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Program

Speakers   

Summit Summary

SiMERR Summit

Ways to improve educational outcomes

in rural and regional Tasmania

4^th June 2008

Possible ideas for future projects (in process)

Contact Dr Andrew Fluck

andrew.fluck@utas.edu.au

Developing Robotics, Game-making and Interactive Media Pathways

Currently robotics (SMARTBOTS) and Game Making are part of successful extension programs in primary schools through the CELO outreach program within the DoE. Also, courses are also offered at Hobart College and Newtown High School in Game Making and Interactive Media. TAFE is interested in Virtual Worlds as a vehicle for enhanced learning experiences in many different courses.

How can we create student pathways leading to diploma accreditation and entrepreneurship from primary through to Polytechnic to revitalise ICT learning and develop ICT innovation in the state? How can we develop a program of accreditation for teachers? How can robotics be offered at lower primary in the form of BBOTS? What role might business take, what are their needs and what employment/training opportunities might be created?

Interested parties so far include Andrew Fluck, Faculty of Education, UTAS; Roger  Stack, College/polytechnic courses in Interactive Media; Margaret Meijers CELO Game-making; Rob Torok, CELO SMARTBOTS; Angela Cook, CELO BBOTS; Graeme Kirkwood, TAFE virtual worlds. We are looking for further collaborations with TASICT, ACA, DoE, TAFE, Tasmanian Leadership Program, and Faculties of Science, Engineering and Technology, UTAS.

Contact Dr Jaci Brown

Jaci.brown@csiro.au

Creation of Climate Change teaching sequences, resources and Professional Learning program for high school science teachers. 

How can we design quality resources which engage teachers and students, building on what we have learnt about the danger of creating resources without embedding strategies? What might be the different phases and who could be involved? What resources are already around and who is already engaged in a process of development and delivery? How can we tap into the leading edge research in the Climate Change field that is being done at the local CSIRO?

This project has been proposed by scientists at CSIRO, Climate Change Research Section. We would be seeking collaborations between Department of Education, Science Teachers Association Tasmania, Academy of Science, UTAS Faculty of Education, and various UTAS Scientists.

 Contact Prof Joan Abbott-Chapman J.AbbottChapman@utas.edu.au

How can we engage the community through parent – school relationships?

Rosebery District High School and Kempton Primary School are engaged in highly innovative programs with long term aims to re-engage the community in education. What can we learn from these? How could these projects benefit from bringing on board new partners?

Prof Joan-Abbott Chapman, researcher at Faculty of Education, UTAS is keen to explore possibilities with interested parties such as Parents and Friends, ICPA, Rural and Regional Health, Department of Education, UTAS Faculty of Education, TCCI Education and Training, CWA.

Contact: Kim Beswick

Kim.Beswick@utas.edu.au

Student Retention on the North West Coast

Student Retention on the North-West Coast is still a concern with many embedded cultural issues as well as physical barriers to continuation. Over the last 4 years some innovative programs have commenced that have made a difference to the communities involved. What can we learn from these? What research might be useful to assist communities understand their issues and help develop and monitor intervention strategies?

We would be looking for collaborations from communities who have trialled approaches and those who are interested in developing approaches. For example, Central Coast Council, Northern Development Task Force, ICPA, DoE.

Contact Dr John Kenny

John.Kenny@utas.edu.au

Professional Learning (PL) of teachers who act as mentors for pre-service teachers

How can pre-service teachers provide teachers in schools with latest science teaching techniques? How can teachers in schools follow this up with PL that may be part of graduate accreditations? This is an extension of a SiMERR project which showed the mutual benefits of pre-service teachers and their supervisory teachers developing “partnerships”.

Contact Dr Andrew Fluck

Andrew.fluck@utas.edu.au

Industry Providing Professional Learning (PL) for teachers

A key idea coming from the summit was the notion that Professional Learning of teachers is not just the responsibility of the Department of Education – rather the role of the whole community, whether through induction into life of communities, induction into what local business do or specific provision of skills.

How might business be more involved in Professional Learning for teachers and what might it be for? What might be the mutual benefits? This proposal suggests funding a person to determine what PL industry could offer to teachers and what teachers want to experience. What does it mean to embed such a program sustainably?

We are looking for collaborations with TCCI Education and Training, DoE, and industry bodies.

Contact Dr Helen Bound

Helen.bound@utas.edu.au

What generic skills does industry want their future employees to have?

Employability skills are embedded in our everyday activity e,g, communication is something we engage in many times a day. Industry values these skills, it is easier to teach or train employees in specific applications of software for example, than it is to develop their capacity as a team player. How then do educational institutions in the classroom and in work placements develop employability skills effectively? Good teaching helps a great deal, but how do we link this with what occurs in a work placement. How do we develop learners’ capacity to reflect on their skills and further expand on them? How can educational institutions work with industry on this issue?

We are interested in joining with educational institutions and with industry partners to undertake what is an exciting and significant project.

Developing a program to introduce an ICT product which helps people with disabilities engage with learning and training.

The purpose of this project is to evaluate the effectiveness of innovative technology and develop partnership arrangements with industry.

TAFE Tasmania is trialling the use of radio frequency devices (here after referred to as  RFID ‘Learning Table’[1]) technology to support workplaces and teaching staff to place and support high needs learners. RFID Learning Table technology as applied in the workplace in this project is an Australian pilot in delivering content to learners with learning difficulties and limited IT skills. It is a delivery platform which radically simplifies access to visually-based learning content.  For students with learning difficulties and limited IT skills, it eliminates the need to use a computer keyboard, or to navigate through a maze of files.  In the same way that a checkout operator waves a product in front of a barcode scanner, students will wave an object (e.g. a card, a photo, a tool … anything) over a small RFID reader, and an associated media-based learning object will appear and run automatically on the computer screen. The advantage of this process/ technology is that high needs students placed in the workplace can readily access instructions on how to undertake tasks.

This project contributes to the enabling of a group of disenfranchised members of our community to become valued community members. At the same time the project extends consultation and dialogue between UTas, TAFE Tasmania and local industry, not to mention the extended vocational education and training community nationally.

[1] The ‘Learning Table’ is an Australian innovation developed by Daniel Dacey from new England Computer Solutions in NSW. The educational application of RFID technology is already in use world wide.

Contact Dr Natalie Brown

Natalie.Brown@utas.edu.au

Being a new teacher is daunting and even more so when moving to a new community. How can the community participate in inducting teachers? This project aims to explore some different approaches to induction - creating induction packages, events or mentoring processes.

We are seeking collaboration with interested communities as well as organizations such as ICPA, Parents and Friends, CWA, local councils.

       Professional Learning leading to university accreditation

Teachers often do not have the time to participate in structured post graduate programs. We are looking at creating a trial program from the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology which offers a series of stand alone workshops which teachers can opt into.  Teachers could  decide after attending several workshops whether they would like to enrol in a masters unit. They would be required to put together a portfolio of experiences coming from the workshops (RPL) and then asked to complete a final assignment or project.

Will this model attract teachers and will it meet their needs? How will it work? How effective might it be in developing skills and confidence in teaching innovations in science, maths or ICT?

We are looking at collaborations with the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology, teacher associations and DoE.

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