2016 Distance Education Symposium
Key Notes and Workshop synopses
Rydges World Square on 28 and 29 July, 2016
Contents
Key Note Biographies
Dr Michael Carr-Gregg 4
Michael McQueen 5
Workshop Session 1
E is for evidence 6
Targeting Early Numeracy (TEN) in the DE context 7
Using the English textual concepts resource to design learning K-10 8
Easing anxiety, Engaging immediately 9
Learning, innovation and teachers as change agents 10
Workshop Session 2
The Australian Professional Standards for Teachers through a distance education lens 11
Growth Mindset in DE 12
Creating interactive and engaging online learning 13
Distance Education: The role of State office 14
Building Student rapport 15
Workshop Session 3
Why Music matters? - Singing in a virtual world 16
Teaching and learning cycle in action with literacy 17
Inspiring teachers to use Adobe Connect for synchronous lessons 18
Numeracy Skills Framework 19
Positive Education Error! Bookmark not defined.
Workshop Session 4
Sharing a story 21
Maths from the very beginning- pre-early stage 1 numeracy 22
Using the Colaboratus model in distance education learning 23
Crocodiles wear glasses too! What comes first giftedness or disability? 24
Understanding personalised learning and support 30
Worshop Session 5
The body politic: theory and process 26
The Maker Movement within the context of distance education 27
Modelling, scaffolding and independent practice: Providing immediate feedback to students of distance education 28
Introducing the NSW Physical Literacy continuum K-10 29
Improving engagement through Google Classroom Error! Bookmark not defined.
Key Note Biographies
Dr Michael Carr-Gregg
Michael is one of Australia’s highest profile psychologists specialising in the area of adolescent mental health.
For information and details please refer to www.michaelcarr-gregg.com.au/
Michael McQueen
Michael is an Australian – born speaker, social researcher and bestselling author.
For information and details please refer to http://michaelmcqueen.net/
Workshop Session 1
E is for Evidence
Presenter: Sueanne Matthews; Karrabar Distance Education Centre
Stage of learning: All Stages
Curriculum area: Cross Curricula
Description:
This presentation is designed to assist Distance Education teachers seeking accreditation at higher levels (Highly Accomplished and/or Lead) with how to align their teaching practice to the Australian Professional Teaching Standards and the requirement for evidence to support practice. Sueanne Matthews is an Accredited Teacher Lead, who has extensive experience in identifying appropriate evidence to support standards and how to write the annotation supporting the evidence.
Outcome:
Teachers will reflect, review and evaluate their own practice and be armed with the skills to discern what is appropriate evidence and what is not.
Targeting Early Numeracy (TEN) in the DE context
Presenter: Jill Hadobas; Queanbeyan Distance Education Centre
Stage of learning: Early Years (K-2)
Curriculum area: Mathematics
Description:
Targeting Early Numeracy (TEN) is a Best Start initiative aimed at ensuring all students are on track in their numeracy by Year 3. It is a program that is differentiated for all learners.
This hands-on workshop will give an overview of the benefits of the program to students, demonstrate the links to the numeracy continuum, describe how TEN works and show how Queanbeyan Distance Education Centre is implementing the program across K-2 using carefully designed resources and instructional videos.
Delegates will participate in hands-on games and activities and takeaway a sample kit from the QDE TEN program. Jill is happy to share further resources with distance education centres looking to implement the TEN program.
Outcome:
To demonstrate how QDE is implementing TEN in the DE context to personalise learning and to encourage sharing of the resource to broaden knowledge and improve practice across the DE network.
Using the English textual concepts resource to design learning K-10
Presenter: Prue Greene; Learning and Teaching Directorate
Stage of learning: All stages- secondary
Curriculum area: Cross Curricula
Description:
English Textual Concepts is a professional learning resource for English K-10 teachers that promotes ‘a passion for and deep understanding of their teaching content’ Great Teaching and Inspired Learning: A blueprint for action. The resource identifies, explains and charts the development of the core knowledge and textual concepts of subject English that students must know and use through all stages of learning.
This session will explore the new English Textual Concepts resource, its development from the NSW English syllabus for the Australian Curriculum K-10 and its implications for teaching and programming. Teachers will consider existing units of learning or create an overview for a unit of learning linking the Textual Concepts approach, the selection of texts and assessment.
