SCHOOL DESIGN
Better designs that lead to better learning
The Age, 28 February
2011
ASK the Danish architect behind
one of the world's most innovative schools what constitutes good design,
and his vision will sound somewhat familiar...
CYBER CLASSROOM
Teaching the Facebook generation
SMH, 28 February
2011
Schools have had to act fast to try to
manage the widespread use of Facebook and other social media by students
and teachers...
TASMANIAN SCHOOLS
DoE addressing Tasmania’s ageing teaching
population
Tas Govt media release, 27 February
2011
The Minister for Education and
Skills, Lin Thorp said the Department of Education is hard at work
developing a long term work force plan to address the issues of
Tasmania’s ageing teaching population and the need to attract our best
and brightest into the teaching profession...
TASMANIAN SCHOOLS
BER to boost
community use of school facilities
Tas Govt media release, 27 February
2011
Community and sporting groups are being
urged to take advantage of the first-class education facilities that are
on offer around Tasmania...
TASMANIAN SCHOOLS
New Port
Sorell Primary takes another step forward
Tas Govt media release, 25 February
2011
Planning on the new Port Sorell
Primary School has taken another significant step forward, with
arrangements now finalised for use of the Camp Boomerang site for the
development...
STUDENT SUPPORT
Mum's drinking stronger factor in behaviour than neighbourhood
SMH, 25 February
2011
Mothers' alcohol abuse is a
stronger indicator of antisocial and criminal children than rough
neighbourhoods, a new study has found...
TASMANIAN SCHOOLS
Chigwell
Child and Family Centre coming
Tas Govt media release, 25 February
2011
Tenders have been called for a
new State-funded Child and Family Centre in Chigwell...
EXCURSIONS
Teacher and students under earthquake rubble
Australia Network News, 23 February
2011
Fears are growing for at least
seven adult Japanese English-language students and their teacher who are
believed trapped under earthquake rubble in Christchurch...
NZ Ministry of Education:
Christchurch Earthquake Information for Schools
TASMANIAN SCHOOLS
Big Picture
city campus for Launceston students
Tas Govt media release, 22 February
2011
The Minister for Education and Skills, Lin
Thorp, today launched a new campus designed to give Northern Tasmanian
students more personalised learning options...
TASMANIAN SCHOOLS
Schools on hit list: Libs
ABC News, 21 February
2011
The Liberals want the Tasmanian
Government to reveal which schools will be shut down as part of the
Premier's budget cuts...
AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM, HISTORY
Holocaust
resources to be promoted
Tas Govt media release, 20 February
2011
A study tour to Israel by leading Tasmanian
educator Judy Travers will help provide local teachers with quality
resources to teach students about the Holocaust under the new Australian
Curriculum...
CHILDREN AT THE FRONT AND CENTRE
Strong
response to Agenda for Children and Young People
Tas Govt media release, 19 February
2011
The Minister for Children, Lin Thorp, has
welcomed the strong community interest in the Government’s landmark
Agenda for Children and Young People...
LITERACY, BOYS
When should kids be able to read?
The Washington Post, 9 February
2011
It used to be that kids in the early
elementary school grades were allowed to learn how to read at their own
speed. Today test-obsessed public schools don’t offer that luxury; if
youngsters aren’t starting to learn to read in kindergarten, and can’t
read by the end of first grade, they are already behind...
STUDENT SUPPORT
Study finds exercising feeds brain
The Augusta Chronicle (US), 9 February
2011
Regular exercise in an after-school program
helped sedentary, overweight children perform better on goal-oriented
tasks - and also seemed to improve math skills...
STUDENT SUPPORT
Many bullies are social climbers, study says
The Columbus Dispatch, 10 February
2011
A new study suggests that
bullying largely is motivated by a desire to climb the social ladder, as
opposed to trying to compensate for trouble at home or other personal
problems, as many assume...
STUDENT SUPPORT
Sedation nation
SMH, 17 February
2011
Assuredly there are those who benefit from
Ritalin, but a fourfold increase in seven years?
- includes 179 comments from readers.
TEACHER BLOGGING
US teacher suspended for blogging about students
Daily Telegraph, 17 February
2011
An American English teacher is at risk of
losing her job after criticising students on her blog, but without
naming them...
-
Discussion: Guidelines for teachers who blog (Education Week)
TASMANIAN TEACHERS
First Sue
Napier scholarships awarded
Tas Govt media release, 17 February
2011
Two Tasmanian university students have been
selected as the inaugural recipients of an education scholarship program
honouring the life and contribution of former Bass Liberal MHA Sue
Napier...
