Conference sessions
Basic info sheet for principals & department heads
Session A - choose 1 of 10
A1 Managing difficult teenage behaviours in an Adult Learning Environment
Mal Hand and Maree Olle, Swinburne TAFE
Outline: Our paradox is that our programs have students aged 15-19 in a TAFE environment. The challenge is to facilitate the personal, intellectual and academic development of teenagers in an environment that is designed for adult learners. We have become experts in assisting these disengaged young people to re-engage with education and training. This is often their first step to regaining control of their lives and creating a future as viable and effective members of society.
Link: Students in a formal learning environment are expected to be there willingly and with purpose; our students often are not. Further, VCAL and TAFE are broadly accepted as for "dummies"
What's this about?
A2 Understanding and Shifting Student Mindset
Adrian Bertolini, Intuyu Consulting
Outline: One major area where VCAL teachers struggle is shifting the mindset of their students. This workshop will clarify what are some of the sources of the underlying mindsets and the steps to develop a growth mindset (and thus performance) in your students. This workshop is based on material from Tribal Leadership (David Logan), 3 Laws of Performance (Steve Zaffron), and Mindset (Carol Dweck).
Link: Uncovers the hidden culture and mindset of students which teachers rarely (or unconsciously) address and gives them the tools to intentionally and progressively make a difference.
What's this?
A3 Re engagement and Extension for hard to reach learners
Nick Johns, Dominic Brash, Richard Brown; SKYS 2 faze (St Kilda Youth Service)
Starting from where learners are at is the premise that the 2 faze community VCAL and VET program has been built on. Over 8 years it has grown into a leading model of re engagement education that has assisted many young people facing a wide range of challenges to re connect with learning. 2 faze is an integrated program that grew from the context of support for young people (15 – 25) suffering various forms of disadvantage and social exclusion. Using a mixture of VCAL, Creative Media, Music and ICT the team have created a coherent body of work that works for young people on a number of levels.
The team share examples of discreet and integrated projects that cross boundaries, create pathways and provide a supportive environment within which young people can explore their potential and begin to make real progress toward independence and further skills development.
Link: www.skys.org.au/skys/2faze.html
What's this?
A4 What's Worth It, and What's Not?
Karen Dymke, Luther College
Outline: If the goal of our teaching is to improve student learning, it is then appropriate to consider what we are doing in the classroom that works, and what does not. As teachers we also need to be adaptive learning experts, and take note of how we are going, and maybe where to next? Recent research by John Hattie has made clear that there are areas where we should focus most of our effort: feedback, relationships, and self assessment to name a few. This workshop will discuss and consider these findings, and maybe challenge our assumptions.
What's this?
A5 VCAL World Challenge: International expeditions that meet outcomes: New PDS Units in VCAL in action
Rod Sheehan, MacKillop College and Cornelia DeBrincat, Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority
Outline: During 2011 MacKillop College ran a 28 expedition to Borneo, Malaysia in conjunction with World Challenge within the VCAL program. Students were at the centre of all decision making. The group hiked through jungles, planted sustainable resources for a local community, went white water rafting, attempted to climb the World's 20th tallest Mountain (Mt. Kinabalu)and much more. Students were charged with responsibilities such as accommodation, transport, budget, navigation, occupational health and safety and group leader. Cornelia examines the project as an illustration of the New PDS units in action.
Link: By incorporating an international experience into curriculum, schools have the opportunity to provide learning experiences that are commensurate to the world of globalisation in which they live. The depth and breadth of such a program submerses students in a pure applied learning environment that can be life-changing. By allowing students to take their education internationally, they are able to better understand the scale to which they can make difference. This program opens for a plethora topics pre or post departure including: leadership, multiculturalism, global issues, teamwork, logistics, planning budgeting and more. Additionally, the experience is engaging, challenging, student-lead and rewarding.
A6 Body Intelligence: How are you intelligent? vs. How intelligent are you?
Dani-Ela Kayler, Expressive movement practitioner and secondary drama teacher
A multidisciplinary workshop - discovering how I am intelligent to facilitate an understanding of how I learn.
In the current digital era where the senses are constantly stimulated and entertained, there is little awareness for the necessity of stillness, reflection and mindfully engaging with ones self. Regardless of culture, race, nationality and religion, our body is our common heritage and source of intelligence – mind, heart and instinct.
The intricate relationship with their body during adolescent development is mostly ignored, and students lack a fundamental connection to it. Generally regarded and experienced as a vehicle, rather than an instrument and tool to learn about who they are, what they want to be, and how they learn.
Dani-Ela explores these ideas and generates possibilities for teachers through movement improvisations, drawing, writing and discussion.
