Australian Juvenile Corrections Educators Association

NEWSLETTER Volume 2

Issue 2

August 2008

Kangan Batman TAFE - Vocational Placement Officer Melbourne Youth Justice Centre The following report is a showcase of a highly successful service offered by Kangan Batman TAFE to young males exiting the Melbourne Youth Justice Centre. Kangan Batman TAFE delivers education to all 7 correctional sites in the Melbourne metropolitan area. Our Parkville Campus is on site at the Department of Human Services Youth Justice Centre. KBT delivers education to young women 14 – 21 years both sentenced and remand at Parkville Youth Residential Centre, and we also deliver education to sentenced and remand male youth 15-21 at Melbourne Youth Justice Centre. Kangan Batman TAFE provides a Vocational Placement Officer at Melbourne Youth Justice Centre (MYJC) to assist and support sentenced male clients who are preparing for release into the community. The KBT Vocational Placement Officer assists with pre and post release educational and employment supports and placements. This can include links to job agencies, direct employment and connections to TAFE and other training providers throughout Victoria. The Vocational Placement Officer is also involved in the client service plan meetings (CSP). Clients are monitored in their vocational placement for a period of 3 months post release. A typical day for our Vocational placement officer could include meeting with a client and completing vocational and skills assessments, followed by networking and linkages to current available vocational options. Taking a client on vocational leaves in both metropolitan and country areas and assisting with pre vocational support including resume writing. Every year, our Vocational Placement Officer organizes a TAFE Careers and Employment Expo at MYJC. In 2008, Kangan Batman TAFE held its annual TAFE Careers and Employment EXPO on Friday 27th June, the last day of Term 2. The intention of the TAFE Careers and Employment EXPO is to provide information and interaction to the young men at MYJC about the variety of careers and employment available to them upon release into the community. There were 19 stall holders in attendance at our EXPO. These included City Wide, Incolink, Handbrake Turn, Djerriwarrah and Sarina Russo plus many other Employment, Education and Training service providers from across Victoria. The clients were encouraged to talk to all the stall holders. There were show bags, activities and a major prize for all clients who completed their questionnaire, which was based on information gained from talking to the stall holders. Kangan Batman TAFE teachers provided subject related activities such as The Longest Shave (Cabinet Making) and from General Education, vocabulary games, word finds, grammar activities and short comprehension exercises. In the afternoon there were 3 guest speakers from ORICA, General Motors Holden and a young self employed business man from NAMIS. The speakers engaged the boys with stories of their own lives and challenging career paths. The day was a huge success and the clients participated in all events. The Vocational Placement service offered at MYJC is supported and encouraged by both Kangan Batman TAFE and our host organisation the Department of Human Services. We believe that this service is a high priority, incredibly valuable and very successful. Yvonne Russell Assistant Manager Parkville Campus Kangan Batman TAFE

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BEHAVIOUR MANAGEMENT

Underpinning Philosophy Behaviour management requires an understanding of how the brain develops, the significance of the environment in which it develops and the impact of trauma. Teachers have a professional responsibility to make appropriate responses to emerging dysfunctional behaviours and dysfunctional emotions.

The Brain • • • • • • •

Stress is the driving force behind behaviour. Stress occurs when our sense of self is challenged, threatened or rejected. In a highly stressful environment the brain accesses behaviours connected to lower regions of the brain. Excessive stress in early childhood and puberty alters, retards and damages the brain’s development. Routines providing repeated cueing situations free up parts of the brain normally dealing with potential stress to be initiated and accessed for learning. In a calm environment all parts of the brain are accessible. Learning of abstract concepts occurs when there is access to the cerebral cortex.

Emerging Dysfunctional Behaviours •

• • • •

There are two discrete decades of a young person’s life where significant behaviours are learned. In both periods the first years of learning are awkward and clumsy. Behaviours involved in regulating emotions are stored in the limbic system in the first decade. Control of emotional responses using the frontal lobes is learned in the second decade. Behaviours are appropriate for the environment in which they are learned. Dysfunctionall behaviours in the classroom emerge from stress related to interpersonal relationships or exposure of a fragile sense of self.

