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Learning & Teaching Marian College Ararat - Professional Learning Newsletter Marian College Ararat - Professional Learning Newsletter Learning & Teaching

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TeachingEdition 3 October, 2015 Page 1

Marian College Ararat Professional Learning Newsletter Edition 3 October, 2015

Our Commitment to Learning:

We encourage excellence and perseverance in learning.We strive for continuous improvement.

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Teaching

Learning & Teaching

This is the final edition of the PL Newsletter for the year and I thank the many staff who have contributed articles to both this and earlier editions. As the Term draws to a close it’s good to reflect on the year and all that has been achieved in terms of our teaching, student learning and the relationships that have been established around these core activities. While the end of the year for many of us is, in large measure, dominated by assessment, report writing and results, especially VCE results, these are certainly not the only indicators for us of our work and what has been achieved.

Earlier in the year many of us read an article by Elliot Eisner, title, The Kind of Schools We Need, and I keep coming back to this and reflecting about some of Eisner’s ideas, and in particular his notion of aesthetic satisfactions. This reso-nates strongly with me and I have included here an extract from Eisner, as it provides us with another frame, a very powerful frame, for our end of year reflections.

“We don’t talk much about the aesthetic satis-factions of teaching and learning, but those of us who have taught for more than a few years know full well the feeling we experience when things go really well in our teaching. When things go really well for students, they experience similar feelings.

Continued on Page 2........................

Mr Stephen East with Kasey Mornane and Loci Devonshire

Learning & Teaching Marian College Ararat - Professional Learning Newsletter

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In this IssuePage Article Author

1-2 Editorial Rodney Knight

3-4 Catholic Social Justice Teaching

‘The Dignity of the Human Person’

Stephen East

5 The Teaching Text

‘You’re Welcome”

Paul McLoughlan

6-7 Gifted Students Michelle Finch

8-9 Art in the Curriculum John Eagle

10-11 Formative Engagement at Marian

College

Rodney Knight

12-13 20 Hours to Learn Something New. John Coghlan

14-15 Motivating the Unmotivated -

Engagig the Disengaged

Jessica Brady

16-17 Mindfulness Trish Higgins

18-23 Responsible Thinking Process Rodney Knight

24 Culture of Learning Heads of Faculty

Continued from Page 1................

We ought not to marginalize the aesthetic in our understanding of what learning is about because, in the end, it is the only form of satisfaction that is likely to predict the uses of the knowledge, skills and perspectives that students acquire in school. There is a huge difference between what a child can do and what a child will do.

It is the aesthetic that represents the highest forms of intellectual achievement, and it is the aesthetic that provides the natural high and con-tributes the energy we need to want to pursue an activity again and again and again.”

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas break with plenty of relaxation and reflection.

Rodney KnightHead of Learning & Teaching


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For over a hundred years the Catholic Church has turned its heart towards social justice teaching and it is the Dignity of the Human Person which is paramount to this teaching. Our dignity comes from being God’s special creation. Why are we God’s special creation? We need only to look within the first chapter of our Judeo-Christian Creation myths.

Genesis 1: 27 – God created humankind in his image; in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

I interpret this as the most important social justice statement in the Bible. We are all created in the image of God. There are no conditions of race, religion, colour or creed but simply humankind. We are all the chosen people of God. In today’s world, when so much of the media brings its audience news and vision of injustices that seem to have an ‘us vs them’ mentality, the audi-ence would do well to remember this verse.

Issues of Human Dignity permeate throughout the Bi-ble. The prophets Amos and Isaiah urged the Israelites to turn back to God. To care for the poor, the widow, the orphan and the stranger in the land. To bring good news to the oppressed, liberty to captives, release to prisoners and proclaiming the year of favour with the Lord. Jesus then took on these teachings and brought them not only to the Israelites, but to the Gentiles as well. This is significant as it helps to explain that God is for everyone- we are all God’s chosen people.

The call to stand up for social justice is never easy as there are many who will oppose it. Amos’ words brought anger from the priests who said that he should be banished (Amos 7:12) and Jesus’ experience at the beginning of Luke alludes to the opposition and suffering which he was to experience in Jerusalem. Yet, it is so very important. As Catholics, we are called by Jesus Christ to be part of the solution to a world that hungers for justice.

Human Dignity permeates through Catholic Social Justice teaching much the same as blood flows through our veins. Without it, social justice teaching would have no life. The principle of human dignity is a building block onto which society can grow. Referring to Gen 2:18, 21-23 human beings are social beings. Social justice themes focussing on family, community, work conditions and the common good all come from this. The rights and needs of others must always be respected.

The first step to move from the individual to society is the family. Family is of the utmost importance to Catholic Social Teaching as it is the most intimate sphere in which people cooperate and the first place where children learn about themselves. The Austra-lian Catholic Bishops Conference made the family their focus for their 2012 Social Justice Statement. They were concerned that though we live “in a prosperous nation, many families are facing social and economic pressures that threaten their survival” (p.3). This is an echo of the concerns of Amos over 2500 years ago!

Catholic Social Justice Teaching – The Dignity of the Human PersonStephen EastHumanitiesFaculty

The following is an excerpt from a paper I wrote in 2014 for my Master of Religious Education


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Jesus taught about the Sabbath. A story that appears in all three of the synoptic gospels (Lk 6:1-5, Mt 12:1-8 & Mk 2:18-22) is when Jesus and his disciples are walking through a wheat field and his disciples pick and eat the grain.

‘Family is of the utmost importance to Catholic Social Teaching as

it is the most intimate sphere in which people cooperate and the first

place where children learn about themselves.’

Sabbath is not simply a time to not work, it is a time to relax, to connect with family and to worship. There will be times when the stresses and demands of work will be higher than at other times and this is when people need the Sabbath more than ever. This can be at any time. When a person is getting ready to go to work and their child approaches them, they should embrace them, talk to them, play with them.

Those few minutes may seem to mean nothing to the overall picture of a working day, but it will mean everything to the child and the worker might even be more productive by beginning the day with such a positive experience. Sabbath is for the people, not the people for the Sabbath.

