I have the privilege of being the National Director of AVID Australia, a system of school improvement utilising continuous professional learning to ensure all students achieve their potential regardless of their postcodes or circumstances. My PhD was in education policy and is titled, "Murder on the Education Policy Express: Requiem for New Basics".
The Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, Oct 1, 2005
The literacy research indicated that a balanced literacy curriculum improved literacy outcome, th... more The literacy research indicated that a balanced literacy curriculum improved literacy outcome, through inclusion of word and text level knowledge and skills, phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, comprehension and oral language and classroom practice. The effective literacy teachers have a strong literacy knowledge base that they make explicit to their students as well creating and making use of a rich literacy environment.
The dimension of CLOS called 'knowledge' refers to a group of teaching practices used by ... more The dimension of CLOS called 'knowledge' refers to a group of teaching practices used by teacher that are related to their deep understanding and knowledge about the processes of learning literacy and their capacity to use this knowledge to meditate children's literacy skillfully. These practices rely on teachers' expert knowledge to ensure successful learning and are characterised by the creation of a literate environment.
In Teachers' Hands was funded by the Australian Government Department of Education, Science ... more In Teachers' Hands was funded by the Australian Government Department of Education, Science and Training under the Grants for National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies and Projects Programme. Website: http://www.dest.gov.au/ ... In Teachers' Hands: Effective Literacy ...
The study links children's growth in English literacy in the early years of schooling and the... more The study links children's growth in English literacy in the early years of schooling and their teachers' classroom teaching practices. Quantitative results of the study include teaching practices used by the teachers; qualitative results include descriptions of teaching practices applied by teachers for progress on six dimensions of literacy teaching practice namely: participation, knowledge, orchestration, support, differentiation and respect.
Abstract: The dimension that we have called 'support' to the ways in which effective te... more Abstract: The dimension that we have called 'support' to the ways in which effective teachers structure children's literacy learning so that they are expertly assisted in their acquisition of appropriate knowledge and skills. The dimension is therefore closely related to the 'knowledge' ...
Professional development program to embed inclusive and explicit teaching practices in higher edu... more Professional development program to embed inclusive and explicit teaching practices in higher education first year units
The Victoria Institute, Victoria University and Edith Cowan University, Final report, 2016
Support for the production of this report has been provided by the Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching. The views expressed in this report do not necessarily reflect the views of the Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching.
THE PROJECT The project was designed to address the professional teaching experience and learning needs of higher education educators, in light of the fact that the majority of academics in Australian universities, whether employed on a sessional basis or on-going, have not engaged in formal teacher training or regular professional learning to improve their teaching skills. A customised version of an established American higher education professional learning program – Advancement via Individual Determination (AVID) for Higher Education was trialled to explore whether it could be adapted for Australia to stimulate more engaging teaching, particularly in first year foundation units.
The key findings were: • No single professional learning activity can provide a short cut to the years required to master the complex art of becoming and remaining an effective, accomplished teacher. • Programs need to be engaging and model effective teaching practices, be collaborative, scaffolded, practical, sustained, supported and ongoing; one-off sessions do not work. • Paying sessional staff to attend professional learning programs appears to provide a return on investment that improves the quality and engagement in higher education teaching, but payment alone is not sufficient to overcome institutional factors that restrict which staff are able to attend and invest in professional learning opportunities. • Video exemplars of effective higher education teaching should include clear standards and encourage supportive peer observation to raise the quality of teaching.
PROJECT ACHIEVEMENTS The AVID collaborative, inquiry-based, immersion model of professional learning was very positively received. It stimulated more engaged teaching by providing regular professional learning combining both generic skills and discipline-specific material. Findings from this project identified the need for universities to address both teaching and institutional factors to improve the quality of teaching. These are detailed in the project report.
In Teachers' Hands was funded by the Australian Government Department of Education, Science ... more In Teachers' Hands was funded by the Australian Government Department of Education, Science and Training under the Grants for National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies and Projects Programme. Website: http://www.dest.gov.au/ ... In Teachers' Hands: Effective Literacy ...
Abstract: The study links children's growth in English literacy in the early years of school... more Abstract: The study links children's growth in English literacy in the early years of schooling and their teachers' classroom teaching practices. Quantitative results of the study include teaching practices used by the teachers; qualitative results include descriptions of teaching ...
The Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, Oct 1, 2005
The literacy research indicated that a balanced literacy curriculum improved literacy outcome, th... more The literacy research indicated that a balanced literacy curriculum improved literacy outcome, through inclusion of word and text level knowledge and skills, phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, comprehension and oral language and classroom practice. The effective literacy teachers have a strong literacy knowledge base that they make explicit to their students as well creating and making use of a rich literacy environment.
The dimension of CLOS called 'knowledge' refers to a group of teaching practices used by ... more The dimension of CLOS called 'knowledge' refers to a group of teaching practices used by teacher that are related to their deep understanding and knowledge about the processes of learning literacy and their capacity to use this knowledge to meditate children's literacy skillfully. These practices rely on teachers' expert knowledge to ensure successful learning and are characterised by the creation of a literate environment.
In Teachers' Hands was funded by the Australian Government Department of Education, Science ... more In Teachers' Hands was funded by the Australian Government Department of Education, Science and Training under the Grants for National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies and Projects Programme. Website: http://www.dest.gov.au/ ... In Teachers' Hands: Effective Literacy ...
The study links children's growth in English literacy in the early years of schooling and the... more The study links children's growth in English literacy in the early years of schooling and their teachers' classroom teaching practices. Quantitative results of the study include teaching practices used by the teachers; qualitative results include descriptions of teaching practices applied by teachers for progress on six dimensions of literacy teaching practice namely: participation, knowledge, orchestration, support, differentiation and respect.
Abstract: The dimension that we have called 'support' to the ways in which effective te... more Abstract: The dimension that we have called 'support' to the ways in which effective teachers structure children's literacy learning so that they are expertly assisted in their acquisition of appropriate knowledge and skills. The dimension is therefore closely related to the 'knowledge' ...
Professional development program to embed inclusive and explicit teaching practices in higher edu... more Professional development program to embed inclusive and explicit teaching practices in higher education first year units
The Victoria Institute, Victoria University and Edith Cowan University, Final report, 2016
Support for the production of this report has been provided by the Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching. The views expressed in this report do not necessarily reflect the views of the Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching.
THE PROJECT The project was designed to address the professional teaching experience and learning needs of higher education educators, in light of the fact that the majority of academics in Australian universities, whether employed on a sessional basis or on-going, have not engaged in formal teacher training or regular professional learning to improve their teaching skills. A customised version of an established American higher education professional learning program – Advancement via Individual Determination (AVID) for Higher Education was trialled to explore whether it could be adapted for Australia to stimulate more engaging teaching, particularly in first year foundation units.
The key findings were: • No single professional learning activity can provide a short cut to the years required to master the complex art of becoming and remaining an effective, accomplished teacher. • Programs need to be engaging and model effective teaching practices, be collaborative, scaffolded, practical, sustained, supported and ongoing; one-off sessions do not work. • Paying sessional staff to attend professional learning programs appears to provide a return on investment that improves the quality and engagement in higher education teaching, but payment alone is not sufficient to overcome institutional factors that restrict which staff are able to attend and invest in professional learning opportunities. • Video exemplars of effective higher education teaching should include clear standards and encourage supportive peer observation to raise the quality of teaching.
PROJECT ACHIEVEMENTS The AVID collaborative, inquiry-based, immersion model of professional learning was very positively received. It stimulated more engaged teaching by providing regular professional learning combining both generic skills and discipline-specific material. Findings from this project identified the need for universities to address both teaching and institutional factors to improve the quality of teaching. These are detailed in the project report.
In Teachers' Hands was funded by the Australian Government Department of Education, Science ... more In Teachers' Hands was funded by the Australian Government Department of Education, Science and Training under the Grants for National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies and Projects Programme. Website: http://www.dest.gov.au/ ... In Teachers' Hands: Effective Literacy ...
Abstract: The study links children's growth in English literacy in the early years of school... more Abstract: The study links children's growth in English literacy in the early years of schooling and their teachers' classroom teaching practices. Quantitative results of the study include teaching practices used by the teachers; qualitative results include descriptions of teaching ...
