Newsletter
By Sarah Duggan
Published June 13, 2024
“They know what the expectations are everyday, they know the routines and structures, and so all of that extraneous challenge they have in a normal high school settings (is reduced)," award-winning educator Matt Hopkins says.
The WA educator leads an intensive ‘middle school initiative’ at Port School, which sees at-risk and struggling Year 8 and 9 students enveloped in a primary school model of education – one that leaves absolutely nothing to chance.
“Ultimately, we operate each of those classrooms like a really high functioning Year 6 (classroom), so high-impact instruction for every core class,” Hopkins tells EducationHQ.
“We have very high expectations of behaviour, attendance and participation – they’re the three key pillars of our behaviour policy, really.”
Safety in routines Whether they come straight from the juvenile justice system or from backgrounds marred by trauma or school refusal, and/or with a whole range of diagnoses including ADHD and autism, Hopkins says children who end up at Port School find safety in the highly structured routines and instruction that scaffold the entire classroom experience.
“We're basically a school that's trying to capture all the different places that kids are falling through education in the conventional systems,” the school leader says.
“We make the kids rule up their work, we make them stand up and clean their desks at the end of the day – between each class even – and trying to teach those really great ‘old school’ techniques that make the kids feel really safe and really secure.
“They know what their expectations are everyday, they know the routines and structures, and so all of that extraneous challenge they have in a normal high school settings (is reduced).”
Importantly, students are taught by just one teacher, mirroring the primary school experience where “wraparound support” is hard-baked into the learning experience.
Quality instruction breeds engagement
Back in 2016, Hopkins launched a highly successful ‘mobile classroom’ program for very disengaged boys run out of an old converted bus on campus. Many had extreme behavioural problems and some hadn’t attended school for a long time.
The experience was a total eye-opener, he indicates.
“What I noticed in that program was that the real win you had with the kids was not trying to engage them by playing lots of basketball with them or taking them out for Hungry Jacks, or things like that.
“It was actually when you gave them education at their level, and they started to learn again.
“Because they had super low literacy and numeracy, and they were in these high schools and just not coping, and obviously causing a ruckus because they didn't want anyone to know they actually couldn’t read, or whatever their circumstance was,” the educator reflects.
Spurred on by this success, and with the backing of his ‘amazing’ principal Barry Finch, Hopkins has since expanded the model and now oversees three classrooms where direct and explicit instruction reigns.
“There’s lots of high-impact instruction, lots of whiteboard and markers, lots of call and response, lots of choral recall – and then explicit direct instruction when we're teaching the (new) component of the lesson.
“We're engaging the kids cognitively, as often as we can, in every lesson,” Hopkins says.
For those students who have internalised the belief they’re simply no good at learning and simply ‘too hard to teach’, the program chips away at limiting self-doubt, building confidence as key concepts and skills are sequentially mastered.
“Once they start to have success with it, they start to feel good about themselves and they want to engage more,” Hopkins adds.
Righting learning outcomes
Most of the Year 8s start with the literacy and numeracy proficiency of a typical Grade 5 or 6 student. Some can sit even lower, Hopkins says, at about a Grade 2 level.
But student data suggests the program is boosting learning trajectories in the right direction.
“Typically, at the end of that first year, they've caught up by one year minimum, but sometimes two years … that's amazing, considering [where they’ve come from]," Hopkins says.
“We ground them, we get this good, intense bit of education into them, and then they start to grow and prosper from there.
“But yeah, we don't leave anything to chance or make things up, we test it all the way."
Nailing attendance benchmarks is an essential part of the whole set-up, and Hopkins is regularly speaking with parents and other support agencies to ensure each student can clock above 80 per cent attendance.
“We have kids who are coming in who, at their previous school, were attending 25 per cent, he says.
“These are kids who have had chronic lower attendance for their whole lives in some instances, so just getting up to that 80 per cent is a massive achievement for them.”
Students who enrol in the program know exactly what the expectations are, Hopkins reports.
“Those are going to be 'you have to participate in every single lesson, you have to have good attendance, and you have to behave in a really respectful manner'.
“I'm not expecting them to be cherubs, but there's just a respect that they need to le learn – and once you have that, you can really start to unpack all those other things that they have hanging off them … kids want to be good, you just have to keep showing them that good road to go down...”
