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14 Be: Supportive Learning ‘write’ from wrong PHOTO: MELISSA WOODS As a child, school was ‘hell on earth’ for Brett Comerford, so the classroom was the last place he expected to find a career, discovers Marc Barnbaum. Look at this list of famous people and think about what they have in common ... Henry Ford, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell and Richard Branson. Apart from the obvious fact that they all excelled in their fields, they all reportedly had dyslexia, which means they all struggled with reading, language and words. While dyslexia has been recognised for a long time, it was not on Brett Comerford’s radar as a young man. He just thought he was bad at school. “I would rather have died than to read out aloud. School life was hell on earth for me. I daydreamed and often got into trouble because I could not do the work. “My teachers would often say that I was a ‘dumb, stupid, lazy, good-for-nothing no-hoper’. I can still remember the day that my Year 4 teacher said in front of the class: ‘Comerford, all you will be good for is painting white lines in the middle of the road’. He had me repeat that year which was embarrassing. I got no extra help at school, just more caning. “I was failing high school in a big way; DID YOU KNOW? the deputy principal was a family friend and he knew the store manager at a local sugar mill. He kindly gave me a start as a cadet purchasing officer. I was way out of my comfort zone as I wasn’t sure how I was going to handle all the paperwork and the maths side of warehousing, but I did. “I wanted to succeed because going back to school was not an option for me. So I learnt how to get out of doing things I knew I couldn’t handle; I found ways to cover up my shortcomings. From the sugar mill I went to a coal terminal doing similar work just on a larger scale. Having a computerised system helped me to cope Dyslexia affects about 10% of the Australian population Dyslexia is resistant to traditional teaching and tutoring Up to 90% of children in learning support could have dyslexia Early identification and intervention is key for children with dyslexia Dyslexia is recognised in Australia under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA) and under the Human Rights Commission. To learn more about dyslexia go to www.dyslexiaassociation.org.au . with the work. I had no job satisfaction, but felt I wasn’t capable of doing anything else. My wife always believed I would make a great teacher, but I wouldn’t leave my job in fear of failing at uni.” At the age of 36, Brett was retrenched. He was devastated, but his wife felt it was a blessing in disguise as he then had no excuse but to give uni a go. Brett says CQUniversity gave him the support he needed to cope with studying as a dyslexic student. “In the first year of my university degree I remember seeking the help of the University counsellor at CQUniversity Mackay as I was having difficulty managing all the reading, having lots of headaches and feeling like the only thing to do was to drop out of uni,” he says. “With her help I was diagnosed and given all the support needed to cope. I was unaware of what the Uni could actually offer me by way of increasing the size of my text books, having them photocopied onto blue paper, given breaks during exam time etc. The diagnosis opened up a new world as it showed me that I could learn.” Since completing his Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood) degree, Brett has worked as a primary school teacher in Mackay, helping other students gain the confidence to succeed. He has also completed a Graduate Diploma in Learning Management (Special Education) and is currently undertaking postgraduate studies in ‘Multisensory Structured Learning Education’ through the Australian Dyslexic Association, to assist students who have dyslexia either as children or adults. ISSUE 13
Be: Challenged 15 Helping Hands Nursing education is taking students to faraway places where they learn in challenging environments and get a taste for humanitarian adventures. A contingent of CQUniversity Nursing and Midwifery students recently visited a remote community in Nepal where they had the opportunity to lend a hand at local hospitals and health clinics. For the 20 students it was much more than your traditional field trip, it was an experience that would change the way they looked at their profession and the world they live in. This is their story in pictures. Words by Sherrie Lee Photos by Kerry Reid-Searl. Nursing student Anna Searl is blessed by a monk at Durbar Square in Nepal. ISSUE 13
Page 1 and 2: WHAT YOU ARE. WHAT YOU CAN BECOME I
Page 3 and 4: Be: Contents 3 26 With the trademar
Page 5 and 6: Be: Calendar 5 FOR MORE DETAILS AND
Page 7 and 8: 7 KOALA SIGHTINGS Koala hot and col
Page 9 and 10: 9 ART COLLECTION Jon Cattapan | Ope
Page 11 and 12: 11 While a giraffe needs only two h
Page 13: Be: Committed 13 PHOTO:PETERY WALTO
Page 17 and 18: 17 GETTING A CHECK UP We checked a
Page 19 and 20: 19 Circle of Friendship by Kerry Re
Page 21 and 22: 21 For those of you who enjoy the h
Page 23 and 24: 23 Q What are your earliest memorie
Page 25 and 26: Science and technology Apart from t
Page 27 and 28: 27 Gustavo-Falciroli-vs-Soo-Chul-Ki
Page 29 and 30: Be: Engaged 29 Read, write and twee
Page 31 and 32: Be: Informed 31 Time to Think Tax C
Page 33 and 34: 33 PHOTO: PETER LAWRENCE The pictur
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