National Reconciliation Week
26 May - 2 June
The Seymour Centre and the University of Sydney are kicking off a celebration that honours the experiences and stories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. 

Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Cooperative presents
Winds of Change
Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Co-operative is one of Australia's longest running Aboriginal owned and operated art galleries.  Their vision is to promote NSW Aboriginal art in all its diversity ensuring their artists are recognised, respected, and celebrated by Aboriginal people, the general public and the arts community.
When: Saturday 26 May to Saturday 2 June
Where: Seymour Centre main foyers
Cost: Free

The Pinjarra Project, Deckchair Theatre and Seymour Centre present
Bindjareb Pinjarra – A Comedy about a Massacre
To mark National Reconciliation Week 2012, the Seymour Centre presents Bindjareb Pinjarra—a brilliant improvised comedy about WA’s Pinjarra Massacre.
General Public performances: Saturday 26 May and 2 June, 7.30pm
Schools’ performances: Monday 28 May to Friday 1 June, 10.30am
Where:  York Theatre, Seymour Centre
Cost: $28 / $18 (1 teacher free with school group), a transaction fee may apply
Duration: 100 mins (including Q&A)
Bookings:  seymourcentre.com or 02 9351 7940
 
Casey Donovan: An Intimate Concert
Singing songs for reconciliation and from her soon to be released album Love and Goodbye.  A unique chance to experience the brilliance of Donovan’s unique voice in the intimate, cabaret surrounds of Seymour’s newly renovated Sound Lounge.
When:  Wednesday 30 May, 8pm
Where: Seymour Centre, Sound Lounge
Cost: All tickets $45, a transaction fee may apply
Duration: 2 x 45 min sets
Bookings: seymourcentre.com or 02 9351 7940

Australian Theatre for Young People (atyp) and Seymour Centre present
Katherine
A workshop presentation of a new play by Rachael Coopes and Wayne Blair (director of The Sapphires).  Katherine looks at teenage life in the Top End.  Come and get a glimpse of how a play is put together, and provide feedback. 
When:  Friday 1 June, 1pm and 6.30pm
Where: Seymour Centre
Cost: Free
Duration: 60 mins
Age:   Suitable for Ages 14 and up

The Reconciliation Party
Join us after the reading of atyp’s new play Katherine for a free party to celebrate the end of National Reconciliation Week.  The foyer party features free live music from Marcus Corowa and Jess Beck.
When:  Friday 1 June, 7.30pm
Where: Seymour Centre, main foyer
Cost: Free
Duration: 2½ hours


A NSW Reconciliation Council and Sydney Ideas co-presentation
Talking about Reconciliation
Constitutional Recognition for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians: Where to after the Expert Panel Report?
When: Monday 28 May, 6.30pm
Where: Seymour Centre, University of Sydney
Cost: Free event but registration requested.   To register your interest visit sydney.edu.au/events/reconciliation


The NSW Reconciliation Council and All Together Now present
"I’m not racist but..."
Four creative speakers talk for 10 minutes on the topic: "I'm not racist but..." followed by a Q and A session.  Join us for a thought-provoking evening.

When: Thursday 31 May, 7.30pm
Where: Seymour Centre, University of Sydney
Cost: $12.50, a transaction fee may apply
Bookings: seymourcentre.com or 02 9351 7940

Visit the Seymour Centre website's Reconciliation Week page for information on venues and start times.

Saturday 16 June 2012 | 10am–1.30pm | Homebush West Public School, Exeter Rd, Homebush West
Presented by the Office of Professional Learning in the Faculty of Education and Social Work at the University of Sydney.
This half-day conference will provide participants with opportunities to connect with other early-career graduates. A range of workshops will be provided, including:

• authentic assessment
  
  
• visual literacy
  
  
• working with parents
  
  
• accreditation.
  
  

Speakers will include Professor Robyn Ewing, Associate Professor Alyson Simpson, Dr Jon Callow, Kathy Rushton, Kate Smyth, Associate Professor Janette Bobis, Dr Jennifer Way and Bill Spence.

One-hour workshops
Participants will undertake two one-hour workshops from a range of topics. Options include:

• Supporting reluctant writers – Bill Spence – in any class there are always some students who need extra support with writing, whether for ideas to write about or just motivation to write. This workshop will look at practical ideas for supporting reluctant writers through innovating on existing texts and using paper engineering strategies for publishing student work.
  
  
• Switching kids on to mathematics – Associate Professor Janette Bobis and/or Dr Jennifer Way – this workshop is designed to deepen teachers' understanding of what motivates and engages students in mathematics. It will explore aspects of students' behaviour, thoughts and emotions that can be harnessed to address disengagement and promote intention to learn mathematics.
  
  
• Teaching talking and listening – Kathy Rushton – we talk every day with students, but planning and programming for the explicit teaching of talking and listening can be challenging. In this workshop we will look at strategies for developing talking and listening K–6 and how to program for talking and listening across the Key Learning Areas.
  
  
• "I see it now": pedagogy and visual literacy revisited – Dr Jon Callow – looking at a selection of visual texts (work done by children, as well as published texts), this workshop will revisit key ideas related to visual texts and viewing, including assessment and how to plan engaging lessons.
  