A model for all schools
There could well be a place for similar initiatives in all mainstream secondary schools, Hopkins proposes.
“I’m a proponent of having a place like this in most educational models, it could be really advantageous in arresting some of that school refusal and disengagement that we have at the moment.”
Last year Hopkins picked up a NEiTA Foundation 2023 Excellence in Teaching Award for his pioneering work at Port School.
"I am a huge advocate for high impact instruction, and explict and direct instruction," he says.
"I just feel that it's an amazing way to engage kids. It can be hard to get off the ground with lots of teachers who have beliefs in their own way of teaching, but I think the evidence is pretty clear that this is a really great way [to ensure] kids are cognitively engaged all the time.
"They increase their capacity, not just only intellectually, but also their capacity to engage in school, generally. That's been a huge thing, too."
(Source: EducationHQ)
By Sarah Duggan
Published June 12, 2024
Students addicted to vapes are resorting to increasingly covert tactics to get their fix at school, while others are taking up smoking as the devices become harder to source, one expert has flagged.
The warning from behaviour change expert Timo Dietrich comes as the Government launches its new national $63.4 million anti-vaping and anti-smoking campaign that pushes young vapers to question ‘why are we still doing this?’
Deitrich is the founder of Blurred Minds, an academy that intends to shift students’ beliefs about alcohol, drugs, vaping and tobacco via targeted school workshops and online programs.
Having delivered around 200 anti-vaping sessions to students in the past year, the Associate Professor from Griffith University says the word from educators on the ground is that students have devised a raft of secretive means to conceal their vaping habit at school.
Others are wearing nicotine patches in class to get through the day, he suggests.
“What we’re definitely hearing and seeing is that there is that risk, that once you’re addicted to the nicotine component, then you basically don’t care how you administer the nicotine into your [bloodstream].
“[And] because schools have been very aware of the (vaping) issue, and they’ve been trying to crack down either with educational and/or punitive measures, students have also gotten more crafty at hiding the behaviour,” Dietrich says.
Despite vaping sensors in bathrooms and teachers on high alert, the expert says that anecdotally, many schools are still grappling with a huge vaping problem.
And unlike cigarette smoke that is relatively easy to detect, vape mist can be concealed by innocuously blowing into a shirt sleeve, school backpack, or by taking tiny inhalations at a time, Dietrich says.
“If you think about the (nicotine) pouches, they can be very potent and even more easy to hide when you can basically just place them in your mouth and still release a large quantity of nicotine …
“Or if you do use a vape … you just take a tiny [inhalation] as you move from location A to location B, or you even swallow repetitively, so that less smoke ultimately will come out.”
Reportedly one in 10 14-17 year-olds currently vape, representing a five-fold increase since 2019.
For 18-24-year-olds, vaping rates have quadrupled in the same period to 21 per cent, with smoking rates now on the rise for the first time in 25 years.
“Certainly we have heard the anecdotal evidence that there is a bit of dual use [by students],” Dietrich adds.
Griffith University research fellow Dr James Durl delivers Blurred Minds workshops in schools and says the demand is only increasing.
“Even before you set foot on the ground, you get this sense that either the issue is getting worse, or schools are waking up to the issue as it was, or a combination of both,” he says.
“But then when you get boots on the ground, there's a certain look the teachers will give you.
“You’ll ask them, ‘how’s the vaping situation at school? Have you noticed an issue?’ And they’ll turn and they’ll look at you with that knowing look, as if ‘you betcha’.
“They might dance around it, but they always end up saying yes…” he tells EducationHQ.
At the conclusion of the one-hour sessions with students, Durl says there’s often a wide-eyed bunch of educators waiting in the wings.
“They already knew there was an issue they needed to deal with, and now they feel like, ‘holy crap, this issue is bigger than we thought it was, and there’s a lot more to it than we ever considered’.”
Rather than highlighting vaping’s dangerous risks to health, the Government’s new anti-vaping campaign focuses on addictiveness, users’ loss of control and social isolation, with lines such as “it can be hard to resist its pull” seeking to hit the message home.
It will harness the reach of TikTok and other social media platforms to reach young people.
Health Minister Mark Butler says the Government has been “closing every one of the loopholes left by the former government’s failed vaping policies”, including closing the border to non-therapeutic vapes and introducing legislation to prevent their commercial possession, sale, supply and manufacture.
