Tag Archives: GUARD THE FUTURE

PUBLIC EDUCATION IS GOOD EDUCATION

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PUBLIC EDUCATION IS GOOD EDUCATION

Forty plus years in public education absolutely convinces me of the fact that within public schools there is plenty of cream, rich cream, in terms of positive student outcomes. The majority of students are very decent and committed young people. It is sad that the minority who are otherwise inclined, colour perceptions held for all young people.

The put downs plonked on government schools is so unfortunate.

A counter measure should be that public schools take wevery possible opportunity to publicise positive programs and quality outcomes. Private schools and systems are masters of marketing. Public education should be similiarly portrayed. For some reason, government school principals and school councils are slow to realise the power of good publicity. This is something that needs to change.

TEACHER TRAINING – NEW DEVELOPMENTS REVISIT THE PAST

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TEACHER TRAINING – NEW DEVELOPMENTS REVISIT THE PAST

Training our teachers of tomorrow is a matter always uppermost in the planning minds of universities and education departments. Parents everywhere know that good teachers make a difference. Teachers who build student confidence and commitment toward learning, are remembered for decades into the future.

Academic aptitude is important. That is why students selected to train as teachers should be people who have done well in their own secondary years of education. While relatively low tertiary entrance scores were sufficient to allow students into teacher training programs, this is no longer the case. The Federal Government is keen to attract trainees who have finished in the top 20% of Year 12 students as prerequisite for training to teach.

Most recently, it has been determined that preservice teachers should pass literacy and mathematics competency tests that have been developed by the Australian Council of Educational Research. These tests will be mandatory for students who commence training from the beginning of 2017. They are recommended, but optional, for pre-service teachers who have started training programs but have yet to complete their degrees.

Test details are available online at https://teacheredtest.acer.edu.au/

The first tests will be on offer to those who register between 16 May and 6 June this year. It will cost student teachers $185 to sit the tests. Included on the ACER site are sample questions in both Literacy and Maths. I would recommend those interested visit the site and study these sample questions. Results will be widely circulated to universities and departments of education.

Teaching Schools

The model of teacher education has changed over time. Until ten years ago, the focus for teachers on practice was to be visited and advised on teaching methodology by university or training college lecturers. While lecturers still visit, the emphasis is now on quality partnerships between ‘Teaching Schools’ and universities. Teachers on practice work with students, supported by classroom teachers who are their advisers and mentors. In each teaching school, a member of staff is appointed as Professional Learning Leader (PLL). The PLL supports both mentors and students. Pre-service teachers benefit from the chance to learn about programming, planning and the application of teaching methodology in classroom contexts. A tutorial program is part of this approach. Assisting student teachers to understand testing and assessment requirements including test administration and recording results is included in this focus.

Part of that change is directed toward helping new teachers understand and meet graduate standards set by the NT Teachers Registration Board. Results of literacy and maths competence will now be included in registration requirements.

Given that maths, spelling, language, listening, speaking and reading tests were part of training programs in the 1960’s and early 1970’s, this is in some respects a ‘back to the future’ initiative. It will be an important victory change.

CELEBRATING STUDENTS

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While this entry relates to the Northern Territory and Board of Srtudies recognition of students who have done well, similar ceremonies take place elsewhere … Or should do.

We are quick to point out areas of challenge while often reluctant to celebrate student success. This paper is about rejoicing.
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BOARD CELEBRATES TERRITORY STUDENTS

In February every year the Northern Territory Board of Studies recognises the accomplishments of Year 12 NT Students, along with several stand-out primary and middle school children . This year’s celebration was held in two stages. On February 4, a ceremony was held in Alice Springs for students attending schools in the Southern Region. Last Friday the Top End celebration was held in the main hall of Parliament House. Students from Darwin, Palmerston, Katherine, the rural area and throughout Arnhem Land were honoured.

The Board’s Chair Mr Ralph Wiese was Master of Ceremonies.

Students were recognised for academic subject excellence. Awards for vocational educational studies acknowledged the universality of education and preparation of young people to enter into a wide facet of occupations in the years ahead. Both private and government school students were applauded for their 2015 results.

