TTHE PROFESSIONALea JOURNAL OFc THE AUSTRALASIANh TEACHERi REGULATORYn AUTHORITIESg
VOLUME 1 | NUMBER 4 | OCTOBER 2010 Big fish, little pond Academic self-esteem
First year out Five top tips NAPLAN Make it work for you Share and share alike The benefits of sharing facilities
PROFESSION My best 20 questions LORRAINE teacher WITH HAMMOND Les murray BRIAN CALDWELL
PAGE 14 PAGE 18 PAGE 36 TTHE PROFESSIONALea JOURNAL OFc THE AUSTRALASIANh TEACHERi REGULATORYn AUTHORITIESg
PUBLISHER Australian Council for Educational Research – ACER Press
For
Australasian Teacher Regulatory Authorities – ATRA
EDITOR Dr Steve Holden 03 9277 5466 [email protected]
NATIONAL ADVERTISING MANAGER Carolynn Brown 03 9277 5468 [email protected]
PRODUCTION Craig Grose [email protected]
REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS Wendy Harmer David Rish
Inside Teaching is the professional journal of the Australasian Teacher Regulatory Authorities (ATRA). ATRA facilitates the cooperative and collaborative work of Australian and New Zealand teacher registration and accreditation authorities in meeting the needs of a highly-qualified, proficient and reputable teaching profession.
Inside Teaching, published online by the Australian Council for Educational Research – ACER Press – for ATRA, is funded, through ATRA, by: The New South Wales Institute of Teachers The Queensland College of Teachers The Teacher Registration Board of the Northern Territory The Teachers Registration Board of South Australia The Teachers Registration Board of Tasmania The Victorian Institute of Teaching The Western Australian College of Teaching
LINKS: www.atra.edu.au
ACER is a member of the Publishers Australia association CONTENTS Vol 1, Number 4 October 2010
FEATURE Share and share alike 06
INDIGENOUS EDUCATION What’s it to you? 12
THE PROFESSION Tell me? Show me? Involve me 14
MY BEST TEACHER Les Murray 18
10 THINGS I’VE LEARNED ABOUT TEACHING Neil Cranston 22
TEACHING TIPS Five top tips for beginning teachers 24
CURRICULUM & ASSESSMENT Turning NAPLAN to your advantage 28
20 QUESTIONS David Rish interviews Brian Caldwell 36
RESEARCH Big fish, little pond 42
REGULARS State of the nation 04 News 46 Reviews 48 Diary 50 See me afterwards 52 Behind the lines 54 The quiz 55
All reasonable attempts have been made to trace copyright holders of material published. Material contained in Inside Teaching is protected under the Commonwealth Copyright Act 1968. No material may be reproduced wholly or in part without written consent from the copyright holders. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Publisher or Editor, nor do they represent the views or policies of ATRA or the teacher registration and accreditation authorities that are party to it. The Editor reserves the right to edit, abridge or otherwise alter articles for publication. All photographs have been published on the understanding that appropriate compliance with privacy legislation has been obtained. The attention of advertisers is drawn to the Trade Practices Act 1974 and the provisions of the Act that apply to advertising. It is not possible for Inside Teaching to ensure that advertisements published herein comply in all respects with the Act and the responsibility must therefore lie with the person, company or advertising agency submitting the advertisement for publication. Editorial State of the nation
What can we expect from our World Teachers’ Day on 29 receive a certificate of recognition plus an iPad and professional new minority Commonwealth October is your chance to ‘celebrate teachers worldwide.., development to go with it. The government, formed in mobilise support for teachers Teachers Registration Board September after a knife-edge and...ensure that the needs of of South Australia will provide a poster to all education sites election result in August? As future generations will continue to be met by teachers,’ to use and daily media, and suggests Prime Minister Julia Gillard the words of the United Nations celebrating great teachers in a admitted at the Asia Europe Educational, Scientific and Cultural variety of ways. The Northern Territory Department of Education Meeting in October, ‘If I had Organisation, which began World Teachers’ Day in 1994. The and Training is coordinating a choice, I’d probably (rather) Western Australian College of functions in Darwin, Nhulunbuy, be in a school watching kids Teaching has a Kinder to Year 3 Katherine, Tennant Creek and Alice Springs. learn to read in Australia than drawing competition; a Year 4 to Year 7 limerick competition; a Year Hedley Beare, one of Australia’s here in Brussels at international 8 to Year 10 literary composition leading educators, died of meetings.’ We can expect her competition; and a Years 11 and leukaemia at home in Melbourne ministers to pursue the national 12 artwork competition, with some last month. The Foundation fantastic prizes. The Teachers Director of the Northern Territory curriculum, assessment and Registration Board of Tasmania Department of Education and transparency agenda, with the invited students to create a Foundation Chief Education English, mathematics, science digital image story to answer the Officer of the Australian Capital question, ‘What makes teachers Territory Schools Authority, and history curriculum to Year 10 in your school great?’ with he published many books and scheduled for implementation great prizes there, as well. The articles addressing education policy, curriculum, management, in 2011. According to Australian Queensland College of Teachers has provided a specially designed Indigenous education and remote Curriculum, Assessment and WTD poster to all schools in the education, and the profession Reporting Authority Chair state. The winners of the 2010 of teaching and the professional development of teachers and Professor Barry McGaw, QCT Excellence in Teaching Awards will be announced at a ceremony school leaders. implementation from 2011 will hosted by the Queensland Mary MacKillop was canonised on be ‘by those jurisdictions and Governor at Government House 17 October in Rome. Contractors schools wanting to commence.’ on 29 October. Winners receive were hurriedly repairing the $5,000 towards professional schoolhouse where Mary MacKillop And don’t forget the regional development. The Victorian first taught in 1866 in preparation agenda, which depends a bit Institute of Teaching invited for celebrations of the canonisation. on the independents, Rob people to nominate a teacher The roof of the schoolhouse, now who has made a real difference the Mary MacKillop Centre, in Oakeshott, Tony Windsor and with their students, colleagues or Penola, South Australia, was ripped Andrew Wilkie. community, with 10 nominees to off during a storm in July. Salary Package your next vehicle with a Novated Lease and leave your tax in the dust.
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*Offer available until November 15th 2010 6 FEATURE
Share and share alike The benefits of sharing facilities
Inside Teaching | October 2010 FEATURE 7
There are plenty of benefits for three Adelaide schools that share facilities and retain their autonomy, as Wendy Brooks, Rebecca Sinclair and Jean Haese explain.
Beginning as an experiment in is an Anglican and Uniting school and wood, metal, plastic and the late 1980s, the Golden Grove – on the one site. A central hub automotive teaching areas Secondary Schools Campus in between the three schools is the • a music suite housing a multi- Adelaide’s north-eastern suburbs location for a range of shared media studio with recording and has matured into a successful, facilities. production facilities, a computer multifaceted 21st-century The autonomous and shared- studio, keyboard laboratory, a education hub. facilities model means each school music studio and a number of The concept of shared facilities is maintains its own identity, ethos, individual practice rooms about providing an opportunity traditions, manner of operation • a home economics suite for cooperative and collaborative and facilities. At the same time, housing food and textile rooms teaching and learning between it means the three schools can • a recreation and arts centre the three different school share facilities, in terms of senior with a first-class hockey pitch, sectors, on the one site. More school specialised study in art, than 20 years later, the Golden three gymnasia, a theatre, design and technology, drama, Grove Campus is flourishing and a commercial kitchen and a home economics and hospitality, the opportunities provided by dining room information and communication shared facilities for senior school • the Dame Roma Mitchell Centre technology (ICT), music, physical students has proved invaluable. – a flexible facility that can be education and science. The divided into a series of smaller The Golden Grove area is a major three schools also share a senior spaces to suit the needs of urban development in Adelaide’s resource centre. north-east that has grown very the schools at various times, Specialised teaching facilities rapidly. Given that rapid growth, including dance facilities, include: there was an identified need for two lecture theatres seating approximately 150 people secondary schools in the area. The • physics, chemistry, biology and in each space, a stage with resulting shared-facilities model psychology laboratories associated professional sound saw the establishment of three • four ICT laboratories and lighting and a kitchen for autonomous schools – Gleeson catering, and College, which is a Catholic school, • a design and technology Golden Grove High School, which suite housing two computer- • a trade training centre – is a government school, and aided design (CAD) rooms, currently under construction Pedare Christian College, which two electronics laboratories, – which will house four
www.atra.edu.au | [email protected] 8 FEATURE
One of the major electronics laboratories, three the schools. It sometimes occurs CAD and programming rooms, that a student wants to study benefits of the a computer pod and print two subjects which are on at shared-facilities area, and an applied physics the same time, and the ability laboratory. to study across campus opens model and the Each of the three schools up the opportunity to study both combined campus operates on the same timetable subjects but at different schools. has been the success and daily structure to facilitate The cooperative nature of our cross-campus study at the senior shared site is also seen in events of joint funding levels. Students in Years 11 and such as: submissions. 12 have access to a broader • the annual cross-campus range of subjects than would assembly with dance, drama normally be available in a stand- and musical performances which alone school. For example, there involve students from all three may be a cross-campus class in schools and which students multimedia in which students from all three schools enjoy from all three schools undertake studies, with the class taught by • an afternoon tea at the a specialist teacher from one of beginning of each school year
Inside Teaching | October 2010 FEATURE 9
for new staff from each school, of the campus principals has smooth, efficient running of the which enables staff to meet the underpinned the success of the classrooms and specialist areas. campus principals campus. The principals meet One of the major benefits of each fortnight to overview the • a seminar for students studying the shared-facilities model and operation of the shared-facilities across campus at the beginning the combined campus has been model and to maximise the of the year, to support those the success of joint funding success of all three schools students in their learning submissions which have resulted through collaboration. • the campus open night, which in a number of new facilities for is another opportunity to The model works with a shared- the campus. facilities management group showcase the schools and their Currently under construction is a which consists of the deputy shared facilities, and $4.1 million trade training centre and assistant principals of to provide specialist electronics • the cross-campus faculty each school, together with the facilities to enable students to meeting, held every term so shared-facilities professional complete studies in both technical that staff from each school coordinator. This group also and further education, and to can meet together to share meets fortnightly, to manage resources and ideas, as well as facilitate university pathways. the day-to-day operations of to provide an opportunity to the shared facilities. The three This innovative development has invite outside speakers to share schools’ business managers meet shown that significant benefits good practice. weekly to manage the financial accrue to students when the From the beginning, the vision aspects, while specialised school public and private sectors work and outstanding leadership support officers assist in the collaboratively. The needs of
www.atra.edu.au | [email protected] 10 FEATURE
Significant benefits our community require creative Jean Haese is the Shared thinking, negotiation, cooperation Facilities Professional Coordinator accrue to students and shared decision-making at Golden Grove High School, when the public and to facilitate social and learning Adelaide. outcomes for all students. private sectors work Pictured, page 6, students from The Golden Grove Campus offers collaboratively. Gleeson, Pedare and Golden Grove a broad range of opportunities High School in the shared facilities and state-of-the-art facilities to courtyard at the Golden Grove facilitate better teaching and Secondary Schools Campus; learning outcomes for the 21st page 8, students are brought century. ■ together by shared facilities while Wendy Brooks is the maintaining the identity, ethos Coordinator of Marketing and and traditions of their individual Communications at Pedare schools; this page, Gleeson Christian College, Adelaide. students timetabled in the shared Rebecca Sinclair is the design and technology suite. All Marketing Coordinator at photographs by John Hemmings Gleeson College, Adelaide. courtesy Gleeson College.
Inside Teaching | October 2010 FEATURE 11
www.atra.edu.au | [email protected] 12 INDIGENOUS INSIGHT
What’s it to you? Attitude, and changing the status quo
Our attitudes, and our actions in our classrooms, can maintain the status – quo but equally they can change it. Jeannie Herbert explains.
