Browse archived case studies: Teacher Professional Leave (TPL) (2004 to 2005)
There are 133 archived case studies from Teacher Professional Leave:
Note: all documents are in MS Word
Leading Pedagogical Practice at Aberfieldie Primary (Teacher Professional Leave)
Aberfeldie Primary School (01 September 2005)
Marlene Suter's aim is to expand awareness and use of the Thinking Strategies/Skills
in Teaching and Learning, develop her own skills as a leader of Pedagogy
in the school to promote professional knowledge and dialogue and encourage
a team approach to implementing creative pedagogical practice in the school.
Engaging Middle Years Students with Robotics (Teacher Professional Leave)
Albert Street PS, Boolarra PS, Maffra PS, Yinnar PS, Churchill PS (07 December
2005)
Jenny Dowsett, Kathryn Murphy, Elizabeth Spunner, Gay Higgins and Jeff Curwood
attended a Robotics PD delivered by Michael Walker from Orbost Secondary
College. When they applied the program they saw improvements not only in
their students' science and technology skills, but also in their problem-solving
skills, self-esteem, confidence with oral presentations and willingness
to take risks.
Masters of Psychology - Counselling Placement (Teacher Professional Leave)
Alexandra Secondary College (21 December 2005)
Bronwyn Howell wanted to develop effective counselling and assessment skills,
and to gain a more complete understanding of the services that Child and
Adolescent Mental Health Service is able to offer.
Innovative integrated units (Teacher Professional Leave)
Altona Primary School (03 October 2005)
Margo Walsh and Jenny O'Connor wanted to find a more efficient way of teaching/learning
that would ensure student engagement, provide for more meaningful teaching
and overcome the problem of trying to 'cover' everything.
Learning Spaces as Inspired by Pedagogical Research (Teacher Professional Leave)
Altona Secondary College (21 December 2005)
Rebecca Quinlan attended a pedagogy course (PEDNET) which allowed Rebecca
to further explore the purpose and use of learning spaces within the school
and the research that has been conducted into this.
Reflective Practices to Enhance Student Learning (Teacher Professional Leave)
Appin Park Primary School (21 December 2005)
Robyn, Leonie and Laurie used reflected practices for student teaching.
A greater range of reflection tools are now being implemented by students
in the classrooms, eg. Learning Journals, Wondering Walls, etc. With structured
activities they found children are more focused and have a clearer understanding
of the learning goals.
Improve Outcomes for VET delivery (Teacher Professional Leave)
Ararat Community College (26 October 2005)
Chris Wentworth wanted to gain further qualifications to enhance the delivery
of the VET course he has been team teaching. During this time he gained
a certificate III in Furnishing - Cabinet Making Stream and a certificate
IV in Workplace Assessor.
New directions in Mathematical Learning (Teacher Professional Leave)
Ararat Community College (26 October 2005)
The Team at Ararat Community College wanted to redesign the Maths Curriculum
for Years 7, 8 and 9. They did this by planning and resourcing Mathematics
to reflect current best practice. Challenging and supporting teachers to
reflect on their current practice and increasing engagement and improving
student outcomes, particularly for boys.
Brain Gym (Teacher Professional Leave)
Ascot Vale Special School (01 September 2005)
Linda Beilby and Christine Monahan used Brain Gym to help students with
disabilities to increase their attention span and improve thinking and learning
skills.
Positive school culture - 'Learn to listen. Have something interesting to say.' (Teacher Professional Leave)
Ashby Primary School (05 October 2005)
Pauline and Jan looked at how to implement TRIBES (A New Way of Learning
and Being Together) into their school after the whole staff had been in-serviced
in the basic philosophy. They tied this to developing meta-cognition skills
and reflection in line with the Victorian Essential Learning Standards.
Preparing Early For Success (Teacher Professional Leave)
Bacchus Marsh Primary School (26 October 2005)
The Team from Bacchus Marsh Primary School focused on programs to address
the identified strong predictors of learning difficulties, ie. Having a
limited vocabulary or mental bank of word knowledge; having behavioural
adjustment problems such as attention deficits and poorly controlled behaviour;
poor phonological skills and coming from a family with socio-economic disadvantages.
Best Practices in Australian Schools (Teacher Professional Leave)
Bairnsdale Secondary College (01 September 2005)
The Educational Leadership team at Bairnsdale Secondary College sought to
visit and see first-hand the best practices in schools in each state throughout
Australia. There were four goals: best practice pedagogy; school organisation
to support learning; collection and use of data to inform and improve learning,
and use of ICT to improve learning.
Integration of Literacy, Arts and Technology using Multimedia in the Classroom (Teacher Professional Leave)
Bairnsdale Secondary College (26 October 2005)
Wayne McCunnie trained staff in the mechanics of the Kahootz program and
then use it as an additional or alternative way to tell a story. He found
it useful in three key areas: as a method of planning a written piece of
work; as the final written product and combine animated sequences with video
footage.
Bilingual/Bicultural Deaf Education (Teacher Professional Leave)
Bairnsdale West Primary School (01 September 2005)
A team of teachers from Bairnsdale West Primary School found there were
limited programs and resources to support Deaf students. Their goal is to
enhance their own skills and add to the field of Deaf Education in the areas
of design, management and evaluation of Bilingual/Bicultural educational
programs.
Koorie Literacy Research Project (Teacher Professional Leave)
Bairnsdale West Primary School (01 September 2005)
A team of teachers from Bairnsdale West Primary School identified that some
Koori students were more successful than others. To find out why, they delved
further into pedagogy and looked at strong relationship building, teacher
expectation and the development of links to Koori culture.
Linking with our Community (Teacher Professional Leave)
Ballan Primary School (26 October 2005)
The Team at Ballan Primary School has focused on improving communication
with the community and providing opportunities for involvement particularly
for parents in school activities.
Recognising and responding to diverse student needs (Teacher Professional Leave)
Ballarat Specialist School (29 November 2005)
Eleanor Ryan researched the strategies used by two schools in another State
system (Northern Territory), which were employed to maintain connectedness
in students at risk of non-attendance ie. ill or recuperating from major
operations, etc.
