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Browse case studies: Teacher Professional Leave (TPL)

Through the Teacher Professional Leave (TPL) initiative, Victorian teachers can take up to ten weeks of professional leave to explore significant and timely innovative practices in their local educational context. Drawing on the collective professional learning of approximately 800 Victorian teachers per year, participants share what they have learned through submitting a case study to Knowledge Bank (for more details about TPL including how to apply, please visit the TPL website.

Note: all documents are in MS Word. Case studies organised alphabetically by school.

Ding Dong Dell, teachers unravelling VELS - Progression Points and Standards Now understood very well! (Teacher Professional Leave)

Aberfeldie Primary School (01 August 2006)
Unravelling VELS - creating an easily understood and workable whole school planning document in English and Mathematics levels 1-5.

Enriching and Extending Student Learning Through the Use of Interactive Whiteboards

Aberfeldie Primary School
With a focus on enriching and extending student learning the team worked to discover, reflect and introduce Interactive Whiteboards as an effective teaching and learning tool. We completed several school visits with a view to observing best practice in the areas of ICT and curriculum innovation.

Ideas Develop Energy, Alignment, Satisfaction (Teacher Professional Leave)

Albanvale Primary School (01 August 2006)
The Albanvale Ideas Team looked for effective ways to align school wide pedagogy and increase staff morale.

Listening With Our Eyes - Integrating Reggio Emilia Philosphy (Teacher Professional Leave)

Albanvale Primary School (01 August 2006)
The Team have been investigating the inspiring pedagogy of the Reggio Emilia philosophy in order to further enhance student learning through oral language and classroom programs.

Aviation Studies across the Curriculum (Teacher Professional Leave)

Alexandra Secondary College and Alexandra Primary School (25 January 2006)
Rod Falconer and Simon Gillespie have developed through the Internet on Aviation studies suitable for an age range from Year 2 through to Year 10. They want to simplify teacher's search for resources in the area of Aviation/flight studies.

Thinking - Truly, Madly, Deeply (Teacher Professional Leave)

Altona Meadows Primary School (01 August 2006)
Researching and inquiring into the variety of Thinking Models on offer, was the initial task of a Professional Learning Team at Altona Meadows. The Team's emphasis was on ascertaining the most appropriate model for each grade level and then providing training, mentoring and support for the staff as they implemented the VELS Thinking Domain.

Embedding Reading to Learn Coaching and Mentoring – Investigating Literacy Improvement in the Middle Years

Altona College
This TPL focussed on developing a Reading to Learn (R2L) program within classrooms with a particular emphasis on Years 7-9. We investigated models of improving teacher understanding of R2L through coaching and mentoring. This led to identifying and clarifying literacy needs within Altona College and embedding Reading to Learn as part of the literacy program in 2009.

Teaching for Asian Awareness at Year 8 (Teacher Professional Leave)

Altona Secondary College (24 July 2006)
The aim of Michelle's project was to design curriculum and teaching materials that would result in a broadening of their awareness and knowledge of the Asian region at Year 8 level, with a particular focus on India.

Models of Curriculum Planning for 'The Standards' (Teacher Professional Leave)

Armadale Primary School, Malvern Central School, Lloyd Street Primary School (12 December 2006)
The professional learning team, crossing three cluster schools, researched and developed quality units of inquiry. Teachers were supported in the implementation of 'Victorian Essential Learning Standards' (VELS) through an 'Inquiry' approach which challenged current teaching and learning practices.

'I CAN' Program - Engaging Year 9 students: A VELS Implementation Model (Teacher Professional Leave)

Ashwood College (14 August 2006)
The typical disengagement of students at Year 9 prompted the team at Ashwood College to rethink the way they delivered the curriculum. They identified student motivation, resiliency and initiative as targets to be improved. With the implementation of VELS priorities and through the development of the 'I CAN' program they hope to improve the engagement, self-efficacy and life long learning of students.

Higher Order Thinking (and) Information Communication Exploration (Teacher Professional Leave)

Auburn Primary School (24 July 2006)
The Team investigated the use of metacognitive approaches to the classroom, including Literacy, Integrated Studies and Information Communication Technology.

Students at Risk: Identifying and monitoring gifted students and students with learning disabilities (Teacher Professional Leave)

Auburn Primary School and Ashburton Primary School (20 November 2006)
The Team researched and examined best practice in school-wide models of identification and assessment of 'at risk' students and reviewed exemplary school models in the use of ICT for the ongoing monitoring of these students.

Strengthening Student Engagement and Literacy Learning

Auburn Primary School
We aimed to identify best teaching practices to support mixed abilities and catering for multiple student entry points in the literacy classroom. The action-research project focused predominately on three key areas of the literacy curriculum: using ICT as a teaching tool to strengthen and support literacy engagement, boys’ education and engagement, plus identifying and supporting gifted and talented students.

Inclusive language resources that foster communication, language and literacy skills for deaf children and their families

Aurora School
This project provided opportunities for teachers to develop skills in ICT, particularly in the area of film and editing aiming to recreate aspects of familiar, real life language situations, to equip children and families with language experience and skills they can use in everyday situations.

RACV Energy Breakthrough - Building a better car or three wheels are better than four (Teacher Professional Leave)

Avondale Primary School (17 October 2006)
Working across three Grade 5/6 classes, Travis Carrick and Joe Scarfo, wanted a high interest approach to Fitness, Health, Technology and Science. How to do this and prepare a team capable of competing in the RACV Energy Breakthrough Challenge was the task they set themselves?

Connect 9: Rich, Real and Relevant Curriculum for Year 9 students

Baden Powell College
Organised around our project has investigated best practice to engage Year 9 students. We have designed a curriculum and program that incorporates learning in real life and promotes interdependence, independence and responsibility.

Developing Partnership to Enhance Learning: Lets Keep Learning (Teacher Professional Leave)

Ballam Park Primary School (03 November 2006)
Pamela, Susan, Christine and Kylie wanted to raise student-learning outcomes in literacy and numeracy in line with Like Schools or Beyond. They observed improved spelling and handwriting skills throughout the school; children have increased confidence during speaking and listening activities and the Team have improved student transfer of information from the spoken to the written form.

Preparing for the 21st century using I.D.E.A.S.

Ballarat Secondary College
The IDEAS project is a School Improvement process consisting of five stages: Initiating, Discovering, Envisioning, Actioning, and Sustaining. Teacher Professional Leave has enabled Ballarat Secondary College to use the IDEAS process to position itself for the future by enhancing learning outcomes, valuing the work of teachers in their classrooms and enabling alignment between the work of teachers and the school’s strategic purpose.

Balnarring Primary School P-6 Spelling Program (Teacher Professional Leave)

Balnarring Primary School (03 November 2006)
Fiona Forrest and Heather Goddard researched ways in which to enhance teachers' classroom practice and teaching performance in the area of spelling. The extensive research, reading and discussion they undertook with experts in the field confirmed and reinforced many of their beliefs; it has also lead to changes in their pedagogical practice. Both now have a much greater understanding of what children require to become competent spellers.

To create a whole school resource that focuses on effective teaching and learning strategies and practices to develop students as caring, competent, critical and creative thinkers in the classroom and the community (Teacher Professional Leave)

Balnarring Primary School (02 November 2006)
Janet O'Brien and Jill Ollie aimed at creating a whole school resource that focuses on the Thinking Curriculum. Both developed a "Thinking Curriculum" web page and resource folder, equipped key people to act as a personal resource for staff and assisted teachers to incorporate the thinking curriculum into their classroom programs.

Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) as a learning platform in the primary school setting (Teacher Professional Leave)

Balwyn North Primary School (14 August 2006)
The team at Balwyn North Primary School set out to identify and infuse curriculum applications of PDA's into the Integrated Curriculum of the school.

Driving Numeracy Change (Teacher Professional Leave)

Balwyn Primary School (08 February 2006)
The Team investigated best practice in Early and Middle Years Numeracy to enable them to drive change within the Numeracy Program. The Team's focus was on gaining strategies to help develop the skills and knowledge of the staff, to enable them to gain confidence in implementing the Numeracy program in their classrooms. The Team also aimed to educate the parent community further about numeracy teaching and learning strategies, with the outcome of promoting student confidence and improving overall attitudes towards mathematics.

Personalised Learning and flexible learning spaces

Bannockburn Primary School
This report examines different models of curriculum structure and pedagogical approaches at a range of schools the authors visited. They also share their findings on personal learning and in particular focus on how they have seen flexible learning spaces across different schools and how the spaces can be used to enhance teaching and learning.

A Case for Creative Arts Therapies in Schools (Teacher Professional Leave)

Baxter Primary School (02 November 2006)
How can you use Creative Arts Therapies in schools to enhance a student's emotional, cognitive and personal development? Kim Cooke used Gardner's multiple intelligences and the VELS personal and social learning strand to develop an approach at Baxter Primary School.

ICT making a Spash at Bayswater Primary School (Teacher Professional Leave)

Bayswater Primary School (12 January 2007)
With a focus on the Middle Years (Grade 5-6) the team worked to evaluate, reflect and improve on the ICT skills and applications of students and their teachers. Students needed to identify their current proficiencies and the teachers were asked to implement an integrated ICT program into the classroom in order to engage all students and improve ICT knowledge.

Writing and Implementing Individual Learning Plans for Literacy and Behaviour Management

Bayswater West Primary School
This project investigated tools for writing and implementing Individual Learning Plans to improve Literacy and behaviour management across the school. Based on action research, professional development, individual and small group workshops, it enabled all staff at Bayswater West to effectively use Individual Learning Plans in their own classrooms.

Reading to Learn – A Literacy pedagogy for all teachers

Bayside College
This project investigated the Reading to Learn pedagogy, its implementation and effectiveness across various key learning areas in a secondary school setting. The primary objective was to close the literacy gap in the classroom while accelerating learning for all students at the same time.

Year 8 Curriculum Review

Beechworth Secondary College
Beechworth Secondary College has developed an integrated program to engage students at Year 7 level. In Year 8 students tend to disengage and their behaviour worsens as there is no choice in the curriculum. Students are in traditional form groups for the entire week. This project examines and develops the Year 8 curriculum delivery mode to increase student choice and therefore engagement.

Teacher Induction and Professional Feedback Strategies

Belgrave South Primary School
The project was to develop a comprehensive induction program and multiple sources of feedback for staff and students. It aimed to improve and acknowledge the importance of professional interaction and dialogue for staff and to enhance the learning and teaching environment. New staff entering the school also needed specific support as they began their professional journey at our school.

Improving Literacy in the Junior School through development of Oral Language Skills and the use of the Developmental Curriculum

Benalla West Primary School
This project investigated new ideas for improving the teaching of oral language skills to children in grades prep and one through language experience activities. We investigated assessment programs to enable us to plan and teach explicit language skills to these children.

Improving Student Literacy Outcomes

Benalla Primary School
This project reviewed and modified literacy assessment practice throughout the whole school, focussing on four areas: collection of appropriate data; consistency of the nature of the data; transition of data across the grade level; use of data to inform teachers to provide purposeful and explicit instruction to improve student engagement and learning outcomes.

Support Curriculum for Special needs students

Baringa School
This project was to primarily study different models of Special Education curriculum structures and develop a curriculum document to support VELs. Our aim was to address the needs of students in a special setting, with a particular focus on our own school.

Improving Mathematics Teaching and Learning by integrating highly reliable teaching procedures into maths sessions

Bairnsdale West Primary School
This project investigated the impact of teaching students to “Get their Knowledge Ready,” “Target their Vocabulary,” “Paraphrase and Visualise the Mathematics” and “Develop their own Self-talk scripts” for Mathematics sessions. Improved comprehension of mathematical concepts and language was evident in students through this process.

ICT, INTERACTIVE WHITE BOARDS and PEER COACHING

Berwick Lodge Primary School
The focus of our project was to develop teachers’ skills in planning and implementing curriculum using ICT rich tasks and tools, in particular Interactive Whiteboards (IWB). The proposal was to develop the skills of a small team of teachers who would then become ICT coaches for teachers in the following years.

A small school taking up the VELS challenge (Teacher Professional Leave)

Bayswater Secondary College (18 January 2007)
Kay Roberts investigated ways that Bayswater Secondary College can meet the needs of students in the VELS Interdisciplinary Learning area. This requires the involvement of teachers from a range of faculty areas to develop a program that introduces the VELS framework, and restructuring and identifying the resources available.

Improved Post Compulsory Options (Teacher Professional Leave)

Bayswater Secondary College (20 November 2006)
Options for post compulsory students are almost limitless. How do we ensure that young people are aware of the possibilities and the realities to ensure that they make to best decision at the time? How do we provide access to the programs?

Becoming a Specialist Educator in sound and video production (Teacher Professional Leave)

Beaumaris North Primary School (02 November 2006)
Cameron Cook's project involved the acquisition of knowledge and skills in video and sound production. There had been very limited use of the resources available in the school and through this project it is possible to maximise the use of this technology, thereby enhancing the skills and engagement of students in their learning. Professional development will be provided to other teachers in the school and cluster so that widespread use of the technology is incorporates into teachers' practice.

Structuring Learning Environments for Engagement (Teacher Professional Leave)

Beaumaris Primary School and Hampton Primary School (03 November 2006)
Michael Dixon and Richard Barren focused on the creation of learning environment/structures which sustain and increase the engagement of all students in their learning. The identification of agreed values and understandings around pedagogy is also an essential component of their project. Information obtained from Cluster, and other schools will be considered and adapted to both their school settings in the quest for continuous school improvement.

Learning for Life - Bamboo Room (Teacher Professional Leave)

Belle Vue Park Primary School (10 April 2006)
Jenelle James established a Learning Centre where children from P-4 could improve their speaking and listening skills by participating in a variety of activities where language is encouraged and modelled by teachers, aids, peers and older students. Many new forms of learning have been adopted and adapted during this period.

The assessment and monitoring of productive pedagogies, incorporating the compilation of rich teaching tasks (Teacher Professional Leave)

Belle Vue Primary School and Mont Albert Primary School (24 April 2006)
The Team want to improve the elements of Intellectual Quality, Connectedness, Recognition of Differences and Social Support within learning environments by producing a document that examines what they teach, how they teach it and how students show it.

Belmont High School - 'A Move to Post Industrial Age Schooling' (Teacher Professional Leave)

Belmont High School (09 January 2006)
Using Teacher Professional Leave and Leading Schools Fund time, the team's research formed a strong basis for Middle Years transformation. The team travelled widely, visiting schools and talking with experts. The team recognised the importance of sharing their knowledge and experience with colleagues.

Further investigating improved teaching and learning practices in Year 9 and 10 (Teacher Professional Leave)

Benalla College (17 October 2006)
A group of five Middle School teachers worked with a critical friend to link inquiry-based learning and VELS. They completed professional development on Assessment and VELS and visited a number of schools to investigate the use of team teaching, ICT and electronic whiteboards. A proforma for planning using inquiry-based learning was designed for the school intranet.

Thinking Bilingually at Benalla East (Teacher Professional Leave)

Benalla East Primary School (05 December 2006)
The group aimed to incorporate VELS, thinking skills, inquiry based learning and multiple intelligence based activities into daily bilingual classroom practice by writing units of work using a planning document that audited the above and allowed for authentic, rich assessment tasks.

Considerations for supporting Deaf students with educational interpreters (Teacher Professional Leave)

Bendigo Deaf Facility - Bendigo Senior Secondary College (24 July 2006)
Having Deaf students in a Deaf Facility within a mainstream school provides challenges on how best to support those students with interpreting in classes and how best to support the teachers of those classes and students.

Bilingual/Bicultural Education (Teacher Professional Leave)

Bendigo Deaf Facility - Kennington Primary School (24 July 2006)
The Team examined the best practice of teaching signing deaf students in their dominant language, ie. Auslan, to improve their literacy skills. We also looked at how to best deliver an Auslan bilingual/bicultural program to hearing students.

Recognising and responding to diverse student needs through Personalised Learning Programs (Teacher Professional Leave)

Bentleigh Secondary College (02 November 2006)
Marie Farrell used her TPL to study the ways specific groups of students learn and the ways to identify specific types of learners. Knowledge of psycho educational assessments will be gained. The design, implementation and evaluation of personalised learning programs will follow from this research and study. The knowledge and skills will be shared with school based and cluster teachers. Improved teacher effectiveness will lead to improved student learning outcomes.

Transition in the Bentleigh Schools' Cluster (Teacher Professional Leave)

Bentleigh Secondary College (03 November 2006)
Jennifer Date and Kirstin Conway focused on improving student learning outcomes in their Cluster schools, research and program development is occurring in the areas of effective primary-secondary transition programs, pedagogy, curriculum alignment/integration/innovation, student wellbeing and relationship building, particularly in the middle years. Teacher shadowing and mentoring are vital components of the TPL project.

Teachers, Parents and Students in Partnership, to Enhance the Learning Journey

Blackburn Lake Primary School
Teacher Ed Sharpe set out to explore the challenge of enhancing parent, teacher and student learning partnerships, through the running of ‘Partnership’ evenings within the school community. This involved families participating in a shared learning activity, with the view to reviewing their home reading and writing routines. Families were able to affirm their positive practices, set goals and trial new routines. Each family was given the opportunity to evaluate how things went and to ask questions.

Blue Cheese: Allowing a culture to reinvent itself into something new, different and prize winning (Teacher Professional Leave)

Bentleigh West Primary School (12 December 2006)
As the Professional Development Co-ordinator, Stephen Raitman was asked to research and implement strategies designed to improve the performance of students through better teaching via better use of the Professional Development completed by the teachers at Bentleigh West Primary School. This journey of discovery was linked to Element 4 in the Self Assessment Framework as the school travelled along a path on its journey towards accreditation as a Performance and Development school.

Pedagogy: Embedding Environmental Studies in an Essential Learning Framework across the school (Teacher Professional Leave)

Bentleigh West Primary School (03 November 2006)
Leonie Brown, Dawn Colcott and Bernadette Russell focussed on the design and writing of in-depth, real life learning problem-solving units of work which result in high level student learning across the school. It is intended that boys' writing and girls' mathematics will also improve. These will be on-going professional development for teachers within and beyond the school, using Greening Australia's Toolbox For Environmental Change.

Encouraging innovative design and creating local links for the benefit of senior Design and Technology students (Teacher Professional Leave)

Berwick Secondary College (15 December 2006)
Robyn is concerned that some male students who have selected Design and Technology at Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) level tend not to complete all of the outcomes of the course with the same degree of enthusiasm.

Thinking and Technology Research (Teacher Professional Leave)

Beulah Primary School (15 February 2007)
Dianne and Maureen elected to further improve their understanding of Thinking Skills and Technology across the Curriculum. This commenced with visits to Torrensville Primary School and Underdale High School in South Australia (leading schools in the Thinking Curriculum) and this was followed up with shadowing of teachers in primary schools in the Ballarat Region in Victoria.

'Exploring Best Practice in LOTE for Primary Acquisition of French Language' (Teacher Professional Leave)

Big Hill Primary School (17 October 2006)
By shadowing a number of very experienced LOTE French teachers across four schools with classes ranging from Preps to Year 7, Gerard expected to identify "best practices" that motivate students and link to the Principles of Learning & Teaching.

Integrated Inquiry Based Learning and VELS with a focus on Thinking (Teacher Professional Leave)

Big Hill Primary School (18 January 2007)
The Team applied an Essential Learnings Framework through an Integrated Curriculum to improve student knowledge and understandings, skills and social competencies.

Interdisciplinary Learning Utilising ICT (Teacher Professional Leave)

Billanook Primary School (12 January 2007)
The Team identified a need for teachers to enhance and improve their ICT skills. Both used the school ICT network as a tool to improve student engagement and learning outcomes. They developed a sequenced planner to enable a consistent approach to embed ICT into the curriculum.

