Feature articles
High school no longer means leaving home
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Before 2005, Cape Barren Island’s Aboriginal students had to leave the island or undertake distance education for their secondary schooling. This year the community gained its own high school program.
From humble beginnings in borrowed accommodation the program now has its own portable classroom in the grounds of the Cape Barren primary school for the seven secondary students. A part-time teacher from Flinders District High established the program in Term 1, 2005 and the program’s success means that from July 2005 an Aboriginal secondary teacher will live on the island and teach in the school full-time.
Knowledge of Aboriginal language is encouraged at the school, and close ties with the community ensure that Aboriginal perspectives are a strong part of the curriculum.
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Home town feel for a new child care centre
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Built on the philosophy that learning starts from birth, the Milpara Centre in Burnie is one of the six services established under the state government’s Child Care in Schools program.
Run by the Burnie City Council and licensed to care for 55 children up to the age of five, Milpara has been fitted out to reflect Burnie-its environment, people and industries. Local artists worked with the children to create artwork of places and things that are familiar to the youngsters who attend the child care centre. The children are also making their own paper, working with a local handmade paper enterprise to create diaries of the history of the centre.
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A laptop for every teacher
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Thirty years ago computers were unheard of in the workplace. Now we can’t seem to get by without them.
Teachers use computers in all their work, in and out of the classroom, including for communicating, planning, teaching and administration. In recognition of this, the department is progressively providing every teacher with a laptop and support in using it effectively.
Laptops will be used to take full advantage of the many teaching and learning resources available online. In addition, much information can be entered directly onto the laptops, saving double handling and leaving more time for the real job of teachers-teaching.
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Harry Potter weaves a spell of extended learning
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Two days at Hogwarts proved to be one of the most popular school holiday courses offered by the Centre for Extended Learning Opportunities this year.
Beneath their Harry Potter cloaks more than 60 students from Years 3 to 6 pondered the mysteries of herbology, transfiguration, maths and philosophy in a pilot program that challenged their thinking and inquiry skills.
The course was part of the centre’s KidZED project which provides activities and workshops for gifted students based on the Essential Learnings.
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