What's this?
A7 Teaching and Learning in a Virtual Economy
Judy James, Virtual Enterprise Australia
Outline: This workshop introduces you to a very hands on method of delivery and proactive learning style in a virtual business economy. The workshop will give you practical experience of the program from a student's point of view. The program is fantastic at engaging students and ensuring that they are truly work ready on completion, and is run from your own classroom with the support of the virtual enterprise infrastructure.
Link: Our workshop provides a very different approach to teaching and learning. It is a very hands on practical application of the curriculum. It is about changing the current method of delivery and turning the learning over to the student.
What's this?
A8 School-to-work transition option for young people with a disability.
Kate Fennessy, Inner Eastern LLEN
‘Ticket to Work’ is a School Based Apprenticeship and Trainee program for students with a disability. The program aims to redress the imbalance of employment prospects for these youth. Based on recognised research in this area the project centres around early involvement in work situations to enhance the tools and skills needed for successful transition into working life. The pilot project operates from Berendale School and Montague Continuing Education Centre, and is supported by the Youth Disability Partnership Network in the south-east of Melbourne, including 17 partners from various disability and employment services.
Kate Fennessy from the Inner Eastern LLEN, a member of the Youth Disability Partnership Network, will present on The Ticket to Work project; disability and school-based apprenticeships and traineeships; partnership approaches to projects;success in partnerships and how schools/education providers can engage in effective partnerships. Participants will also be given an opportunity to consider how they could create local partnerships in their regions.
What's this?
A9 Challenging assumptions: Applied Learning is for Dummies?
Katrina King and Lisa Holt, Carrum Downs Secondary
Outline: Find out about Carrum Downs Secondary College’s plans to implement applied learning across the curriculum 7-12 to improve student engagement, school completion and post school destinations. Carrum Downs Secondary College was recently awarded the Victorian Education Excellence award in the category of Pathways and Transition for the project Reframing Success. The project was to develop an action plan to implement applied learning across the whole school. The College was awarded $20,000 to research next and best practice locally and overseas in applied learning and have just returned from a study tour of the United Kingdom. This session will provide an opportunity for the team to share their experiences, plans and rational for whole school applied learning.
Link: Provides a strategic rational for whole school applied learning.
What's this?
A10 Empowering ICT Integration
Narelle Wood, Edu Training Services
Outline: This workshop will look at a variety of Web 2.0 tools, how they can be embedded into the curriculum and consequently how they support and create learning opportunities. Participants will also receive materials that outline the instructions for using some of the tools, a number of practical ideas for integrating ICT into the curriculum and strategies for assessing student ICT competencies.
Link: The assumption is often made that students have a comprehensive understanding of ICT and how to use it effectively. Likewise it is assumed that staff feel comfortable in using ICT, have sufficient skills, or time to develop these skills, to implement ICT into the curriculum in a meaningful way.
What's this?
Session B - choose 1 of 10
B1 Restorative Justice: the Helix of Self-Discipline and Healthy Relationships
David Vinegrad, Behaviour Matters
Engaging people and maximising learning outcomes is dependant on the alignment of appropriate curriculum, great teaching strategies and supportive relationships. How do we go about creating these relationships without relying on traditional discipline based on punitive sanctions that are one dimensional? How can we align our disciplinary practices with educational values that include respect, responsibility, accountability, honesty, and negotiation? Incorporating Restorative Justice principles into classroom practice encourages self-discipline and the repair of relationships when harm has been done. As the title suggests, Restorative Justice is the helix or 'multi dimensional space' that allows the relational agenda to be made explicit and to address the needs of the community.
What's this?
B2 Narre Warren South - a VCAL of many cultures
Rob Duncan and Kelly Lackmann, Narre Warren South P-12
Outline: VCAL truly can cater for all - hear about an example of VCAL best practice with a multicultural flavour. Narre Warren South P-12 College has nearly 70 different nationalities, including many recently arrived Afghan refugees. See a practical example of highly engaging curriculum in action.
What's this?
B3 Get stuck into Parliament
Daryl Evans and Rod Espie, Parliament of Victoria
Learning about parliamentary government can be interesting! Perhaps VCAL students can use these programs to claim the $50,000 reward! Or confront their local State Parliament MP with questions about workplace bullying ... or hoon driving ... or compulsory voting. Or include a tour of Parliament House as part of a day of visits to the Melbourne CBD. In recent years, the Education Office in the Parliament of Victoria has developed learning material appropriate to adult and young adult students enrolled in CGEA, Certificate in Work Education, ESL Frameworks, CSWE and now VCAL programs. The programs actively involve students in experience which is relevant to knowing some of the facts about parliamentary life, and associated issues and arguments. And, of course, a range of resources and information will be freely available in this new workshop, too.