A major social justice issue regarding human dignity in the school is the family concerns that the students are living through. A classroom full of children presents a plethora of back stories for each student, and no two students will have the same story. As well as teaching, an important role of the teacher is getting to know their students.

Each year new students present themselves and each year their teacher becomes involved in their lives. By getting to know their students, teachers can better provide the education and care that they need. It is a characteristic of Thomas Groome’s Shared Christian Praxis and it can be applied to not only Religious Edu-cation, but to the broader curriculum as well. By start-ing first from the student’s experiences the teacher can structure their curriculum to best suit their needs.

Catholic Social Justice teaching has grown incredibly since Pope Leo XIII released Rerum Novarum in 1891 yet we are still dealing with the same issues that Amos lamented over during his years of prophecy. Amos came from a farming background and his lamentations are still echoing in our farming communities today.

Before coming to Marian College I worked in a small school in a farming community and too often stories have been told of farmers succumbing to the stresses and pressures of their livelihood and what society and business expects of them. Working at a school in a farming community, means these stories are only too real. But there are many social justice issues that need to be met and a school needs to be well planned in order to do so.

The development and implementation of a well-structured Pastoral Care policy is of the utmost importance if the Catholic School is committed to fol-lowing the teaching and ministry of Christ. The first question that a Catholic school needs to ask about its Pastoral Care policy is:

Is the dignity and uniqueness of the individual person being respected?

An example of this is when Jesus ministered to the Gentile who lived amongst the tombs (Lk 8: 26-39). The first question Jesus asks him is “What is your name?” In that one simple action Jesus respects the man’s dignity by engaging him and attends to what makes him unique; his name.

It is simple actions that help support the dignity of others. Playing chasey with your child for two min-utes before going to work, giving a person an ear to listen to their stories, patting someone on the back when they’ve achieved a goal or when they need encouragement, God breathing into Adam (Gen 2:7). These simple actions give us dignity, they give us life.


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The Teaching Text (You’re welcome)”Paul McLoughlanPE and Health Faculty

In recent years I have enjoyed the plethora of easily accessible teaching resources & ideas being shared through blogs, podcasts and social media (Twitter, Google+, Facebook etc). One of my favourite books recently has been “The Teaching Text (You’re welcome)” - the paperback version of this book is available for well under $20 (try Amazon or ebay), or you are welcome to borrow my copy (you’re welcome!).

To best give you an insight into this book, here are some noteworthy excerpts that I have selected:

“Students seated in my patented Column arrangement are all facing forward so that their faces and sense organs are optimally positioned for greatest absorption of knowledge. This lowers the likelihood of distraction as well, though when I am sermonizing from my podium how could anyone be distracted?”

“Interacting with students in a human way destroys the teacher/student relationship that I’ve worked hard to cultivate. They need to know that I am the Bringer of Knowledge and they are the receptacle of that knowledge. Students as sponge, as it were.”

“In Finland there are no professional development days because they had me come to speak to the entire country one time and now no one there needs to be professionally developed ever again until my next book comes out”

“Twitter is too human to allow for perfect teaching opportunities. Humanity has no place in teaching. Teaching is the transfer of knowledge from one body to another and the use of data to measure the efficiency of that knowledge transfer. Someday I will

find a paper and ink chemical combination that will allow me to simply rub the textbook onto my students’ heads until the knowledge therein transfers to the child, removing even more of the human interaction”

“I am simply the best, most inventive, most connected, astounding educator that ever picked up a piece of chalk and fired it at an unruly student from across the classroom. Not that I have unruly students in my class. This hypothetical situation would occur in a room where I have been invited into so as to show the teacher in that room how he or she could be a better teacher. Obviously not to the extent that I am, but who could be?”

Excerpts from Douglas J. Robertson’s “The Teaching Text (You’re Welcome)”

BOOK REVIEW:

“The Teaching Text (You’re welcome)”

by Douglas J. Robertson (2015)


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The topic of ‘Gifted students’ seems to be one that gains

mixed reactions from parents, students and educational

professionals. Essentially, Giftedness can be excelling in

one or many areas. In my 18 years as an educator my

experience is that gifted students are often the most

ignored in an educational setting. My own child was

accelerated from grade prep into grade 2 and it seemed

that everyone had an opinion (usually negative) but

the same negative opinions came from parents and

sometimes teachers of children who were accelerated

in sport and other pursuits but academic acceleration

was met with inferences of ‘bragging’ and ‘socially

inappropriate’.

As a teacher I have witnessed the slow decaying of

motivation in many bright students who are just given

more of the same. The following article is designed to

explore some of the positive benefits of acceleration

as a means for addressing some gifted needs using just

some of the wealth of supporting research available. I

hope I can challenge educators to think differently about

acceleration practices.

One of the greatest challenges faced by educators of

gifted students is finding ways to meet their unique

and varying needs. Accordingly, various strategies and

models have been put forth by academics and adopted

by schools in different forms. There is an abundance

of research championing the academic, social and

emotional benefits of acceleration as a mechanism for

addressing the needs of some gifted students.

Acceleration in terms of education, may be defined as

‘moving faster through academic content, which typically

Gifted StudentsMichelle Finch

Humanities Faculty

includes offering standard curriculum to students at a

younger than usual age’ (Davis, Rimm & Siegle, 2011,

p. 125). VanTassel-Baska (1992) describes acceleration

as a set of administrative strategies that cater for the

diverse needs of gifted students. Sousa (2009) purports

acceleration as an intervention that recognizes students

learn different materials at different rates, irrespective of

their age.

However, acceleration is a strategy that is steeped

in controversy. Reasons for this are varying, but

many believe the reluctance by schools to utilize

acceleration options is based on false perceptions,

mostly surrounding the supposed social/emotional

ramifications. Robinson, Shore & Ennerson (2007)

suggest one reason for the infrequent use of acceleration

is that educators feel uncomfortable with the issue and

because they are not aware of the various forms of

acceleration, simply equate it to grade-skipping. Wood,

Portman, Cigrand & Colangelo (2010) interviewed 149

school counsellors who had not received formal training

in acceleration practices and found that whilst many

counsellors were asked for advice on acceleration from

students and parents, most were hesitant to recommend

acceleration, citing social and emotional concerns.

