Welcome to the Reach Out Teachers Network blog

Reach in for ReachOut.com Competition
This week we launched a YouTube competition and we are hoping that you teachers out there will get all of your students involved to share their story. Check out the promo

We want students to share with us ...

What makes them unique - 1 in a million? What are some of the random little things that makes them awesome, or funny, or cheeky? What's something they can do that no one else can? Where is the place that they feel the happiest? What inspires them? What do they want to do when they finish studying? Where in the world would they most like to go? Whatever their story, we want them to share it with Reach Out.

To enter the competition, students have until 5.00 pm on the 16th August 2010 to submit a video to our Reach in for ReachOut.com Competition group. The winning video will be the highest rated video in the group at the close of the competition, so remember to get students to vote on each others stories! The winner will receive a prize pack that includes a 160GB iPod classic®, a $50 iTunes® voucher and a Nikon COOLPIX P100 Digital Camera which features a powerful 26x zoom and full HD video with stereo sound.

Pretty cool, huh?
So what are you waiting for? Get filming, get sharing and get voting! If you have any
questions, you can head over to our Reach In for ReachOut.com discussion thread on our Facebook page.

If you need ideas for how to create a digital story, check out the Oasis resource that has a whole learning module dedicated to digital story making. So get to it - time is running out!

Disclaimer: Neither YouTube, Apple or Nikon are participants in, sponsors of or in any way affiliated with the Reach in for ReachOut.com Competition, and as such hold no responsibility or liability regarding the conduct or administration of the competition

The research shows that civic engagement and a sense of control over what is happening in their world are important protective factors for young people against developing mental health difficulties. During the Federal election campaign Google is providing opportunities for students' to have their voices heard by the politicians through the Google Student Voice 2010 initiative.

Its the Federal election as voted for by Under 18's.

The initiative allows students to vote in a simulated election. There's some great ideas! Check out this video overview from Google

And here's what Julia Gillard thinks about the initiative.

Youth suicide prevention inquiry

Last week four of our Inspire Youth Ambassadors spoke at the Prevention of Youth Suicide Inquiry in Sydney. There advocacy work meant that the Inquiry heard directly from young people what their thoughts were on the issue.

These young people demonstrate that you can make a difference and have your voice heard!

Check out their experiences at the Inquiry in the video below.

So how do we make the internet safe for children and young people?

The answer to this question, according to the Federal Government's Communications Minister Stephen Conroy is through mandatory internet filtering. And, its a compelling argument for all of those parents out there who worry about what trouble their sons and daughters might get into whilst "hanging out" online.

However, government-imposed restrictions that are heavy-handed aren't the magic bullet needed to protect children - especially tech-savvy children who can easily circumvent the filtering system. In fact, there is mounting evidence that suggests the most effective way to make the internet safe for children is education.

Children, young people, teachers and parents all need to understand the potential dangers of Internet use. And lets be honest, there are dangers for all of us when using the Internet, such as cyberbullying, profile hacking, misuse of personal information and viruses and spyware. However, there are easy and common sense ways to protect yourself, and students, from these dangers.

The best way to protect students from harm is to teach them to protect themselves. We must teach them how to safely navigate the internet. We do this by assisting and guiding them in the first instance, teaching them how to identify and avoid the dangers, and what to do if an unsafe situation occurs. As they mature, we allow them greater freedom.

Throughout this process, teachers have a responsibility to be good role models. They need to monitor content accessed by students in class, listen to their concerns and demonstrate responsible internet use themselves.

The danger of implementing a broad-brush filter is that it might lull the community, particularly parents and teachers, into a false sense of security, incorrectly assuming their children will be protected from harm and that there is no need for vigilant monitoring. Likewise, students would not be empowered to learn responsible internet use and how to respond in the face of danger.

The lack of evidence to support the efficacy of the Government's planned internet filter suggests that the money could be better spent on internet safety education for students, an investment that will offer children greater protection online and offline.

