vol 72 winter edition 2019 - education.qld.gov.au · winter edition 2019 dear parents welcome to...
TRANSCRIPT
Queensland Government Home Education Unit Department of Education
Home Education Unit Education House 30 Mary Street Brisbane PO Box 3710 South Brisbane BC Q 4101 Phone: 3513 6755 Freecall: 1800 677 176
NATIONAL TESTING Years 3, 5, 7 & 9 - Update
Children registered for home education who participated in the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) testing this year can expect their results in Term 3, 2019. As soon as the Home Education Unit receives information from the Queensland Curriculum Assessment Authority, which is expected from mid-August to September, individual results will be sent to parents.
For further information about NAPLAN, refer to the following link for the National Assessment Program (NAP) website: http://www.nap.edu.au/naplan
Newsletter
Volume 72
Winter Edition 2019
Dear Parents
Welcome to the winter edition of the HEU newsletter.
At times, parents send an email advising the HEU when they have posted the required written report on their child’s
educational progress. Please note there is no need to send an email of this nature as the Unit does not follow up to
ensure receipt of the material after such advice is received. The usual practice is the Unit will send you an email
confirming receipt of a report. If you have not received an email after allowing for postage times and an additional
1-2 days for the article to be scanned by the department’s security system, please follow up with Australia Post using
the article’s tracking number.
I would also like to remind parents of the arrangements regarding a nominated additional contact person for your
child’s registration. On registration, you may have nominated an additional person (possibly your child’s other parent)
with whom the HEU can discuss registration details about your child. It is important to note this authority remains in
place unless otherwise advised in writing by the applicant parent.
To remove or add an additional person or make changes to you or your child’s personal details, please use the
Change of Personal Details for Home Education form available on the website.
Also on the website is a short, 6 minute video Reflect Review Report which provides guidance on meeting your
reporting obligations. You are strongly encouraged to watch this video prior to commencing your report.
Best wishes
Madonna Fogarty
Manager
Queensland Government Home Education Unit Department of Education
SCOOTLE is an online database of educational resources directly linked to the Australian Curriculum which is
available (and free) to HEU registered families. Please note that parents of children who are provisionally registered are not eligible for Scootle registration.
Available resources include video clips, information sites, games and material to promote critical and creative
thinking. Further information can be found here. If you would like to access Scootle to support your child’s home
education, please contact the HEU at [email protected].
Please note, your Scootle request must be sent from the same email address the HEU has recorded on its
database, and include your registered child’s name.
HEU ID CARDS
What is it? A photographic identification card used to show a child is registered for home education.
Who is eligible? Any child who is fully registered (ID cards are not available to provisionally registered children).
How long is it valid? Cards align with each individual child’s registration date. However, in some cases, the card expiry may show
a different date depending on several factors (such as covering the end-of-year holiday period).
TRANSPORT CONCESSION FARES
The Department of Transport and Main Roads determine concessions. Children aged 5 to 14 years fall under the child concession category. Students aged 15 years or older are eligible for a concession fare and will need to show the HEU ID card when purchasing tickets.
HOW TO REQUEST AN ID CARD: Email an electronic passport style current photograph of your child to the HEU (blank
background, head and shoulders, facing forward) to: [email protected]. Unlike passport photos, smiles are permitted.
Please include the following statement: This is a current photo of my child (full name). His/her birthday is (date); and our current postal address is (number, street, town/suburb, post code).
Queensland Government Home Education Unit Department of Education
What’s on
Brisbane City Council's Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium opened in 1978. Located in the Brisbane Botanic
Gardens Mt Coot-tha, the Planetarium is home to the Cosmic Skydome - a 12.5-metre-diameter projection
dome.
Visit the Planetarium to enjoy a show (including a tour of Brisbane's night sky), or visit the Display Zone. The
Planetarium also includes an observatory, Galaxy Gift Shop and Sundial Courtyard. If you want to want to
further your interest in the universe, you can find useful links to discover more about astronomy.
NAIDOC WEEK
NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia each July to celebrate the history, culture and
achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. NAIDOC is celebrated not only in Indigenous
communities, but by Australians from all walks of life. The week is a great opportunity to participate in a range
of activities and to support your local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.
Follow the link to view NAIDOC Week events, teaching resources, news and FAQs: https://www.naidoc.org.au/about/naidoc-week
Queensland Government Home Education Unit Department of Education
If your child is thinking about a creative or IT career, you can discover pathways into the industry at the TAFE
Queensland Coomera campus open day. The creative hub is open to the public on Saturday 20 July from 9am to
1pm offering interactive exhibitions, demonstrations, tours and career advice.
The state-of-the-art facility is home to specialised courses in cyber security, virtual reality, screen and media, graphic
design, interior design, building design, software development, information technology, music and much more.
There will also be displays and career advice from other areas including nursing, health, hospitality and trades.
