Professional learning calendar

Our commitment to the education and social work communities is to continue to provide quality professional learning opportunities. In order to maintain the safest environment in which to do this whilst Covid-19 remains widespread, many of our programs will be available for participation by Zoom-only. Additional events and updates will be published below as, and when, they are known. Other webpages addressing greater detail the University’s advice regarding COVID-19.

Assessment Literacy for Teachers: modules 1–6

Mode of delivery: self-paced online Professional Learning
Further details: webpage
Course enquiries: nina.goodwin@sydney.edu.au
Cost: $330 per module

Register

Description: The Centre for Educational Measurement and Assessment, in the Sydney School of Education and Social Work, has developed a suite of fully online PL modules focusing on Assessment Literacy for Teachers. Any number of modules may be studied, in any order. Each module can be completed in 4–6 hours and provides Teacher Professional Development, addressing Proficient Teacher Standard Descriptors from the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers. The modules have been designed for primary and secondary teachers and will soon be complemented by a suite of modules on Data Literacy, which are currently being designed by the Centre Director, Professor Jim Tognolini. As well, the centre is planning to develop modules for teachers in middle and senior leadership roles. The Assessment Literacy modules support teachers’ engagement with, and understanding of, assessment and the use of data to inform teaching and learning. After successfully completing all six modules, teachers will be eligible to undertake an extension assessment module for an additional fee. Successful completion of the complete program is equivalent to the University of Sydney postgraduate unit of study Assessment Literacy for School Teachers (EDPZ6011); your statement of completion may be used to apply for credit toward a Master of Education program.

The modules in this series are not individual higher-education awards and not qualifications recognised under the Australian Qualifications Framework.
 

Action Research: modules 1 & 2

Dates: Modules will be offered and delivered on demand upon enquiry.
Venue: Online by Zoom
Presenter: Deb Talbot
Further details: Download flyer (pdf, 265KB) | webpage
Course enquiries: rachel.payne@sydney.edu.au
Cost: $770 per module

Description: The Action Research modules have been designed to meet the needs of teachers seeking to learn about and conduct their own action research project in their local context. They are professional learning for teachers seeking to maintain the level of Proficient Teacher as described in the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers, as well as for teachers who wish to build an evidence base before applying to be recognised at the Highly Accomplished level. The Highly Accomplished Teacher level requires that teachers assemble evidence that they can support and assist less experienced colleagues with all aspects of professional knowledge, practice and professional engagement. Compiling evidence of these skills is a component of this course. Each module will provide 20 hours of professional development at the Highly Accomplished Teacher level, comprising 5 x two-hour workshops plus 10 hours of project time developing a portfolio and conducting a professional learning project. The module requires that participants must attend all online synchronous sessions and successfully complete all assigned task. Completion of Action Research Module 1 is a prerequisite for enrolment in Action Research Module 2.
 

Conversations About Texts: modules 1 & 2

Dates: Modules will be offered and delivered on demand upon enquiry.
Venue: Online by Zoom or in school
Presenter: Kathy Rushton
Further details: Download flyer (pdf, 450kB) | webpage
Course enquiries: rachel.payne@sydney.edu.au
Cost: $770 per module

Description: Develop the skills to teach grammar in a way that allows your students to gain an understanding of the basics and learn practical ways to implement their knowledge. The focus of Conversations About Texts is on teaching grammar in the context of imaginative, informative and persuasive texts in primary school and the middle years. During the workshops you will explore the teaching of texts as the context in which grammar is taught to support meaning. Knowledge about grammar is only useful if students use it to read and write, and recognise how authors, including themselves, can use language to make meaning. Presenter Kathy Rushton has worked as a TESOL teacher and consultant in classrooms and recognises a growing need in the teaching of grammar to support implementation. At the same time, the course presents participants with the opportunity to review their own grammatical knowledge or address grammar for the first time.
 

Aboriginal Education Matters: An Introductory Workshop

Date: Friday, 24 March 2023
Time: 9am–3pm
Venue: Online by Zoom
Presenter: Cathie Burgess and Aboriginal Studies Association Executive
Further details: Download flyer (pdf, 567kB)
Cost: $297

Register

Description: Aboriginal education is often considered to be a challenge for schools because teachers typically have little educational or personal experience in Aboriginal settings. Despite commitment to Aboriginal education, teachers worry about getting it wrong and offending Aboriginal people. Many struggle with the fact that they are not an ‘expert’ in this area. This course will help allay those fears by covering key basics including:

• community consultation and engagement
• understanding and teaching Aboriginal students
• appropriate resourcing
• introducing Aboriginal perspectives into various subject areas.