Boys Education (Teacher Professional Leave)

Birmingham Primary School (20 March 2006)
Alex Macdonald has developed a program that focuses on improved strategies for boys. This has led to a book with all the information gathered from conferences and visits placed on the level meetings agenda to ensure that boys are focussed and catered for in the daily teaching practice. The school has established a men's group. This began as a teaching process for the fathers so they would become involved with their sons reading.

Integration of Information Communication Technology (ICT) into classroom practice (Teacher Professional Leave)

Bittern Primary School (02 November 2006)
Helen Morris focussed on how schools have incorporated ICT into their curriculum to improve student skills and competencies using technology. Helen has begun the process of establishing student e-portfolios to increase the involvement of students in assessment of their learning. The Intel © Teach to the Future has assisted Helen to incorporate ICT into Integrated units.

Making a difference in the life of students with disabilities (Teacher Professional Leave)

Blackburn Lake Primary School (20 November 2006)
Teaching a student on the Students with Disabilities Program can at times be considered difficult. Kerryn Straughan used her TPL to further her qualifications in the area of special needs, visit other schools to research best teaching practices and trail lunch time and specialised programs to enhance the social skills of students with disabilities in their own school setting.

“Stronger Start, Better Finish”: best practice in the early years of school

Boronia Heights Primary School
Three prep teachers examined different models of early childhood practice in an endeavour to incorporate exemplary elements into the prep program. Focus areas were transition and curriculum provision.

LET US TALK, WE’RE LEARNING FROM EACH OTHER. Making Oral Language a Major Component of the School Literacy Program

Boronia Primary School
This project investigated ways to increase the oral language opportunities for students in grades Prep to 2 (5-8 yrs). Based on a variety of sources, it found that by careful planning teachers could engage all students in rich and diverse conversational learning and bring about greater engagement in literacy activities.

Differentiation, VELS and Maths in the Middle Years Classroom

Broadford Secondary College
This project investigated new ideas for differentiating the maths curriculum in the middle years and improving the consistency of assessment against the VELS. Four specific strategies were developed and trialled and a model for planning for a differentiated maths classroom, based on a backwards planning design, was also developed.

Making more of ICT (Teacher Professional Leave)

Boronia West Primary School (12 January 2007)
Use of computer technologies at Boronia West Primary School varies from classroom to classroom. To explore availability of resources and ICT usage of teachers Dale McInerney and Gemma Mascitti collected a range of information from colleagues and the wider school community in order to incorporate more relevant and engaging programs that would motivate and challenge both students and teachers to develop a strategy that would make better use of available programs and software within the school.

Implenting VELS through inquiry learning - an investigation into curriculum structure and improvement (Teacher Professional Leave)

Box Hill North Primary School (17 October 2006)
Working across all Dimensions and Year Levels the team, in conjunction with the staff, developed an understanding of VELS and investigated the learning continuum from P-6. They used these documents to develop integrated inquiry units.

Improved student engagement using a Laptop Program (Teacher Professional Leave)

Box Hill Senior Secondary College (12 January 2007)
The Team worked together to implement a 1:1 Laptop Program across the Middle Years in conjunction with VELS in order to develop students' engagement and capacities in innovative, engaging ways to improve learning and teaching and prepare students for the 21st century.

How do you know your students are thinking? (Teacher Professional Leave)

Braybrook Primary School (20 November 2006)
Working with students from Grade 3-6, Gabrielle McSweeney used three tasks to assess Student Thinking and after analysis of the results set up student profiles as an ongoing assessment record.

Teaching Maths at Year 7 and 8 for the Non Maths - Trained Teacher (Teacher Professional Leave)

Bright P-12 College (17 October 2006)
Bright P-12 College has a shortage of maths - trained teachers and recently relied on using teachers from other method areas. To assist in preparing these teachers, the College has trialled the use of the ICE-EM textbook. The ICE-EM project is a national curriculum, well sequenced and aims to raise the level of mathematical understanding of students to a national standard. It also aims to provide strong and structured support for teachers without a mathematical background.

Learning Design for the Year 9 Discovery Centre (Teacher Professional Leave)

Brighton Secondary College (05 December 2006)
Andrew Hill, Richard Minack, Brenda Welsh and Jane Whitman focused on the question: How can we best meet the specific learning needs of our Year 9 students? The Team gathered relevant information through correspondence with schools, on-site school visits and a literature review. This information has already influenced the Year 9 program in a number of ways and is also being considered in their Year 9 program for 2006, when it is expected that the new Year 9 Discovery Centre will commence use.

Better Teaching, Better Learning (Teacher Professional Leave)

Broadmeadows Cluster (29 May 2006)
The focus is on learning - the development of curriculum practices relating to what students learn, how teaching facilitates learning and how all assessment tasks should contribute to learning.

The impact Habits of Mind has on student learning (Teacher Professional Leave)

Broadmeadows Primary School (16 June 2006)
Debra Hosking wanted to investigate the use of Habits of Mind to further enhance the learning of students at Broadmeadows Primary School. Debra wanted to find the most effective way of introducing the Habits to the school community.

Art, War and VELS at the National Gallery of Victoria - Turning Policy into Practice (Teacher Professional Leave)

Brunswick Secondary College (11 August 2006)
Pauline Pearson, the English KLA Coordinator, wanted to develop a model unit that exemplified best classroom practice using the VELS. Pauline wanted a unit on an integrated topic that could be used across KLA areas, in SOSE for example, and one that would incorporate coaching practice to support staff in extending their range of teaching strategies. Pauline worked with the SOSE KLA Coordinator, Annie Tsernjavski, to develop this unit.

Students have your say: Students learn by witnessing other students learning in a non-judgemental discussion groups (Teacher Professional Leave)

Brunswick Secondary College (11 August 2006)
Working in groups and as a class Paul Newson facilitates student "philosophical discussion" groups that encourage participation and maximises learning, while maintaining an equitable classroom. Artworks are used to encourage individual opinions while students gain confidence, vocabulary and engagement.

'Lost in transition' Moving senior students with disabilities towards increased opportunities and independence (Teacher Professional Leave)

Brunswick Special Developmental School (17 October 2006)
Teachers from an inner city Special Developmental School used their Professional Development Leave to look at ways of restructuring their curriculum in line with VELS. They developed units of work that integrated the VELS strands into a comprehensive and coordinated curriculum for the transition group of senior students.

Completion of Master of Education (Special Educational Needs) (Teacher Professional Leave)

Bulleen Heights School (24 April 2006)
Kirsty McLean was completing her Master of Education (Special Educational Needs) at Deakin University. Kirsty also completed her final two units, which were "Teaching Mathematics Successfully" and "Advanced Studies in Gifted Education".

Useful ways to teach interdisciplinary learning with information and communications technology (Teacher Professional Leave)

Bulleen Heights School (12 January 2007)
The Professional Leave Team endeavoured to link characteristics of the effective schools models - Focus on Teaching and Learning and Learning Communities. The decision to use the Interdisciplinary Learning Strand of the curriculum to achieve the project outcomes was directed by the opportunities offered to improve "thinking and learning" and by investigating a deeper understanding of how teachers and students can create successful outcomes as their knowledge, skills and behaviours are developed across the discipline boundaries.

Post Graduate Diploma in Special Education at Melbourne University (Teacher Professional Leave)

Bulleen Heights School (29 May 2006)
The Post Graduate Diploma in Special Education furthers Rosamund's skills and experience in special education with knowledge of the latest research available globally, historical perspectives and current practices, in order to lead and mentor teachers in special and mainstream settings. It increases the qualified Special Education Teachers at Bulleen Heights School, and within the Manningham Network and Templestowe Cluster.

Completion of TESOL Graduate Diploma/Establishment of Sister School relationship (Teacher Professional Leave)

Bunyip Primary School (02 November 2006)
Helen Ross focused on teaching English as a Second Language training, the teaching of English and the development of cultural awareness in her school community. This has been assisted by the establishment of an overseas sister school relationship with The Gold and Silver Exchange Society School in Hong Kong.

Inquiry Learning – A Journey of Whole School Change

Camberwell South Primary School
We wanted to bring about whole school change in our approach to Inquiry learning that encapsulated thinking skills.

An apple for the teacher: does this feed the need? (Teacher Professional Leave)

Cambridge Primary School (01 August 2006)
The Albanvale Ideas Team looked for effective ways to align school wide pedagogy and increase staff morale.

To play or not to play, that is the question! (Teacher Professional Leave)

Cambridge Primary School (01 August 2006)
Whilst visiting several schools and play programs across Melbourne, Jenny Costello needed to discover what made an exceptional Play program. The answers that she found are now being incorporated into the programs at Cambridge Primary School and are supporting the language needs of the children.

Our curriculum journey of incorporating the VELS and innovative exemplary pedagogical practices into curriculum documents (Teacher Professional Leave)

Camelot Rise Primary School (20 November 2006)
Sharon Reiss and Kerry Elliott investigated Flagship Strategy One (Student Learning) and how it enhanced student learning at Camelot Rise Primary School. A primary focus on the Standards enabled staff to create whole school curriculum documents that incorporated existing exemplary practise and programs.

Integrated Curriculum, Social Competencies and the Thinking Curriculum (Teacher Professional Leave)

Camp Hill Primary School (29 May 2006)
How the Essential Learning Framework provides schools with a shared scaffold in which to develop integrated curriculum which builds social competence.

Is the Thinking Curriculum just the next flavour of the month at Caterbury Primary School? (Teacher Professional Leave)

Canterbury Primary School (12 January 2007)
The Team focus was Thinking Curriculum. It had focussed on the Year 5 and 8 students. With the implementation of VELS and the more prominent position of 'Thinking' within the curriculum, we were challenged to develop a whole school approach.

Transdisciplinary Unit Development (Teacher Professional Leave)

Caroline Springs College (24 July 2006)
The Team are developing transdisciplinary units for Years 7 and 8 that follow directly on from integrated units currently being delivered in Years 5 and 6 and leading to the development of units at Year 9. The focus is on staff cohesion in planning and implementation of units of work, student engagement and consistency in teacher expectations and delivery across classes and KLA's.

Empowering Reflective Learners through Portfolios, Values and Thinking

Carnegie Primary School
The project investigated new ideas for promoting reflection and learning, based on values education and thinking routines. This learning supported the development of student portfolios at Carnegie Primary School. The combination of values education, thinking routines and portfolios will empower students to become reflective learners.

A collection of effective resources for all teachers to ensure they can understand and teach literacy across the domains

Carrum Downs Secondary College
This project aimed to re-excite and resource all teachers to teach literacy across domains. This included an English as a second language (ESL) program to effectively teach students visiting from our sister-school in Japan, a literature circle resource package to support teachers in implementing literature circles in the classroom and a toolbox of effective literacy techniques.

Redeveloping Year 9 curriculum to provide students with more experiential learning

Carwatha College
This project investigated means to better engage our Year 9 students. Based on our own research within the College and exploration of other schools’ programs, we developed experiential learning activities that catered for the present curriculum in most Key Learning Areas.

Connections: increasing student and school connectedness (Teacher Professional Leave)

Carrum Downs Secondary College (12 December 2006)
As part of a group Teacher Professional Leave application, an integrated curriculum program ("Connect") has been researched, piloted and developed. In addition, programs for staff and school connectedness have been established - such as linking with Monash University and piloting an internship program with student teachers.

Connect - an innovative concept for integrated curriculum delivery in the Middle Years of Schooling (Teacher Professional Leave)

Carrum Downs Secondary College (15 December 2006)
Connect is a student centered approach; it will improve all learning outcomes. It will meet the varied and diverse needs and interests of individual students, building on knowledge and transforming the current practice and the future practice of teachers.

Introducing the VELS in a whole school setting (Teacher Professional Leave)

Carwatha College P-12 (02 November 2006)
Theminy Carydias investigated how different schools including Government and independent primary and secondary schools, are looking at incorporating the VELS into their school contexts. The outcome of this leave was two products. The first was an outline of different whole school approaches to the VELS and the second was recommendations for VELS implementation at Carwatha College P-12.

Boys' Education (Teacher Professional Leave)

Carwatha College P-12 (02 November 2006)
Lachlan Noble's project concerned analyzing what the school system is doing to engage boys. This has involved visiting schools from all sectors, and meeting with researchers to discuss the programs that are in place. School and Department of Education and Training data reveal a real problem with boys' connectedness to school. Lachlan discovered that this is not a neglected issue. The diversity of strategies that have been implemented are diverse, and their results, while difficult to measure are very encouraging.

Creating and Supporting a Performance and Development Culture Resource File (Teacher Professional Leave)

Carwatha College P-12 (02 November 2006)
Anthony Paine used his TPL to investigate and develop Individual Teacher Improvement plans along with raising the profile and importance of a teacher effectiveness/continuous improvement culture within the school staff. A Performance and Development Committee was formed and a data base of tools and methods is being created with input from the Department of Education and Training, Innovations Branch.

Finding ways to enable a move towards 'One to One' access in ICT (Teacher Professional Leave)

Carwatha College P-12 (02 November 2006)
Mif Grubb wanted to see if the use of Personal Digital Assistants would help both schools and students improve the amount of access time to digital resources - that is move towards one to one access in ICT and to enable the creation and use of ICT rich applications.

Using the VELS as a framework to develop whole-school, integrated inquiry-based curriculum units (Teacher Professional Leave)

Castlemaine North Primary School (01 August 2006)
The Team's aim was to improve the school's teaching and learning strategies to support a diverse range of learning styles that engaged students and enriched the curriculum. The Team needed to determine the best way to implement VELS into the curriculum.

ClickView: ICT for the technology shy (Teacher Professional Leave)

Castlemaine Secondary College (29 May 2006)
Improving the application of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), with the specific goals of improving educational the outcomes for students and the methodology of the teachers was central to this Teacher Professional Leave.

To investigate innovative and engaging curriculum and pedagogical practices in schools involved in teaching 'Students at Educational Risk' (SAER) (Teacher Professional Leave)

Caulfield Park Community School (03 November 2006)
Steve Kearney and Lara Thornton wanted to conduct extensive research into the operating pedagogies and curriculum programs currently in use to engage and develop academic and social competencies in students at educational risk (SAER). Both were particularly keen on learning more about innovative programs that foster community within schools, with particular emphasis on looking at schools which are using Restorative Justice practices in establishing their school culture.

Investigation of ASSESSMENT PRACTICES by the classroom teacher, to ensure curriculum and assessment practices go hand in hand

Caulfield Primary School
The focus of this case study is how to link an effective school curriculum structure with rigorous systems of accountability, by which school and student performance can be evaluated.

Peer Coaching (Teacher Professional Leave)

Cerberus Cluster - Sandringham Primary School, Mentone Girls Secondary College, Sandringham East Primary School, Cheltenham Primary School (02 November 2006)
Cerbus Cluster participated in the training program for Peer Coaching. Peer Coaching is a strategy for teacher improvement. The Program incorporates teacher reflection and peer observation. A confidential and trusting relationship is built up between the trained coach and the coachee, including the enhancement of communication skills and the development of more effective classroom behaviour and outcomes for teachers and students.

Implementing a Whole School Approach to Higher Level Thinking Skills (Teacher Professional Leave)

Chatham Primary School (24 July 2006)
The Team wanted to ensure that every student was engaged, challenged and their learning styles catered for through a whole school approach to providing a curriculum that targets thinking skills, creativity, problem solving and confidence to deal with technological advances.

Peer Coaching - the next tier at Cheltenham Primary School (Teacher Professional Leave)

Cheltenham Primary School (15 December 2006)
Teacher pedagogy is one Cheltenham Primary School's Charter Priorities. Peer coaching is a most effective means to bring about a change in the pedagogical practices of teachers and ultimately the engagement of students in their learning.

Introducing a ‘Learning to Learn’ program for middle years students within a local secondary network

Cheltenham Secondary College
This project investigated how the Alite ‘Learn to Learn’ program, developed in UK schools, could be incorporated into the middle years curriculum in Cheltenham Secondary College, Parkdale Secondary College and Mentone Girls’ Secondary College. Each of the three schools trialled different models of delivery of the program. This enabled each school to develop a practical strategy to embed the program for 2009.

Re-engaging Year 9 – redesigning space and practice

Cohuna Secondary College
The project investigated alternative programs and structures for changing attitudes to teaching and learning at the Year Nine level. It involved students in planning a learning space and staff planning for future development.

Introduce E-Portfolios across the middle school as a tool for self assessment, reflection and student led conferencing

Cheltenham Secondary College
This project focused on introducing e-portfolios as a resource for both students and teachers in the middle school. Based on developments within our changing curriculum, it has been recognised as an appropriate tool for assessment, reporting and student reflection.

Expanding Pathway Provision for Students (Teacher Professional Leave)

Cheltenham Secondary College (03 November 2006)
Paul Charles used his TPL to research the programs available to Later Years (Year 10-12) students. Currently, students at the College mainly study VCE units. There has been a low take up of other pathways and courses because of the curriculum and timetable structure. The intention is to structure the timetable to enable many Year 10 students to study Units 1 and 2, and to research other pathways, and thereby increase retention and engagement of students in education and training within and beyond the College.

From Hands Up to Hands On - Creating a Year 9 Learning Project (Teacher Professional Leave)

Cheltenham Secondary College (15 December 2006)
How do you move from "Hands Up to Hands On" in Year 9? The Team went in search of schools with engaging Year 9 Programs. The result being C Cubed (C3) - a Year 9 Learning Project that involves a Challenge, Community Service and the City Experience.

From Hands up to Hands on - getting students involved in their learning (Teacher Professional Leave)

Cheltenham Secondary College (15 December 2006)
The development of engaging, "hands on" learning experiences for students in the Middle Years. These interdisciplinary units will be designed using Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS). The College curriculum will also be audited to determine alignment with VELS.

Transition/Bridging Curriculum programs for ESL students with disrupted schooling backgrounds (Teacher Professional Leave)

Cleeland Secondary College (03 November 2006)
Robyn Kamer, Graham Ferres and Marg Szabo focused on the development of curriculum programs for new arrival students, especially those with disrupted language learning. The programs at other schools will be investigated and professional development on effective pedagogy will be examined and appropriate strategies developed. Thinking tool and ESL across the curriculum principles will be incorporated into teaching and learning practice.

Connecting with Science and Literacy (Teacher Professional Leave)

Coatesville Primary School (05 December 2006)
Primary Connections is a new initiative linking the teaching of Science with the teaching of Literacy. The units have a working scientifically focus, span all years of primary school and map the four strands of the National Statement and Profile for Science.

Quality Learning Australia - School improvement (Teacher Professional Leave)

Coburn Primary School (01 August 2006)
The Team undertook the Quality Learning Australia Program after a Diagnostic Review revealed there was a need to improve numeracy and literacy achievements, staff organisational health and students' connectedness to school. The results further indicated a need to improve the effectiveness of our school programs in engaging students. While participating in the Program the Professional Learning Team in the P-2 area have implemented some of the Quality Tools into their classrooms with noticeable impact.

Study of Numeracy and Literacy teaching in a remote aboritinal community (Teacher Professional Leave)

Cockatoo Primary School (24 July 2006)
The Team wanted to improve student learning outcomes by targeting improvement in numeracy and literacy levels, specifically for students who have previously had low performance.

Real Life Forensic Science (Teacher Professional Leave)

Colac High School (11 August 2006)
Peter Jeans focused his TPL on developing specific subject knowledge in the area of forensic science. Peter developed further resources that could be used by any science teacher to teach forensic science at a middle school level, particularly tasks that involved information technology skills.

Year 9 Learning Community ‘Active & Alive’ Program

Colac Secondary College
As part of a group Professional Leave application from staff across two campuses a new Year 9 applied learning program with community links and an integrated approach to teaching and learning has been researched and piloted. The program aims to improve student engagement through student centred learning.

