Presentation by

Dr. Carolyn Broadbent,

School of Education ACT,

Australian Catholic University, Canberra

and Members of the AJCPTA

AJCPTA: A national focus for professional teacher development

The Australian Joint Council of Professional

Teaching Associations (AJCPTA) is a

federation of state and territory joint

councils of teacher professional

associations representing over

120 000 teachers.

Presentation byC. Broadbent and members of the AJCPTA

AJCPTA

Outlines the common objectives of the AJCPTA

Showcases a number of successful AJCPTA initiatives,

including the Leaders Study Tours, National Values

Education Framework Projects, and AGQTP projects

such as the Building Curriculum Area Leadership

Project.

Discusses the nature and focus of the projects and

highlights the value and relevance of these projects to

improving professional teacher development.

Draws on past experiences and identifies future

directions.

This presentation:

Common Objectives

AJCPTA Initiatives

Future Directions

AJCPTA provides a national voice for Australian

teachers from all sectors and levels of education.

It takes a leading role in building and strengthening

partnerships that respond to national agendas,

enhance the profile of the profession and further the

work of member professional associations.

The variety of its professional activities provides a

rich calendar of learning experiences for teachers

throughout the year.

AJCPTA facilitates networking, communication and

sharing of resources between member associations.

Common Objectives

AJCPTA Initiatives

Future Directions

Common Objectives

AJCPTA Initiatives

Future Directions

Teaching Australia Sponsored Study Tours

•The AJCPTA in partnership with Teaching Australia conducts international professional development for school leaders and leading teachers.

International professional development

•Teaching Australia subsidises the participation of teachers in this professional development.

For whom?

•To build collaborative networks; to establish strategic partnerships; and, to strengthen research efforts through professional associations.

Objectives

Common Objectives

AJCPTA Initiatives

Future Directions

ICT & Learning• Australian Council for Computers in Education Study

Tour to New Zealand and the United States , Ms Janet Cochrane (Qld)

Issues in Education• Investigating the issues, challenges and possibilities in

the mainstream education and Indigenous communities (UK, Canada), Mr Charles Morgan (NT)

Professional Development• Professional Learning for all teachers – Learning from

innovative models, Ms Lorraine Hodgson (NT)• Science Teachers Association of Ontario Conference,

Ms Sue Wilson (ACT)

Teaching Australia Sponsored Study Tours

Common Objectives

AJCPTA Initiatives

Future Directions

Teaching Australia Sponsored Study Tours

Australian Council for Computers in Education Study Tour to New Zealand and the United States, Ms Janet Cochrane

The anticipated outcomes were to: Further develop links with a view to consideration of AJCPTA

becoming an international affiliate with the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD).

Explore the professional association structures in New Zealand and their affiliations.

Further explore the international affiliate structure of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE).

Explore opportunities for AJCPTA to begin using ICT more effectively to:• enhance support of the member associations and boards;

and• promote the use of ICT in education.

Common Objectives

AJCPTA Initiatives

Future Directions

Teaching Australia Sponsored Study Tours

Investigating the issues, challenges and possibilities in mainstream education and Indigenous communities (UK, Canada), Mr Charles Morgan

 Main purposes of the tour: 

Investigate the issues, challenges and possibilities facing professional teaching associations in the UK, including:

•The provision of professional learning and the use of web-based resources for communication and pedagogical support;

•Strategies to support early career teachers and build leadership capacity; succession planning;

•Productive partnerships between professional teaching associations, government bodies, universities and other agencies.

Investigate an innovative pre-service teacher education program for Indigenous teachers working in isolated communities in Ontario, Canada.

Common Objectives

AJCPTA Initiatives

Future Directions

Teaching Australia Sponsored Study Tours

Professional Learning for all teachers – Learning from innovative models, Ms Lorraine Hodgson

This project sought to establish links with entities that provide professional learning opportunities for teachers in the United Kingdom. These entities use innovative ways to meet the wide professional learning needs of teachers. These entities are Teachers Net, and Teachers TV.

Key message:•There appeared to be a strong connection between what was happening in schools in relation to professional development and the resources being provided by the system agencies and the government. The messages about the role of professional development were clear and the obligations well articulated at all levels. Some of this clarity was due to there being a National Curriculum for all students.

Common Objectives

AJCPTA Initiatives

Future Directions

Teaching Australia Sponsored Study Tours

Science Teachers Association of Ontario Conference, Ms Sue Wilson

The Ontario study tour aimed to investigate and inform the AJCPTA and Teaching Australia about the strategies used by professional teaching associations to support teachers in disciplines where teacher shortages exist, such as Mathematics and Science.

The project involved investigating ongoing research efforts, particularly the use of professional standards in mathematics and science, and how relationships might be developed between the professional associations.

Common Objectives

AJCPTA Initiatives

Future Directions

Values Education

The Hon. Dr Brendan Nelson, former Minister for Education, Science and Training, announced Australian Government funding in the 2004 budget to support values education in Australian schools through a number of initiatives over four years (2004–2008). These included:• Values Education Good Practice Schools Project – Stages 1 & 2 • Values Education Forums in every school • the Values Education website

www.valueseducation.edu.au/values/ • curriculum and professional learning resources • national activities, including partnership projects with parents,

principals, teachers and teacher educators and a national forum.

Underpinning the Values Education programme is The National Framework for Values Education in Australian Schools (2003). The AJCPTA’s state and territory joint councils have been involved in raising the awareness of the Values Education Program and the work of the Australian Government in this area.

Common Objectives

AJCPTA Initiatives

Future Directions

Supporting Indigenous Education

Links to EDNA resources

Cuddie Cuddie sharing traditional culture around the world

Cuddie-cuddie is a global school project aimed to share and promote traditional and ancient cultures from around the world. Using Video Conferencing, the project shares the Indigenous Culture to schools in NSW, Queensland and overseas; and Elders are able to pass on traditional Dreaming stories from their local area.