Each recipient received a certificate and monetary reward. The top 20 Northern Territory Certificate of Education students were also presented with trophies to recognise their hard work, dedication and commitment.

The most outstanding NT Certificate of Education Student, Lauren Northcote, attended Darwin High. She has earned a full scholarship to the Bond University (Queensland) for double degree tertiary studies.

A feature of 2015 was that 13 of the 20 top NTCE students were educated in the public school system. Nine were from Darwin High, two from Casuarina Senior College and two from Katherine High School. Three of the top 20 students attended Essington and one the Good Shepherd Lutheran College. In 2014, 19 of the top 20 students came from the government sector.

Monetary rewards earned by students are sponsored by business, a number of professional associations, Charles Darwin University and the Department of Education. Many thousands of prize dollars are awarded to assist students with tertiary study or occupational training.

Special Awards

A highlight was the conferral of the Administrators Medal. Two medals, one for a primary and one for a junior secondary student recognise academic accomplishment, behavioural excellence and the modelling of citizenship qualities. Olivia Anderson (Larrakeyah Primary) and Morgan Gurry (Darwin Middle) were recipients of medals awarded by our Administrator the Hon John Hardy.

Three awards named in their honour were presented in recognition of outstanding Territory educators taken before their time. Sally Bruyn (Year 6 science Award) Vic Czernezkyj (Mathematics excellence) and Karmi Sceney (Indigenous excellence and Leadership urban and remote schools). Alice Campbell (Alawa Primary), Leonard Ong (Essington), Kyana Hubbard (Casuarina Senior) and Daniel Bromot (Kormilda) were the award recipients.

Along with 2015 awardees, 1338 other students successfully completed their year 12 studies. Many are opting to complete their tertiary education at Charles Darwin University. Our university is continuing to gain status, recognition and respect.

The celebrations confirmed that many of our upcoming generation will be key contributors to the Territory’s future. That future is in good hands.

WE NEED SCHOOL COUNSELLORS

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We live in times where confusion reigns, Young people have their senses assailed by propaganda coming at them from many different sources including social media. Students and classes need quiet times and the chance for meaningful exchange with counsellors who can help, when it comes to establishing priorities and revisiting values. The need for ethics awareness and the building of honesty as key characteristics is often overlooked. It is true to say that in these modern times, many young people are disquieted about unfolding events. Class, group and individual conversations with counsellors would go a long way toward overcoming their concerns.

The chaplaincy concept is an Australian Government initiative. Funding is available to schools applying to join the program. A prime aim of the program was to build a values culture within schools. At the same time, limitations imposed upon chaplains meant this became an impossible task and the program has largely floundered.

Maybe the Federal Minister for Education, could consider discontinuing the chaplaincy program. Training of counsellors to work with students in schools could instead be implemented. Qualified counsellors are scarce on the ground. To include ‘counsellors’ as a specialist category in teacher training or re-training programs would help meet this dire need.

While this comment is cast in an Australian context, school counsellors to help with the guidance of students are needed everywhere. There is so much instability in life, that any assurance students can receive will be of great help.

TRUST NOW A RARITY

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I wrote this column for a recent issue of the Suns newspapers in the NT. The matter is one that has exercised my mind for a long time.
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TRUST NOW A RARITY

For better or worse, the innate trust that was once vested in schools, principals, teachers and support staff has diminished. There was a time when those working in schools were trusted to do their jobs. They were generally appreciated for the way they went about delivering on their educational commitments.

While there were some who did not fully live up to that trust, the great majority of school based employees did the right thing. There was also a time when teachers and parents could work together proactively to help students overcome poor learning attitudes. They were on the same side. These days there is a tendency for teachers to be blamed if student learning outcomes do not meet expectations.

Most educators worked far beyond the school day. The majority of educators were at work early and stayed until well after students departed in the afternoon. Weekend and holiday work were common.

Those who worked in schools during the 1960s until the mid 1990s would remember those times. It felt good to be trusted and appreciated for the work done in schools. That appreciation came from within the community and the Education Department.