Integrating the curriculum - the Middle Years (Teacher Professional Leave)

Collingwood College (11 August 2006)
A Team of Middle Years teachers from Collingwood College have investigated and trialled approaches to integrating the curriculum Years 6 - 8. A Professional Learning team has been developed to research, plan, implement, reflect on pedagogies that promote improved student engagement and a professional learning culture.

Researching and applying the principles of Reggio Emilia into a Prep to 5 setting (Teacher Professional Leave)

Collingwood College (17 October 2006)
Kerri McCulloch has been working in a Reggio Emilia inspired program for three years in a prep to grade 3 context, she is now exploring and applying the principles to a 4/5 context as the parents and students have the expectation that the program will continue. Kerri has researched and explored this role as a change leader for this area of the school.

Follow-up of Primary Newly Arrived Students who had exited the Program to a mainstream school two or more years earlier (Teacher Professional Leave)

Collingwood English Language School (20 March 2006)
Anne Joiner and Juliette Haggett focused their TPL on the transition process of Newly Arrived students who had exited from the New Arrival program two or more years prior to the commencement of the project. The Project aimed to gain information about learning needs and achievements; CSF levels attained in mainstream schools; literacy needs; welfare needs; absenteeism rates and student self esteem and confidence.

The wonderful, whacky world of student wellbeing - Leading through positive practices (Teacher Professional Leave)

Coral Park Primary School (12 December 2006)
Solange Vaz set out to shadow three assistant principals to develop a better understanding of leadership practices, in particular, the area of student wellbeing.

Extending learners thinking skills and beyond

Coomoora Primary School
This project arose out of the need to extend the more able students. We researched and implemented a planning document for Victorian Essential Leaning Standards Levels 1 to 5. This incorporated the VELS Thinking Curriculum, various learning theories, thinking tools and a whole school approach to extension.

VCE Integrated Learning Program at Year 11 incorporating English, Psychology, Health and Media, using a Problem Based Learning (PBL) pedagogy

Corio Bay Senior College
This case study explores the implementation of a Year 11 Integrated/ Problem Based Learning Program, which aimed to address the issue of retention through boosting student engagement, and in turn, to improve student outcomes.

Developmental Curriculum at Corio South PS

Corio South Primary School
The Prep – Year 4 Research and Development Team had a focus for improved pedagogy and learning for students in the Corio/Norlane area through personalised inquiry based learning. I had a particular focus on Developmental Curriculum and our prep team have implemented it into the four prep classrooms at Corio South Primary School in 2008.

Personalised Learning through Inquiry

Corio South Primary School
This project focused on building the professional capacity of teachers at Corio South, developing new knowledge, skills and competencies, developing planning documents that aid explicit teaching and providing a shared vision for staff in Inquiry Learning. The TPL Team has worked towards developing an Inquiry Learning approach targeted at improving learning outcomes and engagement for all students.

From Paddock to Plate: An Inquiry unit of work into gardening and healthy living

Corio West Primary School
This case study details a school’s professional development journey that begins with the planting of a vegetable garden and the subsequent production of curriculum resources based on inquiry units of work. It also describes a parallel journey the school community collectively embarked on to promote good healthy eating and the community’s well being.

Embracing Change - Incorporating VELS into the Year 3/4 Curriculum (Teacher Professional Leave)

Coral Park Primary School (15 December 2006)
Working as a team, middle school teachers, Anita Broomhall, Ann-Marie Horsley, Ilona Bennett, Ruth Biddle and Lesley Campbell set out to discover how the Victorian Essential Learning Standards would impact the year 3/4 curriculum at their school.

Pedagogy: Researching Teaching and Learning in Years 3 and 4 (Teacher Professional Leave)

Coral Park Primary School (02 November 2006)
Ruth Biddle wants to improve the teaching and learning in Years 3 and 4. Ruth visited other 'like' schools to investigate their Years 3 and 4 programs, including curriculum planning and implementation, catering for student needs, assessment strategies, use of learning technologies and teaching resources and materials.

Whole School Curriculum Innovation and Transformation (Teacher Professional Leave)

Corio West Primary School (08 February 2006)
Educational transformation was taking place at Corio West Primary School. The essential team goal was to make professional transformation in educational pedagogy as whole school, as level teams and as individual teachers. To achieve transformation, innovative curriculum was developed to encompass Principles of Learning and Teaching (PoLT) and the Intel® Teach to the Future Program which is the basis of our integrated curriculum.

Continuous School Improvement: (Literacy and Student Engagement) (Teacher Professional Leave)

Courtenay Gardens Primary School (03 November 2006)
Four teachers from Courtenay Gardens Primary School investigated high performing schools in Australia and overseas and used what they'd learnt to develop their own continuous school improvement strategy.

Improving Pedagogical Practice (Teacher Professional Leave)

Cranbourne Secondary College (03 November 2006)
Kelly Meikle, Hilary Baxter, Debbie Shreiber and Jackie Taylor aimed to have a direct impact on pedagogy to improve student outcomes. The Team is driving on-going pedagogical change through mentoring and team teaching, and the newly established PEEL Professional Learning Team.

Raising our AIM in Literacy: Creating a whole school Literacy Resource (Folder) and approach

Cranbourne Primary School
This project investigated different literacy practices and resources aimed at improving Cranbourne Primary Schools AIM (NAPLAN) results in Literacy. After visiting several like schools and observing their literacy blocks and classroom practices, we constructed a whole school literacy guide by incorporating strategies and programs that we felt would suit the needs of our school.

Improving student engagement and outcomes in mathematics years 7 to 9

Cranbourne Secondary College
This project investigated new ideas for improving student engagement by the introduction of hands on activities for the teaching of numeracy in years 7 to 9. Based on a variety of sources, including direct observations from other secondary schools and innovative practical professional development sessions, appropriate activity based approaches were found which improved engagement and numeracy outcomes among junior school students.

Improving ICT Classroom Practice

Crib Point Primary School
This project investigated classroom ICT practice and began developing an eLearning plan with a focus on teachers’ confidence to embrace eLearning. The team worked to evaluate, reflect and improve teachers’ ICT capabilities. Data was gathered from a number of sources with a focus on the ePotential ICT Capabilities resource.

Applied Relational Learning - Tell someone who cares - How improved relationships impact on students connectedness and their learning (Teacher Professional Leave)

Croydon Hills Primary School (20 November 2006)
The Team wanted to see if improving relationships between members of the school community would enhance student learning. They developed a play-based program, authentic maths tasks and multi-age groups which focused on values and relational learning.

Freshening up the Maths course so that it is relevant for modern, ICT proficient students (Teacher Professional Leave)

Croydon Secondary College (20 November 2006)
The purpose of this project was to visit and be visited by teachers who had spent time and energy on making the Maths curriculum rich and relevant. Taking the best of their ideas and researching the wealth of ICT resources, the Team developed an approach incorporating these resources and ideas into the Maths curriculum at Croydon Secondary College.

The benefits for English and Home Language Learning through following a LOTE and Home Language Sharing Program (Teacher Professional Leave)

Dandenong South Primary School (02 November 2006)
Lisa Dowse examines the relationship between English, English as a Second Language and Home Language. The benefits to self esteem and English metalinguistics learning of a program incorporating LOTE, English and home language were investigated. It is expected that a greater appreciation of various languages and cultures will develop as students participate in the units and work. These units of work include the involvement of parents and strategies informed by Middle Years research.

VELS Curriculum for Specialist Settings - a Special Curriculum for Special People (Teacher Professional Leave)

Dandenong Valley School (26 April 2007)
The introduction of VELS, coupled with the desire to have a curriculum written specifically to meet the requirements of a school for moderate to severe intellectually and multi-disabled students aged from 5 to 18 with a broad range of needs, provided the motivation for this team to meet the challenge.

Master of Education: Special Needs (Teacher Professional Leave)

Dandenong Valley School (02 November 2006)
Jennifer Prince used her TPL to further her qualifications in the area of special education. Her increased knowledge and skills will lead to the more reliable identification of individual student's learning needs and the design and implementation of personalised learning programs for students with disabilities. These learning programs will include the use of best practice teaching methodology, effective classroom management strategies and more meaningful reporting of student achievement to parents.

Engaging Reluctant Writers in the Environment (Teacher Professional Leave)

Dawes Road Primary School (25 January 2006)
Jacqui Pettigrove and Vicki Phillips wanted to improve the engagement in writing of students with high oral/low writing skills and low oral/low writing skills. They did this by teaching in a way that facilitates purposeful writing, with explicit teaching at point of need, where children are engaged in inquiry learning.

Maintaining the Momentum in ICT - broadening teachers’ use of elearning within the curriculum P-6

Daylesford Primary School
The focus of the TPL project was to continue the development of the effective use of ICT in a medium sized rural Victorian school that began as part of the Creating electronic Learning Leaders (CeLL) initiative. Staff Professional Development targeted the use of ICT for purposeful teaching across a wide range of disciplines.

Improving Classroom and School Climate

Deer Park North Primary School
A team of two teachers representing different teaching teams, explored and developed their own approach to improving classroom climate and in conjunction with the school’s welfare team, began to develop a whole school discipline/welfare approach utilising the principles of ‘Restorative Justice’ and implementing curriculum programs in line with the Victorian Essential Learning Standards - Interpersonal Development Domain.

From Colleague to Coach - Becoming a Literacy Coach in Your Own School

Deer Park North Primary School
In 2008 my school was allocated a regional literacy coach. A .5 position was also created for a coach from within the school. I applied for Teacher Professional Leave to undertake the training that was being provided by DEECD. My coaching work was undertaken with the Prep/1 teachers, while the regional coach worked with the grade3/4s.

Exploring the use of Interactive Whiteboards as a tool to improve ‘Assessment As Learning’ practices and experiences

Deer Park West Primary School
Interactive Whiteboards (IWB) can be an ideal tool to assist in the provision of a learning environment that involves all and leads to powerful and purposeful learning opportunities. This case study explores how IWBs have assisted students in gaining a sense of being in control of their own learning, whilst also developing staff confidence and experience in using a variety of innovative assessment strategies.

The Journey - A Good School to a Great School (Teacher Professional Leave)

Deer Park North Primary School (01 August 2006)
Researching and analysing student outcomes provided a Professional Learning team at Deer Park North with an opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of programs to ensure maximum student learning.

Democratic Learning - Building a Learning Cluster (Teacher Professional Leave)

Deer Park North Primary School (Deer Park/Albanvale Cluster) (24 July 2006)
The TPL focussed on the following: pedagogy and assessment; transition practices; creation of a shared learning network among Cluster middle years teachers; how the curriculum connects the goals of democratic learning and VELS; and school connectiveness, development of professional networks for shared understanding and improved practice.

Cluster Student Leadership Teams (Teacher Professional Leave)

Deer Park/Albanvale Cluster (24 July 2006)
Athena focussed the TPL on Student Leadership. Each year different teachers have had the responsibility of overseeing the management and leadership of the Program. Teams of students have had the responsibility of training the trainer, so that Grade 6 students take their skills into secondary school and Grade 5 students maintain their responsibility for the primary setting.

Improving Student Learning by Building Capacity in Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

Delacombe Primary School
To investigate the effective inclusion of ICT into effective teaching and learning programs in a primary setting, with a emphasis upon classroom organisation and implementation. To increase the ICT skills of students and staff through a holistic curriculum approach.

New Beginnings: A happy 'New Beginning' creates life-long learners (Teacher Professional Leave)

Derinya Primary School (19 December 2006)
The 'New Beginnings' team investigated the current best practise and existing transition and buddy programs. They recognised that a structured program which would equip prospective buddies with the skills and strategies they required needed to be established.

Considerations for supporting Deaf students with educational interpreters (Teacher Professional Leave)

Derrimut Heath Primary School (24 July 2006)
Genevieve Douglas participated in the Pedagogy Network and completed a Graduate Certificate in Education. To complete these programs Genevieve undertook action research linking pedagogy with her interest in numeracy.

Producing Best Practice Year 7 Curriculum Materials (Teacher Professional Leave)

Distance Education Centre, Victoria (08 February 2006)
To improve their middle years numeracy teaching, three teachers at the Distance Education Centre visited other schools and participated in a range of learning activities. They used what they'd learnt to develop new Year 7 maths curriculum materials which, in turn, led to engaged students and better results.

Building a Collaborative and Sustainable Learning Community (Teacher Professional Leave)

Dromana Cluster (02 November 2006)
The Team's project began as a chance to observe teachers and collaborate on developing innovative strategies, however, it evolved into something much bigger. The Team tackled the issue of improving the quality of information passed between Year 6 and 7 teachers by developing progress maps based around VELS. The Team also began compiling a file of great teaching ideas.

Chat versus Chastise: Moving towards a Restorative Approach.

Doncaster Gardens Primary School
This project investigated the potential of a positive conflict resolution for teachers and students through Restorative Practices. Based on the Restorative Justice model used in the judicial system, harm is addressed and relationships mended through the use of conferencing.

Increasing student engagement through the effective use of eLearning tools in the classroom

Doncaster Secondary College
This project investigated eLearning tools and how they are used in the classroom. Teachers who are implementing innovative eLearning classroom practice were interviewed across thirteen schools in Victoria. Middle years classrooms were targeted with the focus on how the use of eLearning technologies increases student engagement.

Philosophy for Children

Doveton Heights Primary School
This project investigated the use of “Philosophy for Children’ integrated into our curriculum, to improve student well-being, engagement and thinking skills.

Refining ICT rich, inquiry based units of work through the development of sustainable professional learning teams

Dromana Secondary College
This project investigated an alternative way to develop professional leaning teams which would lead to an improved professional development culture and improved teaching practice through the delivery of inquiry based units focussing on the use of new technologies.

Creating Mathematical Thinkers (Teacher Professional Leave)

Eaglehawk North Primary School (20 March 2006)
The Team focused on improving Classroom Teaching and Learning with emphasis on Numeracy. The aim was to: investigate how thinking skills can improve understanding in mathematics; study excellent teachers of mathematics who use high level thinking skills and study excellent teaching and learning practices that improve student learning.

Learning Technologies and the Thinking Curriculum (Teacher Professional Leave)

Eaglehawk Primary School (29 May 2006)
Julie South wanted to increase the use of ICT in classrooms by teachers as an integral part of all KLAs in the context of a 'Thinking Curriculum'.

Aligning the Steiner maths curriculum with VELS

East Bentleigh Primary School
This project investigated creating a maths curriculum, aligned with VELS, to assist our teachers with implementing the curriculum, their recording of student profiles and accountability to the department.

Engaging students richly in mathematics using Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

East Bentleigh Primary School
This project investigated ways in which ICT can be used effectively in the classroom to engage students more richly in mathematics in the middle years. Through school visits, teacher shadowing and mentoring and research based internet investigations this project demonstrated that students are more highly engaged in mathematics with the use of interactive whiteboards and computers.

The successful merging of two primary schools

Eastona Park Primary School
This project investigated the process involved in merging two schools’ philosophies and curricula into one vision for the proposed new school.

'Eco - Ed': A Down to Earth Outdoor Education Program for Students in Years 5-8 (Teacher Professional Leave)

Eastbourne Primary School (02 November 2006)
Julie Christie used the Eco-Ed program to give students the opportunity to learn about the world in which they live, by fostering a sense of 'cultural literacy' whilst engaged in meaningful and challenging activities in 'outdoor' settings. Julie aimed for her students to develop an appreciation of the diverse local environment and an understanding that we are part of the eco-system, dependent on the natural world like any other living species. The Eco- Ed program address' some of the ecological issues which are relevant to long term sustainability.

A study of Building Background Knowledge in learning areas (Teacher Professional Leave)

Echuca College (09 June 2006)
At Echuca Secondary College, wanted to improve literacy in all students with the objective of improving results at VCE. Paul felt that students needed to build their background knowledge in learning areas so full potential and achievement could be realised.

SWIRL (Story Writing In Remote Locations) 2004 (Teacher Professional Leave)

Echuca Secondary College (29 May 2006)
The SWIRL Program has operated since 1995. In 2004 Ralph worked with 35 students from various Universities who were mostly undertaking teacher training courses. For one month these students worked in 13 schools in remote indigenous communities in Northern Territory delivering a Literacy program through story writing and use of technology. Ralph's role was to be in charge of half of those students, who were placed in communities within 450km of Alice Springs.

An Integrated Approach to the Reporting and Assessment Process (Teacher Professional Leave)

Eltham Primary School (10 July 2006)
To implement a whole new approach to Reporting and Assessment by integrating the use of student portfolios, student lead three way conferences and the new student report card.

Assessment and Reporting Journey (Teacher Professional Leave)

Eltham Primary School (18 January 2007)
This intention of this project was for Lena Clark to initiate the implementation of a new approach to reporting and assessment into the school. This was to be done through research and professional development to inform her of best practices.

Podcasting Living Histories (Teacher Professional Leave)

Epsom Primary School (17 October 2006)
Damien Jenkyn and Jenny Ashby worked on a unit that involved the students in interviewing past teachers, parents and students about their memories of their time at Epsom Primary School. The interviews were published as podcasts and a supporting profile page was published as a webpage. The project created an authentic task for Epsom's 125th anniversary in October 2006.

Seamless literacy/numeracy curriculum P - 4

Eskdale Primary School
This project investigated current literacy pedagogy in the Early Years classrooms within the Tallangatta Cluster. Cluster schools were collaboratively involved in documenting current practise and future needs. Common documents were produced to facilitate seamless curriculum and provide consistency and synergy across the cluster, making the learning opportunities better for students.

The VCE Data Service: The Story Behind the Numbers (Teacher Professional Leave)

Essendon Keilor College (01 August 2006)
This project investigated the VCE Data Service and how it can provide genuine feedback to promote reflection and improve teaching.

Classroom Climate is not just Air Conditioning (Teacher Professional Leave)

Essendon Keilor College (Niddrie Campus) (01 August 2006)
Transforming Learning (UK) provides on-line surveys, which give staff an opportunity to find out about their classroom climate from the student perspective. The process encourages teachers to design action plans, which directly relate to the improvement of learning outcomes for students.

Peer Coaching - Opening the Door to Learning (Teacher Professional Leave)

Essendon North Primary School (01 August 2006)
Working as a Peer Coach, Helen Otway from Essendon North Primary School has piloted an onsite Professional Learning program to support powerful integration of ICT in the classroom. She has supported staff with developing ICT rich lessons and units.

Lacking Performance? Need a lift in outcomes? See what Assessment can do for you! (Teacher Professional Leave)

Essendon Primary School (01 August 2006)
When faced with adequate but not exceptional school performance data, Essendon Primary School faced a choice. Continue current approaches and be satisfied with meeting State benchmarks or utilise assessment for, of and as learning and raise the bar.

Investigation and implementation of the Thinking Curriculum (Teacher Professional Leave)

Essendon Primary School (24 July 2006)
The Team introduced a new method of planning units. This was based on the Lane Clarke inquiry approach and incorporated the Habits of Mind and VELS statements. This method of planning has been trialled by three areas and will continue to be reviewed and modified.

'Island Survival' - A Multi-Faceted Unit of Work (Teacher Professional Leave)

Essex Heights Primary (Mt Waverley Cluster) (08 February 2006)
The Team investigated current curriculum models then designed a multi-faceted curriculum model including a unit framework of curriculum content, learning skills/strategies, student behaviours and effective communication.

Teaching Thinking: Developing and enhancing student thinking, socials skills and engagement through Philosophy for Children

Eumemmerring Primary School
This project was aimed at introducing the Philosophy for Children into the curriculum in order to improve student engagement and develop thinking and social skills. It was based on researching and investigating the benefits of the Philosophy for Children program and sharing this knowledge with colleagues across the Doveton-Endeavour Hills Cluster Schools.