Sydney Aboriginal rock engravings This site gives location, images and descriptions of significant Aboriginal rock engravings in the Sydney region, mostly from the Eora, Darug and Darkinjung peoples.

Australian Aboriginal astronomy This website provides a number of articles giving specific examples of Aboriginal astronomy. It includes, for example: The emu in the sky; Sun, moon and eclipses; Calendars; Banumbirr, and the Morning Star Ceremony.

Common Objectives

AJCPTA Initiatives

Future Directions

NSW

Professional Development

• The Professional Teachers Council NSW (PTC) has been endorsed as a provider of continuing professional development by the NSW Institute of Teachers. The PTC has an umbrella endorsement for its member associations.

Standards for primary teaching

• Teaching Australia is currently working with AJCPTA to develop the first specialist standards of accomplishment for primary teaching in Australia. PTC NSW will be facilitating one of the consultation activities to give primary teachers and principals the opportunity to provide comment on the draft standards. This professional engagement is essential to the quality and validity of the standards.

Common Objectives

AJCPTA Initiatives

Future Directions

Queensland

Cultural Awareness Gateway

• The JCQTA Cultural Awareness gateway provides links to people and resources to facilitate a greater understanding of Indigenous cultures, history and protocols to enable improved community engagement, as well as a better understanding of the teaching and learning issues for Indigenous students.

Our website

• On the JCQTA website you can find links to:• Indigenous Education and Training

Alliance • Aboriginal and Torres Strait

Islander Learning and Engagement centre

• The Learning Place online courses- teaching Indigenous students

Common Objectives

AJCPTA Initiatives

Future Directions

South Australia

Projects

• Values Education in South Australia: Many perspectives, common goals

• Web 2.0 Tools• Consumer and Financial Literacy -

AG-QTP Project

• Australian Awards for Excellence in Teaching

• Advanced Primary Teaching Standards - A national project to describe excellence in primary teaching

Common Objectives

AJCPTA Initiatives

Future Directions

Tasmania

AGQTP: Building Curriculum Area

Leadership

• This activity is an initiative of the Network of Education Associations of Tasmania(NEAT). In 2009, NEAT received a small AGQTP grant to gather information and advice on key areas of need from curriculum area leaders in government, independent and Catholic schools.

Objectives

• It is intended that the information gathered will be used to develop a comprehensive support program for curriculum area leaders in 2010. The findings highlight serious challenges that must be addressed by policy makers and school leaders if their efforts to improve student learning outcomes are to be successful.

Common Objectives

AJCPTA Initiatives

Future Directions

Victoria

Values Education

• The Council of Professional Teaching Associations of Victoria, together with the AJCPTA, participates in a National Values Education Partnership with the Commonwealth Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations.

Objectives

• The Statement of Requirement for this National Partnership Project states "that all Australian school students acquire the knowledge and skills to participate effectively in society and employment in a globalised economy."

• The CPTAV facilitates the development of strategies for teachers to support student wellbeing, youth engagement, resilience and Civics and Citizenship Education.

Common Objectives

AJCPTA Initiatives

Future Directions

Northern Territory

NTJCPTA

• • The Northern Territory Joint Council

of Professional Teaching Associations is a Territory based lead educational organisation to which professional teaching associations can belong. There are over 20 associations that are members of the NTJCPTA.

What’s Happening

• Promoting Australia-wide professional learning events• Stories, Places, Spaces: literacy and identity

Conference• Surfing the wave of change: Australian

Science Teachers' Assoc• Quality Curriculum For All: Australian Assoc

Special Education

Common Objectives

AJCPTA Initiatives

Future Directions

Western Australia

Values Education

• The Professional Teaching Council of Western Australia (PTCWA) has been part of the successful Australian Joint Council of Professional Teaching Associations (AJCPTA) National Values Education Framework Project Stage 1 and Stage 2.

Common Objectives

AJCPTA Initiatives

Future Directions

ACT

COACTEAValues in Action: Linking

People, Cultures & Communities for a Sustainable Future

• The Conference was a joint initiative of the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) and ACT Department of Education (DET), under the Values Education Forums program, and COACTEA in partnership with AJCPTA, Teaching Australia and ACU National.

The Small Grants program

• COACTEA has supported member associations to provide quality professional learning activities. Invitations to submit a brief proposal for funding on the appropriate proforma were distributed to members through the COACTEA newsletter. Supported projects include: The Canberra Mathematics Association to engage keynote speakers, Ann and John Baker, in professional learning activities.

Our Experiences

Common Objectives

AJCPTA Initiatives

Future Directions

Funding• Essential to support future initiatives

Networking, Communication & Sharing• International, national and local networks to

strengthen the profession and build community

Building Community Partnerships• To support the professional learning of teachers• To improve students’ learning• To learn from each other through the exchange of

resources

Common Objectives

AJCPTA Initiatives

Future Directions

Funding

It is expected that in the coming years education will continue to experience significant change, including new policy initiatives that will impact on teachers, teacher education and members of the wider educational community. It is therefore essential that strong links are maintained between the AJCPTA and its member associations to ensure teachers’ views are well represented at the national and international level. The funding received by the AJCPTA has facilitated quality professional learning initiatives and collaboration across systems and sectors at the local level. While 2010 will bring new challenges and changes to government Agendas, there is optimism that new opportunities will emerge for increased participation across the profession.

ACT

NSW

NT

QLD

SA

TAS

VIC

WA

Summary

The AJCPTA plays an important role in

building a professional community for

teachers, students and members of the

wider community.

Strong international, national and local

partnerships are essential for the growth

of the profession.

Learning together enhances the

educational outcomes for all.