Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership

Academy Principals in Residence, Kendra and Simone, have been working on embedding the Academy Leadership Excellence Framework (ALEF) and to develop resources for schools to foster excellence in educational leadership.

In our latest podcast episode they are joined by Distinguished Professor Emeritus Viviane Robinson, to discuss the ALEF how it can be used by school leaders and leadership teams to identify, develop and support educational leadership excellence across our system. Viviane collaborated with the Academy to create the ALEF and is a thought leader in education and leadership development.

Aimed at school and system leaders, middle leaders, teacher leaders and anyone who aspires to leadership, this episode will help you consider the capabilities, dispositions and domains required to be an effective, excellent leader.

The Academy’s Leadership Excellence Framework sets out the capabilities and dispositions for excellence in leadership, from teacher leader to principal.

The ALEF sets our 3 capabilities and 4 dispositions that enable excellence in leadership:

Capabilities:

Dispositions:

Find out more on the Academy website: www.academy.vic.gov.au/academy-leadership-excellence-framework

This podcast series explores, challenges and considers insights into education, school leadership and classroom learning. Views expressed by guests and hosts are their own and do not represent the Academy

Principals in Residence Samantha Jeacle and Justine Mackey are joined by Chris Varney and Rachael Hamilton of the I CAN Network. In this episode, they discuss practical ways educators can support students with autism in the classroom. Chris and Rachael provide insights into how the I CAN Network assists teachers in aiding neurodiverse students and share personal examples of work avoidance.

The I CAN Network

The I CAN Network is an organisation founded by Chris Varney in 2013, with a mission to challenge negative perceptions of autism. Through respectful, peer-based programs, the I CAN Network aims to shift young individuals from an 'I CAN'T' to 'I CAN' mindset by celebrating neurodiverse strengths, passions, and shared experiences. https://icannetwork.online/

Learn with the Academy

With online programs and sites all over Victoria, professional learning has never been so accessible. Explore our professional learning to find the training and support you need at your career stage to lead change and improve student outcomes. You can use the filter function on our website to find your closest Academy site. academy.vic.gov.au/professional-learning

This podcast series explores, challenges and considers insights into education, school leadership and classroom learning. Views expressed by guests and hosts are their own and do not represent the Academy.

This episode is 3 of 3.

Valuing maths positively impacts student learning outcomes and determines whether a student will continue to engage with maths at school and beyond. This episode discusses a particular type of maths – utility value – and the research backed way to improve it. Hosted by Teaching Excellence Program Master Teacher Ben Allen with guest Dr Sarah Buckley (Australian Council for Educational Research -ACER), this episode is great for both teachers and parents to help support students develop more positive attitudes towards maths. Resources: https://go.vic.gov.au/3TlxyKX

Time stamps:

(01:03) – MAES (maths anxiety engagement strategy) definition and history.

(03:19) – What is positive maths talk?

(04:35) – What does positive maths talk look like at home?

(06:00) – Why is positive maths talk essential?

(08:32) – Dispelling maths myths.

(10:10) – Research and student outcomes.

(14:17) – Resource ‘Why Maths?’

(17:41) – What is different about this resource?

(22:25) – Where is math in our lives and careers?

(25:42) – Presenters key take-aways.

This podcast series explores, challenges and considers insights into education, school leadership and classroom learning. Views expressed by guests and hosts are their own and do not represent the Academy.

This episode is 2 of 3.

Valuing maths positively impacts student learning outcomes and determines whether a student will continue to engage with maths at school and beyond. This episode is hosted by Teaching Excellence Program Master Teacher Emma Moore and features Dr Sarah Buckley from the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER).

This episode covers types of maths (eg., utility value) and discusses research backed ways to improve it. The episode will also introduce a new publicly available information resource for teachers, co-developed by ACER and the Academy. This episode may also be of interest to parents to help support their children develop more positive attitudes towards maths. Resources: https://go.vic.gov.au/3TlxyKX

Time stamps:

(01:36) – MAES (maths anxiety engagement strategy) definition and history.

(03:52) – Motivation definition in MAES and Expectancy value theory.

(07:25) – What is maths utility value?

(12:45) – Intervention in this context.

(14:40) – How to build utility value and use the resources in the notes.

(17:30) – Examples of how to build utility value in a primary and secondary context.

(27:05) – Finding the value in mathematics resource (from the notes).

(30:06) – Presenters key messages.

This podcast series explores, challenges and considers insights into education, school leadership and classroom learning. Views expressed by guests and hosts are their own and do not represent the Academy.

This is episode 1 of 3.

Maths anxiety is an emotion experienced by students all over Australia and can significantly impact learning. Hosted by Head of Mathematics at Albert Park College and Teaching Excellence Program (TEP) Alumni Rachael Gore, this episode will discuss a model for understanding Maths anxiety and strategies for addressing causes and symptoms. Featuring the Australian Council for Educational Research's (ACER) Senior Research Fellow Dr

Sarah Buckley, this episode and associated strategies complement techniques that are widely used in classrooms. Resources: go.vic.gov.au/3TlxyKX

Time stamps:

(01:12) – MAES (maths anxiety engagement strategy) definition and history

(02:32) – Key barriers to learning and participation in maths

(03:33) – What is maths anxiety?

(05:35) – Symptoms of maths anxiety: physiological and cognitive.

(08:50) – Causes of maths anxiety.

(13:08) – Strategies to help students with maths anxiety.

(18:12) – Strategies to give students control over the symptoms of anxiety.