Engaging and Inspiring Year 9 Learning

Eumemmerring College
This project investigated Year 9 engagement and learning by implementing programs to engage and assist in connectedness to school. Through school visits focusing on engagement and connectedness to school and their immediate community, we observed that the current teaching and learning practices were in need for change. A more engaging curriculum needed to be developed to assist in the continuation of learning and improved attendance.

Literacy in the Middle Years – Laying the Foundations for Success

Eumemmerring College Gleneagles Campus
The focus of this project was to investigate the options for improving the literacy levels of early secondary students, and making recommendations to implement strategies across the curriculum. After visiting a selection of primary and secondary schools, and investigating a variety of commercial and public domain programmes, the school introduced a Literacy Centre, a Teachers’ Toolkit and Literacy Strategic Plan.

Project Title: Connecting Students in Rural and Urban Environments via an Integrated 0 Differentiated Curriculum (Teacher Professional Leave)

Eumemmerring College (15 December 2006)
This research project was based on an inquiry-learning model. It was collaborative in its nature and involved both students and teachers in early and middle years. Students and teachers from urban and rural settings were linked via a common project: "The Weather Watchers".

Restorative Practices - Implementation in a School Setting (Teacher Professional Leave)

Eumemmerring College (02 November 2006)
Roxy McGuire used her TPL to research the theoretical framework behind Restorative Practices (RP). Roxy did this by visiting schools where RP has been implemented and provided recommendations to Endeavour Hills College on a best practice model for implementation of RP at the Campus.

What is a 'Quality Class'? - Looking behind the Middle Years Student Attitude to School survey to better evaluate Teaching and Learning in the Middle Years: A case study approach (Teacher Professional Leave)

Eumemmerring College (02 November 2006)
Denise Jacobsson focused on the collection and use of school data, especially the Student Attitudes to School survey in relation to the development and implementation of highly effective learning and teaching strategies in the Middle Years. The usefulness and reliability of data available in multi-campus schools adds another dimension to the continuous improvement cycle in a large multi-campus school.

Developing an integrated VCAL program (Teacher Professional Leave)

Fairhills High School (12 January 2007)
Debbie Sekula set out to evaluate the Fairhills High School VCAL by investigating how a range of providers developed their VCAL programs. She wanted to see if the VQA Work Related Skills stand could be integrated with the VCE subject, Industry and Enterprise.

Innovative Curriculum Design aligned with VELS to Increase Student Engagement (Teacher Professional Leave)

Fairhills Primary School (20 November 2006)
The Middle Years classroom offers definite challenges but also provides an opportunity for flexible and innovative curriculum to address the trend of waning student engagement in school and the correlated drop in academic achievement. Cory Pearce from Fairhills Primary School set out to investigate the design and implementation of these programs that meet these criteria.

Sustainable Futures – Helping Year 7 Students to become environmentally-minded at home, at school and in the community.

Fairhills High School
The project involved writing and implementing a unit of work for year 7 students titled ‘Sustainable Futures’ that would give students a hands on approach to sustainable living. Students look at the key areas of water, waste, biodiversity and energy and then create a project in one area of interest.

Improving Numeracy Attitudes and Outcomes for Students and Teachers P-4

Fairhills Primary School
Our project was to investigate ways to improve Numeracy teaching and student engagement in the Early Years. This linked into a project undertaken by the Middle Years team. Our aim was to have a consistent approach to the teaching and learning of Numeracy across the school.

Purposeful teaching and student attainment - 'We cannot work to create a future which we do not first imagine' (Teacher Professional Leave)

Fitzroy High School (17 October 2006)
Fitzroy High School aims to personalise each student's learning. This means knowing students as learners, shaping the learning experience to the individual and both supporting and extending student learning in all areas.

Student Success 2007 Working Party (Teacher Professional Leave)

Flora Hill Secondary College (09 June 2006)
The Team focussed on research and analysis of a best practice pedagogy and delivery model to support the integrated implementation of VELS. Three key characteristics of effective schools supported by this proposal are: Focus on teaching and learning; stimulating and secure learning environment; and learning communities.

Exploration into an alternative program for Year 9 that links the students with the community

Flinders Peak secondary College
The ‘Unite’ project investigates new ideas for improving the teaching and learning in Year 9. Based on a variety of sources, including visits to schools currently running alternative programs, it found that personalising the learning students undertake, including students in community linked projects, incorporating ‘real life’ and Problem Based projects will improve motivation, feelings of connectedness, attendance and learning for students and facilitators alike.

VELS+TRIBES_PYP = High Performing Learners (Teacher Professional Leave)

Footscray Primary School (01 August 2006)
With the implementation of the Victorian Essential Learning's, Footscray Primary School identified curriculum reform as an important area to address. The Teacher Professional Leave Team headed by Deb Godsell, Janet Doherty and Ken Schmak took up this challenge.

Catering for preferred Learning Styles (Teacher Professional Leave)

Foster Primary School (09 June 2006)
The Team investigated the pedagogy of the thinking curriculum focussing on a range of learning tools, eg. De Bonos thinking Hats; inquiry Learning Model; Bloom's Taxonomy; Gardiner's Multiple Intelligences; Rubrics and Thinking Keys.

Online Resource that links local community recreation options for Intellectually Disabled and Autistic people and carers

Frankston Special Developmental School
An interactive student resource, parent blog and teacher program that enables students to experience a range of recreational and leisure activities, assist students develop skills and interests in Leisure and Recreational activities and encourages community input into alternative options for students with Intellectual disabilities and Autism.

From CSF to VELS what were we Thinking? Implementing Thinking Skills through VELS - Applications in English (ICT), Maths, Tutorial, and Languages (Teacher Professional Leave)

Frankston High School (19 December 2006)
This case study was three-fold. Initially developing an understanding of Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS), the next phase was to conduct an audit of current curriculum and finally developing practical and explicit applications for incorporating thinking in; English (ICT), Maths, Tutorial, and Languages.

Sands throughthe Hour Glass, So Are The Habits Of Their Minds (Teacher Professional Leave)

Fulong Main Cluster (St Albans Meadows PS, Albion North PS, St Albans South PS, St Albans Heights PS, St Albans SC (01 August 2006)
The Furlong Main Cluster's challenge was to support Middle Years teachers in sharing ideas and developing an understanding of the Habits of Mind. Their goal was to give students tools and thinking strategies enabling them to be effective problem solvers.

Bilingual Exchange in Deaf Settings (Teacher Professional Leave)

Furlong Park School for Deaf Children (03 November 2006)
The Team wanted to explore best practices in bilingual language teaching and delivery for deaf students in a school for the deaf.

The research, development and implementation of an Auslan linguistic assessment tool for pre-school and primary age children (Teacher Professional Leave)

Furlong Park School for Deaf Children (03 November 2006)
The project aimed to develop an assessment tool to track the current Auslan (Australian Sign Language) skills of all students. Linda also aimed to include this procedure as an ongoing assessment protocol to track development in signing skills.

School Culture, Student/Staff Wellbeing/Engagement (Teacher Professional Leave)

Glen Devon Primary School (24 July 2006)
Mary O'Brien focussed on social-personal learning; Student Engagement - through environmental "hands on" programs or activities; social skills developed through the TRIBES program.

Thinking for the future (Teacher Professional Leave)

Glen Huntly Primary School (15 December 2006)
Exploring and implementing Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS) and Principles of Learning and Teaching (PoLT) strategies to improve student learning outcomes. Developing the 'Thinking Curriculum' using a range of inquiry learning planning models and a range of thinking tools.

Environmental Science for Sustainability (Teacher Professional Leave)

Glen Waverley Primary School (24 April 2006)
The Team aimed to improve the awareness of environmental issues within the school, local and global communities through teaching students how to be productive citizens practising sustainable environmental management.

To provide an integrated environmental education which empowers students to be involved in a sustainable future (Teacher Professional Leave)

Glenrowan Primary School (12 January 2007)
Glenrowan Primary School is involved in Sustainable Schools facilitated by CERES. TPL has enabled us to develop policy, planning and implementation documents to support this. Environmental Education is integral to the whole school curriculum as part of the Essential Learnings. Teachers are developing rich tasks to support higher order thinking. There is an action plan to develop this initiative over the next 2 years.

Positive Behaviour Support implementation: A case study for a child with Angelman Syndrome (Teacher Professional Leave)

Glenroy Specialist School (16 June 2006)
This case study explores the usefulness of the Positive Behavioural Support (PBS) approach in achieving meaningful behaviour change and to improve the quality of life for a child with Angelman Syndrome. A functional assessment was conducted to determine the purpose of his inappropriate behaviours and then appropriate interventions implemented.

Beyond the square - The MIDAS Project (Meeting, Involving, Doing at Square) (Teacher Professional Leave)

Golden Square Secondary College (29 May 2006)
The Team wanted to establish stronger links with the immediate and broader school community in order to increase student engagement, implement the VELS and incorporate authentic learning in the curriculum. The College is introducing a new model of curriculum the TPL focused on a way of delivering transdisciplinary learning with community links.

How best to implement the Victorian Essential Learnings framework through an integrated curriculum to improve student knowledge, skills and social competencies (Teacher Professional Leave)

Golden Square Secondary College (09 June 2006)
The Team worked on How the Essential Learning Framework provided schools in Tasmania with a shared scaffold in which to develop integrated curriculum building on improved social competence, deeper levels of thinking and understanding. From this, the Team hoped to better understand how implementing the new VELS could achieve similar improved teacher/learning outcomes in our College.

Life-Long Numeracy skills (Teacher Professional Leave)

Gowrie Street Primary School (17 October 2006)
Students in Years 3 -6 have been challenged to develop more efficient computational skills and strategies. The Gowrie Street Primary School Teacher Professional Leave team aims to research, to explore and to share 'best practice' with all staff to improve student outcomes in this area.

Understanding a Framework of Poverty (Teacher Professional Leave)

Great Ryrie Primary School (29 May 2006)
Cheryl Macnee's aim was to understand the effect of poverty on the primary students of today and to develop strategies which will help teachers working with these children.

Peer Collaboration for Improved Teaching

Great Ryrie Primary School
The focus of this study was to implement peer observation across the whole school as a source of professional development which developed a culture of professional dialogue.

Incorporating ICT and Sustainability into the curriculum to empower student learning

Greenslopes Primary School
This project investigates the development of a sustainable curriculum and sustainable school practices while incorporating an underlying ICT focus.

How does explicit teaching of comprehension strategies improve learning outcomes?

Grey Street Primary School
This project used an intervention model to accelerate students’ reading comprehension results from the 25 to 50 percentile into the 50 to 75 percentile. According to AIM online data gathered during the project, twelve of the 20 students in the intervention group achieved this outcome. The targeted group was Level Three students (Year Three and Four). These students received an extra 45 minutes of explicit teaching four times a week for two terms.

Community Action Teams (CAT's) - A Program where Year 5 and 6 students participated in series of six teams to improve the local and broader community (Teacher Professional Leave)

Greenhills Primary School (01 August 2006)
The Community Action Teams at Greenhills Primary School is an initiative that focuses on providing leadership, motivation and engagement with all Year 5 and 6 students. Six different teams were created with the core purpose of addressing an important area of need in the local and broader community. Each Team developed a specific action plan that took learning out of the classroom and into an authentic, real world context.

Enhancing Student Motivation through Interactive Experiential Learning (ieLearning) in the Middle Years

Grovedale College, Secondary School
This project investigated the potential impact on teaching and learning of increased active-based, ICT rich curriculum in the Middle Years classrooms. Classroom observations of current practise, coupled with staff surveys and data collation, allowed the team to decipher where and how innovative curriculum could be most effectively implemented.

Improving Engagement and Oral Language Through Inquiry P-6

Grovedale West Primary School
Seeking whole school change and improvement the Teacher Professional Leave team set out to investigate how to improve student engagement and skills across the school by increasing teacher capacity in new methods of curriculum delivery, - developmental curriculum / integrated inquiry, across all curriculum areas.

Deaf Education for the Future: Understanding pedagogy and its practical implementation to enhance student outcomes (Teacher Professional Leave)

Guthrie Street Primary School (Shepparton Deaf Facility) (17 October 2006)
To support Deaf and hearing impaired students reach their potential, Teacher of the Deaf, Deb Moloney examined current understandings and practises in Deaf Education, with particular focus on learning, teaching and assessment pedagogies.

Enhancing Individuals Naturally Developing Independence (Year 3/4) Learning and Engagement (Teacher Professional Leave)

Hallam Valley Primary School (15 December 2006)
The Hallam Valley teaching group sought to address the school's issues by taking account of current government initiatives and understanding the needs of our students at this stage of their development. The focus of the investigation was in the areas of English and Interpersonal Development. The key areas are independence, deep learning and intrinsic motivation.

Whole School Change: Investigating 'Best Practice' (Teacher Professional Leave)

Hampton Park Secondary College (20 November 2006)
Amanda Ferra and Tristan Lanarus developed a project which involved investigating 'best' practice. Both looked at Curriculum, Teaching and Learning, Assessment and Reporting, Timetabling, Attendance Systems and Performance and Development programs. Amanda and Tristan visited a range of schools and met with key educational personnel such as Ron Lake and Wayne Craig. A range of recommendations were drawn from this and a presentation made.

Linking Up - a whole school approach to strengthening relationships within our College community. (Teacher Professional Leave)

Hampton Park Secondary College (03 November 2006)
Janne Dempster, Cirro Ferra and John McLoughlin developed a Tribes Training Action Plan which outlines how they intend to share their learnings with staff this year. The Team found that teachers who are prepared to trial 'Tribes' lessons and adopt 'Tribes principles' in their schools/classrooms are achieving positive outcomes with regards to student engagement and student management.

Integrating Physical Science into the Primary School Curriculum (Teacher Professional Leave)

Hartwell Primary School (20 March 2006)
Pennie Stoyles with help from Julie Stahle from Scienceworks, designed units of study in the area of Science in the Middle Years. The modules are called Static Electricity, Magnets Everywhere, Circuits, Electricity and Electro-magnets. The modules can be taught as a stand alone or they can be taught as a science sequence. Links were made to other curriculum areas.

Let's 'think' about Curriculum (Teacher Professional Leave)

Hastings Primary School (19 December 2006)
To engage student learning the Team endeavoured to enrich the curriculum, personal and interpersonal learning and creating student responsibility for learning. Create an exciting and stimulating learning environment for both students and teachers which would enrich planning, teaching, learning and assessment.

'I've got that Somers Feeling' - Please Explain! (Teacher Professional Leave)

Hastings West-Park Primary School and Somers School Camp (19 December 2006)
Somers School Camp staff wanted students to reflect on their personal growth during their camping experience. The TPL 1 team researched qualitative assessment. Our TPL 2 team embarked on a mission to develop a range of tools that would assess our program, improve our reporting and optimise the children's ability to reflect.

The development of a Whole School English Program aligned with the Victorian Essential Learning Standards (Teacher Professional Leave)

Heany Park Primary School (18 January 2007)
Following the development of the newly developed strategic plan, the Team needed to audit the existing school based English program against VELS and ensure that their planning documentation was relevant. Both also decided to review their program implementation strategies to ensure that best practice in curriculum delivery is observed.

Boys’ Education – Engaging the inner beast in Literacy

Hastings Primary School
The project investigated ideas for engaging boys’ from grades 1-6 in literacy. There were many Professional Development seminars attended, school visits, trialling of ideas in our own school and further readings as we explored the topic, Boys’ Education – Engaging the inner beast in Literacy.

Laying the ePlanks for a Web 2.0 School – integrating emerging technologies to create a 21st Century Classroom.

Hawkesdale P12 College
Our focus is primarily to place e-planks in the floor of our school - to develop a pathway to creating an eSchool where innovative use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), including web 2.0 usage is used to its maximum potential for communication and connectedness to global communities.

Targeting School Improvement in ICT

Heany Park Primary School
This project investigated the process of establishing an ICT Learning Centre in a primary school. Direct observations were conducted in other ICT Learning Centres in primary school settings. Investigations into best practices in VELS ICT in a variety of schools in the Knox cluster in EMR and beyond were also conducted, to develop a Term by Term VELS ICT sequential program and support documentation for the future.

The development of a Whole School Mathematics Program aligned with the Victorian Essential Learning Standards (Teacher Professional Leave)

Heany Park Primary School (18 January 2007)
Following the development of the newly developed strategic plan, the Team needed to audit the existing school based Mathematics program against VELS and ensure that the planning documentation was relevant. They also decided to review the program implementation strategies to ensure that best practice in curriculum delivery is observed.

Chains: Year 9 and links to the community (Teacher Professional Leave)

Heatherhill Secondary College (19 December 2006)
Lisa Ip contacted local community agencies in order to arrange incursions and excursions for Year 9 students. As part of the Year 9 personal learning journey, the Year 9's were expected to undertake voluntary work experience in the local community.

Year 9 - Personal Learning Journey (Teacher Professional Leave)

Heatherhill Secondary College (02 November 2006)
Robyn Hughes, Richard Hastings and Janette Peterson focused their TPL on Student Engagement and the development of Curriculum and strategies that centred on Year 9 Adolescents' learning about their own physical, social, emotional and intellectual development, with greater links to local community and real life. The notion of authentic learning was an important consideration. A thematic teaching approach, incorporating lots of group work, self managing behaviour, and learning situations that were gender specific and involved building relationships, was adopted.

Creating Deep Understanding Through Authentic Learning: Incorporating the Philosophies of the Reggio Emilia approach (Teacher Professional Leave)

Kallista Primary School (24 July 2006)
The TPL team wanted to adopt a Reggio Emilia style of program, they wanted to visit other schools to see how this approach fits into their current philosophies.

Engaging Students through Developmental Curriculum

Heywood Consolidated Primary School
This project investigated the ability of Developmental Curriculum to engage students in their learning, improve student attendance and develop their independent work habits and oral language skills. The project focussed on students in grades Prep to two, with specific attention being paid to the positive change to Koori students and boys.

Developing Effective Oral Language Approaches (DEOLA) within the curriculum at Horsham 298 Primary School

Horsham 298 Primary School
The DEOLA Project investigated the development of children’s oral language and social skills through research papers and in settings including direct observation in preschools and primary schools, parent forums, speech consultants and educational personnel. It was found that the development of effective oral language formed a basis for further success in all areas of learning.

Title: AHHA - Aiming High for High Achievers

Horsham West/Haven Primary School
Our project was to formally establish a process of identifying students of high intellectual potential from Years 3-6, thus enabling cohorts of students to be more effectively catered for within the classroom.

HUME 2008 TPL Knowledge Bank case studies

The First Week of School: child-centred strategies and support materials to enhance classroom management of individual differences during transition through the first week of schooling.

Huntingdale Primary School
This project investigated how boys and girls learn differently; an orientation program for both teachers and children. It enabled teachers to observe and appreciate the individual needs of children and the children to build a positive relationship as well as develop a sense of success and confidence as a learner.

Getting Started With Digital Portfolios

Jells Park Primary School
The corner stone of our TPL project was the strong belief that our current assessment and reporting procedures needed improvement to reflect our school emphasis on current technology, with Jells Park Primary School embracing the digital portfolio system of assessment and reporting to replace its current paper portfolio style.

Beyond another brick in the wall: Learning spaces beyond the Classroom (Teacher Professional Leave)

Kambrya College (12 December 2006)
Kambrya College recognises that community groups and organizations offer powerful learning spaces for students. We investigated and established partnerships with environment groups (Alan Thwaites), social justice and human rights, welfare and community groups and charities (Nalini Naidu and Ben Forbes), and global educational organizations (Jane Herbert).

Building a Collaborative and Sustainable Learning Community (Teacher Professional Leave)

Karingal Heights Primary School (03 November 2006)
The Team investigated why the school's benchmarks in some areas of literacy were below like schools. The Team discovered that the Preps are entering school with lower levels of oral language development and few pre-reading skills. They have developed and implemented programs to their curriculum, utilizing the expertise of the special needs teacher and speech therapists.

