I began posting a few of the things the DET sent through a while ago as time permitted around my holiday adventures to the tune of thanks from many people who read them. I'd like to take a minute or two to discuss what's going on at the moment.
Recently a few things have been triggered which has resulted in the DET giving a higher focus to CRTs in Vic as a "part of their workforce". This began back in 2010 with the CRT Professional Learning Support Initiative which hit a few speed-bumps and spent almost 2 years in a state of limbo for various reasons. The return of the CRT PLSI (now just the CRT PLI) is only part of the things that are going on behind the scenes. In our recent interactions with the DET they have come to the table prepared. It seems like a good portion of the time that when we say "how about doing this" the new team has already given it thought. Thoughts, of course, take time to implement into the real world.
When it comes to the PD they have collated, as above, we coordinators asked and it was already on their minds. It wasn't collated yet but it was certsinly on the "to do" list. In some ways we coordinators are just providing support to create an order of priority for their already existing "to do" list. To pass on one of their recent contributions we have created a new "DET PD" page rather than do our usual thing of placing it in the side bar.
With this one the thanks belongs with the team at the DET, we coordinators are simply the messengers.
The new page can be found here:
http://wodongacrtsupportnetwork.blogspot.com.au/p/det.html
or by using the tabs for pages above!
Regards,
Mel.
Sunday, December 27, 2015
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
CRTs and flexibility - some new terminology to think about for an old favourite.
At the start of 2015 I presented at the AEU's CRT Kickstarter conference in Melbourne and I primarily discussed CRTs as "real teachers" and the importance of believing you are one. Today I thought I'd take time out to revisit this one for the grads exiting uni and finding themselves being a CRT when it's not by choice.
It has long been understood that flexibility is an important attribute of highly effective CRTs. This includes the stuff from the "this is how you work" side of things as well as the "this is how you teach" side of things too. Work issues are things like the ability to drift from school to school and quickly adapt to and build relationships in new classrooms. The teach side of things is the classroom context and gets discussed in terms such as "thinking on your feet"; this is sometimes described in research not only as flexibility but also as the attribute of adaptability as well as skills such as lateral thinking,
These things are creeping more and more into the classroom teacher's role in education as education changes and the needs of students evolve along with it.
Ideally what a CRT does is practice "adaptive expertise" and all desirable CRTs do; even if they don't know to call it that.
We enter a new classroom, scan the walls, come to grips with any lessons plans left for us and then adapt our practice to suit what we can divine about how the teacher we replace teaches. These are our routine expertises we use to foster adaptive expertise to meet the challenges in this new room or with this new class. We can learn from the room, the notes and the lesson plans by considering them all forms of communication. This helps us to provide a continuity of education not only for the lessons our students are supposed to be receiving but also in general classroom stability. We preserve routines and school ethics while using a teaching style our students can relate to. We are adapting our expertise to suit a new and challenging situation on quite a frequent basis.
As we become established and gain the trust of schools and teachers they begin to offer us an increasing amount of support to help us adapt ourselves to new situations and the rapidly changing needs of students. We gain information to meet these new challenges head on and overcome them with an ease that is often surprising to other teachers.
While the context will be different in a classroom position, how you apply the skills you have learnt, the core skills remain the same.
Through this we can begin to understand why treating CRT work as a "consolation prize" or a holding pattern until we get a classroom position can be somewhat of a mistake. This new term, adaptive expertise, shows us how our practice as a CRT is going to fit into a classroom of our own. It offers us a new framework to discuss our CRT experience as relevant in any classroom we will teach in during our careers, strengthening our CVs, applications and interviews.
So, what's really in it for us to take all of this on board?
No matter how we think, this is how schools think. In spite of a lot of CRTs being out there, "high performing CRTs" are actively fought over. These are the CRTs who have understood that being good at delivering a lesson in a classroom is not enough, they have met all of the specific challenges of being a CRT with relish rather than accepting that their preconceptions are the way things have to be. They have adapted their ideals and practice to be "great CRTs" rather than "great in the classroom".
It is important to view your time as a CRT as a "career stage" rather than as "a temp job". It is often underestimated as to the effect this difference in perspective can have on your future as a teacher. When your time is thought of in this way it allows you to better come to grips with how your time as a CRT is giving you the necessary skills you need even if it is your intention to move on to a "classroom of your own".
Being a CRT is an excellent training ground that will serve you well in your future career and how not being professionally aware of your full role in education (and how to excel in it) is a missed opportunity.
Take the plunge and strive to excel as a CRT, it will be a very valuable journey to have under your belt in both the short and long term.
Regards,
Mel.
It has long been understood that flexibility is an important attribute of highly effective CRTs. This includes the stuff from the "this is how you work" side of things as well as the "this is how you teach" side of things too. Work issues are things like the ability to drift from school to school and quickly adapt to and build relationships in new classrooms. The teach side of things is the classroom context and gets discussed in terms such as "thinking on your feet"; this is sometimes described in research not only as flexibility but also as the attribute of adaptability as well as skills such as lateral thinking,
These things are creeping more and more into the classroom teacher's role in education as education changes and the needs of students evolve along with it.
Ideally what a CRT does is practice "adaptive expertise" and all desirable CRTs do; even if they don't know to call it that.
"Routine experts know all of the routines of a discipline, profession, game, or whatever, and, in fact, they may know them so well that they might even be considered world class in their expertise. As John Bransford has written "Routine experts have learned a set of routines that can be very complex and sophisticated, and [they] become very skilled at applying them." They may be life-long learners, but, as Bransford points out, they simply become more "efficient at doing what they have always been doing, and perhaps of adding a few new tricks along the way."
Adaptive Experts, in contrast, also know all of the routines, but they also have the attitude and aptitude to recognize and even relish both the opportunity and necessity for invention. They enjoy exploring the unknown and thinking in different kinds of ways. They appreciate their own knowledge, but they also realize how little they know in comparison to all there is to know. They constantly question their own assumptions, and feel comfortable doing so, and they avoid strong emotional attachments to any set of beliefs".
http://www.bestteachersinstitute.org/id80.html
We enter a new classroom, scan the walls, come to grips with any lessons plans left for us and then adapt our practice to suit what we can divine about how the teacher we replace teaches. These are our routine expertises we use to foster adaptive expertise to meet the challenges in this new room or with this new class. We can learn from the room, the notes and the lesson plans by considering them all forms of communication. This helps us to provide a continuity of education not only for the lessons our students are supposed to be receiving but also in general classroom stability. We preserve routines and school ethics while using a teaching style our students can relate to. We are adapting our expertise to suit a new and challenging situation on quite a frequent basis.
As we become established and gain the trust of schools and teachers they begin to offer us an increasing amount of support to help us adapt ourselves to new situations and the rapidly changing needs of students. We gain information to meet these new challenges head on and overcome them with an ease that is often surprising to other teachers.
While the context will be different in a classroom position, how you apply the skills you have learnt, the core skills remain the same.
Through this we can begin to understand why treating CRT work as a "consolation prize" or a holding pattern until we get a classroom position can be somewhat of a mistake. This new term, adaptive expertise, shows us how our practice as a CRT is going to fit into a classroom of our own. It offers us a new framework to discuss our CRT experience as relevant in any classroom we will teach in during our careers, strengthening our CVs, applications and interviews.
So, what's really in it for us to take all of this on board?
"Many audited schools said that highly skilled and experienced CRTs do not stay as CRTs for long. High performers are often given fixed-term contracts and quickly become permanently employed. This makes it all the more important that DEECD acts to better understand and improve the skills of the remaining CRT workforce.Better performing CRTs are also likely to be on multiple lists held by government and non-government schools. As a result, schools in the same locality are competing against each other for high performing CRTs who can ‘cherry pick’ preferred schools and/or positions. This can make it more difficult for some schools to attract suitably skilled and experienced CRTs."
VAGO Report on CRT Arrangements - 2.3.2 - Page 8.
No matter how we think, this is how schools think. In spite of a lot of CRTs being out there, "high performing CRTs" are actively fought over. These are the CRTs who have understood that being good at delivering a lesson in a classroom is not enough, they have met all of the specific challenges of being a CRT with relish rather than accepting that their preconceptions are the way things have to be. They have adapted their ideals and practice to be "great CRTs" rather than "great in the classroom".
It is important to view your time as a CRT as a "career stage" rather than as "a temp job". It is often underestimated as to the effect this difference in perspective can have on your future as a teacher. When your time is thought of in this way it allows you to better come to grips with how your time as a CRT is giving you the necessary skills you need even if it is your intention to move on to a "classroom of your own".
Being a CRT is an excellent training ground that will serve you well in your future career and how not being professionally aware of your full role in education (and how to excel in it) is a missed opportunity.
Take the plunge and strive to excel as a CRT, it will be a very valuable journey to have under your belt in both the short and long term.
Regards,
Mel.
Thursday, December 3, 2015
Driving professional discussion for CRTs.
A lot is happening of late that is looking to change the way students are educated in Australia resulting in some interesting information coming out to have a look at. It's also giving me a bit of a vehicle to talk about how the Wodonga CRT Network operates and how focused it is on delivering what CRTs need not only today but to support them in their future careers no matter where it may take them.
The Wodonga CRT Support Network holds 11 collegial meetings a year so the ability to drive effective professional conversations is a central component of doing what we do in an effective way.
One thing CRTs sometimes have trouble accessing is long-term relationships with trusted colleagues built on mutual support. This is why "reliability" is often discussed in relation to effective collegial groups. Can constant contact be relied upon? Can the group be relied upon to support instead of judge? Can the group be relied on as a source of accurate, relevant and valuable knowledge? As CRTs often drift in and out of schools and classrooms, a stable and reliable collegial network can be very hard to find or establish.
For classroom teachers, when they get a job they are brought into an established and functioning collegial environment automatically. It is there from day one to engage with and learn from. CRTs are often very different as they aren't "inserted" into schools in the same way simply because of the different way they are utilised by schools. There is a benefit in having access to a wide variety of collegial groups in different schools but at the same time they can be less relevant to the way they work that can prevent any great degree of depth.
The staffroom culture of CRTs as "lesser teachers" can also be an issue. CRTs tend to have to "prove themselves" before being accepted into these groups making the initial time in a school, or entering the career as a CRT, an unsupportive one.
CRT Networks that run collegial meetings help to target these kinds of issues by being the "reliable" collegial group that all teachers need access to in order to excel.
As mentioned, resources can be an important component which is one of the reasons we choose sharing resources so frequently. Beyond our bag of tricks they focus the conversation and draw out the expertise of those in the room to benefit the group. Discussing the implementation, why and how it is engaging, what skills it uses, what classes/grades it is suitable for and so on promotes the transfer of important knowledge and skills.