Colangelo & Assouline (2009) assert that the discrepancy

between what the research shows and widespread belief

is enormous. Indeed, the greater proportion of research

suggests that acceleration is usually a highly beneficial

strategy for gifted students (Benbow, 1992; Davis, Rimm

& Siegle, 2011; VanTassel-Baska, 1992). Kulik & Kulik

(1984) cited in Clark (2008) conducted a meta-analysis

of 26 studies of acceleration effects and concluded that

students were able to successfully handle the challenges

of acceleration. Twenty years later Kulik (2004) cited

in Gross (2008), still strongly attested to the benefits

of acceleration noting ‘In a review of approximately

100 different meta-analyses of research findings in

education, I was not able to find any educational

treatment that consistently yielded a higher effect than

this one’(p.248).


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Types of AccelerationWhilst academic acceleration generally refers to

a quicker progression through the curriculum,

there are a variety of ways that students can be

accelerated. Many researchers stress the importance

of differentiating between acceleration and

enrichment. DeLacy (1996) describes enrichment as

providing additional and/or more in-depth materials

to students who learn quickly. Unlike acceleration,

enrichment does not allow for faster progression

in standard curriculum. Southern and Jones

(1991), identify 18 different forms of acceleration

including: early entry, grade-skipping, subject

specific acceleration and credit by examination and

correspondence courses. The types of acceleration

strategies applied may vary depending upon prior

learning, pace and social needs.

Advantages of AccelerationCuriously, acceleration is considered a normal

practice in sport, music, employment positions

and many other non-academic pursuits. Education

seems to be one of the few places where chronology

dictates progress more than ability. A student

who is able to achieve at higher levels should

be acknowledged. In addition to this, students

have the right to work with students of similar

ability. As a consequence of acceleration, some

students have more time to enjoy successful

careers and Southern and Jones (1991) report that

studies of notable achievements show that many

important contributions were made by very young

professionals. Research has shown that students

who are not given the opportunity for acceleration

can become bored, frustrated, unmotivated, display

behavioural problems and are at risk of leaving

school early (Colangelo & Assouline, 2009; Davis,

Rimm & Siegle, 2011; Seely, 1993; Southern & Jones,

1991). Given this, more needs to be done to raise

awareness among education professionals about

the benefits of acceleration and to dispel negative

falsehoods.

ReferencesBenbow, C. (1992). Challenging the Gifted: Grouping

and Acceleration. Gifted Child Quarterly, 36(1), 59.

Clark, B. (2008). Growing up Gifted. (7th ed.). New

Jersey: Pearson.

Colangelo, N., Assouline, S. (2009). Acceleration:

meeting the academic and social needs of students.

In T. Balchin., B.Hymer. & D.J. Matthews. (Eds.), The

Routledge Companion to Gifted Education. (pp.194-

202). Oxon: Routledge.

Davis. G. A., Rimm, S. B. & Siegle, D. (2011). Education

of the Gifted and Talented. (6th ed.). New Jersey:

Pearson.

DeLacy, M. (1996). Acceleration for Gifted Students.

Retrieved from http://tagpdx.org/accelera.htm

Sousa, D. A. (2009). How the Gifted Brain Learns (2nd

ed.). California: Corwin.

Southern, W. T. & Jones, E. D. (1991) Academic

Acceleration: Background and Issues. In W. T. Southern

& E.D. Jones (Eds). The Academic Acceleration of Gifted

Children (pp.1-9). New York: Teachers College Press.

Van Tassel-Baska, J. (1992). Educational decision

making on acceleration and ability grouping. Gifted

Child Quarterly, 36(2), 68-72.

‘One of the greatest challenges faced

by educators of gifted students is

finding ways to meet their unique and

varying needs.’


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Art in the CurriculumJohn EagleArt Faculty

“Several of the leading universities in the US recently published reports examining the role of the arts in education. Last year Harvard and Stanford universities called for a greater presence for the arts on campus and in undergraduate and graduate programs. Earlier reports at the universities of Chicago, Princeton and Columbia appealed for similar far-reaching changes and reasserted in the words of the Chicago report that art is a central activity of the life of the mind.”

All these reports acknowledge the centrality of the arts in human endeavour. They also reinforce the importance of the visual and performing arts in fostering the ability of students to think imaginatively, to be creative risk takers and as the Stanford report adds, to move gracefully through a world of rapid change.

A visual arts curriculum should offer the opportunity to consolidate creative experiences while pursuing a creative structure in an art studio atmosphere with a wide ranging art syllabus based around the building blocks of all artwork, the elements of design: texture, tone, line, shape and colour.

Within the arts subject matter there is the opportunity of finding a link to each of the curriculum core subjects. It is this cross referencing and exploring that adds to the importance of art as an essential subject at all levels.

The following is an outline of one of the first lessons of the year for Year 7 students in 2008.

Year 7 commenced this semester with a look at the work by artist Paul Klee whose work more often than not contained many coloured squares and shapes. We took the idea of squares and shapes and using large soft coloured pastels developed artworks where each square represented the perceived personality of a student in the room. At this early stage of year 7 many students are still establishing their position within their peer group but more often than not there is an indication as to a bright happy person, a serious person or a quiet person and so on. By doing this we investigated colour and shape, we experienced a range of emotions that colour can provide, we were telling a story about a group of people, we were having a history lesson about a significant artist and art movement of the 20th century, and we were being creative.

The following is a quote from an article in the Australian newspaper of May 9 & 10th 2009.

‘We must ensure that the first three years of secondary

school art experience give them the best possible

grounding for future art studies.’