“In their entire nine years, the former government never mounted a public health campaign on vaping, nor a national population-wide campaign on smoking.
“Nicotine is highly addictive and before you know it, what starts as an occasional thing becomes something much more serious. But it’s never too late to quit,” Butler says.
The communications piece is a critical tool in the fight against the influence and carefully constructed narratives of Big Tabacco, Dietrich says.
“We’re trying to shift beliefs,” he says.
“When you think about the majority of content around vapes, that you see online and digitally … it shows us there’s more positive content out there, and therefore, the general belief system is skewed.
“There’s thinking that vapes are, for example, healthier than traditional tobacco smoking, or for some reason, maybe even something that is OK for young people to do, because there’s been a big push and promotion for many, many years around the globe, orchestrated by Big Tobacco, Big Vape, in order to shape these beliefs,” the expert says.
According to Dietrich, vaping education needs to go beyond a focus on health.
Students ought to be aware of the slick marketing tactics used by Big Tobacco to hook more young people onto their products, he says.
“We start [taking] that wider lens of media literacy, and [prompting them to consider] ‘how the kids are being manipulated? How is it being put in front of them so that they make a ‘yes’ choice instead of a different choice?’” he notes.
Durl welcomes the Government’s new campaign and the significant funding commitment behind it, but warns there is no one mechanism that we can rely on to solve society’s vaping problem.
“I do like the approach the Government’s taking … I do recall noticing a very heavy emphasis on common sense, which I do resonate with, but I think the younger generations, these guys know vapes are bad for them.
“So, there is a limit to how much that message will be effective…"
It pays to remember we’re dealing with a whole spectrum of vaping resilience, interest and addiction amongst young people, the researcher says.
“There are kids who have tried it, but don't continue to, there are kids who have tried it and are maybe using it a bit more of a time, there are kids that are falling asleep with a the vape in their hand and it’s their most prized thing, they can’t lose it,” he elaborates.
“This is one of those reasons why a combination of approaches is good.
“So, I’m not going to downplay the Government's efforts, I’m going to welcome those ads and say that’s another type of messaging – and even if they don’t prove successful for all kids, if there’s any kid out there that gets something out of those messages, then that’s $64 million well spent.”
(Source: EducationHQ)
CaSPA is pleased to announce that the awards for Meritorious Service and Excellence in Leadership have been finalised and will be presented to the recipients at the Conference in Perth. Congratulations to all nominees. These will be published in the next CaSPA Newsletter.
CaSPA is also delighted to announce the recipients of the 2024 Professional Learning Scholarship and Social Action funding.
Social Action: Emmanuel College, Victoria (Principal: Peter Morgan)
Professional Learning: Scholarship: Amanda Wilson (St Joseph’s Catholic High School, NSW)
Current School: Emmaus Catholic College, Kemps Creek
Previous Position: Head of School, 5-8, Santa Sophia Catholic College
First Year as a Principal: 2024
My big picture for my current school is: for all students to achieve their personal best, to actively seek and embrace challenge, be courageous, and exceed what they believe is possible, so they can be Christ-like in building a better world and serving others.
The Joy of becoming a Principal is: having an impact on staff, students and the wider community.
Favourite Book: The Happiest Refugee, Anh Do
Favourite Food: Anything Italian - Cannoli, Lasagne, Nutella
Interests/Hobbies: Bushwalking, Travel
My Favourite Well-Being Strategy: Bushwalking and Travel Do Not Disturb on my phone after 8.30pm
Advice for an Aspiring Leader: Have good mentors that will encourage you and be honest with you.
Favourite Leadership Quote: “The essence of leadership is relationship: influencing people to achieve things together that can’t be achieved alone.” Leonard Sweet
What Title would you give to our TED Talk or Book: Finding joy in ordinary things - gratitude and acceptance.
Name: Kylie McCullah
Current School: Loreto College, Marryatville
Previous Position: Head of Academics (Deputy Headmistress) St Catherine’s School, Sydney
First Year as a Principal: 2024
My big picture for my current school is: Continue to give our students the confidence, intellect, skills and ability to be tomorrow’s trailblazers, innovators and leaders. Young people who can amplify their voice for positive change and good.
The Joy of becoming a Principal is: The variety that each day brings. The gift of working with a team of staff to create an environment where young people thrive.
