There will be a Trade Exhibition in association with this
professional development day, featuring a range of
products and services related to teaching.
Program
8.15 am – 8.45 am
Registration and refreshments
8.45 am
Welcome
9.00 – 10.00
Panel Session
The QHTA wishes to thank all sponsors of the QHTA
State Conference 2006
2006
Contesting
Histories – New
Opportunities?
Teaching Australian History – time for renewal?
Debating John Howard’s comments about the
teaching of History in Australia





Dr Brian Hoepper
Dr Deborah Henderson
Heather Sharp
Danielle McCarthy
Samantha Payne
10.15 – 11.15 Workshop A
11.15 – 11.45 Morning Tea
11.45 – 1.15 Workshop B
1.15 – 2.00
LUNCH and TRADE DISPLAY
2.00 – 3.30
Workshop C
3.30 pm
Wine and Cheese
Prize draw
QHTA
State Conference
For more details contact:
Sandra Kenman
Executive Officer
QHTA
Phone: 07 3254 3342
Fax: 07 3358 5881
PO Box 1029, New Farm QLD 4005
Email: qhta@qhta.com.au
www.qhta.com.au
24 June 2006
St Joseph’s College,
Gregory Terrace, Brisbane
Registration commences at 8.15 am
REGISTRATION FORM/TAX INVOICE
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Preferences
Sessions with low numbers may not proceed. Refunds will not be provided after 19 June when registrations close.
Email ____________________________
FIRST
Workshop A
10.15 – 11.15
Workshop B
11.45 – 1.15
Workshop C
2.00 – 3.30
SECOND
THIRD
I will be attending the wine and
cheese session Yes No
Payments received before 2 June
attract a 15% discount
Registration Fee including GST (please tick)
Institutional members may send two delegates at the member rate.
Member
$99
Cheques payable to Queensland History Teachers’ Assoc.
Members >200 km from Brisbane $66
Non members
$143
Students
$33
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Cardholder name _________________________________________Signature ________________________
Sessions with low numbers may not proceed. Confirmation of registration will be by email.
Subscription rate (including GST)
Jan-Dec 2006
Individual
$60
Institution
$145
Student/unwaged $30
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Cheques payable to Queensland History
Teachers’ Association
QHTA STATE CONFERENCE 2006
Contesting Histories – New Opportunities?
PANEL SESSION 9 am – 10 am Old College Hall
Panel: Dr Brian Hoepper, Dr Deborah Henderson, Heather Sharp, Danielle McCarthy, Samantha Payne
Contesting John Howard’s View of History Teaching in Australia
Members of the panel will reflect on John Howard’s January 25 Address to the National Press Club entitled ‘A sense of balance: The Australian
Achievement in 2006’ in which, among other statements, he said “. . . I believe the time has also come for root and branch renewal of the teaching of
Australian history in our schools, both in terms of the numbers learning and the way it is taught”.
There will be time for questions and discussion.
WORKSHOP A 10.15 am – 11.15 am
A1
Dr Brian Hoepper
History Wars and Culture Wars
In this follow-up workshop, Brian Hoepper will elaborate on the points he made in the panel session and propose a way of framing the 'History Wars' within the
wider context of the so-called 'Culture Wars' that have been a feature of Australian society and politics for the past decade. He plans to leave plenty of time for
discussion.
A2
Heather Sharp, University of Southern Queensland
Teaching Multiple Viewpoints
This workshop examines the importance of ensuring that students are taught from multiple viewpoints, within an inquiry based approach in Modern History
classrooms. It will look at strategies to develop student learning and understanding without compromising integrity of teaching. Responses to media, accusations
of teachers brainwashing students will also be discussed and participants will be encouraged to contribute their own classroom experiences to the workshop.
A3
Professor Colin McKerras, Griffith University
Mao: The Unknown Story
In 2005 Knopf published married couple Jung Chang and Jon Halliday’s account of former Chinese Communist Party ruler Mao Zedong (1893-1976). Entitled
Mao: The Unknown Story, it raised a great deal of controversy, partly because of its unrelentingly hostile approach to Mao. All supposed accomplishments of Mao
come over as fraudulent, actually cruel tricks or both. The book portrays Mao as a totally selfish man whose only strength was his ability to gain and hold power.
This talk will critique the book and take up a few of the historical issues it raises.
A4
Geoff Wharton, Community Relations Consultant and Historian
Australia on the Map 1606-2006: What happened before Lieutenant James Cook?
2006 is the 400th anniversary of the first recorded contact between the Indigenous people of Australia and Europeans. This happened on the western coast of
Queensland, yet it is largely forgotten by many Australians. Geoff Wharton will discuss the early Dutch contacts with western Cape York Peninsula.
A5
Dr Glenda McGregor, Teacher, Kenmore SHS
A Basic Introduction to the Senior History Syllabi
This will be a forum to discuss issues relating to the criteria matrix in the 2004 syllabi. There will be opportunity for participants to bring along their concerns and
perhaps through discussion come to clearer understandings about the criteria matrix.