One of our main discussion drivers is the sharing of resources with a specific focus. That might be games, engagement, maths, hands-on or (like this month's meeting) end of year activities. Of course as CRTs this gives us a whole host of top-class 'stuff' for our bag of tricks that comes from a trusted source but as described in this video, driving discussions is often about focus and solving problems of practice. As each teacher discusses their implementations, group members can ask questions or add one of their own personal strategies that might work well with that resource.
Through this sharing of resources, content knowledge and pedagogy is shared which is what makes our Meetings valuable in terms of the kinds of things the above video is mentioning.
The issue of "the agency to make a difference" is also a big one for CRTs, often more so than for any other kind of teacher. CRTs often feel isolated from the profession in that they don't feel that they are making a difference as their short contact with students just doesn't seem like enough to "make a difference". Universities largely train teachers around the concept in a very "classroom teacher" orientated way which often doesn't give the valuable insights into this that CRTs need. This can also result in CRTs struggling to recognise how their practice fits in with the teaching standards.
This means that CRTs often just don't feel like true professionals, like "real teachers", which is one of the reasons I make such a big deal of these two concepts in online forums. They have a framework that tells them what all good teachers do, "use these standards to make a difference to students" and if they can't see how what they do fits in with that this can have a very damaging effect on their professional identity that can take years to overcome and effect their entire teaching careers.
By helping each other to put our practice into the framework of the National Professional Standards for Teachers and relate our own role in the profession to student outcomes, it enables CRTs to better connect with their own careers. Through this it becomes possible to understand how we can be agents of change even in a single day and supports access to the strategies that make this possible. This is a very important aspect of what we do, especially for Graduates in our Network group, that helps them not only to consider themselves professionals but to use these understandings in a way that benefits their careers.
The sharing of resources using the format we do helps ensure that the collective capacity of the group is accessed in a way that provides new knowledge or a new perspective on 'old' knowledge to reflect upon. We take measures to support an active learning culture that is relevant to and effective in the CRT context and through that to help CRTs understand the importance of their role in education and to find meaning that can often be missed in the "day to day" view of how we teach.
Sometimes from the outside it is not immediately apparent that as a Coordinator I think as deeply about the meetings and PD workshops as I do or that Networks themselves are as important to education as they are. Because of that it's also often not immediately apparent what CRT Networks can do for CRTs beyond "supply professional development hours" to support their career.There is a great deal of potential in CRT Networks whether they are official like the VIT CRT Networks or one of the many informal groups popping up all over Australia. I personally hope these networks become system instituted, country wide, to maximise our effect on our students and our ability to be proud of our role within the Teaching profession.
We deserve it and our students need it to happen.
Regards,
Mel.
The Wodonga CRT Support Network holds 11 collegial meetings a year so the ability to drive effective professional conversations is a central component of doing what we do in an effective way.
One thing CRTs sometimes have trouble accessing is long-term relationships with trusted colleagues built on mutual support. This is why "reliability" is often discussed in relation to effective collegial groups. Can constant contact be relied upon? Can the group be relied upon to support instead of judge? Can the group be relied on as a source of accurate, relevant and valuable knowledge? As CRTs often drift in and out of schools and classrooms, a stable and reliable collegial network can be very hard to find or establish.
For classroom teachers, when they get a job they are brought into an established and functioning collegial environment automatically. It is there from day one to engage with and learn from. CRTs are often very different as they aren't "inserted" into schools in the same way simply because of the different way they are utilised by schools. There is a benefit in having access to a wide variety of collegial groups in different schools but at the same time they can be less relevant to the way they work that can prevent any great degree of depth.
The staffroom culture of CRTs as "lesser teachers" can also be an issue. CRTs tend to have to "prove themselves" before being accepted into these groups making the initial time in a school, or entering the career as a CRT, an unsupportive one.
CRT Networks that run collegial meetings help to target these kinds of issues by being the "reliable" collegial group that all teachers need access to in order to excel.
As mentioned, resources can be an important component which is one of the reasons we choose sharing resources so frequently. Beyond our bag of tricks they focus the conversation and draw out the expertise of those in the room to benefit the group. Discussing the implementation, why and how it is engaging, what skills it uses, what classes/grades it is suitable for and so on promotes the transfer of important knowledge and skills.
One of our main discussion drivers is the sharing of resources with a specific focus. That might be games, engagement, maths, hands-on or (like this month's meeting) end of year activities. Of course as CRTs this gives us a whole host of top-class 'stuff' for our bag of tricks that comes from a trusted source but as described in this video, driving discussions is often about focus and solving problems of practice. As each teacher discusses their implementations, group members can ask questions or add one of their own personal strategies that might work well with that resource.
Through this sharing of resources, content knowledge and pedagogy is shared which is what makes our Meetings valuable in terms of the kinds of things the above video is mentioning.
The issue of "the agency to make a difference" is also a big one for CRTs, often more so than for any other kind of teacher. CRTs often feel isolated from the profession in that they don't feel that they are making a difference as their short contact with students just doesn't seem like enough to "make a difference". Universities largely train teachers around the concept in a very "classroom teacher" orientated way which often doesn't give the valuable insights into this that CRTs need. This can also result in CRTs struggling to recognise how their practice fits in with the teaching standards.
This means that CRTs often just don't feel like true professionals, like "real teachers", which is one of the reasons I make such a big deal of these two concepts in online forums. They have a framework that tells them what all good teachers do, "use these standards to make a difference to students" and if they can't see how what they do fits in with that this can have a very damaging effect on their professional identity that can take years to overcome and effect their entire teaching careers.
By helping each other to put our practice into the framework of the National Professional Standards for Teachers and relate our own role in the profession to student outcomes, it enables CRTs to better connect with their own careers. Through this it becomes possible to understand how we can be agents of change even in a single day and supports access to the strategies that make this possible. This is a very important aspect of what we do, especially for Graduates in our Network group, that helps them not only to consider themselves professionals but to use these understandings in a way that benefits their careers.
The sharing of resources using the format we do helps ensure that the collective capacity of the group is accessed in a way that provides new knowledge or a new perspective on 'old' knowledge to reflect upon. We take measures to support an active learning culture that is relevant to and effective in the CRT context and through that to help CRTs understand the importance of their role in education and to find meaning that can often be missed in the "day to day" view of how we teach.
Sometimes from the outside it is not immediately apparent that as a Coordinator I think as deeply about the meetings and PD workshops as I do or that Networks themselves are as important to education as they are. Because of that it's also often not immediately apparent what CRT Networks can do for CRTs beyond "supply professional development hours" to support their career.There is a great deal of potential in CRT Networks whether they are official like the VIT CRT Networks or one of the many informal groups popping up all over Australia. I personally hope these networks become system instituted, country wide, to maximise our effect on our students and our ability to be proud of our role within the Teaching profession.
We deserve it and our students need it to happen.
Regards,
Mel.
Change to the Network email address.
Hello everyone,
We are going to be making a change to the public email address for the Wodonga CRT Support Network. Unfortunately many people are experiencing issues with the email address from VIT with emails not going through.
At the moment this is SHORT TERM only until we sort out the issues.
For the time being please use wodongacrt@gmail.com for INITIAL CONTACT.
If you are already getting communications from the Wodonga Network this will result in no changes for you. Everything remains exactly the same as it is now.
Regards,
Mel.
We are going to be making a change to the public email address for the Wodonga CRT Support Network. Unfortunately many people are experiencing issues with the email address from VIT with emails not going through.
At the moment this is SHORT TERM only until we sort out the issues.
For the time being please use wodongacrt@gmail.com for INITIAL CONTACT.
If you are already getting communications from the Wodonga Network this will result in no changes for you. Everything remains exactly the same as it is now.
Regards,
Mel.
Sunday, November 8, 2015
Relief teaching and the freedom to teach students instead of the curriculum.
I was recently sent an article on Relief Teaching that brings up a few topics really worth discussing.
The article is on Education HQ and entitled "Relief Teaching: Juggling expectations and uncertainty". Articles like these are often "what's wrong with education" which I'm not keen on, I prefer to focus on solutions, but they are sometimes needed to promote general awareness but they can make great discussion drivers.
Today I'm going to discuss a comment made when I linked this article in a facebook group (in a quite long winded way but with purpose, bear with me):
As Relief Teachers, the lesson plan is a list of the classroom teachers expectations of what we will do in their class for the day. This is both in regards to the curriculum knowledge we will transfer to the students and the activities they are to complete.
So how do we use this knowledge to address the comment above? The work "runs out" and students are complaining about more?
Provided the lesson plan has been delivered in an engaging way and the quality of work from students is good, we have fulfilled the professional expectations we have been given. Technically speaking we have now fulfilled the majority of our professional responsibilities. What's left is just to keep the students engaged and learning. There are no tests to give, no curriculum to target, we find ourselves in a position of having the freedom to just teach.
The article is on Education HQ and entitled "Relief Teaching: Juggling expectations and uncertainty". Articles like these are often "what's wrong with education" which I'm not keen on, I prefer to focus on solutions, but they are sometimes needed to promote general awareness but they can make great discussion drivers.
Today I'm going to discuss a comment made when I linked this article in a facebook group (in a quite long winded way but with purpose, bear with me):
"Bob makes a point at the end about not accepting poor lessons left by the classroom teacher - I am currently doing quite a bit of relief at a school where the teachers are expected to leave work, and it is often of poor quality, and (worse), not enough. However, when I've brought out stuff from my bag of tricks, the kids want to know why they have to do extra work from me when they've completed what they know their teacher left. It's really frustrating."The part the quote above is referencing this comment by Bob Brandis:
Name Withheld.
"Have a bank of high quality lessons applicable to a range of year levels. Don’t accept poor lessons that may be left by the class teacher."We need to understand how to balance the responsibilities of our role in education with being an effective educator rather than giving one or the other more importance. In this light I think it's worth discussing "what a lesson plan actually is in the relief teacher context" beyond "what we are to teach the students" (with reference to the above comment above from that Facebook group of course).
As Relief Teachers, the lesson plan is a list of the classroom teachers expectations of what we will do in their class for the day. This is both in regards to the curriculum knowledge we will transfer to the students and the activities they are to complete.
So how do we use this knowledge to address the comment above? The work "runs out" and students are complaining about more?
Provided the lesson plan has been delivered in an engaging way and the quality of work from students is good, we have fulfilled the professional expectations we have been given. Technically speaking we have now fulfilled the majority of our professional responsibilities. What's left is just to keep the students engaged and learning. There are no tests to give, no curriculum to target, we find ourselves in a position of having the freedom to just teach.