But what do you think? Can an Internet filter work? Have you worked in a school system that has Internet filtering? What are your experiences of working under a filter? Share your experiences and thoughts with the community.

Join the discussion now ...

6 tips for making the most of your holidays

Planning for happiness is a really important part of maintaining and promoting mental health and wellbeing. So, as most states and territories are in school holiday mode we thought it would be timely to provide you with some tips on how to make the most of your holiday time.

Tip 1: Plan your time to ensure you do some pleasurable and satisfying activities.
This might sound obvious but in my experience, too many people let their holidays (and lives) drift by without really making the most of them.

Tip 2: Make sure your holiday activities involve spending time with other people
Sure, it's important to take care of your own needs and to enjoy your own pleasures but the currency of real happiness is connection...so give that long lost friend a call or book in a "date" with your long suffering partner!

Tip 3: Use your strengths to create a positive holiday full of happiness and fulfilment
What are you really great at and how can you utilise this to generate positivity over the next two weeks. It could be a creative hobby, sporting skill, crossword completing capabilities.... whatever it may be, enjoy the success and satisfaction you feel when undertaking these activities.

Tip 4: Set yourself at least one challenging task to complete
Although happiness comes from enjoying fun activities it can also come from completing something difficult or even crossing an unpleasant, but necessary task off your "to do" list.

Tip 5: Engage in at least a bit of exercise
There's no doubt that rest is important, especially during the holidays in order to recharge the batteries ready for the next term. But there's also no doubt that activity and purposeful/healthy movement is a powerful mood booster, so make sure you build it in to your holiday activities whenever you can.

Tip 6: Have fun!
Above all else, do something, anything, that will make you laugh and sing, or dance and smile : ). check out some stand up comedy, go and watch a funny film, catch up on the TV sitcom you have meaning to watch or get the house to yourself and put on your own concert - singing your lungs out to your favourite artist always makes you feel good!

Adapted from a post on The Happiness Institute blog by Dr Tim Sharpe.

As part of the Australian Government's ongoing National STI Prevention Program: Sexual Health Campaign, a competition aimed at young people to design limited edition condom tins is now open.

The campaign aims to raise awareness about the risks of infection and encourage safe sexual behavior, including using condoms and seeing a doctor about testing after unprotected sex.

To encourage condom carrying, the campaign is encouraging young people to design a condom tin that will appeal to their peer group. This competition will build on the achievements of the campaign to date by encouraging interaction and participation from the target audience and further promotion of campaign messages.

The competition is open for a period of four weeks and entry is via the campaign website at www.australia.gov.au/sti. Entrants can use the design tool provided to create and upload their design or they can use their own design software. Visitors to the site can view all of the submitted entries and vote for their favourite design.

Two winning entries will be chosen by our panel of judges including visual and performance artist Ben Frost, Australian rock band Bluejuice and expert on dating, sex and relationships, Samantha Brett. The judges will choose one winner from all of the entries and a second winner from the top ten designs as voted on by the public.

The winners will each receive $1000 and have their design produced on condom tins.

This design competition would be ideal for Design and Technology classes or Health Education classes so why not check it out.

For information about key messages in relation to sexual health, check out the factsheets on the Reach Out Teachers Network site.

And don't forget to let us know how it goes, even share some fo students slogans here ...

The advent of mobile phones and internet based instant messaging has given rise to a new language - txt talk - where words are abbreviated so that messages can be easily communicated in 140 characters or less.  For many parents, teachers and professionals who work with young people, these abbreviations can be difficult to understand.

We have talked previously about the issues related to using social networking sites to engage students you work with. However their use can be particularly successful in demonstrating to students that you understand them and their world. But to what extent can or should you use 'txt talk' to communicate with students through these sites?  As a teacher, your challenge is to present yourself as someone who is approachable and understands young people and their experiences, while speaking from a place of authority as you provide trusted advice on sometimes sensitive topics. Using age appropriate and contemporary language in your interactions is important, but do you really need to go as far as using 'txt talk'?