Enhancing Student Learning through Improving Positive Relationships (Teacher Professional Leave)
Beechworth Secondary College (21 December 2005)
The Team at Beechworth Secondary College wanted to improve the skills and
level of responsibility of teachers to manage their own classroom discipline.
They did this by conducting a student Satisfaction Survey, receiving research
data by La Trobe University into Factors effecting engagement and learning
and a Ramon Lewis PD presentation.
Developing a Thinking Curriculum for Middle Years Students (Teacher Professional Leave)
Benalla Schools Cluster (26 October 2005)
The Benalla Schools Cluster wanted to improve student engagement and thinking
skills to develop more independent learners. The aim was to develop the
teacher's understanding of what a thinking curriculum is. A second aim was
to further develop professional relationships between teachers in the Cluster.
Pedagogical change in the ICT-rich LOTE classroom (Teacher Professional Leave)
Berwick Secondary College and LOTE Centre of Excellence (09 November 2005)
Inga Cairns and Claire Feely researched the use of ICT and its impact on
pedagogy in LOTE classrooms. Both visited a number of Language Colleges
in the United Kingdom. Their main area of interest was how technology and
'Best Practice' from the practitioners themselves. Both saw how students
enjoyed using the software, how it engaged them, particularly boys. It was
made clear by teachers that technology should be seen as one of a number
of tools which foster independent learning for students.
Assisting middle years students with reading difficulties (Teacher Professional Leave)
Bethal Primary School (23 August 2005)
Middle Years Coordinator Leon Leonidas was able to change the way reading
is taught Bethal Primary after attending a course on literacy learning difficulties.
Based on the research of Dr John Monroe, the course introduced a model for
interpreting reading difficulties and a number of literacy intervention
strategies. Leon presented his own learnings to all the staff of Bethal
Primary and has seen a dramatic improvement in his students' reading ability
since he started using the methods.
Assessing children's understandings of fractions (Teacher Professional Leave)
Bethal Primary School (03 October 2005)
Anne Mitchell was interested in finding types of tasks that would enable
the teacher to assess what conceptual understanding of fractions students
had, and from there develop some classroom tasks that would develop that
understanding.
Assessing reading difficulties in the Middle Years with Dr John Munro (Teacher Professional Leave)
Bethal Primary School (07 December 2005)
Sema Selamet addressed the specific literacy area of reading. The course
focused on diagnosing/assessing reading difficulties faced by students using
a variety of tests which focused on diagnosing exact reading problems -
from decoding phonemes to under-standing word parts. The second part of
the course focused on teaching these students (as well as the whole class)
some practical strategies to improve their reading comprehension.
Establishing a positive learning community characterised by student engagement and connectedness (Teacher Professional Leave)
Billanook Primary School (21 December 2005)
Angie O'Hare, Glenda Harris, Jennifer Mockett and Meaghan Banfield wanted
to improve the engagement of students and their connectedness to school.
They did this through values training via implementation of TRIBES and through
teaching and learning via implementation of multiple intelligences and the
thinking curriculum.
Reading For Meaning (Teacher Professional Leave)
Black Hill Primary School (26 October 2005)
Julie Bradby chose literacy and in particular, reading as a focus for improvement
because although her students were 'good' readers, their understanding of
what they were reading was lacking. Julie, together with teacher graduates,
developed a program called Reading For Meaning. Results so far have been
promising.
Developmentally Appropriate Curriculum (Teacher Professional Leave)
Black Hill Primary School and Bungaree Primary School (26 October 2005)
Sherrill McKinnon, Rhonda Stephens and Chris Rossiter investigated pedagogy
for teaching junior children in a developmentally appropriate manner. This
consisted of visits to schools embracing a variety of philosophies including
Steiner, Reggio Emilia and Play Based Curriculum. As their knowledge increased
they have put many of the strategies into place and evaluated the effects
on their students.
A model for assessment and reporting in a residential outdoor education setting (Teacher Professional Leave)
Bogong Outdoor Education Centre (09 November 2005)
Jim Gargon wants to develop a means of assessing student achievement relating
to participation in Bogong Outdoor Education Centre programs. This assessment
will be used in student feedback and reporting and be used to gauge the
effectiveness of programs and pedagogy.
Technology in the Performing Arts (Teacher Professional Leave)
Boneo Primary School (09 November 2005)
Sally Walsh focused her TPL on the use of technology in the Performing Arts
area. She studied music composition, sound recording, video editing, CD
recording, DVD production, animation and claymation. Sally has endeavoured
to investigate as many music and video technology programs as she could,
with a view to ensuring that students maintain their enthusiasm for Performing
Arts by engaging them in their learning.
'Teachers Investigate Unequal Literacy Outcomes: Cross-generational Perspectives' (Teacher Professional Leave)
Brauer College (29 November 2005)
This research project was facilitated by Professor Barbara Comber (University
of SA and Professor Barbara Kamler, Deakin University) through funding by
the Australian Research Council Discovery Grants. The aim of the project
was to recruit early career teachers to work in a reciprocal relationship
with a late career teacher to investigate the literacy practices of 'at
risks' students. Using a single case study, Bev worked alongside her mentor,
Ivan Boyer to investigate the use of visual literacy to reposition a reluctant
Year 8 high school reader named DJ.
Metacognition - Teaching to think about thinking (Teacher Professional Leave)
Brentwood Secondary College (21 December 2005)
Judie Mitchell, Katharine Seyler and David Newcombe used their TPL to help
students develop an awareness of their thinking styles. Students often see
subjects as discrete areas of study. The Team wanted to make students realise
that the thinking skills they apply in one subject can be transferred to
other subject areas. There are many "Thinking" models around but the Team
based their work on the Hermann Brain Dominance Index.
Investigating Best Teaching and Leadership Practice in exemplary schools with the vision of improving student learning outcomes in the Later Years at Brimbank College (Teacher Professional Leave)
Brimbank College (03 October 2005)
Sally McCutcheon wanted to look, see and experience Best Practice first
hand. She accomplished this by gathering a wealth of high level information.
