Learning Support Officers History

Rebecca Wheeler and her son Brendan

My son Brendan is 7 1/2yrs old and has Moebius Syndrome, which means he has a lack of facial expressions, poor muscle tone and hardly any speech.

When school time came, if it wasn’t for my son’s Learning Support Officer, life for him would have been very hard. Even though we treat him as a normal child at home, school life would have been a lot harder if he didn’t have a wonderful Learning Support Officer to assist him in the classroom to keep him up with all the other kids.

If he didn’t have a Learning Support Officer, I would have had to go to his school twice a day to help him, and that would mean giving up work.  Having the Learning Support Officer at school has given Brendan the chance to go to a mainstream school and have lots of fun and meet lots of people.

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Claire

Claire has been a long-term temporary Learning Support Officer employed by the Department of Education for 10 years. She feels like this year is her "final" year of school because the student she has supported since he was in Year Three is now in Year Twelve and will soon leave the school. Claire says she feels very uncertain about the future and does not know whether she will have work next year.

“I can only be employed where or if there is funding available, regardless of my hard work for past 10 years. I have no guarantee of work next year or what is to come.”

Claire asks that people support the Students Need Us campaign and says students are missing out on vital assistance with their schooling because of cuts to staffing hours.

“Our team of Learning Support Officers are often stretched to cover all the areas for a numerous amount of students in our school who need this vital support. No student should slip through the system because of the lack of consistency and assured support for their daily school needs. By supporting us you are supporting students who are entitled to equal opportunities.”

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Elizabeth Gawthorne 

Elizabeth Gawthorne has been a School Learning Support Officer at a local High School for the past ten years, working as a long-term temp.

She provides support and assistance to students who need extra help in the classroom, but although Elizabeth loves her job, she has no job security at all because she is a long-term temp.

Elizabeth has been asked back to the school every year but it’s tough because of the lack of job security, and not knowing at the end of the year if the school will have enough funding or enough students who need her help the following year.

Learning Support Officers are a fundamental part of schools and provide vital support to teachers, as well as helping students to reach their full potential and scholarship.

But there are many more Learning Support Officers in NSW, like Elizabeth, who do not have permanency, and their lack of job security means many students miss out on the extra support and help they need at school.

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Julia Collier and her son James

Julia Collier’s son James is six years old and has a global development delay, which means he has an intellectual disability and he also needs a wheelchair.

James attends a mainstream public school, which has a special unit for students with a moderate intellectual disability. He loves school and Julia says his Learning Support Officer and teachers do a wonderful job.

“He loves going to school and is so happy there. He gets along well with the other students and is learning important socialising skills with his Learning Support Officer as well as handwriting, numeracy and reading skills.”

James is able to communicate with his Learning Support Officer through sign language, and Julia says he is getting excellent support.

There are ten students in James’ class, and because of the support provided by Learning Support Officers, students like James enjoy school and are able to grow and reach their full potential.

Without Learning Support Officers, students like James wouldn’t get the support they need.

5 Great Ways To Promote Your Website

Website promotion can be a tricky obstacle for anyone who is new to this important process of marketing products, items, brands, etc. There is an infinite number of methods that can be used to efficiently promote any type of site on the internet. The following are just 5 ways of attracting attention to a brand, as well as obtaining targeted visitors:




1 – Social Media Marketing
One of the most effective methods used to promote anything online today, is through social media. Popular network sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and the newcomer Pinterest are excellent ways to direct traffic to any worthy website. The way this works is simple, and it uses the same idea of viral marketing: if something is funny, controversial, beauty and generally share-worthy then that is what people will do: share it. This could range from images or quotes, to stories and video clips. The source of entertainment can either be fully uploaded on these networking sites or a link to a website that displays the content. When a website link is shared by one person to people on their contact list, anyone else who shares it sends it to someone else who will potentially share it. This continues until the URL, image, video, news story, etc. have gone viral.

2 – Text and Graphic Adverts
Creating adverts through text and graphics is a great way to advertise anything. Some people react better with text and others through visual aids such as illustrations and posters. Placing banner ads on relevant websites is a method that has been used for many years because it works. Such adverts can also be published offline, on classifieds columns, newspaper advertisement spots and even broadcasted on the television during peak hours.

3 – Word of Mouth
One method that deserves more credit than it is given, is website promotion through word of mouth. If someone recommends a website to someone else, that person will most likely pay it a visit. The visitor can then decide any method they want to further market the site.