When dealing with a new school or class this gives you time to bring out educational activities that focus on relationship building with these students, to engage them with you as a Teacher, each other as a class and their education as a whole. While you won't be ticking the boxes of today, you've already done that part, you are now ticking extra boxes for tomorrow. You are building the positive relationships with classes that allow you to be an effective educator.
Use the "sesame street" approach and focus on educational activities revolving around "fun" or "this is just plain interesting" that don't seem to revolve around "education" because they aren't subject area focused. Engage them with you as a "teacher educating them", not a "boss giving them work".
In primary this could be games or hands-on group activities that focus on cognitive development and/or fine motor skills. In secondary, something like the Worldometers can be a very engaging discussion starter.
"Running out of work from the lesson plan" isn't just down time you have to fill in, it's your time to shine as an educator. To do all that stuff we know needs doing in education but a crowded curriculum and government oversight stops classroom teachers from feeling like they have time to do.
Relief teachers often fear running out of work or walking into a classroom where there's no lesson plan. They tend to focus on "overcoming this problem" rather than recognising the freedom it offers us that sometimes we are rarely afforded; the opportunity to run our lessons, our way outside of the political oversight and rigorous testing classroom teachers all complain about.
Relief teachers often fear running out of work or walking into a classroom where there's no lesson plan. They tend to focus on "overcoming this problem" rather than recognising the freedom it offers us that sometimes we are rarely afforded; the opportunity to run our lessons, our way outside of the political oversight and rigorous testing classroom teachers all complain about.
“Relief teaching could almost be seen as the purest form of teaching, where you have to front a class that you know nothing about and you somehow have to, by the end of the day, transmit information, and that’s tough,” he says.
Yes, relief teaching has it's down sides and it can be tough. That doesn't mean that "the purest form of teaching" does not also have it's advantages. Opportunities and freedoms it affords relief teachers that other teachers rarely get to experience. When we find ourselves left up to our own devices, we are not expected to be constrained by the curriculum and long term planning goals in the same way as other teachers.
We are only expected to deliver the curriculum knowledge left for us to deliver. With that done we are only expected to fill the rest of the time in an engaging manner, the focus of the learning is now entirely up to us. The opportunity to deliver a lesson or activity for no other reason than we think the students will engage with it and enjoy their education.
Looking back at the comment from Facebook,
We are only expected to deliver the curriculum knowledge left for us to deliver. With that done we are only expected to fill the rest of the time in an engaging manner, the focus of the learning is now entirely up to us. The opportunity to deliver a lesson or activity for no other reason than we think the students will engage with it and enjoy their education.
Looking back at the comment from Facebook,
"However, when I've brought out stuff from my bag of tricks, the kids want to know why they have to do extra work from me when they've completed what they know their teacher left. It's really frustrating."Understanding the above means that we can now see that our "bag of tricks" can be full of a lot more than "work". It can be full of all of those little bits and pieces designed only to engage and to build relationships.
A relief teacher's Bag of Tricks is not a "thing", it is a strategy to overcome any situation you face in your classroom and it's physical presence is no more than part of that strategy. It should be full of the best things on offer that you truly believe in as a teacher because it's used to allow you to excel, not just to overcome obstcles. To shine in classrooms as an educator in your own right rather than a replacement for another.
Oh, and your brain belongs in your bag of tricks too ;).
This post is long but I wanted to use it to say one more thing.
We are equal to other teachers, we are not "the same" as other teachers. We have our own specific challenges and freedoms that we need to master in order to be excellent educators in our role in education.
We don't need to be just "great teachers", we need to be "great relief teachers".
Regards,
Mel.
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
CRT Networks and DET funded PD.
Recently an email went out to Wodonga Network members detailing some of the technicalities of how renewed access to DET funding to run local PD for CRTs will effect the network and it's members. When discussion technicalities though, ideals often get left in the dust so I though I would take a moment to have a word about why this PD is funded by the DET in Victoria.
There is, of course, the issue of "I need my hours to remain registered as a teacher" and we do our best to support people to do just that. We are, after all, VIT CRT Networks so that support is part of our core focus. The funding from the DET however, contains a significant difference. The DET and VIT are educational bodies with similar goals but they are also legally separated to ensure the integrity of each.
This creates a large ethical divide between the two although they are both aimed at the same overall goals. The Victorian Institute of Teaching is concerned with the "suitability to teach" as our registration body. The DET, however, is in charge of the actual teaching part and is focused on "student outcomes". We can see this in action in the difference between the relatively open format of PD submissions to VIT to remain registered and the very focused nature of the PDP process from the DET. Two different approaches based on the same ethic but targeting that ethic in ways specific to the goals of each educational institution.
So when it comes to the CRT Professional Learning Support Initiative, the source of funding for this PD we can once again provide, what does this mean for us in a practical sense? Well... The CRT PLSI doesn't care whether you are provisionally or fully registered, there's no guidelines on hours for you to attend, it's only focus is supporting teachers to meet their classroom potential in order to improve student outcomes.
So how would Mel like you to think about all of this?
The CRT PLSI is aimed at upholding the ethics of our profession and maximising student outcomes in Victorian schools. It understands that in a system where 10% of the average student's education is delivered by CRTs, CRTs need to be effective educators in their own right and attempts to support a "vibrant learning culture" within the CRT community.
Forget your 20 hours for VIT and go along to these opportunities Networks provide for the reason it is provided. To get the support you need, the support you deserve, to be great teachers.
Regards,
Mel.
There is, of course, the issue of "I need my hours to remain registered as a teacher" and we do our best to support people to do just that. We are, after all, VIT CRT Networks so that support is part of our core focus. The funding from the DET however, contains a significant difference. The DET and VIT are educational bodies with similar goals but they are also legally separated to ensure the integrity of each.
This creates a large ethical divide between the two although they are both aimed at the same overall goals. The Victorian Institute of Teaching is concerned with the "suitability to teach" as our registration body. The DET, however, is in charge of the actual teaching part and is focused on "student outcomes". We can see this in action in the difference between the relatively open format of PD submissions to VIT to remain registered and the very focused nature of the PDP process from the DET. Two different approaches based on the same ethic but targeting that ethic in ways specific to the goals of each educational institution.
So when it comes to the CRT Professional Learning Support Initiative, the source of funding for this PD we can once again provide, what does this mean for us in a practical sense? Well... The CRT PLSI doesn't care whether you are provisionally or fully registered, there's no guidelines on hours for you to attend, it's only focus is supporting teachers to meet their classroom potential in order to improve student outcomes.
So how would Mel like you to think about all of this?
The CRT PLSI is aimed at upholding the ethics of our profession and maximising student outcomes in Victorian schools. It understands that in a system where 10% of the average student's education is delivered by CRTs, CRTs need to be effective educators in their own right and attempts to support a "vibrant learning culture" within the CRT community.
Forget your 20 hours for VIT and go along to these opportunities Networks provide for the reason it is provided. To get the support you need, the support you deserve, to be great teachers.
Regards,
Mel.
Friday, October 30, 2015
Time to blow out some candles!
Happy birthday to us!
Today is the day that marks 7 years from the first official collegial meeting of the Wodonga CRT Support Network. Over the years we have gone from 12 CRTs looking for a bit of contact with each other, through a system supported Collegial Network to about 160 CRTs all learning together through collegial discussions and PD workshops.
We started off in the old Wodonga South Primary School on Pearce street and were carried along to their new Southern Rise location in a wonderful new school. We've occupied their library and their rooms to hold some great meetings and PD workshops over the years. The staff have been wonderfully supportive and we thank the Wodonga South Primary School for it's support for local CRTs.
Of course we are a VIT CRT Network and we thank VIT for it's past involvement in the CRT workforce. We weren't left to fend for ourselves, Coordinators were brought together in Melbourne and given appropriate training to undertake the tasks we were asked to in a professional manner. Some of us they paid for our petrol, for outlying coordinators in remote areas they paid for air fares to bring them in. They had a dedication to all CRTs in Victoria which we thank them for.
In 2010 Network Coordinators also gained access to the then DEECD's CRT Professional Learning Support Initiative. The Wodonga South Primary School agreed to increase their level of involvement and take on the responsibility of being the DET assigned support school for the Wodonga and Shepparton CRT Support Networks. This allowed both Networks to work with the DET and provide quality PD relevant to the CRT role in education across the Hume region. We were able to to source some pretty big names in education, take advantage of the best local talent on offer as well as support talented network members to step into the role of providing PD workshops for their colleagues.
We would also like to take the opportunity to thank both Wodonga OfficeWorks and Henri's Wodonga Bakery for their support over the years. Through their corporate responsibility program, officeworks donated to the Wodonga CRT Support Network on two occasions. We received catering supplies, stationary, paper and printer cartridges pens, pencils, notepads, carry bags and a whole host of other things to help our meetings and workshops run smoothly. Henri's Wodonga Bakery have been doing a great job at keeping up with our catering needs, always willing to give us a great deal on the food we purchase.
A special mention also goes out to Signs by Knight. They offered us a great deal on signage but unfortunately things happened and we were not able to take them up on their offer. The fact that we couldn't take them up on it shouldn't take away from their desire to support their community.
We would also like to send out a thank you to the AEU Vic branch, in particular Marino D'Ortenzio. It has not been all smooth sailing for CRT Networks for the last few years and the AEU has been there to support CRTs on behalf of their CRT members, Networks and CRTs as a whole. They have supported us morally and also helped with negotiations between Networks and the DET/VIT to keep us as on the go in Victoria.
Over the years we, along with those listed above, have supplied hundreds of hours of Professional Development opportunities to support the local CRT community to remain registered with the Victorian Institute of Teaching and also to be excellent teachers for their students even if they are only there for the day.
We have also been active behind the scenes with VIT, the DET, the AEU and the private sector to bring benefits to CRTs locally as well as nation wide. We have given input based on my experiences as a Coordinator and member feedback that has proved valuable for CRTs as a whole. We have cheered on as Networks started up in other states so that relief teachers are better supported in Australia.
We are proud to have been given the opportunity and necessary support to address the needs of local CRTs so extensively for the last 7 years. This is of benefit of themselves, the schools they work in, the teachers they replace and their students; it is an honour to be at the helm of something doing so much good in our educational community.
So here we are in 2015. Things have been slower than we would have liked since the end of 2013. Up until then we had been going from strength to strength, refining our processes, and we had supplied 72 hours of affordable and accessible PD for CRTs (and some full-timers!). With a new government, new budgets and new educational priorities things changed and support for CRT Networks wavered. Unfortunately a few Networks have not fared well but we held our ground and we are still here and raring to go.
We continued our collegial meetings and sourced some PD we could still afford to keep things alive. We worked with the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority and ClassCover's Relief Teacher Association on mutually beneficial projects to help keep us going. It's been a hard slog but we've made it this far and have every intention of staying on target for the future.