Sally was inspired by her peers/colleagues to be innovative and risk take
at the classroom and leadership levels brought significant professional
renewal.
Managing Effective Leadership Feedback (Teacher Professional Leave)
Broadford Secondary College (26 October 2005)
Glen Cooper wants to develop clear communication lines for all the members
of the leadership team to feel they are working in the same direction. Templates
with a specific framework were designed so each member of the Leadership
team had to set their goals and plan their term. This ensured that their
focus could be shared with their team.
Work embedded professional learning using classroom based projects (Teacher Professional Leave)
Buckley Park Secondary College (03 October 2005)
Rob Park and David Lee were concerned about teacher uptake of professional
development activities and programs. They wanted to give teachers the opportunity
to engage in professional dialogue with their colleagues related to the
particular learning needs of their students.
Post Graduate Studies in Special Education (Teacher Professional Leave)
Bulleen Heights Specialist School (21 December 2005)
John Glare commenced a Master of Education: Special Education Needs course
and in the time allotted for Professional Leave completed three units of
the Course.
Yes You Can - You Can Do It - Best Practice (Teacher Professional Leave)
Bunyip Primary School (09 November 2005)
John Legione looked at different school implementations of the 'You Can
Do It' program and was able to develop a program for Bunyip Primary School.
The resulting student achievements have been celebrated throughout the school
community.
Integrated Inquiry Based Learning (Teacher Professional Leave)
Burwood East Primary School (21 December 2005)
The Team from Burwood East Primary School want to change the school's Integrated
Curriculum, both program and process in line with recommendations from the
School's Charter.
Organisational Health (Teacher Professional Leave)
Burwood East Primary School (21 December 2005)
The Team visited schools which have an exemplary standard in Organisational
Health processes. They adopted the PDSA 9 Step Improvement Plan as seen
at Roxborough Homestead Primary School.
Empowering Students to Continue Succeeding in their Journey beyond the Primary Years (Teacher Professional Leave)
Cambridge Primary School (01 September 2005)
A team of teachers from Cambridge Primary School are developing a plan for
pedagogical approach that provides children with continuity, direction and
support enabling them to progress steadily and confidently in Year 7.
Optimising Student Learning in Secondary Maths Classes (Teacher Professional Leave)
Casterton Secondary College (05 October 2005)
Our cluster wanted to determine its areas of teaching strength and weaknesses,
to introduce new teaching and learning strategies at each year level and
to update our maths resource bank.
Revitalisation of Middle Years at Colac College (Teacher Professional Leave)
Colac College (07 December 2005)
Ronice Knight and Fiona Jellie explored the options for improving engagement
of Middle Years Students. They conducted professional reading reviews, visited
a number of schools and attended a variety of conferences and professional
development activities. A Middle Years Model for Colac College was developed.
A Culture that Promotes Positive Behaviour (Teacher Professional Leave)
Copperfield College - Sydenham Campus (01 September 2005)
Belinda McGee's aim is to examine current practice and initiate a change
in the way we articulate behaviours by focusing on positives. She will then
start to compile strategies and activities that promote positive behaviour,
and work with other teachers at the Sydenham Campus to build this culture.
Social Skills in the Early Years (Teacher Professional Leave)
Courtenay Gardens Primary School (09 November 2005)
Sue Grant aimed at developing social skills in early years pupils. The objective
is to reduce inappropriate behaviour at school. A pilot program aimed at
developing these skills in Grade 2 was undertaken. Data collected on two
occasions suggested that instruction of social skills had improved behaviour.
When positive feedback, practice and reward were linked, further improvement
was noticeable suggesting that a supportive classroom enhances the development
of social skills and academic results.
Investigating a whole school approach to thinking curriculum (Teacher Professional Leave)
Craigieburn Primary School (03 October 2005)
Jenny Murrihy, Nicole Smith and Kelly Morrow wanted to research best practise,
collect, collate and formulate findings from other schools in the area of
Thinking Curriculum. This was identified as a priority for their school
through the school data.
Developing a Student Code of Conduct and Values (Teacher Professional Leave)
Craigieburn South Primary School (26 October 2005)
Liz Andrews developed and implemented a student code of conduct including
behaviour expectations and values based on the students ideas and language.
Since the implementation there have been an increase in the student's awareness
of school behaviour expectations and values.
Assisting Students who have Reading Difficulties in the Middle Years (Teacher Professional Leave)
Dallas Primary School (01 September 2005)
Renee Short's focus was on middle years literacy. Renee used John Munro's
teaching approaches based on suggestions that in order for readers to be
successful at reading they must be working at the following levels: word
level; sentence level; conceptual level, topic level and dispositional level.
Interdependent Learning for Year 7 Teams (Teacher Professional Leave)
Diamond Valley College (29 November 2005)
Jenny Gersh and Pamela Densley focused their TPL on developing a classroom
system at Year 7 with processes that would support interdependent learning
and the related pedagogies. The main focus was student learning.
A Picture Can Produce a Thousand Questions (Teacher Professional Leave)
East Doncaster Secondary College (29 November 2005)
Catherine Price focused her TPL on the use of visual art imagery as a starting
point for the development of thinking, questioning, writing and research
skills. Extensive work was done exploring the benefits of a curriculum that
links key learning areas, particularly Literacy (English) and the Visual
Arts.
The Yarra Project -The cultural and scientific significance of the Yarra River to the people of Victoria. (Teacher Professional Leave)
Eltham East Primary School (21 November 2005)
Kathryn Patford and Gayle Skinner wanted to bring true hands on valid science
and technology into the primary school along a Middle Years model. They
wanted their children to see their place within their own society and know
that they can make a positive change in the environment.
Using Educational Management Systems to Enhance Teaching and Learning in the Classroom (Teacher Professional Leave)
Eltham North Primary School (01 September 2005)
Chris Tatnall developed a FileMaker Pro database to store additional information
about each student. The database included intervention and support as well
as reports by visiting professionals (psychologists, speech and sight assessments).