What's this?
B4 The Global Poverty Project presents 1.4 Billion Reasons for Youth
Sandra Opoku, Global Poverty Project
Outline: The Global Poverty Project exists to strengthen the momentum created by the existing movement to end extreme poverty, and to increase the number of everyday people joining their voice to the call for an end to extreme poverty. Recognising the need to engage people with previous successes of the international anti-poverty movement, and to increase global support for the work of NGOs, governments, multilateral agencies, academics and civil society, the Global Poverty Project developed 1.4 Billion Reasons: a world-class multimedia presentation. The 1.4 Billion Reasons for Youth presentation has been developed to engage youth with the issue of extreme poverty and inspire them to take action. The presentation is a resource tool for teachers to catalyse a learning pathway and to take global issues into the classroom. Designed to empower youth to become leaders in the movement to end extreme poverty.
Link: This workshop showcases a way of engaging youth with global issues and highlights the effectiveness of continued learning through empowerment. The presentation is interactive and responsive to the learning environment and reaches the students at their level. It does not aim to exist as a one off lecture on global issues but rather catalyse a learning pathway, generating excitement and interest for further engagement. The teacher is equipped with resources to guide future learning; the teaching / learning experience is fluid and flexible and is supportive of and responsive to the students interest.
B5 Developing Team Skills In Your Class
Mark Collard www.inspireyourgroup.com
Outline: One of the best ways to enhance the learning outcomes of your curriculum is to create a supportive team environment, that is, a space in which students work and play well together. This interactive workshop will present a series of interactive group activities that are designed to invite your students to share, trust and learn and develop their "working together" skills. Key activity design and team-building leadership tips will be discussed. Bonus: a number of free resources will be distributed which feature hundreds more fun group and team-based activities, most of which can be immediately implemented in your class and connected meaningfully to your curriculum.
Link: This workshops provides a glimpse of what is possible when teachers empower their students to be responsible for the 'health' of their group.
What's this?
B6 Money and Travel - student enterprise options that work
Merv Edmunds, Human Givens Australia
Outline: Re-defining success - visible, tangible, equitable. ICT as student fee-for- service work (real-world experience). Travel as an engagement and learning strategy featuring actual examples - international, interstate, adventure, cross-cultural.
Link: Options for VCAL students to fund their own travel by fee-for-service work in a climate of reduced state funding is a new assumption, and one worth developing.
What's this?
B7 A Different Way to Learn and Teach
Judy James, Virtual Enterprise Australia
Outiline: Would you like your students to be motivated, regularly attend class and take control of their own learning? Are you ready for the most rewarding outcomes you and your students have ever known? Our virtual business world enables students to learn in a pro-active and self directed manner rather than being taught in the traditional classroom style and environment. Students gain high employability skills whilst thoroughly enjoying their leaning. Come and experience our virtual learning economy!
Link: Our workshop is about changing delivery and teaching styles to engage learners and give them real practical employable skills. It inspires teachers and trainers to look at different delivery and training models instead of taking for granted the traditional methods.
What's this?
B8 Using the new SafeT1 resources in your classroom
Jan Hagston, VALA/Safe T1
During 2008, WorkSafe Victoria funded VALA to undertake a 3-year project to develop teaching and learning resources to improve the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) awareness of young people entering the workforce. The SAFE T1 website is the hub of the project, providing information about OHS, links to existing resources as well as teaching and learning activities. Developed with VALA, SAFE T1 provides high quality practical teaching /learning resources, designed to engage students with the most pertinent WorkSafe messages and improve the OHS awareness of young people entering the workforce. The resources are designed to support relevant studies in both the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) and Years 9 and 10 studies under the Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS).
Link: http://www.safe-t1.net.au
What's this?
B9 Using digital technologies to enhance applied learning
Lisa Holt and Katie Johnson, Carrum Downs Secondary College
Outline: Carrum Downs Secondary College is committed to ensuring the provision of a rich and diverse curriculum that caters for the 21st Century Learner. We invite you to a session in which we share our journey and the strategies developed in using digital technologies in the applied learning classroom. The workshop is a hands on approach to developing some of your own skills in the use of iPads, iPod touches, flip cameras and easi speak microphones.
Link: Practical ideas for the applied learning practitioner
What's this?