There is certainly a point at which composing a sentence filled with 'lols' and signing off with 'cu l8r' makes you look like more of what young people would describe as a 'try hard' than someone who 'gets them'.  It's a fine line.  So how do you get the balance right?

And what about the literacy and grammar pundits who are horrified at the emergence of text talk in English essays and exam responses. Much of this debate needs to be measured in relation to the purpose of the communication and the appropriateness of using abbreviated terms. As with any abbreviations, if there is a risk the reader will not understand the abbreviation then the full version of the term should be used. There are also cues in the nature of the communication and the level of formality that is required in the use of language. Here are some tips that may help you decide whether txt talk is for you.

1. Take your cues from the young people you work with.  Listen to and read the language they use online, in texts and face to face and reflect this back to them only in your "informal" online communication to them.
2. If you don't understand an acronym or abbreviation don't use it! My Mum still think LOL means "lots of love" when in fact it means "laugh out loud".
3. Similarly, if you don't feel comfortable using an acronym or abbreviation don't use it.  Young people can sense your uncertainty.

Do all young people txt talk?
Anecdotal evidence would suggest not.  In fact, young people with Aspergers Syndrome and learning difficulties often find the style of language used in SMS messaging and on social networking sites even more difficult to understand.  For young people with Aspergers the casual nature of these online communications can challenge their preferred communication styles, while for young people with learning disabilities, making sense of the non-traditional combinations of letters and numbers can be extremely difficult.

Need to brush up on your txt talk?
Finding it hard to understand the texts you're receiving from young people?  Here's a couple of websites you might find useful.

Chat acroymns: http://www.sharpened.net/glossary/acronyms.php

Text messaging and chat abbreviations:
http://www.webopedia.com/quick_ref/textmessageabbreviations.asp

Join the discussion...
How do you feel about txt speak?  Is it something you use?  If it is, how do students respond when you use this language?  Any tips for others? What strategies do you use with students to ensure they understand when it is and isn't appropriate to use txt talk in your subject area?

Thanks to Michelle Blanchard, Senior Research Officer, Inspire Foundation for her input to this article.

We here at the Teachers Network think that its about time we had a bit more of a conversation about what mental health actually is.

 There seems to be a bit of confusion out there in the community - people seem to use the term 'mental health' when it is clear they are referring to mental illness.

But health is a positive thing, isn't it? People are generally happy to be healthy, and more often than not, aren't shy of talking about it with others. In fact it's not uncommon for people to go into great detail about the things they do proactively to improve their physical health - go to the gym, play sport, go for a swim or walk - it's something we tend to talk about quite freely.

The same should go for mental health, shouldn't it? 

Mental health is defined by the World Health organisation (WHO) as: "..not just the absence of mental disorder. It is defined as a state of wellbeing in which every individual realises his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community."

In other words, every one of us is in possession of mental health or wellbeing - the level we experience just varies sometimes, just like it does for physical health.

So... if we all have it, why is it that for some people 'mental health' is a dirty word? (ok - 2 words if we're going to be particular :)

Why is it that some people are too afraid to talk about when their level of mental health and wellbeing is lower than average .... It seems that many of us hide the times we have not such great mental health behind words like 'stress', 'worry' and 'feeling crap'.

Join the discussion

Why do you think as a society that there is still stigma associated with mental health difficulties? Let us know what mental health means to you and strategies you have used to reduce stigma in your school setting.

Mindfulness is a modern reworking of ancient meditation traditions that have emerged principally from the Buddhist faith. Mindfulness is designed to help people deal with day to day difficulties by taking control of your thoughts and focusing your attention on what is important in each situation.

The aim of mindfulness therapy is to help you learn to be aware of your thoughts and bodily sensations and in so doing be able to better cope with day to day emotions and problems.

In difficult situations such as when a loved one is very ill or we are approaching an anxiety provoking situation (e.g. an exam) or someone makes us angry or frustrated, we may experience very strong emotions e.g. sadness, anxiety or anger.