Appropriate Teaching Responses Managing behaviour in the classroom involves: • understanding the importance of a predictable, stable learning environment; • understanding the effects of early childhood trauma on behaviour and emotions; • understanding dysfunctional behaviour and emotions learned in early childhood will emerge in stressful situations; • understanding students need to operate in a state of calm to learn; and • Being able to identify and respond to these dysfunctional behaviours and emotions.

Contact Marcia Vallance at Sunning Hill Education and Training Centre NSW for more information: [email protected]

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Anne Jackamarra, Aboriginal Education Officer at Banksia Hill Detention in Western Australia has had a dream of creating a second “Cultural meeting Place for guest speakers and an outdoor classroom. The space already has seating, a pond, bush medicine plants and other features created by juvenile detainees under Anne’s guidance. This photo features Anne Jackamarra and Evie Ferrier a well know mosaic artist working on the outdoor classroom and meeting place at Banksia Hill Education Centre. This project will feature a floor mosaic designed by Anne and Evie. The mosaic features the head and shoulders and hands of staff and detainees in a large circular mosaic. Later in the year the space will be covered to shade it from the sun and protect it from rain. The project is ongoing, sustainable project that and will have the input of education staff and detainees for a number of years. Suzanne Rose Principal Juvenile Education Services Community and Custodial Department of Corrective Services Phone: 93332502 Fax: 93332527 Mobile 0404075371

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ACTION comes to CAVAN This year the Secure Care Facility at Cavan in South Australia was chosen to make a DVD to raise awareness about juvenile detention. It was to be produced for a national audience with 8 to 16 year old youths as the target audience. This then had the potential to be screened on Australian television and other venues. The Film making Program with Professional Filmmakers from Tallstoreez Productionz was to take place within the Youth Education Centre elective program. There was to be a 5 week series of digital video workshops in full day sessions on Mondays and Fridays starting in June, 2008. The film was to be generated by the team of young men from the Facility. They had the choice of making a documentary or creating a fictional character. It had to be real, dealing with life in Cavan, what got them in there in the first place and all the issues related to being locked up. Our team of young would-be filmmakers chose to study filmmaking, unaware that they would actually be involved all aspects of the process, in which they would also star! The Hero Project was born! During the ensuing weeks the talented and highly organised filmmakers from Tallstoreez Productionz headed by Jennifer Lyons-Reid and Carl Kuddell, led the team of young men on an interesting, exciting and fun-filled journey. They soon learnt that they were fortunate to be working with professionals who wanted to tell their stories and the ideas flowed. Along the way they all learnt to make and organise props, storyboard, cartooning and shot lists along with acting. Camera skills were mastered using professional cameras, learning angles, movements, lighting and filming tricks. Stills photography and design were learnt. In sound, skills learnt covered field recording and the use of different sounds and microphones. Soundtrack Pro and Garageband along with live instruments were explored in the making of music. Finally the use of edit software on iMacs: Final Cut Pro, Live type was introduced to complete the project. Many thanks to the Federal Attorney General’s department who initiated this project. Without the generous support of many government departments and organisations this project would not have been possible. The launch of this film will be in November this year. If centres would like to get a copy (cost unknown) of the DVD of short films that constitute this program please contact Anni Cottle [email protected].

Page Page54 Health and Physical Education (HPE) at Ashley School. Students at Ashley School have been thoroughly enjoying their HPE lessons throughout 2008. Students are coming to lessons with a positive attitude and willingness to listen, learn and take part in numerous activities across the health and physical education curriculum. At Ashley School we aim for students to have learning experiences in the 5 dimensions of health, being (physical, emotional, social, mental, spiritual). We want students to see how they are inter- related so that they can make effective decisions regarding their health and wellbeing. At the moment each student participates in 1 theory lesson, 1 fitness session and 2 team sport sessions a week. During our theory lessons this year we have looked at topics that can have a major influence on a student’s wellbeing and overall development as young adults. The topics we have investigated have been. 1. What is a healthy body - focussing on nutrition and exercise for a healthy heart. 2. The effects of alcohol and harm minimisation strategies that could be used, such as creating warning labels for packaging of alcohol. 3. systems of the body (skeletal, digestive, nervous). 4. During the Olympic period we did research on a sport of choice, using PowerPoint and poster form to present our information. In team sports our ultimate goal is for students to be able to work successfully as a team and develop the skills required for each sport that we have cover. As a result students are becoming more team orientated, relationships are strengthened and their competitiveness and fundamental motor skills are improving. During fitness a program is in place for students to improve their muscular strength and endurance, core stability and overall fitness. There have been many highlights during my first year at Ashley School. In particular, is seeing the young students experiencing enjoyment and laughter during HPE and the great sportsmanship they show when participating in team sport events. We have been lucky enough to have some sports people come to Ashley School and take skill sessions with the students. We have had 2 players from the Launceston Tornadoes Basketball team and the students showed them great respect. We have had a Development Officer for Rugby Union come out and show the students how the game was played. Overall I have personally had a lot of enjoyment seeing each student develop their skills and seeing learning activities through to completion. This is a brief overview of the program at Ashley school, pls contact me at, [email protected] if you would like further information. Allan O’Sign HPE teacher, Ashley School.

