Category Archives: 2008 ACEL Conference

“Necessary but not sufficient”

  This phrase “necessary but not sufficient” has been ringing in my ears of recent weeks when thinking about those students who are achieving below minimim standards. I first heard Paul Brock use the phase and subsequently I have used … Continue reading

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The Class Size Debate

I was fortunate to meet John Hattie recently who is one academic I often quote in my work. John Hattie is from New Zealand and has been researching amongst other things the effects of various strategies or innovations on student learning. … Continue reading

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Ethics in teaching grammar – surely not to pass tests?

I recalled a conversation I heard between Jerry Starratt and Hedley Beare recently on how metaphors can portray or even drive our thinking about curriculum when I read an article [featured in the daily newspapers in most capital cities] about the new National Curriculum. … Continue reading

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“learning that is supported by teaching”

At the recent ACEL conference in Melbourne I heard a group of young leaders from a school in Greenford High School in West London speak about their contributions to school improvement which included students being trained to give constructive feedback to volunteer secondary … Continue reading

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Making a difference by Douglas Reeves.

I was fortunate to hear Douglas Reeves for the second time at the recent ACEL conference in Melbourne. He is the founder and chief executive officer of the Center for Performance Assessment, an organization dedicated to improving student achievement and … Continue reading

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Shift Happens: Australian Version

Readers of my blog will know how I have used the Shift Happens clip to stimulate discussion at staff, council and parent levels about futures in schools. One of the workshops at the recent ACEL conference put me onto the … Continue reading

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Global Citizenship

One of the emerging mindsets of the 2008 ACEL conference was that of global citizenship started by the opening address of Jean-Francois Rischard the former World Bank Vice president who wrote the book High Noon. In his book he sets out 20 … Continue reading

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