Favourite Book: The dictionary of lost words
Favourite Food: Figs
Interests / Hobbies: Attending theatre performances
My Favourite Well-Being Strategy: Going for long walks
Advice for an Aspiring Leader: Be kind on yourself
Favourite Leadership Quote: People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. Maya Angela
What Title would you give to your TED Talk or Book: Balance Not Burnout
- The Conference committee has been finalising the details and program for the CaSPA Perth Conference in July. The CaSPA Board has expressed its sincere gratitude to all the Western Australian Principals and Committee Members for their amazing work over the year.
- CaSPA has been involved with the AMA and other Associations to support the proposed legislation to ban vaping in Australia
- CaSPA is delighted to have the Notre dame University sponsor the Awards Dinner at the Conference.
- CaSPA met with NCEC, ACPPA and CSPA online as a part of the Catholic Education Stakeholders Forum (CESF) recently. Ther were a number of issues discussed in relation to the new funding agreement processes and the 2025 Federal election.
- CaSPA continues to investigate ways that it can continue to collaborate with ACPPA – recently ACPPA President and Executive Officer have been invited to attend the CaSPA Combined Meeting in Perth.
- Dr Stephen Kennaugh attended the Quarterly Meeting with Federal Department of Education Chair: Meg Brighton Updates included: Recent Education Ministers Meeting 26/4/24 in Perth; National Teacher Workforce Action Plan; Mobile Phones / Vaping; Initial Teacher Education Board Quality Assurance; Higher Education – improvements to governance; HECS Debt Relief; Supporting paid practicum placement for Teachers / Nurses to be up and running from 1 July 2025 $300 + a week; Wellbeing of Principals and School Leaders presentation to Education Ministers.
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Catholic Secondary Principals Australia (CaSPA) National Conference, from 14-16 July 2024 at Crown, Perth.
This year’s conference will be hosted by CSPA WA and provides an opportunity to reconnect, reimagine and dream the future of Catholic education together as we meet in Boorloo, Perth, our capital city.
We acknowledge the Whadjuk people, the Traditional Custodians of this Land where we will hold the conference - people who have loved and cared for this Land for thousands of years. It is the perfect location for this gathering and conversations around the future.
The journey to shaping the future of Catholic education is ongoing. Grounded in our faith, the conference will provide further opportunities to examine innovation, imagination, and collaboration. Together, we will delve into visionary ideas and innovative strategies that will shape the future of Catholic education, ensuring it remains an educational platform of hope and strength for generations to come.
The two-day program will include three keynote speakers, student panels, sessional presentations and workshops. Themes will range from innovation and adaption, inclusivity and diversity, faith integration and community engagement. You will have a choice of school visits where you will be hosted by the Principal and have a chance to see Catholic education at work in Western Australia.
School Visits - register here: Catholic Secondary Principals Association 2024 Conference (eventsair.com)
Be a local - click here to explore: Catholic Secondary Principals Association 2024 Conference (eventsair.com)
Student Panel – find out more: Catholic Secondary Principals Association 2024 Conference (eventsair.com)
Being engaged in thought-provoking discussions and sharing the experience, expertise, and perspectives within this collegial environment and the beautiful surrounds of Perth, is sure to be a rich learning experience. Let us continue to dream boldly, envisioning a future where Catholic education continues to in still true Gospel values and inspiration and purpose in the hearts and minds of our students.
We invite you to Boorloo, to dream the future of Catholic education, in this journey of connection and discovery.
John Bormolini
Chairperson
National Conference Organising Committee
Unity Painting
by Dr Miriam-Rose Ungunmerr Baumann
CaSPA is delighted to share that we've received a specially commissioned painting from Dr. Miriam-Rose Ungunmerr Baumann, who resides in the serene Daly River region of the Northern Territory.
Through an online survey in December 2023, Atomi consulted teachers from all corners of Australia, spanning Government, Independent, and Catholic schools. The report explores how teachers respond to the rise of technology in the classroom, providing a snapshot of the challenges and opportunities edtech presents and offering insights into the future for schools, teachers and students.
Download your free '2024 Tech in Schools' report and explore :
- How 74% of educators believe that technology enhances the learning experience, yet only 29% think their school provides adequate edtech training
- Why 60% of respondents believe the use of AI will significantly change teaching methodologies
- Plus many more insights and trends for your 2024 planning
CTA: Download The Report
- CaSPA Board met via Zoom on 20 June to determine the Award winners for 2024 and discuss the ACU Principal Wellbeing report with the Professors from the ACU.