(20:57) – What do we mean by mindfulness?

(21:44) – Expressive writing and drawing as a strategy to control symptoms of anxiety.

(23:37) – Positive reframing as a strategy to control symptoms of anxiety.

(25:21) – Addressing the causes of maths anxiety.

(26:23) – Maths metaphors to identify types of thinking.

This podcast series explores, challenges and considers insights into education, school leadership and classroom learning. Views expressed by guests and hosts are their own and do not represent the Academy.

Attention all school ‘middle leaders’!  Hosted by 2023 Academy Principal in Residence Greg Lacey, this episode features EC by Go1 CEO Dave Faulkner and learning designer and facilitator Glenn Solomons. In this episode Greg, Dave and Glenn cover all things middle leadership and the impact they can have as “the engine room of change in schools”. 

Meet the EC team 

EC (by Go1) is a Melbourne based and globally connected provider of online professional learning. This organisation partners with the Academy to support Victorian educators (especially middle leaders) in their professional development and further education. Dave Faulkner has worked in K-12 education for more than two decades as a teacher, principal, system leader and thought leader. Dave is the co-founder and CEO of professional learning provider EC (by Go1). His questions about why early career teachers were leaving the profession, led him to begin work in professional learning that better prepared them for leadership and gave them greater personal fulfillment in their roles as educators. Glenn Solomons is a key EC facilitator and learning designer, who contributes to, many of EC’s professional learning programs. Glenn brings a decade of classroom and school leadership experience to the EC team and has experience in the Catholic education system.   

Learn with the Academy 

With online programs and sites all over Victoria, professional learning has never been so accessible. Explore our professional learning to find the training and support you need at your career stage to lead change and improve student outcomes. You can use the filter function on our website to find your closest Academy site. academy.vic.gov.au/professional-learning  

This podcast series explores, challenges and considers insights into education, school leadership and classroom learning. Views expressed by guests and hosts are their own and do not represent the Academy.   

Teaching Excellence Program Master Teachers Lorena Pellone-Gismondi and Francés Braithwaite are joined by neurologist, former teacher and change maker Dr Judy Willis to discuss the connections between neuroscience, teaching and learning. This is a great episode for teachers of all year levels looking for practical strategies they can apply within their classrooms to motivate and engage students.

Who is Dr Judy Willis?

Dr Judy Willis is an expert in education neuroscience, with 15 years’ experience as a board-certified neurologist and an additional 10 years as a classroom teacher. Dr Willis has written 7 books and over 200 articles on applying neuroscience learnings and research to successful teaching approaches.

Dr Willis is on the adjunct faculty of Williams College and delivers international presentations, workshops, and consulting while continuing to write books. She has been selected by Edutopia as one of their “Big Thinkers on Education” and joined the Academy as part of the 2023 Teaching Excellence Program.

Learn with the Academy

With online programs and sites all over Victoria, professional learning has never been so accessible. Explore our professional learning to find the training and support you need at your career stage to lead change and improve student outcomes. You can use the filter function on our website to find your closest Academy site. academy.vic.gov.au/professional-learning

This podcast series explores, challenges and considers insights into education, school leadership and classroom learning. Views expressed by guests and hosts are their own and do not represent the Academy.

This episode was originally recorded as a live webinar. While the audio quality may not be what you're used to on our channel we know the ideas raised will help challenge and advance educator understanding.

Join Principal in Residence Kendra Parker and international thought leader Professor Yong Zhao to better understand and support student engagement. Suitable for all Victorian educators, this episode allows you to critically think about what education means in a globalised world and the role of teachers and school leaders in supporting student engagement.  Watch the original recording and see the slide deck here: https://go.vic.gov.au/3PA4cqe

Yong Zhao is a Foundation Distinguished Professor in the School of Education at the University of Kansas and a professor in Educational Leadership at the Melbourne Graduate School of Education in Australia.

Yong Zhao has received numerous awards including the Early Career Award from the American Educational Research Association, Outstanding Public Educator from Horace Mann League of USA, and Distinguished Achievement Award in Professional Development from the Association of Education Publishers. He has been recognised as one of the most influential education scholars.

With a focus on mathematics, Academy Master Teacher Colin Chapman is joined by international thought leader, Dr Gary Stager. This episode delves into the ever-evolving technology and computational environments used to support both student and educator learning. With a focus on practical and engaging project-based numeracy development, this a must-listen episode for classroom teachers with the desire to improve student outcomes in mathematics.

This podcast is 1 of 3 episodes featuring Dr Gary Stager. In these thought-provoking episodes, Gary aims to challenge educators to rethink the traditional ways of teaching mathematics and consider alternative methods for engaging students.

Software and applications for consideration in the classroom

Scratch, Snap!, MakeCode, Turtle Art, Lynx, Beetleblocks, Turtle Stitch, microBlocks, and Wolfram Language.

Who is Dr Gary Stager?

Dr Gary Stager is an international thought leader who has spent decades helping school leaders embrace computer technology to amplify the learning potential of students. In 1990, Dr. Stager led professional development in the world’s first laptop schools and played a major role in the early days of online education. He has also earned a Ph.D. in science and mathematics education.

What is a computational environment?

A computational environment is the technology infrastructure and software platforms used to develop, test, deploy, and run software. In short, a computational environment is the software and physical technology used to enhance a learning experience. For example, a computational environment includes the computer or iPad a student may use in a lesson, the app/program they use and the technology behind both the physical device and software that powers it.