ANSN enews vol 3 no 8
ansn_members at ansn.edu.au
ansn_members at ansn.edu.au
Tue Jul 29 09:49:40 EST 2008
enews header
*29th July, E-News Vol 3, No 8
*
*Edited by Keith Redman*
Topics covered in this edition include:
* Third Annual ANSN National Forum
* Dimensions of Learning (DoL) Hub meets in NT
* Digi Kids workshops in Perth
* Digi Kids and Bee Bots: Workshops in QLD, SA and VIC
* Upcoming Habits of Mind (HoM) Conferences and Workshops with
Art Costa
* Connecting Lives and Learning (CLL) -- A book in the pipeline
* The Use of Protocols in Schools -- Victorian workshop
* New on the ANSN web site: two key documents
* An interesting web site
* Reminders of ANSN activities
Third Annual ANSN National Forum
ANSN, this year in conjunction with the University of Western Sydney
(UWS), will be hosting its third National Forum in August, to
discuss producing an 'Intergenerational Compact for our Young
People'. This special event will provide an opportunity for invited
participants from a range of organisations, institutions and sectors
to discuss confronting educational issues and assist the Board of
the ANSN in developing ongoing strategies to support educational
reform. The Forum will take place on Thursday 21 August, 2008, at
the NSW Department of Education and Training buildings in Sydney. To
request further details, click here
<mailto:viv.white at bigpicture.org.au>.
Dimensions of Learning (DoL) Hub meets in NT
Hanan Harrison reports that NT DoL Hub members recently spent 2 days
in Darwin, elaborating and expanding their knowledge, reflecting on
their own practice, and fine tuning their research focus, which will
be presented on the fifth and final day of their Hub sessions.
Participants explored ways to help students learn new terms and
phrases, building on the findings from Mid-continent Research for
Education and Learning (McRel) research, which indicate that the
most powerful way to teach new terms and phrases is to involve
students actively in the learning process. With this in mind the
DoL participants tested out their own vocabulary skills in a number
of interesting and engaging activities. The activities were adapted
from McReL's Five Steps for Teaching Vocabulary (see below), which
expose students to new terms and phrases multiple times, in a
variety of contexts:
McReL's Five Steps for Teaching Vocabulary
1. Present students with a brief explanation or description
of the new term or phrase.
2. Present students with a nonlinguistic representation of
the new term or phrase.
3. Ask students to generate their own explanation or
description of the term or phrase.
4. Ask students to create their own nonlinguistic
representations of the term or phrase.
5. Periodically ask students to review the accuracy of their
explanations and representations
Participants also explored hands-on activities that helped them fine
tune their understanding of how to extend and refine student
knowledge, as well as the more complex reasoning strategies that aim
to get participants to use knowledge meaningfully. In the photo
below left, a participant shares his perspective on a statement that
is given to him for analysis, as part of a group activity. In the
centre, a teacher in a similar workshop situation shares a resource
idea based on The Very Hungry Caterpillar. On the right,
participants use the problem solving strategy to determine which
group member was the initial "contaminator" of a "disease" which
they enacted in a simulation activity.
Darwin Planningcaterpillardarwin problem solving
For further information on the research referred to above, see the
McRel Newsroom article McREL Publishes "Road Map" for Systematic
Vocabulary Instruction, accessible at
http://www.mcrel.org/newsroom/pr_080417_vocab_book.asp
<http://www.mcrel.org/newsroom/pr_080417_vocab_book.asp>
For further details of DoL Hubs, activities and opportunities around
Australia, contact Hanan Harrison on 0407 464 472 or by email at
hanan.harrison at ansn.edu.au. <mailto:hanan.harrison at ansn.edu.au>
Digi Kids workshops in Perth
Recently, a group of dedicated teachers gave up 2 days of their
holidays for a workshop on integrating technology into an early
childhood curriculum. The focus was on developing ways to reflect
and share effective strategies and practice for technology
integration, which, in simple terms, translates into participants
becoming critical and effective users of technology.
Hanan Harrison, who presented the workshop, reports that while many
technology workshops introduce a myriad of techniques, programs and
equipment, this ANSN activity focuses more on developing a deeper
philosophy of what technology integration is -- as well as promoting
dispositions for thinking flexibly and for creating, imagining and
innovating, when using commonplace technologies.
Below (left) is a photo of Perth Hub members using the mobile phone
as an example of an everyday tool, to aid them in developing
resources for technology integration in the classroom. On the right,
teachers choreograph a dance with Bee Bots.
digi kids 1/bee bot dance/
One of the activities that quickly converted to the group's slogan
for the 2 days was "there are no full stops; only commas" which was
based on an Eric Frangenheim strategy, called the /comma thinking/
rule. This strategy highlights the notion of being open-minded and
continually thinking of alternative options and solutions. With
this in focus, participants looked at examples of open and closed
software, which they then used to develop a set of repertoires,
strategies and skills. These included creative and meaningful ways
of using webcams, digital cameras and common technologies and
software programs with young children.
For a report by Helen Davey, the ANSN Networker in WA, including
comment on the sessions and local feedback, click here
<http://www.ansn.edu.au/the_perth_digi_kids_workshop_report_by_helen_davey>.
Digi Kids and Bee Bots: Workshops in QLD, SA and VIC
Hanan Harrison is continuing to present Digi Kids and Bee Bots
workshops around Australia, spreading the word about integration of
technologies in the Early Years curriculum, and giving teachers
related hands-on experience. Examples include the following.
In Queensland, a Bee Bots workshop, for early childhood teachers,
was held on the Sunshine Coast on 22 July.
In South Australia, Days 3 and 4 for the Digi Kids Adelaide Hub were
28 and 29 July.
