Category Archives: Uncategorized

Harvard Data Wise Institute in Melbourne

Last week 19 school teams came to Melbourne during the last week of school holidays to attend a 5 day Harvard Data Wise Institute. There were long 8 hours days of intensive learning where participants shared their ‘why’ stories with … Continue reading

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Jez – the old chestnut – ability grouping or streaming – is still being touted as a solution to falling standards!

Sorry Natasha, education editor for the Australian Newspaper, wrote a recent article on the state of education in Australia using the results of the recent PISA tests to say that our students are bored out of their brains at school, … Continue reading

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Writers Workshop Toolkit

Every month I receive en email with this months “tips” on how to I think strategise a little more in your writers workshop. The tips are divided by grade levels (e.g. K-1) – Yes, it’s an American resource – one … Continue reading

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Another article tells the same story – postcodes predict education performance.

Reading an article in the Australian newspaper this morning (School system fails ‘fairness’ test, as PISA results show learning gap) which show lower academic performance in areas of socio economic disadvantage, rurality and indigenous communities. Here are some quotes: It … Continue reading

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What I consider a balanced article to the issues around learning to read and reading to learn.

Why we’re failing to build the knowledge students need Age Newspaper 15/12/2023. In the early years of school, teaching should focus on systematic instruction in phonemic awareness and phonics, exposure to rich literature through read-alouds, and explicit teaching to build … Continue reading

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Changes to Teacher Training

Newspapers (e.g. Age , Sydney Morning Herald)are reporting that an “expert teacher education panel” recommendations have been accepted by the various States education ministers to reform initial teacher education. The report identified several perceived weaknesses with initial teacher education includes … Continue reading

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Lesson Timing

Often I speak to pre service teachers (PST’s) during their placements in schools/classrooms and the feedback they are receiving is that their lesson timing needs to be tightened or a goal. This is fine if there is a shared understanding … Continue reading

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Teachers in Training

Why it’s important to notice and implement school routines.

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Reading Debates Continue: But what happens in classrooms?

It’s a long article on reading instruction but I think one worth some time and subsequent reflection. It purports that cognitive scientists again and again have proven that students need phonics to become “good” readers. It then goes on to … Continue reading

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Is it really behaviour management?

It’s been a while since I last posted – so I’m back. In one of my professional roles I visit teachers in training while on placements in schools. While not exclusively a secondary school “thing” I see lesson times getting … Continue reading

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Single Figures Again

It’s been at least 10 years since I made single figures at my golf handicap and its a great feeling to be back again even though its a just made it 9.9. It’s winter as well and with the course … Continue reading

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It’s important to reflect on our “why”!

In doing work around equity in schools or using data wise improvement processes to build greater equity (LIFE OPPORTUNITIES) its important we found to know thy why. A “why” may have a beginning – something that we reflected on that … Continue reading

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Teachers look at phonics anew after training

A recent article in the Australian Newspaper raised two points on the teaching of reading skills in schools: States in Australia are increasing testing the phonic skills of students “NSW this week became the second state after South Australia to … Continue reading

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Can we see through the looking glass into an alternative world?

In Lewis Carroll’s book Alice is playing with her white kittens when she ponders what the world is like on the other side of a mirror’s reflection. Climbing up onto the fireplace mantel, she pokes at the wall-hung mirror behind the fireplace … Continue reading

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Parents want more than jobs out of education for their children.

The Australian Newspaper features an article by Chris Mitchell “Parents want education system to prep kids for jobs, not political activism”. In the article he makes a number of claims and offers solutions which I think need a response. Mitchell’s … Continue reading

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