Inside Teaching | October 2010 INDIGENOUS INSIGHT 13
Attitude – it’s a fascinating word, long committed ourselves to Imagine you’re that teacher. What particularly in its current most the values, beliefs and attitudes did you just do? Who’s in control, common form, where it’s come to that enable white, Anglo-Saxon and who isn’t? What have your mean bad attitude. privilege. Does this befit our actions just told your students role as members of a profession We might refer to a student as about your attitudes? How has trained to help all students to take having ‘attitude,’ but equally we your decision to behave in the way their rightful places in society? should be mindful of our own you did contributed to changing attitude, and be alert to the Privilege matters because it the status quo in this country? things that stir our sensitivities. influences classroom interaction, Imagine you’re the Indigenous Most of us teachers are in control the engagement between student student. How do you feel right of our attitudes and behaviours groups, and between students now? How effectively is your – at least while engaged in and teachers. teacher creating an inclusive activities that are aligned to our Imagine this scenario. A row erupts learning environment that values and beliefs – but what in your classroom to do with a local delivers on the promise of about when we’re confronting area history unit you’ve introduced. education for all students? What people or behaviours that don’t Last week, you’d invited some might your teacher have said to reflect our cultural mores? Are local traditional owners to share make you feel you ‘belonged’ in we still able to maintain such their stories. They recounted a this classroom? control? Do we even want to? story about a massacre that had That scenario is based on the The attitudes, and the values happened near the creek, many facts of real-life situations and beliefs that underpin them, years ago, in which local families, that I’ve increasingly been that in colonial times guided the Indigenous and non-Indigenous, asked to respond to in recent establishment of institutions like had been involved, and which years, and I believe it’s time education, health, welfare and the resulted in a very high Indigenous for us, individually and as a law – and more often than not death toll. The two male students profession, to engage in some guided the exclusion of Indigenous involved in this row are from deep reflection, to think about people from those institutions – families who were involved. As our personal attitude toward remain deeply embedded in the you enter the classroom, the Australian psyche. non-Indigenous student makes an ‘difference’ and how that attitude extremely offensive and personal might affect our capacity to close Imagine that you’ve been raised in racist comment to the Indigenous the gap between Indigenous a community where to be of white, student. While you don’t hear and non-Indigenous educational Anglo-Saxon heritage is to occupy it, several nearby students do. achievement. a privileged position. Your birthright As the Indigenous student yells entitles you to a good education Every move you make can a response, you move to calm that guarantees you the pick contribute to maintaining the the situation down. One student of the more highly paid, secure status quo. Equally, though, tells you what was said. ‘I didn’t employment opportunities, a high every move you make can think anybody used that sort of socioeconomic status and the right contribute to changing it. ■ language anymore so keep it out to expect respect from others. of my classroom,’ you say. You also Professor Jeannie Herbert Of course, many teachers were tell the Indigenous student you holds the Chair of Indigenous not personally born into such don’t appreciate his yelling in the Studies at Charles Sturt privilege, but many of us have classroom. You begin the lesson. University, New South Wales.
www.atra.edu.au | [email protected] 14 PROFESSION
Tell me? Show me?
InvolveAs Lorraine Hammond explains, professional me development that leads to lasting change is brought about by modelling strategies in classrooms, coaching teachers, and providing ongoing and transparent feedback on instruction.
Professional development is Over the years, the handouts I’ve long suspected that the essential if we’re to support have increased in size, peaking at overviews I’m guilty of presenting, teachers in implementing literacy the 12-page tome accompanying notwithstanding my efforts at reforms, and ultimately in the eight pages of miniaturised being charismatic, have fallen improving outcomes for children, PowerPoint slides that I’ve just short of the mark. Deborah Ball but to be effective, it requires entrusted to my most recent and David Cohen, in ‘Developing more than telling teachers what to audience. practice, developing practitioners: do; it involves modelling strategies Towards a practice-based theory in classrooms, coaching teachers After years of talking about of professional education,’ have and providing feedback. literacy instruction, though, similarly observed that workshop I’ve come to the conclusion ‘Tell me, and I’ll forget; show me, handouts, ideas, and methods that it’s simply not enough to and I may remember; involve provide ‘brief sparks of novelty tell teachers what the research me, and I’ll understand,’ as the and imagination,’ but, as Willis saying goes. It’s ironic, then, that says to do; you’ve got to be Hawley and Linda Valli observe I should be writing this on a flight prepared to show them and in ‘The essentials of effective home from Sydney after delivering involve them. In my case, I’ve professional development,’ usually a keynote at a large conference. got to illustrate the strategies on result in most teachers going back reading comprehension I’ve been to their regular ways of teaching. I’m always pleased to be asked to advocating with scripted lesson speak, but I sometimes wonder This became glaringly obvious to plans. My rationale is simple: how exactly what the participants me when I was asked to lead a take away, particularly when I’m else will busy teachers who have research project in five Western condensing complex ideas – stuff limited time to read articles and Australian primary schools I might otherwise address in a books translate these innovative that were the recipients of an postgraduate unit at university – strategies into daily classroom innovation grant provided by the into the slot between registration practice and get the kinds of WA Department of Education and morning tea. results promised by researchers? and Training to look at how well
Inside Teaching | October 2010 PROFESSION 15
the literacy practices of early also tricky. The answer is a., childhood staff – Kindergarten because you must listen for the to Year 2 teachers – aligned to number of sounds or phonemes current research on how the brain – the smallest units of sound – in learns to read. each word, and not be distracted The design of the project was by their spelling. simple: to have the early Taken in the context of Ruth childhood staff complete a teacher Fielding-Barnsley’s recent How much do you know knowledge survey about teaching findings, the survey results are about teaching beginning beginning reading and then deliver further evidence of a worrying reading? a series of sessions to address trend. While some participants gaps in their understanding and demonstrated a high level of Which set of words present current research on literacy knowledge and application, should a teacher effective instructional strategies. many of the participants – select for a phoneme awareness activity to The results of the survey, however, including new graduates and changed the course of the project. give children practice those with more than 30 years’ with segmentation of four Based on American researcher experience – remained uncertain phonemes in one-syllable Louisa Moat’s work in the about the meanings of terms words? field, the teacher knowledge that now proliferate in beginning a. thrill, sting survey is designed to measure reading instruction. b. shark, string teachers’ understanding of the Without a clear understanding of c. witch, dodge nomenclature of early literacy terms like ‘phoneme segmentation,’ d. all of the above concepts and their literacy skills, ambiguity is rife. You only have e. I’m not sure. and, as in the example provided at to read the 2005 report of the right, to identify sounds in words. National Inquiry into the Teaching Moats, in ‘Knowledge foundations of Literacy to see the emphasis for teaching reading and spelling,’ that current research places on reports that even the most the importance of phonological literate of teachers experience awareness and synthetic phonics. difficulty with these items Given that emphasis, I was left because an understanding of wondering what my surveyed terms like ‘phoneme awareness,’ teachers had made of the ‘segmentation’ and ‘syllable’ is terminology-laden suggestions a prerequisite to complete the other good-intentioned folk before practical task, which in itself is me had offered.
www.atra.edu.au | [email protected] 16 PROFESSION
I didn’t have to wonder for long. a prac student had she felt under new strategies they took on to After explaining the nomenclature, so much pressure. Along with teach beginning reading had I embarked on a review of her colleagues, though, she every opportunity to be effective research about the importance acknowledged the benefit of and yielded the expected results: of teaching decoding when one receiving continuous feedback. children who teachers were teacher stopped me abruptly and initially concerned about, and who I developed a rubric based said, ‘Yes, I understand the terms might otherwise have struggled, on the salient features of the now and I can see why I need to learned how to read. By far the instructional approach so that, teach kids to decode, but you’re most outstanding result was from after each observation, teachers going to have to show me how the lowest socioeconomic school in were able to see how their if you want me to do it properly.’ the project, where all pre-primary performance in three areas had It was my Damascus moment. students are now independently changed: analysis of knowledge, As the words resonated in my able to decode words such as communication and behaviour. head she added, ‘And how about strap, crush and plastic. coming to my classroom with my I also began receiving emails from As one teacher summed up, ‘I kids to do this?’ teachers that went something like, always knew I should be teaching ’How many phonemes are there Professional development with these things, but I wasn’t sure in “witch” and how would I clap it 30 participants followed, using exactly how to do it. You’ve given for segmentation?’ The answer is Patricia Formentin’s Let’s Decode, me the words to use and, unlike three – w+i+ch – and, because of an approach to teaching phoneme other sessions I’ve been to where the stop sound at the beginning of awareness and systematic the strategies were only ever the word, children are taught to decoding instruction that I’ve talked about, you were prepared to blend the first two sounds and hold used in previous research. I come to my classroom and show the vowel, resulting in wiiiich. Let’s conducted the practical course me how to do it with my students. Decode, like any new intervention, with students and followed up It did wonders for your credibility.’ has a sophisticated set of rules with regular visits to model and I began to marvel at how My involvement in this project lessons in teachers’ classrooms. committed the teachers were to has certainly enabled me to see Let’s Decode is based on standard delivering the program well. learning through the eyes of the ‘lesson formats’ for teaching participants, but most importantly By far the greatest influence blending, rhyming, segmenting it’s reminded me of the complexity on the decisions teachers make and decoding, or as one teacher of the role teachers perform and about instruction is what they put it ‘the words I needed to the demands on their energy and believe works. The gradual and teach these concepts.’ Teachers time. This project was but one supported introduction of Let’s are coached on how to engage of a long list of initiatives they’re Decode certainly increased the all students and provide faultless engaged with. I feel privileged likelihood that teachers would instruction. to have been invited into their take on the strategies outside classrooms. ■ To measure gains in teacher their involvement in the project. efficacy, the 30 participants Put simply, teachers had the agreed, somewhat reluctantly, opportunity to master all aspects Dr Lorraine Hammond is a to let my research assistant of the intervention, practise the Senior Lecturer and Special and me watch them teach. One formats over three terms and Education Coordinator in the experienced teacher observed receive regular feedback on their School of Education at Edith that not since the days of being performance. Consequently, the Cowan University, Perth.
Inside Teaching | October 2010 PROFESSION 17
REFERENCES (Rowe Report). Report and Hawley, W.D & Valli, L. (1999). Ball, D.L & Cohen, D.K. (1999). Recommendations. Canberra: The essentials of effective Developing practice, developing Commonwealth of Australia. professional development: practitioners: Towards a practice- Available at www.dest.gov.au/ A new consensus. In Darling based theory of professional nitl/report.htm -Hammond, L. & Sykes, G. education. In Darling-Hammond, Fielding-Barnsley, R. (2010). (Eds) Teaching as the Learning L. & Sykes, G. (Eds) Teaching Australian pre-service teachers’ Profession: Handbook of policy as the Learning Profession: knowledge of phonemic and practice (pp. 127-50). San Handbook of policy and practice awareness and phonics in the Francisco: Jossey-Bass. (pp. 3-31). San Francisco: process of learning to read. Moats, L. (2009). Knowledge Jossey-Bass. Australian Journal of Learning foundations for teaching Commonwealth Department of Difficulties. 15(1):106-20. reading and spelling. Education, Science and Training Formentin, P.J. (1992). Let’s Reading and Writing: An (DEST). (2005). National Inquiry Decode inservice manual. Perth, interdisciplinary journal. 22: into the Teaching of Literacy WA: Edith Cowan University. 379-99.
