Australia and Denmark
Carsten’s blog post led me to write today. cc licensed ( BY NC SD ) flickr photo shared by attila acs In the last few months, on returning from Denmark, I have often tried to articulate what are the similarities and differences between our nations. The events and coverage of Australia Day 2012 encapsulate [...]
Staff Development Day – ideas for 1:1 laptop learning
Colleagues, Your mission today is to spend some time thinking and sharing about learning in your 1:1 laptop classroom. The key issue about learning in a 1:1 laptop classroom is not the technology but the pedagogy. Today we will share our knowledge, accumulated over the least three years since the rollout of netbooks, using an online [...]
Glass half full?
A leader is a dealer in hope. cc licensed ( BY NC ND ) flickr photo shared by artfulblogger I retweeted this quote on Twitter this morning as it reflects what students need at school and we all need in life – hope. Hope that the future holds wonder, love and forgiveness. Hope that it will all be [...]
iBooks Author
cc licensed ( BY NC ND ) flickr photo shared by billaday The announcement of new education tools at the ‘Apple Special Event’ excites many and leaves others with a range of concerns. Here’s a guide to this Apple education initiative if you do not watch the presentation. iBooks Author is what excites me. I [...]
Connectivism and Connective Knowledge #CCK12
Connectivism and Connective Knowledge is an open online course that over 12 weeks explores the concepts of connectivism and connective knowledge and explore their application as a framework for theories of teaching and learning. Participation is open to everyone and there are no fees or subscriptions required. Connectivism and Connective Knowledge #CCK12 is a Massive Open [...]
The best of both worlds: an anecdote
I have been asked to ‘lecture’ at the University of Wollongong this year. This position gives me the privilege of working with tertiary students preparing to become English teachers. This is an exciting opportunity and while preparing, thinking about the idealistic and the pragmatic, it became evident to me that the experience of organising to teach [...]
Intellectual Ancestries and Philosophies of Education
For educators dieting on a menu of progressive blog posts and viral education videos, it’s enticing to think that we might just be at a tipping point for transforming education. The Clever Sheep (back in April) cc licensed ( BY NC SD ) flickr photo shared by Truthout.org When I read the above sentence from [...]
Your Daily Bread?
What online and tech tools do you use daily in your personal and professional life? Have they changed in the last two years? What has failed to ‘work’ for you? I am having a little tidy – before the New Year – and was thinking about 2011. This is a brief ‘Christmas’ post (a list [...]
Optimism & Resilience: Third Annual Conference
Our annual school conference is a special way to end the year on a high that we all look forward too. I blogged about our last two events and this year we again pilgrimaged to the Nan Tien Temple in Wollongong. It was another rewarding experience. Reverend Yo opened the day with Tai Chi and the conference with [...]
Representation, Composites and Frank Hurley
“…had a long argument with Hurley who wants to be able to make ‘composite’ pictures for his exhibition” * CEW Bean Introduction I love the story of Frank Hurley (1885-1962). He left school at 12 and escaped the drudgery of a working class life at the turn of the century through a passion for photography [...]
Australia and Denmark
Carsten’s blog post led me to write today. cc licensed ( BY NC SD ) flickr photo shared by attila acs In the last few months, on returning from Denmark, I have often tried to articulate what are the similarities and differences between our nations. The events and coverage of Australia Day 2012 encapsulate [...]
Staff Development Day – ideas for 1:1 laptop learning
Colleagues, Your mission today is to spend some time thinking and sharing about learning in your 1:1 laptop classroom. The key issue about learning in a 1:1 laptop classroom is not the technology but the pedagogy. Today we will share our knowledge, accumulated over the least three years since the rollout of netbooks, using an online [...]
Glass half full?
A leader is a dealer in hope. cc licensed ( BY NC ND ) flickr photo shared by artfulblogger I retweeted this quote on Twitter this morning as it reflects what students need at school and we all need in life – hope. Hope that the future holds wonder, love and forgiveness. Hope that it will all be [...]
iBooks Author
cc licensed ( BY NC ND ) flickr photo shared by billaday The announcement of new education tools at the ‘Apple Special Event’ excites many and leaves others with a range of concerns. Here’s a guide to this Apple education initiative if you do not watch the presentation. iBooks Author is what excites me. I [...]