Primary Science: Strategies that assist classroom teachers (Teacher Professional Leave)

Karingal Heights Primary School (12 December 2006)
Helen Carr is classroom teacher and Science coordinator at Karingal Heights Primary School. Over a ten month period working collaboratively with classroom teachers at the school she investigated strategies that supported classroom teachers with the teaching and learning of Science.

Teaching and Learning 'to the MAX': A team approach to the introduction of a cooperative open learning facility (Teacher Professional Leave)

Karingal Park Secondary College (12 December 2006)
The winds of change are blowing over Karingal Park. This school has adopted a fresh approach to teaching in the Middle Years through the introduction of learning communities where students are engaged in a cooperative and supportive learning environment.

How can we re-engage our students in grade 3 & 4 and re-excite connectedness with the school?

Karingal Primary School
The project investigated new ways of re-engaging the students in grade 3 and 4 by using a science and literacy based inquiry model of teaching. It found ‘The Primary Connections Program’ provided a vehicle for improved enjoyment of learning and connectedness with the school.

Best practises for engaging children in literacy and immersing them in a rich, supportive learning environment

Keilor Downs Primary School
This project investigated a new way to approach the Prep Literacy Block to best cater for the needs of all children. It was based on reflection of past practises and research and observations of current, innovative moves towards incorporating play into the curriculum. The project looked at the value of play in the classroom as well as how it can be used to direct and assess learning.

'Tell Us We Care' - Developing Social Competencies (Teacher Professional Leave)

Keilor Down Primary School (01 August 2006)
A diverse Learning Team at Keilor Downs Primary School looked at creative methods of integrating social competencies into the classroom.

Beyond Dunno - Communication across the domains (Teacher Professional Leave)

Keilor Downs Primary School (01 August 2006)
The Keilor Downs Primary School Team, recognising the importance of communication skills for student success in school and life, focussed on ensuring important language skills were systematically planned, taught and monitored.

Today’s technology is tomorrow’s learning

Kew High School
The project looks at incorporating technology such as mobile phone cameras, Ipods, downloadable heart rate monitors, digital video cameras, MP3 devices and other GPS and tracking devices to develop higher order thinking and critical reflection in the practical setting.

Personalising learning – Changing pedagogy

Keysborough Springvale SC
This project focuses on improving teaching and learning at Years 7 & 8 by personalising learning to meet the individual needs of students and to build their learning confidence. It will also focus on changing pedagogy to maximise collaborative learning and increase connectedness to peers.

Pedagogy - Student portfolios (Teacher Professional Leave)

Kingsville Primary School (24 July 2006)
The Team focussed on portfolios as an authentic assessment tool. Student portfolios have been identified as a productive means of showing the progression and stages of student learning.

Co-operative Schools Achieving More (COSAM) (Teacher Professional Leave)

Koo Wee Rup Primary School, Tooradin Primary School, Bayles Regional Primary School (03 November 2006)
Kim Lawrence, Ruth Holland and Jacinta Gunton have developed a document that outlines the content expected to be taught and the expected level of achievement at each level. They have addressed the need of consistency in assessment by developing an assessment timetable, and giving teachers clear, statements that detail what students are expected to achieve in each level. The plan is to moderate their assessment in light of the Victorian Essential Learning Standards.

Kyabram Schools Transforming Learning Initiative (Teacher Professional Leave)

Kyabram Secondary College and Kyabram Primary School (17 October 2006)
Kyabram Secondary College and the Kyabram Primary Schools (Haslem Street and Dawes Road) school councils have agreed to the development of a P-12 school within the township. We investigated: school design (architecture) implications for teaching and learning; school organisation in a seamless P-12 environment; and development of student focused communities or neighbourhoods attuned to stages of learning.

Developing a whole school Inquiry Learning curriculum to engage students and develop scientific concepts and sustainable practices

Kunyung Primary School
This project investigated the ‘5Es Inquiry Model’ (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate) to deliver ‘hands-on’ multi-sensory student centred curriculum. At its core the inquiry embedded sequential scientific concepts, knowledge of and respect for the environment and resulted in social action supporting sustainable practices.

From Lone Rangers to the Dream team: How working together changed the way we plan

Lake Bolac College
The focus of our project was to combine the knowledge, ideas, skills, enthusiasm, experience and dedication of three teachers to improve student achievement in writing and mathematics.

Trill (Top Reads in Lang Lang)

Lang Lang Primary School
This case study is a charming account of how a small school implemented a ‘whole of school’ writing program, which encouraged their students to feel connected to a vibrant, cultural community beyond the boundaries of their own familiar town.

The environment is our responsibility!

Lara Primary School
At Lara Primary School we encourage our teachers, students and the wider community to adopt sustainable practices.

Developing Effective Teams and Promoting a Positive School Culture

Lara Lake Primary School
We investigated the impact of the Leading Teams model on the development of a positive school culture. The model includes developing a Trademark, the feedback process and the use of action plans. We found that school’s who had implemented this model had observed a positive change in the culture of their school.

Student Welfare and Behaviour Management (Teacher Professional Leave)

Lakes Entrance Primary School (17 October 2006)
Behaviour management has been an area of concern throughout the 26 years of Trudy's teaching career. The research conducted here was designed to investigate reasons why students misbehave, to find solutions for repeated niggling behaviours and to discover the qualities necessary for the running of a classroom where all students behave well because that is what feels good for them.

Oral Language Development Through Play (Teacher Professional Leave)

Lalor East Primary School (10 July 2006)
Visiting other primary schools and kindergartens that operate Oral Language Programs based on Educational Play we needed to find out how to establish an Oral Language Centre. What are the optimal conditions that would ensure an improvement in the Oral language of Lalor East Primary School students?

The role and impact of the primary welfare officer (Teacher Professional Leave)

Lalor North Primary School (20 March 2006)
Primary Welfare Officer Georgina Bonzos explored her role by carrying out an investigative study and literature review. She also shadowed other Primary Welfare Officers and was able to gain useful insights into the way which they dealt with absenteeism, engagement and community involvement.

Intercultural Dialogue Project (Teacher Professional Leave)

Lalor North Secondary College (24 July 2006)
The College has taken initiatives in the area of intercultural dialogue, and finding ways to unconceal and appreciate cultural richness in the community.

Developing the use of innovative Information and Communications Technology (ICTs) by staff and students at Lara Secondary College

Lara Secondary College
This project aimed to move teachers at Lara Secondary College from an emerging stage in their use of ICT to an innovative stage. Through this project we were able to effectively take advantage of staff enthusiasm to more fully exploit the power of ICT as a teaching and learning tool.

eLearning for engagement

Leopold Primary School
The TPL project involved looking at how we can re-fresh the school curriculum in Prep to Grade 6 through building teacher confidence and skills in eLearning. The project involved schools visits, staff and student surveys, blog creation, curriculum development, grant applications, staff Professional Development and learning from experts in the field.

Information Communication Technology & Rural Kids

Lismore Primary School
Our action research involved a team of four teachers spanning three schools across two regions, and focused on exploring and improving the knowledge and skills of teachers to ensure the latest Information Communication Technology could be made available for rural children to address rural disadvantage.

Implementing VELS through the Intel Teach to the Future Program (Teacher Professional Leave)

Livingstone Primary School (18 January 2007)
Integrated units of work based on the CSF II were currently implemented throughout all levels of the school. ICT was not a major focus in these units. Through the Intel Teach to the Future Program, the aim was to bring ICT to the forefront of unit creation, while aligning the units with the VELS documents.

Developing and Running a Gifted and Talented Program

Lynbrook Primary School
Developing and running a withdrawal Gifted and Talented Program for grades 3-6 in the areas of Literacy and Numeracy

Developing a Teacher Resource Kit in the use of data, focussing on literacy, numeracy and thinking skills

Lyndhurst Secondary College
The first part of this project investigated multiple ways in which staff at Lyndhurst could collect classroom data with a view to improving student learning outcomes, with the focus on the use of data FOR learning. The second part of this project involved developing a resource database for staff at Lyndhurst Secondary College to access.

Building the capacity for success in boys’ education

Lyndhurst Secondary College
This project identified ways to refine and rebuild the way the curriculum is used to motivate and engage boys to improve literacy, numeracy and overall student connectedness. We focused on a variety of structures from curriculum and program design, right through to the development of effective teaching and learning strategies for ‘boys’ best practice.’

Investigating the Primary Years Program in the International Baccalaureate (Teacher Professional Leave)

Lloyd Street Primary School (03 November 2006)
Neil Smith, Jenny Dew, Helen Granek, Janis Stevens and Janet Williams investigated the Primary Years Program inquiry learning approach as used in other schools and assess its suitability and adaptability to their current school philosophy and approach to learning. As a result of the investigation staff has decided unanimously to embrace the philosophy of Primary Years Program - Inquiry Learning.

Enlightened LOTE - A study on how to teach LOTE effectively within a limited time allocation (Teacher Professional Leave)

Lloyd Street School (19 December 2006)
With the declining time allocation for Languages Other Than English (LOTE) in primary schools, Pamela Sherriff found it increasingly difficult to teach new vocabulary to students because half of each lesson would be spent on revision of the previous lesson.

Meeting Places: an integrated Arts Unit using the Standards (Teacher Professional Leave)

Lloyd Street School (18 April 2006)
Using the Artist in Residence program as the main stimulus, the Team wanted to integrate several dimensions from the three strands of the Victorian Essential Learning Standards in an authentic learning experience.

Engaging the middle years through enquiry, digital storytelling and community involvement (Teacher Professional Leave)

Lynall Hall Community School (17 October 2006)
Community school teacher, Phil Kakulas, investigates how to make the curriculum more engaging for 'at risk' students in Years 9 and 10 using a combination of digital storytelling, enquiry based learning and community involvement.

A program for Pedagogical Change at Year 9 (Teacher Professional Leave)

Lyndhurst Secondary College (03 November 2006)
Nicola Park, Tanya Blanch and Marc Butler used their TPL on The Real Thing. The Real Thing is a subject that has been introduced at Year 9 at Lyndhurst Secondary College to better engage students in their learning. It focuses on providing students with an authentic curriculum based on real life and real student interests. The pedagogical approaches to The Real Thing are based on negotiated curriculum, constructive student-teacher relationships and catering for learning styles, learning preferences and mixed abilities.

Robotics (Teacher Professional Leave)

Lysterfield Primary School (17 October 2006)
The Team's aim was to extend and enrich their teaching of Robotics. The Team aimed to build on previous experiences and introduce students and extend their knowledge of the basic science underpinning the design and operation of robots.

Let's talk about thinking! (Teacher Professional Leave)

Lysterfield Primary School (17 October 2006)
The Professional Leave Team aimed to determine what it took to develop an exciting, stimulating and ongoing thinking curriculum by visiting a range of schools and accessing varied resources.

Social Workers can impact upon children and staff and improve the learning experience for everyone! (Teacher Professional Leave)

Mackellar Primary School (11 August 2006)
To complete her Bachelor of Social Work, Jane Healey used her Teacher Professional Leave to undertake a placement at the Royal Children's Hospital. She gained experience in critical reflection, and further insights into the personal and social aspects of student learning.

Seven sVELte school teachers summarised VELS and survived (Teacher Professional Leave)

Malvern Primary School (19 December 2006)
Working across the primary school levels the Teacher Professional Leave (TPL) team audited the current curriculum. By examining current practice the TPL team was able to align the implementation of Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS) into curriculum planning.

The Development of inferential reading comprehension in the primary years (Teacher Professional Leave)

Malvern Primary School (02 November 2006)
Judith Carter used her TPL to investigate and develop inferential reading comprehension strategies in the primary years in order to improve student learning outcomes. Assessment of the difficulty of reading materials will be ongoing. The reading materials will include narrative and factual texts.

Programs Promoting a Positive School Community (Teacher Professional Leave)

Mansfield Primary School (17 October 2006)
The Team wanted to improve student engagement and wellbeing. The Team are endeavouring to achieve our project through the implementation of innovative programs and teaching practices that will enhance a collective approach to whole school welfare.

Embedding a Culture of Thinking

Malvern Central School
Effective thinking is at the basis of all true learning and builds a strong framework for future learning. This project investigated the Visible Thinking approach, based on Harvard University’s Project Zero Cultures of Thinking research, to promote and explore authentic interdisciplinary learning within the school.

An investigation into Inquiry Learning with the goal of incorporating inquiry throughout the curriculum at Malvern Valley

Malvern Valley Primary School
This project investigated inquiry learning in response to school data on student motivation. The project involved collecting information from a variety of sources, including literature reviews, direct observations and discussions with colleagues from schools at various stages of implementing inquiry learning. A VELS audit was also conducted on the current integrated topics as an impetus for change and to ensure the new model met VELS requirements.

Awesome Middle Years Project Based Pathways to VCAL! (Teacher Professional Leave)

Mansfield Secondary College (17 October 2006)
Mansfield Secondary College has a strong VCAL program. Many students choose this as a second option to VCE. By this stage they have often experienced continual failure and subsequently, lower self-esteem. We needed to develop a program which focuses on the competencies used in VCAL, which could be accessed by ALL students BEFORE they reach Year 11 and 12. This Program was to be project-based and utilise the knowledge and skills of disciplines and be transdiciplinary, that is, solve a real problem, in this case sustainability. We now have a Program called Project 89, facilitated by two teachers and it rocks!!!

Effective Mathematics Teaching and Learning through Assessment and Differentiation (Teacher Professional Leave)

Marlborough Primary School and Eastwood Primary School (18 January 2007)
Primary classroom teachers Logie Edwards and Deb Simpson decided to find out how to use assessment data to differentiate the Maths curriculum focussing on primary and secondary school students. Both also wanted to observe effective techniques for differentiation.

Recognising and extending learning in a music ensemble and organising a new music teacher network. (Teacher Professional Leave)

Matthew Flinders Girls Secondary College (09 January 2006)
Ross Lipson and Richard McLean explored ways to recognise and extend the learning taking place in Sweethearts, a music ensemble that performs in professional contexts, as well as making contacts with other teachers who were developing alternative approaches to student musical performance.

Breaking the Habit of Civility - Pedagogy as an intellectual undertaking- (Teacher Professional Leave)

Melbourne Girls' College (11 August 2006)
This proposal aims to create a supportive environment for the trialling of new pedagogies in integrated studies classrooms; creating a community of teachers as learners, focussed on methods and strategies for deepening their student's understandings.

Creating Rich Projects to engage students and motivate learning (Teacher Professional Leave)

Melrose Primary School (05 December 2006)
Melrose Primary, like many schools, strives to engage and motivate students in learning that expects them to use higher order thinking and problem solving skills. The Teacher Professional Leave team wrote and trialled high quality rich projects resulting in the development of a process for further planning and sustainability.

Peer Coaching and beginning teachers (Teacher Professional Leave)

Mentone Girls' Secondary College (12 December 2006)
The Visual Art KLA at Melbourne Girls' Secondary College was fortunate in having three new teachers in the faculty in 2006. Two of these teachers were first year out. The principles of ongoing Peer Coaching were employed to assist them classroom management organisation, student feedback and assessment and reporting.

Using the thinking curriculum to differentiate the curriculum for the gifted learner (Teacher Professional Leave)

Mentone Girls' Secondary College (19 December 2006)
The aim of this case study research is to explore gifted learners' perceptions about how they best learn, and to explore the teachers' perceptions of how they are differentiating the curriculum to meet the need of gifted learners.

Metacognition for the Pedagogista! (Teacher Professional Leave)

Mentone Girls' Secondary College (12 December 2006)
The role of a teacher in a large school can be relatively isolated. The Team implemented the formation of coaching relationships with colleagues (peer coaching) that facilitated the rehearsal and conscious practising of skills, ultimately leading to the improvement of communication skills and support of the development of curriculum through facilitating "the creation of norms that break down isolation and promote the exchange of ideas through collaborative problem solving." (Research... ..Coaching Skills for Successful Teachers).

'Building Healthy Learning Communities Through Restorative Practices' (Teacher Professional Leave)

Milgate Primary School (24 April 2006)
By investigating the aspects of a healthy learning community, and implementing and imbedding restorative practices into the school culture and ethos, Milgate Primary School hopes to provide a 'Caring Thinking' resource.

Thinking Curriculum Resource - Developing deeper levels of thinking and application (Teacher Professional Leave)

Milgate Primary School (20 November 2006)
Creating a 'Thinking Curriculum Resource' that aims to provide teachers with a wide repertoire of thinking tools and strategies to support and develop skills and activities with an inquiry-based approach to learning across the whole school.

Developing the Compass Award Program in Years 5 to 8 (Teacher Professional Leave)

Milgate Primary School and East Doncaster Secondary College (12 January 2007)
The Team developed the Compass program. The Compass program starts in the middle years of primary school and continues in Years 7 and 8. A manual was written to guide students, teacher mentors and parents undertaking the program. The long term goal was that students would stay with the Program for four years.

IWBer to IWBMer – Introducing Interactive Whiteboards to Milgate Primary School

Milgate Primary School
This project involved researching, sourcing and then introducing Interactive Whiteboards to Milgate Primary School. Its focus was on supporting teachers in using them so that in turn they would give students the opportunity to use them in the classroom to become more engaged.

Supporting the Mini Sets Program (Teacher Professional Leave)

Mill Park Secondary College (29 May 2006)
Using the thinking curriculum, support materials were designed and adapted in line with VELS and POLT, to be used by English classroom teachers when using the Mini Sets with their students (Year 7-9).

We can do it better: VCAL and VET (Teacher Professional Leave)

Mill Park Secondary College (22 June 2006)
Mill Park Secondary College has recognised a need to promote the uptake of both VET and VCAL for those students who might most benefit from "hands on" styles of learning.

Supporting the Mini Sets Program (Teacher Professional Leave)

Mill Park Secondary College (17 October 2006)
Using the thinking curriculum, support materials were designed and adapted in line with VELS and POLT, to be used by English classroom teachers when using the Mini Sets with their students (Year 7-9).

VELS in the Middle Years (Teacher Professional Leave)

Mill Park Secondary College (Middle Years Campus) (18 January 2007)
The College needed to conduct an audit of the current curriculum practices and processes in Middle School to align them with VELS.

How student data can drive reform (Teacher Professional Leave)

Mirboo North and District Schools' Cluster Group (20 March 2006)
The members of the Maths Group spent time specifically concentrating on common fractions. At meetings, many ideas and activities were shared by group members. The Team also devised a Cluster test that looked specifically at common fractions. The test was made up from material from Year 5 and Year 6 maths activities. The test showed that most students have a good, basic understanding of common fractions but struggled to apply this knowledge.

Improving Whole School Teaching & Learning Practice in Mathematics

Mornington Primary School
The focus of our TPL work this year was on improving teacher knowledge and understandings so that it could motivate and inform improved classroom teaching practices

Using data from a professionally developed test of mathematics to direct targeted teaching (Teacher Professional Leave)

Monbulk Primary School (29 May 2006)
Assessment and measurement of student mathematics learning over four years of primary schooling involving pedagogy, numeracy and the interdisciplinary learning context of commu-nication.

Spelling and Assessment and Reporting - including Portfolios (Teacher Professional Leave)

Mont Albert Primary School (10 April 2006)
Glenda Kelly and Glenys Williamson wrote a whole School Spelling Program and a new report and Portfolios. Spelling: both reviewed current teaching practice and existing policy and developed new policy which included consistent teaching approaches. Assessment: reviewed current assessment and reporting practice. Developed new report format and Portfolio of annotated work samples.

