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 Schooling has published a series of reports in recent days that have led to a flurry of interesting, often polemical,... Read More
The future is here…
This post was written for the IBM 100th Anniversary website, Shaping our Future (hit the drop down under the education topic). The future is already here – it’s just not evenly distributed. —William Gibson, quoted in The Economist, December 4, 2003 ‘The future is here’ and this oft (over) quoted line from the father of cyberpunk accurately relays how Australian children must often feel about their community’s approach... Read More
‘Shut Down The Schools!’
A new report asks a very important question in, ‘What can we learn today about the students’ aspirations, adoption and adaption of emerging technologies for learning than can help us plan for the future?’ A major national survey concluded that students were already very effectively implementing a vision of socially-based, un-tethered and digitally-rich learning on their own, in and out of school, with or without the assistance and... Read More
The Red Wheelbarrow
by William Carlos Williams (1923) so much depends upon a red wheel barrow glazed with rain water beside the white chickens. Source …so much depends upon using imagery to engage students and creating opportunities for them to use imagery to engage you… Slider credit: cc licensed ( BY NC ) flickr photo shared by justmakeit Read More
Understanding the Rise of China
Anyone who read my blog in 2010 would know how a trip to Shanghai opened my eyes to what we have all been reading about over the last few years, the rise of China. The 2009 PISA results and commentaries seemed to quantify the obvious investment, vision and an absolute respect for the importance of education that I saw in Shanghai. My reading about China has slowed to a standstill in recent months, unfortunately. However, I am keen again after watching... Read More
Teaching design for change
How many schools, that wish to innovate and recreate learning spaces for New Times, are hampered by ‘the buildings’ and ‘the space’ the community have inherited from a bygone age? How are the conditions created to best assist change to occur when funding is scant? In this TED talk Emily Pilloton explores ‘appropriate design solutions’ for places that usually do not have sufficient capital to develop innovative ideas.... Read More
Your future?
How much is your future connected to what you choose to do ‘for a living’? Many of us are lucky enough to be learning/working in the field of education as it offers such great personal and professional opportunities – and, most importantly, one is able to maintain a sense of purpose by contributing to a larger community. It is great being around young people. There is such a powerful ‘life-force’ that emanates from... Read More
What can we learn from the World Cup?
Craig Foster’s recent analysis of Spanish footballing success is likely to resound with many educators. Spain are a wonderful example to Australia because the fruits they enjoy today were cultivated over the last 20 years through an advanced youth development system, by churning out thousands of qualified coaches to educate young players and through the progressive work of Barcelona, whose players are maestros of the field. The point is, it... Read More
‘Prediction is very difficult, especially if it’s about the future’*
As I was unable to attend the Education Future Forum, held in Sydney earlier this year, Dr Phil Lambert kindly emailed me his presentation, 2010-2020: Ten Propositions for the Decade. Phil’s paper is lengthy and it is not my purpose here to cast a cold eye over it but to take one issue of interest and seek your input, dear readers. Phil has the following tables outlining some ’false dichotomies in education’ that are of particular... Read More
Tim O'Reilly Explains the Internet of Things
I really enjoyed this post from Read Write Web, the ‘Internet of Things’, highlighting Tim O’Reilly’s recent keynote. Some viewing. The first video is 5 minutes long and the second is 36 minute but worth your time. After my viewing, I had the following in my mind: Q: What does it all mean for our students, communities and for us, as learning professionals, working in large education systems endeavouring to change them?... Read More
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