About this Blog
This Blog has been set up to facilitate professional dialogue between staff at Corpus Christi Catholic High School, Oak Flats, NSW, Australia.
The school commenced in 2006 and has an innovative approach to education with an integrated curriculum and a 1:1 laptop program. For more information visit our school website.
One key features of the school philosophy has been a keen awareness of staff professional learning. The staff are organised into Learning Teams, under the leadership of the school leaders, and regularly meet as a learning community. In addition, as a whole school, staff are participating in a Learning Communities Project which in 2007 is looking at the learning gain as a result of our Learning to Learn program.
Staff are invited to comment on and add to this Blog. This professional dialogue will contribute to our emphasis on reflective learning and hopefully build the corporate knowledge of our school.
May 22nd, 2007 at 10:03 pm
Hi All,
Hats off to those who have made comments so far! How honoured I am to be learning and teaching shoulder to shoulder with you all!
Just a couple of comments. First, re SEL. My initial take on this had been that a walk around the learning spaces on any day will demonstrate that SEL is occuring everywhere, all of the time. We simply may not have the commen language to name it. But researchers have noted that there is a dearth of valid and reliable tests of SEL. Often, as teachers in the current climate, we think that if we don’t assess something, we arent teaching it (and, as curriculum designers, we should think that to a certain extent). The challenge for us then becomes to find ways of assessing SEL appropriately in our integrated, relationship focussed, collaboratively developed and ICLT rich curriculum. As with all things we do, a very complex task!
Secondly, reading some of the comments, I remember back before the dreaming, to my job interview for CCCHS. I remember talking about a “pedagogy of Corpus Christi” (some of us were born dreaming!). We need always honour the unique complexity of the job we do, in the understanding that we are all about how we teach, as well as what we teach. I reckon that pedagogy of Corpus Christi is developing nicely, even amongst the messiness of the everyday, and the difficulties we face with students at times. It is, in fact, beautifully described in our L and T principles!
Lastly, thanks for the support of L2L. I believe that it’s the key, and that it has a place in stage 5 for students and for staff as well. But more on that later.
Love your work!
Kate
August 2nd, 2007 at 9:13 am
Home Economics Institute Australia – Queensland (HEIAQ) branch recently held their major conference of the year,
“EduNation Nutrition education for a new generation”.
Keynote Speakers offered an exciting and stimulating range of plenary sessions and workshops designed to consider the big idea. Knowledge about nutrition is a necessary, but by itself an insufficient, dimension of nutrition education. Processes and approaches are needed that empower young people, their families and the community with the motivation and skills to take control of their own health, to be healthy – not just know about nutrition.
High profile presenters entertained and stretched imaginations; offered creative problem solving workshop’s; a look into the future of technology in education; issues relating to obesity and being overweight; body image issues; how to be creative in how we handle change and create change in the classroom
The 2007 (HEIAQ) conference offered delegates the opportunity to engage in effective, action-oriented nutrition education for a new generation so that our younger generation can ‘break out’ of unhealthy eating patterns and join the cohort that is already reaping the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. But for many of our young Australians, the going is tough – they live in well-intentioned but often misinformed environments, where a lack of, and/or incorrect, nutrition information plays out in eating cultures that are not supportive of their wellbeing. They live in a consumer culture fuelled by rampant advertising of unhealthy foods, where everyday practices are sabotaged by the unethical practices of some sections of the media and corporate enterprises. Schools, alone cannot turn all this around, but neither can we ignore the situation. We, as educators have a pivotal role, and must work with students themselves, their families, and the broader community in addressing the influences on, and impacts of, eating habits.
EduNation: Nutrition education for a new generation focused on the ‘what to do’ in schools, with strong and coherent messages for educators and parents. The conference focused on how to understand and teach the whole child in context: brain theory and its relationship to nutrition education; understanding the multiple and complex relationships the new generation experiences that go way beyond (but include) the family; and understanding the impacts of, and sometimes exploitation by electronic, corporate and global connections. More importantly, it was (good fun) and about what to do in the classroom and the school community.
August 2nd, 2007 at 6:46 pm
Are blogs addictive? This is twice in two days!
I am very keen to work with Deb and other LA’s to create L2L on healthy eating to help our students understand the importance of healthy eating for brain functioning and learning and also eating to give us sufficient energy. I think that our students would really respond well to a session because by all accounts L2L has been a very effective tool and I often find the traditional approach to diet and nutrition is not effective with students. Students do seem to know all the facts about healthy eating, but are not making behavioural and lifestyle changes as Deb described.
Deb and I have also discussed the possibility of starting healthy breakfast options at school and we are in the process of getting our ideas together. I would love it to coincide with the morning fitness club. Exercise and a good breakfast. What better way to start the day?
Cheers guys