As the newspaper article so succinctly pointed out, that along with the sciences and humanities as they are both experienced and practiced, the arts are irreplaceable instruments of knowledge that allow innovation and imagination to thrive in our schools, to educate and empower creative minds across all disciplines, and help shape the 21st century.

How do we ensure that students coming into our art rooms in the 21st-century are going to be offered the wherewithal to become creative and articulate?


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At junior levels, Years 7 and 8 the work that the students undertake in the art studio must enable them to work with a wide range of 2-D and 3-D art materials, both singularly and collaboratively and to experience the satisfaction of working with clay, producing both hand built and wheel thrown work using a range of firing techniques and glazing processes. By Year 9 students should be introduced to photographic arts (both digital and darkroom/wet area where there is quite a revival of interest) and by Year 10 they should have the opportunity to work with video art and be able to extend darkroom photographic techniques.

Unfortunately in a great many schools by Year 10 art becomes an elective subject, often because the student priorities for career choices and university entrance scores have to take precedent.

Aware of the fact that many students need to focus on their chosen path and regretfully leave behind their art room experience. We must ensure that the first three years of secondary school art experience give them the best possible grounding for future art studies if, as often happens, this is the case.

The structure of those first three years needs to be such that their experience will be a lasting one. Most art teachers would agree that there are four disciplines that could be used as the focus: Painting and drawing, Ceramics, Printmaking and Textiles. (Marian College includes textiles as a technology subject). Each of these subjects provides their own range of technical skills and creative opportunities.

Ideally these four disciplines would be experienced twice during years seven and eight. Each year group would be time tabled for art at the same time each week and work in each of the disciplines with specialist teachers for a single term each year. By the end of year eight most students would be in a position to choose a discipline/disciplines for year nine where they could involve themselves with a great deal of certainty.

If a student then chooses to continue with art in year 10 it should be the year for each student to spend exploring their chosen area/areas more fully and becoming more competent in techniques and confident in decision-making and if V.C.E. art is a goal, year 10 would have been a sound foundation for further studies based on experiment, exploration and enjoyment of creativity.


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Formative Engagement at Marian College- October 2015Rodney KnightHead of Learning and Teaching

Formative Engagement is the umbrella term for

the model of staff and student learning which

commenced at Marian College in 2015.

Formative Engagement is really about staff and

students being actively engaged in the construction

of their own learning with an explicit focus on deep

thinking and improvement. Underpinning formative

engagement is the significant body of international,

educational research data which identifies what

actually constitutes effective teaching and learning,

that is, what really adds value to student learning.

Examples of this may include, students thinking

deeply about their own learning and taking increased

responsibility for it, being more actively involved in

the classroom, assessing their own work and that of

others and also teaching one another.

The Marian model will draw heavily on the

formative assessment strategies of Dylan William an

internationally acknowledged educational researcher

and practitioner. Staff will work together in teams to

develop a shared understanding of these strategies

and how to engineer classrooms to further enhance

student learning. Teacher teams will discuss the

trialling of these strategies in the classroom and

then engage in the observation of one another’s

teaching as the central and ongoing vehicle for

driving improvement in the teaching and learning

programme.

‘Staff will work together in teams

to develop a shared understanding

of these strategies and how to

engineer classrooms to further

enhance student learning.’


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Context for the Project: International Research DataThe international research regarding school improvement

is quite clear. Building teacher capacity is absolutely

critical and the most effective way to achieve this is

through work embedded professional learning based on

the collaboration within and between teacher teams that

is aligned to school goals. Teams of teachers working on

a common value adding learning project, developing a

shared language, shared understandings and enhancing

practice across the school is fundamental if sustained

improvement is to emerge.

We are also fortunate at this particular juncture in

education to have international research which is so clear

about what does and what does not add value to student

learning.

So we know, in brief, what actually is effective classroom

practice and we know what constitutes effective

professional learning to deliver that practice and in so

doing enhance student learning outcomes.

Because we have the data regarding effective school

improvement and the building of teacher capacity this

should be the major focus of professional learning for

perhaps the next five years. We need to be abundantly

clear with one another, parents and students about this as

our key learning initiative. The risk with trying to roll out

several initiatives simultaneously is that little if anything

really changes. The initiatives become, in effect, paper

initiatives. In terms of improvement initiatives, less is

more.

Features of the Formative Engagement Model

• ALL teaching staff are involved

• The vehicle is the PLTs

• There are 5 PLTs and the staff in each will be drawn from

a cross section of faculties/learning areas

• The PLTs meet twice each Term in the 3.30- 4.30 pm

Tuesday timeslot

• All teams work on common material which provides

a shared focus, shared understandings and a shared

language of learning.

• Classroom observations focus on the strategies discussed

in the PLTs

• Staff in each PLT participate in classroom observations

with staff from within the PLT.

Key Objectives

• Strengthen the focus on pedagogy

• Strengthen the quality of learning and teaching

• Strengthen the staff learning culture- learning across,

not just within disciplines

• Strengthen peer observation as a key vehicle in

professional learning

• Empower students as owners of their own learning

• Enhance student learning outcomes


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20 Hours to Learn Something NewJohn CoglanHead of Applied Learning

VCAL is a unique course to teach because the

learning outcomes are very generic and it is

designed to cater of individual student needs

and interests. The challenge is how do you

prepare students for a 21st century workplace.

How do you prepare students for jobs that are

not invented yet?

The answer: Teach them how to learn.

Learning at schoolMost teachers know how to learn- they usually

suit their own learning style while doing so. A

good majority do it regularly.

This is a teacher centred process. It is the

student doing the learning so the process needs

to be student centred. In a teacher centred

classroom this is huge challenge but in a

student centred classroom this becomes more

manageable.

In a student centred class, the student becomes

responsible for their learning. Therefore the

student needs to have a clear understanding of

how to learn.

Learning how to learn: This skill becomes even

more important for when the student leaves the

classroom. In an ever changing world knowing

how to learn something new is vital. So I spent

some time this year researching the art of

learning.

My two objectives were:

• to be able to articulate to students a

process on how to learn, and

• for the students to feel the process was

practical and they were confident it would

work.

