New publications

Australian governments spend over $30 billion on primary and secondary schools each year. The appropriate allocation of resources is as important for Australia’s schools as is the need for increased resources. The aim of this essay is to describe the processes of school funding that currently exist in Australia to argue that more can be done to implement a consistent and transparent system. (Adapted from Introduction)

Brain-Compatible Science, Second Edition, shows teachers how to incorporate practices such as constructivism and inquiry-based learning in their science instruction to help students move beyond memorising facts to deeper levels of understanding. The content is linked to the USA's National Science Education Standards. Lessons include learning objectives, assessment rubrics and checklists; background information; step-by-step procedures; reproducible pages; and extension suggestions. Adapted from publisher's description.

The Parent–Teacher Partnerships guide provides valuable insights for parents into how they can contribute more effectively to their children’s education. Teachers offer insights into the roles parents need to play to help their children make the best of their abilities. The guide was developed from an opinion survey conducted by NEiTA and the Australian Scholarships Group (ASG), which invited award-winning teachers to have their say about how parents could better support their children’s classroom learning. Adapted from NEiTA media release, 2 September 2008.

This review of Australian and international literature was commissioned by the Whitlam Institute within the University of Western Sydney (UWS) to provide context for the Young People Imagining a New Democracy project. The project is a collaboration between the Whitlam Institute and the Office of University Engagement at UWS. The literature review finds that there is clear evidence that young people in Australia are engaged with political and social issues, but that they feel alienated by formal, institutionalised politics and are less inclined to engage in traditional forms of participation. (Adapted from Executive Summary.)

This anthology includes a diverse range of critical and personal essays from women who work with computers in diverse fields, including science and technology, law and politics, and popular literature. The collection includes essays by high school girls, as well as ‘nerdy mothers’ balancing childrearing with their careers. The contributors ‘explain what it means to be passionately engaged with technical or obscure topics that are supposed to be for boys only, while busting stereotypes of what it means to be a geek and what it means to be female’. Adapted from publisher's description.

This second edition of Brief Counselling in Schools is a practical guide to providing help and support to young people experiencing a range of difficulties in their home and school lives. Recognising the constraints of working within school settings, the book illustrates how counselling can nevertheless be effective, even when time is short and confidentiality is hard to preserve. Based on a method of brief integrative counselling, and illustrated with case material, the chapters look at issues of self-esteem, depression and suicidal thoughts, bullying, parental separation and step-parent conflict, loss and bereavement, spiritual concerns, drug and alcohol use, and sexuality. Adapted from publisher's description; also available via DA Direct.