WORKSHOP B 11.45 am – 1.15 pm
B1
Michelle Brown, Teacher, Albany Creek SHS
The Multi-modal Task – Contesting the forms and genre of the History Assignment
One of the biggest and perhaps the most exciting challenges of the 2004 syllabus has been the multi-modal assignment. This workshop will examine the
processes through which teachers can ensure that their students produce History assignments not Art, Dance, English, Legal Studies (etc etc) assignments.
Student work models will be brought in with the topics being: Year 11 National History – Voices of the Nation. Year 12 History of Ideas and Beliefs – Has
Feminisms ruined the Western World? The classes who have provided this work have been mixed gender, mixed ability students.
B2
Kym Bailey, Teacher, Collinsville SHS
Contesting Disengagement – How do you engage Disengaged Learners?
This workshop aims to provide teaching materials and strategies which have helped challenge the comment “SOSE is boring”. The unit to be examined is “So you
say you want a Revolution?” from Year 10 SOSE. The intent of the unit was to provide a scaffolded lead into the Senior History Multi-modal task for Year 10
students.
B3
Dr Alan Barrie, Teacher, Brisbane Grammar School
Medieval Possibilities – popular myth vs historical revisionism
This workshop seeks to give teachers an introduction to a number of topical controversies concerning aspects of the Middle Ages that may provide the basis for
further student inquiry. For example, did Rome really fall? Did King Arthur exist? Charlemagne – national hero or war criminal? These and other issues will be
explored within historiographical and primary source frameworks, and phrased in ways that enable the subject matter to be joined with complex reasoning
processes.
B4
Brian Morrow, Teacher, Brisbane Grammar School
Understanding South Africa
Brian Morrow is a passionate speaker on the unique role he played as a White South African in helping to bring democratic rule to South Africa. This session will
explore the ethical dilemmas he faced in his time in the South African Police, his role in the scandal which exposed to the world the plot by the White Apartheid
Government to prevent Black majority rule and his subsequent life as a political exile. Brian has spoken extensively at schools and universities in the UK and
Australia where his presentations have been extremely well received.
B5
Colleen Fitzgerald, Senior Education Officer, Museum of Australia.
Museums and Contested Histories
The National Museum of Australia has been at the centre of public debate, which now extends to schools and education policy, about the representation of
Australian history and culture. Through examining several National Museum exhibits this workshop explores the way museums represent diverse and contested
histories and the role they can play in developing students’ ability to understand complex and conflicting interpretations of the past.
B6
Sue Linde and Sharon Mirchandani, Teachers, Wavell SHS
Coming Up for Air
This workshop will reflect on our journey with the new syllabus over the last 18 months, including ideas for coping with classroom teaching, assessment and
composite classes.
WORKSHOP C 2.00 pm – 3.30 pm
C1
Julie Hennessey, Head of History, Brisbane Girls Grammar School
Cutting Edge History
This session based on a Year 12 school-based theme at BGGS is premised on the notion that today’s news is tomorrow’s history. Given that we live in a
thoroughly mediated world and that Australian media are one of the most heavily monopolized and conservative in the western world our students need to be
critical consumers. This session will share resources, both text and visual, used in the classroom to explore several questions including the following: How do the
media present and represent significant events and issues? Is the news media a potent tool of propaganda? The accompanying student assessment, which
requires students to demonstrate their ability to plan and use a historical research process, form historical knowledge through critical inquiry and communicate
historical knowledge, will also be shared.
C2
Kate Grayson, Teacher, St Aidan’s
Lights On; Lights Off – New Opportunities for Learning,
Explore the opportunities of understanding and identifying students’ learning styles and how to implement a variety of strategies within the history classroom. This
workshop will introduce the concept of learning styles and will include a range of practical ideas to cater for audio, visual, tactile and kinaesthetic learners.
C3
Dr Alan Barrie, Teacher, Brisbane Grammar School
Medieval Possibilities – popular myth vs historical revisionism
This workshop seeks to give teachers an introduction to a number of topical controversies concerning aspects of the Middle Ages that may provide the basis for
further student inquiry. For example, did Rome really fall? Did King Arthur exist? Charlemagne – national hero or war criminal? These and other issues will be
explored within historiographical and primary source frameworks, and phrased in ways that enable the subject matter to be joined with complex reasoning
processes.
C4
Brian Morrow, Teacher, Brisbane Grammar School
Understanding South Africa
Brian Morrow is a passionate speaker on the unique role he played as a White South African in helping to bring democratic rule to South Africa. This session will
explore the ethical dilemmas he faced in his time in the South African Police, his role in the scandal which exposed to the world the plot by the White Apartheid
Government to prevent Black majority rule and his subsequent life as a political exile. Brian has spoken extensively at schools and universities in the UK and
Australia where his presentations have been extremely well received.
C5
Colleen Fitzgerald, Senior Education Officer, Museum of Australia.
Museums and Contested Histories
The National Museum of Australia has been at the centre of public debate, which now extends to schools and education policy, about the representation of
Australian history and culture. Through examining several National Museum exhibits this workshop explores the way museums represent diverse and contested
histories and the role they can play in developing students’ ability to understand complex and conflicting interpretations of the past.
3.30 WINE, CHEESE and PRIZES