TASMANIAN SCHOOLS, LITERACY
High schools
to benefit from extra literacy funding
Tas Govt media release, 16 February
2011
Thirteen Government High Schools will
benefit from an injection of nearly $10 million into new literacy and
numeracy programs...
TASMANIAN SCHOOLS
New $33m
Kingston High open for business
Tas Govt media release, 16 February
2011
The Minister for Education and Skills, Lin
Thorp, has praised staff and construction workers at Kingston High
School for ensuring the new $33 million facility was open for business
when students return to school this week...
BACK TO SCHOOL
More than
64,000 students returning to school
Tas Govt media release, 15 February
2011
More than 64,000 Government school students
will head back to school this week for the start of the 2011 school
year, Minister for Education and Skills, Lin Thorp...
TEACHER STANDARDS
Teachers to be tied up in red tape
The Australian, 15 February
2011
The seven "National Professional Standards
for Teachers" and accompanying 37 focus areas and 148 descriptors impose
a bureaucratic, time consuming and checklist mentality...
SCHOOL CHAPLAINS
Non-religious chaplains idea angers Christians
The Age, 13 February
2011
EDUCATION Minister Peter Garrett is
considering funding non-religious ''pastoral care workers'' under the
controversial school chaplains program, but the religious lobby is
warning him not to muddy the waters...
- See
Peter Garrett's statement and link to discussion paper
PUBLIC/PRIVATE SCHOOL FUNDING
Do we have fairness in funding for Australian schools?
SMH, 14 February
2011
Inconsistencies in how funding is handed out
to schools will come under the spotlight when the new My School website
goes live on 4 March...
THINKING
SKILLS
Is rote memorisation underrated?
Hechinger Ed website, 1 February
2011
Here are some reasons why learning things by
heart is worthwhile...
MID-YEAR BUDGET REPORT
Liberals' pledge on PS jobs
The Mercury, 14 February
2011
LIBERAL leader Will Hodgman says he has met
unions and his party would vote against any attempt to allow government
workers to be sacked...
TASMANIAN SCHOOLS
Students
return to new facilities
Tas Govt media release, 13 February
2011
Many Tasmanian school students will be
returning to new school facilities in the new school year, Minister for
Education and Skills, Lin Thorp, said today...
TEACHING PROFESSION
Victoria has Minister for teachers
The Age, 12 February
2011
The Victorian senior education Minister,
Peter Hall, is "Minister for Higher Education and Skills" and "Minister
responsible for the Teaching Profession"...
MID-YEAR BUDGET REPORT
Hands off jobs, say unions
The Mercury, 12 February
2011
Unions have called on the premier to stop
threatening job cuts if she wants them to suggest other cost-cutting
ideas.
Australian Education Union state secretary Leanne Wright said other
methods should be considered, such as extending the payout scheme for
older teachers to retire, in which the government gains financially from
the employment of replacement teachers at lower salaries...
PUBLIC/PRIVATE SCHOOL FUNDING
Can we afford to continue funding private schools?
SMH, 12 February
2011
Four experts present their views in the
debate over private versus government school funding...
MY SCHOOL WEBSITE
My School set to relaunch despite data doubts
The Age, 11 February
2011
THE next version of the controversial My
School website will go live in three weeks despite concerns by schools
that their financial data and rankings are still inaccurate...
MY SCHOOL WEBSITE
My School relaunch in just three weeks
The Australian, 11 February
2011
THE revised version of the My School website
providing details of student test results and financial resources for
every school in the nation will be unveiled on March 4...
MID-YEAR BUDGET REPORT
Teachers' jobs under threat
The Mercury, 11 February
2011
Teachers, nurses and police officers will
not be exempt from looming public service cutbacks, as they were two
years ago...
SCHOOL TERMS
Is it time to change the school year?
The Scotsman, 10 February
2011
A push for a four-term school year in
Scotland apparently assumes such a change will overcome the need for
irregular training days...
MID-YEAR BUDGET REPORT
Cosgrove Sports High axed
The Mercury, 10 February
2011
The State government will not go ahead with
the planned Cosgrove sports specialist school...
-
2010-11 Mid-Year Financial Report [pdf]
STUDENT SUPPORT
Early years
strategy providing early speech intervention
Tas Govt media release, 10 February
2011
Speech pathologists are identifying children
with potential speech issues before they reach school age, and getting
them the right help, sooner...