B10 Applied Consumer Skills
Shane O'Connor, Consumer Affairs Victoria
Outline: The old assumption, that traditional textbook-based learning provides the best education for students, has been challenged in recent years by new learning programs that embrace applied learning principles. In Applied Consumer Skills, the new assumption, that young people learn just as much outside the classroom, is explored through a range of integrated activities from across the Consumer Stuff resources. This workshop will show you how you can help your students to meet the learning outcomes required in their VCAL program while also empowering them as young consumers.
Link: Our workshop will demonstrate that students can learn and develop new skills as consumers, out in the real world.
What's this?
Session C - choose 1 of 10
C1 Trials and Tribulations of a VCAL teacher (and other things) in a mainstream school
Laura Henderson, Pakenham Secondary College
Outline: Presentation showing short films students have made - From Year 7 Boys Challenge groups to Senior VCALs. Main topics: Personal journey when working with Traditional Owners of the Land in Victoria- including expectations and getting school 'on board' Mentoring opportunities throughout the school. Funding - Connections/ADVANCE/Local Council Highs and lows of 'real life' learning.
Link: Applied learning (differentiated curriculum) is underrated and we need to 'push the envelope' so it is not overlooked or taken for granted - we all do it every day.
What's this?
C2 Engaging learners through space, communication and teamwork
Andres Olascoaga, Andy Entertainment
Outline: As a physical education teacher I invented a new teaching model “SCT” that will help teachers to teach better physical education and provide outstanding tools for students to understand better sports, and be more engaged in physical education classes .
Link: Innovation in education and applying business models as a franchise that if you duplicate the MODEL you will get positive learning outcomes.
C3 Your VCAL Students + an Internationally Recognised Award = Countless Opportunities: Embed The Duke of Edinburgh's Award in your VCAL program
Michelle Webster, Awards Victoria
Outline: The Duke of Edinburgh‚s Award (DoE) sections can be used as integrated tasks that is, as activities where more than one VCAL learning outcome can be integrated and assessed across the Literacy and Numeracy Skills, Personal Development Skills and Work Related Skills Strands. Why not allow your students to achieve an internationally recognised award and gain acknowledgement for things they are already doing?
Link: The Duke of Edinburgh's Award is most commonly thought of as "an outdoor education thing" or a "private school elite program". In actual fact it is an award for ALL and a personal journey.
What's this?
C4 Democracy in Your Classroom
Michelle Templeton & Heather Daniel, Victorian Electoral Commission
Outline: A hands on interactive workshop that will look at how to set up and run an election in your classroom. Participants will experience how to conduct a preferential vote and count with their own students in a way that engages students with the process. Be amazed by the versatility of cardboard and get your hands on some Victorian Electoral Commission educational resources.
Link: The Victorian Electoral Commission's approach to working with school students assumes that young people can make a positive difference to the society they live in. Discovering the link between democracy and their own lives and concerns can be a rewarding experience for all students. Teachers who promote a culture of participation can inspire a new active generation of student voices.
What's this?
C5 Play & Physical Activity Develop Better Learners
Mark Collard, www.inspireyourgroup.com
Outline: This fun, interactive workshop will make the case that integrating play and physical activity into your curriculum will not only successfully engage your students in their learning, but - importantly - make them more effective learners, regardless of the content. The science is IN, and it proves without doubt that students who play together, learn more together, and are significantly easier to manage. Mark will present a small number of activities to illustrate this point, as well as numerous case studies which highlight the critical impact play and physical activity has on shaping a student's brain, and therefore, preparing them to learn. Bonus: a number of free resources will be distributed which feature hundreds of fun, interactive and play-oriented group activities which can be easily implemented into your curriculum.
Link: This workshop challenges the theory that play and physical activity are unproductive. Indeed, recent scientific research categorically disputes this notion, and presents a compelling case for integrating significantly more play and physical activity into our curriculum because it is the most effective and successful way to develop and shape a student's brain for learning.
What's this?
C6 The Lollie Lab
Luke Hayden: The Lollie Lab
The Lollie Lab offers a practical and engaging educational tool that supports educators of applied learning programs in the provision of rich, real-world learning experiences for students.
During The Lollie Lab workshop, students are instructed, step by step, through the age-old craft of making boiled lollies and lollipops, gaining experience in a simulated work environment with the option to incorporate the key learning areas of numeracy, literacy, Occupational Health & Safety, marketing, health & nutrition and others.
Students will develop work related skills and experience firsthand how the key learning areas and team work are applied in industry.
'Developing New Assumptions': what do VCAL teachers take for granted about teaching and learning, and what may need to change? Mike Brown, LaTrobe University has been CANCELLED
What's this?