- Dr Stephen Kennaugh (CaSPA President) attended the Round Table with Minister Clare and the other National Peak Principal Associations to discuss the Principal Wellbeing Report and the emerging issues for Principals and Schools.
- Faith Formation Partnerships with Notre Dame University: NDU to conduct a survey of Faith Formation programs around Australia with the possibility of NDU providing Faith Formation programs for Leaders, Teachers and Diocesan Offices.
- Dr Stephen Kennaugh met with the other national Principal Associations to prepare a common message for the Round Table with Minister Clare.
- 2024 CaSPA Conference registrations have continued to increase.
- CaSPA Board received a detailed update for the Perth Conference from the Conference Committee. The full program will be published soon.
- CaSPA Board has been planning the Combined Meeting with the 8 National Catholic Secondary Principal Associations. The meeting of the Associations will be held on Sunday 14 July just prior to the Conference commencing.
- Update of comparative data from ACU regarding the 2023 Principal Wellbeing Report. The presentation compared CaSPA Data with the data for all school leaders in Australia. Top 4 concerns for CaSPA Principals were: Sheer Quantity of work, Staff Wellbeing, Teacher shortage and Student wellbeing.
Profiles of all the CaSPA Board are available on the CaSPA Website: https://caspa.schoolzineplus.com/current-and-past-board-members
Dear Colleagues
Despite the challenges that we all face I trust that Term 2 is finishing well for you all. For those that are coming to the CaSPA Conference in Perth I look forward to seeing you and enjoying the learning, collegiality, discussion and down time. CaSPA’s mission to provide opportunity for Unity, Voice and Service has been evident in many ways throughout the past month and will culminate in the Conference experience.
We have been very active recently advocating across numerous platforms with a variety of stakeholders. Every National Principal organisation across Australia has been invited by Minister Clare to a Round Table to discuss Principal Wellbeing and school funding. An outline of the many areas of advocacy CaSPA representatives have been active in are listed below. We are being consulted by more organisations than ever and we relish this opportunity to influence the educational agenda and outcomes for staff and students.
- Faith Formation Partnerships with Notre Dame University: NDU to conduct a survey of Faith Formation programs around Australia with the possibility of NDU providing Faith Formation programs for Leaders, Teachers and Diocesan Offices.
- CaSPA Board met with representatives of the National Catholic Education Commission on the Numeracy resources that are available through OCRE Education and the planned 2024 Year 12 Exit Survey while at our Canberra Meeting.
- CaSPA received an invitation to attend the APPA Conference in New Zealand. CaSPA appreciated the invitation and will be sending a representative.
- CaSPA has distributed the ACU Australian Principal Occupational Health, Safety and Wellbeing Survey Report to the States and Territories. CaSPA will be meeting with the ACU Researchers in June to discuss the findings further.
- CaSPA have also met with ACU to discuss the outcome of research we have commissioned on Women in Leadership.
- CaSPA Board met with Meg Brighton (Deputy Secretary Schools – Department for Education) to discuss National School Reform Agreement, Teacher Shortages and ITE.
- CaSPA Board was represented by Dr Stephen Kennaugh and Darren Atkinson at the AITSL consultations related to ITE and NTWD.
- CaSPA Board met with Ed Simons (Executive Director MACS), Angela Pollock & Sandra Milligan (University of Melbourne / New Metrics), Edmund Misson (Acting AITSL CEO) at our Melbourne meeting in May.
- CaSPA Board will be meeting with CAP and SchoolTV soon to discuss the next focus of the next edition of Broadcast.
- CaSPA and Athas Concepts have finalised the CaSPA Data Project for 2024 and has summarised the data gathered from 2019 - 2024.
- CaSPA has been in discussions with the AMA to support the Anti Vaping lobby which held a Press Conference in May in Canberra. It has cross sectoral support.