My research came up with two common

themes; reading and a mentor. This is a problem

for me because I don’t like reading and what

if you can’t find a good mentor. It turns out

youtube can replace either of these. So I turned

to youtube particularly TedTalks.

Eventually I came across a Ted Talk called

“20 Hours to Learn Something New” (http://

youtube/5MgBikgcWnY), a presentation was by

Josh Kaufman’s.

Josh had a 4 step process on how learn a new

skill

1. Deconstruct the skill

2. Learn enough to self-correct

3. Remove barriers to practice

4. Practice for at least 20 hours


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When I reflected on Josh’s process, step 2

stood out as something I had not given enough

consideration in the past. Feedback is one of

the highest influences of learning according

to Hattie so it makes sense self-correcting is

a fundamental of self-teaching. Highly driven

people are often very critical of themselves and

under achievers not critical enough. Self-learners

will need to find a happy medium to ensure they

remain motivated while achieving to a high level.

Don’t sack the teacher yet: Learning is obviously

easier when done with a good mentor. A good

mentor will be able to deconstruct the task, give

quality feedback, remove barriers to learning

and can make sure the student practices. The

teacher just should not be working harder than

the student because the student still has to learn

the skill.

This term in VCAL we are challenging the

student’s, to follow Josh’s model with the help

of a teacher mentor and any other reading/

youtube information, to learn a new skill. The

goal is for the students to challenge themselves

to face the fear of feeling uncertain. Everyone

feels uncertain when they try something new. If

they can fulfil this project then they are taking

a big step towards becoming independent

learners, ready for the complex world that

awaits them.

Josh Kaufman

‘The challenge is how do you prepare students for a 21st century

workplace. ‘


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Motivating the Unmotivated, Engaging the DisengagedWorking with students with Asperger’s Syndromein Mathematics

Jessica BradyMathematics Faculty

As a “first year out” teacher it has been both a

daunting and exciting experience at the same

time. There is nothing that can quite prepare

you for what we cope with on a daily basis in

our classroom or specific learning environments.

Every day is different but you will always have 25

students demanding of your attention at the same

time. Although I am relatively inexperienced as a

classroom teacher, I am grateful that I have been

able to draw upon my previous experiences as a

Learning Support Officer (LSO) from before I began

my teacher training.

At Keysborough College I worked with small groups

of students as well as one-on-one with a number

of different students with a wide range of learning

difficulties. I especially enjoyed working with a

number of students with Asperger’s syndrome.

This year at Marian College, I have the privilege

of having at least one student with Asperger’s

syndrome in each of my five classes.

Students with Asperger’s syndrome, affectionately

known as “Aspies”, often share a number of

characteristics and learning behaviours that will

be helpful to keep in mind when planning their

learning and assessment tasks.

Some of my general observations•I have found that my Aspies often take a long

time to process and formulate responses to

questions – sometimes up to a minute, and

sometimes longer. I have had to learn to be

extremely patient, so as not to rush them into an

answer.

•Usually, they find it especially uncomfortable and

difficult to maintain eye contact and may appear

to be daydreaming. Abruptly calling for their

attention is unsettling and increases their anxiety.

I try to calmly and quietly interrupt their thoughts

as necessary.

•Classrooms that lack structure can be distressing

and cause extra anxiety for students with

Asperger’s syndrome. I try to implement a “daily

routine” that happens every lesson so the student

knows what to expect. If I know that I’m going to

be away, I make sure I have a conversation with

the student beforehand so that it’s not a complete

shock to their routine and can prepare themselves

a bit.


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‘Every day is different but you will always have 25 students

demanding of your attention at the same time.’

Activities I have used with my Aspies:

•Aspies often love working with ICT like computers,

iPads, etc. I found an interactive webpage that one

of my Aspies was truly engaged with. They had to

select at least two items (motor bikes, basketballs,

computer games, etc) from ‘the shop’ and click

and drag them on to the counter and calculate the

total price. The next step asked them to calculate a

discount (such as 20% off) and the new sale price.

Finally, the student had to calculate how much

change he would get from a given amount. This

activity was great for my Aspie as it broke down

the concepts into simple steps. The click and

drag feature also added an element of choice and

ownership for the student – rather than being told

you went to the shop and bought an item for a

specific amount, the student could choose which

item he wanted, weighing up the cost of the item

for himself.

•I have used a number of Tarsia puzzles in most

of my classes because they are a great kinesthetic

learning tool which makes them perfect for Aspies

too! Students often appreciate the concrete nature

of having one solution, and these puzzles and

activities are a great example of that.

•Worksheets are often a good way to get Aspies to

work. This is because they are usually structured

and they can see an end point for the session. The

traditional approach of turning to an exercise on a

page in a textbook is often overwhelming. A regular

textbook can just seem like a HUGE pile of pages

and pages of nonsense.


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MindfulnessTrish HigginsTechnology/Art Faculty

Last year I attended the Victorian Home Economics

and Textiles Teachers Conference, held at the

Melbourne Town Hall. Dr Craig Hassed, Senior

Lecturer at Monash University’s Department

of General Practice, was the guest speaker. Dr

Hassed spoke on the topic of mindfulness and his

key question was “Can mindfulness make better

teachers and students?”

The topic of mindfulness was written about in

the first edition of this publication, by Danni and

Michelle, however I would like to share with you

some of the points I jotted down during Dr Hassed’s

presentation as I found it to be very interesting.

His findings are supported by current national and

international research.

• Higher TV watching at 3 years of age is

associated with higher ADHD by the age of 7

• High levels of screen time in prekindergarten

children is associated with attention problems

by the age of 4

• Fast paced TV cartoons watched for over

9 minutes have a negative effect on young

children’s executive function

• Current research is suggesting that 25% of

young people are addicted to their mobile

phones and their addiction shares the

symptoms of any addiction – withdrawal, an

inability to modify behaviour and impaired

relationships with peers

• There is a strong link between social media

and emotional intelligence. Non-verbal cue

recognition in preteens decreases as screen

time increases

• The amount of texting inversely relates to the

amount of fulfilment within a relationship

• Some suggestions for the use of screen time,

social media and technology were:

• Use all technologies discerningly at school and

in the home

• Limit recreational use of all screen time (phone,

computer, TV, Ipad) to less than 2 hours per day

• Developing brains need engagement and

sensory interaction. Virtual experiences cannot

replace real experiences. Eg a virtual art gallery

tour cannot replace the sensory experience of

visiting an actual art gallery.

