OTHER+additional+support,+resources+and+links

= = = = = =

= Support =

Department of Health & Human Services, The Advance Team
We are always available to hear your feedback and take you inquiries - available all business hours.

Simply email advance@dhs.vic.gov.au as we are always checking the inbox and responding to inquiries. Alternatively, phone us on (03) 9096 3349.

Awards Victoria - Direct support and provision of professional development opportunities
== The Department of Human Services (the department) acknowledges that a key success factor of the Victorian Government's Advance program is the vital role that teachers play in coordinating the program.

That is why the department is delighted to announce the continuation of its partnership with Awards Victoria in 2017 to assist schools delivering Advance through direct support and the provision of professional development activities.

The partnership is a great opportunity for all Advance schools to receive direct support (regardless of whether they currently deliver Awards Victoria programs or not) as well as assist the department in identifying challenges faced, key learnings, program development and support and resource needs.

The department encourages you to take up this opportunity by contacting Awards Victoria on (03) 8412 9333.

High Resolves Global Citizens and Leaders, a not-for-profit educational organisation, is pleased to provide two complimentary teacher resource packs to enable schools to facilitate their very own workshops on global citizenship.

You can access the following teacher resource packs by clicking [|HERE] or visiting www.highresolves.org/publictrp

What is a Global Citizen?
 * An introductory lesson that helps students see that being a global citizen is important and worth aspiring to. Students brainstorm qualities that people view as heroic and then examine the similarities between heroes and global citizens. Students then create their own ‘Ultimate Global Citizen’ who must respond to a real-world problem.

Collective Identity: Cultural Lens
 * A follow-on lesson from High Resolves' popular Collective Identity workshop that helps students to see themselves as global citizens belonging to a single, yet diverse human race. Students examine what is meant by the term ‘culture’ and consider why cultural clashes sometimes happen and what can be done to overcome them.

Please feel free to use these packs and distribute them to teachers who might be interested in global citizenship education. Note that these packs are aimed at students in Years 7-8, but can be used with other year levels.

For more information on High Resolves, including their seven other teacher resource packs, please contact Elizabeth Thorne, Program Director of Victoria on (03) 9671 7079 or email:elizabeth@highresolves.org

Call for Advance Coordinator Mentors for 2014
Over recent years, a number of Advance Coordinators have agreed to take on the voluntary role of Advance Coordinator Mentor, providing direct advice to teachers new to the program. Contact details for Advance Coordinator Mentors are shared via the Advance On-line Forum, along with a brief profile of each mentor.

The Advance Team would very much like to thank these teachers for taking on this role in recent times.

We would now like to invite all experienced Advance Coordinators (including those previously agreeing to be mentors) to express their interest in becoming or continuing to act as Advance Coordinator Mentors for 2014.

We see mentors as a terrific way of providing a hands-on insight into the delivery of Advance to those new to the program and we are keen to grow the pool of mentors new teachers can access.

To express your interest in this role, please complete and submit the Expression of Interest Form below.

For further information, please feel free to call the Advance Team on 9096 3349.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Get advice from experienced Advance program coordinators
The following Advance co-ordinators have agreed to provide support and advice to co-ordinators new to the program. We encourage you to make contact with any of them as it is a terrific way to get an experienced hand’s viewpoint.
 * John Clyne – East Loddon P-12 College, **Dingee**. Phone (03) 5436 8300.
 * Damien Hoban - Northcote High School, **Northcote**. Phone (03) 9488 2300
 * Katrina Amon - Parkdale Secondary College, **Mordialloc East** (03) 9580 6311
 * Loretta Muir - Western English Language School, **Braybrook** (03) 9311 9325
 * Kelly Harris - Yea High School, **Yea** (03) 5797 2207
 * Mirella Dammers, Lyndhurst Secondary College, **Cranbourne** (03) 5996 0144
 * Chris Astley, Collingwood College (Alternative School), **Collingwood** (03) 9419 3816

It might be easier if you know a little bit more about some of the mentors...

