SiMERR HOME PAGE	SiMERR at a glance	Program	Speakers	Summit Summary
		SiMERR Summit Ways to improve educational outcomes in rural and regional Tasmania   4th June 2008
Participants Issues: We asked each participant to write an issue that they had, an "interesting positive" that they were hearing from the sessions and a possible idea. These have been roughly categorised into themes, some of which come from the map adjacent which shows the various interest areas represented at the summit.
Issues  Professional Learning Is training teachers the only way to make progress in schools? How do we manage professional learning for teachers in rural and isolated schools? How can we empower teachers?  How do we build confidence and build teacher passion and enthusiasm for the subjects they teach? Transient nature of teachers in rural schools. Connecting learning communities – providing opportunities and environments for ongoing communication and collaboration for teachers to build communities of practice… collaborative on-line workspaces. Professional Learning. Engaging teachers How do we engage teachers? Engaging teachers in innovative projects. Many science and maths teachers are disengaged from these areas. Pre-service teaching program Pre-service teachers observing/being mentored by current practice great teachers! How can the pre-service teaching program at UTAS be constructed to better enable our graduates to engage with the issues raised at the summit? Partnerships How do we create partnerships? How to we approach business? How do we shift thinking about education that issues we have discussed are part of usual practice not add-ons or projects – so that pathways and partnerships are part of what we normally do? Student engagement How do we engage teachers? Motivating students What are teachers’ capacity to engage students? How do we make science relevant? How can we transform our conceptions of engagement?  Curriculum Scope / need for more work across different learning/subject areas. Student transitions Support more students by hostel living – to follow through with their educators Policy What makes implementation stage workable? How do we ensure sustainability? How do we ensure accountability? Lack of support and inclusion. Small bits. Engaging Parents How do we engage parents and increase parental expectation? Engagement of parents Community How can we improve community expectation? Community culture. School an important connection for the community			Interesting Positives Professional Learning Commitment to contextualised professional learning. Anywhere, anytime, just enough, just in time, just for me. Students Well rounded, often resourceful, community-minded children who enjoy country lifestyle and jobs. Student Engagement Game making course Smartbots Face-to-face engagement The keenness of some teachers to motivate and engage students Media continually has current science issues and breakthroughs- how can these engage both teachers and students? Student engagement is possible That the programs have had success in engaging students and teachers. Resources  On-line learning resources  Parent engagement Maths game night Involving parents Communities Communities are proud of what they have achieved. Exploitable and under-utilised community resources. Plenty of existing events in schools and communities to use for wider learning.  Mentoring Peer mentoring between students, between parents, between teachers Commitment from the top (principal) really matters)  Policy DER funding for hardware for 9 – 12, broadband connectivity, online-content solutions, system delivery, teacher PL Systems thinking is the key.  Business Industry groups are changing their attitudes People genuinely want to do the best for students but may lack expertise or knowledge – teachers, parents, community, UTAS, DoE. Research Great willingness of UTAS to partner with schools and offer a research perspective.  Other Recognition of the worth of doing the work. Lots of opportunities already offered. That the “problems” are clear. Lots happening, good people working on a range of issues with a solutions focus
Possible Ideas Student Engagement Teach literacy through science and maths Linking teachers and students between schools Focussing on engagement Innovation Teachers and schools should have more time for exploring new ideas. Mentoring Students at higher grades mentoring lower grades. Parent mentoring. Use of SKYPE and Facebook. Assisting self-study and getting ready to do more at home. Professional Learning Address the need for professional learning through communication and teachers assessment. Industry providing professional learning for teachers and follow-up. Compulsory teacher problems solving days and planning. Personalise on-line PL support. Pre-service teaching programs More children form the country to train as teachers, through lower HECS fees. Pre-service teachers purposefully matched with teachers on practicums – eg problem based learning, innovative practice Integrate systems thinking with the pre-service curriculum – what does it look like – how does each discipline incorporate this? Business and Community engagement Local industry to have more input into training needed in the community. Connecting schools with skills in the local community – incorporate into pathway planning – relevant to both parties – needs a facilitator and personal approach. Rural connections with communities in another country (such as Vietnam) to improve students self-image. Broad community partnerships founded on a desire for sustainability. Link parents and industry (parents already work in industry). Expand on traditional community/school events. Video community history – students learning through technology? Work with industry to influence teaching practices and workplace learning. Engage Parents Integrated Learning – parents and children together Technology Use of technology – build partnerships and collaborative workspaces. ICT teams of students to teach/support teachers. Student Pathways Match students who are from regional areas with work-placements in rural communities (rather than sending the behaviour problem kids to work on a farm). People in rural areas should be valued and it should be seen as a lifestyle that people are choosing to make – it is a good place to be. Partnerships How do we foster partnerships between schools, industry and wider community while preserving diversity of partnership models? Continue to foster networks of people – link to sphere of immediacy. Policy Programs supported with funding How can non-govt schools be included? Work more closely with the DoE leadership team. Keep it simple
Contact Sue Stack at Susan.Stack@utas.edu.au if you would like to propose a project.
Science, Information and Communication Technology and Mathematics Education for Rural and Regional Australia