Collaborative Teacher Learning – A Team Project

Mont Albert Primary School
This project aimed to introduce Collaborative Teacher Learning throughout the school. Teachers were to reflect on their classroom practice, pedagogy and student engagement in the curriculum areas of Literacy, Numeracy Music or Thinking Skills. Collaborative teaching allowed us to learn from and with each other and hence to enrich our teaching practice.

WERX: A program providing specific and intensive literacy intervention to students with a learning difficulty

Mooroolbark College
This project investigated new ideas for improving the teaching of literacy skills to students with a learning difficulty/dyslexia in years 7 and 8. In response to this, the WERX program at Mooroolbark College was created and implemented. The acronym stands for Writing Excellence and Reading in X Block.

Leading Numeracy in Year 7

Mooroopna Secondary College
This project was instigated to reduce the use of text book driven lessons and to investigate ideas for improving the teaching of numeracy to Year 7. Maths 300 activities and other open ended tasks were used to differentiate lessons to cater for a diverse range of students’ VELS levels at the three different schools. Common planning time by the Year 7 team of teachers (at each school), resulted in common, differentiated lessons being delivered and assessed.

A Unified Approach to LOTE –Italian Year 8 Curriculum

Mooroopna Secondary College
In response to the introduction of the Victorian Essential Learning Standards, the Italian teachers in Shepparton and Mooroopna decided to create a common Italian curriculum to serve all schools.

Telling stories through the use of Digital Technology (Teacher Professional Leave)

Montrose Primary School (08 February 2006)
Carolyn Elliot was seeking to provide an opportunity for teachers to develop their own learning thereby having an impact upon their students. The conception of animation and digital storytelling was able to be applied over a broad range of units thereby encompassing all topics within the school environment.

PoLT - Driving Student Reflection (Teacher Professional Leave)

Mooroopna Park Primary School (14 February 2007)
The Team undertook the Leave project in conjunction with their training as PoLT coordinators at their school and sought to maximise the role of the student in the learning process. Just as teachers were reflecting on their practice, the Team at the same time, put in place several processes and strategies to encourage students to do the same. Personalised learning was a central focus of development and they supported staff through providing professional development throughout the project.

Engagement in Grade 5/6 (Teacher Professional Leave)

Morang South Primary School (08 February 2006)
The Team at Morang South Primary School wanted to extend and support learning, reduce student absenteeism and prepare children for their future, especially their technological future. To do this they used eLearning in the classroom.

Community/Environment Professional Learning Team (Teacher Professional Leave)

Mordialloc Cluster: Aspendale Primary School, Aspendale Gardens Primary School, Chelsea Primary School, Edithvale Primary School, Mordialloc College (02 November 2006)
Anne Grigg, Barbara Hallinan, Peter Horne, Barb Sharp and Danielle Adam have defined the goals of the project as looking at resources available throughout the cluster and sharing of those resources. The resources that were sought and shared included; units relating to the unique environment in our area (wetlands and beach), contact people available and relevant projects. The sense of camaraderie that was fostered and developed throughout the leave and across the cluster has proved hugely beneficial to all cluster schools.

Quality Assessment and Reporting (incorporating digital portfolios) (Teacher Professional Leave)

Mordialloc College (03 November 2006)
The Team wanted to explore ways to improve reflection through the implementation of digital portfolios as the standard means of student assessment and as an integral part of the parent/teacher reporting cycle was the area that they wished to focus on. Implementing performance and development portfolios for staff, linked to the professional standards and the Plan, Do, Study, Act cycle was seen as a means of providing a similar experience for teachers and students.

History Mysteries C.S.I. : An Inquiry Learning Model

Moriac Primary School
This project investigated the ways in which students relate to History and how it is taught in schools. Based on academic and in school research, an inquiry learning model was developed ( to provide an investigative model) in which students and teachers share a common understanding of language, purpose and procedure.

Leading from within: Building Teacher Capacity in Years 7, 8 and 9 in the quest to improve the quality of teaching and learning

Mordialloc College
Mordialloc College has in the last few years attempted to increase student engagement in Literacy and Numeracy through an innovative curriculum program where self-directed learning has become the “new normal”. In my TPL project I sought new ways of teaching numeracy to our Year 7 students as well as assisting other staff in a whole year level program.

Implementing the Victorian Essential Learning Standards via digital curriculum

Mount Beauty Primary School
This project looked at implementing VELS via digital applications. Our school designed digital curriculum on Easiteach software for levels 1 to 4 to be used on our Interactive White Boards. The project increased the staffs skill set in eLearning and digital applications and increased the student’s engagement levels in the classroom. Furthermore the project increased the schools learning environment and allowed our staff to present world’s best practice in the classroom.

Engaging year 9 & 10 students through Multimedia and real world experiences

Mount Beauty Secondary College
Students were invited to participate in the production of a series of documentary films based on the three year construction of the AGL Bogong (hydro electric) Power Development Project. In order to create their stories, students formed film crews. With the support of a professional film maker, school staff and AGL Project Management and sub contractors, students were able to engage in challenging ‘real world’ experiences. Completed stories were then available for public viewing at the Mt Beauty Information Centre.

With teachers, for teachers and by teachers - building curriculum knowledge and effective teaching practice in Mathematics.

Mount Evelyn Primary School
This action research project utilized teacher mentoring and coaching strategies that aimed to enhance teachers’ curriculum knowledge, teaching practice and student outcomes in mathematics for Primary aged students (5 -12 years)

Working together for a common goal - a cluster approach to Assessment and Reporting (Teacher Professional Leave)

Mount Beauty Primary School (17 October 2006)
Jenny wanted to investigate the current assessment and reporting practices of the Upper Kiewa Valley cluster schools, and help the staff of the five cluster schools to introduce the new report card.

Developing a Thinking Curriculum (Teacher Professional Leave)

Mount Waverley Secondary College (01 August 2006)
A team of teachers completed the Masters of Education subject on Designing A Thinking Curriculum with Clinton Golding. After completing the unit they pooled their thoughts and developed a curriculum philosophy for the school based upon the specific needs of the College.

Talking tricks and toys for boys: engaging boys in school and learning (Teacher Professional Leave)

Moyhu Primary School and Greta Valley Primary School (17 October 2006)
Talking tricks and toys for boys stimulated from teachers, Jeanette Parkes and Lee-Anne Bush's involvement in the Success for Boys Lighthouse project. They felt that further professional development would assist them in planning and implement units of work.

4Cthinker.com (Teacher Professional Leave)

Mt Eliza Cluster (03 November 2006)
Pamela Munroe Smith, Natasha Crooks, Craig Brumley, Christine Taylor and Bill O'Brien decided that following a cluster conference a need emerged for an efficient avenue to disseminate information, with supporting resources for teachers, and supporting their focus of developing Critical, Creative, Caring and Competent Thinkers throughout the cluster. The Team developed a web site that provided a resource for development of the 4C's for the Mount Eliza Cluster.

How can we use collaborative teaching practices and increased use of ICT to improve student outcomes in Year 7 Literacy and Numeracy?

Mt Eliza Secondary College
Action research was used to apply numeracy and literacy teaching & learning strategies to four classes of Year 7 students. Five classes remained as the control group. Student improvement data was used to identify the value of the learning strategies used. Monash University collaborated to assist with the management and evaluation of the research.

Development of Year 7 English and Reading Program (Teacher Professional Leave)

Mt Erin Secondary College (08 February 2006)
Christine Rossey, Rodney Schober and Lyn Motteram sought information on current programs within feeder primary schools in the area of English. Using this knowledge they researched best practice to develop a Year 7 English program which extended and developed the Primary School's programs and which incorporated effective planning and assessment practices.

Personalising Student Learning (Teacher Professional Leave)

Mt Evelyn Primary School (08 February 2006)
The Team at Morang South Primary School wanted to extend and support learning, reduce student absenteeism and prepare children for their future, especially their technological future. To do this they used eLearning in the classroom.

Personal and Social Learning Curriculum for students with Special Learning Needs (Teacher Professional Leave)

Mt Evelyn Special Developmental School (08 February 2006)
The Team focused on creating a Personal and Social Learning Curriculum that was functional, meaningful and relevant for students with intellectual disabilities. The recent introduction of the Victorian Essential Learning Standards greatly impacted on the creation of this document where the Team ensured the VELS learning experiences, format, philosophy and terminology was incorporated.

Rich Numeracy Tasks (Teacher Professional Leave)

Mt Waverley Primary School and Mt Waverley North Primary School (12 January 2007)
The Team developed rich numeracy tasks that would engage students, encourage more meaningful teaching and provide assessment opportunities across the domains of Mathematics, Personal Learning and Thinking.

SkillZ@Mullauna - An interdisciplinary, skill based approach to student learning at Year 9

Mullauna College - Secondary
SkillZ@Mullauna, is a program to engage Year 9 students (15-16 yrs) in their learning by developing their range of skills, challenging them with rich complex tasks and providing them with opportunities to work as individuals, in teams and with the wider community.

Inspiring Young Minds in the Middle Years through a collaborative team approach

Murtoa College
This project developed a collaborative team approach to design, delivery and evaluation of integrated inquiry based learning for students in the middle years. It used action research to create and refine sustainable practices that can be shared with other teams keen to create purposeful programs that link learning and cater for the individual student needs.

Enhancing teachers understanding of the Early Years Numeracy Interview to effectively support student learning trajetories P-3 (Teacher Professional Leave)

Murchison Primary School (17 October 2006)
To assist teachers implementation of an effective numeracy program, and support children in their numeracy learning trajectory, Early Years Numeracy Co-ordinator Vivian Gibson undertook a Master of Education degree in Numeracy. This course assisted Vivian to enhance teacher knowledge of the EY Numeracy Interview and the data analysis.

Peer reflection/Mirror Mirror (Teacher Professional Leave)

Murrumbeena Primary School, McKinnon Primary School, Ormond Primary School, Valkstone Primary School, McKinnon Secondary College (05 December 2006)
Representatives from the schools within the McKinnon Cluster undertook a training program in peer coaching. It involved coaching skills for successful teaching, resulting in the possibility of mutual reflection and developing strengths in teaching practices. These skills and ideas were taken back to their individual schools.

Philosophy in the Classroom (Teacher Professional Leave)

Myrtleford Primary School (17 October 2006)
Research the impact of how the explicit teaching of Philosophical Inquiry in the classroom can raise student learning outcomes through developing critical, creative and ethical thinking skills.

Trialling the IEC-EM Maths program at Year 7 and 8 and Introduction of Graphics Calculators to Junior School Maths (Teacher Professional Leave)

Myrtleford Secondary College (17 October 2006)
Our school is trying to improve student outcomes in maths and were keen to implement and trial a new program that would be consistent with others across Australia.

Reporting and Assessment for Learning Team (Teacher Professional Leave)

Narre Warren South P-12 College (05 December 2006)
Gary Bolch, Sui-Kim Howlett, Indra Walia, Christine Davey-White, Cheryl Gates, Carmel Sheedy and Susan Stoneman want to raise student achievement by engaging all teachers, students and parents as active participants in the assessment process. The main focus has been on developing assessment strategies that are formative. Formative assessment is about using the information gained to improve learning.

Tracking Students with Special Needs (Post School)

Nelson Park School
This was a joint project across Eastern and Western Regions of the Victorian Education Department. We investigated current tracking systems in Victorian Schools. The aim was to enable improved tracking of students with special needs, while providing data for further education provision and training needs.

Managing Autism Spectrum Disorder Students in a Mainstream Primary School

Newcomb Park Primary School
There are eleven students on the Autism Spectrum Disorder Disability program at Newcomb Park Primary School which has an enrolment of 186. It is important that the school can provide relevant programs and have a clear understanding of how these students learn. To support these students we have introduced many new strategies.

The GIFT Program: Improving engagement & connectedness of Year 9 students to school and community.

Newcomb Secondary College
The G.I.F.T Program was developed in an attempt to improve Year 9's engagement and connectedness with school and the community. Our TPL has been to develop two, one week Integrated Project programs for all Year 9 students at Newcomb Secondary College. We have called it the G.I.F.T program (Great Ideas For Tomorrow).

Creating OLAR - an Oral Language Activity Room (Teacher Professional Leave)

Newport Lakes Primary School (01 August 2006)
Following their research into Oral Language, Tammi Cordell and Denise O'Shea worked to set up an Oral Language Activity room based on dramatic play, and art and craft at specific activity stations.

An online syllabus will change the way to teach (Teacher Professional Leave)

Noble Park English Language School (19 December 2006)
An online syllabus will change the way curriculum is delivered in a language school. It will improve the quality and consistency of teaching, promote sharing and provide teachers with the structure they need in a constantly changing environment.

Empowering students to be successful individuals using the 16 Habits of Mind

Noble Park Primary School
This project was aimed at making student success a habit. Students and teachers have become consciously aware of developing the use of the 16 Habits of Mind as dispositions to achieve success.

Development of Partial-Immersion Integrated program (LOTE/ SOSE/ICT) (Teacher Professional Leave)

Noble Park Secondary College (02 November 2006)
Andrew Blumbergs and Gwyn McClelland used their TPL on the Development program. The Program centres around the integration of the curriculum in the Middle Years. There will be a LOTE Partial Immersion/Integrated Curriculum Program at Year 7 and 8 and Certificates of Applied Language developed and implemented at Year 9 and 10. It is envisaged that best practice pedagogy (SOSE/LOTE/ICT integration, thinking curriculum) will result in greater student engagement and an improvement in student learning outcomes.

Closing the Gap: Improving Literacy outcomes using the Reading to Learn pedagogy

North Melbourne Primary School
This project investigated trialling Reading to Learn, a pedagogy that scaffolds reading and writing of different genres to improve literacy outcomes, in a Middle Years teaching team. Modelled lessons and a professional learning community increased teacher understanding and established the foundations to embed the pedagogy across the school.

Linking Pedagogy to Space: Teaching for the Future within an Innovative Building Design (Teacher Professional Leave)

Oak Park Primary School (21 November 2006)
Working with Oak Park Primary School's new building design, as set by the Department of Education and Training, the Team has researched and investigated how to best use the building space to create an environment that will sustain future directions and embrace changes in Education.

Authentic Assessment (Teacher Professional Leave)

Ormond Primary School (03 November 2006)
EveArnold-Movitz and Christina Michell focused on improving the learning outcomes of the students through their direct involvement in assessment practices. These have been developed through immersion experiences, discoveries, criteria development that lead to a true sense of ownership of the assessment process on the part of the student.

Professional Learning - What are the most effective contexts in which teachers can respond to educational change in the curriculum? (Teacher Professional Leave)

Overport Primary School (12 December 2006)
The purpose of the research was to identify forms of Professional Learning, investigate which styles of Professional Learning were most effective in different teaching and learning contexts and implement a range of Professional Learning within the school context.

CAMP! - Connectedness And Motivation in the middle years at Parkdale Primary School (Teacher Professional Leave)

Parkdale Primary School (19 December 2006)
Once upon a time there were three very energetic and motivated teachers who decided to venture out on a learning journey. The youngest one was up for anything, the oldest one said, "Uh oh!", and the middle one just liked being in the middle. So off they went to find out what was "just right" to motivate middle-years students and keep them connected.

Teaching teachers RUBRICS: Improving assessment practice to monitor student progress (Teacher Professional Leave)

Parkdale Secondary College (05 December 2006)
A cross-curricular team designed and facilitated teacher workshops in the theory of developmental assessment and rubric design. Parkdale Secondary College sees valid and reliable assessment practices as a central component of a developmental assessment approach to learning with teacher confidence and understanding of curriculum change and pedagogy being central to successful implementation. The team also worked with learning areas to incorporate these practices when auditing curriculum against the VELS.

Engage, excite, enhance with e.learning using Interactive Whiteboards

Parkdale Primary School
This project team investigated the introduction of Interactive Whiteboards into Prep-six classrooms across the whole school. The knowledge gained was shared with teachers who were encouraged to trial, reflect and demonstrate best practice use of IWB in their classrooms to engage students and enhance student learning.

Refreshing literacy learning using an IWB for a group of Level 3 boys.

Park Orchards Primary School
This project investigated a variety of Interactive Whiteboard (IWB) eteaching strategies to refresh attitudes to literacy learning and improve literacy outcomes for an identified group of Level 3 boys (8-10yrs) at Park Orchards Primary School.

DVD - PoLT Re-View, Re-Flect Re-Energise our teaching practice (Teacher Professional Leave)

Pascoe Vale South Primary School (22 June 2006)
PoLT Coordinator and Innovations and Excellence Coordinator Dora Menz created a 20 minute DVD about the Principles of Learning and Teaching. The DVD documented the experiences and reflections of teachers and coordinators as they implemented PoLT in their schools.

Effective Teaching of Mathematics in the Early Years (Teacher Professional Leave)

Pascoe Vale South Primary School (22 June 2006)
Early Years Numeracy Trainer and Prep classroom teacher Anne Bashford undertook a Master of Education degree at Australia Catholic University. This course offers a specialisation in Early Years Numeracy, including an Intervention and Additional Assistance unit.

Creating Learning Communities: Engaging the disengaged at Year 9 (Teacher Professional Leave)

Patterson River Secondary College (19 December 2006)
The Team acknowledged the well recognised concerns with engaging Year 9 students in an educational program. The Team wanted to know what was being done in other schools to address their problems and how we could establish a program specifically for the school, incorporating the best practise from their action research.

Restructuring the curriculum for VELS (Teacher Professional Leave)

Pender's Grove Primary School (29 May 2006)
The Team will audit and evaluate the current curriculum. Both will research and attend professional development to inform them of best practices. The Team will work with students and staff to rethink curriculum organisation in line with VELS.

Investigating best teaching and learning practice in exemplary schools, specifically investigating best practice in the Later Years (Teacher Professional Leave)

Peter Lalor Secondary College (20 March 2006)
Adrienne Johnson investigated best practice in "Like" and exemplary schools in the Later Years, access post-graduate studies in professional learning to refine and develop the research and share professional learning by means of PD in the Later Years Learning Team.

“A Flying Start” – Year 7 Integrated Studies

Portland Secondary College
The project investigated, and trialled new curriculum, pedagogy and structural changes to year 7 to ensure a smooth Transition from primary school and to encourage student engagement. A trial of ideas and pedagogy was completed. A new integrated curriculum approach with fewer teachers and subjects will be adopted in 2009.

Defining a Developmental Curriculum for First Year Primary Children and the Implications for Staff (Teacher Professional Leave)

Princes Hill Primary School (10 July 2006)
The Professional Learning team set out to investigate the premise that a child's developmental stage and their learning are intertwined and how, the child's interests cannot be separated from the learning experiences schools provide for them. Play and project based learning was not merely inserted as an 'add on' to the existing Prep program, but rather became as an integral element of Princes Hill's own innovative curriculum.

The development of digital portfolios, embedded with the Victorian Essential Learning Standards, and the transition process to secondary school (Teacher Professional Leave)

Rangeview Primary School (16 February 2006)
Ian Bunston's TPL addressed the VELS Domain 'Information and Communication Technologies', using digital portfolio (DPF) development as a tool to capture a student's learning journey encompassing reflective thinking skills and Habits of Mind. Investigation of the transition process to secondary school for continued development was also undertaken.

Is Play the Way?

Rangebank Primary School
This project investigated implementing the Developmental Curriculum as a way of improving social skills amongst new prep children, creating a smooth transition into the prep program and learning environment which is engaging and motivational, and to increase literacy skills.

Improving Numeracy outcomes with Open-Ended and Critical Thinking tasks (Teacher Professional Leave)

Red Hill Consolidated School (03 November 2006)
Lyn Lewis, Kate Emry and Clare Morfett wanted to improve student outcomes in the number and measurement strands of maths, addressing our schools' charter priorities. They attended professional development to improve their knowledge of thinking strategies and visited other schools to share best practices. They produced a resource kit of task cards for staff to use, encouraging the teaching of open ended and critical thinking in maths.