• Avoid doing things with technology that could

be done experientially. For example, choose

a pencil and paper to sketch on, over the

ISketch App on an IPad. It is essential for the

developing brain to feel and explore the tactile

qualities and weights of different papers and

learn how different pressure on a pencil creates

different mark making.

‘.....as teachers we need to model

mindfulness in the classroom and actively

encourage the development of mindful

work habits in our students.’


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Attention Deficit Trait (ADT), was explained. ADT

is caused by trying to deal with too much input

and results in difficulty in staying organised,

setting priorities, managing time and produces a

constant low level of panic and guilt. This results

in a loss of perspective, shades of grey begin to

disappear and black and white thinking emerges.

Dr Hassed suggested that as teachers we need

to model mindfulness in the classroom and

actively encourage the development of mindful

work habits in our students. We need to manage

the inputs such as screen usage, sound and

distractions. This involves actively focusing on

one task at a time so that the brain is efficient

and quiet. Knowing where our attention needs

to be, prioritising this and maintaining that

attention with sustained concentration.

When the mind wanders the priority for our

attention must be recalled. Like any skill, this

can be achieved with constant, regular practice.

It also involves letting go of that popular

misconception of multi-tasking, which is an

illusion. Multi-tasking is really just switching back

and forth between tasks in an unmindful way.

When confronted with a challenge, students

need to be encouraged to see it as potential

for learning and focus on the task at hand and

persistence rather than their own feelings of

inadequacy and perhaps fear. Being brave is to

be encouraged. A mindful attitude of openness,

curiosity, and acceptance needs to be adopted.

Formal mindful practices in schools, for both

teachers and students, such as meditation for

5-10 minutes daily have the benefits of reducing

stress levels, decreasing psychological symptoms,

and improving classroom organisation, increasing

empathy, overall performance and self-

compassion.

However, opportunities for informal mindful

practices are equally important and often

overlooked. Teachers can model and scaffold

informal mindful practices in a classroom setting

by establishing clear routines, organisational

patterns and being a calm adult presence who

encourages concentration on the task at hand.

Teachers and students need to use all their

senses as a gateway to the present moment by

focusing on the task at hand such as listening,

eating, walking, talking or reading etc., with

focus, sustained concentration and resisting

intrusions into our thoughts.

More detailed information on this topic can be

found in the following publications.

• Mindfulness for Life by Dr Stephen McKenzie

& Cr Craig Hassed and

• Mindful Learning by Dr Craig Hassed and Dr

Richard Chambers.

‘When confronted with a challenge, students need to be encouraged

to see it as potential for learning.....’


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Responsible Thinking Process (RTP)Rodney KnightHead of Learning and Teaching

How the RTP WorksThe most important point to remember when dealing

with children is that they are, like all of us, human beings.

They have their own wants and goals, they have created

their own unique ways of perceiving the world, they plan

and structure their ways of living so that their lives are

the ways they want them to be, and they have their own

specific priorities.

Thus, dealing with children demands respect for their

worlds, and, more importantly, understanding how best

to help them work through the various difficulties and

problems that they have. Since their problems are internal

to them, the best way you can help them deal with their

conflicts is by getting them to look within themselves and

decide for themselves how they want things to be.

You do this by asking them questions. Lecturing them or

telling them what you think will only frustrate their desire

to work things out within themselves, which is how they

are designed to operate.

If used properly, the RTP questioning process gives parents

and teachers a powerful teaching tool for children who

are willing. By asking the right questions, you can teach

children, in a highly effective way, how to reflect within

themselves and to think in ways that will help them satisfy

their own internal goals, while at the same time you

are teaching them to do this in the most effective way

possible.

Lecturing children, telling them what they should be doing,

making judgments about what you think is wrong with

them—all these strategies have been tried for years and

have never worked. They just make things worse! Any time

you try to force children into a specific way of thinking or

push on them in any way, you cannot guarantee how they

will deal with you. And if they perceive what you do as

criticism or abuse, you’re in for a lot of pushing back.

The key in working with children is to ignore excuses, not

encourage them. Most counseling time with children is

spent arguing over the validity of excuses. A question

that should be avoided is “Why did you do it?” When you

ask why, you are encouraging children to avoid taking

responsibility.

Regardless of the why, the key to helping children take

responsibility is to stick with the critical elements: what

they did, the rules, where they want to be, and what will

happen the next time they disrupt. The only time why

questions might be used is when you are trying to help

them think of better ways to resolve their conflicts.

Asking why questions can lead to what they wanted; then

you could ask if there is a better way of getting what they

wanted that doesn’t violate the rules or the rights of

others. If you ask “Why did you do it?” prior to the time

that students are ready to make plans, especially if they

are in the middle of their conflicts, the question will lead

the children away from considering whether they want to

follow the rules.

What follows here is an outline of the RTP. This will provide useful background reading for staff at Marian College in preparation for 2016.


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“Why did you do it?” often leads them to try to justify their

actions. Then, all kinds of reasons and excuses will pour

out as they attempt to avoid responsibility. The focus must

remain on the violations of rules or of others’ rights. That is

where responsibility begins!

Also, when working with children, try not to be

judgmental, which they perceive as an attempt to control

them. This works at breaking down the mutual respect you

are trying to build. Rather, focus in on the key questions

and stay focused. Excuses are an attempt to focus you

away from the issue, which is breaking the rules.

