3.05 Safe schools: Making the links
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Description
This activity was a continuation from Safe Schools: Making the Links 2008 project conducted in selected NSW Government schools. The Safe Schools: Making the Links 2009 project operated in clusters of schools in each of the ten school regions in NSW.
The activity involved 10 secondary school-based teams working with their main partner primary schools on Middle Years' strategies that promote positive behaviour and learning outcomes and minimise the disruption in transition to secondary school. School-based teacher teams used action learning methodology to explore and implement Middle Years' strategies that promote student safety, wellbeing and positive learning outcomes in Stages 3 and 4.
Emphasis for 2009 was on the establishing communities of schools to support collaborative learning within each cluster of schools. These communities were able to use the findings of their action learning projects to influence school practices within their local communities. They facilitated enhanced professional development, and the implementation of positive behaviour management strategies that incorporate values education and encourage student engagement and leadership.
Information Communication Technology (ICT) was embedded in project and school-based activities and communication strategies. There was a focus on ICT for teacher and/or student learning in the professional development design.
Regional student welfare staff worked with the Project Officer, AGQTP Safe Schools: Making the Links, and provided local support for school-based teams.The activity was managed by a designated officer who took responsibility for the activity meeting the professional needs of teachers.
Contacts
| Dori Wisniewski email: dori.wisniewski@det.nsw.edu.au Ph 9266 8406 Fax 9266 8098 Sector: DET |
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Outcomes
Through participation in this project, teachers will have engaged productively in collegial networks that extend and support knowledge and skills.
Through participation in this project, teachers will in their interactions with students, have an increased capacity to create safe, supportive and respectful learning environments through which students can become enterprising, self-directed and resilient.
Access
NSW Department of Education and Training schools.
Design
The Safe Schools: Making the Links 2009 project operated in each of the NSW Department of Education and Training's ten school regions. The professional learning strategy for this activity will included:
- school-based projects to engage teachers in workplace learning that is based on a cycle of continuous improvement that links with the NSW Quality Teaching model
- clusters of schools working in collegial networks in local learning communities
- flexible learning about ICT and about action learning methodology that includes components such as self-paced and facilitated online learning, face-to-face workshops, video and teleconferences, and discussion groups
- local, regional and state workshops and conferences that enable participants to have their work publicly celebrated and critiqued.
A specific Professional Learning Community (PLC) Forum was established on the Department's Teaching and Learning Exchange (TaLe) for communication with the schools involved in the 2009 project. This site contained relevant resources and key readings and facilities for discussion. Secondary school-based teams were encouraged to establish similar sites for communication within their learning community.
All teachers participating in funded activities were invited and supported to complete an online self assessment tool for ICT skills. Online self-paced ICT modules at https:detwww.det.nsw.edu.au/ict can be accessed to enhance teachers' capability to use ICT in teaching and learning.
Implementation
Secondary school based teams have been encouraged to utilise the guidelines and planning frameworks incorporated in the MindMatters kit which was distributed to every high school in New South Wales. These kits are to be used in conjunction with the NSW Student Representative Council (NSW SRC)/MindMatters resource Creating Connections: Student to Student that was distributed in 2008. Team members were encouraged to also attend Level Two training in the MindMatters whole school approach to maximise benefits from use of this resource.
The project used a school-based team approach that supports collaborative problem solving. This has been expanded in 2009 to a learning community approach incorporating participating secondary schools with their main partner primary schools. Emphasis on a learning community approach fosters collegial involvement and networking. Members of the learning community enabled to use the findings of their action learning projects to collaborate on appropriate Middle Years' positive behaviour management strategies for their community. The learning community approach also provides a mechanism for providing professional development at a local level on the ICT components of the project. Teachers were able to share expertise gained on the use of ICT technology in the classroom.
Planning and sharing conferences helped the school-based teams to share knowledge gained and to build on the ideas of other teams. Regional student welfare staff will support the sharing of information at the local level and fostered the development of local networks. Once established, these networks will also be able to foster the continuation of projects beyond the funding period.
Delivery
Mentoring, action learning project, workshops/course, conference.
Timeline
By May 2009:
- planning Conferences with ICT professional development component
- on-site visits to schools in each regional cluster
- PLC Forum site on TaLe established for 2009 project
- submit progress report.
By December 2009:
- on-site visits to schools in each regional cluster
- review of the 2006-2008 school project reports by external provider
- report on history of project
- sharing Conferences
- submit annual report.
Sectors
