I’m trying to avoid cliches as we begin another school year but I do believe there is a greater willingness in schools to listen to the voice of learners. We are by no means where we need to be but I am buoyed when I visit schools to see students as ‘teachers’ – discussing their … More Voices of learning
The number of students today reporting mental health issues is alarming. This month on bluyonder voices, I talk to Liz Gale, a secondary teacher who is not only living the mantra ‘healthy mind, healthy body’ but wants to spread the mental health message to her students and teacher colleagues.
This month on bluyonder voices, we chat to Jeff Johnson who looks after 42,000 Canadian teachers as Executive Staff Officer, Professional Development, Alberta Teachers’ Association. After some interesting careers, Jeff saw teaching as the best way to change the world. After two decades he still believes teachers are in the relationship business. And if you’re … More Bluyonder voices podcast #11 – teachers are in the relationship business
Over Christmas I had a grandfather’s delight of reading Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to my grandson. The story follows the adventures of a girl transitioning from childhood into a never-seen-before world. Alice talks about her experiences in this new environment as ‘curioser and curioser’. It got me thinking about the importance of curiosity … More Why 2018 needs to be the year of curiosity
Emma Husar MP left school before she completed Year 12. Describing herself as a non-conformist at school, Emma went on to become the Federal Member for Lindsay in NSW. Emma has strong views on how to improve education for all learners and why society needs to value teaching more.
The fast pace world in which we live challenges us to think differently about the nature of learning and teaching. I’ve been talking a lot this year about the need to move from an improvement agenda to a transformational one. While the transformational agenda is sector blind, it does lie at the core of our … More Teachers are the new transformers
Australia has its Sport Hall of Fame, the US has its Rock and Roll Hall of Fame but where are the Education Halls of Fame? We can name the great teachers that have touched our lives but what about the great school leaders? There are a plethora of books on educational leaders and educational leadership but … More Looking for the next generation leader
Richard Branson wrote a fantastic piece last month on why there is no such thing as an ‘average’ human being. Reflecting on his own experience he writes, ‘The concept of ‘average’ has failed us in many different aspects of life – most notably in our educational institutions.’ Branson wants to see an education system that isn’t geared … More Opening the door to learning
It seems quite ironic the most effective way of becoming an independent learner is through the process of interacting with others. This was social psychologist Lev Vygotsky‘s zone of proximal development argument. Essentially we learn best when we learn from and with others. Alma Harris and Michelle Jones from the Institute of Educational Leadership, University of … More Deeper learning is shared learning
Why is it that so many students struggle with numeracy? Is it coincidence that Asian countries out perform the rest of the world when it comes to maths? Do we as teachers perpetuate the view that maths is intrinsically difficult? Seven years ago, the National Numeracy Review recommended greater emphasis in the early years be given to ‘providing students with frequent … More Making maths meaningful
bluyonder.wordpress.com 