DEECD Home > Innovation Showcase > 2011 DEECD Innovation Showcase

2011 DEECD Innovation Showcase

The 2011 Innovation Showcase was held on Friday 13 May at the Melbourne Convention Centre. The event featured students as co-presenters, an expo space devoted to showing new digital resources, and performance pieces in the opening and closing sessions. A fantastic selection of presentations by Victorian innovators inspired attendees. Resources including recordings of presentations are available below.

Resources and recordings

Official opening

The Hon. Martin Dixon MP, Minister for Education - In opening the Showcase, Minister Dixon spoke of the importance of educators sharing their innovative practices and the role of technology in providing a range of opportunities for educators to share their knowledge and experience.

Setting the scene

Katrina Reynen - Katrina set the scene with a simple message: the world is different, students are different and innovation matters because if we can’t do things differently we can’t respond to students’ needs.

Video: What If?

This video presents some of the world’s foremost education thinkers and leaders sharing their knowledge and insights into some of the best practice around the world. It challenges us to think about how we describe a cohesive vision of education for the future.

Keynote:Student voice

Elizabeth Hope Kalas, Taylors Lakes SC - Liz spoke to attendees about the power of having students participate in decision making, and the potential of students to influence whole communities of learners.

Keynote: Bilingual immersion

Monica Scully, Principal of Huntingdale PS - Monica shared her realisation of how high quality bilingual education provides children with new ways of experiencing and perceiving their world, stimulating and expanding their curiosity and ultimately their intellect.

Keynote: E4Kids

Professor Collette Tayler, The University of Melbourne - In a pre-recorded interview Professor Tayler shared her beliefs in the potential of innovative practice in early childhood education and care to transform the work of early childhood educators.

Keynote: Tapping into new ways of learning

Wayne Ellerton and Geoff Burns, RMIT - Wayne and Geoff shared their experiences in one of the recent success stories in Indigenous education at RMIT – harnessing the power of partnerships within and beyond their institute to create a new method for training indigenous apprentices.

Contact

Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School - Contact is a work representing our most basic desire to make contact and communicate with other human beings. It was a perfect fit with the Showcase’s message about staying connected.

World Wise: a travel frenzy with Dr McKenzie

Ashburton Primary School - Dr Cheryl McKenzie shared her program which takes students along an investigative journey over five continents framed by global interdependence, diverse cultures, human rights, peace building and sustainable futures.

Student voice

Cranbourne East PS - Scott Duncan encouraged participants to listen to students, value their opinions and include them in school decision making processes.

Dandy pals

Dandenong PS - Leanne Skaftouros and Elissa Sewell shared the development of a community partnership between school, local council and community to bring about the largest playgroup in the City of Greater Dandenong.

Skoolaborate

Distance Education Centre Victoria - Mark Kent’s presentation described a project involving three distance education schools across Australia that explores a unique approach to flexible and online learning in a virtual (in-world) learning space.

Live4Life

Gisborne SC and Macedon Ranges Council - Janet Di Pilla and students Kim, Jamie and Sally talked about this whole-of-school approach to student mental health and wellbeing. Sarah Hardy from the Macedon Ranges Youth Services spoke about the importance of partnerships to this program.

IDEAS

Victoria University - Claire Brown and Katie Hughes spoke about the role of the new research centre, the Institute for Diversity, Educational Access and Success in identifying how to elicit effective student learning outcomes for students who come from diverse and under-represented backgrounds.

Energising science & maths education

Principals and teachers from the six Victorian Specialist Maths and Science Centres provided a taste of some exciting, hands-on activities and new digital online programs that will soon be available through the specialist centres’ outreach programs.

Once upon a circus

Westside Circus - Lena Cirillo and Alex Hilvert explained how the circus delivers a wide range of programs that have a positive social impact on the most disadvantaged and at-risk members of the community from diverse social, economic and cultural backgrounds.

A virtual writers workshop

Winchelsea PS and Moriac PS - Stuart McCoombe and Erin Littlewood described how the two schools have developed stronger links between students and staff using Web 2.0 tools, the Ultranet and a tailored program known as ‘The Writers Workshop’.

Wellbeing practices for life

Bonkers Beat Music Kinder & Childcare - Galina Zenin demonstrated how yoga and meditation at the kinder is laying the foundations for children to develop balance in all areas of their lives.

Ultranet power

Dinjerra PS and Watsonia PS - Mitch Hughes and Angela Petridis showed practical, how-to methods of engaging teachers and students in innovative ways of using the Ultranet for quality learning.