John Clyne || === MENTOR PROFILE: A self confessed Dr Who tragic, JOHN has been teaching at East Loddon P-12 College... === ... “long enough to know better and not long enough to be satisfied with it”. He has been involved with Advance for 5 years and enjoys the “budgetary autonomy” it gives him to deliver a program with the best student outcomes.It drives him a little bit loopy at times as he never takes the easy option with his students, but finds the rewards much better for the challenge; as he says, “it kills me sometimes, but inspires me in the process.” If a genie granted him three wishes he would wish that the current “good” form of Carlton, Essendon, & Richmond will continue. He’s a Collingwood fan, what can we say? //"Advance is only as big as your imagination. Giving students ownership actually makes it a more manageable task"// //- John.// ||
 * [[image:Mentor_photo.jpg]]

Damien Hoban || === MENTOR PROFILE: This is DAMIEN's third year running Advance at Northcote High School... === ...and his 10th teaching. He enjoys the diverse experiences he gets from teaching, and relishes the opportunity that Advance provides to immerse himself in community partnerships and be a part of something that benefits the students, the school, and the wider community. Damien’s school currently runs Advance as an extra-curricular program, which can be hard to balance with his other life as a dad to a young family. He loves Media Watch and Kevin McLeod and if a genie granted him 3 wishes he would spend 6 months per year in Canada, ensure that no more species were lost due to environmental degradation, and have a tree that grew several varieties of pizza (and maybe a souvlaki). ||
 * [[image:damien_hoban_2a.JPG width="114" height="141"]]

MENTOR PROFILE: MIRELLA is one of the valuable teaching staff at Lyndhurst Secondary College...
...and she ran a fantastic Advance Program in 2010, part of which made the local paper - twice!

She became a teacher because she loves working with young people and she enjoys a challenge. FULFILLING is the one word that she said she would use to describe her experience of the Advance program. In September last year, she would have been sitting at the edge of her seat, ooohing and aaahing and screaming and then a week later she would have been howling and wailing and throwing popcorn at the TV - how do I know that, because she is a St Kilda supporter!

However, she doesn't seem to be the most outrageous St Kilda supporter on the planet because she still has time to read (she's reading Jodie Piccolt - Faith at the moment) and rather than ask a genie to turn back time to last September and change the outcome, she would prefer lifelong health and happiness for her family!

Now, if you know Mirella you'll also know that she loves anything that has poka dots on it - my kind of girl, someone easyily pleased at birthdays' and Christmas' as long as it's spotty!

MENTOR PROFILE: LORETTA has been teaching for 15 years and is currently Advance coordinator at the Western English Language School (WELS)...
Loretta is implementing Advance again in 2012 with students from a diverse range of cultural backgrounds. FANTASTIC! is the one word that Loretta would use to describe Advance! It is this sort of enthusiasm that makes for the most creative and participatory Advance programs - clearly the enthusiasm of WELS past and present coordinators is contagious because the program has been running with impressive results for five years!

While she is an Essendon supporter, they didn't figure as individuals or a team in her imaginary discussion with a Genie in which instead she asked to win tattslotto, live for a long time and have a long restful holiday! She's currently reading lot's of recipe books, however, in the spirit of student ownership, rather than forcing her students to develop their culinary skills as part of the 2011 Advance program, they focused on forming and implementing the principles and practices of an SRC Committee and developing and delivering Radio programs.

'Do you collect anything', I asked, 'I am a hoarder!' she replied. Though she's not hoarding her skills and experience with Advance - she is one of our generous voluntary Mentors happy to support new coordinators, particularly those of you with similar groups of students.

MENTOR PROFILE: Introducing another fabulous mentor from Yea High School - KELLY Harris. Ready, willing and able to offer advice and support....
Kelly became a teacher as a change of career from a clerk of courts. There, she was regularly training new staff. Her trainees and colleagues clearly saw her potential as a fabulous teacher/trainer full time because their continuous positive comments regarding her great teaching skills encouraged her to pursue this as a career.

Kelly likes the Advance program so much because it is “Real”. This is a great way to sum up Advance – it teaches real life skills, it gives kids real involvement in decision making and problem solving and is nurtures real transferable skills!

She’s a supporter of the “The Mighty BOMBERS!”. I can’t comment on whether that is a good thing or bad thing from their performance in 2010 – but maybe if you do contact her in her mentor role, you can!

Kelly doesn’t assume that money equals happiness because she’s popped them into a separate categories in responding to what three wishes she would ask for from a Genie! (//Answer//: health, happiness and an endless wallet!). Clever girl!

Kelly is reading Kid Wrangling by Kaz Cooke - also known as “How to pick and win a fight with your toddler”. Of course not! Anyone who has a toddler like Kelly knows that the cues are few to tell you an outburst is coming, and there is certainly no cookie cutter strategy to avoid this. Hence, the need for an ENTIRE book on the subject!

If you like movies, ask about her ridiculously large DVD collection!

MENTOR PROFILE: While Chris Astley, of Colllingwood Alternative College has lot's of faith in the potential of Advance, he doesn't seem to hold the same faith in the Swans....
I can already hear him protest, but Chris, why else would you need the magical help of a Genie to grant them two more premierships? At least you said you would ask the Genie for World Peace (A world where the Swans would grace every premiership? Or one where every school in the country would run Advance? Perhaps these are the beginning of an end to needless war and suffering!)