www.atra.edu.au | [email protected] 18 MY BEST TEACHER
There’s the child for whom school was a sometimes Les Murray occasional experience. Murray didn’t attend school until he My best teacher was nine. As he explains, ‘In the 1930s there was a bit of Steve Holden talks with Les Murray about his best a drought of babies’ – he was teachers, and learns much more than he expected. born in 1938 in Nabiac on the New South Wales north coast Sit down to talk with Australia’s autism and depression, whose – ‘and there wasn’t much call pre-eminent, award-winning, demons, in Murray’s words, ‘stay for a school. Bulby Brush Public internationally acclaimed and with you: when I’m really sick School closed during the Second prolific poet Les Murray and you I’m 16 again and none of the World War and reopened in expect to hear from ‘one of the good things have ever happened.’ 1948, so I just didn’t go to leading poets of his generation,’ There’s the child who was bullied. school. as John Tranter has described ‘The worst was the bullying by him, Australia’s great literary ‘I just taught myself to read the opposite sex. There was statesman and the author of from golden syrup tins and the nothing I could do about it. It close to 30 volumes of poetry newspaper. My first words were and two verse novels. contributed to the depressive probably “golden syrup.” The war illness that was latent in me news was interesting.’ As he told There’s plenty otherwise, though, anyway. Mind you, the kids Dan Chiasson, writing in ‘Fire that I didn’t expect to find. who bullied me grew out of it down below’ in the New Yorker, There’s the child who struggled at age 17, and I think I started he took special delight, when through school as a result of tormenting them.’ he was three, in the phrase,
Inside Teaching | October 2010 MY BEST TEACHER 19
from the Lord’s Prayer, ‘trespass rhythm. He was probably worried ‘Les Lawrie was the against us.’ about me on the horse vault. I sportsmaster at Taree. was a big boy, even then.’ Playing truant, Murray says, wasn’t that hard. ‘When they Like school, Murray’s experience He introduced me to don’t provide a school,’ he of university was also occasional modern Australian explains, ‘they don’t come to – he went to the University poetry.’ check up on you.’ of Sydney in 1957 to study modern languages, left in At Nabiac Central School, which 1960 without graduating, Murray attended after his and returned in 1969. At the mother’s death, he was taught University of Sydney he met Social Studies by Lionel Gilbert teachers Len McGlashan and – who now lives in Armidale. Barry Blake. Most of his teachers, Murray observes, are still alive. ‘He was ‘Len had energy and vim. He humane,’ Murray explains. ‘His had humour, but he was jovially interest in us, and his subject, brutal in teaching German. He was communicable.’ got your interest. Barry was one of those chaps who could make Murray, in his words, ‘dropped a subject perfectly clear to you. out’ in Year 9, then attended Taree High School to complete ‘At the University of Sydney, his leaving certificate. though, a kind of paralysis crept over me. I stopped attending It was here that he met and even started sleeping rough. teachers Keith and Edie I didn’t realise at the time it was McLaughlin, and Les Lawrie. my first depressive breakdown.’ ‘Keith had a good deal of nous and truly loved his subject. Murray married Valerie – they He introduced me to modern have five children – then found poetry. I think he had a feeling work as a translator at the that he might distract me from Australian National University the bullying with something from 1963 to 1967, and briefly he thought I’d love. It was a as a clerk in the Department of good piece of lateral thinking. Prime Minister for John Gorton, Edie was more into the artistic before returning to university. lifestyle. She bought me my ‘I went back,’ he explains, first cappuccino in 1956. In ‘because it was a world that Taree, that was a remarkable I knew. I knew I wouldn’t be achievement. much good at a sit-down job.’ ‘Les Lawrie was the sportsmaster Murray’s job, since 1971, has at Taree. He introduced me to been poetry, and he’s visited modern Australian poetry. I schools across the country since didn’t know that existed before then to talk with teachers and then. I think he thought I needed students. ‘Schools are always a
www.atra.edu.au | [email protected] 20 MY BEST TEACHER
‘I suspect the best bit scary,’ he admits. ‘You always to the conclusion that it was wonder which kids are being my fault.’ way to teach poetry,’ tormented. All you can do is The striking thing about our says Murray, ‘is to show the kids you’re awake to conversation, though, is that display it or to hold what’s gone on.’ Murray speaks – of depression, autism, his mother’s death – competitions rather His advice for teachers generally? ‘Tell as much of with immense candour, yet than go into analysis. the truth as is legal, and it’s a there’s a lot more laughter than you might expect of a pessimist. If you want to destroy mistake to use a persona – kids can spot a fake a mile off.’ Murray counts himself lucky a subject, analyse it: Talk with the man who, to have had a few good rock and roll would be according to Chiasson, is teachers, but there’s one I haven’t mentioned yet: poetry dead in a week.’ ‘among the three or four leading English-language poets’ in the itself. ‘The purpose of poetry,’ world, and you ought to ask says Murray, ‘is to delight, but it’s also to work things about poetry. ‘I suspect the out, about the world, and life. best way to teach poetry,’ says It’s a means of research, a Murray, ‘is to display it or to hold way to understand things. I competitions rather than go into always found the world very analysis. If you want to destroy mysterious.’ ■ a subject, analyse it: rock and roll would be dead in a week.’ Pictured, Les Murray at this Murray, surprisingly, describes year’s Sydney Writers’ Festival his poetry as pessimistic and with facilitator Michael Duffy. says he is prone to dogmatism, Photograph by Prudence Upton notwithstanding the depth and courtesy of the Sydney Writers’ breadth of the celebratory poetry Festival. he’s written. ‘Depression,’ he says, ‘has caused me to write a good narrative poem – Freddy REFERENCES Neptune – about a man who discovers how bad the world Chiasson, D. (2007). Fire down can be.’ below. The New Yorker. (11 June.) How bad the world can be, it seems, lies at the heart of Tranter, J. (1977). A warrior things for Murray. ‘Mum died poet living still at Anzac Cove. of her third miscarriage,’ he The Weekend Australian. says, ‘and the impact was (29 January.) unsuspected, but profound. I LINKS had a leaning to depression anyway, but I think I had come www.swf.org.au
Inside Teaching | October 2010 MY BEST TEACHER 21
Junior Elementary Cued Articulation Math Mastery Consonants & Vowels By Rhonda Farkota Revised Edition
JEMM (Junior Elementary Math By Jane Passy Revised, full Extension of Mastery) is a highly innovative This book combines Cued Articulation colour edition the bestsellingEMM! mental math program specifically features new and Cued Vowels in one. It is a full colour designed to embrace the Australian cards DVD!and new and comprehensive description of Jane National Mathematics Curriculum Passy’s methods for teaching speech Profile. Purpose-built to maximise and language-challenged children and adults how to make the sounds required for articulate speech. An interactive every benefit a mental math program is capable of yielding, DVD (IWB-ready) is available to support the practice through JEMM is ideally suited for middle primary, and upper demonstration of cues and sounds. Vowels and Consonants primary remedial students. Requiring only 10–15 minutes posters and cards also available. daily to implement, plus 3–7 minutes for instant feedback, JEMM contains its own inbuilt assessment and correction For more information and to order, please visit procedures. https://shop.acer.edu.au/acer-shop/group/CUEDART For more information and to order, please visit https://shop.acer.edu.au/acer-shop/product/5128BK Reading Foundations A structured program for Architecture teaching essential reading for Children skills By Jessica Grainger By Sarah Scott This book addresses the issue of teaching How can architectural form phonemic and orthographic skills to respond to the unique needs of beginning and struggling readers. A program is outlined children and support and reinforce that provides a step by step process and structure with fully the pedagogy of a children’s centre? developed practice exercises. These exercises are designed So much of the teaching in Early Learning revolves around the so that they can be used in the classroom, in withdrawal importance of a child’s environment on their development. situation and in special classes. Over the last 100 years, many divergent philosophies have In this book there are three programs that together examine evolved with a wide breadth and depth of thinking and with ways to overcome reading failure for those learners who are an equally wide range of architectural responses. having problems in the early stages of reading acquisition: Children are a unique client with heightened sensory needs, 1. Good Feedback Program special scale considerations and a totally different way of moving through and perceiving space to adults. The different 2. Step by Step Phonemic and Orthographic educational programs and the consequent needs of the Intervention Program staff also impact on the architectural outcome and on how 3. Story Tree Program children’s needs are managed. For more information and to order, please visit For more information and to order, please visit https://shop.acer.edu.au/acer-shop/product/A5152BK https://shop.acer.edu.au/acer-shop/product/A5151BK www.acer.edu.au/education To request ACER’s Education Catalogue or further information please contact Customer Service Phone: 1800 338 402 or +61 3 9277 5447 Email: [email protected]
www.atra.edu.au | [email protected] 22 10 THINGS I’VE LEARNED ABOUT TEACHING
things I’ve learned about teaching 10Neil Cranston has learned that there’s more he doesn’t know than he does know and that he’s at his best when he feels uncomfortable and challenged, and he’s still prepared to explain 10 things he’s learned about teaching.
What are 10 things I’ve learned Behind that question lies the A lot of good mentoring is the about teaching? What I offer here belief that we need to be deeply result of realising that you’re are 10 things that have ‘bubbled committed to the learning of with the right person in the right up’ from my experiences – both the young people in our care place at the right time. Be alert positive and negative. I’m not, I as the priority. I mean learning to opportunities and take them hasten to add, pretending here to in a broad sense: academic, when they are offered. reveal the ‘holy grail’ of teaching; social, emotional, physical and nor am I attempting to be spiritual, and I define that term Leading on from this, comprehensive in covering what very broadly. The learning of 3 learning with, and is important for all educators. our students isn’t our only from, others is a critical focus. While that’s a priority, element of professional What one achieves we also need to continue our growth. 1 is the culmination own professional and personal An important aspect of learning of many experiences, a learning as a critical focus. willingness to learn and as educational professionals is the influences of others A key aspect of the art of asking questions – of in an ongoing journey. 2 our continuing others, and more critically, of Education is not a solo journey. professional and ourselves, to do with what we’re Here, the key question is about personal learning is doing in our classrooms and how our learnings can contribute mentoring, formal and what effects we might, or might to improved practice, and the informal, planned and not, have on the young people in learning and growth of others. serendipitous. our care.
Inside Teaching | October 2010 10 THINGS I’VE LEARNED ABOUT TEACHING 23
Engage in you do know or, put debates about education that I’ve 4 professional otherwise, you don’t seen easily reduced to the trivial. conversations – because know as much as you your sharing of practice think you do! Education is the key to improving and ideas, successes and Stay humble, keep 9 the quality of life of failures, will lead to asking questions and 7 individuals and the enhanced teaching and keep learning. community generally. learning. Of course, points 4, 5 and 6 While it’s important to engage need to be understood in the Regularly ask deeply in the world of education context of a rapidly changing 10 yourself this and our professionalism as world where education and question: Would I be educators, it’s also important schools face many challenges. happy for my child to be to look outside our usual world, New challenges seemingly in my class or to attend to be alert to what learnings things I’ve learned emerge on a daily basis and my school? we can take from other fields many of these threaten us and If the answer is no, you have of endeavour and how we make us uncomfortable. These a professional obligation and about teaching might embed these in our own are the realities of the world moral responsibility to do practices to make us better at into which the young people something about it because, as what we do. We have much in our classrooms are entering an educator, you have to take to gain by looking outside our – uncertainty and difference professional responsibility for immediate world and seeing are hallmarks of this world. your actions and do the best what other disciplines and On top of that, unfortunately, you can. You’re likely to answer experiences have to offer in education has become a key yes if, rather than asking your terms of improving educational player in the political ‘wars,’ students what they are doing in understandings and practices. where governments seek quick your class, you ask them what fixes to highly complex issues they are learning. Learning, not It’s okay to feel in schools. As educators, we ‘busy work’ or ‘child minding’ 5 uncomfortable and need to help our politicians and is what you are on about – and challenged because policymakers to understand the that learning refers not just that’s when we are often things outlined below if we’re to the young people in your most receptive to new to achieve real change and class, it also refers to you as a learning. improvement in what we do. We don’t know everything, and professional educator. ■ we’ll never know everything, Change in education Neil Cranston is Professor in is complex; it’s but we should strive to know 8 Educational Leadership and and learn as much as we can potentially threatening Curriculum at the University of in this rapidly changing world for many; it needs to be Tasmania, Honorary Professor at as we prepare young people for resourced; and it takes the University of Queensland and their roles in the community of time. Adjunct Professor, Department of tomorrow. There are two further In engaging in change in schools Education, at Unitec New Zealand. related lessons to this one. we must never lose sight of the His most recent book, edited with next thing I’ve learned about Lisa Ehrich, is Australian School There’s more you teaching and learning, a thing Leadership Today, published by 6 don’t know than that is often overlooked in Australian Academic Press.