Team sports at Ashley.

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Our Positive Behaviour Model at Ashley School Our behaviour model is based on our school’s behavioural expectations, widely known as ‘The Strong ARM of Ashley’ ATTITUDE “The Strong ARM of Ashley”

RESPECT MANNERS

The aim of “The Strong Arm of Ashley” is to promote an awareness in our students that certain personal qualities are needed to support behaviours that are socially acceptable, whilst developing skills that will better our students learning and vocational goals. These qualities are identified under the philosophy that attitude, respect and manners are practiced in a balanced way and are promoted through all that we do in our school. We reward students for behaving well rather than waiting for bad behaviour to occur. We do this through our "Good Things for Good Choices" theme. This is really about establishing a culture where students know that making good choices will be rewarded in their lives. It encompasses all our efforts to provide re-enforcement for positive behaviours at all levels and is dependent on staff to make this a part of our everyday language. These good choices rewards are recognised at the following levels: 1. Individual Level 2. Class level 3. Whole school level If you would like more information please drop us a line at [email protected].

Shane Stanton, Principal.

Page 7 TECHNOLOGY – ASHLEY SCHOOL

Hi all. Interest expressed in one of the technology challenges we run at Ashley School has made it worthwhile reporting on it again and hopefully give ideas and confidence to others that may want to run such a program. I’ve often said that I am a strong believer and advocate of technology within the classroom, and technology in the ‘old school’ sense. That is, manual skills exercising theoretical knowledge. It provides a chance to apply learning from a number of other curriculum areas that is highly integrated and allows students to use a combination of intellectual and practical skills. Whilst participating in our technology curriculum our students’ engage in a holistic approach to their education by using mathematical concepts (measuring, estimating, calculations), literacy skills (listening, recording, researching, telling) and social skills, (please and thank you, dealing better with anger and frustration, etc,.), and as we have experienced as teachers, each of these domains are in constant need for exercise. Examples of challenges held during technology has included: • newspaper structures. 10 sheets of newspaper and make a structure able to hold the heaviest load. Criteria set, e.g. minimum height, materials allowed, etc. The mathematical concepts exercised during this challenge are endless. Length, mass, estimations, angles, conversions, volume.

•

Mousetrap cars. Again, what sounds rather simple is rather a complex set of mathematical concepts, and the more talented the student; the more complex they are in their design.

Co2 Dragsters. The Daddy of all challenges. This is an in-depth unit which runs an entire school term. It requires good planning and encompasses the entire curriculum. The initial equipment needed, such as starter gates, wheels, balsa blanks and cartridges will cost approximately $700, but supplies enough equipment to make 30 plus cars. A snap shot of my unit plan follows, along with an example of the template and criteria students should follow. If you are an English teacher this unit will give you an excellent opportunity for your students to research, record and present. As a math teacher your students will explore many concepts and illustrate their understandings when measuring, converting, visualising, and drawing. As a technology teacher, well here you can show just how integrated technology is in any school curriculum, and how essential technology is for learners to make sense and see the value of knowledge. PLEASE NOTE THAT THE FOLLOWING IS A SNAPSHOT ONLY AND VARIATIONS HAVE BEEN MADE.

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Technology Curriculum Unit 1. Design, Make and Appraise. Title: Co2 Dragsters.