The RTP questioning process, if followed to the letter, will

get you safely past their excuses. Remember, for children

to succeed, they must believe you care about them, that

you have confidence in their ability to solve problems,

and they must experience respect. The stronger the

relationship before the problems arise, the more likely

they will accept the process, thus the easier it becomes to

resolve the differences.

If the questions are asked in a respectful environment,

the Responsible Thinking Process can also help build

that relationship, because when you ask them what

they think, listen non-judgmentally to their answers, and

accept their decisions, this process creates that necessary

mutual respect. Remember to ask the questions in a calm,

respectful, curious voice.

Never yell, lecture, or tell; always ask. Stay focused, and

stay with the sequence outlined below until you get

familiar enough with the process.

Wherever humans are, there are also rules, standards,

and procedures. Their purpose is simple: they provide

guides for how we should act to accomplish our goals

without in any way interfering with others who are trying

to achieve their goals. This is how all of us can live in

harmony with each other.

If I respect the rules of wherever we are, I shouldn’t in

any way violate your rights while trying to exercise my

own. Whether it is on a football field, in a public forum,

at a school board meeting, at a restaurant, while driving,

or in a school, the purpose of rules remains the same.

If they are followed, we will have both the freedom and

opportunities to achieve our goals while respecting the

rights of others who want to do the same thing. And that

is what this process teaches children.

The questioning process is designed to help children look

within themselves and compare the way they are dealing

with others with the rules of wherever they are, and to

decide whether their ways of handling themselves are

violating the rights of others within that environment.

Continued on Page 18..................................

‘Lecturing children, telling them what they should be doing, making

judgments about what you think is wrong with them—all these

strategies have been tried for years and have never worked.’


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1. “What are you doing?” Most always, this question should be asked first. Any time

children break the rules or don’t conform to criteria or

guidelines, the first focus of concern should always be the

way they handle themselves, to become aware of their

actions, and, more importantly, how their actions might

affect others.

If they are going to respect the rights of others and follow

the rules, they must first look within themselves and see

what it is about themselves that is interfering with others’

rights. Talking about rules is meaningless unless they look

at what it is about themselves that relates to the rules.

But they must do the looking. It must come from within

the children themselves.

Telling them doesn’t teach them to self-reflect either

now or in the future. This is something they must learn

through experience by successfully dealing with their

issues. “What are you doing?” begins the process by

which you learn if they are ready to accept responsibility.

It should be noted that all staff members should use the

process. To quote my friend, Jack Foster, RTP Trainer and

Superintendent of Kashunamiut School District, Chevak,

Alaska, “Every adult takes responsibility for asking the

questions.”

2. “What are the rules?” To maintain mutual respect, you have to tie whatever

they are doing to the rules and standards of wherever

they find themselves. You are teaching them to

compare what they are doing to the standards of

their environment rather than what you want them

to do. Then, you are more likely to be perceived as a

respectful, interested party, and not as someone who

is trying to control them. When you say such things as

“do what I say” and “my rules are,” students will see

themselves as dealing with you, not the rules. It should

be clear that they are dealing with the rules, not you.

Once they are committed to following the rules, you

should be willing to help them create a workable

plan to achieve their goals. That’s what maintains

mutual respect. When you yell, tell, argue, lecture, or

insist on having your own way, they’ll perceive you as

controlling, and conflict will rear its ugly head. And,

what is more important, they’ll never learn to look

within themselves and decide how they want to be.

The rules of any environment are designed to allow us

to accomplish what we want without interfering with

the rights of others. Rules have nothing to do with

individual preferences, but everything to do with our

ability to live freely when we are with others.

3. “What happens when you break the rules?” Here, you are simply getting them to reflect on the

consequences of breaking the rules. If there are no

consequences, or if they are inconsistently applied, this

will work against their learning the purpose of rules

and the responsible way of living. They must believe

something will happen every time they break the rules

or a growing respect for others will never develop.

Continued from Page 17..................................

Responsible Thinking Process ......

‘....dealing with children demands

respect for their worlds and, more

importantly, understanding how

best to help them work through

the various difficulties. and

problems that they have.’


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4. “Is this what you want to happen?” Now you are asking them to look within themselves and

decide how they want to be as persons. You are really

asking them if this is the way they see themselves and

how they want to live their lives. You are asking what do

you want to happen to you for the rest of your life, do

you enjoy these kinds of consequences, do you want to

keep running from the law or from others, do you enjoy

the way you want to live your life? This question follows

logically, and it carries within it the seeds for powerful

changes in life style if the children reflect upon and deal

with the issues it suggests.

Most children look to consequences as something that

will happen to them. This question brings home the fact

that, indeed, this will happen to them—but it is within

their power to make changes.

Once they decide to make changes in how they want to

be as persons (which might take a short time or months

on end), questions three, four, and five will no longer be

needed. This will be apparent from the reaction you will

get after asking “What are you doing?” They’ll throw up

their hands or roll their eyes and say “Yeah, OK, I know.”

They’ve worked through how they want to be, and

now they’re learning to deal with being that way on a

continuing basis.

5. “Where do you want to be?” or “What do you want to do now?” This step can be used interchangeably with the prior

one. I’ve introduced a variety of questions to suit various

people and situations. The point here is to get closure as

to what they really want with regard to the conflicting

ways they’ve been living. Once they’ve agreed that they

want to be where they are and are willing to follow the

rules to be there, then they have to learn how to stay

wherever they want to be when various problems arise.

6. “What will happen if you disrupt again?” This question, along with the first, should always be

asked, even with those children who have already

reflected and decided to change how they want to be.

It asks, in a different way, the same thing as question

four. Do you want to deal, within yourself, with how you

treat others, and really be a different person? Reflecting

on the future consequences of the way they are

presently dealing with their lives is a critical part of the

process. Students should also reflect on the unintended

consequences of how their ways of reaching their own

goals are affecting others. Students who disrupt could be

keeping other children from learning, and might injure

or humiliate them. They certainly can make it difficult for

teachers who want to teach and keep their students on

task.

