Learning and Teaching Support
This section contains links to web sites, online resources and tools that provide learning and teaching support for teachers.
Digital learning in Interpersonal Development
FUSE - brings resources together in one place, so it is easier to find quality digital content. Sources include the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD) (e.g. Digilearn, Connect), Skool.com, The Learning Federation and Victoria’s Cultural Institutions.
CensusAtSchool - is an online questionnaire and analysis resource for students in Years 5–12 at all Australian schools. Having access to real, contextualised data provides students with the opportunity to make meaningful use of statistics within a variety of Victorian Essential Learning Standards domains. Resources are provided that can support teachers to plan units of work that map to the Standards. Also provided are assessment tasks at various levels.
Over 44,000 students completed the questionnaire in 2008. CensusAtSchool is now run annually making it easier to include CensusAtSchool in curriculum programs. CensusAtSchool is voluntary and is provided strictly for educational purposes only. The 2010 questionnaire includes thirty questions on topics about students, including their lifestyle (e.g. method of travel to school, favourite type of music and use of technology), characteristics (e.g. eye colour, height) and opinions on environmental issues. There are also interactive questions to test reaction time and concentration.
The registration process for teachers has been streamlined for easier access. Now teachers can participate using one simple online form to create a CensusAtSchool Teacher Account.
The questionnaire for 2010 closes on July 2nd.
Interpersonal Development related websites
Talk It Up - provides information and resources related to health, strength, happiness and growing into adulthood. It is designed to connect young people across urban and regional Australia, at school or after hours, in a safe online environment.
The Alpine School - a Victorian Department of Education initiative offering a unique residential education experience for year nine students in government schools. The curriculum focuses on personal development and team learning projects sourced from students’ home regions. There are three campuses which schools can apply to attend. The Alpine School is located at Dinner Plain in the Victorian Alps. Snowy River Campus is near the mouth of the Snowy River at Marlo in east Gippsland. The third site will be at Glenormiston near Camperdown in Victoria’s Western District.
- Schools can nominate students for inclusion in the Alpine School program by the end of term 2 for attendance during the following year. The Alpine School has a Koorie inclusion policy. Schools that may benefit from scholarship support are also encouraged to visit The Alpine School Scholarship application information.
Duke of Edinburgh’s Award - a voluntary program of youth personal development for young people aged 14 to 25.The Victorian web site details how to get involved, provides resources for teachers and provides links to professional development programs.
Peer Support Foundation - dedicated to providing dynamic peer led programs which foster the physical, social and mental wellbeing of young people and their community. The Peer Support Program is integrated into curricula and sustained from Kindergarten to Year 12. It supports positive cultural change within schools by incorporating a range of strategies developed through collaboration with members of the whole school community for the specific needs of the school.
Inyahead - the website contains support materials and books for those working with children and young people in schools and other settings. They aim to engage and motivate through titles that include: The Heart Masters, Circle Time, Restorative Justice in Schools, No Blame Approach to Bullying and Toonschool.
The Smith Family - website contains information about programs for students to support and mentor emotional literacy, reading, digital and financial literacy.
The Jewish Museum of Australia - The permanent and temporary exhibitions at the Jewish Museum of Australia offer a range of educational opportunities that respond creatively to the needs of the school curriculum. The museum demonstrates this by dealing with issues of identity, traditional festivals, milestones of life, religious rituals and Jewish migration and its place in Australian history. Visiting students are offered the chance to participate in an experiential program.