Chris wanted to improve the ability to track students from one year to the
next and provide teachers with valuable background information on each student.
Issues of Transition: Factors affecting the transition of high-achieving students from a semi-rural secondary school setting to Tertiary study (Teacher Professional Leave)
Emerald Secondary College (21 December 2005)
Krisha Clarke wanted to know more about the role that the school, and school
location, play in student transition from secondary to Tertiary education.
Independent Living Skills for Students with Disabilities (Teacher Professional Leave)
Emerald Secondary College (21 December 2005)
Leonie Jones and Julie Cross-Gunn wanted to further develop their current
Living Skills program. Both had the opportunity to visit a range of school
settings and liaise with colleagues and research the latest educational
initiatives. Leonie and Julie have introduced new components to their Living
Skills program and have developed a Horticulture course that assists students
with physical and social skills development.
Communication Technology to Support Negotiated Learning (Teacher Professional Leave)
Findon Primary School (01 September 2005)
Cathryn Dunlop and Kaye Williamson sought to investigate possibilities for
extending aspects of the Reggio Emilia approach beyond the Early Years and
gained insights into ways this can be achieved.
"The Cool Kids Gardening Club" - program to engage children who find school challenging socially or academically (Teacher Professional Leave)
Footscray North Primary School (21 November 2005)
Mary Dowling focused her TPL on The Gardening Club program. The Program
aims to engage children in a 'hands on' practical program to motivate, stimulate
and encourage their learning. It is to be used as a vehicle for learning
across the curriculum, as well as developing positive social and interpersonal
skills, build self-esteem and self-confidence, and develop a sense of responsibility
and creativity.
Authentic Assessment Tasks for the Thinking Curriculum (Teacher Professional Leave)
Forest Street Primary School (26 October 2005)
The Team from Forest Street Primary School chose to focus on revisiting
the Thinking Curriculum Scope and Sequence. Through close consultation,
with all staff, they produced a Resource Book which allows for reflection
and review of the Thinking Curriculum Program at the school.
Student Centred Learning Pedagogy (Teacher Professional Leave)
Galvin Park Secondary College (01 September 2005)
Daniela Angelico and Leanne Gagatsis focused on student centred learning
and the pedagogy required to operate successfully in an open space environment.
This extended into the use of Individual Learning Plans incorporating digital
portfolios, and the benefits of an integrated curriculum approach.
From Library to Learning Centre (Teacher Professional Leave)
Galvin Park Secondary College (01 September 2005)
Currently pedagogy, learning research and curriculum reforms (Blueprint)
provide the literature and standards to link learning and school libraries.
Alison Armstrong wanted to develop specific strategies that teacher-librarians
and schools can implement to improve student learning.
Unit Planning! What's That? "Show Me How" (Teacher Professional Leave)
Geelong High School (29 November 2005)
Working with Middle Years teachers across four primary and secondary schools,
Helen Hatzis, Innovations and Excellence Cluster Educator-Geelong Gardens
Cluster and Kay Saunders, English teacher-Geelong High School, developed
and trialled a tool which helped teachers plan units of work built around
a Teaching and Learning Plan and Phase Planner.
Developing of Thinking Skills in Number (Teacher Professional Leave)
George Street Primary School (26 October 2005)
Gail Holmes investigated the way in which primary aged children develop
their thinking skills in Number. Gail discovered research has shown that
the most effective way for students to learn number facts is to organise
the facts into "clusters" based on a thinking strategy for all facts in
that cluster. She focused on her own 3-4 class.
Studies in Italian language and culture (Teacher Professional Leave)
Gilmore College for Girls (03 October 2005)
Lee Rischitelli's decided to undertake further study in Italian. By completing
this course she became more confident in speaking Italian to the students
therefore exposing them to hearing the language. She draw parallel between
other languages and Italian to demonstrate similarities in vocabulary. This
improved their comprehension and they felt a greater sense of achievement
in understanding Italian.
Leadership and Professional Learning (Teacher Professional Leave)
Glen Orden Primary School (01 September 2005)
Marjorie Slater had two goals: to improve staff and student learning outcomes
in the school and to improve her teaching practice. She gained both, by
seeing the value of her instinctive learning/teaching as the reading of
professional papers validated much of what she was already doing in the
classroom.
Engaging Special School Students in their Learning (Teacher Professional Leave)
Glenroy Specialist School (23 August 2005)
Special education teacher Christine Hurst decided to learn about two programs
at Glenroy Specialist School. The first, focused on senior students, was
a program to introduce a VCAL certificate. The second program involved the
principles of Conductive Education for junior primary students. Christine
used a combination of mentoring and formal study to learn the skills she
needed to apply her learning in her own classroom.
Case studies of six Literacy Support programs in secondary schools in northern metropolitan Victoria (Teacher Professional Leave)
Greensborough Secondary College (29 November 2005)
Anna Pollard used her TPL to identify the key skills and knowledge needed
to successfully manage literacy and other support programs and to develop
a theory of how these skills and knowledge can be shared with other aspiring
and practising literacy (and other) program managers.
Can children in the early years of primary schooling say from whom or what or where they acquired their scientific understanding? (Teacher Professional Leave)
Grey Street Primary School (26 October 2005)
Carolyn Roscholler focused her research on younger children's scientific
knowledge and beliefs, and into their sources of information. The research
is a case study involving the participation of about 60 children at Year
2 and 3.
Changing how behaviour is managed in schools from punitive to restorative (Teacher Professional Leave)
Hamilton North Primary School (29 November 2005)
In 2004 Jane Langley made a commitment to enhancing the development of behaviour
management skills at Hamilton North Primary School. She believed that it
was essential for a school to build successful positive relationships in
a cohesive school community where the focus was on students taking responsibility
for their own behavior.