Teacher and Student Attitudes, Confidence and skills with ICTs (Teacher Professional Leave)

Ringwood North Primary School (29 May 2006)
This Teacher Professional Leave project is part of a larger/longer research thesis. The aim of this research is to find out whether or not there is a correlation between teachers' attitudes to and confidence with ICT, students' socio-economic environments and students' ICT skills. As ICTs increasingly play a role in and impact on educational outcomes, the broader social and legal implications (including issues of social justice) are important areas of research. Current, relevant research provides an important reference tool for the development of policies and guidelines.

Student welfare and well being program implementation and investigation (Teacher Professional Leave)

Rochester Primary School (18 January 2007)
The TPL team has worked across all levels within the school and integrated the foundations of the You Can Do It program into VELS and produced a document that links the foundations to the outcomes in the VELS document.

Establishing a 'Habits of Mind' Program (Teacher Professional Leave)

Rochester Secondary College (20 March 2006)
Neville Borger focused on Habits of Mind to improve student learning behaviours and integrated this Program into the whole school curriculum.

From passion to marriage: Developing a Literacy Framework (Teacher Professional Leave)

Rolling Hills Primary School (12 January 2007)
Four teachers from Rolling Hills Primary School embarked on a project to identify and develop a consistent literacy program P - 6.

Implementing Developmental Curriculum in the Prep area to improve children’s engagement with learning

Rollins Primary School
This case study explores a play and project based way of learning (Developmental Curriculum) that focuses on the emotional, social, cognitive, language and physical domains as a way to engage children in more meaningful learning.

Investigating pedagogical practices to support the young deaf learner (Teacher Professional Leave)

Rosanna Golf Links Primary School, Deaf Facility (16 June 2006)
Teacher of the Deaf, Jan Wigley, explored ways in which provision is made for deaf and hearing impaired students to learn within mainstream education. Jan visited five other Deaf Facilities and one school in metropolitan Melbourne to gain insights into pedagogy, curriculum and observe exemplary practice.

Developing Music, Drama and Dance Curriculum (Teacher Professional Leave)

Rosebud Secondary College (12 December 2006)
During the six years I had worked in the school, so many teachers had come and gone with great ideas and contributions to the performing arts. Very little of the work however had been collated into a sequential curriculum.

Restructuring and remodelling the delivery of literacy support for Year 7 students to improve literacy outcomes

Rosebud Secondary College
This project investigated ways of delivering effective literacy support to those students selected for literacy intervention. Primary school literacy delivery was investigated as were the models used in chosen secondary settings. Different models of delivery were investigated and different literacy resources were sought out and trialled to achieve better outcomes for students involved in our literacy program.

Implementation & Evaluation of the Year 9 Learning 4 Living Project

Rosebud Secondary College
This project investigated the effectiveness of the Year 9 Learning 4 Living program during its third stage; full implementation across the entire Year 9 level. Indicators such as attendance levels, student and teacher attitudes and academic results data were analyzed to make appropriate adjustments to the program in preparation for its implementation at the fourth stage in 2009.

Implementing change in the Year 9 Program with Learning 4 Living (Teacher Professional Leave)

Rosebud Secondary College (12 December 2006)
Lorna Gebert focused her TPL on researching the Middle Years and Innovative Year 9 Programs with a view to implementing a new program at the College in 2007 for Year 9 students.

To investigate the relationship between Teaching Approaches and Student Learning (Teacher Professional Leave)

Rubicon Outdoor Centre (20 March 2006)
Helen Godfrey and Sue Steel want to deliver improved student outcomes due to the pedagogical knowledge process and practices of the teaching team. They would like to modify the curriculum design and programs to incorporate Rubicon's Values.

Discovery Tour - Engaging Boys in Literacy (Teacher Professional Leave)

Ruskin Park Primary School (18 January 2007)
Discussion, information and ideas were abundant when Lynn Williams visited five schools, surfed the internet and reviewed articles exploring the topic, 'Engaging Boys in Literacy'.

Integration of ICT in everyday VELS curriculum

Roslyn Primary School
This project investigated new ideas for improving the teaching of literacy skills to Preparatory grade children (4-6 yrs). Based on a variety of sources, including direct observations from pre-school settings, it found appropriately structured play-based approaches improved teaching literacy outcomes among young children

Integrated Curriculum ‘Throughlines’

Roxburgh Rise Primary School
This project investigated the use of Throughlines in the implementation of Integrated Curriculum programs across Victorian and Tasmanian schools. Based on a variety of school visits, professional reading and surveys conducted a Integrated Inquiry Scope and Sequence was developed to benefit the learning of students at Roxburgh Rise P.S. by ensuring that each dimension of the Victorian Essential Learning Standards were incorporated.

Spelling: Is this the answer? (Teacher Professional Leave)

Rye Primary School (02 November 2006)
Leanne Bainbridge and Narelle Parfait have used their TPL to find or create a simple spelling program. The program they needed had to authentically span all curriculum areas and be able to work within VELs. It needed a developmental continuum that gives teachers an easy format to follow, spelling strategies and various activities for explicit teaching practice and assessment. Both are trialling the new program in the school now.

Developing Social Competencies in the Primary School (Teacher Professional Leave)

Rye Primary School (03 November 2006)
Michelle Venturin and Helen Scalora developed a whole school lesson continuum related to social competencies for teachers and students within their school, giving demonstration lessons in grades, presenting at a cluster forum, taking staff professional developments, implementing programs for students and publishing information in the school newsletter.

Enhancing Humanities Education through thinking curriculum (Teacher Professional Leave)

Sandringham College (03 November 2006)
Kerry Holmquest, Jillian Marshall and Deidre Jackson focused their TPL around the enhancement of the teaching and learning in the humanities curriculum area. It is envisaged that best practice pedagogy (including ICT, thinking curriculum, student and teacher teamwork) will result in greater student engagement and an improvement in student learning outcomes at the two junior campuses of the College.

Students at the centre: working towards personalisation

Sandringham College
My professional learning was about how to take the rhetoric of ‘personalised learning’ and put it into the classroom.

Coaching skills for successful teachers (Teacher Professional Leave)

Sandringham Primary School (12 December 2006)
The team completed five days formal training with a Performance Learning Systems facilitator which included practising peer coaching skills with team and cluster colleagues.

Animals, vegetables and waste - turning our school into a sustainable community (Teacher Professional Leave)

Seaford North Primary School (12 December 2006)
Andy Millward and his colleague Mel Anderson wanted to turn their school community into one with a focus on sustainability. With 300 children, a farm and plenty of space they set about developing a sustainability cycle, incorporating the school's animals, school waste, composting and growing vegetables.

Teaching and Learning - Thinking Curriculum (Teacher Professional Leave)

Seaford North Primary School (03 November 2006)
Lisa Dadoukian, Rhonda Thornton, Sally-Anne Jackson are currently implementing teaching and learning strategies, with a focus on enhancing student learning outcomes across all Key Learning Areas, to enhance student achievement and engagement through the use of ICT. The staff is provided with high impact teaching strategies related to the Thinking Curriculum. These are used in classrooms to engage students and to help them develop critical thinking across all curriculum areas.

Boys' Education: 'A Learning Journey' (Teacher Professional Leave)

Seaford Park Primary School (15 December 2006)
Boys' Education was a priority at Seaford Park. Nicole Cowling researched an action plan and explored the benefits of restorative practices to fit the needs of the children at Seaford Park. Through school visits and attending Professional Development Nicole came up with programs that best engage the students at Seaford Park Primary School.

Investigating effective ways to communicate with boys (Teacher Professional Leave)

Seaford Park Primary School (15 December 2006)
Generalist Teacher Peter Clemson attended a variety of conferences and schools to research strategies to improve communication skills with boys. Peter learnt about: counselling strategies, anger management, Expressive Therapies, drama, curriculum, mentoring and the benefits of chess.

Learning Disabilities - a disability in disguise (Teacher Professional Leave)

Seaford Primary School (19 December 2006)
Advances in the field of Learning Disabilities has meant that there is a wide battery of assessment tools that teachers can utilise to assist in identifying the specific learning needs of students and developing universal design of curriculum to meet those needs.

Forward Thinking (Teacher Professional Leave)

Seymour Cluster Education (08 February 2006)
Seymour Cluster want to improve student learning outcomes, student engagement, teacher expertise through professional development, modelling, discussion, curriculum development and exploring the importance of the Thinking Curriculum directly linked to VELS and POLT.

Improving Pedagogy in Year 7 using Middle Years Strategies (Teacher Professional Leave)

Seymour Technical High School (12 January 2007)
A multi pronged team approach, based on middle years research, was used in Year 7 at Seymour Technical High School to begin the implementation of VELS as well as addressing the need to improve teacher pedagogy and student learning outcomes. Approaches to improve student connectedness were also implemented. 2006 Student results, as measured by AIM data and the Student Attitudes to School Survey have shown significant improvement.

Improving Pedagogy in Year 7 (Teacher Professional Leave)

Seymour Technical High School (12 January 2007)
Anne Fraser's focus was on improving student engagement in Year 7 via use of a whole range of approaches, including the use of interactive whiteboards.

Adopting Middle Year Strategies to Engage Students in their Learning (Teacher Professional Leave)

Seymour Technical High School (25 January 2006)
Galina Georgios and Rosemary Grubelnik want to improve collaboration and cooperation between teachers within the same year levels to create a team approach for more efficient and effective planning, teaching and learning. Both want to motivate students and to show them that skills learned can be transferred across learning areas.

Thinking P - 6 @ Sherbourne (Teacher Professional Leave)

Sherbourne Primary School (10 July 2006)
This project will be the impetus for sustained improvements in teaching and learning leading to improved student outcomes. Sherbourne students will become responsible risk takers as they validate their knowledge enabling them to create new knowledge, build ideas and make connections between them.

CURRICULUM FOR THE FUTURE-putting our students at the centre

Silverton Primary School
Our TPL team investigated different curriculum structures that demonstrated innovative exemplary pedagogical practices. Based on our findings we have enhanced and redeveloped a whole school curriculum approach that addresses a 21st Century Personalised Learner based around how students learn.

To continue to assess student personal and social development in the outdoor education program at Somers School Camp and to embed these practices into the program with a view to reporting to schools and parents. (Teacher Professional Leave)

Somers School Camp (02 November 2006)
The Somers School Camp team elected to review and improve assessment and reporting practices within their workplace (specifically the area of physical, personal and social development). The Team undertook an action research project which resulted in a number of new assessment practices being incorporated into the program. They have developed strategic partnerships with ACER, Melbourne University and other organisations to develop the work.

Development of Music Policy and Somers School Camp Specific Music Program

Somers School Camp
This TPL sought to write a music policy document, specific to Somers School Camp and develop a series of music lessons which were age appropriate for students in grade 5 and 6.

Restructuring professional learning teams to influence teaching practice and student outcomes

Somerville Primary School
This project investigated ways of how to strengthen our Professional Learning Teams through the introduction of protocols, organisation of meetings and goal setting. The Literacy Team was the model that was used to measure progress in this TPL project. Information was gained from a variety of sources including school visits, professional readings, staff surveys and the services of a professional Teaching and Learning coach.

Setting the climate for professional learning

South Oakleigh College
We wanted to establish a climate that inspires teachers to work collaboratively. Based on teacher feedback, I found that carefully structured protocols and reflective practice prepared a trusting environment for teachers to learn. In this environment, our team used ‘Backwards Design’ to create a responsive Pastoral Care program that was valued by students.

Student Wellbeing and School Connectedness

Southern Cross Primary School
The focus of our project dealt with the investigating and developing teacher understanding of how children engage with their school and take responsibility for their own learning. It found that incorporating philosophies such as Restorative Justice, TRIBES, Circle Time and Boys Education improved school engagement of boys across the school.

The role of ICT in independent LOTE learning - towards a paperless LOTE (Teacher Professional Leave)

Southern Cross Primary School (15 December 2006)
This study looked at ways of providing ICT solutions for independent learning and addressing the wide range of individual differences in LOTE classes.

Literacy Amelioration Through LOTE: A New Focus on Student Learning (Teacher Professional Leave)

Southern Cross Primary School (19 December 2006)
Working across seventeen schools (primary and secondary), teacher Dr Andree Rodwell examined levels of Literacy development of students who studied LOTE. How do students learn English and how do they learn a LOTE? Do similarities enhance learning of English literacy?

Building a social conscience: Throwing passion back into our classrooms using an Environmental curriculum (Teacher Professional Leave)

Southern Cross Primary School (19 December 2006)
This curriculum aims to take a child on a journey exploring the many social, cultural and environmental issues and beliefs of this generation. To put the "Real World" learning into action and teach about "Real issues" that all people must take responsibility for.

'Building Curiosity, Enquiry and Creativity' - 'Engaging students in an ICT curriculum using creativity' (Teacher Professional Leave)

Southern Cross Primary School (19 December 2006)
Esther Hall focused her TPL project on finding out how outstanding schools in ICT were engaging students learning. Esther visited schools and experts in Victoria, NSW, SA, QLD and Tasmania with the view of improving the ICT program at Southern Cross.

Effective Leadership in the United Kingdom (Teacher Professional Leave)

Southern Metropolitan Region (12 December 2006)
Over 21 days Vaya Cross and Jennifer Collier visited six extraordinary schools across England to discover the qualities which make them exemplary schools. Through interviews with the Head Teachers and a leading educator on leadership, Dr Dean Fink, Vaya and Jennifer discovered five qualities of effective leadership.

Do we value our values? (Teacher Professional Leave)

Spotswood Primary School (01 August 2006)
As the Student Welfare Coordinator at Spotswood Primary School, Anne McNaughton, developed a 'start-up' Values Program that would see each class in the school making the school values 'real' for them.

Does your Numeracy program add up? (Teacher Professional Leave)

Spotswood Primary School (01 August 2006)
A small school investigated how to improve numeracy. Three key components were identified - consistency, assessment and resources.

Solving the Jigsaw Training - Changing the Culture of Violence (Teacher Professional Leave)

Spring Gully Primary School (20 March 2006)
Wendy Donaldson wants to promote a culture, language and understanding that encourages discussion and constructive action on the issue of violence, bullying, anxiety and a range of life issues including loss and grief and the power in groups.

Victorian Essential Learning Standards - One school's journey of inquiry through the forest of VELS (Teacher Professional Leave)

Springvale West Primary School (05 December 2006)
This report charts the reorganisation and pathway taken by Springvale West Primary School in auditing their curriculum in line with the new Victorian Essential Learning Standards. It highlights the reasons for the implementation of the Inquiry Model encompassing thinking skills and authentic assessment as the vehicle for effective teaching and learning.

Life-long Values for Effective Learners (Teacher Professional Leave)

St Albans Heights Primary School (24 July 2006)
The Team have introduced Habits of Mind (HoM) and You Can Do It (YCDI) as a response to the need within the cluster for a shared language and to provide students with the HoM necessary to become successful learners.

Becoming an independent learner; e-portfolios and the Student Learning Journey (Teacher Professional Leave)

St Albans Secondary College (01 August 2006)
Working with Year 7 students at St Albans Secondary College, teacher Mark Micallef guides 200 lifelong learners through their personal learning journey using digital portfolios; but with a twist - the student is the Manager!

How can we reform our curriculum planning model to allow for VELS planning and implementation and the specific needs of students with special needs?

St Albans East Primary School
In this project we investigated a variety of curriculum models to then determine which curriculum model best fit the needs of our students and assisted us to effectively implement VELS. We visited exemplary schools, attended relevant PD which enabled us to share this knowledge back with staff to develop future curriculum directions of our school.

Creating a whole school ‘Developmental Numeracy Learning Framework’, according to the George Booker learning sequences

Strathmore North Primary School
Our project investigated the teaching and learning of mathematics, specifically Number, according to the George Booker sequence. We achieved this through the development and implementation of a “Developmental Numeracy Learning Framework”. Teachers are now planning and teaching maths sessions using a consistent approach from Prep to Year 6, with more of an emphasis on the individual learning needs of students.

Extreme Makeover- Transforming Learning Communities

Surfside Primary School
This action project is about the journey of two classroom based leading teachers who undertook the challenging task of investigating, understanding and implementing a strategic process of change to create whole school improvement. It involved collaborating and consulting with our staff, students and parent community to establish a shared vision for our school.

Nanotechnology in the classroom - A daring innovation to revitalise the science curriculum (Teacher Professional Leave)

St Helena Secondary College (10 July 2006)
The purpose of this Program was to investigate the teaching of nanotechnology to secondary school students. Seven teachers learnt about nano-science and its applications of nanotechnologies and the practical and social issues associated. A semester-long nanotechnology program for Year 10 Science was developed and activities were introduced in 7-9 science and 11 chemistry.

Acid in the Primary Classroom - Using digital music creation (Teacher Professional Leave)

Strathfieldsaye Primary School (24 July 2006)
Diane Milich wanted to find a means for all students, regardless of musical ability or knowledge, of using music creation as a part of their projects across the curriculum. Diane wanted to find a computer program that is easy to use and easy to integrate with other programs. The aim was to start with the Grade 5 and 6 students.

Spiral Integrated Curriculum Model (Teacher Professional Leave)

Strathfieldsaye Primary School (29 May 2006)
The Team originally wanted to further develop and strengthen their Web-linked Learning program, however, with the introduction of VELS, PoLT, the Team felt it necessary to start at the beginning with the Integrated Unit Structure. From there the Team can move into developing the Web-linked learning and make it much more meaningful and relevant to their students.

At the Cutting Edge - Innovations in ICT, teacher practice and student learning (Teacher Professional Leave)

Streeton Primary School (11 August 2006)
The Team initially investigated the latest Information and Communication Technology innovations and best practice through research and school visits. The main foci was to observe how information and communication technology components were being used to engage students, and how teachers implemented their use in the classroom.

Emotional Intelligence - Empowering and Educating School Communities (Teacher Professional Leave)

Sunbury/Diggers Rest Network (20 March 2006)
The Team developed an interest in the implications of Emotional Intelligence for school communities. The aim of their TPL was to research and develop an educational framework for Emotional Intelligence and to link with and build on a current research initiative by Swinburne University 'Centre for Neuropsychology' into Emotional Intelligence in a school setting.

Teaching novels more effectively (Teacher Professional Leave)

Swan Hill College (29 May 2006)
The aim of the Professional Learning Team was to improve student outcomes and engagement levels when studying novels.

Increased use of ICT by staff, within and out of the class (Teacher Professional Leave)

Swan Hill College (24 July 2006)
Tania wanted to improve staff ICT skills and further implement ICT in the classroom. She did this by identifying ICT needs of current staff, prioritise these needs via staff surveys, KLA audits and communications such as e-mail. Arrange staff needs depending on feedback and prioritzing staff needs. The ICT PLT produced an appropriate list of PD currently needed. As the PLT members became more skilled they were required to pass their knowledge on to other staff and make themselves available as a 'mentor/resource' for particular software. This varied from using peripheral devices such as camera's & data shows to specific software such as Excel, Frontpage, Outlook Express, Movie Maker, Inspiration etc.

Improved student outcomes through the use of Thinking Tools and Multiple Intelligences (Teacher Professional Leave)

Tarwin Valley Primary School (12 January 2007)
Grade 2/3 teacher, Jenny Logan, immersed herself in learning about different approaches to the Thinking Curriculum. She visited schools, attended various Professional Development sessions and researched literature. Jenny trialled Thinking Tools, Graphic Organisers and activities based on Multiple Intelligences theory in her classroom.

Improved student outcomes through the use of Thinking Tools and Multiple Intelligences (Teacher Professional Leave)

Tarwin Valley Primary School (12 January 2007)
The Team's focus was to increase their understanding and trial aspects of the Thinking Curriculum. They shared their successes with the staff, beginning the implementation of a common language and a whole school approach to integrating the Thinking Curriculum through planning and teaching.