Teachers will also explore how the learning processes guide the development of teaching and learning activities, differentiation and the benefits for curriculum transition, particularly between Stages 3 and 4 that the resource provides.
Please bring a copy of the following:
Textual Concept descriptors and stage summaries https://detwww.det.nsw.edu.au/detresources/descriptors-and-summaries-portrait-logos_WqRPebHEKa.pdf
Textual Concept learning progressions
https://detwww.det.nsw.edu.au/detresources/process-descriptors- and-summaries-logos_hYxiQEkAdy.pdf
Outcome:
Teachers will learn to:
· interpret the NSW English Syllabus for the Australian Curriculum K-10 in order to embed higher order thinking and the learning of the core concepts of subject English in their learning and teaching programs
· understand the core processes for thinking, composing and responding to texts that the syllabus implies and states
Easing anxiety, engaging immediately
Presenter: Shane Williams, Camden Haven High School
Stage of learning: All Stages
Curriculum area: Cross Curricula
Description:
This project aims at supporting schools in engaging students during the enrolment period by providing schools with all the resources and training required to engage students during the enrolment period.
This will include:
1. creation of a student engagement package (SEP)
2. Ongoing support for transition students
3. Professional learning for home schools
Shane is working towards Lead accreditation level with the Institute of teachers and is engaged with the Leadership Development Initiative (LDI). This project is his major set for evidence for the LDI.
Outcome:
The success of this project will be determined by an increase in student course work submission in the first few weeks of enrolment. As the results of surveys from students/supervisors staff evaluating the effect of the SEP and adjusted processes on the initial engagement levels of new students.
The outcomes for this workshop are as follows:
1. Participants will explore the SEP and analyse the range of engaging teaching strategies
2. Participants will develop a stronger understanding of processes that increase student engagement
3. Participants will explore the adjustments CHHS have made to enrolment procedures to ensure higher levels of engagement
Learning, innovation and teachers as change agents
Presenters: Melissa Ellis, Katie Grubb and Fraser Munro; Southern Cross School Distance Education
Stage of learning: All Stages
Curriculum area: Cross Curricula
Description:
How is our pedagogy meeting the changing needs of future workplaces? Southern Cross DE presents learning, innovation and teachers as change agents. This presentation covers ways to include Cross-Curricular priorities and General Capabilities across all learning areas and the potential of global collaborative technology for delivery. It also highlights needed shifts in workplace culture and attitudes that allow for prioritising learning and innovation within schools with the aim to help learners becoming innovative creators rather than consumers. Changing our workplaces to become more positive and open to change is key to facilitating this and for educators to stay tuned-in and inspired. We want teachers to understand and develop ways to create a rock star professional learning network and to get involved in global education PD from your couch at home. Our workshop will activate you by showcasing some of our innovative student led projects, workshop creative thinking and brainstorm future learning and teaching strategies that you can take back to your school.
Outcome:
· Understanding the innovation boom in Australia, and the importance of having learning and innovation teams at schools
· Ways of using technology collaboratively in learning projects to better prepare students for future workplaces
· Strategies for building and engaging in professional learning networks and the power to become a thought leader in regional Australia and beyond
· Sharing resources freely with other educators on innovative projects being conducted across the state, country and globe
· To find out what technology teachers are currently using in DE to gain insight into what works and what might be useful to implement at Southern Cross DE and other DE schools in NSW.
Workshop Session 2
The Australian Professional Standards for Teachers through a distance education lens
Presenters: Cate Chapple and working party members; The Open High and various DE centres
Stage of learning: All Stages
Curriculum area: Cross Curricula
Description:
This workshop will unpack the 2015-16 project that has involved teachers form all the Distance Education Schools in NSW.
We will explain the aims of this important, user-friendly document that celebrates the 21st century pedagogy our schools deliver to all sectors in NSW. It provides both BOSTES and distance education specific examples and evidence of the Australian Standards for Teachers at proficient level.
Outcome:
All DE teachers will have a deep understanding of the Standards and how they are articulated in distance education.
