The new National Curriculum, National Standards of Practice and what CRT Networks mean for YOU.

Following our last meeting and her appearance as a Guest Speaker, we had a chance to sit down and discuss these things with Dawn Colcott, the Manager of Professional Learning for the Victorian Institute of Teaching.

Along with the new National Curriculum, a new set of National Professional Standards for Teachers are also being introduced.  The current VIT Standards of Professional Practice will be replaced with the new National Standards.

Today I will be dealing with Standards 6 and 7 and how they relate to CRT Networks in general and how the Wodonga Network is structured around these new Standards in particular.

As always you should remember that these are my musings and for rock-solid answers you should contact VIT to make sure you get all the correct answers right from the horse's mouth!  Like you, I'm just a CRT and I don't get it all 100% right the first time through either ;).

At the very least, you should now understand the reasons we put in the groundwork with our "what is PD" series of posts as well as the "Collegial Learning" series and why the Network considers Meetings very important even though attendance at them is lower than for Workshops/Seminars.

What are Standards of Practice?

Up front I think it's worth having a look at what "standards of Practice" are.  I recently fell into a trap with standards because of the current emphasis being placed on them through changes in registration requirements.  This was compounded further than many of you will experience because of my role as a VIT CRT Network Coordinator.

I made the mistake of letting myself think that Standards of Practice are all about a way to reference quality PD.  The new VIT Registration system takes out the old requirements and instead made the gage of their value or suitability by being "standards referenced".  The simple fact is that I deal so much with the VIT registration side of things that it altered my way of thinking.

Standards of Practice are the set of guidelines each and every teacher "should be following to be a good teacher".

From the AITSL website:

"The National Professional Standards for Teachers is a public statement of what constitutes teacher quality.  "

While I don't think it should be treated as some sort of "ticklist" it does set out a framework to what all the research points to as being the most worthwhile way to approach being a teacher.  In other words, keep your eyes open and when an opportunity to follow one of the standards presents itself, follow it.  

Dabble at least a little in each and every subheading when you can seize the opportunity to do so.  If you find that the dabbling is solidly improving your teaching then start doing a little more than dabbling in that area.

The current standards now and how Networks fit in:

http://www.vit.vic.edu.au/SiteCollectionDocuments/PDF/787_standards.pdf 

Standard 7:  Teachers reflect on, evaluate and improve their professional knowledge and practice.

Specifically sub-section 2:  Teachers work collaboratively with other members of the profession and engage in discussion of contemporary issues and research to improve professional practice.

and Standard 8: Teachers are active members of their profession.

Specifically subsection 1: Teachers contribute to the development of school communities that support the learning and wellbeing of both students and fellow teachers;

and subsection 2: Teachers work effectively with other professionals, parents/guardians and members of the broader community to provide effective learning for students;

This, in a nutshell, is where we currently fit into the standards of practice as members of VIT CRT Networks.  All VIT CRT Networks target one or more of these standards (and a couple others by default through simply offering opportunities for you to choose from) to various levels.  One of our primary functions is to supply you, Victorian CRTs, with relevant and valuable PD opportunities to maintain your registration.

The other primary function, the one we in Wodonga consider the more important of the two, is to provide Victorian CRTs with the right PD opportunities to become better teachers outside of those "100 hours in 5 years" or "20 hours in a year" parameters set to maintain registration.  We consider our blog and our PD workshops as new sources of fresh ideas to drive the collegial aspects set out above.

Being in a room full of CRTs helps you to reflect on and evaluate your professional knowledge.  It gives you a frame of reference to gage your own practice against a room full of people required to do the same things.  Being in a room of CRTs also gives you access to a pool of experience and knowledge to help you with improving those areas you think you could do with knowing a little more and strategies to help you improve.

We are also supplying a collaborative atmosphere where you can all work on the issues together whether it be to come to a deeper understanding of the issues and research as well as give you access to a wide range of applications.

The nature of CRT work being in more than one school, you are taking those collaboratively created understandings, skills and practical applications to many schools, helping to spread the results to the wider school community.

Standard 8 Subsection 2 is already covered.

The network itself is also designed around:

Standard 8: Teachers are active members of their profession.

Specifically sub-section 3: Teachers promote learning, the value of education and the profession of teaching in the wider community.

which is why we try to maintain such a high public profile through posters for businesses that support us, the use of mycommunityconnect.com.au and similar measures.  Why we supply you with business cards and encourage you to make others aware of the opportunities we offer.

You are helping to get the word out that CRT Networks are out there, CRTs aren't just babysitters and their goal is the same as any other teacher, to provide students with the best educational experience they can.

