What’s new – October 2007

Building Values Across the Whole School: A Resource Package

Building Values across the Whole School: A Resource Package

The Australian Government has funded the  the publication of Building Values across the Whole School: A Resource Package via this website. Part of the ‘Values for Australian Schooling’ resource series for Australian schools, the package consists of two components: primary and secondary teaching and learning units and a professional learning programme.

To access Building Values across the Whole School: A Resource Package from this website you will need the access code key. The access code key arrived in schools the week commencing 15 October 2007. Australian schools may then download the resource package via the Building Values across the Whole School: A Resource Package page.

Events

3-4 November 2007, National Coalition against Bullying Conference
6 November 2007, International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict
11 November 2007, Remembrance Day
12–13 November 2007, Curriculum Corporation Conference: 21st Century Curriculum – Taking Bearings
12-18 November 2007, National Recycling Week
16 November 2007, International Day for Tolerance
25 November 2007, International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women

See links below for workshops and seminars in your State or Territory.

States and Territories

In the Northern Territory:

Helen Bond-Sharp is the new Values Education Contact Officer in the Northern Territory. Her details are below.

Helen Bond-Sharp
Project Manager, Valuing the Essentials
Teaching, Learning and Standards Division
Northern Territory Department of Employment, Education and Training
PO Box 4821
DARWIN NT 0801
Phone: (08) 8999 4351
Fax: (08) 08 8999 4200
E-mail: Helen.Bond-Sharp@nt.gov.au  

In Queensland:

Brenda Little is the new Values Education Contact Officer in Queensland. Her details are below.

Mrs Brenda Little
Project Officer
Curriculum Strategy Branch
Education Queensland
Floor 9, Education House
30 Mary Street
PO Box 15033
CITY EAST QLD 4002
Tel: (07) 3405 6343
Fax: (07) 3210 0227
Email: Brenda.LITTLE@deta.qld.gov.au

In South Australia:

• School forum snapshots: two school forums focused on values and the transition from primary to secondary school:
  • St Brigid’s School Cluster Forum
  • William Light Cluster Forum
• On Thursday 8 November, a twilight seminar will be held in the Education Development Centre, Adelaide, focusing on values education and whole school change and the importance of shared vision and values in moving schools towards a common goal.

In Victoria:

• 16 November 2007: Breakfast forum at Rolling Hills Primary School, Mooroolbark
  19 November 2007: Community values forum at Baimbridge College, Hamilton
  29 November 2007: Next meeting of the Values Education State Advisory Committee
  18 February 2008 – A Day of Understanding at the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre
• 400 Victorian schools have received a grant for running their forum activities with more than 680 applications received.
• Somers Primary School values posters  

Good Practice Schools

Values for Australian Schooling newsletter

• The latest edition of the Values for Australian Schooling Newsletter (Vol. 6 September 2007) has been distributed to all schools and is also available for downloading from the website.

Values Education Networks of Engagement

The Values Education Networks of Engagement (VENE) provide a wonderful opportunity for all school communities to contribute to, participate in and learn about the cluster projects of the Values Education Good Practice Schools Project – Stage 2 (VEGPSP– 2).

VENE meetings facilitated by Curriculum Corporation bring together teachers, mentors, academics, parents and representatives from the State, Territory, Catholic and independent sectors to build a professional learning community that supports the effective implementation of values education based on local needs. 

Resources

Articles

Two new articles:

•  ASG Student Social and Emotional Health Report: A Research Project conducted by the Australian Council for Educational Research, Michael E Bernard, Andrew Stephanou, Daniel Urbach, Australian Scholarships Group, October 2007.
•   ‘Assessing values education – is it possible?’, Philippa Lovell, Independent Education, Vol 36 No 3, November 2006.

Links

New web links for values education resources include the Statement of values by the National Forum for Values in Education and the Community (UK), The Learning Place: Travel Buddies, and Values Education Learning Object: Refugees. 

Reviews

Two new books:

• How to Inspire and Develop Positive Values in Your Classroom by Neil Hawkes (LDA, 2003)
• Teaching values by Leonie Rowan, Judy Gauld, Jennet Cole-Adams and Andrew Connolly (Primary English Teaching Association, 2007)

Teaching and learning

Kaniva Chicks: An enterprise-based approach to applied learning is another co-curricular activity now available from the website. Co-curricular activities include ideas, information and suggestions about how schools are implementing the National Framework outside the formal classroom context. Written by school-based practitioners of values education, they contain practical activities for teachers to use or adapt in their communities.