Connectivism and Connective Knowledge #CCK12
Connectivism and Connective Knowledge is an open online course that over 12 weeks explores the concepts of connectivism and connective knowledge and explore their application as a framework for theories of teaching and learning. Participation is open to everyone and there are no fees or subscriptions required. Connectivism and Connective Knowledge #CCK12 is a Massive Open [...]
The best of both worlds: an anecdote
I have been asked to ‘lecture’ at the University of Wollongong this year. This position gives me the privilege of working with tertiary students preparing to become English teachers. This is an exciting opportunity and while preparing, thinking about the idealistic and the pragmatic, it became evident to me that the experience of organising to teach [...]
Intellectual Ancestries and Philosophies of Education
For educators dieting on a menu of progressive blog posts and viral education videos, it’s enticing to think that we might just be at a tipping point for transforming education. The Clever Sheep (back in April) cc licensed ( BY NC SD ) flickr photo shared by Truthout.org When I read the above sentence from [...]
Your Daily Bread?
What online and tech tools do you use daily in your personal and professional life? Have they changed in the last two years? What has failed to ‘work’ for you? I am having a little tidy – before the New Year – and was thinking about 2011. This is a brief ‘Christmas’ post (a list [...]
Optimism & Resilience: Third Annual Conference
Our annual school conference is a special way to end the year on a high that we all look forward too. I blogged about our last two events and this year we again pilgrimaged to the Nan Tien Temple in Wollongong. It was another rewarding experience. Reverend Yo opened the day with Tai Chi and the conference with [...]
Representation, Composites and Frank Hurley
“…had a long argument with Hurley who wants to be able to make ‘composite’ pictures for his exhibition” * CEW Bean Introduction I love the story of Frank Hurley (1885-1962). He left school at 12 and escaped the drudgery of a working class life at the turn of the century through a passion for photography [...]
How to live
‘Montaigne liked to present himself as an ordinary man, distinguished from others only by his habit of writing things down’. I am halfway through Montaigne’s essays and recommend them as great reflections to keep on your bedside table. If you are interested in the seismic shifts we have experienced in our hyperconnected age – the rise of the [...]
Summer Holiday Reading
Because in my memory of childhood there is always the smell of bubbling tar, of Pinke Zinke, the briny smell of the sea. It is always summer and I am on Scarborough Beach, blinded by light, with my shirt off and my back a map of dried salt and peeling sunburn. There are waves cracking [...]
My Edublog Award Nominations for 2011
The Edublog Awards provides opportunity to grow the community of edubloggers and let others know how professionally and personally important they are to us. It also gives one a chance to update blogrolls. I couldn’t believe that I had left some of my favourite bloggers of my roll. Apologies…and apologies to any friends, colleagues and bloggers [...]
Year 10 English in 2012
cc licensed ( BY SD ) flickr photo shared by Josef Grunig I am excited at the prospect of teaching Year 10 English next year; the first time since 2005. The NSW Board of Studies has been instructed to abolish the School Certificate and there are great opportunities for teachers, with the extra time suddenly available, [...]
Teachers and Social Media
“If we can’t do it, we can’t teach it. And if we can’t teach it, we’re out of business.” from STRICTLY BALLROOM cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo shared by Dell’s Official Flickr Page I read Steve Wheeler’s PLN post, ‘Tools of the trade’ this weekend and it made me wonder, what real penetration into [...]
The Melbourne Declaration, Democracy and School
…please strive to maximise [my daughters'] potential…so that they can contribute to and enjoy the fruits of living within an Australian society that is fair, just, tolerant, honourable, knowledgeable, prosperous and happy. Dr Paul Brock Goal 2: All young Australians become successful learners, confident and creative individuals, and active and informed citizens ’Melbourne Declaration’ The Melbourne Declaration on [...]
Building a school in Cambodia
My friend and colleague, Lynette Lanham, is celebrating a significant birthday early next year by asking her friends and colleagues to support the construction of a school in Cambodia. What a wonderful idea! Lynette travelled to Cambodia last year and was entranced by the beauty of the country while becoming increasingly aware of the ongoing [...]
Somnambulism
The characteristic symptoms are walking or exhibiting other activities while seemingly still asleep. Some people mistakenly believe that a sleepwalker should not be awakened. It is not dangerous to awaken a sleepwalker, although it is common for the person to be confused or disoriented for a short time when they wake up. cc licensed ( [...]
‘The New Science of the Teenage Brain’
The current October edition of National Geographic has an interesting article on the ‘teenage brain’. I do not usually buy this magazine but waiting for ferries in Hong Kong, and the incredibly inexpensive cover price compared with Australia, has led me to buy a couple recently for articles of ongoing interest. The New Science of the Teenage [...]
Discovery College
My Twitter buddy @dimac4, otherwise known as Dianne McKenzie, kindly invited me to visit her school, Discovery College today. I love checking out schools and this was a good opportunity, while we are staying in Hong Kong, on our return from Europe. I love quotes and walking into this school of 1000 students noticed: cc licensed ( BY NC SD [...]
Viborg Katedralskole
My time at Viborg Katedralskole is coming to an end in a few days, which saddens me greatly. The liberal Danish ethos towards education and the general willingness of the students to engage with learning and life has been a joy to experience. The staff are very collegial. I have enjoyed their company and appreciated the professional encouragement [...]
Conclusions: Waiting for Gonski (Part 4)
Each report reaches conclusions and offers advice to the panel. The following comments are not a comprehensive analysis of these findings but my conclusions about what is the best advice. I am interested in Australians having a ‘high equity, high quality’ system and my comments are to be viewed from this perspective. The politics of [...]
The Education Revolution: Pledge
cc licensed ( BY NC SD ) flickr photo shared by Darcy Moore I am currently listen to the live stream from TEDxLondon of the #EducationRevolution. Here are the speakers and the Facebook page for the event. Sir Ken Robinson has just opened the conference with his usual inspiring clarity. His anecdote relating Peter Brook‘s beliefs regarding theatre, that you can strip almost everything [...]
The Reports: Waiting for Gonski (Part 3)
cc licensed ( BY NC SD ) flickr photo shared by Oberazzi Have you read the reports commissioned by the Gonski Review of Funding for Schooling panel? I will briefly outline the ‘research questions’ each report was trying to answer or assess for the panel. My purpose is to clearly understand the scope of each [...]
Education and Democracy
cc licensed ( BY NC SD ) flickr photo shared by Darcy Moore The vibrant student participation at Viborg Katedralskole in the wider life of the Danish community continues to delight and impress. The Danish election is on the 15th September and students are very actively engaged, in a variety of platforms, with the political dialogue of [...]
The Eye of the Future: Waiting for Gonski (Part 2)
All agree that the educational and political issues David Gonski and his panel must sift through are formidable. Maybe we need to simplify. If you asked an Australian person the following question, how would they likely respond? Should all Australian children be provided with a high quality education regardless of social background? The vast majority of [...]
Waiting for Gonski (Part 1)
On 31 August 2011, the Review of Funding for Schooling panel released a Paper on Commissioned Research and four research reports, seeking feedback from the general public. It is important to note that these research reports do not necessarily reflect the views of the panel. Source The Review of Funding for [...]
Twitter and Edmodo in Denmark
You may have read these musings about hashtags and citizenship after the #LondonRiots. This post is a brief reflective piece about a series of lessons with classes and Professional Development sessions with staff at Viborg Katedralskole (check the new website) focusing on student engagement, Twitter and Edmodo. It has been very enjoyable for me to be back [...]
A day, make that week, to remember…
It was a memorable day for the the community of Viborg Katedralskole! The former Danish Prime Minister and current Secretary General of NATO, Anders Fogh Rasmussen visited his ‘old school’ for several hours (on the day when the Danish election was announced). His speech to the students was well-received and he answered questions for quite a [...]
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