- Dr Stephen Kennaugh attended the Quarterly Meeting with Federal Department of Education Chair: Meg Brighton Updates included: Recent Education Ministers Meeting 26/4/24 in Perth; National Teacher Workforce Action Plan; Mobile Phones / Vaping; Initial Teacher Education; Board Quality Assurance; Higher Education – improvements to governance; HECS Debt Relief; Supporting paid practicum placement for Teachers / Nurses to be up and running from 1 July 2025 $300 + a week; Wellbeing of Principals and School Leaders presentation to Education Ministers. We expressed our disappointment that the Catholic sector had no representation at this meeting with Education Ministers
- Dr Stephen Kennaugh and Phil Lewis attended the ACARA Peak Principal’s Briefing last week with a focus on NAPLAN and the challenges regarding schools receiving their data in a timely fashion as well as possible improvements. We were introduced to Stephen Gniel (Acting CEO).
- Dr Stephen Kennaugh met with Daniel Pinchas and Judith Page from AITSL to discuss the Accreditation of initial teacher education programs in Australia: Standards and Procedures (Standards and Procedures). It was a general discussion surrounding what is working in schools across the country as well as what can be explored.
- We are looking forward to joining Diocesan Education Directors, RI MPJP authority representatives, Catholic Primary representatives and parent representatives for an update on the National School Reform Agreement and other funding matters from Jacinta Collins (NCEC Exec Director) on July 2 in Melbourne.
- We are also looking forward to attending the Catholic Education Leaders Forum in Canberra from Tuesday 10 September to Thursday 12 September hosted by NCEC.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Phil Lewis, our Executive Officer, for the tireless work that he has undertaken across the many years he has been involved with CaSPA. Phil has served as a Director, President and for the past 5 years as the Executive Officer of CaSPA. His loyalty, enthusiasm and commitment to raising the profile of Catholic Education is such a blessing and both the Board and the wider Catholic Education sector wish him the best in his retirement at the end of July.
If you are not travelling to Perth have a wonderful break and a positive start to Term 3. If you are attending the Conference in Perth I look forward to catching up with you there.
Dr Stephen Kennaugh
CaSPA President
Dr Steve Kennaugh (CaSPA President) and Peter Cutrona (ACPPA President) with Minister Jason Clare at the National Peak Principal Associations Round Table meeting in Sydney. CaSPA appreciates the Minister's initiative to listen to the voice of Principals.
The AMA has joined 11 of the country’s leading education and school parent groups to call on Senators to pass the federal government’s vaping reforms.
On Friday 24 May, The AMA has joined 11 of the country’s leading education and school parent groups to call on Senators to pass the federal government’s vaping reforms. Details AMA President Professor Steve Robson; Australian Education Union President Correna Haythorpe; Australian Council of State School Organisations President Damien Elwood; Australian Parents Council President Jenny Branc; and Catholic School Parents Australia spokeswoman Sarah Rose will call on all Senators to support the federal government’s vaping reforms. The AMA has joined 11 leading education and school parent groups in a letter to all MPs and Senators, urging action on vaping reform to protect the health and learning of Australian children.
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by Brett Henebery 07 May 2024
In November 2023, while the world was still coming to terms with the mind-bending abilities of GPT-4, OpenAI dropped another bombshell, announcing that users could now train their very own GPTs with their own data.
This was big news for anyone who with even elementary knowledge on how Large Language Models (LLM) like GPT-4 worked because it now meant that they could tailor this powerful and versatile AI to their own needs. In this way, this ‘digital assistant’ now had a brain of the user’s own making.
Wary of its potential for misuse, many schools began blocking the use of Generative AI from their classrooms, but Lindisfarne Anglican Grammar School in NSW was one of the few to embrace this technology, seeing a big opportunity to make life easier for its 200 staff.
‘AI can do more than we would have ever imagined’
Kane Bradford, Head of Professional Practice, Innovation and Partnerships and the lead for AI-related initiatives at Lindisfarne, said teachers returned from the Christmas break in January 2023 to news about game-changing developments in AI's capability and accessibility.
“Some 15 months later, the growth has been profound; we are no longer just talking about LLMs that can write an essay for you – AI can do more than we would have ever imagined,” Bradford told The Educator.
“The impact on schools has been unprecedented, prompting institutions including Lindisfarne to rethink how technology is integrated into the classroom.”
Indeed, the school’s proactive approach to tech integration has garnered significant recognition, most recently seen with the school winning 'Best Use of Technology' at the 2023 Australian Education Awards.
“This accolade reflects our consistent efforts to stay ahead of the curve. In addition, we've been listed among the most Innovative Schools by The Educator Magazine for three consecutive years, a testament to our dedication to pioneering new educational strategies,” Bradford said.
