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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Race to Nowhere – a film about the pressure to get good grades – coming to you.
I stumbled on this clip from Scott Mcleaod’s blog to a movie that touches on an extreme, that if normalised in schools would spell disaster for a generation of students. The pressure to perform on tests – to get high … Continue reading
Posted in Assessment, reflections, school, Uncategorized, Video Clips
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Floods in Queensland and Victoria
For the past few weeks we have been witnessing the most devastating floods in Australian history. The areas most affected are in Queensland and more recently in Victoria. The newspapers have been running special reports each day for the past 3 weeks and the … Continue reading
Posted in Community, Uncategorized
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Reflections on closing the school year
Now that the school year has closed for 2010 and we start to unwind and prepare for the festive and summer holiday period with family and friends its an opportune time to sit back and reflect on the last month … Continue reading
Posted in Leadership, reflections, Uncategorized
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Neat way of showing data.
I saw this clip courtesy of Darrell Fraser. Increasingly I think its not good enough to simply collect and interpret data which we do lots of in schools . Its about distilling the essential messages so that they are clear … Continue reading
Posted in Leadership, Uncategorized, Video Clips
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Do student incentives give the wrong messages?
As we finish the school year and pack up for Christmas and the summer holidays I’m starting to reflect on what we achieved this year and what’s part of the journey ahead. We have just finished a 3 year building … Continue reading
Posted in Feedback, Instruction, Leadership, school, Teaching, Uncategorized, Video Clips
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Walk throughs
A little clip that might help inform a conversation about walkthroughs at your school.
Posted in Uncategorized, Walkthroughs
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Hattie’s comments on the effect of feedback on student learning
A few of Hattie’s comments on feedback that he made at a recent seminar struck a discord with me: Feedback is much more about what students receive than teachers give. When feedback is given to the whole class its received … Continue reading
Posted in Feedback, Instruction, Leadership, reflections, Teaching, Uncategorized
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To err and succeed
I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that … Continue reading
Posted in school, sports, sports coaching, Teaching, Uncategorized
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Memorable quote for leaders!
“The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out … Continue reading
Posted in Leadership, reflections, Uncategorized
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Donald Graves: a teacher of writing and an inspiration to many.
Professor Donald Graves of New Hampshire University recently died of pneumonia at the age of 80. In the early 1980’s his research on student writing which became known as “process writing” had a profound influence on Australian educators including me. His … Continue reading
Posted in Instruction, Leadership, Uncategorized, Video Clips, writing
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One to One Computing
This book takes a serious historical and international look at the “digital pencil” movement to equip every student with a computing device with wireless connection. Using an ecological perspective as an overarching framework, and drawing on their own studies and … Continue reading
Rounds a constructivist challenge and a tool to build a culture that values the ‘chops’.
I was honoured recently to participate in a 1/2 day conversation with Professor Richard Elmore from Harvard University on Instructional Rounds. He spoke about where the protocols of Instructional Rounds first developed, the pivotal problem of practice, the challenge of … Continue reading
Posted in Instructional Rounds, Leadership, Teaching, Uncategorized
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7 survival skills for 21st century classrooms and schools: post 2
After listening to Sir Ken Robinson talk about the history of education and challenge why we do things and then listen to Chris Betcher continue the challenge with a DaVinci in the classrooms – I poist so what do we … Continue reading