FURTHER INFORMATION
National Environmental Education Statement 
for Australian Schools
Join in the competition
Curriculum Communities: Science EdNet
Home Energy Project
Children's book looks to change the world
Teachers of English annual conference
EQ: back issues
Write for EQ
National Environmental Education Statement for Australian Schools
The Department of Environment and Heritage has contracted Curriculum Corporation to lead the development of a National Environmental Education Statement (NEES). The document is intended to bring together existing policy and best practice in environmental education in schools across Australia. The NEES will form a reference point for:
- States and Territories reviewing curriculum documents
- schools reviewing or documenting their policies and practices
- stakeholders wanting to promote the development of environmental education
- organisations developing environmental education materials for schools.
Join in the competition
The UNSW Sustainable Living Competition
The National Sustainable Living Competition is an annual sustainability and innovation initiative open to years 712 throughout Australia. It is coordinated by the Sustainable Living Project (SLP), a not for profit sustainability education outreach unit of the Faculty of the Built Environment at the University of New South Wales. Entry is free. Competition entries close end of October each year (29 October 2004). Judging occurs in November with this year's awards to be presented on 2 December 2004 at the UNSW Sustainable Living Awards and Expo Day in Sydney.
- Criteria remain broad deliberately to encourage diversity in entries and creativity from students.
- Typically built in as unit of work in class time or as extra curricular project.
- Most applicable to 712 Science, SOSE, Technology and the Arts.
- Provides exciting incentive for class projects, providing certificates to all students in the class.
- Teachers can be selective about what they forward to competition coordinators while still receiving certificates for the whole class.
- Projects entered get graded through an extensive judging process.
- Teachers enter projects generally and not under specific categories; judges select appropriate awards.
- Every entry receives recognition.
- Emphasis is on demonstrated learning outcomes especially in relation to critical thinking and interpretation, and exploration of sustainability.
- SLP team offers support to teachers to clarify how the program can support and extend current teaching and learning.
- Prize pool of approximately $30,000.
For more information contact Andre Grant or Ben Roche on (02) 9385 4979/4916 or email SLP@fbe.unsw.edu.au To register and receive the infopack, download the registration form at www.sustainableliving.com.au/competition/Info/booklet.shtml
National Australia Day Competition
In 2003, Curriculum Corporation managed the delivery of a national Australia Day 2004 competition for schools on behalf of the National Australia Day Council. The Council invited all upper primary students, with the support and involvement of their teachers, to participate in the new national competition celebrating our nation. Hundreds of inspiring entries from schools all over the nation were received. Examples of what Australian children celebrate about being Australian are listed in the State and Territory winners at www.australiaday.gov.au/education.asp The National Australia Day Council has again contracted the Corporation to undertake educational work on its behalf, this time to both manage the national competition for Australia Day 2005, and to develop some related curriculum resources. Schools will be contacted regarding the competition later in 2004.
Curriculum Communities: Science EdNet
Science EdNet is part of the Curriculum Communities project initiated at Curriculum Corporation. This project has been developed to help primary and secondary science educators gain confidence in using the Internet in the classroom.
The Science EdNet website contains a modular online tutorial that can be worked through at an independent pace. Whether the user is a complete novice or a practised Internet user, the tutorial is structured so that topics can be selectively chosen to develop particular Internet skills. Task-based exercises using hyperlinks to science websites enable the user to learn by practical experience. The many links to science resources will be a useful reference long after the tutorial has been completed.
The online tutorial includes helpful tips to improve search strategies, techniques for evaluating websites, step-by-step instructions for tools that will assist in incorporating ICTs into classroom teaching, the best ways to communicate via the Internet and getting involved in online collaborative projects. The tutorial demonstrates the many benefits that can be gained by using the Internet in the classroom and, for the uninitiated, how to avoid any potential pitfalls.
At Science EdNet science teachers can join a moderated national online discussion group to engage with their peers. The website directory provides invaluable electronic resources and the noticeboard will inform about science education related events. There are also useful links to education systems within the website.
Science EdNet can be found at www.curriculum.edu.au/communities/scienceednet/ (from October 2004) or email science@curriculum.edu.au
topHome Energy Project
Origin Energy's Home Energy Project is a free educational resource specially suited to middle school students and designed to raise awareness of energy conservation in the home.
The resource consists of an easy-to-use teacher's resource booklet and CD-ROM that contains pdf file versions of activities, experiments and support information for teachers and students.
