Australian Federation of Societies for Studies of Society and Environment
Professional associations help implement
Discovering Democracy materials
January 1999
Name of organisation: History Teachers' Association of Australia
Contact person: Jo-Anne Cameron, Peter Price
Check out the AFSSSE website to find information on the national history conference held in Adelaide in September 1998. Watch for workshops and student seminars in 1999.
Name of association: Business Educators’ Association Australasia
Contact person: Christine Reid
BEA will review the Discovering Democracy materials and highlight the specific elements relating to Business Education. This will be placed on the AFSSSE web site in Semester 1 1999.
Name of association: NSW History Teachers' Association
Contact person: Kate Cameron
Proposal includes: Production of a NSW specific user guide to the Discovering Democracy printed materials and CD-ROM. This would be disseminated through:
- NSW HTA Journal
- NSW GTA Journal
- NSAW DET newsletter Curriculum Matters
- HTA Home Page
- AFSSSE website
Production of sample programs incorporating Discovering Democracy materials into new NSW syllabuses: History 7-10, Geography 7-10, HSIE K-6. These would be disseminated through the appropriate subject networks, publications and websites.
Presentations at HTA, GTA and HSIE K-6 Council professional development conferences from
- Teachers who have trailed Discovering Democracy materials
- Presenters with programming approaches and teaching strategies appropriate for NSW syllabuses.
Name of organisation: Australian Geography Teachers' Association
Contact person: David Butler
All the AGTA affiliates will contribute to the production of six case studies. Some will document professional development activities; others will document the teaching of specific Discovering Democracy units from a geography perspective.
Name of organisation: SOSE Association, Tasmania
Contact person: Lesley French and Nigel Brown
Tasmanian teachers will soon have access to a Guide for using the CD-ROM material, Discovering Democracy. Case studies will also be placed on the AFSSSE website with stories showcasing the best practice from two schools.
The Table Cape Primary school primary has been examining the role of students, parents, teachers and other staff in determining the shared values of the school community.
Name of organisation: SA SOSE Consortium
Contact person: Mark Blencowe
SASOSE will work with 6 project schools to develop 6 short papers (up to 1000 words) on how each school has (is) adapted a particular Discovering Democracy unit for use in their school. There will be 3 primary and 3 secondary units.
The papers will be made available to teachers through SASOSE training and professional development civics and citizenship education workshops; SASOSE affiliates newsletters and the SASOSE and AFSSSE websites.
Name of organisation: SEANT (Social Educators’ Association, Northern Territory)
Contact person: Ros McMillan
SEANT newsletters will contain Discovering Democracy news. Any resource packs developed to complement the Discovering Democracy materials will be shared.
Name of organisation: Queensland SOSE Consortium
Contact person: Cheryl Sim
The QHTA (a member of QSOSE) included sessions on Discovering Democracy at their SOSE Conference held in December. The Discovering Democracy Project Officer for the Qld Intersystemic Committee, Murray Campbell presented two introductory workshops for the Queensland History Teachers’ Association to provide an overview of the Discovering Democracy project, familiarise teachers with the school materials and with the Queensland professional development program. Teachers had an opportunity to view some of the video materials, see the CD-ROMs in action and participate in some of the unit activities. Murray can be contacted on murray.campbell@qed.qld.gov.au
QSOSE will be organising workshops on using the CD-ROMs for Discovering Democracy in February/March. Watch for dates and venues.
Name of organisation: ACT SOSE Professional Associations
Contact person: Julia Ryan
SOSE Summer School: Getting SOSE Together for 1999
Wednesday 27 January 1999 University of Canberra
Discovering Democracy Workshops
Name of organisation: Social Education Association Australia
Contact person: Mike Fazio
Watch for news on the SEAA national conference in September 1999 to be held in Perth. Peter Leverenz is also planning some seminars in Adelaide in February on Discovering Democracy programs.
Name of organisation: WA Social Studies Association
Contact person: Ann Tumak
Look for news on professional development activities in Term 1. Venues: WA Constitutional Centre (Perth) and Francis Burt Law Centre (Freemantle).
Name of organisation: SOSE Subject Associations of Victoria
Contact person: Jeremy Loftus-Hill and Gayle Seddon
SOSE SAV will provide four case studies for the AFSSSE and SOSESAV websites. Two of these Discovering Democracy case studies will focus on primary and two on secondary implementation.
Also check out the state conferences or workshops of the associations making up SOSESAV to learn more about the Discovering Democracy materials. Information may also appear in this association's journals.
Name of organisation: Australian Association of Environmental Educators
Contact persons: Peter Dingle and Debbie Heck
Note the article on Discovering Democracy and environmental issues in the newsletter ‘Ozenews’.
Watch for a report on the international Environmental Conference, Sydney January 1999 – one theme ‘Educating for Environmental Citizenship.
Look for case studies developed by AAEE on the AFSSSE website in April 1999.
Anyone interested in writing an article with an environmental and Discovering Democracy message should contact Debbie Heck.