This thesis examines the sustainability and scalability of education policymaking in Australia. ... more This thesis examines the sustainability and scalability of education policymaking in Australia. New Basics was a major education policy initiative launched in Queensland in 2000 that portended to disrupt traditional Australian education philosophies, structures, and practices. During the first three years of a proposed ten-year trial, New Basics improved aspects of teaching and learning in a number of classrooms. However, education policy decision-making at the time resulted in New Basics being abandoned rather than scaled up across Queensland or nationally. Twenty years later, New Basics is still implemented in other countries. This thesis explores the complexity of education policymaking drawing on a blend of qualitative methodologies that includes diffraction (Barad, 2007) and ethnography (Van Maanen, 2011). It responds to the question, What happened to New Basics? New tools to improve the quality of education policy analysis are proposed from this research.
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The Victoria Institute, Victoria University and Edith Cowan University, Final report, 2016
Support for the production of this report has been provided by the Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching. The views expressed in this report do not necessarily reflect the views of the Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching.
THE PROJECT
The project was designed to address the professional teaching experience and learning needs of higher education educators, in light of the fact that the majority of academics in Australian universities, whether employed on a sessional basis or on-going, have not engaged in formal teacher training or regular professional learning to improve their teaching skills. A customised version of an established American higher education professional learning program – Advancement via Individual Determination (AVID) for Higher Education was trialled to explore whether it could be adapted for Australia to stimulate more engaging teaching, particularly in first year foundation units.
PROJECT OUTPUTS
Project outcomes may be found in a report at www.vu.edu.au/the-victoria-institute/publications.
The key findings were:
• No single professional learning activity can provide a short cut to the years required to master the complex art of becoming and remaining an effective, accomplished teacher.
• Programs need to be engaging and model effective teaching practices, be collaborative, scaffolded, practical, sustained, supported and ongoing; one-off sessions do not work.
• Paying sessional staff to attend professional learning programs appears to provide a return on investment that improves the quality and engagement in higher education teaching, but payment alone is not sufficient to overcome institutional factors that restrict which staff are able to attend and invest in professional learning opportunities.
• Video exemplars of effective higher education teaching should include clear standards and encourage supportive peer observation to raise the quality of teaching.
PROJECT ACHIEVEMENTS
The AVID collaborative, inquiry-based, immersion model of professional learning was very positively received. It stimulated more engaged teaching by providing regular professional learning combining both generic skills and discipline-specific material. Findings from this project identified the need for universities to address both teaching and institutional factors to improve the quality of teaching. These are detailed in the project report.
The Victoria Institute, Victoria University and Edith Cowan University, Final report, 2016
Support for the production of this report has been provided by the Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching. The views expressed in this report do not necessarily reflect the views of the Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching.
THE PROJECT
The project was designed to address the professional teaching experience and learning needs of higher education educators, in light of the fact that the majority of academics in Australian universities, whether employed on a sessional basis or on-going, have not engaged in formal teacher training or regular professional learning to improve their teaching skills. A customised version of an established American higher education professional learning program – Advancement via Individual Determination (AVID) for Higher Education was trialled to explore whether it could be adapted for Australia to stimulate more engaging teaching, particularly in first year foundation units.
PROJECT OUTPUTS
Project outcomes may be found in a report at www.vu.edu.au/the-victoria-institute/publications.
The key findings were:
• No single professional learning activity can provide a short cut to the years required to master the complex art of becoming and remaining an effective, accomplished teacher.
• Programs need to be engaging and model effective teaching practices, be collaborative, scaffolded, practical, sustained, supported and ongoing; one-off sessions do not work.
• Paying sessional staff to attend professional learning programs appears to provide a return on investment that improves the quality and engagement in higher education teaching, but payment alone is not sufficient to overcome institutional factors that restrict which staff are able to attend and invest in professional learning opportunities.
• Video exemplars of effective higher education teaching should include clear standards and encourage supportive peer observation to raise the quality of teaching.
PROJECT ACHIEVEMENTS
The AVID collaborative, inquiry-based, immersion model of professional learning was very positively received. It stimulated more engaged teaching by providing regular professional learning combining both generic skills and discipline-specific material. Findings from this project identified the need for universities to address both teaching and institutional factors to improve the quality of teaching. These are detailed in the project report.