Category Archives: Travel

Diving Deep to Build Assessment Literacy – Step 2 of the Data Wise Improvement Process – Day 2

The focus of Day 2 of the Summer Institute is the work around both Organising for Collaborative Work and Building Assessment Literacy, (which comprise the Prepare Phase). At Elsternwick PS with new teachers joining the team and the existing staff … Continue reading

Posted in Assessment, Data Wise Program, Harvard, Teaching, Travel | 5 Comments

What about measuring learning found through cultural travel experiences to counterbalance missed schooling and lower national test scores?

At the recent ACER conference in Adelaide Stephen Zubrick presented a paper on school attendance and the effects on academic performance. The Sunday Age in Melbourne picked up the story with a headline “No safe level of missing school, study … Continue reading

Posted in Family, politics, school, Travel | 1 Comment

American History – learned over a weekend.

This post continues to be written by our four staff over in Boston – this time over the weekend exploring American history.  The weekend was spent exploring Boston’s significant history, namely its prominent place as the birthplace of American independence. … Continue reading

Posted in Harvard, history, Holidays, Travel | 2 Comments

Standing on the Great Wall of China.

Posted in Travel, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

India, the brave and the beautiful

I have been travelling with Merryn, my wife, in India for a week now and have seen so much it’s hard to know where to begin. Probably I should start with today when we saw the Taj Mahal truly one … Continue reading

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A Walker Cup Event

I have just returned from the Annual Walker Cup Golf event which is in its 31st consecutive year. The event which is played over 72 holes has players coming from interstate: Perth and Brisbane. This years singles winner, Alan Roberts, … Continue reading

Posted in Family, Travel, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Cheap Communications

Last year I used my iphone whilst overseas to call and text home. Well you can imagine the bill (I had data roaming on for a little while). Once bitten we were determined not to have that again so this … Continue reading

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The ‘learning pit’ of Harvard: a data wise inquiry into what next!

We are at the end of our time at Harvard having had our presentation both acknowledged by the facility and celebrated by our American colleagues.It felt gooood! Our thinking was then sharpened over the remainder of the course to focus … Continue reading

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Sunday Street Festival at Harvard

Last Sunday we discovered the Sunday Festival at Harvard where they close the streets and have stalls selling a whole variety of goods (clothing, jewellery, food and lots of other interesting items). We discovered in one street the street chalk … Continue reading

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A Celtics Fan

Last night I (and my travelling “mate” and Assistant Principal Penny who is co-presenting at Harvard on Sunday) went to the CELTIC’S final (game 3) at the Boston Gardens. Fantastic!! The Celtics won in OT by 6 points. The whole … Continue reading

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The plus delta of an ipad overseas.

This is just a small post on what I love and find frustrtaing using the ipad as a work tool overseas. Yesterday we visited a school in Cambridge (John Tobin) and I took some photos. The ipad was great (compact, … Continue reading

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Forbidden City using Pano

Standing outside the main gate of the Forbidden City and trying to use Pano an i phone 4 app to show the size of the entrance. Its a great app which I recommend to others.

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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 | Leave a comment

Kishore Mahbubani – The New Asian Hemisphere.

Certainly one of the more challenging speakers at the recent World Convention of Principals was Kishore Mahbubani. For those not familiar with Kishore or his work, and I was one of them, he is currently a Professor in Public Policy at the … Continue reading

Posted in 2009 Singapore Conference, Leadership, school, Teaching, Travel, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 4 Comments

World Convention of the International Confederation of Principals – Singapore – a hit!

I have just returned from the 9th World Convention of the International Confederation of Principals in Singapore. It was truly an international convention with1,400 delegates from over 40 countries. It was also an opportunity to meet up with old friends … Continue reading

Posted in 2009 Singapore Conference, Leadership, Networks of Schools, school, Teaching, Travel, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment