Q1. What does the Professional Learning Flagship Program: Leading Curriculum Change program involve?
The Professional Learning Flagship Program: Leading Curriculum Change is an online, facilitated and scaffolded community of practice whereby an individual participant (a classroom teacher with formal or informal responsibility for curriculum change leadership) develops a local curriculum change management/action plan through engagement in:
- structured-learning modules (e.g. Project techniques, Connecting with vision, Thriving through change, Using evidence, Promoting Equity, Partnering with local communities)
- Participants of the program should seek peer review of their plan
- Complete an assessment to accrue academic course credit. (see Question 6 for more detail)
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Q2. What is a 'flagship' professional learning program?
The Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership commissions flagship professional learning programs for teachers and school leaders. A ‘flagship’ program:
- will address national priority areas (teachers leading curriculum change in the context of the national implementation of the Australian Curriculum)
- is national in scope and reach (participants from every jurisdiction, geographic region, sector and phase of schooling)
- exemplifies innovative practice in design and delivery (large scale, fully interactive, online community of practice designed by experts in adult learning)
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Q3. Who is eligible for the Professional Learning Flagship Program: Leading Curriculum Change?
The primary audience is classroom teachers with formal or informal responsibility for curriculum change leadership in schools. Participants could include:
- Classroom teachers
- Classroom teachers with curriculum responsibilities
- Teacher leaders/Senior teachers/Executive teachers
- Heads of faculty/Heads of department/Subject coordinators
- Curriculum leaders/Heads of curriculum/Directors of teaching and learning
- Deputy principals – Curriculum
- Teaching Principals
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Q4. How many teachers can be involved in the first round of the Professional Learning Flagship Program: Leading Curriculum Change?
The Professional Learning Flagship Program: Leading Curriculum Change commenced in September 2011 and there are currently over 1900 Australian teachers from every phase of schooling, every sector and every jurisdiction in the program registered in the program. A further 2000 places will be offered to Australian teachers with formal or informal responsibility for curriculum leadership in schools in 2012.
Q5. What is the financial cost of the Professional Learning Flagship Program: Leading Curriculum Change to schools or teachers?
In the Professional Learning Flagship Program: Leading Curriculum Change in 2012, participants can be involved without any direct cost to teachers or schools.
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Q6. How will AITSL support teachers and their schools involved in the Professional Learning Flagship Program: Leading Curriculum Change?
Teachers who opt to submit their work for assessment by The University of Queensland, will have the whole cost of the assessment stage subsidised by AITSL. This will be available until March 2013.
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Q7. How long does the Professional Learning Flagship Program: Leading Curriculum Change take?
The program is an online, facilitated, community of practice. The learning is self paced. Participants will determine the time they spend:
- completing modules
- participating in the Community of Practice
- developing a project plan
Through engagement in all three components of the community of practice, participants will develop a curriculum change project plan.
An estimated time commitment reflecting the level of participation required to receive an AITSL Certificate of Completion is approximately 50 hours.
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Q8. Who are the facilitators in the Professional Learning Flagship Program: Leading Curriculum Change?
The program is facilitated by employees of The University of Queensland with expertise in managing professional conversations in online communities of practice.
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Q9. How does the Professional Learning Flagship Program: Leading Curriculum Change link to the implementation of the Australian Curriculum?
Teachers who participate in this program will:
- identify and plan for opportunities for school improvement through curriculum change
- develop a deep understanding of the context and design of the Australian Curriculum
- plan for the implementation of the Australian Curriculum
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Q10. What is the accreditation and certification associated with the Professional Learning Flagship Program: Leading Curriculum Change?
Participants may have their learning acknowledged in three ways:
-
Professional Learning Flagship Program: Leading Curriculum Change Certificate of Completion (AITSL)
This will be available to those participants who:
- fully complete a minimum of nine modules
- actively engage in the other three modules
- submit a project plan for peer review which is assessed for quality and published within the program
-
Applying for credit towards postgraduate programs.
Participants, who successfully complete all the requirements of the Certificate of Completion and choose to submit specified additional assessment pieces (developed by the University of Queensland), can apply for credit to postgraduate studies in Education at The University of Queensland.
Participants may also choose to submit their assessment and/or accompanying portfolio of work from the program to other universities who will apply their own procedures for determining credit towards postgraduate award programs. Full details of credit pathways are available in the program.
Participants will be assessed according to criteria aligned to expectations for postgraduate coursework study.
-
Leading Curriculum Change: Transcript of Activities
A printable transcript is available to all participants, on request. It includes a progress report with a date stamp, estimated average time commitment for each component and can be used to validate participation in the program.
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Q11. Will my work in the Professional Learning Flagship Program: Leading Curriculum Change count towards my professional development requirements for renewal of registration?
AITSL is currently seeking endorsement, by the Teacher Registration Authority in each state and territory, of the Professional Learning Flagship Program: Leading Curriculum Change as a suitable professional learning/development activity under each state/territory's current teacher registration and renewal requirements. Regular updates will be available to participants in the program throughout 2012.
Currently endorsement has been received from regulatory authorities in Queensland and Tasmania. The process of receiving endorsement from New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory is underway.
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Q12. What is the Professional Learning Flagship Program: Leading Curriculum Change registration process?
