Mark's Learning Log- Should we worry about socioeconomic segregation in Australian schools? December 23, 2024As we enter the Christmas Holiday period in Australian Schools it’s time to reflect on some trends and wonder are we getting better. I know that’s a broader query but a recent Google link on my phone this morning got … Continue reading →mwalker
- Wondering if all teachers in training and graduate teachers are being taught to instruct all students in reading as though they were in the red? September 29, 2024I have this wondering that we are teaching all students in the class – as a whole class lesson – in the junior years as though they all needed the intensive phonic instruction and frequent repetition. Yes some explicit instruction … Continue reading →mwalker
- Should we worry about socioeconomic segregation in Australian schools? December 23, 2024
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Author Archives: mwalker
Tracking or Streaming: ability groups need to disappear whilst learning to differentiate instruction.
Do you remember the wombat group? (that’s a slow-moving Australian marsupial for my o/s readers) You would if you were in that group in an Australian elementary classroom for they were often the slow or dumb students. You wouldn’t forget … Continue reading
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“Ability alone does not lead you to success – you have to work for it!”
Thanks to James Nottingham’s Facebook page I came across an article by Carol Dweck , author of Mindset, where she talks about how she was influenced by and connected to 5 different published works. People may remember 2 prior posts ( mindsets , … Continue reading
Posted in Instruction, parenting, Teaching, Uncategorized
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Schools hit by Principal Shortage
I don’t often copy an article published by a local newspaper but on this issue, one I’m passionate about and not just for self-interest reasons, I feel its important to it put out there for general community discussion. VICTORIAN government … Continue reading
Posted in Industrial Issues, Uncategorized
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“What would you do if you could change the world?”
I have just picked up on the documentary now out at the movies “I am eleven” that poses this question to 11 year olds around the world. Why 11? I think Genevieve Bailey thought 11 years of age is a … Continue reading
Dysfunctional Teams
Thanks to Greg Carroll, a principal in NZ, I found this clip on dysfunctional teams which seems to make some sense. We often hear about how to build teams and make productive meetings well this clips comes from the other … Continue reading
Appreciative relationships in schools.
I’m writing this post with a few reservations. My intent is not stir up the vast majority of parents (I am one too) for I feel they (or should I say we) generally have good relationships with our child’s teachers … Continue reading
Posted in parenting, Teaching, Uncategorized
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What’s a school’s role in dealing with a “boozy” culture?
Recent articles in the press (The Age), in Britain and in New York all point to community problems around the control and effects of drinking – particularly binge drinking. Over the past 12 months we as a school council have … Continue reading
Posted in Community, Uncategorized
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Personalising is really an outcome of differentiation: points to note for educators
At a recent regional Principal conference I heard Vic Zbar, an educational consultant based in Victoria; speak about personalising teaching and learning. Personalising learning he put it was really an outcome of differentiation. Vic then made a number of points I … Continue reading
School Autonomy
Recently I heard Jim Spinks speak on school autonomy. He described autonomy as a moving beast for it means different things depending upon where you are in Australia or around the world and what is politically happening at the time. … Continue reading
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Knowing our core work
Recently I heard Major General Jim Molan, a retired Army officer who served in the Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan wars talk about leadership. He opened with the observation that the army and schools have something in common – they both … Continue reading
Posted in politics, school, Teaching, Uncategorized
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Staff Achievements.
Last week I presented 3 staff members with certificates for the successful completion of the Data Wise 2 online course from Harvard. We had the certificates framed and presented them with a book to acknowledge their efforts. In the meeting feedback it … Continue reading
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Explorers in Classrooms!
This week I was in and out of classrooms and couldn’t help but notice one group of highly engaged inquirers as they moved around the room looking at various exhibits and writing their wonderings on the topic of explorers. I spent 15 … Continue reading
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The purpose of a school is………………
Last week I was working with Dr George Otero on trying to navigate through the various theories of action that underpin our work at Elsternwick. What are the connections between relational learning framework, Data Wise inquiry cycles, instructional rounds observations on task … Continue reading
Posted in Leadership, school, Teaching, Uncategorized
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Cheap Communications
Last year I used my iphone whilst overseas to call and text home. Well you can imagine the bill (I had data roaming on for a little while). Once bitten we were determined not to have that again so this … Continue reading
Posted in Technology, Travel
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