www.atra.edu.au | [email protected] 24 TEACHING TIPS
Five top tips for beginning teachers
Inside Teaching | October 2010 TEACHING TIPS 25
Teachers in the early stages of their career face myriad exactly like getting gold from the challenges, and opportunities, as award-winning ground. Queensland teacher Sandra Quinn well knows. GET TO KNOW Tip 2 YOUR STUDENTS, Back in 2009, a colleague with caregivers always thanked and AND THEIR PARENTS OR whom I’d worked since I began recognised us, but there’s no CAREGIVERS teaching nominated me for financial bonus for ensuring your It’s important for beginning an excellence in beginning to whole class achieves a pass teachers to get to know their teach award. I can hardly say level; there’s no daily, ‘Thanks students and their students’ I was confident about the idea, Miss, that was a great lesson,’ parents or caregivers. I completed but a few months after the even if it took you two hours to most of my primary schooling nominations closed I heard I’d plan and prepare; your inbox in small state schools in country been named as a finalist. is not filled with emails from Queensland, and after my family parents or caregivers saying I thanked all my colleagues moved to Brisbane I attended an their child is energised by your who’d contributed testimonials independent all-girls school. to the nomination, which teaching, and progressing in Although I felt I’d experienced really was the best possible leaps and bounds. diversity in my own schooling, I acknowledgement I could hope I’ve learnt that teaching is often came to realise in my first year of for, and looked forward to thankless work, and you must teaching that my own experience attending the awards ceremony, have extremely high levels of of schooling was a world away to see which of the other finalists resilience and persistence to from the students I was to work would win. To my astonishment, make it through. It’s through with, and so were my beliefs it turned out to be me. your relentless hard work as about schooling. My colleagues and principal, and a beginning teacher to plan, my family were confident that prepare and research so that I hadn’t even heard of the I was a serious contender, but you’re on par with your more suburb where my school was not me. I suspect my colleagues experienced colleagues that you’ll located. Not only was my first on the short list and all those establish a strong foundation for school placement a world away impressive colleagues who’d teaching in your subject area. In to me geographically, but so been nominated felt the same these beginning years, there will were the issues for my students. lack of confidence. My lack of be times when the growth shown My greatest problems as a high confidence in myself got me by your students brings you school student revolved around thinking. We teachers have a satisfaction and hopefully leaves ensuring I had the right colour lack of confidence in ourselves you with enthusiasm for a future ribbon in my hair and balancing that, I think, relates to the fact in education. as many extracurricular activities that we’re rarely acknowledged in When you are acknowledged by as possible. our work, which brings me to my your peers or students, though, Some students that I taught first tip for beginning teachers. even in small ways, you should in my first year classes were HANG IN take a moment to reflect on balancing full-time study with Tip 1 THERE, AND what you’ve achieved. Every act part-time work to pay family ACCEPT WHATEVER of acknowledgement, even and bills, or studying while caring ACKNOWLEDGEMENT maybe especially the very small for ill parents. I was previously COMES YOUR WAY one, is worth its weight in gold, unaware of the complex It would be nice if our so enjoy it when it happens, challenges that many students employers, colleagues or but remember that getting face and was unprepared to students and their parents or acknowledgement from people is accommodate these students.
www.atra.edu.au | [email protected] 26 TEACHING TIPS
In my first few years of teaching why they may find themselves in my students, my department or I launched myself into coaching trouble; giving them opportunities my school. a number of extracurricular to learn essential skills to achieve In my first year, I found myself sporting teams and took up in the subject. coaching and attempting to many opportunities to attend You must assume as a beginning organise Year 7 weekly afternoon camps and excursions. I found teacher that all students deserve sport at my high school. I must that by interacting with my a fair go, and all students want to admit, I experienced a steep students beyond the classroom I learn regardless of the behaviours learning curve as a teacher gained valuable knowledge about or levels of achievement they who was mainly concerned with them. My better understanding may show you on a weekly basis. surviving in the classroom. If of their cultural and spiritual I came to realise fairly quickly, I hadn’t had the help of a few beliefs, their family situations that being fair in your dealings individuals with prior involvement and backgrounds, their likes with students isn’t enough. As in this weekly afternoon sport, and dislikes heavily influenced my father has told me many there would’ve been some very my daily teaching practice. As a times in my first years of unhappy Year 7s. beginning teacher, this knowledge teaching, ‘You must be fair and Later on, I was able to use made a huge difference to my consistent.’ I can now see that the skills and knowledge I had class teaching. Now, as a head of his 30-plus years in education gained from this experience department, catering for students were a valuable influence in my to work in some whole-school and those students’ parents first few years of teaching, even coordination roles. or caregivers at my school is if I didn’t realise it at the time. It’s well worth taking on out- a whole new ball game, but it Every time I came home and told of-class duties for student and can’t be denied that at any level him about the woes of my difficult school improvement. Whether or position in education, this class he just repeated this same these be, say, curriculum writing, understanding is critical. message and eventually – to my sports coordination or excursion BE FAIR AND surprise, and his certainty – my preparation, don’t be afraid to try Tip 3 CONSISTENT challenging Year 9 class knew and your hand at an open opportunity. respected me. I believe that the Back yourself, but remember to Throughout my own schooling teachers who are most respected ask for help from colleagues with and life experiences before I by students are those who are expertise in that particular area. became a teacher, it became fair and consistent, and who quite obvious to those around me that often have been for many I was often ruffled by injustice ASK FOR HELP a semester. Tip 5 or unfairness. I knew it was My fifth tip for beginning teachers fundamental to me as a beginning YOUR JOB is closely related to the previous teacher that I should endeavour IS TO TEACH, Tip 4 one. In every school you’ll find to embed ideals of fairness and AND THEN SOME colleagues who have a wealth of justice in my classroom. Instilling In only a few years of teaching, knowledge and skills to help you values of fairness in a very I found myself taking on in every facet of your practice. challenging Year 9 class, though, coordination roles and soon The trouble, however, is that is harder than it sounds. enough a head of department your colleagues keep, develop Being ‘fair’ in your dealings position. I suspect such with students can mean so opportunities were offered to me and typically use their knowledge many different things: ensuring because I was enthusiastic about and skills for the benefit of the students are good sports when taking on new tasks and roles individuals they deal with directly. participating in physical activities; through which I felt I could make As a rule, though, I’ve found having clear rules so they know an improvement of some kind for teachers want to help each other,
Inside Teaching | October 2010 TEACHING TIPS 27
so it’s worth taking the time to However rocky the road, though, I’m yet to be turned seek out staff outside your own you must persist, and you’ll be away by a teacher teaching area or beyond your own surprised how much you learn in who refused to share ■ staffroom. As you do, you’ll build the short space of a few years. something at which a network of experts you can they excelled. consult for advice and support, and a bank of knowledge and Sandra Quinn is Head of skills on which you can rely. Department in health and physical I’m yet to be turned away by a education at Forest Lake State teacher who refused to share High School in Brisbane’s southern something at which they excelled. suburbs and the 2009 winner of As a beginning teacher, who the Dr Roger Hunter Excellence in knows what challenges will be Beginning to Teach Award of the thrown at you on a daily basis? Queensland College of Teachers.
www.atra.edu.au | [email protected] 28 CURRICULUM & ASSESSMENT
Turning NAPLAN to your advantage Using data to personalise learning
The idea that testing somehow improves learning just by itself is misguided: testing usefully improves learning when it informs teaching. John Davidson explains.
Inside Teaching | October 2010 CURRICULUM & ASSESSMENT 29
Unless you’ve been living under Back in 2009 I wrote a short were writing above Level 5.50 a rock, there’s a good chance article called ‘NAPLAN or of the state school curriculum – you’ve seen and heard words like napalm?’ about my school’s the Victorian Essential Learning assessment, testing, NAPLAN, response to the publication of Standards (VELS) – based on which stands for the National the first national test results, a thorough analysis of work Assessment Program – Literacy from which I developed a one- samples, but whose NAPLAN test and Numeracy, just in case you hour workshop for Victoria’s results put them around Level didn’t know, and My School. Teacher Learning Network and 4.50 – up to two years behind our own assessment. They come up a lot in our shared this innovative approach, popular media, but in our focusing on the writing test, In meetings with the principal profession they can distort with other teachers. and the Year 9 team we discussion about student progressed through several learning, and our practice. Response to the first stages – denial, pain and guilt, Like many teachers, I see NAPLAN results anger and rationalisation of shortcomings in the media- When the first NAPLAN results the ‘Yes, but...’ variety, until driven view that testing were distributed to schools in we began a level-headed somehow improves learning September 2008 we at Fitzroy examination of the actual just by itself, and so, like High School, Melbourne, were documents from the NAPLAN many teachers, I’m constantly shocked by what we saw as low Data Service. striving to find ways to use test results from Year 9 students we Using the full range of reports, results – NAPLAN and others – knew to be literate. We were able from the school summary to meaningfully and sensibly. to identify several students who the item analysis through to
Turning NAPLAN to your advantage Using data to personalise learning
www.atra.edu.au | [email protected] 30 CURRICULUM & ASSESSMENT
Thus each student’s scores were • In the five months since the Figure 1. NAPLAN writing criteria itemised and could be examined in test, many students had detail. We also added data such as progressed with written literacy. Audience – the writer’s VELS levels for class assignments, • The test itself didn’t accurately capacity to orient, engage and essays and the like, as well as measure the competence and affect the reader (6 marks) administrative details such as capacity of some students, so Text structure – organising home group and class group. they were placed in the wrong the story according to standard We then manipulated the class. narrative structure (4 marks) spreadsheet in various ways • Final term is crowded and short Ideas – covering both using the ‘sort’ command under – not the best time to engage creativity and crafting of ideas ‘data’ on the menu bar to Year 9 students in innovative (5 marks) examine the spread of results. learning. Character and setting – It was useful to compare portrayal of the character, and different class groupings, gender • We didn’t have time to fully establishment of a setting (4) differences and so on, although prepare our teaching team and the real purpose was to find the two of the four class groups Vocabulary – the range and precision of the language (5) things we could really focus on in struggled to engage with the the final term. purpose of the exercise. Cohesion – controlling the text technically (4) More than half of the cohort So, a good idea – using the data scored lower than we expected. to personalise the teaching – Paragraphing (2) We identified the criteria on which only partly succeeded in practice. Sentence structure – they’d score poorly, discussed In a perfect world this approach • grammatically correct, sound them as a team, and constructed could have been carried over and meaningful sentences (6) personalised English ‘toolbox’ to the same cohort in Year 10, classes for the final term. • use of correct punctuation (5) where the insights gleaned from This meant running several English the Year 9 data could have been • accuracy and range of classes simultaneously, focused systematically applied to English spelling (6) on different aspects of writing. teaching from first term onwards. For example, one class looked at Unfortunately, though, changes audience and vocabulary, another the student achievement-level in personnel, team structures, concentrated on punctuation, a leadership and so on, as so report, we constructed an Excel third on text structure, and the often happens in schools, led spreadsheet listing student fourth – students with high test to the whole project being names down the left-hand scores – on extended narrative temporarily shelved. column, then their actual marks writing. Students were grouped on each of the 10 NAPLAN writing according to their test results from The feedback I’ve had from five months earlier in the year. teachers in my workshops has criteria, shown in Figure 1, their been similarly mixed – a good total marks, attributed VELS Problems, as they emerged idea with a useful purpose is levels and also VELS-level results Predictably, there were problems: hobbled by time constraints, from the other NAPLAN tests of • Not all students had sat the established class arrangements, reading, language conventions test so which toolbox class inflexible timetables and, most and numeracy. should they attend? crucially, the huge gap between
Inside Teaching | October 2010 CURRICULUM & ASSESSMENT 31
Figure 2: Excel spreadsheet showing collected and comparable assessment data*
the test in May and the arrival and use it diagnostically. This is it easier to use NAPLAN results of the results in September. available for download from their diagnostically. Interestingly, the Victorian website and follows a broadly similar approach to ours. It’s Curriculum and Assessment Collecting and using data Authority (VCAA) has now also noteworthy that a wider made available a guide to help range of data reports are now In Victoria, the Department of teachers interpret their data available from the VCAA, making Education and Early Childhood
• shaping the interactive • encouraging self classroom directed learning • catering for different • connecting the curriculum learning styles to best teaching & learning practices
www.atra.edu.au | [email protected] 32 CURRICULUM & ASSESSMENT
Figure 3: Diagnostic analysis of student performance* far away an object is unless you reference it from at least two different survey points. Without triangulation it’s like trying to guess how high something is with one eye closed. We can extend this analogy to all forms of student assessment, for example the 2008 NAPLAN tests of my Year 9 students.
