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PPTA publishes a number of newsletters including the monthly Collective News bulletin delivered via email to branches (items of interest are also published to the Notices webpage) and the new Professional issues update. During term-time a daily email of education news is distributed and published to the website. Newsletters can be downloaded from the the document library.
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Professional issues update (4) 2009 |
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Professional issues update 4 2009
(Term 4 2009)
Welcome to the professional issues update
Each term we bring you information about current professional issues, learning and research.
Contact us with your comments, references and ideas:
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The initial teacher education issue
Despite a growing pool of evidence that fast-track teacher training programmes do NOT work, these have been adopted in the US, the UK and now Australia. Governments claim that fast-tracking helps attract “top graduates” into the teaching profession. The links below cover a range of commentaries on fast-track programmes, from propaganda to critique. Given the looming threat of $50M cuts to education spending here in NZ we need to be informed about these cost-cutting approaches to teacher training…
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Professional issues update (3) 2009 |
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Term three, 2009
The conference issue! Mentoring, connectedness, behaviour... links to PPTA conference papers, plus other useful background reading and research... enjoy
Welcome to the professional issues update
Each term we bring you information about current professional issues, learning and research. Contact us with your comments, references and ideas:
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Connected secondary schools
This paper considers the inconsistencies that have plagued the digital revolution in secondary schools. It identifies the barriers that devolution of school management, a competitive ideology and funding constraints have put in the way of a coherent and effective information and communications technologies (ICT) network for schools.
As well as giving credit to the many boards, principals and teachers who have contributed to the enhanced learning that ICT offers, including the Virtual Learning Network (VLN), the paper also acknowledges those policies that give cause for optimism, including the laptop scheme, central purchasing of software and hardware, funding for network upgrades and the $1.5 billion investment in broadband.
Against this, the paper identifies continued problems with funding and coherency (including the threat posed by the digital divide), health and safety issues, the need for technical support, burgeoning electricity demands, teacher workload and the short-sighted decision to cease funding the VLN e-learning principals.
PPTA annual conference paper - Connected secondary schools
The ICT taskforce page on the PPTA website keeps you up-to-date with work being done through the association. But, also, offers links to all kinds of useful information and sites to do with all things ICT... egs include: cell phones, videoconferencing, web 2.0 info, conferences, e-portfolios, security issues, etc
ICT taskforce webpage
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Professional issues update (2) 2009 |
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Term two, 2009 Welcome to the professional issues update Each term we bring you information about current professional issues, learning and research. This issue takes its focus from the curriculum support days. How do schools move forward to develop the NZC? We look at putting students at the centre; keeping the key competencies in their place; and how to lead teacher PD for better student learning.
Feel free to contact us with your comments, references and ideas:
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Key competencies need to be integrated NOT assessedMonitoring does not equal assessment and KCs do not need to be reported – check out the very useful MOE website focusing on how to integrate key competencies into teaching and learning programmes:
Documentation about key competencies should draw attention to how students' capabilities were evident as they participated with others in a specific context. It should be useful to learners themselves, parents/caregivers, and teachers as a tool for reflecting on and thinking about strengthening key competencies in ongoing learning.
Documentation for monitoring key competencies is not about recording indicators, criteria, marks, grades, or rubrics. Outdated self‐managing schools model needs to move on…The new set magazine features an interview with Viviane Robinson. Her three key messages are: 1. the more leaders focus on the core business of improving teaching and learning, the bigger their impact on student outcomes; 2. the self‐managing school model should not be treated like a sacred cow – it needs to evolve to meet current needs; 3. effective school leadership resides in the leadership team, not just one individual.
This issue is not freely available online. However, you can access a hard copy from your staff library at school – or from NZCER (set 1, 2009:2‐4). Meanwhile, here is a link to Professor Robinson’s address to principals. Even if you’re not in a leadership it’s worth a read. Ask yourself, does our SMT follow best practice for leading learning?
The big message from our synthesis is that the closer leadership gets to the core business of teaching and learning, the more impact leaders have on valued student outcomes. School leaders who build relationships with staff through a collaborative and tight focus on teacher and student learning can make a powerful difference to their students. |
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