Although I can't say much yet there are good things on the horizon. Again governments and priorities have changed and things are starting to swing back into a better position for us all. There are new things to learn and we're going to have to figure out how to do a few new things to our usual standard but challenge is what gives us the opportunity to rise to it.
We are proud to have been given the opportunity to support local CRTs so extensively for the benefit of themselves, the schools they work in, the teachers they replace and their students.
We are looking forward to our 8th year and invite you to look forward to it with us!
Regards,
Mel.
Today is the day that marks 7 years from the first official collegial meeting of the Wodonga CRT Support Network. Over the years we have gone from 12 CRTs looking for a bit of contact with each other, through a system supported Collegial Network to about 160 CRTs all learning together through collegial discussions and PD workshops.
We started off in the old Wodonga South Primary School on Pearce street and were carried along to their new Southern Rise location in a wonderful new school. We've occupied their library and their rooms to hold some great meetings and PD workshops over the years. The staff have been wonderfully supportive and we thank the Wodonga South Primary School for it's support for local CRTs.
Of course we are a VIT CRT Network and we thank VIT for it's past involvement in the CRT workforce. We weren't left to fend for ourselves, Coordinators were brought together in Melbourne and given appropriate training to undertake the tasks we were asked to in a professional manner. Some of us they paid for our petrol, for outlying coordinators in remote areas they paid for air fares to bring them in. They had a dedication to all CRTs in Victoria which we thank them for.
In 2010 Network Coordinators also gained access to the then DEECD's CRT Professional Learning Support Initiative. The Wodonga South Primary School agreed to increase their level of involvement and take on the responsibility of being the DET assigned support school for the Wodonga and Shepparton CRT Support Networks. This allowed both Networks to work with the DET and provide quality PD relevant to the CRT role in education across the Hume region. We were able to to source some pretty big names in education, take advantage of the best local talent on offer as well as support talented network members to step into the role of providing PD workshops for their colleagues.
We would also like to take the opportunity to thank both Wodonga OfficeWorks and Henri's Wodonga Bakery for their support over the years. Through their corporate responsibility program, officeworks donated to the Wodonga CRT Support Network on two occasions. We received catering supplies, stationary, paper and printer cartridges pens, pencils, notepads, carry bags and a whole host of other things to help our meetings and workshops run smoothly. Henri's Wodonga Bakery have been doing a great job at keeping up with our catering needs, always willing to give us a great deal on the food we purchase.
A special mention also goes out to Signs by Knight. They offered us a great deal on signage but unfortunately things happened and we were not able to take them up on their offer. The fact that we couldn't take them up on it shouldn't take away from their desire to support their community.
We would also like to send out a thank you to the AEU Vic branch, in particular Marino D'Ortenzio. It has not been all smooth sailing for CRT Networks for the last few years and the AEU has been there to support CRTs on behalf of their CRT members, Networks and CRTs as a whole. They have supported us morally and also helped with negotiations between Networks and the DET/VIT to keep us as on the go in Victoria.
Over the years we, along with those listed above, have supplied hundreds of hours of Professional Development opportunities to support the local CRT community to remain registered with the Victorian Institute of Teaching and also to be excellent teachers for their students even if they are only there for the day.
We have also been active behind the scenes with VIT, the DET, the AEU and the private sector to bring benefits to CRTs locally as well as nation wide. We have given input based on my experiences as a Coordinator and member feedback that has proved valuable for CRTs as a whole. We have cheered on as Networks started up in other states so that relief teachers are better supported in Australia.
We are proud to have been given the opportunity and necessary support to address the needs of local CRTs so extensively for the last 7 years. This is of benefit of themselves, the schools they work in, the teachers they replace and their students; it is an honour to be at the helm of something doing so much good in our educational community.
So here we are in 2015. Things have been slower than we would have liked since the end of 2013. Up until then we had been going from strength to strength, refining our processes, and we had supplied 72 hours of affordable and accessible PD for CRTs (and some full-timers!). With a new government, new budgets and new educational priorities things changed and support for CRT Networks wavered. Unfortunately a few Networks have not fared well but we held our ground and we are still here and raring to go.
We continued our collegial meetings and sourced some PD we could still afford to keep things alive. We worked with the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority and ClassCover's Relief Teacher Association on mutually beneficial projects to help keep us going. It's been a hard slog but we've made it this far and have every intention of staying on target for the future.
Although I can't say much yet there are good things on the horizon. Again governments and priorities have changed and things are starting to swing back into a better position for us all. There are new things to learn and we're going to have to figure out how to do a few new things to our usual standard but challenge is what gives us the opportunity to rise to it.
We are proud to have been given the opportunity to support local CRTs so extensively for the benefit of themselves, the schools they work in, the teachers they replace and their students.
We are looking forward to our 8th year and invite you to look forward to it with us!
Regards,
Mel.
Tuesday, October 20, 2015
The guilt of wanting to be a CRT.
I have had a couple of quite worrying conversations of late. The topic I'm about to discuss has always been there but has remained veiled for the longest time. Now it's getting to the point where people are being quite direct about it:
Being made to feel guilty for wanting to be a CRT. Not actually being a CRT or needing to be a CRT because of other life commitments but wanting to be one.
In the past this has come from many classroom teachers in the form of "don't you want a classroom of your own" often meaning, of course, "don't you want to be a real teacher?" Yep, both bold and italic for that one. Dealing with this sort of passive aggressive attitude has always been a part of our job to some extent coming from the cultural view that CRTs are "lesser teachers" and we shuld all be striving to be something "better".
Lately there is a new trend in that it's coming in from other CRTs whether they really intend it or not.
Many people are just using CRT work as a holding pattern until they get a "classroom of their own" and this is effecting CRT culture. It is effecting attitudes, it is effecting ethics and it is effecting what is being discussed. I suppose the best way to describe the situation is my experience early this year at the AEU CRT KickStarter conference (a great experience for you new grads if you are in Victoria, I highly recommend it!).
We were sitting in front of a panel of prins that the AEU had brought in so that, rather than just listen to the speakers for the day and interact with them on those selected topics, the CRTs in attendance had an active arena where they could get answers to their own specific questions. The vast majority of these questions revolved around "how do I not be a CRT anymore"; predominantly answering Key Selection Criteria in applications for classroom positions. When talking to CRTs afterwards, some felt that asking the Prins about how to be a good CRT would actually be intruding.
Talking about how to become a good CRT is becoming rarer by the minute with those wanting to be a CRT, rather than have a classroom of their own, becoming a small minority. This brings with it a whole new kind of pressure. In perhaps one of the most ironic turns in recent education history in Australia, those who actually want to be CRTs are beginning to be pushed to the fringes and being made to feel like outsiders by those who aren't actually in the role by choice.
A bunch of CRTs are talking about KSC and interview strategies for classroom positions? The one who wants to stay a CRT is now an outsider...
So, I just thought I would take the time to say:
There is nothing wrong with you!
Wanting to be a CRT is not a sin and you have every reason in the world to enjoy what you do and respect yourself for wanting to doing it. Without people out there striving to be excellent CRTs.... Who will work while those guys in classroom roles need a sick day? Where will their release time come from for reports and student meetings? How is their school going to send them off to that PD or other training day if you're not there to step into their classroom? How could they take stress leave? Go to a friend's funeral?
Relief teachers are the reason students keep learning. We are the reason Teachers can keep learning. We are the reason schools function as smoothly as they do. What we do not only has an effect on the students while we teach but also afterwards when that stress leave has worked, a colleague can fully recover from accident or illness in peace or that PD they went to puts more valuable learning into their classroom for their students.
When you think about it... there's an awful lot riding on the role we willingly take on. What relief teachers do is valuable and important and those who want to do this job deserve a medal, not to feel guilty for wanting to do it!
Regards,
Mel.
Career CRT and proud of it!
Being made to feel guilty for wanting to be a CRT. Not actually being a CRT or needing to be a CRT because of other life commitments but wanting to be one.
In the past this has come from many classroom teachers in the form of "don't you want a classroom of your own" often meaning, of course, "don't you want to be a real teacher?" Yep, both bold and italic for that one. Dealing with this sort of passive aggressive attitude has always been a part of our job to some extent coming from the cultural view that CRTs are "lesser teachers" and we shuld all be striving to be something "better".
Lately there is a new trend in that it's coming in from other CRTs whether they really intend it or not.
Many people are just using CRT work as a holding pattern until they get a "classroom of their own" and this is effecting CRT culture. It is effecting attitudes, it is effecting ethics and it is effecting what is being discussed. I suppose the best way to describe the situation is my experience early this year at the AEU CRT KickStarter conference (a great experience for you new grads if you are in Victoria, I highly recommend it!).
We were sitting in front of a panel of prins that the AEU had brought in so that, rather than just listen to the speakers for the day and interact with them on those selected topics, the CRTs in attendance had an active arena where they could get answers to their own specific questions. The vast majority of these questions revolved around "how do I not be a CRT anymore"; predominantly answering Key Selection Criteria in applications for classroom positions. When talking to CRTs afterwards, some felt that asking the Prins about how to be a good CRT would actually be intruding.
Talking about how to become a good CRT is becoming rarer by the minute with those wanting to be a CRT, rather than have a classroom of their own, becoming a small minority. This brings with it a whole new kind of pressure. In perhaps one of the most ironic turns in recent education history in Australia, those who actually want to be CRTs are beginning to be pushed to the fringes and being made to feel like outsiders by those who aren't actually in the role by choice.
A bunch of CRTs are talking about KSC and interview strategies for classroom positions? The one who wants to stay a CRT is now an outsider...
So, I just thought I would take the time to say:
There is nothing wrong with you!
Wanting to be a CRT is not a sin and you have every reason in the world to enjoy what you do and respect yourself for wanting to doing it. Without people out there striving to be excellent CRTs.... Who will work while those guys in classroom roles need a sick day? Where will their release time come from for reports and student meetings? How is their school going to send them off to that PD or other training day if you're not there to step into their classroom? How could they take stress leave? Go to a friend's funeral?
Relief teachers are the reason students keep learning. We are the reason Teachers can keep learning. We are the reason schools function as smoothly as they do. What we do not only has an effect on the students while we teach but also afterwards when that stress leave has worked, a colleague can fully recover from accident or illness in peace or that PD they went to puts more valuable learning into their classroom for their students.
When you think about it... there's an awful lot riding on the role we willingly take on. What relief teachers do is valuable and important and those who want to do this job deserve a medal, not to feel guilty for wanting to do it!
Regards,
Mel.
Career CRT and proud of it!
Saturday, October 10, 2015
Official Announcement: An Introduction to Relief Teaching for Graduates is now online!
Hello everyone!
