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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Category Archives: Uncategorized
Meeting the Minister
Recently I, along with 2 colleagues, were nominated by our network of schools to meet with the Minister of Education to chat over a few concerns our colleagues wanted us to raise. We raised a number of points that he … Continue reading
Posted in Leadership, school, Uncategorized
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Leadership and Relational Learning
Last month we held our 3rd curriculum day on one of our strategic improvement strategies – the implementation of a relational learning framework in teaching and learning and to engage with the parent and wider community (school are entitled to hold 4 … Continue reading
Posted in curriculum, Leadership, school, Teaching, Uncategorized
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Having fun “joining in” – playing with the image of principal.
Over the past few weeks there have 2 work occassions where I felt a need to “join in”. As a general rule I don’t like dressing up in fancy dress. It’s not that I feel I have a conservative image of a principal … Continue reading
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A few challenges to the idea of “life long learning.”
Last week I was privileged to spend 3 days interacting with James Nottingham and others around the topic of life long learning. He made to me some valuable points worth exploring a little further. “tests show only what a child has … Continue reading
Posted in Assessment, Conference, school, Teaching, Uncategorized
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Kath says students acquire assets through inquiry focused instruction
Last week Kath Murdoch continued her work with us here at Elsternwick with a session on the “assets” students learn through inquiry focused instruction. From the outset let me be clear that I’m not saying students cannot acquire these dispositions through … Continue reading
Posted in Instruction, school, Teaching, Uncategorized
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Building Classroom Learning Communities
One of last week’s walk-through foci was on classroom learning communities. These are some of the images I captured on the walk-through. At the start of each school year we as a staff and teachers in all classrooms expect to build … Continue reading
2011 Instructional Rounds Evaluation
As I set up our Network Instructional Rounds dates for 2012 I was interested to read and reflect upon another group of principal evaluations of their experiences last year. Overwhelmingly the consistent comment of principals as observers in both groups are … Continue reading
Carol Tomlinson: an encounter to remember!
This year in our Instructional Rounds group within the local network of schools we purchased Carol Tomlinson’s book “Leading and Managing A Differentiated Classroom” to use as a base text for understanding our observation of instruction in classrooms. Last year … Continue reading
Jiangsu School Leaders Delegation
This week I was invited to meet a delegation of school leaders from the Jiangsu Province of China. After the introductions and overviews of each region or province were finished we had an opportunity to exchange views of education and … Continue reading
Posted in China, Chinese Language, school, Uncategorized
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Like to start teacher conversation about observing practice – with humour?
Recently we ran a workshop on observing teacher practice in classrooms within a coaching relationship. To break the ice but make the point we used this clip from Summer Heights High which was an Australian TV show that “sent up” … Continue reading
Posted in Feedback, Instruction, Teaching, Uncategorized, Video Clips
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Rick Wormeli on redo’s and retakes
I’ve been pondering some recent parent feedback about our senior students lack of engagement with some teachers and the material they are expected to learn. I began my reflections about the students coming from the digital generation and expecting to … Continue reading
Posted in differentiation, Feedback, Instruction, teacher efficacy, Teaching, Uncategorized, Video Clips
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Inspect what you expect
Earlier this year Penny, one of my assistant Principal’s, and I participated in the ASCD summer conference in Boston. One workshop we attended was by Pete Hall the Principal of Sheridan Elementary School in Spokane. Pete spoke about the need to monitor classroom instruction … Continue reading
The Forbidden City – some photos and comments from a recent trip.
I have attached some shots of the Forbidden City that I toured as part of the Leaders Course in Beijing. Besides the fascinating history of the City which is nearly 700 years old its sheer size is amazing. It covers 178 … Continue reading
Posted in China, Chinese Language, Travel, Uncategorized
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Asian perspectives across a curriculum are just as important as learning a language like Mandarin.
Front page of the Age newspaper today were two headings that caught my eye: “PM seizes reins on China links” and “Mandarin off schools’ menu”. The first article describes a government white paper due out early next year which seeks … Continue reading
Posted in Chinese Language, Teaching, Uncategorized
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A view from the bell tower.
This week while I was inspecting restoration work on the bell tower (built in the 1880’s) I had the chance to play with Pano, an app on my iphone. Pano was easy to use. Like it. This picture shows about 2/3rds … Continue reading
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