Visitors will be entertained with performances from current music students, as well as competitions and giveaways
running throughout the day and 107.5 Radio Metro broadcasting live.
REGISTER TO ATTEND HERE
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Cairns Festival was founded by the Cairns Regional Council on 26 May 1961 and it continues to
grow under Council's direction, through Council's Cultural Services branch. The overriding vision of this local
festival is to deliver a bright, bold and challenging program spanning visual and performing arts, culture and
entertainment while showcasing the city's key cultural precincts, nurturing local talent and driving tourism.
To learn more about the festival and planned events between 23 August and 1 September 2019, go to the
Cairns Regional Council’s festival website at: https://www.cairns.qld.gov.au/festival
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Programs and activities for children on the Queensland Government website
Check out upcoming sports events, arts programs and activities for you and your children during the school
holidays and beyond on the following link:
https://www.qld.gov.au/recreation/holiday-activities/programs
Queensland Government Home Education Unit Department of Education
2019 Premier's Reading Challenge – Update
If your child wishes to participate in the Premier's Reading Challenge (which started in May), they can still register – the challenge runs until 23 August 2019. The challenge is not a competition but aims to improve literacy and encourage children to read widely for pleasure and learning. Children and students can participate in the challenge within their school, early childhood centre or as individual readers including children who are registered for home education.
Key dates: 13 May 2019 - Reading period commences for Prep to Year 9 age-equivalent children 12 – 23 August 2019 - Early childhood participation period 23 August 2019 - Reading period finishes for Prep to Year 9 age-equivalent children 6 September - Reading achievements to be finalised in the database Late September 2019 - Certificates of Achievement issued and Certificates of Participation available for download 4 – 5 November 2019 - Celebration weeks
If you are in North Queensland, there are many educational and entertaining events scheduled this winter. Visit
the What’s on Townsville website https://whatson.townsville.qld.gov.au/categories/markets-festivals-and-
ceremonies for further information about cultural events, workshops and markets.
Queensland Government Home Education Unit Department of Education
Useful resources
The Student Wellbeing Hub provides information and resources for students, teachers and parents to assist
them to create and maintain a safe and welcoming learning environment. It is guided by the Australian Student
Wellbeing Framework, with resources aligned to the Australian Curriculum, for the promotion of student
wellbeing and the development of respectful relationships.
The Student Wellbeing Hub has been developed by Education Services Australia for the Australian Government
Department of Education and Training and has a wide pool of experts, academics, professional associations
and industry providers who have contributed to the site.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
To help children of kindergarten age and younger process the events of a natural disaster, the Queensland
Centre for Perinatal and Infant Mental Health has released a suite of free resources on its website. Although
these resources have been designed for Kindergarten-aged children, they are also suitable for older children.
Birdie’s Tree is a series of five storybooks that can be read in hard copy or on a computer or mobile device. You
can choose from Birdie and the Cyclone, Birdie and the Flood, Birdie and the Fire, Birdie and the Earthquake
and Birdie and the Drought by clicking on the Storybooks tab.
Parents, educators and carers can play interactive games with children online or find information to help them
support babies and young children through extreme weather. Adults can use these resources at any time to
help build children’s resilience.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Speld QLD is a not for profit organisation receiving a small grant from Education Queensland to support people
experiencing learning differences. Speld Qld supports all Queenslanders experiencing learning differences in
all circumstances. Working with families and teachers, this not for profit organisation provides evidenced based
advice, professional development and services to assist students to meet their individual educational needs.
More information about the services and resources Speld can provide can be found on the following website
link: https://www.speld.org.au/
Queensland Government Home Education Unit Department of Education
Feature Article
Teaching Strategies: Excellence in Teaching and Learning
Adapted from High Impact Teaching Strategies
There are many components to planning high-quality home education programs and lessons. In addition to
determining your child’s learning styles and abilities, and considering their individual goals and specific needs,
another fundamental component of preparing and delivering a high-quality education program is to determine
suitable teaching strategies that support the learning needs of your child. However, this begs the question: what
are teaching strategies?
Teaching strategies should relate directly to and support your child’s specific individual learning needs
One way to think about teaching strategies is to consider what you (as your child’s teacher) will do to effectively
engage your child in high-quality education ensuring educational progress is made. The teaching strategies you
employ should relate directly to, and support your child’s specific individual learning needs. ‘One-on-one’ may
be an effective teaching strategy for children in some circumstances; however, there are other effective options
available that can be tailored to meet your child’s individual needs. How do you know which strategies to use
and how do you know which ones will be the most effective for your child?
There are effective strategies other than one-on-one teaching that may meet your child’s individual needs
The Victorian Education Department has provided a paper that suggests some high-impact teaching strategies
based on the work of John Hattie and Robert Marzano – international experts in the field of evidence-based
teaching practice. Although this paper was designed for schools and classrooms, the principles of observation
and reflection for the purpose of improving practice also apply to home education programs and support positive
educational outcomes. The following High-Impact Teaching Strategies or HITS can be adjusted to suit your
circumstances and some additional practical strategies have been included.
