What’s new – March 2009

Welcome to ‘What’s new’ on the Values Education website for March 2009.

Events

4 April 2009, International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action
7 April 2009, World Health Day
20–26 April 2009, Global Campaign for Education Action Week
15–17 April 2009, Dialogue Australasia Network Conference: Teaching the Abrahamic Religions: Christianity in Dialogue with Judaism & Islam
23 April 2009, World Book and Copyright Day
24 April 2009, Global Youth Service Day
29 April 2009, World Dance Day
22–29 April 2009, VASP Second National Briefing Session
30 April 2009 – 1 May 2009, 2009 National Values Education Conference

See links below for workshops and seminars in your State or Territory.

National

2009 National Values Education Conference : Values in Action: shaping positive futures is to be held in Canberra on Thursday 30 April and Friday 1 May 2009. Registrations will close on Friday 17 April 2009.

States and Territories

In South Australia:

• A Values Education Twilight Seminar – Values and Curriculum: Practical Strategies for Incorporating Values into Teaching and Learning with Dr Leoni Degenhardt was held on Thursday 26 March 2009 from 4.30 to 6.30pm at the Education Development Centre, Hindmarsh.
• Values Education and Student Engagement Workshops with Roger Holdsworth on 9 June (Adelaide), 10 June (Mt Gambier) and 11 June (Whyalla).
• A workshop, Unpacking the Values for Australian Schooling Resources, was held on Thursday, 26 February 2009.
• Thirty-one schools were awarded grants to conduct values education projects.

In Tasmania:

• TakingITGlobal: Valuing a world view full-day workshop and training on 2 April (North-West), 6 April (Launceston) and 8 April (Hobart).

Values Clusters Projects

Values Education Good Practice Schools Project – Stage 2: Final Report

At the Heart of What We Do: Values Education at the Centre of Schooling – The Final Report of the Values Education Good Practice Schools Project – Stage 2 is a report of the learnings and outcomes of the Values Education Good Practice Schools Project – Stage 2. The Final Report and an executive summary are available for downloading.

Values in Action Schools Project

In October 2008, the Australian Government invited all Australian schools to apply for funding for the Values in Action Schools Project (VASP) . VASP is an Australian Government initiative in which clusters of schools will be funded to design, implement and evaluate the outcomes of high quality values education projects.

The successful VASP clusters projects have been selected and commenced their work with a briefing session on 10 December 2008 at the Oaks on Market Hotel in Melbourne.

Cluster Support Groups, comprising a Curriculum Corporation project manager, the cluster university advisor, the two cluster leaders (the Cluster Coordinator and Deputy Cluster Coordinator) and a state and territory values education contact officer, have conducted an initial onsite visit to establish relationships and to support the cluster in developing a manageable and achievable project plan.

Values in Action Schools Project Briefing session

The first briefing session for the Values in Action Schools Project (VASP) was held on 10 December 2009 at the Oaks on Market Hotel in Melbourne.

Resources

Articles

Two new articles:

•  ‘Values and Other Issues in the Education of Young Australians: A study among parents with children at non-government schools’
•  ‘Never Better – Or Getting Worse: The health and well-being of young Australians’, Richard Eckersley

Links

New web links:

• National Service-Learning Clearinghouse
• ACSA: Australian Curriculum Studies Association

Parents

A new resource for parents:

• Family-School & Community Partnerships Bureau

Reviews

One new book:

• 12 to 18: A qualitative longitudinal study of students, values and difference in Australian schools by Lyn Yates and Julie McLeod (Australian Curriculum Studies Association, 2007)