4 – Social Bookmarking
Social bookmarking a site is the method whereby a link with a story snippet is shared amongst individuals in the member’s contact list. Reddit, Stumbleupon, Digg, Delicious and Mister Wong are just a few examples of such services. Members can comment and further distribute bookmarks to other members for rating. The idea is to generally recommend URLs that provide news stories worth reading.

5 – Guest Blogging
Guest blogging is the method of promoting an URL by contributing content through publishers, specifically blogs, news sites and article directories. Blog posts should be of high quality that readers will find enlightening. That way, the author achieves some level of exposure and this encourages the link to be clicked on. The URL being promoted can be placed either on the body of the article or at the byline.

Twitter as a Social Media Tool- You Need to Check it Out

If you are a small business owner then you need to seriously consider adding Twitter to your social media strategy. With over 500 million active users and 1.6 million daily searches, Twitter is an important platform when you are trying to build your brand and attract customers. In fact, it is so easy to use that anyone can quickly create a username and bio and begin tweeting.

The New Facebook Time Line - Friend or Foe

So many people are disappointed when forced to take on the new Facebook time line. For me it was welcomed, I enjoyed putting my cover photograph up and nothing really changed that much. Though I know a lot of people haven’t embraced the change as well as I did.

How Facebook Graph Would Change The Way You Shop From Social Networking?

Let's count together the many conveniences of Facebook as a social networking website: you can rant about how bad your day was, you can share your photos of the exotic trip you had in Mauritius with your beloved, you can like updates of your friends and family, you can check in to fancy places and let people know you have been there, you can

What Students Do When They Are Suppose Be Studying

To study, the process of preparing for a test or practicum. Technically studying involves reading, reviewing note, reviewing lectures and generally rehearsing for an exam. However, as student or parent of a student knows. The studying process also includes a number of "extracurricular" activities that are necessary to prepare one spiritually for the exam process. Discover six steps kids actually do when they are suppose to be studying for tests.



Step 1 – Preparation Time
Before the studying process can actually begin it is necessary for the student to clear their mind of clutter. After all there is a finite amount of memory available in one's mind. The decluttering process begins with the disposal of all previous module information. If it is not on the test then it does not need to remain in your brain.

Step 2 – Distractions
The next step is to deal with any distractions that may impede the studying process. This means that students will need to watch the latest episode of their favorite teen drama, they will need to read the latest Tweets and Facebook messages and they will need to call friends to talk about any unfinished business from the school day.

Step 3 – Fuel Up!
With all of these distractions taken care of the next step is to fuel up for the studying experience. A quick snack or meal at the mall will ensure that there are enough calories available to sustain the student through an all night study session. Usually this meal will include sodas, cheese fries and a variety of other delicacies that can only be obtained from mall food vendors.

Step 4 – Nap Time
Once the student is back at home they are likely to feel exhausted by all of their pre-studying activities, so a nap is in order. They need to set their cell phone alarms so that they only sleep for an hour or two. As they slumber, the student energizes for the upcoming study session.

Step 5 – Texting Time!
When the alarm goes off, the student wakes from the nap refreshed and ready to get down to studying. However, there is still one last thing to do, notify everyone that the student is about to study. This requires the distribution of multiple text messages, phones calls and instant messages. Once all of these messages are disseminated it is time to get down to business.

Step 6 – Time to Sleep
It is now time to study. The student gets out his textbooks, notebooks, pens, pencils, markers, laptop, multimedia discs and logs onto the Internet for additional resources. As the student surveys his study environment he realizes that it is now 1:00 a.m. and far too late to study now. He’ll just do it in the morning before the test.

Parenting Styles: How Do You Talk To Your Children?

Here's how to tell what category of parenting style based upon psychologist Diana Baumrind's parenting styles your conversations with your child fall into:

• Indulgent Parenting

The indulgent, or permissive, parenting style is characterized by baby talk being used when normal conversation should take place between parent and child. You may be using indulgent parenting style if you find yourself referring to your own feelings as a reason for a child to behave in a certain way.
Permissive parents often talk a great deal more to their children than other parenting styles, but they make few demands on their children and usually do not reason with their children. When a child is asked to do something, the request is often not directly give, and if the child does not respond appropriately, discipline rarely occurs.
For example, in a situation in which a child is hurt because they disobeyed their parent by jumping on the bed:
Parent: “Oh no! What happened?”
Child: “I fell!”
Parent: “I wish you hadn’t done that! But don’t worry, come here, I’ll make it better.”
While these parents are very responsive to their children’s needs, they sometimes fail to teach them how to regulate their behavior or emotions. This often results in the child not having an accurate understanding of rules and consequences.
In some cases, children of completely permissive parents may be more like to engage in riskier behaviors as young adults as they are not accustomed to having standards and rules set for them. They may also have problems socializing due to frequently getting their way.

