The Radford Institute
Director: Mr Peter Dodd
The Radford Institute will provide quality professional development for teachers from throughout Australia, especially in the area of what constitutes “great practice”. This will be achieved through organising and running seminars, conferences and targeted professional development. The Institute will also provide a pathway for teachers and other educators to influence the educational policy agenda through the publication/publicising of the results of research they undertake.
These two aims link through the development of high quality, research-led teaching: i.e. finding out what works in education, then developing what works and finally telling people about it.
The main focus of the Radford Institute will be running conferences, seminars and symposiums on important educational issues on what constitutes good teaching, what is good classroom practice and what does good educational leadership look like.
Over time, the aim is for the Institute to develop a strong focus on research, action research, peer sharing and work embedded learning. Collaboration (Partnerships/ Community of Practice) with the UC, ANU and ACU, is an expected outcome. This can be achieved by using the universities’ research expertise and Radford’s teachers and students to research, and then describe, great practice.
Canberra is an ideal location for such an Institute. The name Canberra, derived from a Ngunnawal word meaning 'meeting place', provides a context for the Institute to operate that is in parallel to the reasons Canberra became the site of the National Capital in the first place. Canberra is within easy access of all eastern states, and this will allow wide participation in events organised by the Institute. Situated next to the University of Canberra, Radford has relationships with many Educational, government and non-government organisations (such as UC, ANU, CIT, ACU, ACT DET, CEO, DEEWR, CSIRO, HICES, ACE, ACEL), with politicians and with leading public servants.
The Institute is therefore ideally positioned to act as a “think tank”, research institute and a centre for professional development that can have a genuine influence in the way education is developing in the Australian context.
Future Events
NEXT SEMINAR: Tuesday 15 November 2011
Presenter: Melinda Tankard Reist - writer, speaker, advocate
Topic: THE SEXUALISATION OF GIRLS IN POP CULTURE
– AND WHAT WE CAN DO ABOUT IT.
Venue: RA Young Hall, Radford College Junior School
Time: 5:30pm - 6:30pm
RSVP: Institute@radford.act.edu.au
If you would like to be added to our mailing list for notification of other events in 2011, please e-mail the Institute, Institute@radford.act.edu.au
Past Events
Thursday 8 September 2011 - The Young Person of the Future
Presented by
Thérèse Rein - Managing Director of Ingeus
Tuesday 24 May 2011 - Teenagers, Alcohol and Drugs
Presented by Paul Dillon – Drug and Alcohol Research Training Australia
9 March 2011 - Teacher Quality: What do the community and the profession expect?
Presented by Professor Denis Goodrum, Interim Chairman of the new ACT Teacher Quality Institute.
20 October 2010 - The Future of ACT School Education
Presented by Dr Jim Watterston, Chief Executive, ACT Department of Education & Training
18 August 2010 - Indigenous Education in Australia – a way forward
Presented by Phillip Heath, Principal of Radford College.
Videos now available :
Quicktime Files
Flash Files