Undefined array key 3 #0 /var/www/minnis/minnisjournals/html/_includes/_class/newsletter.class.php(231): ErrorHandler->handle_error(2, '...', '...', 231) #1 /var/www/minnis/minnisjournals/html/_includes/_class/newsletter.class.php(340): Newsletter->display_row(Array, true, Array) #2 /var/www/minnis/minnisjournals/html/newsletter/preview.php(20): Newsletter->build_newsletter() Undefined array key 3 #0 /var/www/minnis/minnisjournals/html/_includes/_class/newsletter.class.php(265): ErrorHandler->handle_error(2, '...', '...', 265) #1 /var/www/minnis/minnisjournals/html/_includes/_class/newsletter.class.php(340): Newsletter->display_row(Array, true, Array) #2 /var/www/minnis/minnisjournals/html/newsletter/preview.php(20): Newsletter->build_newsletter() Minnis Journals
View this email in your browser
 
2017 (22) 24 July 2017


ET News Digest
Your Weekly Education Newsletter

Teach them all how to read right!

Research based letter-sound correspondence methods and early intervention in the K–2 years are essential for students with learning difficulties – Rhonda Filmer

Much of educational debate in the media has centred on funding models and this has been particularly so, this year, with the vote for Gonski 2.0 in the Federal Parliament. Funding is always the key to resourcing of educational programs but of far greater concern to many educational researchers is the way that reading is taught in Australian schools. Research has shown us that the learning difficulties of students can be prevented from becoming life-restricting limitations if they are taught by letter-sound correspondence methods and there is early intervention in the K–2 years.

Why is the evidence for this approach being ignored in favour of reading methods that have not been independently researched and peer-reviewed? Read More

image

Selective school entry policy change to reduce tutoring advantage

Mark Scott, Secretary, NSW Department of Education, announced a review of the NSW gifted and talented education policy at the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children Biennial Conference. NSW runs 19 fully selective high schools, where students are selected by academic test and 29 partially selective schools where selective classes run alongside students enrolled from the local area. Read More

image

Fund a NAO robot for your school with a Digital Literacy Schools Grant

The Brainary is offering to help schools to apply for a Digital Literacy Schools Grant. NAO is an ideal platform for engaging students in STEM concepts and the Arts and social sciences in differentiated lessons. 

Grants of between $10,000 and $50,000 are available to encourage and facilitate implementation of the new Australian Curriculum: Digital TechnologiesRead More

How to recruit more teachers for the student boom

The Why Choose Teaching? report presents the results of a large scale teacher survey, aiming to discover the motivations and influences that have attracted practicing teachers to enter the profession in the first place.

 

This is because, in part, student figures are set to swell by 26% in 2022. However, in the past five years, national teacher numbers have grown by an average of only 1% annually.

 

The report, commissioned by Queensland College of Teachers (QCT), taps into practising teachers for insights on how to better target recruitment, particularly among men and Indigenous Australians. Read More

image

2018 ANU Tuckwell Scholarship recipients 

The Australian National University (ANU) has announced the recipients of the 2018 round of the Tuckwell Scholarship.

 

As scholarship recipients each of the 25 students from around Australia will receive over $21,000 per year towards their studies for up to five years, as well as mentoring from senior ANU leaders and researchers. Read More

image

Inaugural $50,000 Matific Games

Forget finals footy, look out for The Matific Games for your fix of competitive action. Students will battle it out to show their maths proficiency on Matific’s suite of online maths games for K–6 over a two-week period.

 

The Matific Games is free to enter and there’s $50,000 in cash and prizes available including a swag load of goodies from Matific’s sponsors – think drones and other STEAM-type products. Read More

National Education Summit – Autism in every classroom

The National Education Summit includes the Autism in Every Classroom Conference on Friday 1 September at The Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre to encourage discussion educators with the common goal of facilitating appropriate classroom strategies for teachers and students. 

 

This event is a referenced Special Needs Professional Development that satisfies the VIT professional development requirement that all teachers are to complete a Professional Development unit focussed on Special Needs prior to September 2017. APST 1.5, 1.6 and 4.1. Certificates of attendance will be issued to all attendees. Read More

image

SA Research Project student expo

SACE Research Project Student Expo is designed to inform students who are about to commence their Research Project. Established in 2014, the two-day expo attracts more than 4,000 senior secondary students, largely in years 10 and 11, from across the government, independent and Catholic school sectors. Read More

image

Reading words out loud helps spelling

Children find it easier to spell a word when they’ve already heard it spoken, a new study led by researchers from the ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders at Macquarie University have found. The findings link oral vocabulary in children to their ability to learn to read new words. Read More

Questions to ask when parents thinking about delaying school

Psychologist and education academic Dr Amanda Mergler and co-author Prof Susan Walker, both of QUT, have published the results of a study into the factors that affect parents’ decisions about whether to delay their child’s schooling.

 

The study, This is possibly THE hardest decision a parent has to make. Deciding when your child is ready to start Prep (Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 42(2), June 2017) found the issue was “highly emotional” and caused significant stress. Read More

image