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
Maribyrnong Network of School Leaders
This post is to follow-up our network day on the first 2 steps of Data Wise. We spoke about answering the WHY question when change is being advocated – as we are about to advocate for change in collaboration in … Continue reading
Inferencing in the early years
This week I’m writing about inferencing. It’s nearly 5 months into the Australian academic year for our Foundation to Year 2 students and teachers have built Reading Workshops where students build sufficient reading stamina for guided groups to run, where learning … Continue reading
Posted in Reading, Teaching, trainee teachers, Uncategorized
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Lesson Transitions
About 9 months ago I started working as a casual academic for Deakin University, Faculty of Education, in Victoria. Students are placed in schools for at least 80 days, depending upon their course. They work along students and experienced teachers … Continue reading
Painting a new school’s curriculum and pedagogy.
As an educator, and now consultant, it’s hard not to get excited when you are asked to support a newish school develop its curriculum and pedagogy. In many ways, it’s like a starting a painting with a blank canvas, or … Continue reading
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Why have learning intentions without success criteria?
John, in this 9 min clip, puts the case for why we need to explain what we intend students to learn, why and how they might self assess success. It’s hard to defend the opposite. In this clip John’s work … Continue reading
Is Dante’s Hell a view of adaptive challenges? If so, hold onto that moral compass.
I recently watched a TED talk by Dan Leahy – The Dance of Learning Meets the Adaptive Challenge. In the talk Dan uses Heifetz, Glashow and Linsky’s need for adaptive change which is about facing the unknown and having to learn new skills to … Continue reading
Posted in Data Wise Program, Harvard, Teaching
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Effective Lesson Planning: classroom systems and lesson sequencing
This is a follow up post number 2 on effective lesson planning. Now that we understand lessons should go differing lengths of time 20 – 40 minutes, what would that look like in one of the timetable blocks of 90-120 … Continue reading
Effective Lesson Planning: length of lessons
Some of the questions, concerns and issues raised by trainee teachers so far include: constantly repeating instructions to students students forget what to do students either don’t finish the tasks in the time set or finish in the first 5 … Continue reading
Working at Deakin University
One of the exciting opportunities that has presented itself this year is to work at Deakin University as a casual academic. What that means is that I work in the professional learning unit supporting trainee teachers in schools learn the … Continue reading
Dirty Data!
Well I’m now officially retired as a school principal – no really! I’m sleeping well, planning holidays and of course playing more golf. But what about my mind – it’s not ready to give up as an educator. So I’m … Continue reading
Posted in Assessment, school, Teaching, Uncategorized, Video Clips
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Songs can hold our memories!
Certain songs or voices can bring many memories flooding back to us. It’s 1970 and the happy and even melancholic memories flood back to me when I hear Simon and Garfunkel sing their classics. Its been over 45 years since … Continue reading
Posted in Community, history, politics, Video Clips
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Are you Humpty Dumpty waiting for a fall?
Quite often Principal’s can feel like Humpty Dumpty “just waiting for the fall”. When you think of how many “clients” you serve (students, their parents and then the wider community) even a middle size school of 500 would add up … Continue reading
Posted in coaching, Leadership, Uncategorized
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features of a wise leader
I was recently going through my email and found this from a close Scottish colleague. THE TEN FEATURES OF A ‘WISE’ LEADER Holds unshakeable values which define their being; Translates their ‘way of thinking’ into the ‘way they do things’; … Continue reading
Posted in Leadership, reflections, school
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Student Reports: a case for change
This is a copy of a post I wrote on my company’s website Well its November again and on the school calendar for teachers all over Australia is the preparation of the end of year student reports. Schools become stress … Continue reading
Posted in Accountability, Assessment
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Resources by themselves are not sufficient to improve language learning in Victorian or for that matter Australian schools?
Once again students learning another language hits the newspaper headlines: The trouble with languages in primary schools Time to mind our languages Interestingly it hits the headlines in the only state in Australia (Victoria) that mandates languages be taught in … Continue reading
Posted in Assessment, China, Chinese Language, curriculum, Sister School
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