Letting them in on the secret (Teacher Professional Leave)
Hepburn Primary School, Newlyn Primary School, Mt Blowhard Primary School
(29 November 2005)
Jo-Anne Eason, Pam Hall and Karen Moon used their TPL to investigate ways
they could support and engage boys in the early years in order for them
to become confident, independent writers.
Middle Years Literacy Intervention (Teacher Professional Leave)
Hillcrest Secondary College (07 December 2005)
Elizabeth Balfour, Jennifer Meggs and Fay Wise used their TPL to provide
high-level literacy support to students identified 'at risk' in Year 7.
By identifying these students early in their secondary education and addressing
the holes in their literacy development, the Team have greatly improved
their abilities to access text in all curriculum areas.
Life Learning Program - Middle Years (Teacher Professional Leave)
Hopetoun Primary School (26 October 2005)
Loris Grigg, Leigh Hutchinson and Anne Robertson used their TPL for the
development of an integrated, experiential whole-brain learning program
for Middle Years that would facilitate the development of life long learning
skills, and the further development and implementation of a Thinking Curriculum
program for all year levels, across all learning areas.
Appraisal proposed modification of Literacy Intervention Program in a State Secondary College (Teacher Professional Leave)
Hoppers Crossing Secondary College (21 November 2005)
Jennifer Clancy focused on student literacy needs and redevelop the current
literacy program. There was a need to change existing literacy intervention
program from a withdrawal, piecemeal model to a more inclusive, whole school,
integrated approach which improves literacy competencies of ALL students
and contributes to development of a positive, engaged learning community.
Sustainable Mentoring (Teacher Professional Leave)
Hume Regional Office (26 October 2005)
Sue Forster, focused on beginning teachers, she found that what they really
wanted was support in many areas, but the structures were not in place for
them to access this support. Sue has prepared an annotated list of readings
on effective mentoring, outlined a basic program for Mentoring in Schools
and prepared a presentation for Network Principals on mentoring.
Pedagogy Reform for Reluctant Learners (Teacher Professional Leave)
Kensington Community High School (01 September 2005)
Christine Nash identified that productive strategies for reluctant learners
and those with learning difficulties might provide students with greater
ownership of their learning and improve positive classroom risk taking in
learning.
Introducing the Principles of Reggio Emilia: Changing Pedagogy at Kensington Primary School (Teacher Professional Leave)
Kensington Primary School (01 September 2005)
Robyn Perkins did a lot of research on Reggio Emilia. This involved talking
to her mentor, Julie Hertz, reading material written by teachers, visiting
schools in Melbourne and attending professional development. Robyn introduced
Reggio Emilia to Kensington Primary School to see if literacy levels in
the infant school improved.
Development of VET Teaching Resources in IT and Multimedia (Teacher Professional Leave)
Lakes Entrance Secondary College (01 September 2005)
Boyd McPhee saw that students were struggling to cope with text based courses
in VCE, such as IPM. To help the students he developed a structured course
outline and a self paced module and set up a new room with IT hardware.
From this, the students could take a structured approach the tasks to be
completed and progress through the course.
Whole school improvement with a specific focus on Middle Years (Teacher Professional Leave)
Lalor North Secondary College (23 August 2005)
Middle Years teachers Rae Maxwell and Julie Lee used their TPL to focus
on literacy and community involvement. They visited a number of schools
to look at different programs, developed a professional development framework
for teachers at their school, and trialled a new program. Their community
involvement initiatives included working with nursing homes and on environmental
projects.
Introducing Emotional Intelligence (Teacher Professional Leave)
Laverton Secondary College (03 October 2005)
Sofia Mougos wanted to improve relationships between staff and students,
staff and staff, students and students. She did this by introducing Emotional
Intelligence (EQ).
Learning from REAL at Castlemaine Secondary (Teacher Professional Leave)
Lynall Hall and Castlemaine Secondary College (01 September 2005)
Steve Carroll examined strategies for re-engagement used in REAL, a successful
program tackling student absenteeism. The program has also received recognition
for improving literacy within its Year 8-9 cohort. Steve wanted to compare
and contrast the approach at Lynall Hall with other programs for 'difficult
kids.'
Implementing change in the Year 9 program at Maffra Secondary College (Teacher Professional Leave)
Maffra Secondary College (07 December 2005)
Sue Clancy, Loueen Smith, Karen Milner and Caroline Duck decided to improve
attendance and learning outcomes of Year 9 Students by totally redeveloping
their Year 9 Program.
Which way? How to get lost and found in the planning and assessment jungle (Teacher Professional Leave)
Mandama Primary School (29 November 2005)
Karen Rush, Jenny Wilson and Anne Sims explored planning and assessing curriculum
units that were fun, enlightening and inspiring for both the teacher and
the students. This exploration challenged their preconceptions of school
curriculum.
Thinking to Learn Learning to Think (Teacher Professional Leave)
Mansfield Primary School (26 October 2005)
Meg Densley and Catherine Johnson produced practical curriculum guides to
assist staff in the planning and implementing of thinking curriculum inquiries
at various levels. The experience and knowledge gained was used to mentor
other team members in implementing further inquiries.
Using Multimedia in Secondary Schools (Teacher Professional Leave)
McGuire College (21 December 2005)
Danny Lythgo and David Muir used their TPL to upgrade their skills in Multimedia.
Both have obtained higher skills with Visual Design, Web Design, PhotoShop
and Image Manipulation, Director, Dreamweaver and Video Editing.
ESL Learners (Teacher Professional Leave)
Meadowbank Primary School (26 October 2005)
Margaret Gray studied ESL Learners in the Mainstream school setting and
the development of an effective Whole School Approach as well as professional
development strategies to inform staff at Meadowbank Primary School and
Campmeadows Primary School. Margaret believed that a joint approach between
the two school settings would develop valuable links and a shared expertise.
Emotional Intelligence (Teacher Professional Leave)
Melrose Primary School (07 December 2005)
Jane Scott and Vicki Price focused on teaching emotional intelligence. Both
aim to improve students ability to manage their emotions and consequently,
empathize with others. Teaching students how to control their behaviour
and thinking will enable them to become better learners and citizens, and
give them better life opportunities.
