Education and Training (past quotes now in a PDF file)

'If you require any information regarding your child‘s progress please feel free to contact your child‘s Student Learning Manager (classroom teacher).' From Patrick Wren's 8 yr old daughter's school newsletter (Caroline Springs College). Patrick says: ' I believe the bit in brackets is for the benefit of those who are not fluent in Weasel.'

Social inclusion framework and arena of social exclusion and division. A linguistics professor speaking about the benefits of speaking a second language

Early years learning framework - ABC Radio

'An overarching national improvement strategy will drive up quality and performance underpinned by specific plans for strategically significant areas of activity, such as workforce and technology.' 'Impenetrable' university department slammed for jargon report'. Jordan Campbell, 28 January 2009, Student Newspaper.org

'When is a school not a school? When it is “a place for learning”. Watercliffe Meadow Primary in Sheffield has adopted the new phraseology because it thinks that the word school may have negative connotations for pupils and parents.'
'Don't use the S-word. This is a place of learning, not a school', Alexandra Frean, Education Editor, Timesonline.

'As the Monitoring & Evaluation Adviser the key focus will be to support the ongoing implementation of ECBP monitoring and evaluation frameworks to meet reporting requirements ... applicants will need to demonstrate significant experience in best pratice monitoring and evaluation ... An understanding of mainstreaming gender and HIV/AIDS in this context will be well regarded.'
As the Strategic (HROD&TSC) Adviser, your role will be to support the PNG Department of Education in the development of organisational capacity to establish strategic direction and operational leadership at national and sub-national levels in human resource management.' Education Capacity Building Program, Port Moresby. Thanks to Roy Stall.

Speaking in tongues

'MY SON is in grade four. His school report was almost incomprehensible to his parents with multiple tertiary qualifications. "He uses reading strategies that include selecting key ideas, paraphrasing and visualising the more complex sentences, reading on and drawing on some contextual cues." Did they mean he makes a good guess?

"He is able to apply evidence from the text and his general knowledge to display literal, inferential and evaluative comprehension skills." I had trouble explaining exactly what this meant to my 10-year- old and why it was written in this manner. I am only wondering how parents whose first language is not English (many at this school) will make sense of such nonsense.' Louise Steb, Essendon, letters to the editor, Melbourne Age, 15 December 08.

Seeking traction on intractable problems for socially just schooling: Revisiting the reproduction-recognition tension
...We place these approaches and their logics on an analytic continuum that highlights a core tension across them all: between (1) a redistribution impulse to provide cultural capital needed for ‘mainstream' academic success to learners who do not inherit such capital from families and communities; and (2) a recognition impulse to build teaching-and-learning around ‘funds of knowledge' from learners' cultural lifeworlds.
November Research@Work seminar at the Center for Studies in Literacy, Policy and Learning Cultures.

'A new full-time position called director, procurement, was created at one university after a year-long review, the official announcement saying in the best of weasel words that "one of the major solutions developed was the development of a strategic sourcing model for procurement"'. Caron Dann, Times Higher Education.

'innovations architect' and 'pipeline effect'.
Heard in a recent meeting. Thanks to Kris.

'This program is designed for specialist TAFE staff wanting to gain a greater understanding of the theories and practices relevant to personal and managerial competencies including individual learning styles, self management, integrating managerial competencies with development and facilitating a learning environment. Staff will gain a greater self awareness and receive useful tools to increase their effectiveness in both the workplace and their personal life.'
TDC- Specialist Series: Improving your personal effectiveness

Blueprint Makes Victoria Education Revolution Ready.

The Premier, John Brumby, today declared Victoria at the forefront of the education revolution, launching a bold, five-year education reform agenda designed to deliver excellence in schools...
"Our Government is committed to lifting up all schools to a standard of excellence...These reforms show that Victoria is leading the way nationally when it comes to education and that we are education revolution-ready ... we are now ready and willing as the first State to drive the implementation of that reform ... We have also announced a $10 million Institute of Educational Leadership will be established to develop current and aspiring school leaders, because great leadership drives excellence in the classroom".' Premier of Victoria's website.