An era of accountability, assessment, and compliance requirement now has a major influence on education. Times have changed. People are now called to account more zealously than used to be the case. Appreciation is less forthcoming and demand for results within narrow academic strands of accomplishment are front and centre. Trust in teachers and school staff to do their jobs without their efforts being closely monitored has all but vanished. Conversations with school based educators confirms that most feel under growing stress and pressure.

Accountability and compliance pressures have resulted in a refocus of teaching strategies and data collection. Data is all about justification. It is the number one topic that occupies the agendas of educational meetings in both schools and higher departmental levels. Focus on data, student results and comparisons of Northern Territory students with those elsewhere are the major drivers.

This pressure puts stress on educators in a way that causes many to feel they have their noses constantly on the grindstone. There is no respite, no letup and no longer an enjoyment of teaching. This in turn is transferred to students in classrooms. Teachers and students are educational game players who MUST meet predetermined teaching and learning outcomes.

It may be a cry too late, but teachers and students must be trusted to teach and learn without the need for their every move to be minutely examined

CAN TRUST BE RESTORED?

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An era of accountability, assessment, and compliance requirement now has a major influence on education. Times have changed. People are now called to account more zealously than used to be the case. Appreciation is less forthcoming and demand for results within narrow academic strands of accomplishment are front and centre. Trust in teachers and school staff to do their jobs without their efforts being closely monitored has all but vanished. Conversations with school based educators confirms that most feel under growing stress and pressure.

Accountability and compliance pressures have resulted in a refocus of teaching strategies and data collection. Data is all about justification. It is the number one topic that occupies the agendas of educational meetings in both schools and higher departmental levels. Focus on data, student results and comparisons of students with those elsewhere are the major drivers.

This pressure puts educators under constant stress. There is no respite, no letup and no longer an underlying enjoyment of teaching. This in turn is transferred to students in classrooms. Teachers and students are educational game players who MUST meet predetermined teaching and learning outcomes.

It may be a cry too late, but teachers and students must be trusted to teach and learn without the need for their every move to be minutely examined.

EDUCATION HAS FOUNDING NEEDS – Walking must come first

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This column was published in the Suns Newsapers in January 2016. Before putting structures into place for students of tender years, ensure basics. And DON’T take the fun and enjoyment out of the first years of schooling.

RUNNING DOES NOT COME FIRST
It seems that educational systems are continually being challenged on the subject of balance within the teaching and learning spectrum. The 2008 Melbourne Declaration on education was signed by all State and Territory Ministers of Education. The declaration’s preamble affirmed the importance of holistic education. Social, emotional and moral development of children were key elements of educational development. Academic development was not the sole educational focus.

There is a marked departure from this position. Children at increasingly younger ages, are being introduced to the academic world. A pilot program has introduced preschool children to a language other than English. This trial has been declared a success. It will be extended to other preschools in 2016. If successful, it could become Australia-wide from as early as 2017.

Federal Education Minister Simon Birmingham said teaching pre-schoolers another language has set a new standard. More than 1700 Australian pre-schoolers have learnt Japanese, Indonesian, French, Mandarin Chinese and Arabic as part of the trial. Minister Birmingham said “There is currently an evaluation process occurring and I will wait for that to conclude before making a final decision but pending a positive recommendation from this review I have every intention of rolling out the Early Learning Languages Australia application across the country in 2017.”

What’s next?

Minister Birmingham said based on the success of this trial and as part of the Innovation and Science Agenda the Turnbull Government would commit $6 million to the development of a similar STEM-(Science, Technology, English, Maths) focused application.

“Knowing that around 75 per cent of the fastest-growing industries require STEM-related skills, we want to work with Australia’s youngest minds to ensure they develop an interest in those fields.

Birmingham justified this computer and tablet based approach to Early Learning. “The skills and opportunities those children participating in these programmes receive are a perfect example of the Innovation Agenda that is at the heart of the Turnbull Government’s vision for Australia’s future.” (Source: Media release 12 January 2016)

One track

Developmentally, children have to crawl and walk before they can run. I believe we ought not disregard the Melbourne Declaration’s call for holistic development. Taking those who are little more than toddlers into early learning programs that quickly lead toward a point of pre-academic saturation is not wise. The developmental principles espoused in the Melbourne Declaration recognise and point toward the need for both character development and social competencies. Childhood occupies a few brief years and should be enjoyed. Forcing children into learning domains in a premature ‘high flying’ context can deny them the entitlement and joy of childhood.