Authentic Rich Projects (Teacher Professional Leave)
Melrose Primary School (26 October 2005)
Maree, Rachel and Sonya developed a framework/proforma for planning units
of work. Over 2005, 3 units of work (per unit levels) have been developed
based on the Inquiry-Based Rich Project Model.
An Induction and Mentoring Program (Teacher Professional Leave)
Milgate Primary School (21 December 2005)
Developed an exemplary Induction and Mentoring Program for all teachers
new to the school.
'Implementing a Whole School Approach to Literacy' (Teacher Professional Leave)
Mill Park Secondary College (05 October 2005)
Anthea Pearson and Jaclyn Curnow focused their TPL to explore literacy strategies
and provide support to classroom teachers by modelling practices and developing
a curriculum to enhance literacy.
Boys Education at Mitchell (Teacher Professional Leave)
Mitchell Secondary College (26 October 2005)
The Team at Mitchell Secondary College identified attendance and behaviour
problems with boys between Year 7 and 10. Courses and programs were designed
to maximise attendance and engage students in productive worthwhile and
authentic learning.
The Impact of Early Adolescence on Relationships and Learning (Teacher Professional Leave)
Moonee Ponds West Primary School (03 October 2005)
The team have been monitoring student engagement and motivation via the
annual Student Attitudes to School Survey. They found that a small percentage
of students indicated feeling disengaged. By undertaking this research they
gained a greater insight into their students.
Engaging Boys (Teacher Professional Leave)
Murtoa College (26 October 2005)
Jacqueline Moore initial project focussed on ways of engaging boys in their
learning, but this broadened to include creating a positive school culture
with an emphasis on improving safety and learning for the school community.
Collaborative Work Practices in the Arts (Teacher Professional Leave)
Myrtleford Secondary College (26 October 2005)
Inga Hanover aims to profile achievements through the arts, to establish
stronger supportive links and to engage the wider community with the school
community, through combined school events and community activities, such
as, exhibitions, performances and workshops.
Engaging Boys in Middle Years (Teacher Professional Leave)
Myrtleford Secondary College (26 October 2005)
Darrell Perkins and Nick Barker's used their TPL to change their work practices
to improve boy's engagement. Girls would also benefit from the project by
being directly involved in the activities and/or would find it easier to
work in an environment where the boys were more engaged.
Best practice in the use of ICT in the English/literacy classroom, from Early Years to Middle Years literacy classrooms. (Teacher Professional Leave)
Narre Warren South Primary School (21 November 2005)
As a Literacy Coordinator, Wayne Lucas was interested in how other schools
used ICT to support and extend student literacy skills. Wayne visited a
number of schools in his Region that were acknowledged as leaders in this
area. He focused on software that could be used back at the school. I have
begun to share effective programs with staff locally and at a Regional level.
M4: Maths + Mastery + Meaning = Motivation (Teacher Professional Leave)
Neerim District Secondary College (01 September 2005)
Abigail Graham wanted to know "Can we improve the teaching and learning
of algebra through pre teaching of skills and open ended tasks?" Through
professional development activities, teachers who participated in the study,
incorporated the tasks into their teaching programs but from this research
further questions have been asked.
Educational provision for students with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in mainstream schools. (Teacher Professional Leave)
Nelson Park School (05 October 2005)
The current curricula for students with an ASD in mainstream schools is
a rigid one that does not recognise and respond effectively to the learning
styles, academic and social needs of these students. Jenny Wong explored
other models of curricula and school organisation to realistically address
these needs.
Developing School Organisational Models to Transform Curriculum Content, Pedagogy and Assessment Practices. (Teacher Professional Leave)
Newcomb Secondary College (05 October 2005)
Teachers at Newcomb Secondary College were seeking to provide a platform
for teachers to better address student engagement, absenteeism and improved
learning outcomes for Year 7 and 8 students. John Foord, Tom Adair and Susan
Gorfine analysed school based data, interviewed students, conducted a literature
review and visited other schools to develop a model for curriculum delivery.
Focussing on Pedagogy to enhance student engagement (Teacher Professional Leave)
Niddrie Primary School (03 October 2005)
Robert Beagley and Janine Martin wanted to know more about recent pedagogical
developments so as to improve student engagement and learning outcomes.
From this, a range of questions were asked, ie how relevant was the current
curriculum and how could it be enhanced? and, how could they improve students
thinking skills and also cater for various learning styles/intelligences?
A Better Year 9 - Developing Social Competencies (Teacher Professional Leave)
Northcote High School (26 October 2005)
Adele Fattore and Mahe Castles focused their TPL on social competencies.
Both developed appropriate programs that address Middle Years concerns of
connectedness and encouraged staff/school to examine its current practices.
Developing a Performance and Development Culture (Teacher Professional Leave)
Northcote High School (09 November 2005)
How can you improve on teacher performance and development? Kevin Hoole
and Shirley Barbara looked at how to fuse professional development with
performance management by using objective broad based data to give feedback
and assess performance.
Boys' engagement in education in the primary school (Teacher Professional Leave)
Nyora Primary School (26 October 2005)
Karen Farbus used her TPL to complete her Graduate Diploma of Education.
She wanted to know what teaching pedagogies and strategies are needed within
the primary school setting to engage boys in their learning?
Sink or Swim? The Transition to School (Teacher Professional Leave)
Oak Park Primary School (03 October 2005)
John Hughes wanted to identify effective practices in the transition to
school and how it could be improved across a large area, such as an entire
municipality.
Development of Digital Portfolios (Teacher Professional Leave)
Old Orchard Primary School (29 November 2005)
Amanda Foat, Rebecca Mitchell and Wendy Scott are setting up a system of
displaying and storing student work in a digital portfolio. Teachers will
use this folio when assessing student's work and reporting to parents. For
the students it will be a record of their learning development in all subjects
throughout their primary school years. The folios will be generated by the
students themselves, hence enhancing their learning technology skills.