'Macquarie University is building a world-class advancement operation.' So naturally they have introduced an Office of Institutional Advancement. Thanks to Cathy.

'...a number of leading international universities have been reconceptualising their Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics activities ...I wish to propose the disestablishment of the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Information Technology and the establishment of a new Faculty of Science and Technology ... We also wish to reassure all staff of the University’s ongoing commitment to job security.'
Professor Peter Coaldrake, Vice-Chancellor, Queensland University of Technology

'I'm asking you today to consider partnering once more with your University to achieve ongoing transformations.'
In a letter from the University of Melbourne 'Advancement Office' to Charles who comments: 'Presumably this is a euphemistic way to ask for money.'

Quality Initiatives Grants 2007 - La Trobe University, Victoria

In 2007 the University will continue the succesful scheme of Quality Initiatives Grants. These grants assist groups to research/develop and/or implement a quality improvement initiative. Projects may be initiated from any organisational unit within the University...

Quality Initiative Grants support the development, pilot or introductory phase of an activity and proposals are assessed in terms of the following criteria:
. the feasibility of what is proposed, including the appropriateness of the plan, timescale and resources applied to the project
. demonstration of a clear link between the funding proposals and the Quality Improvement Plans of the Organisational unit as a whole .'

`We are driving towards developing key statements leading towards the improved visualisation of our school...We want the image we create to be representative of our key statements. It is part of getting our symbolisation into the community.'
Acting principal of a public school in Dee Why, Sydney. Manly Daily. Thanks to Rob Towns

'Janine’s learnings from this experience, which were:
3.2 To seek conceptual frameworks – literature and explicated concepts can help to get a ‘helicopter’ perspective. This, she gained through her readings, reflections and discussions with her researcher/sounding board.
Janine’s strategy to model relationship-based leadership and reflective practice was a profound statement of her leadership intentions for the District. If this strategy is successful – even marginally – it will bring a positive change in organisation culture in the District.
Janine was in a Women in Leadership course with the Western Australian Department of Education.' Thanks to Charlie Myres who found this rubbish quoted on the PLATO (People Lobbying Against Teachers Outcomes)WA website forum.

'The paper describes proposed cross-sectoral actions that draw on existing linkages and foster new linkages between schools and early childhood services. A list of possible indicators, which span from birth to adulthood, have been outlined to help focus our efforts and for measuring progress against the actions as described in the three Blueprint volumes.' From the Blueprint for Early Childhood Development and School Reform discussion papers, Victorian Education Department.

'The Knowledge Tree: an e-Journal of Learning Innovation is a leading journal of e-learning. It was originally an e-journal in flexible learning produced through the Flexible Learning Leaders Project of the Framework ... Publication of two further editions of The Knowledge Tree in 2008 under the ‘umbrella' of the Access to E-learning Knowledge and Know-how Business Activity will provide opportunities for VET professionals to publish articles of an academic quality ... As the organisation producing and publishing the content of The Knowledge Tree , you will be required to: Provide strategic thinking for continuous improvement... Research widely in the area of innovative and embedding practices of e-learning in the VET system and across educational sectors ... Network, liaise and collaborate with stakeholders ... Use The Knowledge Tree to ‘capture' and extend knowledge shared in online networks, CoPs and forums and f2f activities focused on e-learning.' EOI (expression of interest) from the Australian Flexible Learning Framework.

