Page 13 - Inspire Magazine

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WA Education Assistant
of the Year finalists
(1) Marie Walker, Beverley
District High School
(2) Susan Deane, Belridge
Secondary College
(3) Jacqui McNamara,
York District High School

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“Her philosophy was that you have to engineer
environments for the children to be able to operate
in. To say they can’t do something isn’t an option –
you have to think about how to make it happen. There is no slowing down for this passionate
“Art is a good example. We make frames educator who is now in her sixties.
with sauce bottles hung upside down with elastics She is in the midst of bringing in a
and fill them with coloured paint. A student just communication program for her students.
has to move their hand a little bit to get the bottles “I’m putting together pod books of images Every year, the Media
swinging – and they are painting!” for each child. They are learning to point at Education team at The West
Australian develops a range of
The Active Learning approach has brought different things in the book to communicate with high-quality, curriculum-linked
about many defining moments for Stephanie’s us,” she says. initiatives for WA schools
students. “We’re getting some amazing results. Instead including student and teacher
“A huge success we had was with one of our of having a behaviour explosion, the students can resources, media-related
students who had never sat out of his wheelchair. ask for something using their pods. The frustration competitions, practical ideas
He had a primitive reflex that he thrashed is taken out of the event for them – it is just for the classroom, and special
backwards all the time. That’s all he could do, wonderful. offers for teachers. In addition,
all the time,” she says. “I was here for the 25th anniversary of this discover innovative ideas to
“We taught him to sit upright on the floor – school and we had a party. In five years’ time it support the development of
from that point his life changed. He had a whole will be the school’s 50th anniversary. media-literate students and
new world. “I would love to be here for that anniversary teachers, linked to the WA
“Whenever I get caught up worrying about and for all our dreams for these pod books to be Curriculum: Media Arts.
the little things – feeling like not much progress realised. I hope they are fully embedded in the www.education.thewest.com.au
is being made – I think back and say no, keep school by then.
going, things will happen. It’s our failure if we “I hope that students take our pod books with
stop trying.” them when they leave school and use them to help
It’s this outstanding will to improve the them become active members of the community.
lives of students that has seen Stephanie named “That would be my greatest success – giving
WA Education Assistant of the Year at the WA the kids a voice.”
Education Awards.

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