Improving our teaching in the middle years (Teacher Professional Leave)

Taylors Lakes Secondary College (24 July 2006)
The Team wanted to improve their individual understanding of pedagogy, best teaching and learning practice and to give them time to implement what they discovered in their classroom and embed it into curriculum they developed at Year 9 in English and SOSE.

Let's All Think Together: Whole School Assessment of Thinking Skills (Teacher Professional Leave)

Tecoma Primary School (12 January 2007)
Planning for the whole school, scenarios were developed that allowed for a uniform assessment of thinking skills at all levels.

TPL & VELS: Talking with people and learning in a vibrant and engaging situation (Teacher Professional Leave)

Templeton Primary School (14 August 2006)
With basic knowledge gleaned from Sofweb, Blueprint and VCAA websites, Curriculum Coordinator, Barbara Peel, wanted to delve deeper into the implementation of the Victorian Essential Learning Standards.

VELS - adapting and developing for Curriculum Improvement. but where are the dinosaurs? (Teacher Professional Leave)

The Basin Primary School (17 October 2006)
In planning a two year cycle of units, incorporating the VELS learning focus and standards for each level, staff at The Basin Primary School were keen to retain topics which teachers and students traditionally enjoyed as well as adapting and developing units reflecting the content of and relationships between strands of the VELS. This challenge has been met with twenty-eight units identified across Levels 1 - 4, including the popular Level 2 'Dinosaurs' unit.

Have no fear, transforming learning is here! (Teacher Professional Leave)

The University High School (01 August 2006)
The Professional Learning Team team researched and designed a staff development and review system with a view to establishing a culture of critical reflection and ongoing learning for staff and improved outcomes for students.

Think Outside The Brain You Live In: Teaching and Learning For Thinking (Teacher Professional Leave)

Thomastown Meadows Primary School (10 July 2006)
Shadowing educational consultant Karen Green provided an inspirational opportunity to develop theoretical knowledge on thinking curriculum and to observe the practical application of theories in a variety of educational settings.

Skill shortages - live with them or do something about them? (Teacher Professional Leave)

Thomastown Secondary College (24 July 2006)
The term "skill shortages" appears to be the flavour of the month - Frank Gaylard wanted to find out what various groups were doing about skill shortages and particularly what others thought that schools should be doing about it. Can we realistically expand school-industry links in our area so that students are aware of real job pathways?

Tackling the Thinking Curriculum - where are we and where are we going, according to the latest Research? (Teacher Professional Leave)

Toorak Primary School (15 December 2006)
This study involved reviewing the different theories underpinning the Thinking Curriculum. It explored beyond the use of thinking tools and organisers in the teaching of the Thinking Curriculum. Current research material was reflected on in order to investigate how best to teach and develop the Thinking Curriculum.

Making Time to Talk: Oral Language Focussed Classrooms (Teacher Professional Leave)

Tootgarook Primary School (15 December 2006)
The Team identified the need to examine the link between oral language development and poor literacy outcomes. Classroom teachers had observed increasingly limited oral language skills and identified concerns with School Entry Behaviours Prep-2 and decided to address the issue.

Permanent Environmental Visual Arts (Teacher Professional Leave)

Tyabb Primary School (19 December 2006)
Classroom teacher Sharon Wright identified a need within the school for permanent visual arts displays in line with the school charter. The visual arts program was also identified as not currently catering for gifted, talented and interested students in the area of visual arts.

Doing the write thing: an alternative approach to teaching the craft of writing (Teacher Professional Leave)

Upper Plenty Primary School (17 October 2006)
With teacher and students fed up with the traditional 'genre' approach to teaching writing, Carolyn Crowther, knew there must be a more engaging and challenging way to structure her writing program which would allow students to discover an interest and purpose for writing.

Broadford cluster middle years best practices mentoring program (Teacher Professional Leave)

Upper Plenty Primary School, Broadford Primary School, Broadford Secondary College, Wallan Primary School (08 February 2006)
The Broadford Cluster established common goals to research pedagogy. This provided an opportunity to build on and expand existing current strategies used in promoting literacy and numeracy in middle years.

Year 9 Review (Teacher Professional Leave)

Upwey High School (10 April 2006)
The Team reviewed the curriculum at Year 9. The TPL supported this ongoing curriculum review as it embarks upon the research and data gathering component of the process.

Exemplary Curriculum Using Interactive Whiteboards

Viewbank College
This project investigated ways of introducing new curriculum to Secondary Maths and Health classes primarily using the IWB software Easiteach, relevant Mathematics and Health websites and Geometer’s sketchpad software. The exploration of Computer Algebra Systems (CAS) Software was essential in the development of interactive documents for VCE Mathematics (resources attached).

Best Practice in Early Years Literacy, Grades P-2 and 3-4 (Teacher Professional Leave)

Wallan Primary School (08 February 2006)
Trudy Whewell and Jenny Loorham want to improve teachers' expertise and practice in Early Years Literacy. Both are doing this by visits to other schools, modelling and support in classrooms and discussions about practice.

Year 9 Community Learning Program (Teacher Professional Leave)

Wangaratta High School and Ovens College (05 December 2006)
Wangaratta High School, along the Ovens College decided to develop and implement an innovative program to provide the opportunity for Year 9 students to link their learning to their interests and skills within a community context. This was developed in conjunction with the merger of the two school communities.

'Making Maths Successful For All' - Differentiating the Mathematics Curriculum for high and low achievers (Teacher Professional Leave)

Wangaratta Primary School (17 October 2006)
Four teachers from Wangaratta Primary designed strategies and procedures to address the learning needs of two groups of maths students: those who needed extra help and those who were high achievers. The project focussed on designing assessment tools, developing targeted mathematics plans, using consistent lesson structures and developing activities that targeted specific needs.

Planning for improved student engagement (Teacher Professional Leave)

Warburton Primary School (17 October 2006)
Student disengagement with the curriculum highlighted a need to improve the schools teaching practice. The Team's challenge was to explore ways of increasing classroom engage-ment by developing multidisciplinary units built around VELS.

To explore the impact of meeting regularly, to read, write and talk about aspects of our professional work (Teacher Professional Leave)

Warragul Cluster (09 June 2006)
The Team aimed to explore the value and impact of three areas: professional reading, professional discourse and professional writing as communication tools for teachers to share their knowledge. The Team planned to develop their skills of professional writing, learn how to better articulate and communicate our practice and develop ways to coach and mentor other teachers in their schools.

Developing a Whole School Approach to ICT (Teacher Professional Leave)

Warrnambool East Primary School (08 February 2006)
Jackie (Teacher Librarian) and Liz (Year 4 Teacher) expressed interest in developing a whole school approach to ICT. Teachers had already undertaken numerous PD sessions on the Thinking Curriculum and ICT skills. Jackie and Liz used the Intel® Teach to the Future program to create a professional development program for staff which incorporated both of these aspects.

Best Practice Teaching Strategies in Literacy including Developmental Curriculum in the Early Years

Warburton Primary School
This project investigated the current best practice teaching strategies (worldwide) to improve literacy skills of Primary aged students. Based on a variety of sources, including, school visits, direct observations, professional development, research from the Internet and educational texts and discussion with a literacy coach. This project created a resource that acts as a ready reference for best practice teaching methods in Literacy.

Improving communication outcomes for students with an intellectual disability who have complex communication needs

Warringa Park School
The focus of this project was to develop the skills of the staff at Warringa Park School to better meet the communication goals of students. The alternative communication approach that was investigated and implemented was Aided Language.

Improving Early Years Literacy through establishing leadership in the Early Years team (Teacher Professional Leave)

Watsonia Primary School (10 July 2006)
Through training as the Early Years Co-ordinator, Shannon Wright hopes to enrich and broaden literacy programs and practice at Watsonia Primary School. To develop her knowledge of the role, she also shadowed the co-ordinator from another school.

Providing support for boys to enhance their educational experiences (Teacher Professional Leave)

Wattleview Primary School (12 January 2007)
The Team began by looking at ways to help a specific group of boys who fitted into the 'at risk' category in almost every way. As the school dynamics changed so did the project, and the aim is now to examine best practice and how to motivate and inspire the male students.

Development of a Best Practice School Wide Literacy and Numeracy Assessment Strategy (Teacher Professional Leave)

Wattleview Primary School (12 January 2007)
Fiona researched options for literacy and numeracy assessment tools to provide information for individual students' learning needs in a whole school model. This project was undertaken as the Victorian Essential Learning Standards were being introduced into Victorian schools. This change impacted enormously on how teachers viewed their assessment processes.

Discovering the Value of Virtual Learning Environments (Teacher Professional Leave)

Wedderburn College (24 July 2006)
Anne Baird investigated best practice of schools across Australia who are using Virtual Learning Environment's effectively for both teachers and students and to use that knowledge to further develop the expertise and use of Virtual Learning Environment's within the Cluster. Through the investigation of best practice the TPL would address sound pedagogy, engagement of teachers and students and the multiliteracies of students and teachers, in particular, ICT literacy.

ICT Integrated Units (Teacher Professional Leave)

Weeden Heights Primary School (14 February 2006)
The Team are auditing and revising integrated units in order to bring them into line with the Victorian Essential Learnings Standards. They are implementing the Intel R Teach to the Future program and addressing the use of ICT in Class Programs. This all is then linked to their Assessment and Reporting Procedures.

Develop a whole College (P-10) curriculum to improve teaching and learning (Teacher Professional Leave)

Weeroona College (29 May 2006)
The Team at the College would like to improve areas such as student learning, engagement and connectedness. They have developed two alternative curriculum models.

Building a learning community through inquiry (Teacher Professional Leave)

Wellington Secondary College (24 July 2006)
Investigating inquiry based learning through the literature and through its current applications in other schools, Vasi Pillay and Janette Nibaldi were looking to improve student learning as well as offer collegiate support during pedagogy change.

Pedagogy: A reflective Account (Teacher Professional Leave)

Wembley Primary School (24 July 2006)
Sofia's focus was to explore best teaching practice. It was more an opportunity to investigate best practice beyond one's own classroom, which is not always possible in school situations.

Closing the Literacy gap while accelerating learning for “all” at the same time

Werribee Primary School
Our aim at Werribee Primary School was to embed a pedagogy within our school environment that promotes Literacy gains through scaffolded practices. The use of various genres incorporating both reading and writing were established across the curriculum from Prep - Grade 6 to reinforce this practise.

Teaching Maths in Post Compulsory Learning Communities

Western Heights College 8820
This case study outlines the process Western Heights College is planning to undertake to investigate innovative approaches to teaching mathematics and engaging students in the senior levels. They are also investigating how ICT can change their methods of teaching.

Improving Student Engagement at Year 9 (Teacher Professional Leave)

Westall College (03 November 2006)
Leigh West, Georgia Staikos and Tim Warden developed an alternative Program for Year 9. The 'Odyssey Now Program' will be implemented in 2006. The model aims to engage, offer experiences outside the classroom, is student focussed and provides an integrated approach to the Curriculum at Year 9.

Understanding Literacy within an ESL context (Teacher Professional Leave)

Western English Language School (17 October 2006)
The research conducted by Vecihe Yegen set out to better understand the literacy practices and needs of the Southern Sudanese Dinka community living in the Western Region of Melbourne, so that language and literacy teaching of these students can be better informed.

Pre-literate Student and Family Support (Teacher Professional Leave)

Western English Language School (24 July 2006)
Judith focussed on strategies for ESL/Literacy and school adjustment for students with severely interrupted schooling.

Pre-literate Student and Family Support (Teacher Professional Leave)

Western English Language Schools (24 April 2006)
Judith Byrne wants to improve the outcomes of the pre-literate students and to better prepare them for the mainstream. The main goals have been to accelerate literacy development, discipline, establish healthy eating and provide homework support. WELS continues to receive requests from exit schools asking for literacy strategies and support for students who are struggling with the demands of the mainstream classroom.

No one text book satisfies our Year 9 MATHS students' needs! (Teacher Professional Leave)

Western Port Secondary College (19 December 2006)
This study evolved from a three year survey of the abilities on entry of the Year 7 cohort. Each of the indicators used, showed approximately two thirds of the students were not ready for the Year 7 course. By Year 9 the problem was magnified.

Whole school reformation Year 7-9 (Teacher Professional Leave)

Western Port Secondary College (15 December 2006)
A program to develop a challenging and coordinated approach to the middle years. A small teams structure was adopted at Years 7and 8 and a modular approach was introduced at Year 9. Underpinning these changes was the introduction of a new pastoral care system and a timetabled program of personal development.

Action Research: Meanings & Messages in Aboriginal Art: Art Tells a Story: Exiles and Emigrants (based on NGV exhibition): Assessment for Learning, of Learning, and by Learning (Teacher Professional Leave)

Western Port Secondary College (19 December 2006)
The development of curriculum models has been achieved for the Art Domain: Year 8 Art or VELS Level 5. These have been formatted in a style that provides ease of teaching delivery, with options for expansion to other VELS levels or Arts subjects. Assessment by VELS Standards have been incorporated.

Footprints - teachers/students and life skills in the middle school curriculum (Teacher Professional Leave)

Western Port Secondary College (19 December 2006)
The introduction of VELS, coupled with the desire to have a curriculum written specifically to meet the requirements of a school for moderate to severe intellectually and multi-disabled students aged from 5 to 18 with a broad range of needs, provided the motivation for this team to meet the challenge.

Identifying and Assisting Students at Risk

Wheelers Hill Secondary College
This project was undertaken to determine a working definition of the term ‘Student at Risk’ (SAR), make it relevant to our College environment and develop processes that made it possible to assist these SARs through more effective use of communication and programs .

A Personal Journey: investigating leadership styles (Teacher Professional Leave)

White Hills Primary School (01 August 2006)
To gather information about best practice in other school settings and to investigate effective leadership styles by shadowing Principals and Assistant Principals.

How can Improved Student Outcomes be supported by Integrated Curriculum? (Teacher Professional Leave)

Williamstown High School (08 February 2006)
Adrian Berenger focused his TPL on the relationship and interdependence of pedagogic reform to the school organisational framework, and how the reform agenda defined under Flagship 1 of the Ministerial Blueprint is dependent on the distribution of resources.

Spelling Reform @ Willmott Park (Teacher Professional Leave)

Willmott Park Primary School (02 November 2006)
Year 1/2 teacher Josie Stocchero, Year 3/4 teacher Brendan Chugg and Year 5/6 teacher Michelle Dall'Est investigated different approaches to spelling through literature review and action research. They also visited different schools to gain insight into their spelling programs and their effectiveness. They were particularly looking for a program that could be used easily and efficiently in their school.

Holistic Educational Learning Model (HELM) - Navigating Educational Change in Castlemaine (Teacher Professional Leave)

Winters Flat Primary School and Castlemaine Secondary College (11 August 2006)
Both the Community Class and the Barkers Creek programs are the result of a strong and evolving collaboration between parents, teachers and school leadership. There has been a shared need at both schools to inspire and support change within state school communities. The Community Class at Winters Flat Primary School and Barkers Creek Pilot Programs of Castlemaine Secondary College have developed through careful management and consolidation of the parent devised Holistic Educational Learning Model (HELM).

Believe Achieve Together (BAT) Catering for disengaged students (Teacher Professional Leave)

Wodonga Middle Years College (31 October 2006)
Working in a large secondary school we were interested in examining family involvement in schools and the effect this has on student outcomes.

Performance and Development Culture: Creating a culture of support and success (Teacher Professional Leave)

Wodonga West Primary School (17 October 2006)
Creating a culture at Wodonga West Primary School that promoted self- reflective and ongoing development was the challenge for our team. Through targeted research the team sought to identify the key actions that supported the development of this culture.

Student Engagement and Connectedness through ICT Agents of Change

Woodville Primary School
This project investigated ways of engaging students using ICT to enhance their learning in literacy, numeracy and other curriculum areas.

Improving student engagement by Embedding ICT into the Curriculum and transforming the school culture in readiness for the Ultranet

Woodville Primary School
Our group project was based on ways that we could improve teachers’ skills and confidence in embedding ICT into our curriculum so that student engagement is improved as well as ensuring that our school is ready for the introduction of Ultranet. This has meant a major change in our school culture.

Getting smart with SMARTboards. Enhancing the classroom experience with the use of Interactive White Boards (IWB)

Woolthorpe Primary School
Our project was aimed at effectively developing and increasing our use of Interactive White Boards (IWB) to enhance student learning and Information Communication Technology (ICT) skills by improving teacher skills, efficiency and knowledge of IWBs, improving knowledge of and access to appropriate resources (communication & curriculum) and organising and developing ICT and IWB resources across the school.

A study of the Induction and Mentoring of provisionally registered teachers (Teacher Professional Leave)

Yarra Junction Primary School (18 January 2007)
Dianne Wilkinson investigated individual case studies of 12 schools identified to have best practice in mentoring of provisionally registered teachers. The schools were from both primary and secondary sectors in Eastern and Southern Metropolitan Regions.

Transition: Bridging the gap between primary and secondary schools (Teacher Professional Leave)

Yarra Junction Primary School (18 January 2007)
Middle Years teacher Fiona Anderson researched several best practice schools in the area of transition and then aimed with parent, student and school data collected from several Yarra Valley primary schools and high schools in the area, to create a transition program for grade 6 students.

Development and implementation of an e-rich environment to drive significant improvement in Teacher and School Effectiveness (Teacher Professional Leave)

Yarra Valley e-Learning Community (Upper Yarra Secondary College, Pembroke Secondary School, Mooroolbark College) (24 July 2006)
The Yarra Valley e-Learning Community's vision is to use the development and implementation of an e-rich environment to drive significant improvement in Teacher and School Effectiveness. This will be strengthened by the vigorous promotion of cooperation and sharing between schools. The Program will encompass innovative curriculum and curriculum delivery, will challenge and stimulate students, staff and school communities, and reinvigorate schools' pedagogies.

Improving Reading Standards Across The School

Yarrawonga Primary School
When faced with poor performance data, Yarrawonga Primary School decided to investigate ways to improve reading performance across the school. This would be achieved by improving teaching expertise and practice in reading throughout the school. This was to be addressed through visits to other schools, modelling and support in classrooms as well as discussion about best practices.

Pathways and Transitions within a special setting

Yarrabah School
This project developed a formal student transition policy, protocols and resources to ensure a collaborative, structured approach between all stakeholders in supporting our students through the transition process.

Improving wellbeing in the community. Year 9 school based Rich Task (Teacher Professional Leave)

Yea High School (17 October 2006)
Ruth Konig and Julie Lynch, working with Year 9, set out to build connectedness between students and community groups. They aimed to encourage participation in these groups and recognition of their role in promoting community well being.

Middle Years Rich Task: 'Working towards a sustainable future - Healthy Catchment Communities' (Teacher Professional Leave)

Yea Primary School and Murrindindi Cluster (17 October 2006)
This Team set out to develop Rich Tasks at the Grade 6 - Year 7 level across cluster schools. These tasks took on a 'biodiversity' theme and closely linked student learning in an integrated approach across the disciplines of Science, SOSE and Technology in line with VELS/PoLT and Productive Pedagogies. The aim was to increase student engagement, especially during their transitional years, to connect students to their local community and to provide them with an opportunity to undertake challenging 'hands on', relevant, indepth studies that considered student decision making and authentic assessment.

Intel: Teach to the Future - Developing best practice for planning and integrating information technology in our curriculum programs (Teacher Professional Leave)

Yellingbo Primary School (18 January 2007)
With the introduction of the Victorian Essential Learning Standards, the staff decided to develop curriculum materials that combine the expectations of the Victorian Essential Learning Standards and the best practice of the Principles of Learning and Teaching.

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