Holiday Reading in the ISC

The ISC  team  invite you all to attend our  Holiday Reading Function  on Friday 6th December. It will start at 3:30 pm and drinks and nibbles will be supplied. Liz and Trevor from Collins Bookstore will also be making their regular  "guest appearance" to tell us about the latest summer  reads. We hope that you are able to come along and help us celebrate the end of the year.This function  is a great opportunity to  start unwinding and easing  yourselves into holiday mode.

Holiday Reading Lists 2013
Staff Holiday Reading
50 Books You Can't Put Down
Australia's Top 100 Favourites

Nature,Beauty,Gratitude

My home is certainly my sanctuary and I am often  grateful to be able to live in the foothills near Briagolong,surrounded by so much  natural beauty.Two weekends ago I was thrilled to  sight for the first time, musk lorikeets (not the parrot above) feeding on the callistemons and also a Jacky Dragon laying eight eggs in a shallow burrow.Consequently, this week when I stumbled across this stunning Ted Talk by Louie Scwartzberg, I had to share it with you as it celebrates the rhythm of life and reminds us that we truly  live in a beautiful world.

Top Tools For Learning 2013

Top 100 Tools for Learning 2013 from Jane Hart

In September, Jane Hart released her 2013 "Top Tools For Learning" List.It has been compiled from votes of over 500 learning professionals in workplace learning and education from 48 countries.The top tool for the 5th year running is Twitter with YouTube and Google Docs following close behind.

As well as viewing the slideshare above, the slideshare below categorises the 100 tools which is quite handy.
 

Current Learning Technology Trends from Jane Hart

Cloud Computing Explained

If you haven't had enough of Stephen Fry on the ABC, you will enjoy watching this short  animated  video narrated by the ubiquitous Stephen.Commissioned by Databarracks it  explains  the concept of cloud computing in a business world

Tips For Critical Thinking

I have accessed  from   Edutopia this week many interesting articles that deal with developing critical thinking skills in students  from KIPP (Knowledge is Power) King Collegiate High School in California.Click on the  Edutopia link above  to access the article called "10 Tips to Develop Critical Thinking in Students"and find out about this school's mission,resources and programs offered.

Another good resource about critical thinking comes from Teachthought :Planning For Critical Thinking: A 5 Step Model.Click on the image below to access.

This model recommended using the TFQ Strategy for helping students to develop their own questions.You can find Teaching Students to Ask Their Own Questions on this  Harvard Graduate School of Education link

Stage Fright

This excellent video from TEDEd would be a  good resource to use  when helping prepare students for presenting in front of their peers.It talks about the science behind stage fright and discusses ways to overcome it.

Cakes To Cherish

1st Prize -Decorated Cake,Tiered
Elise White

  

2nd Prize -Decorated Cake
Charlotte Thackray

Kate Lynch

1st Prize,Decorated Cake
Breeanna Ingram

The ISC display case has been catching attention  this week with students stopping to marvel at the creativity of some of our Year 9 students who had participated in the "Food for Entertaining" elective.On display are cakes that  were entered into the Sale Agricultural Show and as you can see they scooped the prizes for most events.They are certainly works of art and I can't imagine ever wanting to eat them.Congratulations to Wendy and Sue for their hard work and inspiration.

                                                         

    

    

Chinese Luncheon for VPRC

Congratulations to our Year 7 and 8 students who have now completed their 2013 Victorian Premier’s Reading Challenge. They are now awaiting their certificates that acknowledge that they have read over fifteen books.

Once again convenor, Joy Reid, has done a fabulous job keeping this six month program alive and she plays a key role in promoting a reading culture at our Garnsey campus.Many of our students have read voraciously during this challenge and the twenty five students who read

over fifty books celebrated their achievements at a Chinese Luncheon held at the Gippsland Dragon on the 23rd October.

Finland's Formula For Success

We have all heard quite alot over the last few years about the success of the Finland education system and how it is being touted as the best in the world.Since implementing its education reform in the 1970's, Finland has vastly improved its reading,maths and science literacies and is now always at the top for international tests.Their results certainly provide food for thought. Why are they so successful? Why do the Finns  outperform the Australian education system?As educators what can we learn from this system? Below are two videos that give us an insight into the Finnish education system and its formula for success.





Highly educated teachers the key to success - from William Smith, Ed. D. on Vimeo.


See link below for the transcript

Highly Educated Teachers The Key To Success