Learning and understanding are important but it should all be in good time. Prematurely exposing children to learning before they have the maturity for conceptual understanding, could lead to disenchantment with education.

FOR POLITENESS SAKE – Uphold and Model Respect and Good Manners

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These days, manners are not practised by habit. Many children (and adults) are poorly mannered. It seems that a big percentage have never been taught the rudiments of good manners at home. Child care programs may try but their prime focus is on minding, not on teaching.

All too frequently children overlook ‘excuse me’, ‘please’, ‘thank you’. ‘i beg your pardon’ and so on. Although it gets monotonous, correcting students who overlook these essences of politeness and good manners is important. Commenting in a praising context to children who do remember to use these words and expressions can offer positive reinforcement.

One of the most frequent oversights occurs when children butt into conversations being held by teachers with another student or students. That impetuosity certainly needs correction. Children need to appreciate the need to wait their turn when dealing with teachers.

Manners can be broached through appropriately constructed lessons. To involve students in situational role play where manners need to be practised can help. Periodic classroom discussions about manners and politeness might be useful.
The subject could be broached through a Socratic Discussion session.

Strategies to reinforce the need for good manners including reinforcement through daily classroom interaction should be part of teaching and learning strategy.

THE EVERLASTINGLESS OF EDUCATION

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A PERSONAL REFLECTION

The older you become as a teacher, the more experience you gain. However, the older you get, the greater is the strain on resilience or ‘bouce back’ capacity. As a long time school principal in primary schools, I used to keep an eye on teachers and if necessary, counsel with those who were genuinely flagging, about career options.

I retired from full time principalship one month shy of my 66th birthday, for two key reasons. One was that the physical engagement I enjoyed as a classroom visitor and teacher was being pushed by administrative requirements threatening to shackle me to the desk in my office. The second was the fact that our systrem was inexorably grasping at data and outcomes measurment to the detriment of holistic educartion and the development of chiildren as people.

I retain a deep and primary interest in education as a reader, writer, mentor, coach and as a contributor to educational journals. My connection through ‘Linked In’ is part of that evolution. I write a weekly newspaper column about educational matters and have a blog at henrygrayblog.com

It is important that we give back to education because of the opportunities that have come our way.

I.T. WE ARE YOUR SLAVES

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A decade or more ago, when Information technology was all the rage in our schools, when nothing else mattered, I was moved to write the following. It seems to me that nothing has altered. We remain beholden to I.T.
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I.T.

I.T.,
Idealogue,
To you alter ego,
We sacrifice our educational souls.

BAAL
Of the modern era,
To you all things are beholden.
Servant,
Now master,
Bowing low in supplication,
We are putty in your hands.

Hydra
With seven heads,
Your resource appetite is enormous,
Knowing no bounds.
Barely satisfied,
By the dollars,
The tens of thousands of dollars,
Poured into your thirsty gap.

Venus Flytrap,
Your scent entices,
Your jaws snap shut,
You suck our vitality,
Eschew our energy,
Spitting our dry, skeletal remains.
Quickly forgotten,
We blow away on the winds of change,
While you seek,
Your next victim.

Praying Mantis,
Upon us you prey,
Grabbed!
Our heads serrated by your pincers,
You feast upon our brains,
Injecting numbing belief,
That YOU,
I.T.,
Are ALL that counts.

Prince of Modern Darkness,
You command attention,
We look upon you,
Falling like blind souls,
At your technological feet.
Stunned by your intensity,
We let all things,
Other than YOU,
Slip from peripheral vision,
Plunging,
All considerations BUT I.T.,
Into never-ending darkness.

I.T.,
You are a drug,
Seared into our psyche.
You are an aphrodisiac,
A demigod,
Exciting our desire,
Driving us to worship at your altar,
NOTHING else matters.

Pied Piper,
You have lead your rats to the brink.
Stand smilingly aside,
Witness from your screens,
As we sink,
Further and further,
Into a hopeless abyss,
Of eternal servitude,
From which,
We will NEVER emerge.

POH