It’s a big world out there. We’ve had interest from schools in Bendigo, Colac and Warrnambool about our chess program.
Andrew Grimshaw, from Colac, used some of our resources and convinced his curriculum 'powers-to-be' to formally incorporate chess into their program. Andrew has a timetabled class called chess where students leave regular classes to participate. Well done, Andrew.
I noticed a comment on one of our blog entries (see below) from CJ telling us of a search engine, Technorati, to find other blogs throughout the world on similar topics. Thought CJ was one of our cluster teachers but on investigation found that not to be the case.
I checked it out and found 49 responses to ‘chess and pedagogy’. Try clicking on Technorati, type and your special interest, and see what other like-minded souls are talking about in cyber-space.
CJ also recommended I look at Artichokes blog….and what a fascinating experience that was! Artichoke (from New Zealand it appears) seems at the cutting edge of all things education and has plenty of views he has ‘put out there’.
On the local scene, tutoring started this week, and early feedback has been fantastic. I sense momentum is building. If you haven’t heard from us, expect a phone call shortly confirming dates and times for our tutors to visit.
And while we’re handing out boquets, special mention to Marg Lewis who, out of 25 emails, was the only person to notice the tutoring schedule ran into the school holidays. Thanks Marg. Marg is principal of Yapeen Primary School who, with 17 students, is one of the smallest schools in the state. Re-assuring such an eye for detail is in there batting for government education. Nice pic and story in last weeks Castlemaine Mail.
And CJ……whoever…wherever .. you are: thanks!
Steve Carroll
5 comments:
After teaching my first chess lessons at Taradale & Elphinstone, I was pleased by the enthusiasm of the children and the staff.
Hi Sam,
The Lesson at North Primary School went marvelously today. Caroline Usher is the class teacher. She filled in the Observation Schedule brilliantly. She could not have been nicer and more welcoming, and the school is committed to getting the most out of the program. I think Primary Schools are great places and the kids are really enthusiastic. The teachers attitude to the ‘Chess in Schools’ program was marvellous. It was a terrific. The maths component of the lesson involving; addition-subtraction, cancellation and regrouping went really well. Steve and I have completing revised the lesson plan on the model you suggested, and I took on board all your advice and applied it. I made the lessons simpler; more hands on, more visual, and teased out the student’s responses. We had them doing things (actively involved and experimenting) and the class teacher was so supportive and encouraging.
Chess Club meets at the Community House on this Sunday 7th May. Ron and Greg will be there and we will be discussing tutoring ideas and strategies, and build on the revised lesson plans.
Regards Harry
Dear Steven
I read the brief article in Education Times on the Castlemaine SC and Mt Alexander Cluster chess project and wondered whether you and/or colleagues might be interested (in between sleep and doing the day job) in contributing an article for Teacher* that covers the origin and development of the project, relation to VELS, implementation in classrooms and outcomes (eg in terms of what students say, what teachers say, student achievement).
Wordcount would be 1200 (a 2 page story in magazine format).
Deadline would be 15 May (with a teeny bit of leeway).
Pictures would be welcome, but not essential.
Images are published on the understanding that appropriate permissions by parents/guardians for representation of children have been procured in compliance with privacy legislation, prints by post or digital images by email (at high-resolution - 300dpi JPGs or TIFFs + actual size). Images of students' work are published on the understanding that those students' copyright permission has been obtained. Images will only be used once-off with the article for which they were supplied in good faith and, while they will be filed, will not be filed for publication with other articles unless appropriate permissions are obtained.
Look forward to hearing from you, at your leisure.
Cheers
Steve
Steve Holden
Publishing Manager – Journals
ACER Press
t. 03 9835 7466
f. 03 9835 7425
e. holden@acer.edu.au
w. www.acer.edu.au/teachermagazine
Postal: Private Bag 55 Camberwell
VIC 3124
Street: 347 Camberwell Rd
Camberwell
VIC 3124
*Teacher is Australia's only national monthly magazine of education for educators across all state, Catholic and independent schools - a popular read with the substance of an academic journal. Published by the Australian Council for Educational Research, Teacher provides comment by leading educators for leading educators. Its focus is to offer the latest on professional development; curriculum development; educational research; leadership and management issues including education law, marketing, HR and recruitment, funding and education policy; significant educators; school profiles; interviews; educational resources; opinion; and news.
If anyone has a quote or comment they want included in the above article for TEACHER Magazine post it in the comments section RIGHT HERE!
Cheers.
Super color scheme, I like it! Good job. Go on.
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