The registration process involves two key steps:
- Securing a principal's/supervisor's endorsement demonstrated through the provision of contact details (name, phone and email)
- Agreeing to the terms and conditions outlined in the professional consent form.
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Q13. What does the Professional Learning Flagship Program: Leading Curriculum Change professional consent form cover?
Successful registration will involve each applicant agreeing to the terms and conditions outlined in a professional consent form. The consent form will outline program guidelines and protocols regarding professional behaviour, research and future use of program materials.
In summary, participants who sign the professional consent form will be agreeing that they:
- accept that all exchanges in the public areas of the community of practice, including all written contributions and project plans released for peer review, may be used in research associated with the evaluation of the program.
- understand that participant numbers and characteristics of participants engaging in all components of the program will be collected in order to evaluate and report on the program. No individual participant will be identified in the reporting of engagement in the program without first seeking an individual's consent to be identified in reporting and evaluation material.
- acknowledge that if AITSL and/or The University of Queensland (UQ) seek to use the above information beyond evaluation of the program (for example further research or promotion of the program), AITSL will seek separate permission from the individual participants concerned.
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Q14. Is there an evaluation of the Professional Learning Flagship Program: Leading Curriculum Change?
There are two evaluation strategies for the program. There will be both an internal program and an external project review of the Professional Learning Flagship Program: Leading Curriculum Change. The University of Sydney and Deakin University are heading the evaluations of the Professional Learning Flagship Program: Leading Curriculum Change.
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Q15. What is the Professional Learning Flagship Program: Leading Curriculum Change timeline for 2012?
| June 2012 |
Most participants who commenced the program in 2011 will have completed the certification level of the program. |
| January 2013 |
Most participants who commenced the program in 2012 will have completed the certification level of the program. |
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Q16. How do teachers join the Professional Learning Flagship Program: Leading Curriculum Change?
To participate in the Professional Learning Flagship Program: Leading Curriculum Change, all interested applicants are required to register at www.aitsl.edu.au/lcc.
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Q17. Who at a school level needs to approve of my involvement in the Professional Learning Flagship Program: Leading Curriculum Change?
Every participant who registers for the program will be required to provide the name and contact details of their current principal/supervisor. No applicant can successfully register without the endorsement of a principal or, in the case of curriculum officers, a direct supervisor.
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Q18. What does Professional Learning Flagship Program: Leading Curriculum Change 'principal's endorsement' mean?
The minimum requirement of an applicant to secure principal/supervisor endorsement should involve the applicant informing their principal/supervisor of their individual interest in the program and then seeking permission to include the principal/supervisor’s contact details in the registration form.
To maximise the potential benefit of an individual’s participation on the program, AITSL would recommend an applicant discuss with their principal/supervisor the ways an individual’s action plan may support the whole school or local communities’ curriculum change goals.
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Q19. What if my principal/supervisor does not wish to have their details included on my registration for the Professional Learning Flagship Program: Leading Curriculum Change?
If you are unable to have your registration supported by your principal or supervisor you will not be able to participate in the program.
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Q20. If I am a relief teacher, part-time teacher, contract teacher or specialist teacher can I still participate in the Professional Learning Flagship Program: Leading Curriculum Change?
As long as you are able to have a principal or supervisor auspice your involvement in the program, by providing their details in your registration form, you can participate in the program. Number of weekly teaching hours is not linked to program entry.
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Q21. What happens if I want to withdraw from the Professional Learning Flagship Program: Leading Curriculum Change?
Participation in the AITSL Professional Learning Flagship Program: Leading Curriculum Change is entirely voluntary and participants may withdraw from the program without notice or penalty at any time.
Once a participant registered, the participant must conduct themselves within the program in accordance with the professional protocols and guidelines developed to support learning in the program as outlined in a professional consent form.
Once registered, participants may leave and rejoin the program at any time.
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Q22. Why should I support teachers who wish to be involved in the Professional Learning Flagship Program: Leading Curriculum Change?
The Professional Learning Flagship Program: Leading Curriculum Change:
- enhances teachers' knowledge, skills and confidence to effectively lead curriculum change, particularly local implementation of the Australian Curriculum
- provides teachers with a unique opportunity to learn with teachers from across Australia in a national professional learning community
- is high-quality, evidence-based, interactive and online
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Q23. Can I register as a Principal?
The target audience for the Professional Learning Flagship Program: Leading Curriculum Change is classroom teachers with formal or informal responsibility for curriculum change leadership.
Where appropriate, teaching principals and curriculum officers who have direct responsibility for the implementation of curriculum change in their school may register as participants in the program.
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Q24. How many teachers from each school can register in the Professional Learning Flagship Program: Leading Curriculum Change?
The number of teachers from each school that can participate in the Professional Learning Flagship Program: Leading Curriculum Change is as many, or few, as the school principal is willing to endorse.
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Q25. What if I do not wish to have my details included on a registration for the Professional Learning Flagship Program: Leading Curriculum Change?
If you are unable to support a registration for the Professional Learning Flagship Program: Leading Curriculum Change, the intended participant will not be able to register in the program.
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Leading Curriculum Change Frequently Asked Questions - 84KB PDF
FURTHER INFORMATION
is available from the AITSL Brisbane Office
Ph: 07 3010 0111
Email: lcc@aitsl.edu.au
www.aitsl.edu.au
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