If necessary, ask them what they are doing compared to

other things they want. This isn’t always necessary. The

purpose of this comparison is to help the child perceive

that although she might be getting some of what she

wants when she shoves someone else to the ground,

there are other wants that she is being kept from getting,

such as being the kind of person she wants to be or being

with her friends and playing outside in the playground.

These questions should never be understood as a warning

to the student. They aren’t. Warnings imply possible

punishment. What this process is doing is asking students

to think about what they are doing in relation to the rules

of wherever they are. This would include losing their right

to remain where they are if they continue to violate the

rights of others.

They aren’t being threatened by the use of these

questions. Rather, the students are being asked to look

at the possibility of losing their rights and privileges by

violating the rules.

Continued on Page 20..................................


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Dealing with Children Who Evade Responsibility Not all children are compliant. When asked “What are

you doing?” some say nothing, some say “It’s not my

fault” or “He was talking first,” and some defend their

actions by explaining what they were trying to do. The key

is this: when they avoid answering a question, repeat it.

It they persist in not dealing with you, then ask “Do you

want to work on this or not?” If they continue to avoid

dealing with you, then say “You need to go to the RTC.”

Once you have said this, never back down. If you back

down, you are, in effect, establishing an additional time

for disrupting.

The process allows for two disruptions before students

go to the Responsible Thinking Classroom (RTC). An

additional disruption increases by 50% the number of

disruptions per child prior to having to deal responsibly

with their problems.

When they want to return and obey the rules, they must

be taught how to create a detailed, specific plan. It is this

plan which they use when negotiating with the person in

charge of wherever they were disrupting and from where

they came.

Dealing with Those Who Disrupt after Settling Down If children answer the questions and settle down but later

begin to disrupt again, then ask “What are you doing?”

and then “What did you say would happen the next

time you disrupted?” This question gets them to look

within themselves and reflect on where they themselves

admitted they had to go. Thus, you are not sending them

to the RTC; nor with the first set of questions were you

warning them. They are actually acknowledging that

earlier they admitted they knew where they would have

to go if they continued to disrupt.

You are not the “bad guy” but are simply asking them to

reflect on how the system works. If they become angry,

it is likely that they are mad at themselves for having

created this situation. But it is important here to note

that, as mentioned earlier, you must ask the questions in

a calm, curious, and respectful way. When they answer

that they have to go to the RTC, then the final question

from you should be “So where do you need to go now?”

The RTC is where students go who need help in creating

a plan that is designed to help them work through the

problems they are having with following the rules and

respecting others’ rights. Once they’ve arrived at the RTC,

they should not be pressured into making a plan. That

decision should come from them. Some might sit for a

while, angry at themselves, but that’s acceptable.

They are struggling within themselves, and that’s a

healthy sign. Once they ask for a plan, they’ve accepted

responsibility for dealing differently with the way they

tried to achieve their goals, and especially for how they

treated others. Then, ask them if they are willing to set

a goal to work at solving their problems in that area. If

Continued from Page 19..................................

Responsible Thinking Process.......

‘The key is this: when they avoid

answering a question, repeat it.’


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they say yes, that is the first step toward their success in

dealing with others. You are trying to determine if they

are really committed to changing the way they want to

be, and how hard they are willing to work to make that

happen.

Once strongly committed to changing how they structure

their life and deal with others, including resolving their

problems, children are ready to learn how to work on a

plan to satisfy what they want, using goals and charts

Negotiating Plans Is Important to the Process When children approach a teacher or parent to negotiate

back to where they were disrupting, they should be given

time to explain how they are going to deal with problems

the next time they occur.

This process shouldn’t take more than three to five

minutes. If the teacher or supervisor has any questions

concerning a student’s plan, this is the time to ask

questions and get clarification from the student. If part of

the plan is unacceptable, the student should be asked for

alternatives.

The teacher should offer alternatives if the student does

not. If the alternatives are acceptable to the student,

then the student must alter the written plan to reflect the

negotiated changes.

A plan should never be ignored or refused. It should

always be treated as a sincere commitment. Negotiating

is critical to building student-teacher relationships. Always

use questions—they help to teach responsible thinking.

After Negotiating, the Student Is Readmitted to Class Not all children think of their plans as ongoing

restructurings of how they deal with their difficulties.

Some see plan making as a way of “playing the game to

get people off their backs.” Others, such as preschoolers

and Special Needs students, might forget easily or have

short attention spans. Erin Powell, RTP special ed trainer,

found it very effective when working with disabled

children to review their plans three or four times a day,

asking the children if they were succeeding with their

plans or how the plans were going.

The plans then became ongoing parts of how they dealt

with themselves and others within the classroom.

Many teachers have found that when students disrupt

again after negotiating plans, the following questions are

especially helpful:

“What are you doing?”

“Are you following your plan?”

“Is your plan working?”

“Do you want to change your plan?”

Asking such questions provides opportunities for students

to reflect on their plans and to relate them to any present

difficulties they might be having in the classroom or

elsewhere.

‘The key in working with children is to ignore excuses,

not encourage them.’


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The Culture of Learning at Marian College

Our Commitment to LearningWe encourage excellence and perseverance in learning

We strive for continuous improvement.

Classroom Expectations

. Trial and consistently build into our teaching the five strands of Dylan Wiliam’s model from Formative Engagement:

. Know the students as learners

. Punctual commencement of classes

. Provide a variety of tasks in each lesson

. Respect the learning environment

. Set high standards and expectations re student preparation,behavior, engagement and work standards. Prompt return of assessed student work. Set homework related to the class-work and check homework tasks when due. Implement consequences for breaches of the Student Learning Action Statement

Student Learning- Action Statement

• LearningIntentionsandSuccessCriteria• Evidenceoflearning• FeedbackforLearning• PeerSupportedlearning• SelfRegulatedlearning

I WILL:

• Learnineverylesson• Comepreparedforeverylessoninattitudeandaction• Respectthelearningenvironment• Respecttherightsofotherstolearn• Acceptnewchallenges• Persevereandcompletealltaskstothebestofmyability• Acceptfeedbackasachancetogrow

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