Mark's Learning Log- Harvard Data Wise Institute in Melbourne January 28, 2024Last 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 →mwalker
- Jez – the old chestnut – ability grouping or streaming – is still being touted as a solution to falling standards! January 5, 2024Sorry 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 →mwalker
- Harvard Data Wise Institute in Melbourne January 28, 2024
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Author Archives: mwalker
Kevin Donnelly’s article on direct instruction needs a response!
A few members of staff found the link to Kevin Donnelly’s article in the Australian recently which is, as they say offering a different opinion to the one I’m putting forward and suggested I read it. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24005037-25192,00.html A few quick comments … Continue reading
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Between Class Difference: Myth or Reality!
This week at our weekly leadership meeting we discussed a research article about an American school who number crunched student achievement over a 3 year period. This article really set us up for the weekly staff meeting where we were investigating the … Continue reading
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Andy Hargreaves speaks about a new learning gap.
I heard Andy Hargreaves speak at the ACEL conference in Sydney last year and was impressed with his candor about governments setting what seemed to be easy targets for schools. I thought his … Continue reading
swing bridge at Lorne
lorne swing bridge, originally uploaded by markwalker.teacher. Over the holidays I managed to get away for a few days and enjoy a few walks down at Lorne. Most of the holiday period was spent on site attending to building issues … Continue reading
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old library being removed
old library being removed, originally uploaded by markwalker.teacher. Just before the school holidays the old library was shifted to another school. Our new library which is part of the major construction project should be open in the third week of … Continue reading
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Learning Spaces
As we near the occupancy of the first new learning spaces constructed at Elsternwick Primary since 1920, and before I am completely swept away with the detail surrounding the final stages of this building, the whole construction process begs … Continue reading
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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.
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
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
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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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