1. Goal setting (SMART goals) – it is good practice to set clear learning goals for each lesson in addition
to the overarching long- and short-term goals of the program. Children should always know what the
purpose of the lesson is, what they need to be able to demonstrate by the end of it and how they will be
able to demonstrate it. For example, a goal for an English lesson may be: (name) will be able to
construct sentences that use adjectives to describe a character. How will they know they have achieved
that goal? They will be able to use adjectives to describe characters in, for example, a narrative.
2. Structuring lessons – it is easy to get caught in the trap of ‘worksheets/textbooks’ or ‘online’
independent work where, although your child may be engaged in busy work, this may not involve
explicit teaching (see below). While worksheets/textbooks and online activities can be useful for
assisting to reinforce understanding, it is important to consider how the topic will actually be presented,
i.e. the specific sequence of instruction (introducing key concepts step by step), how learning will be
linked to previous lessons, and include questioning or exit cards upon completion of the lesson (to
check for understanding). It can help to write down the lesson steps including the introduction
(objective), body (steps) and conclusion (reflection, demonstration of learning).
3. Explicit teaching – when there is a new topic or new content, it is explicitly presented. There are many
strategies available to support the explicit teaching of concepts, including worked examples where the
application of the concept being taught is demonstrated in a step-by-step process.
Queensland Government Home Education Unit Department of Education
4. Worked examples –explicitly outline and scaffold the solution to problems (in Mathematics), sentence
building (in English), and inquiry questions (in Science and Humanities and Social Sciences -
HASS).Each step is explained so the worked example can be used when the concept is attempted
independently.
5. Collaborative learning – sometimes this is not an option in the home education setting; however, when
it is possible for children to work together to apply knowledge and work cooperatively on meaningful
problems, such skills as negotiation of roles and responsibilities are being developed. Additional
strategies can include, 5Ws and 1H (organising thinking and ideas using Who? What? Where? When?
Why? How?).
6. Multiple exposures – it is important for children to be provided with multiple opportunities to
demonstrate newly acquired knowledge and reinforce understanding. These are opportunities for
gauging understanding and should be carefully monitored. Feedback should be provided in a timely
fashion to ensure corrections are made where necessary. It is suggested that opportunities be provided
over numerous days. Strategies and activities that can be used to support multiple exposures can
include problem solving opportunities or pop-quizzes.
7. Questioning – this is a highly effective strategy when it is employed appropriately and can assist in
determining understanding. The most effective questioning occurs when the questions are purposeful
and planned. Consider whether the purpose of your questions is probing, extending, revising or
reflecting and ensure that you use open questions that require an explanation as opposed to single
word answers. Additional strategies can include: Bloom’s taxonomy for reflective thinking (Anderson
and Krathwohl, et al., 2001) which assists children to scaffold their thinking using sentence starters such
as: I did…(remembering), I learned… (Understanding), I wonder…(applying), I conclude
that…(Analysing), If I changed…(Evaluating), I would like to further explore…(Creating)..
8. Feedback – it is important that feedback is precise, timely, specific, accurate and actionable. It should
assist in understanding performance against the goals which are set for the lesson, unit of work, and
subject. It can be written or oral, formal or informal and should provide advice regarding improvement. It
will also assist in determining ‘where to next’ as well as the necessary adjustments to the teaching
strategies or learning activities to better suit the learning situation.
9. Metacognitive strategies – at this stage, when an understanding of the content and topics has been
established, it would be appropriate to teach specific problem-solving skills (application of the content to
specific situations), study skills, and inquiry-question development (questions developed in order to
thoroughly research a topic). Additional strategies can include: Bloom’s taxonomy for reflective thinking
(see ‘Questioning’).
10. Differentiated teaching – as home education programs will be highly individualised to cater for the
learning needs of individual children, reflection is a necessary part of the teaching and learning cycle
and provides opportunity to make adjustments for future lessons to ensure educational progress.
The concept of ‘teaching strategies’ can be very daunting and may also be a new notion to those parents who
are taking on the role of home educator for the first time. Further information about teaching strategies is
available on the Home Education Unit’s website under ‘Preparing an application’.
Acknowledgements:
Adapted from: Victorian Government, 2017, High Impact Teaching Strategies – Excellence in Teaching and Learning
(online) https://www.education.vic.gov.au/documents/school/teachers/support/highimpactteachstrat.pdf
[Online link accessed 21 June 2019]
Bloom’s Taxonomy for Reflective Thinking adapted from: Anderson, L.W. and Krathwohl, D.R., et al., A
Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching, and Assessing – A revision of Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, Addison
Wesley Longman, New York, 2001