Mark's Learning Log- 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
- Why Why is the question we all need to answer! May 31, 2024In my work with school educators this is the question I ask them to resolve for themselves. What drives you to lead / teach young people and why? What happened to you and why is that important. I was reminded … 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, 2024
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Category Archives: Accountability
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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Revolution School, a must watch documentary on ABC television
There is a new 4 part documentary on our ABC channel called “Revolution School” with the first episode screened last week. I think this is a must watch show for anyone interested in schooling. The ABC took cameras into a normal secondary … Continue reading
EPS data wise team reflections
This is the last post in the series by the 4 teachers overseas inquiring into the data wise process. As our trip draws to a close, we spent time reflecting upon and synthesising our learning both from the Data Wise … Continue reading
Posted in Accountability, Data Wise Program, Harvard, Instruction, Observation, reflections, school
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EPS visits Jefferson Elementary School in New York
This blog entry is the eighth in a series from the team visiting schools in the States and comes to you from the ‘Big Apple.’ Today we visited Jefferson Elementary School (K-5), located in upstate New York in a town called … Continue reading
Posted in Accountability, Assessment, Data Wise Program, Instruction, Leadership, school, Teaching
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Naplan hits headlines
This article headlined in my school newsletter this week and I have invited comments. Unless you are a teacher or parent of student in Years 3, 5, 7 or 9 you may switch off when reading a newspaper headline with … Continue reading
Posted in Accountability, Assessment, Harvard, Teaching
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time for great teaching – a report on how
I’ve recently read the Gratton Report “Making time for great teaching“. In the executive summary is says: Government regulations restrict schools. Enterprise bargaining agreements restrict changes to work schedules, and duty of care requirements restrain schools that want to … Continue reading
Understanding defined by measurement?
“It is important to measure performance because if you can’t measure it, you can’t understand it; if you can’t understand it, you can’t control it and if you can’t control it, you can’t improve it.” The Times of India I … Continue reading
Posted in Accountability, Leadership, Uncategorized
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Data Wise at Elsternwick, a Harvard perspective.
Last month David Rease Jnr from Harvard visited Elsternwick to view our progress in implementing the Data Wise: Inquiry Approach to Improving Instruction in schools. We were quite chuffed at David’s visit and recorded this clip to capture some of his … Continue reading
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
A new Internet paradigm for learning.
Last month I was fortunate to hear Mark Treadwell [pictured above] speak to a group of aspirant leaders I am mentoring. He had some I think important things to say about learning and I think leadership. He began the morning … Continue reading
Posted in Accountability, Assessment, Instruction, school, Teaching, Technology, Uncategorized
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Three improvement strategies to make a difference to relationships and learning.
Over the past 2 months we have focused on preparing our teachers to differentiate instruction. I’m writing this post to explain to readers within my own community why this emphasis on preparation and why we need to adopt three different … Continue reading
Is there an execution gap between our goals and actions?
I’ve been reflecting lately on our strategic plan which lists a number of worthwhile actions and improvement goals. I know the goals as the principal as I interact with the plan on a regular basis but I wonder if they … Continue reading
Posted in Accountability, Leadership, school
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Using data to improve teaching – a work in progress.
I don’t think many teachers would disagree with the idea that its a good thing to use student assessment data to try and determine what students need to learn next, at least in Victorian schools – or would they? Often teachers … Continue reading
TIMMS test results spark controversy
This past fortnight I have talked about my schools performance on national tests to school council [NAPLAN] and now I’ve seen lots of editorials and responses in newspapers about Australia’s performance in the recent international tests in maths and science for years … Continue reading
Posted in Accountability, Assessment, politics, school, science, Teaching, Uncategorized
Tagged 00.html, 23739, 24777327-5016679, 24778101-7583, 24779000-2702, 25197, http://www.acer.edu.au/documents/TIMSS_2007-AustraliaHighlights.pdf, http://www.acer.edu.au/ozpisa/, http://www.acer.edu.au/timss07/images/uploads/MR_081210-TIMSS.pdf, http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/dec/11/primary-maths-science-politics, http://www.naplan.edu.au/, http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0, http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0
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Student transitions from year to year
Today whilst hearing about the Departments latest version of the school review I had one of those light bulb moments when I heard a school reviewer talk about student transitions. To put this into context in Victoria all public schools … Continue reading