Often times understanding how people learn is like trying to master chess. It requires the ongoing commitment to gaining greater knowledge, skills and insights. Richard Elmore talks about this in the context of the instructional core; John Bransford et al. in developing a metacognitive culture within the learning space. I’m often asked to reflect on … More Worth every Winx
This year, I’ve had the privilege of being able to speak at education conferences both here in Australia and abroad. These experiences give me the opportunity to share with other passionate educators my ideas about schools and learning. There are so many people thinking differently about learning. I come away from these events excited and … More The ‘how’ agenda
There’s been discussion recently regarding the increasing demands placed on school leaders and teachers. We live in a world that demands greater accountability, transparency, productivity and performance. Education is not immune. We also have the research outlining qualities of high achieving/effective schools and the ‘high expectations’ on student and teacher performance. Parents expect their children will achieve quality … More Learning and leading
If you ask the general population about their perception of teaching, I am sure the response would be 9-3pm working day, lots of holidays. Teaching is a profession that is still defined by its (industrial) conditions. The scope of teachers work remains categorised by a school week, a school term or a school year. The … More The tip of the iceberg
I have lost count of the number of curriculum reviews I have lived through as an educator and I’m yet to be convinced that past or even current curriculum reviews actually address the real issue of how teachers’ work. It is one thing to strip back a curriculum to allow teachers greater flexibility and freedom to go deeper … More Beyond curriculum
Harvard Professor, Richard Elmore once asked ‘is it possible that schools can continue to operate in the 19th century while the rest of society moves into the 21st century?’ The simple answer is no – although the adversarial position historically adopted by unions suggests otherwise. NSW and ACT Catholic employers are currently in the process of discussions with staff and … More Enterprising schools
I observed something interesting recently regarding a question I tweeted. To provide some context, I read a blog post called the ‘Myth of Motivation‘. The post contained a quote by Fred Bucy, former president of Texas Instruments who made this point: What is effective in motivating people at one point in their careers will not be … More Understanding discipline
As I’ve mentioned previously, our focus as a system this year is on good teaching and good teacher practice. We know what the research tells us about good teachers and student learning outcomes. This of course is based on a very important assumption – the quality of leadership. Michael Fullan calls the principal the “nerve … More Learning leaders
Several years ago I attended a conference where Daniel Pink was one of the keynote speakers. I had never heard Pink speak before but I remember being impressed by his ideas and thinking. Not long after that I read ‘A Whole New Mind‘ and to this day it remains one of the books in my … More Knowledge work
There is a proverb that says ‘borrowed garments never fit well’. This is particularly apt for education systems on the journey from good to great. I believe there are two roads that can be travelled when it comes to school improvement – pay someone to do it for you or ‘sew’ your own success. One … More ‘Sew’ your own success
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