"An introduction to Relief Teaching for Graduate Teachers" is a free beginners course for relief teachers new to the profession in all types of schools. We've had a page up about this one for a while but there were some things going on in the background that made us hold back on posting about the release of this one for a while.
We did a LOT of research on this course over a number of years and sought input and feedback from many new sources when getting this one out became achievable.
Being a VIT CRT Network Coordinator since 2008, I have had a great deal of experience supporting new relief teachers to become desirable in the schools they work in. What we do as Relief Teachers can be challenging and supporting each other's classroom practice has been a very important part of what we have done since we began the Network.
While advice on our classroom practice is often frequently passed on and easy to find, training to become a desirable and effective relief teacher outside of our classrooms is not always easy to find leaving many struggling to find their footing in the greater educational community. This new course is a combination of professional, classroom and personal topics dealing with the specific differences Relief Teachers experience when compared to Classroom Teachers. It is intended to give new graduates important groundings in the professional aspects of Relief Teaching and answer many common questions that Relief Teachers have about our role in education.
Feedback on the course has been quite positive so we'll leave it up to a participant to show the effect this course can have for grads:
I am glad this course is also filling that role and providing my colleagues with a much-needed "pick me up".
You can find out more about this course here:
http://wodongacrtsupportnetworkpd.blogspot.com.au/p/online-pd.html
or go directly to the course on openlearning here:
https://www.openlearning.com/classcover/courses/introtocrteaching
Regards,
Mel.
"An introduction to Relief Teaching for Graduate Teachers" is a free beginners course for relief teachers new to the profession in all types of schools. We've had a page up about this one for a while but there were some things going on in the background that made us hold back on posting about the release of this one for a while.
We did a LOT of research on this course over a number of years and sought input and feedback from many new sources when getting this one out became achievable.
Being a VIT CRT Network Coordinator since 2008, I have had a great deal of experience supporting new relief teachers to become desirable in the schools they work in. What we do as Relief Teachers can be challenging and supporting each other's classroom practice has been a very important part of what we have done since we began the Network.
While advice on our classroom practice is often frequently passed on and easy to find, training to become a desirable and effective relief teacher outside of our classrooms is not always easy to find leaving many struggling to find their footing in the greater educational community. This new course is a combination of professional, classroom and personal topics dealing with the specific differences Relief Teachers experience when compared to Classroom Teachers. It is intended to give new graduates important groundings in the professional aspects of Relief Teaching and answer many common questions that Relief Teachers have about our role in education.
Feedback on the course has been quite positive so we'll leave it up to a participant to show the effect this course can have for grads:
"I think the most important point is I am on the right track in my relief teaching journey. I found the course engaging and it helped to cement and expand on my learning. I have been relief teaching for a year and I think if I had watched this video right at the beginning it would have helped me so much as my uni did not talk to us about relief teaching and I had to struggle through and hope I was doing everything right. I don't think there is anything else that needs to be added. I think it is a wonderful resource for new grads to look at and I will definitely be passing it on to others."An effect that we were also hoping for, though did not have the time in the course to build in specifically, is that Relief Teachers that have been out for a while would also find it useful in another way. An affirmation of their practices and their importance in education even if it doesn't seem that way or the stresses of the job are getting to them.
-name withheld.
"I enjoyed the course. I'm coming back into teaching after time away and am now much more willing to view my relief work as important to the school. The information was practical and interesting and helped me determine that I'm on the right track. Thanks"
-name withheld.
Relief teaching can sometimes be a thankless job and sometimes we need a bit of reaffirmation that what we do is vital to the ongoing education of students. Although we sometimes don't feel like we get enough time in a classroom to "make a difference", we make a difference every day simply through the role we fulfill.
"As someone who has been relieving for a couple of years, by choice, it has heightened my self esteem, renewed my desire to continue teaching and has provided me with some good new ideas. I think the information offered was helpful and relevant."
-name withheld.
I am glad this course is also filling that role and providing my colleagues with a much-needed "pick me up".
You can find out more about this course here:
http://wodongacrtsupportnetworkpd.blogspot.com.au/p/online-pd.html
or go directly to the course on openlearning here:
https://www.openlearning.com/classcover/courses/introtocrteaching
Regards,
Mel.
Sunday, October 4, 2015
October Meeting details
Hello everyone,
Term 4 is here (where did time go?) and our first meeting is happening in week 2!
Date: Wednesday 14 October 2015
Time: 4.00pm - 6.30pm
Venue: Wodonga South Primary School Library
Cost: gold coin (to help cover afternoon tea)
Topic: Using technology in the classroom as a CRT.
I would love to hear how you use technology in the classrooms you teach in. This could include the use of smartphones, tablets, laptops and Interactive Whiteboards. Bring your ideas, lessons and activities to share with others.
You can find full details here:
http://wodongacrtsupportnetwork.blogspot.com.au/p/hi-everyone-next-wodonga-crt-support.html
Please RSVP to Mel at wodongacrt@vit.vic.edu.au at least 2 days before.
Looking forward to seeing you there!
Regards,
Mel
Term 4 is here (where did time go?) and our first meeting is happening in week 2!
Date: Wednesday 14 October 2015
Time: 4.00pm - 6.30pm
Venue: Wodonga South Primary School Library
Cost: gold coin (to help cover afternoon tea)
Topic: Using technology in the classroom as a CRT.
I would love to hear how you use technology in the classrooms you teach in. This could include the use of smartphones, tablets, laptops and Interactive Whiteboards. Bring your ideas, lessons and activities to share with others.
You can find full details here:
http://wodongacrtsupportnetwork.blogspot.com.au/p/hi-everyone-next-wodonga-crt-support.html
Please RSVP to Mel at wodongacrt@vit.vic.edu.au at least 2 days before.
Looking forward to seeing you there!
Regards,
Mel
Monday, August 24, 2015
September Meeting Details
Hello everyone,
Our last meeting for this term is approaching quickly.
Date: Thursday 3 September
Time: 4.00pm - 6.30pm
Venue: Wodonga South Primary School Library
Cost: gold coin (to help cover afternoon tea)
Topic: Minimal resources, effective art activities. Bring along your ideas to share with the group. For those times when you have an hour spare and want to keep the students from climbing the walls! :)
You can find full details here:
http://wodongacrtsupportnetwork.blogspot.com.au/p/hi-everyone-next-wodonga-crt-support.html
Please RSVP to Mel at wodongacrt@vit.vic.edu.au at least 2 days before.
Looking forward to seeing you there!
Regards,
Mel
Our last meeting for this term is approaching quickly.
Date: Thursday 3 September
Time: 4.00pm - 6.30pm
Venue: Wodonga South Primary School Library
Cost: gold coin (to help cover afternoon tea)
Topic: Minimal resources, effective art activities. Bring along your ideas to share with the group. For those times when you have an hour spare and want to keep the students from climbing the walls! :)
You can find full details here:
http://wodongacrtsupportnetwork.blogspot.com.au/p/hi-everyone-next-wodonga-crt-support.html
Please RSVP to Mel at wodongacrt@vit.vic.edu.au at least 2 days before.
Looking forward to seeing you there!
Regards,
Mel
Saturday, August 8, 2015
August Meeting details
Hi everyone,
It's been a busy start to the term and our second meeting for the term is coming up.
When: Wednesday 12 August 2015
Where: Wodonga South Primary School Library
Time: 4.00pm - 6.30pm
Cost: Gold coin
Topic: Inside activities for this cool, wintery weather to replace outside activities. These might include sports games, classroom activities to keep students engaged and moving.
Bring along activities and ideas to share with others.
Full details can be found here: http://wodongacrtsupportnetwork.blogspot.com.au/p/hi-everyone-next-wodonga-crt-support.html
RSVP to Mel at Wodongacrt@vit.vic.edu.au
Hope to see you there!
Mel
It's been a busy start to the term and our second meeting for the term is coming up.
When: Wednesday 12 August 2015
Where: Wodonga South Primary School Library
Time: 4.00pm - 6.30pm
Cost: Gold coin
Topic: Inside activities for this cool, wintery weather to replace outside activities. These might include sports games, classroom activities to keep students engaged and moving.
Bring along activities and ideas to share with others.
Full details can be found here: http://wodongacrtsupportnetwork.blogspot.com.au/p/hi-everyone-next-wodonga-crt-support.html
RSVP to Mel at Wodongacrt@vit.vic.edu.au
Hope to see you there!
Mel
Saturday, July 18, 2015
July Meeting details now avaliable!
Hi everyone,
Welcome to term 3. I hope you have all had a wonderful and restful holiday break and are ready for a busy term.
Thursday 23 July is the date for Term 3's first meeting.
We have a guest speaker from North East Water joining us for the first hour to run us through some information and activities around water and sustainablity.
You can find full details of the meeting here:
http://wodongacrtsupportnetwork.blogspot.com.au/p/hi-everyone-next-wodonga-crt-support.html
I hope to see you there!
Regards,
Mel
Welcome to term 3. I hope you have all had a wonderful and restful holiday break and are ready for a busy term.
Thursday 23 July is the date for Term 3's first meeting.
We have a guest speaker from North East Water joining us for the first hour to run us through some information and activities around water and sustainablity.
You can find full details of the meeting here:
http://wodongacrtsupportnetwork.blogspot.com.au/p/hi-everyone-next-wodonga-crt-support.html
I hope to see you there!
Regards,
Mel
Sunday, July 5, 2015
Production of a new online course is underway!
As some of you may know, I produce online courses for ClassCover's Relief Teacher Association. Our next course is shaping up well and we thought it was time for a bit of a preview.
Let us know what you think!
Regards,
Mel.
Regards,
Mel.
A clever look at one of the aspects of a CRT's day!
Here's a clever animation by Suzanne Cronin found via a Facebook group I'm in.
View this video on YouTube.
It perfectly sums up one of the daily activities of Relief teachers, - waiting for the morning work call!
I really liked this one and hope all of you do too ;).
I really liked this one and hope all of you do too ;).
Regards,
Mel.
Mel.
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
Something very cool: The Coriolis effect.
As many are getting the idea of now, I've dabbled in a YouTube Channel and am also now creating online Teacher PD courses for ClassCover's Relief Teacher Association. My research takes me some interesting places as I try and find ways to make my online courses as engaging and useful as my live presentations. In my wanderings I came across Derek Muller (who did his PhD in making educational science videos) and his "Veritasium" YouTube channel. While I'm not a science teacher, some of his videos have inspired me to test my limits when making video for my courses.
It never ceases to amaze me the lengths some people go to on Youtube to make engaging educational videos and Mr Muller has surprised me again with this project on the coriolis effect. I so want to use this in my classroom!
Which way does the water go down the plug hole in the different hemispheres of our planet? Is the coriolis effect real or is it a myth? This is a pretty cool way to find out....