Many don't realize this but I do have parents/guardians pull me up and question me about the Wodonga CRT Support Network because word travels.  By handing out those cards, discussing the network and what it really means for education in a broader way, you are taking part in a chain of events that is promoting the importance and integrity of the teaching profession to the greater community.

All in all we are there to give you easier access to standards 7 and 8 and through that give you a greater knowledge of, and ideas on how to follow through on, the other 6 standards.

The National Standards.

http://www.teacherstandards.aitsl.edu.au/Standards/Overview

The national standards are a little different in that they put a very heavy focus on a few things that the current standards don't.

Primarily

Standard 7: Engage with professional teaching networks and broader communities.

Specifically Proficient level:  Participate in professional and community networks and forums to broaden knowledge and improve practice.

and Highly Accomplished level:  Contribute to professional networks and associations and build links with the wider community to improve teaching and learning.

For Graduate/PRT members Networks also cover

Graduate level:  Understand the role of external professionals and community representatives in broadening Teachers' professional Knowledge and Practice.

the big difference with these new standards where CRT Networks are concerned is that a very heavy focus is now placed on accessing existing or organizing your own professional networks where before no specific source was emphasized.

Again, CRT Networks will offer this type of opportunity in whole or in part.  It will depend on the focus of the Network in which way your local one will begin to provide a gateway to these standards.  I do think it's worth saying though that if your local CRT Network isn't offering a full range of opportunities it's worth seeking out some other Professional Network whether it be a neighbouring CRT Network or something different.  A wide array of Professional Networks exist and even belonging to something like a Dyslexia or Autism support group can lead you to a greater understanding of how to best teach those students in the classroom.

Everything Networks have always done according to the current standards is still in the new National Standards,  there is just this new added emphasis on Teachers joining or creating professional networks.

Whether you need more PD hours or not, you are still expected to participate in these professional learning Networks to some level to be a "good teacher".

This particular writing has been on the wall for quite a while and was one of the major motivations behind VIT's move to help create CRT Networks in the very beginning.  If you scroll down to the post below this one, there's one particular quote I want to draw your attention to.

 In the 4th video, about 20 seconds in, Dawn Colcott says  

"From the Institute's point of view you're not second class teachers".

In our discussions with Dawn over the years it is clear that CRT Networks were created with one of the founding ideas being that these Networks were a pre-emptive response to these coming changes.  They are to provide Professional Networks that are 100% relevant to the specific needs of CRTs.

Again, it is important to note that the different CRT Network Coordinators are free to decide to what extent their Networks should approach section 7 of the new National Standards.  No matter how they approach it your local CRT network will prove an invaluable part of your professional network.

Some concentrate on the collegial meeting side, some concentrate on providing 100% relevant and easily affordable PD opportunities while others straddle the line between the two.  Even within those networks that straddle the line, a different amount of emphasis is placed on the 2 sides of the coin.

Even though we at the Wodonga CRT Support Network access the DEECD's CRT Professional Learning Support Initiative to provide PD workshops, The Wodonga CRT Support Network places the emphasis on the Collegial Learning and Professional Networking aspects above the Workshops.  While we take the responsibility of selecting appropriate and relevant PD Workshops very seriously, we believe that giving you access to an active and effective Professional Network, is more important.

We have a continuing commitment to covering Section 6 of the new National Standards:

• 6.1: Identify and Plan Professional Learning Needs
• 6.2: Engage in Professional Learning and improve practice.
• 6.3: Engage with Colleagues and improve practice
• and 6.4: Apply Professional Learning and improve Student Learning.

 

to the same high level we address the current versions of those standards in an arena that is 100% aimed at CRTs.

Engaging with colleagues for varied reasons is a common theme throughout sections 6 and 7 of the new National Standards and on balance it is more emphasized than the traditional PD Workshop or Seminar (although these are still important!).  Combined with the AITSL quote up near the top, these are all things that you are "expected to do" to maintain  a high quality of teaching practice.

As members you can rest easily knowing that absolutely everything is in place to allow you to address sections 6 and 7 of the new National Standards without us changing the way we currently operate.

We took our role in this transition seriously so everything is there, everything is ready and all we have to do is keep doing things the way we currently do them. 

This doesn't mean we won't keep moving forward!  

We have some exciting new "stuff" in the pipeline that has been waiting in the wings to offer you even greater opportunities to participate in the new Standard 6 and Standard 7.  Moving to a National Standard opens some interesting gateways for participation in the teaching profession in a National, and often global, way!

Regards,

Mel.