Immersion in bilingual education

Footscray PS - Chau Cong, Philip Fox and Ken Schmack, together with students Tamas and Teah, spoke about bilingual education and children’s growth through the school’s language immersion program.

Early years coaching

Gowrie Victoria - Helen Lawrence described how this program is providing early childhood educators with coaching for the first time, building a community of best practice among service providers and educators.

60secondscience.net competition

Hume Region - Brendan O’Brien and students Hayden, Josh, Kevin and Michael from Parkdale SC shared their experiences as organiser and competitors in this global video competition.

Better blogging

Leopold PS - Kathleen Morris and Kelly Jordan provided advice on how to incorporate blogging into the curriculum, how to use blogging to flatten classroom walls and how to build global connections and projects.

Flip out at Ouyen

Ouyen Pre-School - Louise Fitzpatrick-Leach and Elaine Bell told the story of how the use of Flip cameras is changing this pre-school’s world.

Dancing in Sunshine

Sunshine Special Development School - Elisa Parker and Sue Mullane showed how they use technology in an improvised movement setting to enhance the creative and expressive capacity of their students.

Diverse learning

Victoria University - Angela Daddow and Amanda Carr shared their project addressing the learning challenges faced by students from diverse language backgrounds who are studying at a Vocational and Higher Education level.

Turning Point

Warracknabeal SC - Casey Phelan and Tony Fowler gave a snapshot of this program focusing on a blended teaching and learning model , delivered at the local Neighbourhood House, that encourages disengaged youth back to education.

BRIDGE building

Leongatha PS & Asia Education Foundation - Irene Beasley and Lisa Hayman, joined by Ibu Tias via Skype, shared how this national project supports development of intercultural understanding for students and teachers.

Nurturing deadly kids through stories

Bubup Wilam for Early Learning Inc - Jedda Charles, Laura Smith and Janet McLean shared stories of their engaging and collaborative program where children and adults teach and learn together.

eKids VCE biology

Country Education Project - Phil Brown demonstrated how eBiology is delivering online VCE classes to rural schools.

Retention through personalised pathways

Drouin SC - Pat Dowty and Kerrie Wainwright described how personalised pathways have enabled the school to improve retention rates, practise a whole-school careers program and increase the success of VET and VCAL.

The Donydji Project

Eltham HS, Doreen PS and Arthurs Creek PS - Jon Baly and Dianne Zobel, joined by students Lucy and Kristine, spoke about their model for forming partnerships with remote Indigenous communities.

Learning in little big classrooms

Hawkesdale P12 College - Anne Mirtschin showed how a virtual, global, and culturally-blended classroom is not just a dream, it’s a reality.

Meeting diverse learning needs with iPads

Katandra School - Karen Barley described how intensive research and practical use of technology is improving learning opportunities for those with autism.

The amazing multimedia race

River Gum PS - Jerry Trzeciak and Bradley Andrews together with students Avneet , Nenad and Tenika shared their multimedia program.

Meeting diverse learning needs with iPads

Royal Children’s Hospital Education Institute - Allesha Fecondo shared stories of successes RCH teachers have experienced with the DEECD iPad Trial and provided insight into engaging and supporting learning opportunities of students with health conditions.

Transitioning kids with disabilities

Scope - Greta Rollo and Trudy Smith spoke about their project trialling best practice for the transition to school for children with disabilities.

Retention through personalised pathways

Geelong HS and Geelong Region LLEN - Ken Stewart and Dr Shanti Wong presented on ‘Geelong Central’, a web-based database to support student pathways planning.

Transition to school project

St Albans PS and The Smith Family - Denise Barr and Jeanine Carter shared their story of collaboration between schools and local community organisations with the common purpose of improving transition into primary school.

Act wild

Healesville PS and Zoos Victoria - Becky Marley and Rick Hammond provided ideas on how teachers can incorporate zoo web conferences, programs and digital resources into their classes.

Pangea

Cultural Infusion Ltd - This performance combined music, dance, art and technology to remind attendees that despite all our differences, ultimately we are all connected.

Anh Do

Anh captivated the audience with his heart-warming and inspirational story, filled with tragedy and humour, heartache and unwavering determination. Due to contractual obligations we are unable to make Anh's presentation from the Showcase available.

Closing remarks

Katrina Reynen - Katrina gave an inspiring wrap up of the day and outlined some of the ways to get involved and stay in touch with innovation across the education sector.