Schools enacting Rich Tasks and the QCAR Framework Schools enacting Rich Tasks are well placed to implement the QCAR Framework. The 5 main deliverables of QCAR have, in a sense, already arrived in Rich Task schools:

'Functional and Traditional Grammar:
The QSA Grammar Scope and Sequence that accompanies the English Essentials and Standards is underpinned by a functional model of language, but foregrounds traditional grammar terminology.
Education Queensland's literacy professional development draws on both functional and traditional grammar. However, the functional grammar is fore grounded because it assists teachers to develop a shared language about how to improve students' reading and writing.
In addition, Education Queensland's literacy training considers the role of grammar in identifying the different language patterns in all KLAs not just in English. Both functional and traditional grammar need to be explicitly taught.
Neither is more important than the other; each fulfils a different but complementary purpose.'
QCARupdate newsletter March 2008, a publication of the Queensland Department of Education, Training and the Arts, sent to principals and teachers with the purposes of 'consistency, continuity, comparability and creating space for deeper learning'
Thanks to Ralph Walker who says: ' I don't know which model of English this was written in, but it fails in being neither functional nor traditional. No fewer than five apparently unembarrassed signatories were attached to this missive, with email addresses and phone numbers for further information. I suppose it takes that many to explain what it means.'

'I set students challenging tasks that I knew they would be able to achieve with guidance, assistance and appropriate scaffolding.'
' These IEPs are structured using conspicuous strategies and mediated scaffolding to ensure learning strategies are developed, understood and retained, as well as the achievement of the learning outcomes .'
From teachers' application for promotions. Thanks to Lloyd

'This edition of Research eLert explores the concept of ‘ value-added ' measures as a means of measuring how schools are progressing in improving student learning outcomes ... These international models demonstrate how value-added measures can be used as a tool for school improvement....'
From the Project Officer, Research Branch, Education Policy and Research Division, Office for Education Policy and Innovation, Department of Education and Early Childhood Development Victoria. Thanks Mark.

'This unit introduces students to the field of Communication Studies by examining a series of topical debates that exemplify key intellectual and methodological themes that animate communications research...'
From the University of Western Australia handbook . Thanks to Mike Robertson.

'Student priorities are issues arising from the contributing feedback processes and are generally underlying causal issues being different from specific issues identified and addressed within the contributing feedback process.'
University Student Priorities Policy and Process, Edith Cowan University. Thanks to anonymous.

'Discussion was held on the draft Middleware and Action Plan Strategy Roadmap that had been recently released for comment. Outcomes from the discussion were:
... Emphasis appears to be lacking on the value-add of Teaching and Learning collaboration as by-product ...'
West Australian Regional Network Organisation (WA RNO) (they manage the 'electronic communications network established to connect the WA based Universities, CSRIO and IVEC for inter-institution communication and shared connection'. ) Thanks to Paul Falconer.

Gordon Institute of TAFE in Geelong does it again:
'The Institute Board held a successful workshop with the Executive Team last week. The main item discussed was the long term planning on the Institute's physical footprint.'
'This training has been designed to facilitate the smooth implementation of the six strategic change projects the Institute is currently developing. These change projects are strategically important in moving the organisation forward and it is vital that they are implemented in an effective and non threatening way. To remind you these projects will be defined under the following headings;
– Silos
– Communication
– Role Clarity
– Optimal Systems and Processes
– Business Case Methodology
– Demand Driven Education and Training'
From two emails to staff from the acting CEO. Sent in by an anonymous contributor who says ' I especially admire the use of the word ‘Clarity' because little here is clear to me'.

'Suppose you are an intellectual impostor with nothing to say, but with strong ambitions to succeed in academic life, collect a coterie of reverent disciples and have students around the world anoint your pages with respectful yellow highlighter. What kind of literary style would you cultivate? Not a lucid one, surely, for clarity would expose your lack of content.'
Richard Dawkins: 'Postmodernism Disrobed'
A project recently approved by the Australian Research Council:
'This philosophical project can contribute directly by investigating paradigm cases of successful groupings of individuals around specific clusters of related problems. It aims at exploring the nature of such structures and conditions that determine the emergence and flourishing of conceptual creativity. Understanding the nexus between creativity, innovation and these groupings is of central importance to the promotion and maintenance of modern societies. It is central to the dynamics of societal processes and enhances creative responses in the realm of e. g. conflict solving.'

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