Restorative Practices - A Holistic Approach (Teacher Professional Leave)
Ormond Primary School (21 November 2005)
Caroline Burston focused her TPL around the implementation of Restorative
Practices, a pro-active approach to student management which focuses on
developing and maintaining positive relationships amongst all members of
the school community. Caroline's project involved visiting other schools
to observe how Restorative Practices was being implemented in different
settings, such as in secondary colleges, community schools and primary schools
and talking to experienced colleagues.
Review of Year 7/8 curriculum organisation, structure and pedagogy (Teacher Professional Leave)
Ovens College (21 December 2005)
Judith Grylls, Rob Parsons and Teneille Smith wanted to improve student
learning outcomes, student connectedness to school and student engagement.
They also were keen to explore more of a project based approach to learning.
Literacy Circles: A Pathway to Critical Literacy (Teacher Professional Leave)
Paynesville Primary School (01 September 2005)
A team of teachers from Paynesville Primary School used the Literature Circles
method to improve students' critical thinking and co-operative skills, and
their learning through interdependent and independent activities.
Oral Language Program - Prep 2 (Teacher Professional Leave)
Pleasant Street Primary School (26 October 2005)
Kaye Bennett chose the oral language program, Albany District Oral Language
Focus (ADOLF). This program aims to prevent or minimise literacy and language
based learning programs.
Maths assessment/planning document for students P-6 at Plenty Parklands Primary School (Teacher Professional Leave)
Plenty Parklands Primary School (03 October 2005)
Sharon Kandell and Paula Cosgrove wanted to produce a tangible way of tracking
individual student progress throughout the school to inform their planning
and accuracy in reporting. They aimed to make planning more efficient for
their teams and guide their teaching focus. Their motto is "Work smarter
not harder".
Teaching TRIBES(TLC) through drama and role play in remote Homelands Schools in Arnhem Land (Teacher Professional Leave)
Point Lonsdale Primary School (03 October 2005)
Point Lonsdale Primary School teacher, Tim Bell, has returned from a 'mind
blowing' visit to Arnhem Land where he gained a first-hand insight into
Indigenous culture and learning through the teaching of TRIBES (TLC).
Music Technology (Teacher Professional Leave)
Poowong Consolidated School (26 October 2005)
Poowong received an Artist in Schools grant from Arts Victoria to employ
a musician/producer to assist them in the recording of their first CD. They
have a practising musician on staff to support students in the song writing
process. They plan to go on tour around their cluster schools to develop
the skills of their students in perforamance and leadership, and to share
their successes.
Developing best practice in early years numeracy (Teacher Professional Leave)
Preston North East Primary School (23 August 2005)
In her dual role as Maths Coordinator and Early Years Numeracy Coordinator,
Colleen Mackenzie wanted to be able to support other staff in teaching numeracy.
She visited a number of schools and completed a post graduate qualification
in Early Years Numeracy Education. Her work program now reflects her new
skills and she is planning to start a network of Early Years Numeracy Coordinators.
Global Education for Sustainability (Teacher Professional Leave)
Princes Hill Secondary College (21 December 2005)
Cathy Nelson and Debra Icely wanted their students to understand global
issues and engage in projects that compare resource use and land management
strategies that different peoples in the world utilize. Both have been implementing
programs that show their awareness about the global inequities in consumption
and the challenges that will face future generations.
Using ICT to stimulate Middle Years high-achievers (Teacher Professional Leave)
Reservoir District Secondary College (23 August 2005)
Laura Maiden developed her own ICT expertise by focusing on use of classroom
ICT to stimulate thinking and problem-solving skills in year 7 and 8 high
achievers. Laura used her TPL to visit other schools with similar programs
and then developed a Web Quest on the Middle Ages. Students using the Web
Quest are highly motivated and Laura now plans to share and develop the
model with other teachers at the school.
Supporting welfare of students in the Senior Years of schooling Years 11 and 12 (Teacher Professional Leave)
Ringwood Secondary College (21 December 2005)
Shirley Lahtinen, Heather Davies and Kim Hughes sought ways to improve student
connectedness to the College, ways of delivering study skills and techniques
more efficiently, reduction in student stress, depression and antisocial
behaviour.
Multi-Media Expo (Teacher Professional Leave)
Rollins Primary School (29 November 2005)
Jenny Hassett and Elaine White engaged Middle Years teachers and students
in the Geelong Region in authentic learning experiences based on Multi-Media
challenges. Innovative teaching/learning practices were the main focus.
Students were equipped with advanced movie making skills, empowering them
to become expert tutors.
Environment Studies Investigation (Teacher Professional Leave)
Rubicon Outdoor Centre (26 October 2005)
Elissa Page wanted to increase Environmental Education teaching and learning
strategies for teachers. Elissa found that Environmental Education can be
implemented using a holistic approach with many elements from the Key Learning
Areas.
Year 10 Applied Learning Program (Teacher Professional Leave)
Scoresby Secondary College (21 December 2005)
Narelle McFadden, Janine Joosten, Clinton Chiumello and Suzanne Phillips
wanted to improve the retention of students from Year 10 to 11 and the application
of Year 10 students. A Program was designed and implemented in 2005 for
22 Year 10 students. It aimed to cater for their learning style and interests.
It allowed further VCE or VCAL study as well as preparing them for apprenticeships
and employment.
Learning how to Learn (Teacher Professional Leave)
Southern Cluster: Sebastopol College, Sebastopol Primary School, Woady
Yaloak Primary School (Smythesdale Campus) (05 October 2005)
The Southern Cluster team focused on wanting to know more about the learning
process, what inhibits learning and how best to meet the individual needs
of the learner. It was beneficial to the team to have both primary and secondary
teachers involved as they developed a learning continuum throughout discussions.
Completing PedNet 20 (Pedagogy Course) (Teacher Professional Leave)
St Albans Heights Primary School (01 September 2005)
Michelle Parker wanted to create a type of authentic learning community
in her own classroom. In her Grade 5/6 class she explored the possibility
that students could take control of their own learning. She found that the
students needed different kinds of support to shift their view from teacher
centred to student centred learning.