• Authoritarian Parenting

If you frequently employ the phrase “because I said so” or “it’s my way or the highway,” then you might be closer to an authoritarian style of parenting. Also known as strict parenting, there is little discussion or room for debate between parent and child. These parents are more likely to lecture than have a conversation, and more likely to employ punishment for discipline without discussing the infraction.
When taken to the extreme, authoritarian parents are likely to use harsh language to punish, demand, or coerce their child into compliance.
An authoritarian parent’s reaction in the same situation as above:
Parent: “Why are you crying?”
Child: “I fell!”
Parent: “That’s your fault then, isn’t it? I told you that would happen. Don’t do it again.”
They expect obedience without discussion or explanation, especially to rules and directions. Considered a restrictive, punitive parenting style, authoritarian parents expect much of their child without providing a great deal of support.
Children of authoritarian parents are generally model students, but have poor social standing due to an unwillingness to speak up and concern over their parents’ reactions.

• Authoritative Parenting

If you are the most likely to sit and reason with a child, especially in the case of discipline, then you are closer to an authoritative parent. This is a parent who will share personal stories of success and failure, offer options, and discuss alternatives, allowing the child to make choices (and possibly mistakes). If punishing a child, an authoritative parent is more likely to take the time to explain the rationale behind the reprimand.
Authoritative parents are engaged in their children’s lives, but leave room for their children to make mistakes so that they can learn and grow from those experiences. They will assist in the children in problem resolution, but encourage independent thought.
An example interaction:
Parent: “Uh-oh, what happened?”
Child: “I fell!”
Parent: “I’m sorry that happened. Why did you fall?
Child: “I was jumping on the bed.”
Parent: “That’s right. I told you not to jump on the bed because I was worried this might happen. Would you have fallen if you had listened?”
Child: “No.”
Parent: “I make the rules to keep you safe. So you should listen next time, ok?”
With this style of parenting, extensive conversations are normal, and parents try to be supportive of the children while encouraging them to stand on their own two feet.
According to Baumrind, this is the ideal style of parenting. It is a model used by many parenting and early education foundations, including RIE. The cognitive development of children seems to be enhanced by an authoritative environment. Children’s social development is also improved through this style as they have learned to regulate their emotions and to reason.

It’s not just the quantity of conversations you have your children, but also the quality of those discussion. The social and cognitive effects of how you talk to and raise your children can last their entire lifetime.

Why Making Time For Dinner As A Family Is A Must

Think you're too busy to have dinner together as a family? You should never be. No matter what else you have going on, nothing is more important than eating as a family. Everyone benefits when you do, especially your children. Why? Here are some important reasons to consider.



Relaxing and Unwinding Everyone in the family has a busy day and a packed schedule. Kids have school, activities, and homework. Parents have work and errands. You’re always on the go, and sometimes it’s hard to just sit down and take a break. The family dinner can be a time for everyone to slow down and eat without rushing or worrying about what has to be done next. It’s a time for everyone to come together and let nothing else get in the way – just eating and bonding.

Communication Family dinners improve the communication of everyone in the family. It’s particularly important for parents and kids. At dinner, they can talk about anything at all, from what’s going on at school to what’s bothering them, and you can listen and engage them in conversation. Especially as your kids get older, this small talk is so important. If you want your children to feel they can talk to you, it’s a good idea to practice every day while eating dinner together. This will help improve your children’s communication skills in general with everyone they talk to.

Eating Habits Eating dinner at the table is healthier for everyone, and families tend to eat meals that are better for them when they’re not on the run. A great thing that family dinner does is model good eating habits for your children. When you expose them to foods that you’re eating, rather than only preparing what they like, you’re opening their palates to new tastes. You’re also demonstrating how important it is to eat slowly and what correct portion sizes look like.

Table Manners When your children attend a fancy dinner, how do they act? Do they have good table manners? If you eat together as a family regularly they will. At family dinners you can teach them proper table manners, like keeping elbows off the table, asking for food to be passed, and not talking with their mouths full. When you have family dinners, your children will be much better-behaved when you eat out at restaurants or attend events for special occasions. The table manners they learn now will also carry over into their adulthood, so it’s important to start practicing at a young age.

A Look at the Statistics If you need further convincing, there are some solid numbers that are based off many scientific studies on family dinners. Kids who seldom eat family dinners are three times more likely to try marijuana, two-and-a-half times more likely to smoke cigarettes, and one-and-a-half times more likely to begin drinking alcohol in their teenage years. They’re also more likely to be overweight, and they’re more likely to have poorer grades in school.