TEACHER STANDARDS
Match pay to standards: teachers
SMH, 10 February
2011
TEACHER unions say new national standards
for the profession must be matched by a commitment to pay the best
people more...
TEACHER STANDARDS
Govt releases new teacher standards
SMH, 9 February
2011
Australia's best teachers must inspire their
students and colleagues if they want to rank at the top of the federal
government's new standards for the profession...
TEACHER STANDARDS
New national teacher standards released
Aust Govt media release, 9 February
2011
School Education Minister Peter Garrett has
welcomed the release of new National Professional Standards for Teachers...
- An
AITSL document [pdf] lists the seven standards:
1. Know students and how they learn
2. Know the content and how to teach it
3. Plan for and implement effective teaching and learning
4. Create and maintain supportive and safe learning environments
5. Assess, provide feedback and report on student learning
6. Engage in professional learning
7. Engage professionally with colleagues, parents/carers and the
community
CYBER-BULLYING AND INTERNET ACCESS
School filters coddle kids, are ineffective
ZDNet, 9 February
2011
Internet filters in schools often compromise
a teacher's ability to teach, yet at the same time are easy for
tech-savvy students to get around, a parliamentary committee on
cyberbullying has heard...
SKILLS TRAINING
Supporting
mature age apprentices
Tas Govt media release, 8 February
2011
The Minister for Education and Skills, Lin
Thorp, has launched a new research report, It's Not About Age,
which outlines what employers can do to assist mature-aged apprentices...
EDUCATION ADMINISTRATION
Former WA
principal is new Tas education head
Tas Govt media release, 8 February
2011
The Premier, Lara Giddings, today announced
the appointment of Colin Pettit as the new Secretary of the Department
of Education...
TASMANIAN TEACHERS
Master of
Teaching students announced
Tas Govt media release, 8 February
2011
Twenty-three Masters of Teaching students
from across Tasmania have been awarded scholarships that will give them
more hands-on experience at the state’s schools...
NATIONAL CURRICULUM
A nation lost in translation
SMH, 7 February
2011
Teachers and parents are hoping that the
release last week of the draft Shape of the Australian Curriculum:
Languages for comment may be one step towards a more multilingual
society...
VALUES EDUCATION
6yo had plastic sandwich bag
National Post (Canada), 5 February
2011
How far should teachers go in
teaching social values?
TASMANIAN
SCHOOLS
Bridgewater education rebirth
The Mercury, 5 February
2011
Community leaders say things are
about to change in Bridgewater as a Tasmanian education first is
officially unveiled and promises to be the future of schooling in the
state...
TEACHER RETIREMENT
Teachers take the money
The Mercury, 5 February
2011
PAYOUTS have prompted dozens of senior
teachers to quit the state's public schools...
TEACHER RETIREMENT
Ferguson
wrong again on education
Tas Govt media release, 4 February
2011
Schools will not be disadvantaged
or left short-staffed as a result of the early retirement incentives
program offered to senior teachers, Minister for Education and Skills
Lin Thorp said today...
TEACHER RETIREMENT
Education Minister making things worse
Michael Ferguson website, 4 February 2011
The Education Minister, Lin Thorp, has
accidentally revealed the true motive behind her early teacher
retirement rushed policy-on-the-run...
NATIONAL CURRICULUM
Draft
languages Shape paper released
ACARA website, 4 February
2011
The draft paper, Shape of the
Australian Curriculum: Languages, is available for public
consultation until 7 April 2011...
-
See the draft Shape paper for languages [pdf]
TEACHER RETIREMENT
Teachers
accept early retirement offer
Tas Govt media release, 4 February
2011
A total of 57 teachers have opted to accept
an early retirement, paving the way for more graduates to enter the
workforce in 2011, the Minister for Education and Skills, Lin Thorp,
said today...
ADULT EDUCATION
Tas adult ed
courses now called LearnXpress
Tas Govt media release, 3 February
2011
Launching the new LearnXpress
Course Guide the Minister for Education and Skills, Lin Thorp, has urged
Tasmanians to get involved in Adult Education this year...
BACK TO SCHOOL
School's in for Catholics, but buses suffer loss
The Mercury, 2 February
2011
STUDENTS at Tasmania's Catholic
schools will be the first to return to classrooms this year with lessons
at some schools beginning tomorrow...
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