Review of Maths in the Middle Years (Teacher Professional Leave)
Stawell Primary School (26 October 2005)
Dale Power visited schools to get a more comprehensive and cross-sectional
view of Mathematics throughout a wide range of school settings.
Engagement Through Printmaking (Teacher Professional Leave)
Tarwin Lower Primary School (03 October 2005)
Art teacher, Bev Mitchell-Symons, wanted to use various forms of print making
to engage students whilst also making links to other areas of the curriculum.
Using Colleagues as Professional Development Resource to Expand Literacy Teaching (Teacher Professional Leave)
Tarwin Valley Primary School (01 September 2005)
Mary Lang wants all classroom teachers to share a rich body of knowledge
about the teaching of Literacy and transfer this knowledge to every classroom
in their school. She achieved this in several ways: through professional
dialogue and discussion, and by developing a more consistent understanding
of what specific teaching activities look like in the real world of the
classroom.
A 42 Grid Unit of Work on Health and Disease (Teacher Professional Leave)
Thomastown Secondary College (01 September 2005)
Patrick McGarry looked at different ways to construct and deliver a differentiated
curriculum. He used his TPL to plan a unit of work that focused on giving
students choice in some tasks while detailing specific assessment/reflective
criteria for each of the 42 potential activities. The core activities related
to essential skills already identified by staff.
The Mathematical experiences that young children bring to school (Teacher Professional Leave)
Thomastown West PS (07 December 2005)
Gina Arena focussed her TPL on identifying processes for supporting and
enhancing mathematics learning in the early years of school.
Environmental Education Program - School Based, Cluster Based, Community Based (Teacher Professional Leave)
Toolamba Primary School (09 November 2005)
Marita Eddy wants to promote a rural education, enhance student engagement
through interdisciplinary authentic learning and provide opportunities to
promote student leadership and civics and citizenship.
Investigating inquiry learning (Teacher Professional Leave)
Tootgarook Primary School (21 November 2005)
Susie Rogers has explored inquiry learning and developed a deeper understanding.
Susie's journey has involved looking at the concept and theory behind constructivism
and the methodology of inquiry in the classroom. She has focused on the
teacher's role in inquiry based learning, and developed some key strategies
and models showing ways teachers can gradually integrate this learning into
their classrooms and school system.
Enhancing Student Engagement and Outcomes in Mathematics (Teacher Professional Leave)
Traralgon College (01 September 2005)
Three teachers at Traralgon College have found a new an exciting way to
teach Mathematics tasks and teaching strategies to Years 7, 8 and 9. This
involved researching and identifying best practice ideas, pedagogy and resources,
developing assessment criteria, and incorporating student reflection, self-assessment
and literacy components.
Intervention and Additional Assistance in Early Years Numeracy (Teacher Professional Leave)
Warrnambool East Primary School (29 November 2005)
Early Years Numeracy Trainer Lea Baker undertook the Extending Mathematical
Understanding (EMU) course at Australian Catholic University.
Rural to City Journey (Teacher Professional Leave)
Waubra Primary School (26 October 2005)
Jeanette Pigdon focused on Thinking Curriculum Prep to 2 and the use of
assessment to moderate student achievement.
Effective models for Information & Communication Technology [ICT] Professional Development Delivery (Teacher Professional Leave)
Williamstown Primary School (03 October 2005)
Mark Richardson's project was to look at effective ways to improve teacher
skill levels in ICT and to support the embedding of ICT into classroom programs.
He specifically looked at two models, a school model and a network model.
Identifying students at risk and structuring effective numeracy programs to cater for them (Teacher Professional Leave)
Wodonga Primary School (26 October 2005)
Pam Hildritch used her TPL to investigate key growth points in young children's
development of number ideas and strategies, with particular emphasis on
the difficult transition points and barriers to children's understanding
in the areas of addition and subtraction, counting and place value.
Re-writing of the 'Drug Education' and 'Sexuality' components of the Health Education courses for Years 7, 8 and 9 (Teacher Professional Leave)
Wodonga West College (21 December 2005)
Liz Mackay wanted to enhance the curriculum by reviewing content and incorporating
new methods of presentation of the material to improve student engagement
and learning.
'Thinking Skills' embedded in a small school environment (Teacher Professional Leave)
Yaapeet Primary School (09 November 2005)
Claire White has been looking at how the "Thinking Skills' will help the
children learn and strategies for improving ways of learning. A trip to
Torrensville, South Australia, initiated the idea, as they appeared to be
obtaining good results with their programs.
Brain Gym and Sensory Integration (Teacher Professional Leave)
Yarraville Special Developmental School (29 November 2005)
Nanette Hansen focused her TPL on Brain Gym and Sensory Integration. Through
study, and some research, Nanette furthered her knowledge of how Brain Gym
and Sensory Integration can be used to assist children with learning disabilities
and behavioural problems and enhance their academic, emotional and social
skills.
Improving Literacy Skills through THRASS (Teaching Handwriting Reading And Spelling Skills) (Teacher Professional Leave)
Yarrawonga Primary School (26 October 2005)
The Team at Yarrawonga Primary School want to improve their support of students
learning in reading, writing and spelling. They consolidated their understanding
by visiting other schools and conferencing with their staff.
Capable Kids - Developing Social Competencies in Years 3/4 (Teacher Professional Leave)
Yarrunga Primary School (26 October 2005)
The Team at Yarrunga Primary School wanted to improve the personal and social
development of their Year 3 and 4 students. Through programs and practices
they assisted their students to learn a range of skills to enable them to
become active, responsible, productive members of our community.
Spelling (Teacher Professional Leave)
Yinnar Primary School (26 October 2005)
Christine Ballis, Robyn Irvine and Christine Carew believed that increasing
teacher knowledge in the linguistic system of English would result in more
targeted teaching, more explicit and powerful teaching conversations and
a greater ability to tailor teaching to individual needs and developmental
stages, which would lead to improved student outcomes.