A key determinate in success with Aboriginal students is teacher knowledge and understanding of the local Aboriginal community and ability to work with this community. By working with the community, teachers are able to deliver a more relevant, authentic and engaging curriculum.

This course will present opportunities to discuss Aboriginal education issues across school contexts with sessions delivered by experienced teachers, community members and academics who have extensive experience in a variety of settings.
 

Mentoring: one-day online workshop

Date: Tuesday, 4 April 2023
Time: 9am–4pm
Venue: Online by Zoom
Presenter: Deb Talbot
Further details: Download flyer (pdf, 405kB)
Cost: $297

Register

Description: This one-day online workshop introduces in-service teachers to the research-based continuum of mentoring – from mentoring as supervision to mentoring as collaborative professional learning.

Effective mentoring to support the professional learning of both the experienced and the novice teacher requires understanding of the unique opportunities and challenges presented by mentoring philosophies and practices. This online workshop is designed to provide opportunities to expand participants’ knowledge of mentoring as they engage with research and link it to mentoring practice. It provides a foundation that participants can use to develop their own mentoring and the mentoring practice of their colleagues.
 

Managing Classroom Wellbeing and Behaviour from a Trauma-Informed Framework

Date: Friday, 19 May 2023
Time: 9am–3pm
Venue: Online by Zoom
Presenters: Mary Jo McVeigh
Further details: Download flyer (pdf, 473kB)
Cost: $297

Register

Description: Children bring their lived experience with them into their classrooms: the emotions, reactions and, sometimes, trauma, from their homes and communities, as well as wider society. “Complex trauma” in children results from repeated exposure to traumatic events over weeks, months, or years. Examples include sexual, physical, and psychological abuse, as well as experiencing or witnessing domestic and family violence or neglect. Research shows that children most often disclose traumas to school friends or teachers, and that the classroom consequences of complex trauma can profoundly affect children’s behaviour and learning.

In this workshop, teachers will learn how to support students experiencing trauma by adopting strategies that allow them to respond ‘in the moment’, and which, collectively, create a “trauma-informed classroom” that benefits all their students. The information and discussions in this workshop will be valuable for any teacher from Kindergarten to Year 12.

Teachers will learn to:

• consider the role they play within a multidisciplinary context to create a trauma-informed learning environment 
• articulate a definition of "trauma" that is relevant to teaching children and young people
• gain understanding of the effects of trauma and what that may look like in a classroom.
   

Aboriginal Education Masterclass: writing Country into the curriculum

Date: Friday, 26 May 2023
Time: 9am–3pm
Venue: Online by Zoom
Presenter: Cathie Burgess and Kylie Captain
Further details: Download flyer (pdf, 475kB)
Cost: $297

Register

Description: This course provides participants with the opportunity to consider how to build relationships with their local Aboriginal community and locate culturally appropriate resources in order to develop authentic and engaging Aboriginal curricula for all students.  Practical and theoretical instruction on a ‘Learning from Country Framework’ provides participants with opportunities to move beyond tokenistic and stereotypical implementation of Aboriginal curriculum and pedagogies.
 

Successful Learning Conference

Date: Monday, 26 June 2023
Time: 9am–4pm
Venue: Choose from in-person at The University of Sydney or online by Zoom
Academic convenor: David Evans, Professor of Special Education, The University of Sydney
Keynote presenter: Liz Berquist, Executive Director, All In! Education, and Director of Employee Training and Development, Baltimore County Public Schools, Maryland US
Additional presenters: Aaron Lanou, Inclusive Education Consultant, Aaron Lanou Consulting, LLC, US; Jioji Ravulo, Professor and Chair of Social Work and Policy Studies, Sydney School of Education and Social Work, The University of Sydney; Ines Alves, Senior Lecturer in Inclusive Education, School of Education, University of Glasgow, UK; Lauren Boath, Senior Lecturer in Education, School of Education, University of Glasgow, UK
Further details: Download flyer (364kB) | webpage

Registration costs from $297: See registration table on Conference webpage for all options.

Description: This annual conference focuses on issues and developments in the provision of quality education for students K–12, in particular, for students whom teachers are providing adjustments. In 2023, we will be focusing on implementation of educational practices that are inclusive of students with a range of educational, social and emotional needs; the conference will describe and explain processes that support teachers and students in building strong learning outcomes. The presentations will engage with research outcomes that examine and demonstrate education practices that can be used with fidelity, and professional wisdom, across differing curriculum areas, and year levels.

Specific focus will be given to literacy and numeracy, communication and curriculum access, assessment and decision-making, behaviour and social skills, and technology.

