profiled on Channel school (Thornbury High School already has some of the established 31. This recognises the value of our peer resources and experience) and could partner with media outlets (such to peer publication platform. ClassTV as Community Television Channel 31 (C31) and the Student Youth has also increasingly moved towards Network (SYN) Media). producing content commissioned by youth focused groups. The Unit could specialise in the Current Arrangements development and application of audio- Recently, ClassTV has also developed visual technologies (including online) for ClassTV is a current program on Channel Classnet (a YouTube styled teacher the primary and secondary education 31, which is produced by students and moderated website) that is currently sector, mainly focusing on the production, teachers at Thornbury High School in used by the education community: recording and broadcasting of TV and radio Melbourne’s northern suburbs. It has www.classnet.com.au produced 200 programs over five years programs made by students. By forming In doing this, ClassTV has worked and recently won a NAB/Foundation such a community partnership between closely with community broadcasters for Young Australians Schools First Victorian schools, Channel 31 and SYN, all in Melbourne: Channel 31 (C31) in $50,000 impact award that celebrates a schools could contribute programming Melbourne is a community-based community partnership that impacts in for broadcast of both curriculum and extra television broadcaster that has been a meaningful way on student outcomes. curricula generated material. broadcasting since 1990. It is structured ClassTV currently uses students from as a consortium of broadcasters with a The project would provide a Student many schools as journalists. These student common ‘community of interest’. C31 Communications/Media Unit that journalists cover various education can be received throughout the wider showcases education initiatives, and initiatives: International Student Week, Melbourne metropolitan area. It has provides ambassadors for public education. Constitutional Conventions, Cyber Ethics/ just started broadcasting on the digital The basis for such a Unit is already there, Responsibility etc. Other education spectrum, as well as on analogue. Student and current developments in Melbourne related forums such as The Age VCE Youth Network Media (SYN) operates a make it very possible for a partnership to Careers Expo at Caulfield Racecourse are licensed radio station on the FM band in take the next step. also covered for television programs. Melbourne. It is operated by young people (under the age of 26 years), and produces programs for both radio and also for C31. They value add to work by schools, but could have a broader impact on the nature of education in those institutions. Opportunities for Further Development C31 want to increase the amount of secondary/primary school content during each week. The new digital licence will enable the station to reach both digital and analogue viewers plus increase the broadcast coverage to all of Melbourne as well as a significant rural area surrounding the cities of Melbourne and Geelong. An opportunity exists to showcase the work of schools April 2011 3 Students at the Centre This project is based in a commitment to active student voice, and recognises the importance of this to engagement with learning. Student initiatives are at the centre of this project. The project will support primary and secondary school students to: 1. Record conferences, forums, initiatives, events and celebrations as part of their school work. Finished products from the Unit can then be archived on-line through educational websites such as Classnet and/or broadcast on C31/SYN. Occasionally they could also be fed to the major TV and radio stations for playing on their News Bulletins/Current in Victoria through a school/community The innovative use of digital literacy in Aff air programs (eg ABC - Behind the partnership that is taken to the next level: the classroom will be the major focus of News). bringing together digital literacies, teacher the program. 2. Create a number of diff erent professional development and public A broadcast culture will be ‘edutainment’ community TV showcasing of education, students and developed in schools by providing both /radio shows made by students schools to the general public in an exciting, broadcast platforms and skill workshops across Victoria; these will be aired on authentic and innovative approach to 21st for schools to develop content that C31 and SYN.