You need these two videos:
It never ceases to amaze me the lengths some people go to on Youtube to make engaging educational videos and Mr Muller has surprised me again with this project on the coriolis effect. I so want to use this in my classroom!
Which way does the water go down the plug hole in the different hemispheres of our planet? Is the coriolis effect real or is it a myth? This is a pretty cool way to find out....
You need these two videos:
I synchronised them by having 2 browser windows open and some clever clicking. The Veritasium video (top) needs to be on the right and the SmarterEveryDay video (bottom) on the left.
Otherwise you can use this ready made page (which I found out after I actually watched it using 2 browser windows...):
http://www.smartereveryday.com/toiletswirl
That is a very clever and very engaging way to produce a pair of educational videos don't you think? It's not something I can use in my courses but it's an excellent example of a high quality and highly effective engagement strategy.
So why did I post this one? Well, I juat HAD to share this because it's pretty cool in and of itself as a classroom activity but I guess what I'm trying to do by exposing people to this one is to encourage them to be just as inventive with their engagement strategies in their classrooms.
I hope you all get some of the inspiration from this that I did!
Did I mention that I REALLY want to use this in one of my classrooms?
Regards,
Mel.
Otherwise you can use this ready made page (which I found out after I actually watched it using 2 browser windows...):
http://www.smartereveryday.com/toiletswirl
That is a very clever and very engaging way to produce a pair of educational videos don't you think? It's not something I can use in my courses but it's an excellent example of a high quality and highly effective engagement strategy.
So why did I post this one? Well, I juat HAD to share this because it's pretty cool in and of itself as a classroom activity but I guess what I'm trying to do by exposing people to this one is to encourage them to be just as inventive with their engagement strategies in their classrooms.
I hope you all get some of the inspiration from this that I did!
Did I mention that I REALLY want to use this in one of my classrooms?
Regards,
Mel.
Wednesday, June 17, 2015
PD announcement - MoneySmart Teaching (Albury)
Hello everyone,
We are pleased to announce we have organised and opened bookings for the MoneySmart Teaching PD in Albury.
This will include content on Financial Literacy via the MoneySmart teaching program - a cross curriculuar program including literacy, numeracy and other subject areas.
Cost: FREE.
Date: 18 July 2015
Sign-in: 10.45am
Duration: 11.00am - 2.00pm (3 hours) - certificates supplied via post after presentation.
Venue: The Hovell Tree Inn, 596-614 Hovell St, Albury
Full details can be found here:
http://wodongacrtsupportnetworkpd.blogspot.com.au/p/moneysmart-teaching-professional.html
Regards,
Mel.
We are pleased to announce we have organised and opened bookings for the MoneySmart Teaching PD in Albury.
This will include content on Financial Literacy via the MoneySmart teaching program - a cross curriculuar program including literacy, numeracy and other subject areas.
Cost: FREE.
Date: 18 July 2015
Sign-in: 10.45am
Duration: 11.00am - 2.00pm (3 hours) - certificates supplied via post after presentation.
Venue: The Hovell Tree Inn, 596-614 Hovell St, Albury
Full details can be found here:
http://wodongacrtsupportnetworkpd.blogspot.com.au/p/moneysmart-teaching-professional.html
Regards,
Mel.
Sunday, June 14, 2015
June meeting details
Hi everyone,
The end of the term is nearly here and our last meeting for this term is just around the corner.
Wednesday 17 June marks this date and paper folding is our topic.
You can find full details of the meeting here:
http://wodongacrtsupportnetwork.blogspot.com.au/p/hi-everyone-next-wodonga-crt-support.html
I hope to see you there!
Regards,
Mel
The end of the term is nearly here and our last meeting for this term is just around the corner.
Wednesday 17 June marks this date and paper folding is our topic.
You can find full details of the meeting here:
http://wodongacrtsupportnetwork.blogspot.com.au/p/hi-everyone-next-wodonga-crt-support.html
I hope to see you there!
Regards,
Mel
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
What's on the feed - A Kick in the Discovery.
So, the topic of this post is sort of "why?" Why am I getting so much mileage out of my feeds? Why is it important to understand how and why things work as opposed to just having a large range of successful strategies and resources?
I use my feeds as many things; as a source for ideas, resources and strategies. Most of all though it's to enable my own curiosity into why some of the things I do work so well. Whether it be coordinating CRT Networks, providing PD or in my classrooms. This video from TEDx by Micheal Stevens, owner of the Vsauce Youtube Channel, really struck home for a number of reasons.
I have things that I do in the classroom. Things that REALLY work. Why?
Like in the video, up until a relatively short time ago, it didn't matter why. I had little reason to understand why as long as I could do it intuitively and pull the right resources out of my Bag of Tricks or come up with new strategies that worked. Stepping across the threshold into providing PD forced me to start questioning exactly why it is that I do the things I do.
"If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough".
Thinking back on my teaching career and the advice I have been offered over time I have to admit that most often I was simply told "do this". I learned by doing, by seeing the results and it worked fantastically but it left me in the position of having to do the same when others asked for advice. I'm working on that for my PD workshops and YouTube channel. And my blog posts of course.... I have always operated on the assumption that it's my job as a facilitator to deliver content in such a way that enthuses people and gives them the need to walk into a classroom and try it out.
At some point I realised I was relying on a lot of prior knowledge. I would show people certain things and as teachers they inherently understood that it would be good without being able to explain how and why it worked. Looking back over my Youtube channel there is one video I have often considered remaking:
Of course I have done a lot of research on educational videos over the last year or so and the style needs a serious update but the one part I truly believe is missing is why this works. It's a video sharing a strategy, not one sharing understanding. I don't explain why it works, I don't enable people's curiosity, I don't get them to THINK about the strategy.
The other day I worked a half day in a year 5 class in a school I haven't taught in for a number of years for various reasons. The year 5 and 6 cohorts have a bit of a reputation for being a tough crowd; they are good kids, good students, they simply have a lot of strong and clashing personalities, likes and interests. They just don't get along as much as the typical year 5 and 6 cohorts as a whole. As I do, I began teaching them a few signs.
We moved into a new room for another teacher to take a class and the students all filed in silently and sat down, not a common experience from these students. The other teacher asked a yes/no question and the students began to sign their answer. Puzzled she asked "what's this?" The students suddenly became the teachers as they began to enthusiastically explain the signs I had been teaching them.
So. Why is this effect generated in in less than an hour, on a half day no less when the students have even less of a reason to engage with me as a Teacher? When I certainly don't have time to "get to know the students" and formulate my teaching around their learning styles?
To paraphrase the video,: The theory of mind; We all have unique intentions and desires.
These unique intentions and desires express themselves through the questions we ask and our behaviours. So... How does this play out in an unusual cohort such as this one? It gets a reputation for being disruptive, chaotic and difficult to teach. So why did this overcome these issues in such a rapid fashion?
Instead of trying to find common interests and common goals it gives them one. It gives them a reason to cooperate, something where they are all on the same page and can share with and support each other. More than this, I have delivered the lesson with passion and interest that gives them something in common with me.
"The trick to education is to teach in such a way that people don't realise they are learning until it's too late"
Harold Edgerton.
In order to participate in this new and engaging activity, students must learn. It takes advantage of their intrinsic desire to "play the game" to make it personal instead of having to cast a wide net to catch prior knowledge and interests. It sidesteps many inherent factors that have disengaged students from their education as a whole. It takes place outside of any other lesson or activity so can work even when the lesson or activity itself is inherently disinteresting to the student. Even when this happens they still have a compelling reason to participate.
It's my personal strategy to give my students "a kick in the discovery".
So we're back to "why?" Why is it important to understand how and why these things work? Well, I obviously have some experience with Makaton so I have a decent bank of signs up my sleeve. Not everyone does. While it's been good for my YouTube channel to keep dishing out more signs, the more people that use this exact strategy the more "normal" or "less unique" it will become.
Understanding how and why it works, however, gives others the tools to develop their own unique strategies based on exactly the same educational principles. I used to be envious of teachers who could take their guitar into class with them. Teach the class a song to sing as you play along and it generates the same sort of instant bond with students through sharing. This comes out of wanting to be able to generate that sort of bond even though I can't play a guitar.
At the same time I wanted it to be more. I wanted to find a way to keep that effect present for the whole day as an engagement tool rather than a bonding tool. Using Makaton in Mainstream Classrooms is the strategy that evolved from that desire. More than that I wanted to be able to explain the underlying principles to others and use my Makaton strategy as only an example.
Knowing the principles behind strategies and gaining the necessary knowledge to be able to explain them helps me to encourage innovation in classrooms. To encourage teachers to excel rather than plod through curriculum outcomes. To re-engage with and find new inspirations for their teaching careers.
A topic was raised in one of John Hattie's videos that I watched where teachers don't talk about teaching very much. They talk a lot about students, they talk a lot about behaviour, they talk a lot about lessons, they talk a lot about the curriculum, schools, education departments, classroom setup, resources and activities... They talk very little in comparison about the actual act of teaching and how to do it well.
In spite of my initial skepticism I have come to understand how true this actually is and how much I want to do something to change that. To stop the act of teaching from being a taboo subject.
Of course how and why teaching being a taboo subject happens, as well as how to overcome it, is a story for another day ;).
Regards,
Mel.
I use my feeds as many things; as a source for ideas, resources and strategies. Most of all though it's to enable my own curiosity into why some of the things I do work so well. Whether it be coordinating CRT Networks, providing PD or in my classrooms. This video from TEDx by Micheal Stevens, owner of the Vsauce Youtube Channel, really struck home for a number of reasons.
I have things that I do in the classroom. Things that REALLY work. Why?
Like in the video, up until a relatively short time ago, it didn't matter why. I had little reason to understand why as long as I could do it intuitively and pull the right resources out of my Bag of Tricks or come up with new strategies that worked. Stepping across the threshold into providing PD forced me to start questioning exactly why it is that I do the things I do.
"If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough".
Thinking back on my teaching career and the advice I have been offered over time I have to admit that most often I was simply told "do this". I learned by doing, by seeing the results and it worked fantastically but it left me in the position of having to do the same when others asked for advice. I'm working on that for my PD workshops and YouTube channel. And my blog posts of course.... I have always operated on the assumption that it's my job as a facilitator to deliver content in such a way that enthuses people and gives them the need to walk into a classroom and try it out.
At some point I realised I was relying on a lot of prior knowledge. I would show people certain things and as teachers they inherently understood that it would be good without being able to explain how and why it worked. Looking back over my Youtube channel there is one video I have often considered remaking:
Of course I have done a lot of research on educational videos over the last year or so and the style needs a serious update but the one part I truly believe is missing is why this works. It's a video sharing a strategy, not one sharing understanding. I don't explain why it works, I don't enable people's curiosity, I don't get them to THINK about the strategy.
