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

Mentoring using ex-students in ICT

A teacher retains contact with ex-students and uses their study experience, employment knowledge, and specialist expertise, to motivate Year 12 and Year 13 students, advise them of opportunities and provide informed input into class and project work.

Tech link case studies - mentoring

Mentoring for secondary teachers

This paper arose from discussions among Te Huarahi and the young and new teachers network.

A joint working group was established to consider how a mentoring model could be developed that would establish a support system for teachers at all stages of their careers.

The working group proposes a national network of trained and qualified mentors, employed on a regional/cluster-based model. Individual teachers would be able to access suitable mentors, either from their cluster or from other clusters around the country. This would be of invaluable help to the profession.

The paper summarises the deliberations of the working group and outlines the proposed model.

PPTA annual conference paper - Mentoring for secondary teachers

Check out the Teachers' Council's new draft guidelines for teacher induction and mentoring.

80, 15, 5 percent: What we know; what they need

This Disruptive Antisocial Behaviour (DAB) working group arose from the 2008 conference recommendations following the paper presented by the Hutt Valley/Wairarapa region, to consider actions and responses to disruptive antisocial behaviour in schools. The group met in March, following the Taumata Whanonga (Behaviour Summit), a multi-sector meeting which also arose (in part) from the 2008 PPTA conference recommendations.

A concern for some of this work, all of which began prior to the 2008 election, is the extent to which the current government has a commitment to following these programmes and recommendations through. The ongoing challenge is to get a long-term commitment from government to allow good programmes to develop and embed - as the findings describe.

PPTA annual conference paper - 80, 15, 5 percent

Supporting Positive Behaviours - this TKI website offers links to programmes, research and advice, as well as case studies detailing programmes that are actually working in schools...