In Victoria, Day 3 for the Digi Kids Melbourne South Hub was on 28
July, with Day 4 on 4 August.
For further details of Digi Kids and Bee Bots workshops, contact
Hanan Harrison on 0407 464 472 or by email at
hanan.harrison at ansn.edu.au <mailto:hanan.harrison at ansn.edu.au>.
Upcoming Habits of Mind (HoM) Conferences and Workshops with Art
Costa
As advised in previous editions of ANSN E-News, Professor Art Costa,
co-originator of the Habits of Mind, is coming from the USA in
November 2008 and will co-lead with James Anderson a 3-day
conference, Mindfulness by Design, in Melbourne.
In addition, Professor Costa will be leading a series of 1-day ANSN
workshops, under the title Next Steps. Venues will be in Brisbane,
Darwin and Sydney. Fliers for these 1-day workshops, with full
details and registration forms, will be sent out to members and
schools within the next few weeks.
Connecting Lives and Learning (CLL) -- A book in the pipeline
Andrew Bills (pictured below left, presenting at a Networkers
Workshop) is ANSN Networker in South Australia and Co-ordinator of
the CLL Project.
Andrew BillsRobert Hattam
He reports that the CLL project team is working on a book, designed
to cover the learning from the whole project -- including the
developmental work on RPiN (Redesigning Pedagogies in the North). As
the book is not scheduled for release until 2009, Andrew sent
synopses of some of the key papers that will form a substantial part
of the book. An example, for those of you who want to read something
substantial prior to release of the finished publication, was
presented at The World of Educational Quality, 2007 AERA Annual
Meeting and Presentation, Chicago, April 2007. Entitled Researching
the "Funds of Knowledge" Approach in the Middle Years, it was
presented/written by Robert Hattam (above right), Bill Lucas,
Brenton Prosser and Sam Sellar, from the University of South
Australia. To read or download a pdf of their paper, go to
http://www.unisanet.unisa.edu.au/staffpages/brentonprosser/Researching.pdf
<http://www.unisanet.unisa.edu.au/staffpages/brentonprosser/Researching.pdf>
The Use of Protocols in Schools -- Victorian workshop
Andrea Federico (below left), ANSN Networker in Victoria, has
provided details of the upcoming professional learning program on
The Use of Protocols in Schools. This learning opportunity is
designed for teachers and school leaders and will be facilitated by
Viv White, ANSN National Coach (below right, pictured chairing an
ANSN Networkers meeting earlier this year). The Protocols program
will take place on 8 and 9 September 2008, at St Albans South PS, in
Victoria.
Andrea FedericoVIV WHITE
For a decade, ANSN has been exploring the premise that if teachers
and students produce learning together, the evidence of that
learning can be found in the students' work. To help explore this
further, Protocols can help us structure our conversations about the
associated challenges and feedback. They can be used to help us
learn from each other by having productive conversations and they
can help us learn from the students by providing us with structured
ways to look at student work.
The purpose of the 2-day workshop is to: explore a number of
protocols and their uses; identify and practise ways to engage in
conversations about teachers' work; identify and practise ways to
have structured conversations about teachers' work; and help
participants think about and plan for using protocols in their own
schools
For more information on Viv White, the workshop facilitator, go to
http://www.ansn.edu.au/viv_white
To download a form to register your interest in attending this
workshop, click here
<http://www.ansn.edu.au/protocols_registration_form>. To find out
more about the 2-day Protocols program, contact Andrea Federico on
0414 472 189. To contact her by email, click here
<mailto:andrea.federico at ansn.edu.au>.
New on the ANSN web site: two key documents
New on our web site are "The ANSN Annual Report for 2006--2007" and
"An Overview, 2008". They make a fascinating read, providing a
practical and conceptual framework for what we do and why we do it.
The Annual Report, prepared by John Hogan, Chair of the ANSN Board
during the period covered by the Report, is subtitled "A Year of
Reconnecting, Renewing and Restructuring". It includes reports on
activities undertaken during the year, training and development, and
related structures within the Network. To download or read a pdf,
click here. <http://www.ansn.edu.au/ansn_annual_report_2006_2007>
"An Overview, 2008" outlines the philosophy and operations of the
ANSN, including its advocacy role; key questions that the Network
seeks to address; work that is undertaken; ways of working;
leadership; the ANSN Hubs and Research Circles; norms for working
together; and the nature of the Network as a not-for-profit
organisation. To download or read a pdf, click here.
<http://www.ansn.edu.au/ansn_statement_of_our_work>
An interesting web site
Andrew Bills draws our attention to a site that may be of interest
to numbers of E-News readers. If you don't already know it, have a
look at http://www.aapae.edu.au/index.html, which is the home site
for the Australasian Association for Progressive and Alternative
Education.
Reminders of ANSN activities
The following activities have been reported in detail in previous
editions of E-News.
An introduction to Protocols -- September workshop
ANSN is offering a 2-day "Introduction to Protocols", on Monday 8
and Tuesday 9 September, at St Albans South PS, Lister St, St
Albans, in the western suburbs of Melbourne. For further details,
click here <http://www.ansn.edu.au/files/Protocol%20flyer.pdf>. If
you are interested in participating/bringing a team of teachers,
please email your expression of interest to
andrea.federico at ansn.edu.au <mailto:andrea.federico at ansn.edu.au>
Interactive Whiteboard (IWB) Hub -- Expressions of Interest for 2009
Andrea Federico and Kate Cooper will run invitational sessions
during Term 3, for schools interested in taking part in IWB Hubs in
Victoria during 2009. If you would like to be notified of these
sessions, email andrea.federico at ansn.edu.au
<mailto:andrea.federico at ansn.edu.au>
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