Last week I supervised the college's National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy, NAPLAN. It makes some teachers shudder and some students break out in a sweat. As a teacher, I believe assessment is necessary. It’s necessary to support the ability of teachers to focus on areas of need … [Read more...] about NAPLAN
Look Outside Your Window
My wife Natalie is an avid nature photographer and spends hours outside watching the creatures who live on our property. When I am outside I am generally focused on a job – mowing the lawn, cleaning the pool or playing with my boys. Often too busy to take much notice … [Read more...] about Look Outside Your Window
Learning in Stage 3
Last term our PBL, (Project Based Learning), primarily focused on research projects. These projects provided both individual and group work activities and outcomes. It was interesting to note the massive improvement in the class's ability to self regulate and work collaboratively, especially … [Read more...] about Learning in Stage 3
Busy Times in Stage 3
caresmorepics Stage 3 have had a busy week out of the classroom. Monday and Tuesday we had the CARES Bike Safety Education days. The police commented on how “energetic” the kids were but also how positive and happy they were too. They enjoyed the day and the competitive streak to keep all their … [Read more...] about Busy Times in Stage 3
What can I do?
I recently read an article by sociologist Paul Carr, entitled, “Fifteen Things Education Students Can Do to Transform Themselves In/Through/With Education”. The article was fundamentally about how both students studying to be teachers and those actually working as teachers often feel that their … [Read more...] about What can I do?
What’s Happening in Stage 3
Coming from a mainstream primary setting but having dabbled in Project Based Learning for the last three years, I now believe it is an effective way to teach concepts in an engaging real-world way. This type of learning does take some adjusting to, especially if you've come from a more structured … [Read more...] about What’s Happening in Stage 3