One of the things that I enjoy when attending conferences is meeting like-minded and passionate teachers. Last month I presented at the Re-think and Re-imagine Conference at Deakin University and ran into Thom Fraser. Thom is a Year 6 teacher at Warrnambool Primary in Victoria and has developed a literacy program called Re-phrase it. The program … More Re-phrase it
Last Friday, Australia celebrated World Teachers’ Day. As much as it is important for us to acknowledge the work of teachers, I still believe teachers themselves are the best advocates for their profession. There is much good work happening every day in classrooms around the country and too often we never hear about. Teachers are often reluctant … More Touching the future
Is student-centred learning a given when we are talking about schooling in today’s world? Our system’s theory of action has the student at the centre but in recent times, I have begun to rethink whether the teacher should be at the centre. Without good teachers and leaders at the centre, can you improve the learning … More Teachers at the centre
Another school year has ended with some great results in the Higher School Certificate. Well done to the teachers who have laid the foundations on which our departing Year 12 students will build upon next year. Behind every successful student is a great teacher supported by a collaborative team of other professionals and instructional leaders. … More Just a teacher
I’ve just returned from presenting at the iNet Conference in Melbourne where I had the opportunity to do a little show and tell…..the iPad. I brought an iPad to demonstrate the point that learners control the device in the learning and not the reverse. This will excite some and unsettle many educators but we cannot deny what is happening … More Beyond the horizon
Is there a fundamental difference between professional development and professional learning? Can teachers be doing PD and teaching at the same time? If we define professional development as a one-off activity that takes place outside of classrooms, the answer is no. Professional development is a remnant of the 20th century when perfecting routines and tasks … More From PD to PL
I spoke to over 100 teachers on Friday at a Mindful Learning: Mindful Teaching meeting. ML:MT is our system’s response to the federal government’s national partnership to improve literacy and numeracy in primary schools. I stressed two key points to the cohort: Although MySchool has dominated the media in the last three weeks, it is not … More Teacher learning
When Professor John Hattie visited our diocese last year, he mentioned something quite astounding and profound. When teachers are together in staff rooms, they only spend five minutes on average, talking about teaching. We know that when teachers are in learning spaces they ‘do’ the business of teaching, but we also know that it is … More The work we do
The MySchool website is still making news as the media herald it as the single source of educational truth. It is a great hit with parents and the broader community. For me, the obvious flaw of the MySchool website is that it focuses our attention individual schools and not on the work of teachers as … More MySchool
In 2010, we find ourselves peering over the edge of a great chasm that has to be crossed tif we are to get to a world of new potentials. We move forward with a sense of excitement and possibilities Technology has given us a window into the future. Just look at the hype and excitment … More Out to pasture
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