There is also a supporting website that provides facts and ideas on how to make homes more energy efficient. The website has an energy calculator that enables students to work out their energy usage for every room in the home.
The resource is divided into three sections: Calculate, Conserve and Communicate.
Calculate: students learn about energy use and its environmental impact; and find out how to be more energy efficient around the home.
Conserve: students conduct a home energy-saving experiment to identify and record their household's energy use.
Communicate: students share their energy saving story with community groups such as senior citizens and service clubs in their area.
To order a free kit contact Kimberley Davis 1800 659 511 or email order@ei.com.au
topCHILDREN'S BOOK LOOKS to CHANGE the WORLD
When World Vision asked Australian children what they'd do if they could change the world, they were swamped with hundreds of ideas—but all of the replies were bursting with two things: innocence to believe in something against all odds, and energy to make it happen.
The ideas and dreams of 80 children, who participat-ed in last year's World Vision 40 Hour Famine, have been documented in a new book titled That's How I'd Change the World.
The book is available at $5 per copy, or $100 for a class set of 30. For information on how to purchase copies, phone 13 32 40, or contact Kim Gilliland on (03) 9287 2767 or 0408 400 730.
topTeaching tomorrow's global citizens
A major curriculum package for teachers on the topic of war and refugees has been developed by World Vision. War & Refugees will enable teachers to meet the growing demand from students to learn about world issues and how they can become global citizens.
The comprehensive resource kit offers secondary and late primary educators an opportunity to learn more about the key issues shaping the world and provides practical ideas for teaching with a global perspective. A curriculum grid, prepared by Curriculum Corporation, advises teachers where resources correlate with curriculum requirements for various educational levels around Australia.
The War & Refugees curriculum package is the first in a forthcoming series of global education resources to be produced by World Vision for use in schools. War & Refugees aims to inspire discussion by presenting facts, stories, a profile of the debate on refugees, statistics, discussion questions and class activities.War & Refugees can be purchased online. An order form can be downloaded at www.worldvision.com.au/resources/globaleducation/ or contact World Vision on 1300 303 440. The cost of the kit is $39.95 in hard copy or $19.95 for a CD-ROM.
A poster and video documentary are also available.
topSchool Career Advisers 2004
If you are a school career adviser wishing to extend your knowledge and skills you may be interested to know that the Australian Government Minister for Education, Science and Training, Dr Brendan Nelson, recently announced funding for the delivery of 54 scholarships for School Career Advisers to participate in study or industry placements.
There are 27 Study Scholarships and 27 Industry Placement Scholarships. For those undertaking study, $5,000 is available to contribute to the cost of tuition; and for those undertaking a short-term industry placement, $10 000 is available to contribute to the costs.
Curriculum Corporation is managing the Scholarships for School Career Advisers Project for the Australian Government Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST), in conjunction with the Career Industry Council of Australia (CICA). Applications open 6 August 2004 and close 29 October 2004.
Applications can be downloaded from www.dest.gov.au/directory/c_and_t.htm#Careers For further information contact Barbara Bereznicki at Curriculum Corporation on (03) 9207 9600 or email barbara.bereznicki@curriculum.edu.au topEQ: back issues
Some back issues of EQ are available at $8.00 per copy. To place your order, call Curriculum Corporation on (03) 9207 9600 or fax to 1300 780 545. An invoice will be forwarded to you.
Spring 1999:
civics and citizenship;
SOSE
Summer 1999:
the eight key learning areas
Autumn 2000:
Indigenous education
Winter 2000:
digital curriculum
Spring 2000:
preparing for life after school
Summer 2000:
Australian education: how are we doing?
Autumn 2001:
mental and emotional health
Spring 2001:
national matters
Summer 2001:
maths and science
Autumn 2002:
history in the curriculum
Winter 2002:
pedagogy and teacher training
Spring 2002:
the arts and what's new
Summer 2002:
partners in online curriculum
Autumn 2003:
environmental education/geography
Winter 2003:
success for all/students at risk
Spring 2003:
transition from school
Summer 2003:
values education
Autumn 2004:
talking English
Winter 2004:
talking English
Write for EQ
The themes for 2004:
Spring 2004 (September)
Science
Copy deadline: 23 July
Summer 2004 (December)
Mathematics/ITC
Copy deadline: 1 October
Articles should be sent to Denise Quinn, publishing manager, EQ Australia, at denise.quinn@curriculum.edu.au. If possible, contact Denise beforehand for writing guidelines. Articles on topics other than the main themes may also be accepted.
topEQ Winter 2004 © Curriculum Corporation