Volume 6 Issue 2
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Publication Connectedness: Bridging the Gap Between Values and Practice in Developing a Safe and Supportive School Community(Avondale Academic Press, 2012-01-01) Unser, JerryFor the sake of this discussion, it is suggested
that there exists a paradox within the teaching
profession: one found in most schools. On one
hand educators know and believe that students
need role models and that almost every aspect
of teaching, even (or especially) including
discipline—is all about relationships. Yet on
the other hand we know that our school pays
us to teach—we’re not there to be a friend. The
teacher’s job is to teach and the student’s job
is to learn. Teachers acknowledge a duty of
pastoral care and that every student should
have a trusted teacher to speak to in time of
need. However, they don’t have time to chat with
students and if something is wrong, the preferred
option is to send them to the chaplain or the
counsellor. On one hand teaching is relational,
pastoral—some may even see teaching as a
ministry. Yet on the other hand, school is about
classroom management, teaching and learning,
timetables and assessment. Both concepts are
correct. Both are a descriptors of a good teacher,
yet one tends to be seen as an ideal and the
other as functional reality.
Publication Editorial(Avondale Academic Press, 2012-01-01) Perry, GraemePublication Egyptian Learning Curve(Avondale Academic Press, 2012-01-01) Bergmann, HerbertPublication Email from Asia (September)(Avondale Academic Press, 2012-01-01) Arthur, DavidPublication Eternal H&S Issues(Avondale Academic Press, 2012-01-01)Publication Give Them Some Truth(Avondale Academic Press, 2012-01-01) Standish, JamesPublication Grey Matter Matters: Teaching Strategies for the Brain Compatible Classroom(Avondale Academic Press, 2012-01-01) Thompson, AndreaThe brain is extremely complex. The brain has
the amazing ability to reshape and reorganise
its neural networks, depending on increased or
decreased use, making it malleable or ‘plastic’.
This plasticity allows for incredible changes to
take place, which were once thought impossible.
This article explores current research in this
area and offers brain compatible strategies
that teachers can employ in the classroom to
make learning more efficient, to raise student
achievement, and to facilitate a healthy learning
environment.
Publication New Perspectives on Anglican Education: Reconsidering Purpose and Plotting New Directions(Avondale Academic Press, 2012-01-01) Fitzsimmons, PhilPublication Numbers Don't Tell the Whole Story: A Case Study of an Alternative Pathway to Tertiary Studies(Avondale Academic Press, 2012-01-01) Potter, DavidThis case study responds to the debate over
‘toxic teachers’, tertiary entry ranking and
access to university. Implications for federal
and state policy are proposed. For 22 years
Avondale College of Higher Education has been
operating a tertiary pathway course designed
to widen access to higher education for nontraditional
applicants. The course, now known
as the Diploma of General Studies [DGS], has
been accredited as a 2-year higher education
sector diploma since 1995. Thus far, just over
1000 students have spent at least one semester
in the diploma. Not one has opted to complete
the diploma; instead students use it as a
pathway to a higher award, mostly Avondale
bachelor degrees in education, nursing, arts,
theology, business and occasionally science.
To date, 300 former pathway students have
completed an Avondale degree, and a further
250 are currently enrolled. DGS students
commence with Year 12 ranks (UAI, ENTER,
TER, now ATAR) ranging from 30 or less to
around 60; however, many have no rank. For
those who complete an Avondale degree, there
is no correlation between rank and average
college grade. Those who engage with the
academic program do well, regardless of their
entry rank; and those who fail to engage do
poorly, regardless of their entry rank. A low
Year 12 rank does not tell an applicant’s whole
story. A semester in the DGS pathway course
can open a new world of academic opportunity.
Some DGS students have gone on to complete
post-graduate study. Teachers can confidently
advise Year 12 students with potential, but
low tertiary ranking, to consider the option of
alternative pathways to tertiary studies as these
can provide a positive opportunity to achieve
their aspirations.
Publication School and Home School(Avondale Academic Press, 2012-01-01) Rankin, RachelPublication School Choice: What Motivates Parents(Avondale Academic Press, 2012-01-01) Morey, Peter; Beamish, PeterThe educational system in Australia today is
radically different from the school systems of
the past. As Mark Porter (2010), Chairman of
the Independent schools Council of Australia
writes:
The expanding role of the federal government in
school education and the sustained growth of the
independent sector are major developments which
have influenced the nature of schooling in this
country. (p. 2)
The rise of the independent sector has given
parents choice when it comes to selecting a
school for their children. This increase in choice
has been accompanied by a change of focus in
Australian education. There has been a move in
two major policy directions, marketisation and
school performance. Both of these policies can
be seen through a lens of competition, choice,
the increasing emphasis on accountability, value
adding to the curriculum through the addition
of extra curricular activities, and the move to
make the consumers of education bear the costs
(English, 2009).
Publication The 5 Levels of Leadership: Proven Steps to Maximize Your Potential(Avondale Academic Press, 2012-01-01) Roennfeldt, Ray C.Publication The Intolerance of Tolerance(Avondale Academic Press, 2012-01-01) Reye, ArnoldPublication The Role of the Prinicipal: A Multifaceted Role(Avondale Academic Press, 2012-01-01) Collier, JohnPrincipalship in the twenty-first century is complex and diverse. A principal is responsible across the domains of educational leadership, curriculum development, teaching and learning theory and classroom practice, spirituality / values education, student welfare and discipline, including reporting to agencies, school finances and budget, property management, risk mitigation, litigation management, staff welfare and industrial relations, marketing, selection and dismissal of staff and students, strategic planning and vision, outdoor education, and depending, on the governance of the school, reporting to statutory authorities, School Council, Church or denominational hierarchy.
Publication The School on the Rubbish Dump(Avondale Academic Press, 2012-01-01) Weslake, KenPublication The Screwtape Strategies(Avondale Academic Press, 2012-01-01) Rieger, WilfPublication Too Busy Not to Play(Avondale Academic Press, 2012-01-01) Weslake, JulieParents’ lives today are very busy and many
complain about being time-poor. Society seems
to be addicted to busyness, with people out of
breath trying to catch up and keep up. Busyness
even seems to be a symbol of success, but what
is the price and who pays it?
Publication Why Did My Mentor Teacher Only Give Me a Credit?: The Lonely Task of Grading Your Pre-Service Teacher(Avondale Academic Press, 2012-01-01) Kilgour, Andrew; Kilgour, Peter; Christian, BeverlyThe placement of pre-service teachers in
schools to integrate theoretical learning with
practical experience is an integral component
of many tertiary education courses. Issues with
both the reliability and validity of assessment
grades in a workplace environment suggest
a call to strengthen the level of academic
rigour of these placements. In this study,
professional development lecturers in one
education program [Avondale College of Higher
Education, NSW] constructed a standardsbased
grading rubric designed to assist mentor
teachers assess the performance of pre-service
teachers. After implementation of the rubric
for two Professional Experience sessions,
mentor teachers were surveyed to assess the
effectiveness and usefulness of the grading
rubric. Results from quantitative and qualitative
data found the grading rubric to be a vital tool in
the assessment process. Benefits of the grading
rubric included accuracy and consistency of
grading, ability to identify specific areas of
desired development and facilitation of mentor
to pre-service teacher feedback. This research
asserts that the assessment grading rubric was
a useful tool for all three parties concerned: the
course supervisor, the mentor teacher and the
pre-service teacher.