The other day I worked a half day in a year 5 class in a school I haven't taught in for a number of years for various reasons. The year 5 and 6 cohorts have a bit of a reputation for being a tough crowd; they are good kids, good students, they simply have a lot of strong and clashing personalities, likes and interests. They just don't get along as much as the typical year 5 and 6 cohorts as a whole. As I do, I began teaching them a few signs.
We moved into a new room for another teacher to take a class and the students all filed in silently and sat down, not a common experience from these students. The other teacher asked a yes/no question and the students began to sign their answer. Puzzled she asked "what's this?" The students suddenly became the teachers as they began to enthusiastically explain the signs I had been teaching them.
So. Why is this effect generated in in less than an hour, on a half day no less when the students have even less of a reason to engage with me as a Teacher? When I certainly don't have time to "get to know the students" and formulate my teaching around their learning styles?
To paraphrase the video,: The theory of mind; We all have unique intentions and desires.
These unique intentions and desires express themselves through the questions we ask and our behaviours. So... How does this play out in an unusual cohort such as this one? It gets a reputation for being disruptive, chaotic and difficult to teach. So why did this overcome these issues in such a rapid fashion?
Instead of trying to find common interests and common goals it gives them one. It gives them a reason to cooperate, something where they are all on the same page and can share with and support each other. More than this, I have delivered the lesson with passion and interest that gives them something in common with me.
"The trick to education is to teach in such a way that people don't realise they are learning until it's too late"
Harold Edgerton.
In order to participate in this new and engaging activity, students must learn. It takes advantage of their intrinsic desire to "play the game" to make it personal instead of having to cast a wide net to catch prior knowledge and interests. It sidesteps many inherent factors that have disengaged students from their education as a whole. It takes place outside of any other lesson or activity so can work even when the lesson or activity itself is inherently disinteresting to the student. Even when this happens they still have a compelling reason to participate.
It's my personal strategy to give my students "a kick in the discovery".
So we're back to "why?" Why is it important to understand how and why these things work? Well, I obviously have some experience with Makaton so I have a decent bank of signs up my sleeve. Not everyone does. While it's been good for my YouTube channel to keep dishing out more signs, the more people that use this exact strategy the more "normal" or "less unique" it will become.
Understanding how and why it works, however, gives others the tools to develop their own unique strategies based on exactly the same educational principles. I used to be envious of teachers who could take their guitar into class with them. Teach the class a song to sing as you play along and it generates the same sort of instant bond with students through sharing. This comes out of wanting to be able to generate that sort of bond even though I can't play a guitar.
At the same time I wanted it to be more. I wanted to find a way to keep that effect present for the whole day as an engagement tool rather than a bonding tool. Using Makaton in Mainstream Classrooms is the strategy that evolved from that desire. More than that I wanted to be able to explain the underlying principles to others and use my Makaton strategy as only an example.
Knowing the principles behind strategies and gaining the necessary knowledge to be able to explain them helps me to encourage innovation in classrooms. To encourage teachers to excel rather than plod through curriculum outcomes. To re-engage with and find new inspirations for their teaching careers.
A topic was raised in one of John Hattie's videos that I watched where teachers don't talk about teaching very much. They talk a lot about students, they talk a lot about behaviour, they talk a lot about lessons, they talk a lot about the curriculum, schools, education departments, classroom setup, resources and activities... They talk very little in comparison about the actual act of teaching and how to do it well.
In spite of my initial skepticism I have come to understand how true this actually is and how much I want to do something to change that. To stop the act of teaching from being a taboo subject.
Of course how and why teaching being a taboo subject happens, as well as how to overcome it, is a story for another day ;).
Regards,
Mel.
Tuesday, June 9, 2015
Monday, May 25, 2015
May Meeting details
Hi everyone!
This month's meeting is scheduled for Thursday 28 May, in the library at Wodonga South Primary School from 4.00pm to 6.30pm.
You can find all the details for the meeting here!
We hope to see you there!
Regards,
Mel
This month's meeting is scheduled for Thursday 28 May, in the library at Wodonga South Primary School from 4.00pm to 6.30pm.
You can find all the details for the meeting here!
We hope to see you there!
Regards,
Mel
Saturday, May 9, 2015
Worldometers: A wonderful filler/fast finisher take on them.
This week was the first Shepparton CRT Support Network Collegial meeting and I'd like to share something that came out of it on this chilly Saturday afternoon.
http://www.worldometers.info/
This site has a list of world statistics updated in real time. It's very interesting to just have a quick look at for sure.
Michael uses the worldometers stats as a resource for filler/fast finisher activity. He goes to the site and puts a set of stats up on the IWB and then asks questions about the statistics. He gave us the example where he used the Oil statistics to engage the students and then pose a question to the class:
"What is oil used to make".
Of course there's pertol and oil for your car, grease and other lubricants, tar for roads and so on but there's also solvents, plastics and even food colourings and flavourings.
http://www.ranken-energy.com/Products%20from%20Petroleum.htm
Chemicals for medicine, plastic for heart valves, lubricants for industrial machinery, glues, CDs and DVDs, dish washing liquid, floor wax... The list goes on. what is our world going to be like if we don't have these things or have to find other ways to make them?
A great discussion or exploration based activity to help students understand exactly how reliant we are on petroleum as a society.
That's only one way to use the worldometers and only one of the possible questions you could ask. A fantastic resource and way to use it. Thanks for sharing Michael!
Regards,
Mel.
http://www.worldometers.info/
This site has a list of world statistics updated in real time. It's very interesting to just have a quick look at for sure.
Michael uses the worldometers stats as a resource for filler/fast finisher activity. He goes to the site and puts a set of stats up on the IWB and then asks questions about the statistics. He gave us the example where he used the Oil statistics to engage the students and then pose a question to the class:
"What is oil used to make".
Of course there's pertol and oil for your car, grease and other lubricants, tar for roads and so on but there's also solvents, plastics and even food colourings and flavourings.
http://www.ranken-energy.com/Products%20from%20Petroleum.htm
Chemicals for medicine, plastic for heart valves, lubricants for industrial machinery, glues, CDs and DVDs, dish washing liquid, floor wax... The list goes on. what is our world going to be like if we don't have these things or have to find other ways to make them?
A great discussion or exploration based activity to help students understand exactly how reliant we are on petroleum as a society.
That's only one way to use the worldometers and only one of the possible questions you could ask. A fantastic resource and way to use it. Thanks for sharing Michael!
Regards,
Mel.
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
New Blog in the Side Bar: Teach Different!
About Tim's Blog:
When I'm in Facebook groups and someone asks for feedback on their new blog I like to have a quick look and offer some. Blogging is not only a great way to reflect on our own practice, at the same time it's putting our thoughts out there for others to reflect on as well so it's helping others while helping ourselves. Last night I ran across just such a comment and went through to Tim Bowman's new blog, "Teach Different".
Even though the blog is very new I just.... Connected with Tim's content. We had a short conversation and it turns out that it's part of a project he's embarked on after contacting John Hattie who, to Tim's amazement, supported his ideas and now Tim is writing a book too!
Tim seems wonderfully enthusiastic about not just his blog but exciting teaching strategies and sharing them with others (who wouldn't be after encouragement like that?).
So I'd like you all to meet Tim "TeacherTim" Bowman.
You can find the full blog post that goes with this one here (including his "Truth or Lie" PowerPoint):
http://teachdifferent.com.au/2015/05/5-ways-to-introduce-yourself-to-a-new-class/
"Forget being the Favourite (Be the Best)" is another great post. Short, to the point and oh so very true in my experience.
I've added this one to the side bar here but think it's also well worth adding this one to your bookmarks or your feed, it feels like this blog is going to be well worth keeping tabs on!
About Tim's Book....
Tim is using Kickstarter to fund his adventures into Authorland for his book "Forget Being the Favourite: 55 Ideas on Teaching Differently". If his blog is anything to go by then his book might be well worth supporting with the $5 that will get you a copy of the book. You can find out more about this here:
http://teachdifferent.com.au/2015/05/forget-being-the-favourite-55-ideas-on-teaching-differently/
Keep it up Tim! I look forward to being able to recommend your book to the teachers of the future.
My reflections on all of this....
Sometimes I run across comments about people worried about their teaching qualifications and how far they are going to carry them. They love teaching and would never give it up but they want to seek new experiences and new challenges in life. I like examples like Tim, or our own Ian Trevaskis, that I can point to and show that teaching qualifications and experience can carry you in all sorts of directions.
Tim and Ian chose to become authors in different ways. I love the social aspect of teaching so I stayed in front of people but moved sideways into Professional Development as have others. Some have gone on to become musicians, work in museums and many other places. I even met one who started travelling to local markets, making things with the craft skills she learned with her students for Mother's Day and Father's Day and so on.
Teaching can take us all sorts of wonderful places, the walls of a classroom are far from some imaginary line that marks the boundaries of our careers.
I like reminding people about things like that.
Regards,
Mel.
When I'm in Facebook groups and someone asks for feedback on their new blog I like to have a quick look and offer some. Blogging is not only a great way to reflect on our own practice, at the same time it's putting our thoughts out there for others to reflect on as well so it's helping others while helping ourselves. Last night I ran across just such a comment and went through to Tim Bowman's new blog, "Teach Different".
Even though the blog is very new I just.... Connected with Tim's content. We had a short conversation and it turns out that it's part of a project he's embarked on after contacting John Hattie who, to Tim's amazement, supported his ideas and now Tim is writing a book too!
Tim seems wonderfully enthusiastic about not just his blog but exciting teaching strategies and sharing them with others (who wouldn't be after encouragement like that?).
So I'd like you all to meet Tim "TeacherTim" Bowman.
You can find the full blog post that goes with this one here (including his "Truth or Lie" PowerPoint):
http://teachdifferent.com.au/2015/05/5-ways-to-introduce-yourself-to-a-new-class/
"Forget being the Favourite (Be the Best)" is another great post. Short, to the point and oh so very true in my experience.
I've added this one to the side bar here but think it's also well worth adding this one to your bookmarks or your feed, it feels like this blog is going to be well worth keeping tabs on!
About Tim's Book....
Tim is using Kickstarter to fund his adventures into Authorland for his book "Forget Being the Favourite: 55 Ideas on Teaching Differently". If his blog is anything to go by then his book might be well worth supporting with the $5 that will get you a copy of the book. You can find out more about this here:
http://teachdifferent.com.au/2015/05/forget-being-the-favourite-55-ideas-on-teaching-differently/
Keep it up Tim! I look forward to being able to recommend your book to the teachers of the future.
My reflections on all of this....