A student – let’s call him Bobby – scored 4.76 equivalent VELS level on the writing test, but 5.46 on the spelling test and 5.54 on the grammar test. An examination of his mid-year writing class sample indicated a VELS of 5.75. By looking at all these markers together – several vantage points focused on the same student – we can make a balanced assessment of around 5.50: his low NAPLAN test score was clearly flawed in some way; the class item was possibly a one-off ‘gem.’
In order to make these balanced or triangulated judgements, though, the teacher must have Development (DEECD) has arrangements for the collection, a collection of valid data. At my consistently been urging all sharing and use of assessment school we have several data schools to collect and maintain data, individual teachers can and collections, using either Excel accessible databases with which should maintain coherent records. spreadsheets on staff computers, to make informed decisions about Better still, teams of teachers or Googledocs up in ‘the cloud.’ curriculum, courses and individual working with the same group of students. In my work with teachers students can easily share their The simplest version, for English and other schools, though, data in order to ‘triangulate’ their writing, works like this: I’ve been surprised by some assessments and so make better • all assessed work is rated inconsistent and ad hoc approaches judgements. by VELS criteria, not by to assessment data itself. The idea of triangulation comes percentages or arbitrary scores Even if the school leadership has from a measurement analogy • a range of work samples – not established comprehensive – you can’t tell how big or how essays, notes, drafts, self-
Inside Teaching | October 2010 CURRICULUM & ASSESSMENT 33
evaluations, book reviews and Googledocs spreadsheet can learning – although it’s also so on – is collected also be exported as an Excel used to report on student progress. • a spreadsheet is created like and downloaded onto your own the one in Figure 2 computer for offline work. Our school has spent considerable time and effort • the gaps indicate useful data Victoria’s DEECD is now rolling managing and analysing quite too – was the student absent, out the Ultranet with similar large amounts of student or does he or she not complete capacities, so all student data data, with one of our leading work? will soon be held online in a secure environment. teachers developing several • the spreadsheet can be colour- Excel-based instruments that coded using the ‘conditional can sort and highlight student Analysing the data formatting’ command; for performance in various ways. Having collected all this example, all assessments With exotic names like the below the expected level can information about student Fitzolator and the Quokka, be highlighted so student performance, what do we do these instruments are stored needs can be more easily with it? We originally tried to on a central server and are recognised. personalise individual lessons basically sophisticated versions to pick up on those aspects of I keep an Excel spreadsheet of the simple spreadsheet writing that specific students like this for all the students described above. Being school- seemed not to have learnt. This wide data sets, they rely on and class groups that I teach, is the main purpose of collecting input from individual teachers, and as a team leader I expect such data – to support further as well as central data like and assist my colleagues to do the same. The next stage is to share our information, which can be done face to face at meetings, which is the best option as it involves actual discussion, but also remotely Universal Italian Restaurant over the internet. We’ve been School Group Dinning using Googledocs. • Pizza To do this, a team leader Years 1-9 only $10 creates an online spreadsheet • Pasta similar to the one above and • Drinks Years 10-12 only $12 ‘invites’ teachers to view it and • Ice Cream contribute. In this way all data from a wider range of sources Located on Lygon Street, Carlton VIC. or classes can be entered Walking distance to IMAX Theater, Piazza Italia, Sky Deck, Melbourne and viewed, which makes the Museum, Old Melbourne Gaol & Public Transport. Serving school groups for over 30 years. triangulation easier and also ensures that the data is still available if the key teacher www.universalrestaurant.com.au is, say, on leave or sick, or has gone to another job. The
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By consulting the NAPLAN scores, VELS levels and especially those who work in attendance figures generated by teams, insights into how to use various spreadsheets, roll-marking software. data intelligently. students share the All students at our school have You still might have problems process of analysing a personal learning plan, with like no time in fourth term and which they set goals and targets the gap between the May test their own progress for their own learning. An and the September results, but and deciding where important step in doing that is to this is where the SPA offers identify their current standard of something new – by adapting their learning should achievement by referring to the Lev Vygotsky’s concept of the go next. data held in the spreadsheets. zone of proximal development to By consulting the various help teachers to analyse and use spreadsheets, students share the the data. As Figure 3, from the process of analysing their own SPA demo, shows, most students progress and deciding where have answered the first 12 their learning should go next. items correctly – the whole class grasps the concepts tested by At team meetings we also use those items – but many students student achievement data to have not correctly answered the decide on the course structure last six or so items – they may and lesson content. be conceptually too advanced for most kids at this stage of their Analysing student performance development. The middle range of items reveals a mix of correct A new development in some and incorrect answers – this is Victorian regions has been the likely to be the teaching zone, Student Performance Analyser where concepts and skills are (SPA), a commercial educational accessible and developmentally tool developed by Philip appropriate, but need further Holmes-Smith and currently elaboration and explanation. being used by northern metropolitan schools. This tool Using the item analysis report uses data from the NAPLAN, downloaded from the NAPLAN teacher VELS judgements and Data Service we can then identify on-demand testing to compile the content of this proximal zone personalised profiles on each and devise lessons to engage our student. Holmes-Smith’s students in clearer exploration website has a demo version and instruction, rather than of the SPA where you can get wasting time on content they a feel for the way the data is already know or bamboozling them with concepts for which used and presented. It would they’re not ready. be a whole-school decision to buy this software, but even the Approaching the data in this demo website gives teachers, way, whether with the SPA or
Inside Teaching | October 2010 CURRICULUM & ASSESSMENT 35
with our own school-based * The names in Figures 2 and 3 Available at www.vcaa.vic. tools, enables us to turn the are fictitious. edu.au/vcaa/prep10/nAPLAN/ paradigm of personalisation schools/teachersguide- towards something more like a usingnaplandata.pdf differentiated curriculum. It also REFERENCES LINKS means we can identify common Davidson, J. (2009). NAPLAN or confusion and misconceptions napalm? TLN Journal. 16(1): 3-5. www.tln.org.au that can be planned for across NAPLAN Data Service. www.naplan.edu.au whole year levels. ■ (2004). Using NAPLAN data www.vcaa.vic.edu.au diagnostically: An introductory John Davidson is the Teaching guide for classroom teachers. For more on Philip Holmes-Smith’s and Learning Leader at Fitzroy Melbourne: Victorian Curriculum Student Performance Analyser, High School, Melbourne. and Assessment Authority. visit www.sreams.com.au
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www.atra.edu.au | [email protected] 36 20 QUESTIONS
Inside Teaching | October 2010 20 QUESTIONS 37
20 questions* with Brian Caldwell
Exactly who was behind one of the most successful flying saucer hoaxes in Victoria? Who was a long distance runner inspired by the great John Landy? Who may single-handedly popularise curling? It’s Brian Caldwell. David Rish uncovers more about the man you thought you knew.
In your role as Managing Director morning I went. So, I threw was one factor. My mother of Educational Transformations, myself out. was also a teacher. At Geelong you’re at the forefront of High School I had outstanding Before becoming an academic mapping the future directions teachers and I had a propensity you were a classroom science of schooling in Australia. Just for maths which led me into the teacher. How did you cope with reading the list of seminars, field. My high school education those moments of frustration, lectures and so on you give each was balanced between science annoyance, that occur, I assume, year makes me feel dizzy. We’ll and the arts. My passions with even the best of teachers? get back to the serious business nowadays reflect that balance. later in the interview, but for my Teaching between 1963 and I didn’t consider any field of first question, with apologies, 1968 in Victoria, conditions work apart from teaching. With what’s the worst hotel room for teaching and relationships teaching, the department paid you’ve ever stayed in? between teachers and students university fees and so on, so were different to those people of modest backgrounds Once on a three week experienced now. I just loved could get there. Scholarships could consultancy in a developing classroom teaching. I taught in be offered in a targeted way now, nation (unnamed!) I was to two schools, one metropolitan especially in the field of maths and be accommodated in a newly and one country high school, science. HECS (Higher Education built hotel. The walls and floor not disadvantaged but difficult. Contributions Scheme) fees were concrete; that and a bed. It was frustrating to coordinate could be waived for talented high On trying to sleep, I found a lab with 52 students, and school leavers, and a living and cockroaches all over me. no lab assistant. To organise accommodation allowance paid. experiments with safety in mind Have you ever done the rock star Can you recall something was very difficult. thing and, in frustration, tossed memorably naughty you did as a a television out of a hotel room Why science for you? student? window? My father was a school principal, I helped organise one of the most Nothing like that, but out of but he’d been a science and successful flying saucer hoaxes the aforementioned hotel next mathematics teacher and that in Victoria. In July of 1957 and
www.atra.edu.au | [email protected] 38 20 QUESTIONS
March of 1958 there were reports opportunity to teach in different What are two of your passions of flying saucers over Geelong settings. outside of education? and the surrounding area. International travel is important. Arts and sports. My wife and I This involved a large number I taught and studied in Canada are really avid theatre goers. of senior students. It became for 13 years and that experience Concerts of the classical kind, particularly ‘naughty’ when on was transforming in terms of jazz, and visual things: all are the second night, a number of my future work and ideas with really strong for me. With sport, us used teachers’ names when respect to teaching. A teacher aside from my long distance we phoned in our reports and should have a large range of running, I’m a spectator. You the next morning they read of interests and a willingness to can’t afford not to be a Geelong their ‘misdeeds’ in the Geelong work in different settings. Looking Football Club supporter growing Advertiser. We understood the at folk going into teaching, a up in Geelong. We’re also air force base at nearby Avalon large percentage who have Melbourne Victory members – Airfield sent up a plane to check worked in other fields bring that the whole family. out the flying saucers. The hoax life experience to their work. It Can you tell me about a teacher helped us develop planning skills, is different for students who go who really inspired you as a creative thinking, communication straight from school into teaching. and media skills, but we do kind school boy? Is there a sports team you’d of regret using the teachers’ One outside my school was John have loved to be a member of? names. It happens to be the Landy, previously mentioned, 100th anniversary of the My main sport was athletics. I who was doing great things like founding of Geelong High School dabbled in long-distance running breaking the four-minute mile. and a journalist is chasing up the and had aspirations to be a really In Years 11 and 12 I had a gifted details now. good runner. I had inspirational physics teacher, Alan Cracknell, folk around. In 1956, when I was and similarly gifted maths There are sportspeople who are in Year 11, the Geelong Guild teacher, Ian Tyler. Without their naturally talented, and others Amateur Athletic Club had six quality teaching I don’t think I who work to achieve success: Is members in the Olympic team, could have succeeded at uni level. there such a thing as a naturally including Don Macmillan and Their teaching was organised and gifted teacher? What needs to be John Landy. John Landy put it in well-planned. They explained done to keep a teacher evolving my head that I could be a very things in simple terms. They set and growing over a career? good middle-distance runner. and expected high standards. I don’t think there are born He was a fine role model, and Tom Moore was another; my teachers. The capacity one a teacher at Geelong Grammar history teacher at Geelong High has in terms of teaching skills School. Don Macmillan was also School. He built for me a love comes from your growing a teacher and successful middle- of history. You can’t do much in environment and preparation distance runner. I dropped out at planning the future without a as well as support in the uni but later on became a very deep understanding of the past. profession. This support can slow marathon runner. be ongoing learning and Who was a particular mentor Can you come up with a slogan during your early teaching? development. Also a teacher to spruik the profession? should have a wide range of Mentoring wasn’t around experiences and have the Change the world. even informally when I began
Inside Teaching | October 2010 20 QUESTIONS 39
teaching. What I do recall is I mentioned earlier your I became a science that I became a science and role as Managing Director of and maths teacher maths teacher when there was Educational Transformations. an acute shortage of maths and One of the principal changes when there was an science teachers so there were you see coming is schools acute shortage of close bonds with young peers becoming autonomous entities, who supported each other – making decisions about their maths and science direction themselves and collegial support. teachers so there building relationships with What’s something that various bodies in their locale. were close bonds happened from your days in In the autonomous school, will with young peers front of the class that still classroom teachers who are makes you laugh? already stretched for time be who supported each Outside the classroom it was expected to devote more time other – collegial the camaraderie of teachers, to council meetings, raising particularly in my first school funds and so on? support. in Melbourne and then later in No, no, no, no! Your question Canada. There were wonderfully is very 20th century. I’ve good times during the school visited thousands of schools day and outside. In Canada, I over 50 years all around the was invited to join a staff team world and I’ve never come to compete in curling, a kind of across two schools that were lawn bowls on ice. Our team did the same, whether public quite well but I caused a lot of or private. Every child has mirth in my attempts to develop different needs and aptitudes so the basic skills. I may take it up learning experiences should be again as there is an excellent ice personalised. A school needs a facility here in Melbourne and we mixture of staff skills, supplies may form a family team. and abilities in a unique mix.
