Monthly Archives: June 2008

Classroom 2.0

Over the weekend I discovered this online collaborative learning community dedicated to supporting educators use technology with learners. It’s worth a look.

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Dynamic Curriculum Mapping

Last week Michael Ymer worked with 3 of our teaching teams to plan the Math Curriculum for the next semester. Michael is one of our key educators we contract to build and support teacher learning. He coaches individual teachers in classrooms … Continue reading

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Scottish News

This week we have been fortunate to host Doug from Scotland. Readers of my blog will recognise Doug as Don Ledingham’s son. Apart from learning about Don as a dad, former head teacher, current acting director of education in East Lothiam and … Continue reading

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Spencer at Elsternwick Primary

I first met Spencer in Toronto last year whilst visiting some schools. His mother Kathy is a superintendent of a family of schools in Toronto and is visiting in July of this year. Spencer, over a beer at a jazz club, expressed … Continue reading

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“Great players are not just great athletes, they also have great fundamentals,”

I was sent an article about a famous european basketball coach Ettora Messina which I think has some messages for all young sports people who are in our schools. I don’t know about what other teachers who are coaches are … Continue reading

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Test scores not the total answer

Thanks to Warrick Wynne I found this, what I call a protest clip on testing that makes an even stronger point on the need for deeper learning, feedback and challenge loops, the value of arts and the need to challenge … Continue reading

Posted in Assessment, Leadership, Teaching, Video Clips | 1 Comment

High Stakes Testing

I was prompted to do some research around what some call high stakes testing after a discussion at a leadership meeting recently where we discussed in my opinion the low value of testing unless the student got feedback on what … Continue reading

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A Harvard Poem

I was clearing out my inbox over the weekend and found this poem by Lynette which brought many fond memories of Harvard in 2007 and thought I would share it. The Principals’ Institute – July, 2007 It all began on … Continue reading

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Parents Be There!

I was reminded this week of the importance of being there in the momentwith your children when I was at my daughters netball game and a chap well dressed in a business suit sat near me and proceeded to scribble … Continue reading

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Teachers ahaa moments

I was visiting Don Ledingham’s site this week where he had a short clip of a film that moved him as a youth to laugh and cry and perhaps inspired part of him to  become a teacher.  It got me to reflect on … Continue reading

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Principal’s unhappy with “deal” and stop work.

On Wednesday the Australian Principal’s Federation [APF] called a stop work over the proposed industrial agreement. Its the first time anyone could remember principal class officers taking industrial action as a group. I took this image at the stop work … Continue reading

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Young Australian of the Year – Khoa Do

The opening keynote speaker of the conference was Khoa Do a young film maker who left Vietnam as a two year old with his parents on a fishing boat to seek a better life. His messages were simple yet powerful- … Continue reading

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No cup of tea leadership here please!

Last week at the regional principal conference I was fortunate enough to introduce one of our key note speakers, Vivane Robinson a professor from the University of Auckland. Vivane gave an insightful presentation on school leadership and student outcomes, what works … Continue reading

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Personalising learning at Bellaire Pimary School

Whilst attending the principal conference at Geelong this week my assistant principal and I visited Bellaire Primary School in Geelong. The picture is from the senior unit which has been remodelled so that no teacher teaches in isolation. The unit has 5 … Continue reading

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