Applications are open for the 2011 Interactive Whiteboard Hub in Victoria. This hub has been designed for educators who want to further develop their skills and practices using Promethean Interactive Whiteboards. The aim of the hub is to enable teachers to use IWBs in designing engaging and rigorous learning experiences for their students. This hub deliberately caters for teachers in primary, secondary and special settings.

In a launch presentation that encompassed the IBM-sponsored Kidsmart program and the publication by ANSN of Hanan Harrison’s Teaching our Digi Kids book (with IBM support), Miranda Scarff, from Corporate Citizenship and Corporate Affairs, IBM spoke enthusiastically about Hanan’s work and the impact that it is having across Australia. In discussing the book, she focussed particularly on its structure, with each chapter offering:

• topic introduction;
• reflection activities – getting you thinking;
• teacher snapshots – hear from colleagues;
• learning stories – working examples; and
• sample lesson ideas – what you can consider.

The aim of the hub is to enable groups of teachers from interested schools to design engaging and rigorous learning experiences for their students, whilst supporting one another in the learning. 

The hub caters for teachers in primary, secondary and special settings.

After a successful first session we are now enrolling for program 2.

Coaching has grown rapidly in Australia (particularly Victoria and Tasmania). Training has just been completed in the Northern Territory and will be in Adelaide also in August. The Brisbane training scheduled to begin in May 2010 has now been delayed, as feedback from schools within Education Queensland suggests that schools would like to commit to the 8 day training but due to a number of other systematic priorities at the same time are having difficulties in releasing key staff members.  The Brisbane cognitiv coaching will now be split over 2 school years, with the first 4 days of training being held 25th -28th of October and the remaining 4 days will be held in term 1 of 2011.

The training is for eight days and is a hands on, reflective process where participants construct meaning of a cognitive coach within a school context. Participants practice and internalise effective strategies which provide educators with skills and dispositions to build high levels of communication for supporting colleagues in leadership teams, coaching partnerships, mentoring relationships or teaching related issues. In fact the power of the training is how applicable the knowledge and skills are to any context an educator may be working in, including both personal and educational context. The work was pioneered by Bob Garmston and Art Costa and can be further viewed on the following site www.cognitivecoaching.com .

Cognitive CoachingSM training focuses on the maps and tools needed to mediate another’s thinking.The metaphor of maps and tools is used to indicate the dynamic, individualised way in which coaching takes place. A coach is equipped with maps and tools which s/he uses to assist the person being coached in “navigating” the territory of his/her thinking. Each coach uses the maps and tools in slightly different ways, but always focuses on mediating thinking.

Cognitive CoachingSM training focuses on the maps and tools needed to mediate another’s thinking.The metaphor of maps

Cognitive CoachingSM training focuses on the maps and tools needed to mediate another’s thinking.The metaphor of maps

Cognitive CoachingSM training focuses on the maps and tools needed to mediate another’s thinking.The metaphor of maps a

A Professional Learning Day

Wednesday 16th September

Cognitive Coaching(SM) for Educational Leaders.

Cognitive Coaching(SM) was developed as a means to support teachers with their teaching. It is based upon the premise that teaching is a professional act and Coaches within schools support teachers to become more resourceful in their teaching. Many schools have employed coaches to work with their community and some education systems are employing coaches to support teachers to improve teaching and learning across their contexts.

Successful schools work continually to develop a culture of student, teacher and leadership learning success. Cognitive Coaching(sm) is integral to this.

Participation in this intensive workshop will equip you and/or members of your team with a set of strategies, a way of thinking and a way of working that invites self and others to shape and reshape their thinking and problem solving capacities to achieve learning success.

For anybody interested in registering their interest for Advanced Training (only available to those who have successfully completed the initial 8 days of Foundation training) please fill in your detai