www.atra.edu.au | [email protected] 40 20 QUESTIONS
It should never be done from a areas. A one-size-fits-all set me straight on the matter. centrally determined group. A approach doesn’t work. What One thing that is working is high level of autonomy is needed you can have, if you take its program on mathematical if we are to personalise learning. a state like Tasmania, is skills for the 75,000 kids partnerships with industries that There has to be a partnership working for them. Secondary are statewide which can support between schools and their schools can access this program the smaller schools. In district community if schools are to be and the ratings by principals high schools with a farm, such valued and thus get support surveyed after doing this have and meaningful links with their as Sheffield, there can be generally been very positive. communities. natural partnerships with the Half a million kids have learned agricultural industry. Rosebery from this. The other kind of My father was the principal District High, when my co- partnership is local fundraising of a technical school, a very author Jim Spinks was principal, if you can advertise products good one, and back then all had very close links with the in the school. Not too many technical schools had to have a mining industry. Key personnel schools do this and I’m not school council and had to have from there were on the council. sure this is such a good thing representatives of business and Rosebery’s council became a compared to the former, which industry on board. Some very model for school councils in is a natural connection with a influential people, household New Zealand, England and other big employer of youth. Many names, served. My father was countries. Jim is currently in civic leaders have built skills in control of his budget. An Finland teaching school leaders working for McDonalds. Ronald enormous amount was lost in that country’s remarkable McDonald House provides a when technical schools were system. residence for families of young abolished. Schools all offered the same things afterwards. We In a school operating 24 hours a cancer sufferers, with an recognise, 30 years later, that day, what might be happening at educational component that is technical schools had it right. 6pm? At 6am? very hard to match. All schools are different and It’s not schools operating 24 One of my roles is an associate central control stands in the hours a day but learning that director of the Specialist way of schools delivering can occur anytime, anywhere, and Schools Academies educational uniqueness. The 24 hours a day. Trust in England. Starting driving force of a school should under Margaret Thatcher and People who don’t approve of the always be to achieve better continuing under Tony Blair, move towards schools forming outcomes for children. every school was encouraged to two-way beneficial relationships form partnerships with business In a world where schools move with outside organisations often and industry. More than 3,000 ahead based on the strength cite the case of an organisation or 95 per cent of high schools of their partnerships, what like McDonalds sponsoring a have partnerships related to happens to those students school. How might a partnership their specialisations. Schools who, for whatever reasons, go with a McDonalds work address a national curriculum to a school where meaningful successfully for both parties? but have specialisations in 12 partnerships don’t happen? McDonalds complained once areas. For example, sport, It is more difficult in small when I talked about this and music, technology, maths, locations, rural and remote two senior staff came out to science. Each school has a
Inside Teaching | October 2010 20 QUESTIONS 41
mature partnership that makes I don’t think teachers need to I’m not opposed to sense: music specialisation with be scared about the future. It’s national testing, a symphony orchestra; drama daunting but exciting to think with the Royal Shakespeare that children entering primary but the focus Company; sport with a local school this year will still be shouldn’t be on football or athletic club. working in 2070. We have to shape attitudes and abilities to learning to pass Should a hard-working, work in new settings, and we dedicated teacher worry about tests. Entering the don’t know what those settings the changes ahead in Australian will be like in 20 years, let new workforce schools? alone 50. requires new ways I’m not sure that ‘worry’ is the right word; ‘be challenged’ is Professor Brian Caldwell, can I of learning IN a get back to you in 2070 for a better. My answer is that there 21st-century will be continuous changes in progress report? framework. the years ahead. The traditional (LAUGHS) Well, I’m only thinking school is being transformed. of next year at the moment. The challenge teachers face is ■ to work in changing situations. Thank you very much. There are lots of things presently forcing schools in David Rish is an award-winning one direction, such as national writer for children and a regular testing. I’m not opposed to contributor to Inside Teaching. national testing, but the focus shouldn’t be on learning to * Okay, okay, if you counted the pass tests. Entering the new questions you’d know there are workforce requires new ways fewer than 20. of learning in a 21st-century framework. Image by Gregory Myer.
www.atra.edu.au | [email protected] 42 RESEARCH
Big fish, little pond
Research indicates there are clear benefits to being the ‘If their academic results ‘big fish in a little pond.’ Danielle Roddick reports. improve, their perceptions of their abilities will also improve. Is it better for a student to be a Dr Seaton says her review And if their perceptions of their ‘big fish in a little pond’ and feel overwhelmingly demonstrates abilities improve, so too will their self-assured and comfortable that a student’s academic academic results.’ with their abilities, or to be the self-concept has a reciprocal This reciprocal nature of ‘little fish in a big pond’ and relationship with their academic academic performance and continually be challenged and performance. self-concept is great news for encouraged to improve? ‘A student’s academic self- the ‘big fish’ of the classroom – This was the question at the concept – that is, how they think those students who experience back of Dr Marjorie Seaton’s and feel about their academic minimal competition from their mind when she embarked on a abilities – tends to grow in peers and therefore have fewer University of Western Sydney accordance with their academic opportunities for their confidence (UWS) study, which included results,’ says Dr Seaton, who in their abilities to be challenged. a review of the international is based in the Educational For the ‘little fish,’ however, the research into the academic Excellence and Equity Research picture is not so positive. The self-concepts of high-ability Program within the UWS Centre threat is that, by continually students. for Educational Research. comparing their performance
Inside Teaching | October 2010 RESEARCH 43
to the performance of their school, the greater the negative Queensland and Victoria each classmates, they may descend influence on students’ academic have three. into a cycle in which their self- self-concept. Ability grouping also occurs concept and their performance Dr Seaton’s results raise at the class level in Australia. are continually impaired. important questions about the Within the comprehensive As part of her PhD study, Dr ‘big-fish-little-pond-effect’ and system, students are segregated Seaton analysed the self- or streamed according to the suitability of the Australian concepts of students in 41 ability – typically for maths and selective school system for countries. The findings revealed English and often for additional some students. that, in 38 of the 41 countries, academic subjects – and, to irrespective of culture or In Australia today, most combat the growing popularity economic background: students are educated within of academically selective schools • students in high-ability the comprehensive system, in NSW, some comprehensive settings have lower academic although a small number of high schools have introduced self-concepts than students selective schools are also in segregated classes for high- of similar ability in low- or operation. New South Wales ability students. average-ability settings, and has the most selective schools, ‘Consider,’ says Dr Seaton, ‘two • the higher the average ability with 21 fully selective and 23 equally able students who are of the student cohort in a partially selective schools, while in their first year of high school.
www.atra.edu.au | [email protected] 44 RESEARCH
Both were at the top of their other life choices that the student be of immense benefit,’ says Dr year group in primary school, will make. Seaton. having excelled in school-based ‘International research shows ‘There has, however, been very tests, standardised state-wide that students in high-ability little current research on the tests, and external academic environments tend to have lower impact of academic segregation competitions. self-concepts, lower grades and on students and yet, without ‘Since they both have high ability, lower ambitions than students concrete evidence, we continue their academic self-concepts of similar intelligence in less to expand the selective school are high; however, one student competitive environments,’ says system and mainstream schools attends the local comprehensive Dr Seaton. ‘In effect, students continue to group students together on the basis of ability.’ high school, while the other with high self-concepts are attends an academically selective more likely to aspire to attend Her ARC-funded study is school in the next suburb. university, and more likely to attempting to address the gaps have high career aspirations. in the research literature and ‘The student in the ‘In the classroom, it can be develop knowledge by which comprehensive high school is all too easy to focus on your educators can make informed performing well academically, students’ academic performance decisions about the future of the and so feels good about her and improving grades – education system in Australia, abilities. Also, compared to the particularly when the threat of and parents can make informed other students in the school, league tables looms; however, decisions about the futures of this student is among the most it’s important for teachers to their children. intelligent, being at the top of remind themselves that academic the year group – a big fish in a For Dr Seaton, the important self-concept is also pivotal, and policy aim is to have an little pond. should have as much emphasis education system that allows ‘The student who attends placed on it.’ every child to reach his or her full the selective high school is Dr Seaton is now investigating potential. As she explains, ‘Every performing around the middle the performance of high- student – gifted and talented, of the year group. There are ability students in selective and struggling or average – should many other extremely intelligent comprehensive schools in a have the opportunity to reach the students at this school, and four-year study, funded by the limits of their capacity.’ competition for grades is fierce. Australian Research Council Dr Seaton’s study was awarded Compared to these other (ARC). The research project, the Australian Association for students, this student feels that ‘Realising gifted students’ Research in Education’s 2009 she’s not very intelligent – a little potential: Elucidating psychosocial Doctoral Research in Education fish in a big pond.’ determinants and the impact of Award for most outstanding Compared to the student who different educational settings Australian doctoral dissertation attends the local comprehensive on educational outcomes and in education. ■ psychosocial wellbeing,’ is expected school, Dr Seaton says the Danielle Roddick is a Senior to be completed in 2011. academic self-concept of the Media Officer in the Office of student who attends the selective ‘I believe there is a place for Public Affairs, International and school is lower, which can have selective schools in Australia and Development Division, at the a negative flow-on effect on the that, for some students, they can University of Western Sydney.