“Our approach to AI is rooted in enhancing the learning experience. We see generative AI as a tool that can transform education, enabling personalised learning and creating more interactive classroom environments.”
Understanding potential benefits and risks
To ensure ethical and safe use around AI, the school established comprehensive policies to guide the integration of AI into teaching and learning and emphasise safety and the importance of teaching students to critically assess AI-generated content.
“The policy includes comprehensive guidance for educators and students, ensuring everyone understands the potential benefits and risks associated with AI tools,” Bradford said.
“By focusing on ethical considerations and promoting responsible practices, we aim to create a learning environment where AI serves as an effective tool for enhancing education without compromising our core values of integrity and respect for human creativity.”
Bradford said the Lindisfarne.ai platform is “an Australian first”.
“This platform operates with all the core functionality one would see on ChatGPT4, but it is Lindisfarne branded and has stronger custom guardrails in place; a higher level of security, safety and integrity has been applied to its back end,” he said.
“Lindisfarne.ai is currently only available to staff, supporting integration of AI into mostly administrative and planning aspects of our teaching and learning program.”
Through this initiative, the school’s students have benefitted from greater personalisation of learning, better meeting their unique needs.
“We have begun to prioritise educating all members of our school community about responsible AI use, with training sessions that emphasise critical thinking and caution when working with AI-generated content,” Bradford said.
“This ensures our students, and the community, can use these tools effectively while understanding their limitations and risks.”
Students playing active role in school’s tech trajectory
A critical component of Lindisfarne's AI strategy is the Tech Innovators Forum, created earlier this year as a student-led group that now regularly meets each term.
The forum provides students with a platform to explore AI applications, share ideas, and collaborate on innovative projects. Principal Stuart Marquardt says the forum “fosters a culture of curiosity and creativity, empowering students to take an active role in shaping the future of technology in education.”
"By embracing AI and fostering a spirit of innovation, we aim to equip our students with the skills they need to thrive in a rapidly evolving world,” Marquardt told The Educator.
"Our commitment is not just about adopting technology, but ensuring it serves educational excellence and prepares our students for the challenges ahead."
Marquardt said that as AI continues to transform the educational landscape, Lindisfarne “remains at the forefront” of this change.
“Through thoughtful integration, a strong focus on ethics, and a commitment to innovation, we are paving the way for a new era of teaching and learning,” Marquardt said.
“By embracing these technologies responsibly, we aim to create a dynamic environment where students can flourish and lead in the future.”
‘Students were initially cautious’
Ella McCluskey, a Year 11 student at Lindisfarne, is a member of the Tech Innovators Forum. She recalled the moment when Lindisfarne.ai was first put before the forum for consideration, saying there was a widespread consensus that students need to become familiar with how to use this technology appropriately before they are given the freedom to use it.
“After insightful discussion and input from students within the school, it was agreed that AI such as ChatGPT, and primarily Lindisfarne’s inspired version, ‘Lindisfarne GPT’ should be welcomed due to the exciting benefits they can provide students, to improve and optimise their learning,” she said.
“Rather than limiting usage, Lindisfarne, specifically the Tech Innovators Forum, hopes to encourage the use of AI in all aspects of learning, and teach students new ways of using the technology that won't pose a threat to the originality of their work or their creative thinking skills.”
McCluskey said moving forward, it is crucial that students are first taught how to appropriately use this technology in innovative ways, to minimise any risk of jeopardising the integrity of their work.
‘AI is like having an expert teacher in the room’
Scott Mellis, Director of Digital and Emerging Technologies said Lindisfarne has been “very proactive in exploring the potential for AI in education.”
“Student-led forums discussing how AI can be implemented within the curriculum have been a wonderful place to openly discuss everyone's excitement and concerns,” Mellis told The Educator.
“As a teacher who is working with students who are coding AI has been an amazing support. It's like having a tech expert in the room who can debug very quickly and provide you with a better version of the code.”
Mellis said discussions around how to acknowledge the use of AI are “ongoing and it's a fast-moving space.”
“Policies and procedures, the school have in place I think give everyone flexibility for teaching and learning with AI. Now part of the equation,” he said. “AI provides a more academic way to research topic than Googling”.
(Source: The Educator)