Chris did an amazing job running Advance in 2011. He demonstrated that he worked with the flexibility of the program to meet the module learning components in alignment with the challenges faced by the students that he coordinated. Chris ensured student participation in projects that aimed to improve the basic skills of project planning, development and implementation including verbal and written communication, strategic thinking, self esteem, team work and a sense of responsibility.

Chris's motivation is simply that he enjoys helping people to learn, which I believe is a prerequisite for Advance coordinators who embark on this very exciting alternative learning journey with their students.

He is currently reading "The Groucho Letters". Now, I had to Google this, but apparently Mr Groucho Marx, who started his film career in the silent movie era, is quite an opinionated letter writer, and has the wit to match - so many of his one-liners we would be familiar with and some we should be because they're hilarious. My favourite: "Military intelligence is a contradiction in terms!" How did Chris discover Groucho Marx? Through the silent movies he loves to watch!

= Resources =

Interactive Activities

 * playmeo ** is an online database of group games & activities specifically designed to equip teachers, corporate trainers, camp leaders, youth workers, outdoor educators and many others with outrageously fun and interactive group activities.

The playmo library features 100s of activities such as ice-breakers to strengthen new (and old) relationships, simple energizers to wake up a class of sleepy students, innovative problem-solving and teamwork exercises, and fun large group activities.

[]

Further Interactive Activities for Young People
//Note: See also 'Teaching Strategies: Shared Teaching Strategies from the PD Seminar 2009' under menu option 'Professional Development'//

A number of co-ordinators have requested information regarding the activities used and developed as part of the 2010 Advance Regional Enhancement Seminars. These and other useful activities are as follows:
 * //** Icebreaker Activities **// || //** Diversity Activities **// ||
 * The Sweet Facts "M & M" activity (on page 1) at: []

The Me Shield activity (on page 2) at: [] -//Speed dating activity// - to help students in a group get to know each other || The Label activity (on page 13) at: [] ||
 * **// Team Work Activities //** || //** Promoting Advance **// ||
 * The Human Knot activity at: []

//Pat on the Back activity -// to help motivate negative or socially disconnected students.

//Marching to the Beat of a Drum activity// - focusing on listening skills and team building.

// Including students who have been excluded // - using restorative justice. || //Promoting Advance in your school// - to help raise the profile of the Advance program and the achievements of the students. || //Choosing a community project activity// - to support students to make an informed choice about their community project or partner. || || //Find the Nail activity// - to get students thinking outside the square.
 * //** Choosing a community project **// || //** A list and description of various others activities... **// ||
 * [[file:choosing a relevant community project.doc]]
 * //** Thinking differently Activities **// || //** Communication Activities **// ||
 * [[file:find the nail activity.doc]]

//Life stories activity// - to get students thinking about their lives and the lives of others. || //Phone call skills activity// - to build up students confidence to communicate with strangers over the phone ||

AMES Bookshop
The AMES Resourcing Learning and Innovation Unit (RLI) brings together a wide range of educational resources, systems and research. From e-learning support and training to the latest resources and up-to-date research, RLI is a leading innovator of Australian adult education services.

RLI services include:
 * Resource development;
 * Virtual Independent Learning Centre (VILC);
 * Research; and
 * E-learning support and training.

RLI develops a range of print, web and multimedia-based resources for adult ESL (English Second Language) and EFL (English First Language) jobseekers from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

The AMES Bookshop can be accessed by visiting: []

Bi-Lingual Resource Launched for Teaching Human Rights
A human rights curriculum resource from the Australian Human Rights Commission, entitled Being Me: Knowing You, is designed for 11-15 year olds enrolled in community language schools.

The aim of the curriculum package is to increase student awareness of everyday human rights and discrimination and its impact on people and communities, while learning to speak their community language. Students are encouraged to respectfully engage with their family about the human rights messages learned in class.

The resource is available to download from the [|Australian Human Rights Commission website].

= Links = The following links are provided to assist you in your role as an Advance Co-ordinator.
 * [|Advance Home Page]
 * [|Youth Central]
 * [|Department of Health Human Services Home Page]
 * [|Department of Education and Training]
 * [|Safety Guidelines for Education Outdoors]
 * [|Victorian Outdoor Education Association]
 * [|Supporting Digital Learning]

= Your Links and Support = This space is provided for you to share external links that have supported you in the delivery of Advance. Note that you do need to be a registered user of wikispaces and this space to make comments and add files. Email advance@dhs.gov.au to activate your membership to this group.


 * Please add your links below, placing your school's name after the link for identification:**


 * (Add your link here - followed by the name of your school)**