Growth Mindset in DE
Presenters: Julie Lavis and Jodie Hartwig: Broken Hill School of the Air
Stage of learning: Primary (K-6)
Curriculum area: Cross Curricula
Description:
An introduction to the theory and practise of Growth Mindset and the Department initiative HOW2Learn, including insights into how Broken Hill School of the Air have adapted this program and are implementing it with early and middle years students within the distance education setting. It will include examples of the positive impact it is having on teaching staff and home supervisors as well as on the students themselves. A variety of resources, activities and sources will be available for perusal and discussion.
Outcome:
Participants will:
· gain an introductory understanding of Growth Mindset theory
· investigate their own beliefs regarding the process of learning
· understand the impact that changing mindset can have on the whole school communities
· become aware of resources that are available to support the development of Growth Mindsets
· understand the importance of Growth Mindsets in distance education
· understand how the HOW2Learn initiative can be implemented in a distance education setting
Creating interactive and engaging online learning
Presenters: Vickie Krikowa; Karabar Distance Education Centre
Stage of learning: All Stages
Curriculum area: Cross Curricula
Description:
So how do we design more interactive and engaging online learning experiences? This session will focus mainly on the use of video and how to create your own instructional/educational videos for your students using apps such as ScreencastOmatic, Clickview, Explain Everything and the use of Swirl and document cameras to create content.
Included are useful tips when creating videos, how to make videos available to tour students and using the tools in Moodle (quizzes, blogs, journals, wikis) to make the learning more interactive.
This session is hands-on and will require a laptop/notebook with a camera and a headset where participants can create their own video.
Outcomes:
· Create a video lesson
· Using a tablet device/document camera to create content in the traditional way (i.e. a recording of you explaining a concept in person)
· Use tools in Moodle to make course more interactive
Distance Education: The role of State office
Presenter: David McLeod; Rural and Distance Education unit
Stage of learning: All Stages
Curriculum area: Cross Curricula
Description:
This session will provide attendees with an overview of the role, responsibilities and activities of the state office in supporting distance education and access program schools to deliver quality learning programs to their students. Aspects presented include; the roles and responsibilities of the state office personnel, major responsibilities such as Distance Education, Access Programs, AIC and scholarships, distance education enrolment categories and pedagogy.
In addition, an overview of activities to support schools will be provided, some of which will be highlighted with case studies and data.
Outcome:
The major outcome anticipated from participation in this session is a greater awareness of the role of Rural and Distance Education in the resourcing and support of DE and Access Program schools.
Building Student rapport
Presenters: Pru Walker; Camden Haven High School
Stage of learning: All Stages
Curriculum area: Cross Curricula
Description:
I will share a brief outline of my experiences as a beginning teacher in a rural remote area, teaching in an access program. Then I will discuss my transition to teaching distance education at a large high school, joining a faculty of fourteen experienced teachers.
My focus for the session will be on the importance of building a strong and positive rapport with students and gaining their trust. I will discuss obstacles I have encountered when developing student relationships and then encourage others to share their stories.
Participants would then form small groups and be given different scenarios where they can share ideas and strategies for rapport development. This would be followed by a whole group discussion in which we share strategies and ideas.
The scenarios will be based on students who suffer from anxiety and the difficulties they face with social interactions and general communication.
Outcome:
Participants will have the opportunity to collaborate. To identify and establish strategies that assist with building positive student relationships. As there will be various levels of expertise involved, the discussions will offer different ways in which to approach the scenarios.
Participants will leave with new strategies that they can adopt to successfully engage reluctant and/or anxious learners, contributing to quality teaching and learning practices.
Workshop Session 3
Why Music matters? - Singing in a virtual world
Presenter: Martin Hewetson; Sydney Distance Education Public School
Stage of learning: All Stages
Curriculum area: Cross Curricula
Description:
This hands-on workshop will focus on the skills required for DE schools to create their own virtual choir.
Delegates will be presented with an over view of how SDEPS set up its own virtual choir in 2015, and will be shown both our successes and failures. They will then learn the skills required to teach music and/or choir lessons. I’ll direct them towards readily available digital music resources and show them how to teach music and assemble the audio/film files using applications that are for the most part free.