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Recent headlines . . .

'National health emergency' for indigenous students

NT - Middle-ear infection in indigenous youth is now a 'national health emergency', according to participants at a research meeting. Students diagnosed with the disease often struggle at school due to poor hearing.
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Opposition will halt revolution: Gillard

NATIONAL - Education Minister Julia Gillard has warned that, if elected, the opposition would fail to deliver on upcoming education reforms.
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Asian language studies have lacklustre participation

NATIONAL - Despite the Rudd Government investing millions to promote the learning of Asian languages in schools, a study has revealed that the subject participation rates in Asian languages are still declining.
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Teacher evaluation overhaul

NATIONAL - The Grattan Institute has released a report which contends that Australia's system of teacher evaluation is due for an overhaul, as teachers currently lack the incentive to improve.
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Australia and Saudi Arabia's education exchange

NATIONAL - Australia and Saudi Arabia have agreed to cooperate to encourage student exchange and research collaboration between the two nations.
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Associate degree pilot program

VIC - Deakin University is considering extending its associate degree program from TAFE colleges to schools, to allow students still at high school to begin study for the qualification.
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Aiming for your personal best the greatest motivator

NATIONAL - A University of Sydney study has found that students who who aim to improve their personal best performance were more likely to achieve higher literacy and numeracy results, complete their homework and participate in the classroom.
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BER value for money

NATIONAL - Officers from the Australian National Audit Office have told an inquiry that 'value for money' was not part of the guidelines for the Rudd Government's Building the Education Revolution, until last August.
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Opinion . . .

Language problem not being taken 'seriously'

NATIONAL - Despite Australia's ties growing stronger with Asia, the small number of students studying an Asian language in school is a significant problem.
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Good news . . .

Ancient fossil found in the vegie patch

QLD - A student and a groundsman at Richmond State School have made an astounding discovery in the school's vegetable garden - an Ichthyosaur fossil.
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International

First lady shares her 'secret' of success

USA - First lady of the USA, Michelle Obama, has given a motivating speech to Detroit students, telling them there is no secret to success, and that success can be attributed to education.
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School sport safety committee

SINGAPORE - The Ministry of Education has set up a new Committee on Safety in School Sports, to ensure proper guidelines are followed to ensure the safety of students.
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ACEL Noticeboard

ACEL's Travelling Scholar: Jan Robertson

Building Leadership and Learning Capacity Through Partnership
In an education context that is typified by change, complexity and challenge, new conceptions of leadership and learning are essential. Turbulent times require a type of education community that can ride the ebbs and flows of multiple discourses and ethical dilemmas – together taking the responsibility for the successes and the challenges still to be taken.

The essence of effective leadership and effective learning is in trusting, respectful relationships within the learning community. Jan’s work on the coaching partnership is acclaimed internationally for the powerful impact it has on educational leadership practice, the facilitation of professional learning, and in the development of formative learning relationships. Partnership is not a concept commonly practiced in education and therefore skill development is essential to this process. Jan is a highly sought after keynote speaker and workshop facilitator internationally.

The day will include the following content:
• Leadership and learning through partnership;
• Developing pedagogy for changing times;
• Formative learning relationships;
• Developing coaching cultures;
• The leadership of learning;
• Facilitating professional learning and building leadership capacity;
• Coaching skills of active listening, reflective interviewing, self-assessment and goal setting.

This day is a seminar and workshop. Participants will receive a work booklet as a coaching resource and will have many opportunities to reflect on their own professional practice, and will be equally challenged by the expertise in the group to take new thoughts of leadership and learning practice back to their own education communities.

Please click here for more information on this exciting event.

Inspire: ACEL Leadership Program

Are you a highly competent principal? Have you noticed that it’s always your team who get the in-house training budget rather than you? Are you ready to reignite your passion and continue to find purpose in the difference you are making? Are you building your legacy daily?

Mackerel Sky in partnership with ACEL has created the Inspire program. Mackerel Sky has worked with thousands of leaders across a range of industry sectors including IT, engineering, accounting, education and health care. Our programs unpack and name what it is that great leaders do. In this way CEO’s and executives gain insights on their existing strengths and clarity on the development pathways important to them.

In each one of our programs, leaders discover new ways to develop the leaders they serve. They gain clarity around what they do that works so well. Supporting the development of others is easier when you can clearly articulate what it is that has been working for you. Participants are delighted to discover easy to apply models and frameworks that serve as a guide in challenging situations.

The Inspire program sits alone in a market rich with offerings to emerging leaders. This program is uniquely placed to stretch experienced, senior leaders. You will create a powerful network of other strong leaders whilst covering the latest in leadership theory and practice such as:

• Talent management - attraction, retention and engagement across the generations
• Succession Planning – growing leaders from within
• Leaving a legacy – making sure your today is resourcing your tomorrow
• Connecting with Community – making a bigger difference
• Cultural Intelligence – creating cultural competence for leaders
• High Performance Teams – secrets of teams that go the extra mile

For more information on this special event please click here.

ACEL Winter School

The London Centre for Leadership in Learning, Institute of Education works in London, nationally and internationally and offers a vibrant and refreshing learning community to support your learning in the heart of London. The London Centre for Leadership in Learning works in partnership with practitioners and policy makers at the critical edge of research and practice and are at the forefront of developing new knowledge for and about leadership and learning.

In her role as Director of the London Centre for Leadership in Learning, Professor Alma Harris and her team will provide a Winter School during the week of the 5th – 9th July 2010 at the London Leadership Centre.

The Winter School will be built around the ACEL Leadership Capability
Framework and participants will have the opportunity to design the
program of their choice from a menu of opportunities including visits to
schools and workshops that focus on distributed leadership, strategic development in professional learning, coaching - building a coaching culture, emerging leaders, experience leaders, leading for learning, parental engagement, network for learning and deep dive learning sessions with London Leadership Centre consultants and leaders.

Participants will also be provided with pre and post conference learning activities that combined with conference will provide university credit. This program will be designed to support leaders informal leadership positions.

Participants will be invited to join the ACEL Alumni as a result of attending this Winter School and will be recognised in the Class of 2010.

Program Objectives
Participants will:
• Learn about the English educational context and learn from and
with educational leaders in London and the surrounding area
• Engage in participatory, reflective seminars and workshops lead by the London Centre for Leadership in Learning - Institute of Education colleagues
• Participate in the London Centre for Leadership in Learning Annual Conference on July 7th and interact with a wide range of educational leaders from schools in England.
• Personalise their own learning and development through reflection of their own experiences and practice
• Evaluate the impact of the week on their own learning and consider consequent implications for future practice

Click here for more details.

Hosting and Harvesting conference:
Creating the change we wish to see in the world

Final words ...
"In teaching you cannot see the fruit of a day's work. It is invisible and remains so, maybe for twenty years." - Jacques Barzun