Sat. 1 September

Seminar Theatre 1 - Techniques for Learning

Session 1
9:15am - 10am

Speaker: Pina Sernio
Presenter, Seven Steps to Writing Success

The best step to writing success - discover new techniques to improve your students’ thinking and writing

Session Overview
What does James Bond, Andy Griffiths and Matt Reilly do that NAP markers love? They all start their writing with a Sizzling Start to hook their readers/viewers. Learn the secrets to Sizzling Starts and how they can gain marks in over FIVE of the NAP writing criteria.

Plus, actually experience Five Minute Fast Starts - a fun activity that gets students thinking and writing fast. You'll walk away with a range of written, spoken and multimedia activities to teach writing - all of which take just 5-10 minutes a day. More importantly it is all about being creative, having a common language and inspiring passion back into writing.

Session 2
11am - 11:45am

Speaker: Denyse Ritchie
Principal at the THRASS Institute

Explicit phonographic instruction - The ultimate tool for learners with Dyslexia

Session Overview
Teaching letter sounds, initial sounds or SATPIN is the starting point for literacy teaching used by thousands of schools in Australia and is the point at which many learners with Dyslexia are left behind. The unsustainable and contradictory nature of these teaching programs is the reason many learners become confused, struggle and ultimately fail in reading and writing.

This session will compare a phono-graphic approach (speech to print) and a grapho-phonic approach (print to speech) and show how the phonics teaching paradigm must shift in order to work with, not against, Dyslexia learning strengths.

Session 3
1:00pm - 1:45pm

Speakers: Ellen Corovic and Helen Haralambous
Mathematics Education Consultants, The Mathematical Association of Victoria

For the love of mathematical thinking: Challenging & engaging students in the Classroom

Session Overview
During this session, Helen and Ellen will lead participants through a handful of their favourite rich and challenging tasks from a collection of their recommended sources. Discussions around the importance of building connections between mathematical ideas, how to enhance student mathematical thinking and the merits of using meaningful and authentic tasks will be explored. Helen and Ellen will get you engaged in tasks so be prepared to test and justify your thinking! Suitable for teachers of K – 10.

Sat. 1 September

Open Stage - Wellbeing Stream

Session 1
9:15am - 10am

Speaker: Danni Rowlands
National Manager, Prevention Services
The Butterfly Foundation 

Strategies to develop body confident young people

Session Overview
Body image continues to be reported as a top personal concern for males and females. Body dissatisfaction can and does impact wellbeing and potential. This session provides educators with information and strategies that address the modifiable risk and protective factors, that underpin the development of negative body image. Topics covered include significant influences; media, social media, diet culture, the importance of role modelling and also how to incorporate body esteem education within existing curriculum. Basic early intervention information is also included so educators know what to do, if and when, serious body image issues and eating disorders develop.

Session 2
11:00am - 11:45am

Panellists
Amanda Scott, Director of Student Wellbeing, Geelong Grammar School
Shane Kamsner, Head of Student Development, Carey Baptist Grammar School
Saraid Doherty, Principal, Parkmore Primary School

What makes an exceptional student wellbeing program?

Facilitated panel discussion - Hear from 3 schools leading the way and learn why they are being recognised nationally

Session Overview
Hear from 3 finalists in the 2018 Australian Education Awards, ‘Best Student Wellbeing Program’. Representatives from each school will discuss how their school has created an exceptional student wellbeing program, what makes it work and why they are being recognised nationally.

Session 3
2:30pm - 3:15pm

Speaker: Georgina Manning
Director, Wellbeing For Kids

Flourishing staff, flourishing kids

Session Overview
Starting from the ‘inside out’ and from a lived experience is the most effective way to teach children positive psychology strategies and practices, otherwise these just stay as just knowledge and the delivery can stay on a surface level. Students pick up on a teacher’s personal experience of positive psychology and their value they place on it very quickly. This impacts hugely on the success of any social and emotional strategy in the classroom. When staff integrate positive psychology interventions for themselves, this not only makes a huge difference to staff in schools on their happiness, wellbeing and reduced stress levels, but also impacts significantly on the classroom climate. In this workshop participants will get a taster of some of the positive psychology strategies that can implement easily into their lives and also into the classroom.

Session 4
*2:30pm - 3:15pm

South Eastern Centre Against Sexual Assault and Family Violence (SECASA)
Speaker: Elizabeth Fox, Project Worker, SECASA
Susan McDougall, Sexual Assault Counsellor, SECASA

*Please note this session will be held in Seminar Theatre 1

Dealing with disclosures or sexual harassment and assault in schools

Session Overview
This seminar will provide attendees with the knowledge to define sexual harassment and sexual assault, recognise indicators of sexual assault and harassment in their students and staff members, understand how to respond to a disclosure of this nature and be aware of referral services and pathways. Participants will also gain an understanding of the culture in which harassment and assault occurs in schools, the impact on victims, and their barriers to disclosing.