C7 YAMEC VCAL: Addressing the difference between ESL students perceptions and employers expectations
Nic McLean, NMIT Youth Unit
Adjusting to a new life in Australia is a big challenge for any young person with a CALD background - especially the challenge of finding a job and having the skills to work here. We aim to create a foundation in the demands of work and Australian workplace culture so that our students can adapt to a working life more easily.YAMEC is a program for newly and recently arrived refugee and migrant young adults aged 16 to 26 years with disrupted or no prior schooling. It is delivered through NMIT at Epping, Preston and Collingwood. The program is offered at 3 levels; from low level ESL through to the Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) Foundation. YAMEC students prepare for further study and employment through participation in partnerships, community based projects, work experience and excursions.
What's this?
FULL
C8 Numeracy is everywhere - don't avoid it, embrace it!!
Justine Sakurai and Melissa Cleland, Holmesglen Vocational College
Outline: Get your students up and moving. Practical, physical, get your hands dirty, numeracy activities. Productive, busy, physical activities can make Numeracy more meaningful and relevant for VCAL students. This workshop will outline some of the rugged activities aimed at all levels of the VCAL. Activities and follow-up tasks can be modified to suit individual learners. This workshop is not for the fainthearted, but rather caters for those with a thirst for excitement. Practical maths takes more preparation and thought, but the benefits are worth it. We will show you what has and hasn't worked for us.
Link: This workshop will link to the VCAL Numeracy strand, Foundation to Senior. Broad ideas for all Outcomes.
What's this?
C9 A guide to my 'hood: literacy ideas based around celebrating the neighbourhood
Jan Hagston, Multifangled
Outline: What's the area like where your students live? Where do they hang out? Where do they grab something to eat? Where do they get work? Based around developing a guide (website/ facebook page/ print-based) for young people new to the neighbourhood, this workshop will provide ideas, activities and games to use for literacy (and PDS).
Link: It's hard to research a guide to the neighbourhood when you are sitting in class. Although some of the work may need to be done at a desk or computer, much can be done on the run. This workshop, questions the idea that skills (particularly literacy) are developed in classrooms.
What's this?
C10 Financial Literacy: Helping Young Australians to Manage Money
Lisa Wait
ASIC - Australian Securities & Investments Commission
Session D - choose 1 of 4
D1 Engaging and Re engaging - Where have we come from, and what next?
Come and be inspired by leading edge practitioners and program developers from the front line of re engagement.
The marketplace is a great chance to get together with experts and other teachers to share success stories, challenges and resources.
Find out what is working for others and how your practice can influence them.
Relevant to Community, Mainstream and Special Education.
What's this?
D2 “Applying Research to Making Change” – students carrying out real research and action through Student Action Teams
Roger Holdsworth
Editor and publisher, Connect - 'supporting student participation'/ Senior Research Associate, Youth Research Centre, The University of Melbourne
This workshop will describe the practice of Student Action Teams in primary and secondary students. Here students investigate an issue of concern to them and to their community (within the school or more broadly) and propose/take action to improve circumstances. Such approaches are based on ideas of applied learning; they challenge ‘taken for granted’ assumptions about students’ expertise and capacity to conduct real research/action for change within their communities. They can operate across all skill areas and within all levels of learning; we have learnt over the last 10 years of practice about ways in which Student Action Teams can be core pedagogical approaches that make all learning purposeful, productive, engaging, and applied.
Roger was a secondary teacher for many years then curriculum consultant, youth sector policy worker, researcher and writer. He has edited and published Connect ('supporting student participation') for over 30 years, and is now a passionately failed retiree, working with schools and clusters to support active student participation in areas of school governance and curriculum.
What's this?
D3 The Wide World of Work
Linnet Hunter, Wild Sky Career Design
Outline: What are you going to do when you leave school? Young people are uncertain of the best way to proceed and how to get help making decisions around careers and jobs. This workshop looks at the choices available in the current economic climate and how teachers can help open horizons for students in practical ways by linking in to student capabilities and helping them find their element.
Link: Career advice and counselling has focused on twentieth century understandings of how jobs, training and industry work. This workshop creates a bridge for new thinking about pathways.
What's this?
D4 VCAL 10th Birthday Did we get it right?
David Gallagher, VCAA - Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority
Outline: In 2012 VCAL will be 10. On the 10th birthday it is an appropriate time to reflect on whether VCAL has been successful and if it has been successful why. The presentation will be a combination of Powerpoint presentation, workshop activities and discussion.
Link: This workshop will study the DNA of VCAL. It will attempt to answer the big questions. what is VCAL DNA?
What's this?
Close
Thank you and close.
Evaluations, Certificates of Attendance.
After, join us for a drink at the bar.