Inside Teaching | October 2010 Presented by ACER INSTITUTE RESEARCH 45
PRofESSoR PRofESSoR HoWARD GARDNER GUy CLAxToN Hobbs Professor of Cognition and Education at the Professor of Learning Sciences, University of Harvard Graduate School of Education and Senior Winchester UK Director of Harvard Project Zero Building Learning Power: The Disciplined Mind: Schools that Teach Confidence, Curiosity and Creativity Educational Visions for the future
Learn how to build a powerful learning culture in your school. Session 1: Five Minds for the Future Guy Claxton’s presentation offers a state-of-the-art briefing, the In this seminar Gardner will discuss the developmental sequence chance for deep reflection, and a host of practical ideas to take of the five kinds of minds (disciplined; synthesizing; creating; back to your school. respectful; and ethical). He will address the ways in which they may conflict with or complement one another and why they are In this one-day seminar participants will: important to the educational development of our students. • Explore the latest research on ‘the science of learnable Session 2: Teaching for Understanding intelligence’; In The Disciplined Mind, Gardner argues that K–12 education • Review what works (and what doesn’t) in building students’ should strive for deep understanding of three classical realms: truth, learning power; beauty and goodness. Through powerful examples of his approach, • Discover some of the smart things that schools are doing Gardner describes an education that preserves the strengths of around the world; and traditional humane education while preparing younger generations • Take away a dozen practical ideas for building powerful for the challenges of the future and the steps educators should learning cultures in schools. take to preserve the vital core of these classical virtues.
DATES DATES
Tuesday 15 March 2011 Brisbane Monday 16 May 2011 Brisbane Wednesday 16 March 2011 Sydney Tuesday 17 May 2011 Sydney Wednesday 23 March 2011 Melbourne Thursday 19 May 2011 Melbourne Friday 25 March 2011 Adelaide Friday 20 May 2011 Adelaide Monday 23 May 2011 Perth Guy Claxton is Professor of Learning Sciences Wednesday 25 May 2011 Singapore and Co-Director of the Centre for Real- World Learning at the U K’s University of Winchester. His Building Learning Power The author of twenty-five books translated programme has boosted young people’s into twenty-nine languages, and several learning confidence and capacity in hundreds hundred articles, Howard Gardner is best of schools across the UK, Australia and known in educational circles for his theory New Zealand. Guy has worked directly with of multiple intelligences, a critique of the teachers and policymakers in every state of notion that there exists but a single human Australia. What’s the Point of School?, his 2008 book, is highly praised by intelligence that can be assessed by standard Howard Gardner, David Perkins, Susan Greenfield and Sir Ken Robinson. psychometric instruments. His latest book Five Minds for the Future was published in April 2007. His latest co-authored book Multiple Intelligences Around the For more information visit World was published mid 2009. www.acerinstitute.edu.au or phone (03) 9277 5403 Australian Council for Educational Research www.atra.edu.au | [email protected] 46 NEWS
News
Minority Depression high for rule cyberbullied students New research suggests cyberbullied students are ‘It’s going to be beautiful in its ugliness.’ So said Rob Oakeshott, more likely to experience depression than the victims one of the key independents in of face-to-face bullying, reports Steve Holden. the Commonwealth House of Unlike traditional forms of physically at least once in the Representatives who, with Tony bullying, students who are previous two months, 53.6 Windsor and Andrew Wilkie, the targets of cyberbullying per cent having been bullied and the Greens’ Adam Bandt, at school are at greater risk verbally, 51.4 per cent having finally backed Julia Gillard’s for depression than are the been ostracised and 13.6 per Labor minority government in cyberbullies who victimise them, cent having been cyberbullied. according to researchers at the September. The researchers analysed data United States National Institutes on US students collected in the Oakeshott and Windsor said of Health. their support was influenced 2005/2006 Health Behaviour ‘Cyberbully victims reported by the likelihood of a stable in School-aged Children Study, higher depression than Labor government that would an international study of cyberbullies or bully-victims, be able to work with the adolescents in 43 countries. which was not found in any Greens in the Senate, and by other form of bullying,’ write For physical violence, no Labor’s $10 billion package for Jing Wang, Tonja Nansel and differences were found in regional Australia that promises Ronald Iannotti in the Journal of depression scores among bullies, to address education as well Adolescent Health. victims, or bully-victims. For as health and infrastructure, verbal and relational bullying, ‘Unlike traditional bullying including broadband. victims and bully-victims which usually involves a face- reported higher levels of Simon Crean in the new Cabinet to-face confrontation, cyber depression than bullies. portfolio of Minister for Regional victims may not see or identify Australia has promised ‘a their harasser; as such, cyber For cyberbullying, however, bottom-up approach so that victims may be more likely frequent victims reported to feel isolated, dehumanised Canberra is not imposing top- significantly higher levels or helpless at the time of down approaches.’ of depression than frequent the attack,’ the researchers bullies and marginally higher Critically, Oakeshott and Windsor conclude. depression than frequent bully- have not promised to support According to an earlier victims. The researchers say Labor’s policies, only ‘confidence study by Wang, Nansel and the finding that victims of and supply,’ so the chances that Iannotti published last year, cyberbullying report higher the minority Labor government the prevalence of bullying is depression scores than might impose top-down high, with 20.8 per cent of cyberbullies is distinct from approaches were pretty slim in US secondary school students traditional forms of bullying and the first place. reporting having been bullied merits further study.
Inside Teaching | October 2010 NEWS 47
IN BRIEF
Strong showing New curriculum Australian students won the silver medal at this year’s F1 in Schools Technology Challenge in by December Singapore last month. Zer0.9, a Minister for Schools Peter Garrett expects to burn the collaborative team with students midnight oil to get the national curriculum ready by from Pine Rivers State High December, as Steve Holden reports. School, Brisbane and the Indian School, Dubai, finished second, Prime Minister Julia According to the Australian while Basilisk Performance, from Gillard appointed her new Curriculum, Assessment Sebastopol College in Ballarat, Commonwealth Minister for and Reporting Authority, the Victoria, finished fifth. Schools, Early Childhood English, mathematics, science and Youth, Peter Garrett, in and history curriculum to Year September, splitting school 10, achievement standards, Hands down? education from higher education. work samples and a range of The PM announced that Chris information and curriculum A ‘remarkable experiment’ Evans would be her Minister planning resources will be at Hertswood School in for Jobs, Skills and Workplace available from December. Hertfordshire, Great Britain, Relations, hurriedly adding requiring students to write The Australian Council of the Tertiary Education to the title answers on small whiteboards Deans of Science has written after intense lobbying from the rather than put their hands to Garrett, urging him to higher education sector. up has found that students postpone implementation for up ‘learned at twice the speed of Curiously, Evans is responsible to 12 more months to allow for peers not taking part,’ according for the Building the Education further revision of the science to London’s Daily Mail. The Revolution program, but curriculum. In their letter, the hands-down approach, initiated explained, ‘Peter Garrett’s going deans also say there are not by Deputy Director of the to focus on schools because we enough science teachers with the London University Institute for have a very ambitious agenda expertise needed to teach the Education Dylan Wiliam for a there.’ new curriculum. BBC2 documentary called The That ambitious agenda includes The deans also say the draft Classroom Experiment, also the national curriculum, which curriculum ‘appears to have required the 25-strong class Garrett says is expected to be been driven more by expediency of 13-year olds to participate ready by December. Education and the preconceived ideas of in a physical education session stakeholders have questioned the writers. It does not set out at the beginning of each day. the pace of the Commonwealth’s a coherent scheme of interest ‘The changes we made gave reform. ‘If we are up a little drivers, engaging students in the quieter children confidence, bit later and working a little bit science, and in particular does made all pupils know they are harder on the way through, then not satisfactorily articulate the expected to participate and that’s not a bad thing, given how nature, scope and depth of created a more supportive important it is,’ Garrett told the scientific concepts that students atmosphere,’ Wiliam told the Sydney Morning Herald. are expected to have acquired.’ Daily Mail.
www.atra.edu.au | [email protected] 48 REVIEWS
Reviews
years ago that no longer apply; effortlessly controlling a class I am using the techniques in of miniature, compliant Aussies’ this book, in a school toward who are ‘clearly middle class and the bottom of the league tables, obviously easy to manage.’ on the day you are reading this.’ The first level in Beadle’s Beadle’s emphasis on techniques ‘gradational/assertive/non- to do with the management of confrontational’ discipline students, subject knowledge, involves ‘“body language” telling- teaching methods and off,’ particularly proximity, or organisation, lesson planning ‘standing slightly too close’ – and finally assessment, and his powerful because students know background discussion of these, it’s a technique only used by is spot on. teachers with a mature command Here’s his first rule on the of behaviour management. management of students: turn There’s much besides classroom up. ‘You may think you’re...doing management that’s useful in a crap job when you are in front How to Teach of the class,’ he observes, ‘but this book that offers you useful rules and tools, but also gets you By Phil Beadle you’re worse when you’re not thinking about why you teach the Published by Crown House there.... If you get a reputation way you do. ISBN 9 781 845 903 930 with the children as a good attender, it will pay dividends in RRP $42.95 Beadle stresses the value of terms of behaviour.’ good assessment, which ‘is the Reviewed by Steve Holden Not incidentally, Beadle begins most important thing you do as Like Andrea Berkeley, who this book with a vignette from his a teacher.’ Towards the end of wrote the foreword to this book, first class, En10a2, and points the book, he takes us through reading How to Teach made me out, ‘I was about their 15th the Year 10 work of one of his laugh out loud on a crowded English teacher in the space of a current Year 11 students, and train. Phil Beadle – one of the year’ and they were ‘all too used in doing so tells a powerful teachers on The Unteachables to adults letting them down.’ The story. I read this going home on ABC TV last year – works backhanded compliment from on the train – and nearly hard to make How to Teach a En10a2’s ‘Big Isaac’: ‘Christ! missed my station. pleasurable read. Beadleman. Don’t you ever take I’m not sure that Beadle’s In a world where you can any time off? When are we going tendency to hammer at Britain’s read any number of ‘practical to get a break from you?’ prescriptiveness is relevant to survival guides,’ Beadle’s Beadle’s section on discipline Australian readers, and there practical focus is striking. As he is fine indeed and worth more are errors which you’d usually observes, ‘Unlike many experts than the usual day’s training hope to catch, but these are in education I am still a serving – this is in Britain – ‘that minor problems. schoolteacher. As such, (the generally consists of sitting insights in the book) are not mute, watching Antipodean This is a valuable book for early something I once thought 15 behavioural guru, Bill Rogers, career teachers.
Inside Teaching | October 2010 REVIEWS 49
explains, ‘This is not meant to in comparison, they do, but be a research-laden, academic this book can’t make that book. It is meant to be a fresh, case unless it undertakes the in-the-trenches view.’ comparisons. The in-the-trenches view is The shame here is that generally negative. Farber this could have been a insists that she doesn’t mean to valuable book. Many of the generalise, but her insistence recommendations of the self- on creating ‘composites taken help variety and many of from many communities, those aimed at school leaders many experiences and many and policymakers are useful. interviews’ has the effect of Chapters likewise conclude with creating a generalised, and useful ‘words of wisdom from negative, picture. veteran teachers,’ ‘success stories’ and ‘silver linings.’ The benefit of this approach is that you do get unvarnished That said, this book struggles. truths, but they come at a cost, The default position is that every since they suggest that over- teacher who quits was a great worked teachers everywhere teacher, and maybe they were, Why Great Teachers Quit are pressured by standardised but Farber offers no evidence, beyond one tantalising reference By Katy Farber testing, poor working conditions, to a review of the research by Published by Corwin growing expectations, unhelpful Cassandra Guarino, Lucrecia ISBN 9 781 412 972 451 parents, red tape and so on. Santibañez, Glenn Daley and RRP $47.95 Why Great Teachers Quit shows Dominic Brewer. that teaching is a very hard Reviewed by Steve Holden job, but it doesn’t show why One in five teachers in the great teachers quit. Neither REFERENCES United States leave the does it show whether the fact Guarino, C., Santibañez, profession in their first year, that teachers quit is a problem. L., Daley, G. & Brewer, D. while three in five teachers To do that, you’d need some (2004). A review of the quit the profession in their first data addressing attrition in research literature on teacher five years, according to page the profession and comparing recruitment and retention. ix of Why Great Teachers Quit. teaching with other professions. Prepared by the RAND Then again, apparently, one in One of the virtues of Why Corporation for the Education three leave in their first three Great Teachers Quit is that Commission of the States. years, but only up to 50 per it addresses the stereotype Santa Monica, CA: RAND. cent quit in their first five years, Available at http://rand.org/ that teachers have it easy. according to pages xiii and xvii. pubs/technical_reports/TR164/ I’m not sure, though, that index.html The data, it seems, could bear Farber gains much traction a little analysis. The problem from vignettes that suggest with Why Great Teachers Quit, that other professions have it Steve Holden is the Editor of though, is that, as Katy Farber easy. It’s quite possible that, Inside Teaching.