Technology Curriculum Co2 Dragster unit Week 1 ☺ Introduction to Program and Technology Workshop ☺ Design, Make and Appraise concept ☺ Introduction to design brief ☺ Discuss LSV and dragsters, compare attributes ☺ Introduction to challenge and materials used ☺ Video ☺ Rough sketches based on examples Week 2 ☺ Revisit design brief ☺ Refine sketches, bring to scale ☺ Individual assessments toward tool licence ☺ Theory assessment to receive licence ☺ Side & top view of dragster, to scale ☺ Revisit design brief, is the criteria met? Week 3 ☺ Theories explored, e.g. mass, drag, force, friction ☺ Revisit design brief, is criteria met? ☺ Transfer scaled drawing to model, check. ☺ Cut out using coping saw, tenor saw or scroll saw.

DO NOT RUSH; the end is in the beginning!

TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.

Co2 Dragster challenge.

Front axel 20 – 45 mm from front

Front axel minimum 25 mm

Front and rear axel displacement between 7 – 10 mm

Overall length not more than 280 mm and not less than 200 mm

MEASUREMENT LIMITATIONS. DESIGN BRIEF. THIS IS NOT TO SCALE. USE AS REFERENCE ONLY.

Rear axel 20 – 75 mm from back

Minimum rear height 50mm X 72 mm deep

Rear axel minimum 35 mm

Minimum width of fuselage 30 mm

Minimum thickness of power plant wall 5 mm

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Co2 Dragster Design Brief. The following list of measurements needs to be followed to ensure all vehicles are competing equally, and to also give consideration to the strength of your car and its ability to fit inside the starter’s gate. Where your car does not meet these criteria it will loose points towards its total score. The criteria underlined MUST be met for your vehicle to race. ☺ The length of the vehicle can not be more than 280 mm ☺ The length of the vehicle can not be less than 200 mm. ☺ The width of the front can not be less than 25 mm. ☺ The width of the rear can not be less than 35 mm. ☺ The front and rear axel displacement between 7 – 10 mm (from the base of the car.) ☺ The height at the rear can not be less than 50 mm. (without wheels) ☺ Rear axel from back between 20 – 75 mm ☺ Front axel from front between 20 – 45 mm ☺ The minimum height of 50 mm is for 72 mm from rear ☺ The fuselage wall thickness must be more than 5 mm ☺ Minimum width of the fuselage is 30 mm The only materials that can be used to make the car are balsa wood, 2 X 3.2 mm axels, 2 x eyelets and paint. For any information, or just to compare notes, contact me on [email protected]

Y.E.C. Magill Unit Four Technology Working in a team teaching situation and predominantly with the younger boys, we are fortunate that our classroom also encompasses a workshop. This allows a great deal of freedom and supports a partially integrated curriculum. The students in our care are generally product driven and often generous with the results of their labour, gifts for mothers, girlfriends and siblings. This regularly translates to motivated students willing to engage in manual skill development and possibly more importantly, thinking and problem solving. The opportunity exists to learn and use measurement, make various number calculations, develop vocabulary and use descriptive oral and written language skills, explore materials and their uses and the possible subsequent environmental impact. If you have been observant whilst using cutlery you may have noticed that on the back of silver cutlery there is stamped the letters EPNS which is the acronym for electroplated nickel silver. This particular cutlery lends itself to the production of other items such as key rings, wind chimes, bill folds and rings. In the case of rings, more decorative tea spoons make great examples. Our students annealed and shaped cutlery using circlip pliers, pliers a beck iron and wooden mallet. The students have access to an engraver and were able to individualise their pieces of work. Our students have also had the opportunity to make two projects in wood this term, the first a folding stool with a slatted seat. We were fortunate to find some Australian Oak (ex education dept. desk!) which will ensure the stool is robust and durable. Great pride was taken in the finished product. Our most recent project has been the construction of wooden boxes, the sides made from Jarrah and the top and bottom from Oregon, giving a beautiful contrast in colour and figure. The sides of the box are cut and disc sanded to length and then simply glue butt jointed. The real challenge lies in fitting the top and bottom inside this frame without gaps. Throughout this project we discussed various timbers and sources and counted growth rings, the boys generally surprised by the age of the timber. The finished boxes are stunning! Peter Brown and Jane Fuller