fyi : back issues
Spring 2004 - Co-operate, collaborate, innovate
Co-operate, collaborate, innovate
Pam Remington-Lane
Last year was eventful to say the least!
The Blueprint for Government Schools, the Schools for Innovation and Excellence Middle Years Program,
Intel Teach to the Future, and acceptance of Maffra Secondary College as part of the Schools for Innovations
and Excellence Program all coincided with my appointment as Library Co-ordinator, a review of major library
systems and development of a web page. It was exciting and challenging but I was unaware of the impact that
this combination of circumstances would have on my professional life, particularly on my ability to
collaborate, co-operate and innovate.
To participate in school policy development, I became a member of the curriculum committee and the e-learning committee.
I visited Key Learning Area (KLA) meetings to introduce research assignment planning, and to familiarise teachers with
the web page resources. I actively sought partnerships both with teachers, to promote information literacy, and with the
Wellington Shire Youth Librarian, in order to increase school access to public library resources, and to share reading
promotion opportunities.
Introducing Making a Difference
Because of last year’s busy schedule, I had not introduced the Making a Difference CD-ROM at the school.
In second term, I planned a demonstration to school curriculum, professional development and KLA leaders.
Almost as an afterthought, I invited Caroline Duck, the Middle Years cluster educator. While the teachers
were impressed with the product, I noticed that Caroline was really engaged, taking notes and requesting a
copy of the CD-ROM for her laptop. In discussion afterwards, she stated that it was fantastic, and would
certainly help her to fulfil many of the expectations of her position. In fact, Caroline began planning to
use Making a Difference the next week, as part of a whole school professional development day.
During this conversation, my emotional tone altered from pleasure at her recognition of the great product to a
sinking feeling – Caroline was planning to pinch MY great professional development opportunity! After a minimum
of teeth clenching, Caroline and I said “Howdy, partner”, and agreed to work together on the presentation.
Collaborative presentations
Since then, we have made combined presentations of Making a Difference to KLA meetings, as well as to the local
Innovations and Excellence cluster group. Brainstorming, we found that I was confident with information literacy
and the research process. Caroline was an expert on Bloom’s taxonomy and Gardiner’s multiple intelligences, with
experience in implementing thinking curriculum concepts into assignments. While I stuck up ‘research process’ and
‘plagiarism’ posters, Caroline drove the data projector. We produced a folder for each participant, with print-outs
of note-taking grids, reference sheets, web page evaluation and other major components of the CD-ROM. This
information was also posted on the school intranet in a folder called Research Ideas. Each participant was given
a copy of Making a Difference for their laptop. We reviewed each presentation, making improvements and alterations.
Working with a colleague enhanced this process of reflection.
As our school aligns more with reform processes, Caroline and I have formed Professional Learning Teams with the
curriculum co-ordinator and subject teachers, in order to transform tired, lower-level student assignments from an
emphasis on topic to problem-focused learning experiences, enhanced with ICT. The satisfaction of working with
teachers in this collaborative style is considerable.
Maffra Secondary College continued its growth process by applying for Leading Schools Funds, an initiative of
the Blueprint for Government Schools. The goal of the funding is to improve student engagement, with the key
strategy being the creation of a professional teaching team to work closely with classroom teachers. ICT is
the framework to support increased student engagement. Funds also provide for a purpose-designed building
suitable for open-ended learning. After the initial submission, a group was formed to write the detailed document.
Caroline and I were invited to join this group, and will work closely to implement the program if our application is successful.
Performance and development culture
Another strategy of the Blueprint for Government Schools is the creation of a Performance and Development Culture.
Sixty-one schools, including Maffra Secondary College, have been selected to operate as reference schools for
Performance and Development Culture. This involves more rigorous mentoring and professional development programs,
with data-driven feedback to teachers, to support professional learning. Quality professional development features
teachers’ involvement in design and work completed in teams. Performance and Development Culture reference schools
must achieve accreditation. Other schools will then join the process, and will be assisted by the reference schools.
The Intel Teach to the Future program was recently presented by Rita Elul at the SLAV conference ‘Directing information
literacy in a digital environment’. With a focus on comprehensive curriculum planning which integrates ICT and
‘essential questions’, the program offers a potential platform for teacher-librarians. The Master Trainers Program
is offered free of cost by Intel, with schools only needing to cover teachers’ absence expenses.
In Victoria, the Intel program has been promoted by Innovations and Excellence clusters. When Caroline asked me
to take part in the master training, I couldn’t help but visualise the jigsaw pieces fitting together. If Maffra
Secondary College is successful in achieving Leading Schools Funds, we will need learning leaders to facilitate
teams of teachers to integrate ICT and the Thinking Curriculum into learning and teaching prac-tice. The Intel
‘train the trainer’ model will suit these needs. If we are not successful, under the Intel pro-gram, Caroline
and I are still committed to train ten teachers each, thus impacting on pedagogical practice. As a reference school
for Performance and Development Culture, we will need people experi-enced in teamwork, ICT and data collection, also
supported by the Intel experience.
Intel training
Participation in the training was intensive, with forty hours in the classroom, and homework as well. Because the East
Gippsland Region is vast, Caroline and I, with two primary teachers from the cluster, travelled to Orbost for the course,
staying in a holiday house in Marlo. By the end of the week, we had worked hard, both individually and as a team.
It was useful for me to get to know local primary teachers, especially since I do not live in the area. I have begun to
plan visits to local primary school libraries, to meet teachers with library responsibilities. The school libraries could
form a sub-section of the whole cluster, establishing and sharing best practice.
Each participant in the Master Trainer Program had to bring along an assignment to be transformed. Both Caroline and I worked
on Science projects. After this work has been presented to KLA teachers, we will collaborate in the learning and teaching process.
The assignments will be posted on the school intranet.
Since I was in the area, I presented Making a Difference to the Orbost Innovations and Excellence cluster. Working on the
premise that staff members will believe someone they don’t know, the local cluster educator had invited me to present the
CD-ROM to KLAs at the secondary school.
My encounter with the Innovations and Excellence cluster educator, Caroline Duck, has made a major impact on the direction
of my professional activities. Deciding to collaborate with Making a Difference presentations has led to a partnership
which has extended into involvement in Professional Learning Teams, the Leading Schools Fund, the Performance and
Development Culture reference school planning and the Intel Teach to the Future training.
Because of our teamwork, I have had the opportunity to introduce Making a Difference to a much broader audience. I have
a professional pal with whom I can share ideas, and reflect on practice.
I look forward to a continued collaboration with Caroline and to both of us working with teachers to further develop
co-operation and innovation in our learning and teaching practice.
Pam Remington-Lane is Library Co-ordinator at Maffra Secondary College and member of the Synergy editorial board.