www.atra.edu.au | [email protected] 50 DIARY Diary 29 OCTOBER 8-14 November 28 NOVEMBER– World Teachers’ Day Planet Ark National 2 DECEMBER Inaugurated in 1994 by the Recycling Week Australian Association for United Nations Education, Research in Education National Get your school involved in Conference: Making a difference Scientific and Cultural the Big Aussie Swap during Researchers from Australia and Organisation, World Teachers’ National Recycling Week. overseas will address issues of Day is as good a day as any Bring along quality items inclusion and diversity in terms of to acknowledge the efforts of you no longer want, exchange new approaches to teaching and your colleagues. The nation’s each item for a token then learning, and innovative forms of various teacher registration swap the token for items leadership and management or accreditation bodies have brought by others. On 12 place University of Melbourne suggestions and competitions November, declutter your phone 03 9417 3555 to help you celebrate. See email [email protected] filing cabinets to give used the websites for details. In website www.aare.edu.au/ paper another life and raise the crowded school diary, it’s AARE2010 also National Bandanna Day, office paper recycling rates so maybe you’ll be given a in the Friday File Fling. bandanna to wear to show young phone 1300 733 712 29–30 NOVEMBER people living with cancer they are website http://recyclingweek. The Victorian Information Technology Teachers Association not alone. planetark.org Conference and Expo: Engaging websites www.qct.edu.au/wtd generation now www.schools.education.tas.gov.au/ Learning and teaching in the trb 25-27 November digital age offers multiple www.vit.vic.edu.au/wtd10 International Association possibilities for teachers to www.wacot.wa.edu.au for the Study of Cooperation reflect upon new ways of in Education 2010 Conference: engaging students for effective 29 OCTOBER Cooperative Learning: Pedagogy, learning, including: information National Bandanna Day policy and practice and communication technology National Bandanna Day is Find out about the latest (ICT) and leadership, CanTeen’s biggest annual research on cooperative infrastructure, pedagogy fundraiser and awareness day. and professional learning; learning, communities of CanTeen’s goal this year is to sell national curriculum and practice, approaches to a million bandannas to support interdisciplinary developments catering for diversity in programs for young people who and their implications; digital have been diagnosed with cancer classrooms and much more. learning; mobile devices or who have an immediate family place University of Queensland in the curriculum; digital member who has been diagnosed School of Education, Brisbane citizenship and collaborative with cancer or has died as a email [email protected] learning. Register for a third result of cancer. website www.uq.edu.au/education/ full day, free, on 1 December to website www.bandannaday.com.au index.html?page=120110 participate in an ICT Bus Tour,
Inside Teaching | October 2010 DIARY 51
particularly suited to regional over coming years. Conference 10-12 May educators. participants will receive free NAPLAN place Caulfield Racecourse, K-12 resources to support the National Assessment Program Melbourne implementation of geography. – Literacy and Numeracy for website www.vitta.org.au/ place Scotch College, Adelaide students in Years 3, 5, 7 and conferenceinfo email [email protected] 9 will be held on Tuesday 10, website www.agta.asn.au/conf2011 Wednesday 11 and Thursday 12 May. The genre of the 3 DECEMBER writing task will change to a Has the ANZAC legend changed 4 MARCH over 95 years? Simpson Prize Schools Clean Up Day persuasive style of writing from The History Teachers’ Clean Up Australia’s Schools Clean 2011. Visit www.naplan.edu.au/ Association of Australia Simpson Up Day on Friday, 4 March is test_administration_authorities. Prize is an opportunity for your about inspiring people in schools html to identify contacts for your Year 9 or 10 students to write to care for their environment jurisdiction. website www.naplan.edu.au an essay of 900 to 1200 words, by working together to clean up or prepare an audio-visual a site that is special for them. presentation of not more than Clean Up Australia Day follows on 15 minutes, that addresses Sunday, 6 March. Register online 3-10 July NAIDOC Week the question, ‘Has the ANZAC for a schools clean up kit with legend changed over 95 years?’ Join the National Aboriginal practical advice to plan for the Entries close 3 December. Islander Day Observance day and a schools climate kit to phone 03 9417 3422 Committee to celebrate NAIDOC help you address relevant learning email [email protected] week and promote a greater outcomes. There’s also ‘Clean Up website www.simpsonprize.org understanding of Aboriginal and the River,’ an interactive recycling Torres Strait Islander peoples game for primary students. and our culture. 10–13 JANUARY website www.cleanupaustraliaday. website www.naidoc.org.au Australian Geography Teachers’ org.au/about/about-the-event/ Association National Conference: clean-up-for-schools Geography, going national 4 August With the introduction of the Australian Mathematics Australian Geography curriculum 23 March Competition in 2012, this conference is National Ride2School Day The Australian Mathematics expected to draw widespread National Ride2School Day is Competition, the largest single interest from educators in all a national behaviour change event on the Australian education states and territories. The initiative which aims to increase calendar, aims to highlight the conference will provide an the number of students riding, importance of mathematics, opportunity for educators to or walking, to school. Pioneered give students an opportunity to become familiar with the nature by Bicycle Victoria, National discover talent in mathematics of the K-12 Australian Curriculum Ride2School Day is now, well, and provide resources for the for geography and find out national. classroom and general discussion. what resources and support are website www.bv.com.au/ email [email protected] available for implementation ride2school website www.amt.edu.au
www.atra.edu.au | [email protected] 52 SEE ME AFTERWARDS
Anonymity is not ignominy Wendy Harmer explains why it’s good to be one of the crowd.
There are some times when it’s However, when you sit in the the proud parents, they all wore obvious that your darling child – audience to watch a massed identical black t-shirts. the apple of your eye – is, after choir made up of students from It took us a while to find our all, pretty bloody average. some 40 public schools and, daughter up there in the back from where you are sitting, your When this blinding realisation row, but after some urgent kid’s face is a tiny blob no bigger occurs, it can come in a good semaphore we identified her. It than your little fingernail, and or a bad way. was like finding one grain in a you finally understand that she bowl of rice. Let’s start with the bad. is, after all, just one note in all If your child has spent years the music that has ever been We were, initially, disappointed. perfecting the art of tempering played since time began... that’s Why was she right up the back? chocolate and is beaten on good. It was the same bloody place Junior Masterchef by some she was last year! Why didn’t More than that. It’s exhilarating. jumped-up, bright-eyed mini- the kids have different-coloured monster whose parents are Has there ever been a sound t-shirts so you could at least tell obviously win-at-all-costs more thrilling to the human ear what school they were from? control freaks... it’s bad. than hundreds of children singing She was barely visible between together as one? I doubt it. the taller girls. Why hadn’t When your freakishly-talented someone thought to get her child-prodigy athlete is tripped Recently I was in the audience to stand down the front where just before they have the chance at the Sydney Opera House everyone could see what a little to score that truly extraordinary Concert Hall for a presentation star she is? goal that would put them in by ArtsNorth, New South Wales. the ranks of a junior Maradona, Some 700 kids from public And then they started to sing, Rooney or Beckham... it’s also schools took the stage for a and, just like watching a flurry bad. No. More than that. It’s choral presentation. And, just of rice pelted at a celebration, infuriating! to make it even harder for us, it wasn’t about that single
Inside Teaching | October 2010 SEE ME AFTERWARDS 53
grain, but the glorious effect of Kids know – probably now more There are just some a handful of hope thrown into than ever – how insignificant times when you can’t the breeze. It was a memorable they are. Modern technology gesture of pure, human joy. has taught them that. When I record with any was a kid growing up in a one- I say ‘memorable,’ and of clarity what your service-station town, I believed course we wanted to record the I could conquer the world. My child’s presence offers moment for posterity, but the children now have some 2.9 to the greater good. bores at the Opera House said billion other kids in their faces we couldn’t use our cameras. and know how daunting that You just have to take Like most parents, we did dream is. There are any number pleasure in the fact anyway, but the more we tried of talent shows to tell them over to zoom in on our daughter, the and over that stardom is a one- that she or he is there, more she disappeared into the in-a-billion chance. anonymous. mass of humanity on stage. So that’s why I loved to see Right there was another lesson. that massed choir. There was an affirmation there that being There are just some times when one of the crowd can still bring you can’t record with any clarity satisfaction and a sense of what your child’s presence achievement. offers to the greater good. You just have to take pleasure in I thank the teachers from the fact that she or he is there, ArtsNorth for giving all the children from our public anonymous. schools the opportunity to Anonymity is an ignominy for come together and experience this generation of children. With the thrill of cooperation and the rise and rise of social media harmony for a greater purpose comes the idea that every child, – although, I have to say, in all every human, can have some modesty, that my daughter was say and make their presence felt the best on the night! ■ through blogging, posting and tweeting. Wendy Harmer is one We blame this desire for of Australia’s best known stardom on our children, but humourists and authors, and c’mon, let’s face it... it’s us. a regular columnist for Inside We’re the ones who are making Teaching. the transition from the small Pictured, the ArtsNorth Primary suburbs and country towns Choral Concert at the Sydney where everyone knew each Opera House in September. other by name to the internet Photo by NSW Department of revolution where there are a Education and Training courtesy trillion videos on YouTube. of ArtsNorth.
www.atra.edu.au | [email protected]
QUIZ 55
1 What national education The reform will be delayed, from October until December this year? 2 What new approach is being Quiz used in Western Australian schools to address illegal drug use by students? 3 In August, a Tasmanian secondary school teacher conducted blood tests on her students as part of a science class; how many students did she test using just two unsterilised lancets? 4 Students from which educational institution will soon have a paper on K 1-6, a rare type of planetary nebula, published by the Astronomical Society of Australia? 9 According to a study of more 13 Which two states or 5 National tax laws make it than 4,000 British children, territories showed most difficult for philanthropists to how many genes does scientist improvement? donate to government schools, Professor Robert Plomin believe 14 Regarding NAPLAN, who while independent schools control intelligence: two or three; said: ‘It’s far more beneficial are able to gain ‘charitable about a hundred; or several for schools to just have organisation’ tax status and thousand? students not turn up on the receive funds from alumni. 10 How many of these have been day.... Parents can request Which Australian state has identified? that their children are exempt recently established a charitable 11 Approximately how many from the test; more are now foundation to facilitate individual genes does a human conscientiously objecting against philanthropic donations to have: 25,000; 250,000; or 2.5 the assessment’? government schools? million? 15 Who said, of having 6 How much money has that 12 Name the three top- educational posters on the state government committed to performing states or territories, walls during NAPLAN tests and match donations? on average, in the 2010 National teachers reading questions aloud 7 According to the Australian Assessment Program – Literacy to students: ‘That’s not cheating, Education Union, what should and Numeracy (NAPLAN). that’s just personal support’? businesses and philanthropists ANSWERS who donate money to the 1. The release of the new national curriculum for years Kindergarten to Year 10 in English, maths, charitable foundation be able to science and history; 2. locker and bag raids using police sniffer dogs; 3. 19; 4. Sydney Girls High specify? School; 5. Victoria; 6. $2 million; 7. which school the money should support; 8. teacher salaries or capital works; 9. several thousand; 10. 200; 11. 25,000; 12. the Australian Capital Territory, New 8 What can’t the donations be South Wales and Victoria; 13. Queensland and the Northern Territory; 14. Australian Primary Principals spent on? Association president Leonie Trimper; 15. Queensland Teachers Union president Steve Ryan.
www.atra.edu.au | [email protected] Inside Teaching | August 2010