  

This presentation details a recently developed model of motivation and engagement – the Motivation and Engagement Wheel and its relevance to students, teachers, counsellors and psychologists. The presentation then proposes that the well-rounded student is one who is not only motivated and engaged but is able to bounce back when the going gets tough. Given this, the concept of academic buoyancyis introduced and the key parts of the Wheel predicting students’ ability to bounce back are presented. Underachievement, disengagement and behaviour are also examined and Professor Martin identifies some of the key issues that have become central to improving the outcomes of underachievers with particular focus on ways to maximise academic success and emphasise personal bests (PBs). Professor Martin concludes by presenting a new framework – ‘connective instruction’ – as a means of harnessing the power of relationships in the motivation and engagement of students.

Andrew Martin is a Registered Educational and Child Psychologist and Professor ( University of Sydney) specialising in student motivation, engagement and achievement. His books, "How to Motivate Your Child For School and Beyond" (Bantam) and “How to Help Your Child Fly Through Life: The 20 Big Issues” (Bantam) are published in five languages and have been enthusiastically received by schools and parents across Australia and beyond. His latest book, “Building Classroom Success, Eliminating Academic Fear and Failure” (Continuum) was published in early 2010.

 

The second Sydney University Professional Learning Partners meeting for this year will be held: 
Wednesday 30 May
5.00-7.00PM
Room 612

These meetings have been held, with interested schools, once a term since 2008. We have been developing a professional dialogue about issues related to mentoring including responses to the NSW Institute of Teachers’ guidelines and your involvement with the university in further developing mentoring in your school especially for preservice and early career teachers.

This meeting 30 May (School Term 2 W6) will provide an opportunity to hear:
·         Susan Wyatt, Principal; Colette Longley & Jessica Melkman Mosman HS

What kind of wild thing are you? Project based cross curricula learning in Year 7.

·         Matthew Jones Wiley Park PS Introducing technology to the Kindergarten classroom.

·         Vilma Galstaun University of Sydney

Using Technological, Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) to inform curriculum redesign in preservice teacher education courses

This year our meetings will be held once a term from 5.00-7.00 on Wednesday:

22 August (School Term 3 W6)

28 November (School Term 4 W8)

Oct 17, 24, 31 & Nov 7, 14, 21
Conversations about literary texts – module 1   Blended mode – 12 hours face-to-face at Homebush Boys High School + 8 hours reading/online activities
NSWIT Course Code C08360. 

• Teaching grammar in primary school and middle years.
• The teaching of literary texts as the context in which grammar is taught to support meaning. 
• Details and dates TBA

Reading and writing for the middle years – module 1 
10 hours face-to-face at Belmore South Public School Weeks 3–7 
Day TBA 4–6pm
+ 10 hours reading/online activities
NSWIT Course Code TBA.
This module will enable teachers to:

• Articulate the reading and writing skills and understandings required by students to access content and achieve syllabus outcomes in their subject areas
• Expand and enhance the teaching of the reading and writing required for learning in their subject areas, and
• Use a range of strategies to support and develop students' reading and writing skills.

 TERM 2
Children's Literature Module 1
10 hours face-to-face at hub school + 10 hours reading/online activities
NSWIT Course Code TBA.

This module examines the critical role that literature can and should play in the lives and imaginations of young children and adolescents (K–12); the importance of children's personal, aesthetic and socially critical responses to literary texts; and the role of literary texts in developing particular kinds of literacy practices. In this module we will explore a range of questions including:

• What are the characteristics of quality literary texts?
• What are the practical and theoretical issues surrounding the use of literary texts (picture books, novels, short stories, poetry) for children and adolescents in today's primary and secondary classrooms?
• How does new media impact on narrative?

This module will involve discussion of participants' wide and close reading of a range of children's literature and of the recent theory and research relating the characteristics of such texts to the classroom practicalities of literacy pedagogy. 

Blended mode in-school session outline
Session 1: The role of the arts in learning and literature as an art form
Session 2: Choosing quality literary texts for the classroom
Session 3: Responding to literature
Session 4: Literature and the Australian Curriculum
Session 5: Exploring visual literacy through picture books

Mentoring - Module 1
Available all Term 4 2011 – Opens Week 1
NSWIT Course Code C08579

This course is designed to meet the needs of teachers who are involved in mentoring and all teachers interested in professional development related to mentoring, teacher induction and teacher accreditation issues.

The course will include:

• a critical overview of the research in the areas of professional development, mentoring and teacher induction
• a study of key issues related to the concept of mentoring and teacher induction identified through the review of literature
• analysis of the current developments around standards of professional practice
• opportunities for individuals to discuss and investigate specific mentoring issues and develop mentoring skill.

1 – 2 November

Dr Michael Ungar, ‘Resilience in the Middle Years’
Michael Ungar is a University Research Professor and Professor at the School of Social Work at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada. As the Director of the Resilience Research Centre, he currently leads a number of studies of resilience involving researchers from more than a dozen countries on six continents.He is also the author of eight books including:

• Strengths-Based Counseling with At-Risk Youth
• We Generation: Raising Socially Responsible Kids
• Playing at Being Bad: The Hidden Resilience of Troubled Teens, and
• Too Safe for Their Own Good: How Risk and Responsibility Help Teens Thrive.

See future Compass Directions for more information.