Presentations and workshops will be given by teachers, consultants, community-based personnel and academics, from metropolitan and rural locations in NSW, interstate and overseas.

Participants may attend the conference as a stand-alone event or as part of the Educational Studies (Learning Support) Program, which comprises attendance at the conference, as well as the SLC Masterclass on Tuesday, June 27, and five additional workshops held on Thursday evenings (4.30–7.30pm) in  July, August and September 2023.
 

Successful Learning Conference Day 2 Masterclass: Universal Design for Learning – Exploration to Integration

Date: Tuesday, 27 June 2023
Time: 9am–3pm
Venue: Online by Zoom
Presenter: Liz Berquist, Executive Director, All In! Education, and Director of Employee Training and Development, Baltimore County Public Schools, Maryland US
Further details: Download flyer (pdf, 373kB) | webpage

Registration costs from $297: See registration table on Conference webpage for all options.

Description: In this masterclass, we will examine the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework as a tool for designing inclusive learning environments. In part one, participants will gain a deeper understanding of the UDL framework by exploring examples of UDL in practice.  They will examine case studies of implementation and hear from teachers and administrators who have moved from exploring UDL to integrating it into their classrooms. Participants will review the phases of UDL implementation and will identify specific professional learning supports to assist them as they move to the next phase of implementation. Part two of this masterclass will facilitate participants' consideration of their own personal implementation of the UDL framework to create inclusive and transformative learning environments. The masterclass will unpack the UDL framework through a focused exploration of the guidelines, principles, and checkpoints. Participants will assess a learning environment using the framework and will engage in dialogue with colleagues to determine ways to remove barriers. Finally, participants will develop their own learning-environment organiser based on their understanding and application of the UDL framework.
 

Educational Studies (Learning Support) Program

Dates and Times: June 26 & 27 (Successful Learning Conference & Masterclass days) + 5 evening workshops 4.30–7.30pm on July 27, August 10 & 24, and September 7 & 21
Venue: Choose from in-person at The University of Sydney or online by Zoom for Conference Day 1.
Conference Day 2 (Masterclass) and evening workshops will be held by Zoom.
Presenter: Professor David Evans
Further details: Download flyer (pdf, 434kB) | webpage
Cost: $1500

Register: see registration table on Conference webpage for all options.

Description: These workshops will examine in detail the theories, policies and practices that promote quality literacy and numeracy learning outcomes for students identified as experiencing difficulties learning in a mainstream classroom environment, across a range of Key Learning Areas.

Specific focus will be placed on teachers working as part of teams to promote individualised programs and processes that assist students with additional learning needs to achieve collaboratively established learning outcomes. Workshop activities and individual learning tasks will promote the integration of theory and practice across a range of settings including early childhood, primary and secondary.

Leadership in Aboriginal Education Conference

Date: Friday, 15 September 2023
Time: 9am–4pm
Venue: Online by Zoom
Presenters: Cathie Burgess and Kylie Captain, Dream Big Education Wellbeing & Consulting
Additional speakers: TBA
Further details: Flyer TBA
Cost: $297

Register

Description: The Leadership in Aboriginal Education Conference will enable aspiring leaders to develop deeper understanding and practical strategies to effectively lead Aboriginal Education in their specific school community.

With the support of leading experts, participants will critically examine contexts which shape Aboriginal Education and explicitly make connections between broader issues and the daily experience of teaching.

Detailed discussion will focus on how to facilitate and lead change through forward planning, problem solving and strategic relationship building. Participating in ‘communities of practice’ will provide opportunities to discuss your current context as well as generate new ideas to implement Aboriginal Education in your school. Attendees will finish the day with increased confidence and knowledge of current research and successful practices for navigating the next steps in Aboriginal Education in their workplace.
 

Gender and Sexuality Diversity at School e-Conference

Building inclusion and wellbeing

Date: Friday, 20 October 2023
Times: 9am–4pm
Venue: Online by Zoom
Academic convenors: Victoria Rawlings and Kellie Burns
Additional speakers: TBA
Further details: Flyer TBA | webpage

Cost: $297

Register

Description: Develop your knowledge and understanding about gender and sexuality diversity at school, including in the lives of students, teachers and parents. Explore ways that you and your school can actively build inclusion and wellbeing.

Schools are dynamic, complex environments, where all sorts of identities and ideas come together. In this conference, we focus on how gender and sexuality diversity are important to acknowledge and cater for in school and other educational spaces. Engaging with research from medicine and educational studies, participants will build knowledge about what these terms mean, explore the ways that schools can intentionally or unintentionally marginalise diversity, and consider strategies for enhancing their school cultures to be inclusive of all students.