Welcome to the February edition of TA Talk.
The start of Term I is a perfect opportunity to tell you about what’s new at ATA!
Our Giving Projects: We are very excited to have made our first contribution to our giving projects, and finally be able show you how your membership is helping provide education and good health to children all over the world.
Closed Captions: We have started to add captions to our video resources, to make them more accessible to people with hearing impairment. We have recently completed captioning our signature program, Effective Teacher Aide Practices for Schools (eTAPS).
User Guide to ATA Professional Learning: We have compiled the most frequently asked questions asked by members into a user guide, to help you get the most benefit from ATA professional learning.
We also launched the month with our first live web event, Using Peer Review for Performance Development and Planning. Ben Pollard, from Beaudesert State High School in Queensland. Many of our participants said they were keen to introduce this to their school teams. If you missed it, the recording is available to members in our Professional Development library.
We are delighted to welcome team member, Claire Raip, back from maternity leave. Amongst other things, Claire is our video editing guru, and we value her return.
Lastly, if your school team is feeling a little rusty and you would like a refresher orientation to the ATA member portal, please get in touch.
Warm regards
Stella and Mandy
A request from a teacher aide to add captions to our videos motivated us to make our professional learning more accessible to people with a hearing disability.
This is a big undertaking, so we decided to begin with our signature program, Effective Teacher Aide Practices for Schools (eTAPS).
We are excited to announce that all of the eTAPS modules now have captions that can be turned on and off, using the CC (closed captions) symbol at the bottom of the video.
Our plan is to progressively add captions to all of our videos, and we will update our PD Planner to show which videos have this feature.
HAVE THERE BEEN STAFF CHANGES AT YOUR SCHOOL?
How long is it since you checked your membership details? We talk to schools every day, and one trend we have noticed this year is an increase in staff movement.
Are you still linked to the correct school? If not, use these instructions to request to link to your new school.
If you manage a membership on behalf of your school, is the staff list showing in the Business folder of your portal still current? Or do you need to remove staff?
Strategies to Support Students with Intellectual Disability
Tuesday 8th March 2022 @ 3:30 PM AEST
Students who are diagnosed with an intellectual disability often need extra assistance within the classroom so that they are able to complete a curriculum that is meaningful for them.
In this webinar, Jane Wenlock, a teacher at Kolbe Catholic College in Victoria, will explain how students with an intellectual disability are diagnosed, and how education professionals can work effectively with students who have an intellectual disability.
Using Peer Observation to Plan Professional Development
In this webinar, Ben Pollard from Beaudesert State High School looks at how to involve teacher aides in the planning of their own professional development through peer observation.
If you want to add more depth to your performance development process, this is a must watch!
We have compiled the most frequently asked questions asked by members, into a user guide.
The guide will assist members to access ATA professional learning, link to a school, approve staff, complete a CPD record, and more.
The instructions for each process are brief, however more detailed instructions can be accessed by clicking on the hyperlinked images.
Save the guide to your professional learning folder, so you can access the information when you need it.
CREATING A WORLD FULL OF GIVING
ATA has joined over 2500 businesses around the world on a mission to create a world full of giving.
When you become a member of ATA, or renew your membership, you are helping to bring education and good health to children in the world. How good does that make you feel?
As a Business for Good, we know that 100% of our contributions go to the projects we have chosen.
WHAT'S TRENDING ON THE ATA FACEBOOK PAGE
The non-teaching duties of a teacher aide - what's in the book?
18,590 views 334 reactions, comments and shares
Creepy crawly remover, snake monitor, swimming coach, overnight camper, mum hug replacement, resource shopper, event organiser, sports judge/timer, Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Coordinator, Playgroup coordinator, breakfast club coordinator, community liaison, green frog relocator ... and these are the non-teaching duties of just ONE of our Facebook followers! In addition to your most important education support role, it is clear, you go above and beyond!
Leaders in Professional Learning for Schools
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