2009 South Australian Branch President's Dinner in October

SA President, Wendy Teasdale Smith FACE with Prof Geoff Masters FACE and his wife Helen Symeonakis FACE

Greg Carey (Chairman of the FACE Committee) with Fellowship recipients Helen Symeonakis, Prof Roger Harris and Mary Asikas

Using data to personalise learning - Précis by Dr Linda Vining FACE

School attainment is only loosely related to age, according to Professor Geoff Masters who was the guest speaker at the 2009 South Australian Branch President's Dinner in October. "The most important thing that teachers can do is understand each child's readiness for learning and how to meet individual needs."

"An effective teacher will personalise learning," said Prof Masters who is the CEO of Australian Council or Educational Research (ACER) and the 2009 College Medallist.  "To assess and monitor ability and progress at different stages, a teacher need credible data from testing. When teachers know the learning needs of each student they can teach explicitly."  

Drawing on recent research, Professor Masters identified seven qualities of effective teachers and showed how data can inform every aspect of classroom practice. He said that highly effective teachers:

1. Don't give up on students.
2. Realize that students can be at different levels in their development and readiness for learning.
3. Use an assessment tool to work out where each students is up to.
4. Maximises the engagement of students by teaching according to student needs.
5. Expect every student to make progress.
6. Assist parents to see and monitor a child's ability and progress.
7. Ensure that every child reaches a minimal standard of numeracy and literacy.