Sometimes I run across comments about people worried about their teaching qualifications and how far they are going to carry them. They love teaching and would never give it up but they want to seek new experiences and new challenges in life. I like examples like Tim, or our own Ian Trevaskis, that I can point to and show that teaching qualifications and experience can carry you in all sorts of directions.
Tim and Ian chose to become authors in different ways. I love the social aspect of teaching so I stayed in front of people but moved sideways into Professional Development as have others. Some have gone on to become musicians, work in museums and many other places. I even met one who started travelling to local markets, making things with the craft skills she learned with her students for Mother's Day and Father's Day and so on.
Teaching can take us all sorts of wonderful places, the walls of a classroom are far from some imaginary line that marks the boundaries of our careers.
I like reminding people about things like that.
Regards,
Mel.
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
What's on the Feed: Readingteacher.com is now free!
From the feed:
ReadingTeacher.com
Regards,
Mel.
"I am delighted to let you know that ReadingTeacher is now a free program. You have immediate access to everything in the program without having to pay for a subscription.It's a US website but I've gotten lots of useful "CRT stuff" from it in the past.
We completed all the content for the program earlier this year. There are now 100 books to teach the phonemes and advance aspects of the alphabetic code, together with quizzes, printable books and many more resources.
As the program is now complete, we no longer have the expense of paying to develop new content. We therefore can afford to allow free access to everyone."
ReadingTeacher.com
Regards,
Mel.
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
FREE 6 week Online Autism Course
Swinburne
University of Technology’s free autism MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) takes a practical approach
to the study of autism. The course is designed for parents and carers of
people with autism and those who work with people with autism.
It seeks to equip students with the skills and knowledge to solve practical issues in the lives of individuals who have autism. The course uses real scenarios, draws on students’ experiences and aims to foster a supportive network of parents and carers.
The course commences on Thursday 2 April 2015 and runs for seven weeks. Student contact hours are approximately two hours per week. Content will become available each week. There are no assessments or accreditations. On completion students will receive a certificate of participation.
As part of this MOOC Swinburne is conducting a research project exploring effective online teaching methods for assisting the autism support community. This will be done by monitoring students’ participation and engagement throughout the course.
It seeks to equip students with the skills and knowledge to solve practical issues in the lives of individuals who have autism. The course uses real scenarios, draws on students’ experiences and aims to foster a supportive network of parents and carers.
The course commences on Thursday 2 April 2015 and runs for seven weeks. Student contact hours are approximately two hours per week. Content will become available each week. There are no assessments or accreditations. On completion students will receive a certificate of participation.
As part of this MOOC Swinburne is conducting a research project exploring effective online teaching methods for assisting the autism support community. This will be done by monitoring students’ participation and engagement throughout the course.
Enrolments are open until Sunday 12 April. You can find more details on how to enrol here.
Regards,
Mel
Bookings Open - The Singing Classroom.
A Music and Cognitive Development PD with presenter Sue Arney.
Video - Wangaratta presentation 2013
As can be seen in the above video this is a hands-on, activity-based PD aimed at incorporating music into the mainstream classroom. Not only is it a valuable educational experience for teachers, it's a fun and entertaining day with your colleagues!
The Singing Classroom – Level 1
Note: As a self-funded PD, DEECD restrictions on attendance does not apply. NSW CRTs are more than welcome to attend (this PD is not BOSTES accredited as it is sourced through a Victorian provider).
Regards,
Mel.
The Singing Classroom – Level 1
- Introduction to the purpose of singing in the classroom
- Singing and brain development
- Links to literacy, numeracy and more
- The use of singing, body percussion and instruments to stimulate creativity
- Sample songs, rounds, group composition activities, writing a rap and more
- Supporting the development of self-confidence in teachers and students
Note: As a self-funded PD, DEECD restrictions on attendance does not apply. NSW CRTs are more than welcome to attend (this PD is not BOSTES accredited as it is sourced through a Victorian provider).
Regards,
Mel.
Saturday, April 4, 2015
Happy Easter!
We would like to wish you and your families a very happy Easter. If you are on the road, please travel safely, enjoy time with family and friends and consume lots of chocolate and hot cross buns!
Regards,
Mel, Paul and family
Thursday, March 12, 2015
Casual Induction: Belvoir Special School.
Tonight's Wodonga CRT Network meeting was a walkthrough of Belvoir
Special School with AP (and experienced presenter of PD) Sue King. We
received the full teacher induction tour with a chance for those
interested in CRT work with the school to submit their resume.
For any who were unaware of this tour with the Network, or unable to attend, next week there will be a normal induction session for local CRTs if you are interested in work with the school:
Wed 18 March, 10am
Belvoir Special School,
54 Gayview Drive, Wodonga.
For any who were unaware of this tour with the Network, or unable to attend, next week there will be a normal induction session for local CRTs if you are interested in work with the school:
Wed 18 March, 10am
Belvoir Special School,
54 Gayview Drive, Wodonga.
Please email king.susan.s@edumail.vic.gov.au to be added to the attendance list.
Best of luck!
Mel.
Best of luck!
Mel.
Friday, March 6, 2015
The March Meeting is just around the corner!
Hello everyone!
Our March meeting is coming up fast! It is scheduled for Thursday 12th March at Belvoir Special Development School.
Full details about the meeting can be found here:
http://wodongacrtsupportnetwork.blogspot.com.au/p/hi-everyone-next-wodonga-crt-support_5.html
Regards,
Mel
Our March meeting is coming up fast! It is scheduled for Thursday 12th March at Belvoir Special Development School.
Full details about the meeting can be found here:
http://wodongacrtsupportnetwork.blogspot.com.au/p/hi-everyone-next-wodonga-crt-support_5.html
Regards,
Mel
Saturday, February 14, 2015
Navigating media and government hype as Teachers.
So.... We just had another review come out, this time on university educations. A large number of Grads out there feel personally attacked over both it and the way it's being used in the media, feel that somehow they should be defensive about their degree and you really shouldn't be.
Many grads take this the wrong way when I say it but your degree is just not as important as you think it is and that's not actually a bad thing. EVERYONE in education who matters to you personally knows it. Getting your degree is a great personal achievement and no-one should be allowed to take that away from you like the media and government currently are but in the end each and every teacher has a degree. From a professional standpoint it genuinely isn't all that special in the way many expect it to be.
There's two ways to take that. "All that study and work for 'nothing special'?!?!" is not the right one. What you get that's special is you are now allowed to be a teacher. One of the greatest and most important professions in the world as far as I am concerned and that is special enough.
The other way to take it is "Cool, no matter what the shortcomings I'm only at the beginning of my career and I can overcome every single criticism that can be levelled at my degree". Because you are NOT your degree, you are a teacher now, a professional. You have grown beyond your degree from the first moment you continue to learn about being an effective educator and you will continue to do so for your entire career.
The national standards say a lot about how ongoing learning is VITAL once we exit university, university is not, and never will be, enough. It's the core concept that no matter the shortcomings of university education, and every university education has shortcomings because there's only so much you can teach someone in a given period of time, we are always capable of learning what we need to learn and striving to be great teachers.
"The best teachers are the best learners". This isn't about university degrees and ATAR scores as it gets used in the media, that's about the public view and has little to do with us once we step out of uni. It's not what we need to hear as teachers, it's to sell newspaper subscriptions or get votes to remain in power.
For us it's about being part of "vibrant educational communities" and the ongoing learning that takes novice teachers fresh out of uni and makes them great. A university degree is only our starting point, what qualifies us to seek employment as teachers, to become novices in our profession. We continue to learn every day of our careers and that's what makes great teachers.
This isn't telling grads their degree is worthless, it's telling them that there's an all-purpose defence against arguments such as are currently going on and equipping them with the mindset to both ignore this media/government tomfoolery and continue on the road to being a great teacher. Right now is not an easy time to be entering education which makes it all the more important to aspire to greatness. Those that do and are able to maintain their dedication, passion and enthusiasm to be great in the face of adversity are the ones who will come out of this current situation on top.
Grads, you have a wonderful journey unfolding before you. Don't tarnish that by buying into this media/government hype. Instead find the sources of knowledge that inspire you to become great, to adapt to and overcome the challenges that are being put in your way.
Be wary of learning the wrongs things from the media and our governments. Focus on yourself, focus on your colleagues and focus on your students. That is the doorway to success.
Regards,
Mel.
Many grads take this the wrong way when I say it but your degree is just not as important as you think it is and that's not actually a bad thing. EVERYONE in education who matters to you personally knows it. Getting your degree is a great personal achievement and no-one should be allowed to take that away from you like the media and government currently are but in the end each and every teacher has a degree. From a professional standpoint it genuinely isn't all that special in the way many expect it to be.
There's two ways to take that. "All that study and work for 'nothing special'?!?!" is not the right one. What you get that's special is you are now allowed to be a teacher. One of the greatest and most important professions in the world as far as I am concerned and that is special enough.
The other way to take it is "Cool, no matter what the shortcomings I'm only at the beginning of my career and I can overcome every single criticism that can be levelled at my degree". Because you are NOT your degree, you are a teacher now, a professional. You have grown beyond your degree from the first moment you continue to learn about being an effective educator and you will continue to do so for your entire career.
The national standards say a lot about how ongoing learning is VITAL once we exit university, university is not, and never will be, enough. It's the core concept that no matter the shortcomings of university education, and every university education has shortcomings because there's only so much you can teach someone in a given period of time, we are always capable of learning what we need to learn and striving to be great teachers.
"The best teachers are the best learners". This isn't about university degrees and ATAR scores as it gets used in the media, that's about the public view and has little to do with us once we step out of uni. It's not what we need to hear as teachers, it's to sell newspaper subscriptions or get votes to remain in power.
For us it's about being part of "vibrant educational communities" and the ongoing learning that takes novice teachers fresh out of uni and makes them great. A university degree is only our starting point, what qualifies us to seek employment as teachers, to become novices in our profession. We continue to learn every day of our careers and that's what makes great teachers.
This isn't telling grads their degree is worthless, it's telling them that there's an all-purpose defence against arguments such as are currently going on and equipping them with the mindset to both ignore this media/government tomfoolery and continue on the road to being a great teacher. Right now is not an easy time to be entering education which makes it all the more important to aspire to greatness. Those that do and are able to maintain their dedication, passion and enthusiasm to be great in the face of adversity are the ones who will come out of this current situation on top.
Grads, you have a wonderful journey unfolding before you. Don't tarnish that by buying into this media/government hype. Instead find the sources of knowledge that inspire you to become great, to adapt to and overcome the challenges that are being put in your way.
Be wary of learning the wrongs things from the media and our governments. Focus on yourself, focus on your colleagues and focus on your students. That is the doorway to success.
Regards,
Mel.
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