Renowned nature photographer Steve Parish has partnered with Griffith University’s Professional Learning Hub to deliver photography courses to Queensland teachers.
Teaming with Dr Alison Sammel from the School of Education and Professional Studies the online courses would help improve teachers’ communication skills as well as enhancing personal and professional fulfillment.
The need for a multi-skilled, flexible workforce is growing. Communications skills for teachers and the wider community are essential to augment traditional skills, as well improve personal well-being.
Griffith’s Professional Learning Hub (PL Hub) is focused on improving the skills of those in the education sector throughout Queensland and Australia. The platform is delivering quality professional development across a range of focus areas including STEM, languages, leadership, behavioural management, well-being and action research.
The PL Hub provides micro-credentialing pathways in a lot of the professional development programs delivered that promotes a postgraduate pathway into Griffith University
Steve Parish is an award-winning Australian photographer who has been capturing images of Australia’s people, places, and wildlife for more than 50 yearsand has been awarded the Order of Australia medal for his services to publishing.
He is a champion of the protection of wildlife and the natural environment, and promoting the natural history of Australian ecosystems. During the last 50 years, the public has connected with Steve’s work in more than 2500 published books, including Steve Parish 50 Years Photographing Australia, Australia: Steve Parish the Journey, National Parks Our Australian Landscape and The Around Australia Guide.
Dr Sammel is an expert in the teaching and learning of science, environment and social justice education.
“Through Mr Parish, the content isfocusedon finding individual passion and connecting people through photography, regardless of skill level or equipment.The course has been designedso beginners with just an iPhone can engage just as readily as experts with expensive equipment,” Mr Noonan said.
“It also ties the PL Hub into providing opportunities for people in regional and remote locations that are usually only available for people in metro regions.”
Thecourse is user-pays with access to the six modules accompanied by downloadable e-books clients can keep. Classes will initially run for 6 weeks (1 module per week) andthe Mr Noonan isoptimistic additional course offerings will be rolled out.
Additional deliveries are expected to be relatively simple as the course website and content have been developed as part of the first delivery. The initial intake has a maximum of 200 users which is expected to sell out.
The course is presently running as a pilot program and if successful will be run two-three times per year over the next 12 – 24 months.
The PL Hub is also running a one day workshop on crisis management for senior school leaders. This project is timely and extremely relevant to schools with some of the risks that schools are faced with each day. Participants are provided with a number of fictional scenarios that they need to work which will explore best practice in crisis management within the education setting.