Melbourne+PD



[] || **Reggio Emilia Philosophy** [] || [|http://www.bialik.vic.edu.au] || **Visit these sites for more information:** [] || [] ||  || [] ||  ||
 * **School Website:**
 * Visit this site for more information:**
 * media type="custom" key="10366088" || **Takeaways:**
 * **Public School in the equivalent of our 'decile 1' suburb (or below).**
 * **The most unique learning environments I have EVER seen (Check out the 'Dragon Boat' the 'Buck Rogers Spaceship' (work in progress) and the 'Fire Truck'. Each structure is multi purpose and double story.**
 * **Learning spaces consisted of 3 to four 'home' classes (up to 100 learners in each space)**
 * **Three teachers facilitated each learning space with defined roles (eg Rover)**
 * **Learners entered into a 'contract' for discovery time (blocks of explicit teaching were 'directed' when required eg Achievement/Assessment linked)**
 * **Not all classes open environment, seniors more 'structured' - Reggio only clearly visible in Junior school.**
 * **VERY forward thinking Principal (who was in his 70's!) and Senior Leadership Team.**
 * **"Igniting the spark of discovery" "Provocation" "Inviting the children to participate"** ||
 * **School Website:**
 * David Perkins**
 * media type="custom" key="10366138" || **Takeaways:**
 * **A Jewish Private school in the equivalent of a NZ 'decile 10++' suburb.**
 * **Security Guards monitor all access to the school.**
 * **Curriculum and Philosophy based on close relationship with Harvard University and David Perkins**
 * **Curriculum very much 'project' based**
 * **Whole School Concept Curriculum**
 * **Both Family and Students driven to succeed both academically and culturally.**
 * **ALL students learn and become fluent in Hebrew**
 * **We were unable to see programme in action (eg only entered rooms without students in them)** ||
 * **School Website:**
 * media type="custom" key="10366110" || **Takeaways:**
 * **Public school in low decile area**
 * **Large open plan 70's style (eg Aorangi and Kawaha Point style)**
 * **P.C no Macs except for in new TV Station which was being built.**
 * **Have a Radio Station, Green Screen Room (about to have two of each)**
 * **Sure programme in action with small groups rotating and interacting as well as specialist teachers in action (eg Environmental Studies)**
 * **2 outside sealed screens one with an Xbox and Kinect and one with a Playstation - available for children through out the day and during interval and lunchtime.**
 * **School has won numerous academic and creative awards.** ||
 * **School Website:**
 * media type="custom" key="10366216"

Unfortunately my battery ran out on my iphone while at Lynbrook so don't have many photo's. Lesson learnt, battery drains quickly when taking photo's all day! || **Takeaways:**
 * **Large rapidly growing public school (800+ pupils with an expected 1100 next year).**
 * **Passionate Principal whose wife is also one of the Deputy Principal's.**
 * **School only 7 years old, unique environment set in native belt with wide open spaces surrounding it**
 * **Strong values system**
 * **A young vibrant staff**
 * **Music an ICT major focus through out whole school**
 * **Large number of small prefabs with 'open' walls between to create more space.**
 * **The school holds an annual ICT Conference.** ||
 * Theme:** //Leading the quality, relevance and effectiveness of schools through digital technology and learning networks.//


 * Keynotes:**

This conference was a leadership conference. It was about understanding what it takes to use digital technology and learning networks well and broadly, to improve the quality, relevance and effectiveness of schools.
 * Context:**

Delegates got the opportunity to reflect on: what it takes to lead a school in the “digital age”; the way in which our “digital age” students learn and their digital skills; the digital capacity of the home and the parents’ role in teaching; and schools’ efforts to use digital technology collaboratively, in a networked environment.

The conference focused on the value of using digital technology and networking in all aspects of a school’s operations to improve educational outcomes – not only in the classroom. Schools well along the path of providing a strong digital education are working with digital technology to: personalise and extend learning; enable leadership and governance; support professional learning; connect learning beyond the school; improve assessment and reporting; access and utilise student information; provide, access and manage teaching and learning resources; automate business processes; and provide reliable infrastructure. Many of these areas of schooling were explored.