What's new - June 2005

The third What's new online newsletter features book reviews, links to the Australian Children's Television Foundation and the Curriculum Leadership Journal as well as a model for the introduction of values education across KLAs. An article by Emeritus Professor Ivan Snook on comparing the Australian and New Zealand values journeys, which also formed the basis of his keynote address at the National Values Education Forum this year is also available online.

Exploring worldviews and values - a trilogy!

Julie Mitchell is a former English teacher with a long-standing interest in values education and world views. She has written three texts: Worlds of difference – Exploring Worldviews & Values in English Texts and Worlds of difference – Exploring Worldviews & Values in English Themes 2, and Teaching about Worldviews and values.

Nancy Wake – A biography of our greatest war heroine, by Peter Fitzsimons

Nancy Wake’s biography is recommended reading for senior students.

KLAs: English, History and SOSE; with some careful selection this biography may also be suitable for Year 10 students.

The Initial Briefing Session for the Values Education Good Practice Schools Project (VEGPS) – Stage 1

The initial briefing session for the Values Education Good Practice Project Schools (VEGPS) – Stage 1 was held on June 3 at Casselden Place in Melbourne. Participants included: two representatives from each of the 26 clusters, 22 University Associates Network (UAN) critical friends from 17 different universities from across Australia, five State and Territory Values Education Contact Officers , DEST Values Education Project Coordinators, and the Curriculum Corporation Values Education Good Practice Schools Project Team.

What are schools around Australia doing in values education?

The National Framework for Values Education in Australian Schools invites schools to examine their school policies and mission statements. Murtoa Secondary College, a rural school in Victoria’s central western region, adopted an inclusive and imaginative strategy to encourage the whole school community to develop and represent their school’s values by creating a poster that is displayed in the school.

The Australian Children’s Television Foundation has many useful resources for teachers and parents about the effect of the media and television on education and how they may be used to promote values in education. In a recent article 'Values Education - classroom experiences from across Australia' in the ACTF Education News, teachers from three schools in South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria discuss how they used media to teach students about ‘being friends’, anti-bullying, families, siblings, conflict and civics.

Edward de Bono - The Six Value Medals

All educators and individuals interested in values education will be interested to learn of the latest contribution from this prolific author.

Teaching FEARRR to Students

Discover this new educational model designed to assist teachers in guiding students confronted with immediate values issues as a result of current events, such as Asian aid, tsunamis, and the debate about refugees.

Emeritus Professor Ivan Snook

The New Zealand experience of values education is articulated in a paper Values Education in Perspective: The New Zealand Experience by Emeritus Professor Snook, which was presented as a keynote address at the National Values Education Forum 2005.