Often times these emotions prevent us from seeing the situation for what it is and effectively dealing with the issue by taking all of our attention. Overwhelming thoughts may accompany these emotions such as "I'll never get through this, I'm not strong enough to cope" or "I must be stupid if I'm so scared of this exam". Allowing these thoughts to dominate our thinking without refocusing our attention to the real issue tends to further perpetuate the strong emotions to the point where we are no longer in control of our thoughts and we can't cope.

This is particularly true for young people who are going through tough times. A young person who has not developed effective coping skills will tend to only see the negative in a difficult situation, and will allow this perspective to dominate their thoughts. If as teachers we can support students to see things in a different way and focus their attention on what they can do to deal with difficult times, then we will be helping students to develop the resilience they need to get through life's ups and downs.

The Teachers Network has created a new section on the site that explores Mindfulness in the classroom. This section includes facts about mindfulness and the benefits of mindfulness for wellbeing, lesson activities that you can use with your students to help them focus their attention more effectively as well as a collection of mindfulness resources and useful links where you can find more information.

Here's some exercises to whet your appetite

Check out our lesson ideas section for some exercises that will help you and your students focus your attention.

Audio tracks that you can use in class

The Melbourne Mindfulness Centre has a number of mindfulness and relaxation tracks that can be used with your classes to focus on breathing, body awareness, relaxation and meditations.  Tracks may be downloaded and distributed for free. If you pass them to others the Centre requests that you include the web address stillmind.com.au.

Join the discussion

Let us know how you go if you try out any of these exercises for yourself or with your class. What worked? What didn't work? What surprised you? What would you do differently next time?

Leave your comments below ...

Anna Mackenzie, Reach Out Project Manager, provides a brief update on the program that has made such an impact on the lives of so many young Australians going through tough times...

The Reach Out crew thought it was high time we dropped in to say 'hi' to the Teachers Network members and to give you a bit of an update about where things are up to on ReachOut.com and some of our plans for 2010.

What is ReachOut.com?
As most of you would already know, ReachOut.com is a web-based service for young people aged 14-25. It provides information, skills development, support and resources to assist young people to cope with mental health difficulties, manage adversity and find ongoing support in the community. ReachOut.com provides an entry point for all young people, enhancing their mental health literacy and facilitating help-seeking.

Reach Out works with young people at all levels to ensure it is a trusted and relevant program. Over 330 young people from a variety of backgrounds have been directly involved in the development and delivery of the service since its launch in 1999.

How many young people use the site + what do they say?
Each month Reach Out receives about 140,000 unique visits and engages with around 250,000 young Australians annually. Overall, youth awareness of Reach Out is over 55%, with levels in rural and regional communities comparable to urban locations.
Through independent research and online surveys, ReachOut.com has demonstrated significant outcomes for young people including:

• 82% of young people learnt more about mental health issues
• 85% reported ReachOut.com is a service they trust
• 81% would tell a friend about Reach Out
• 86% would return to ReachOut.com if they were going through a tough time.
• 59% of repeat visitors going through a tough time went to get professional help
• 72% reported Reach Out made them feel like they were not alone.

What's new

• Have you seen the new fact sheet on Mindfulness and related blog post yet? We're keen to hear your thoughts on how we might enrich this area. Please let us know your ideas below!

• We have a series of Infobus sessions coming up on the ROTreat forums that you might like to share with your students. Check out the Infobus for more details as they arise.

• We also take the Reach Out InfoBus into Habbo Hotel every fortnight. Check out the sessions that are running and advertise them to your students

We continue to work towards greater interactivity and community on the site, and hope to be able to update you about some exciting plans for website enhancements soon.

Using Reach Out in your work
Many of you have possibly already tried out some of the practical ideas from the Reach Out Teachers Network site explaining how to use a range of Reach Out resources with your classes. How have these ideas worked for you? We'd love to hear about how ReachOut.com has been received by young people you work with, and your ideas for adding extra value to the site.

Looking forward to hearing from you!