Rio 2016 holds a special place in my heart. My cousin Dario, who lives in Torino Italy, is part of the Italian Olympic team. He is a "maestro" of the Italian fencing team which has performed brilliantly, winning one gold and three silver medals. My cousin started fencing at the age of nine, when his … [Read more...] about My Olympic Connection
Representative Learning Design
Following on from Andre's post last week from Mark O'Sullivan on developing tactical creativity in team sports, I thought I would share another from Mark on 'Representative Learning Design,' a key principle in practice design. What is Representative Learning Design? For the purpose of … [Read more...] about Representative Learning Design
What’s your Super Power? I Teach
There was a recent article in the newspaper about our college. Perhaps you have read it. It made me feel very proud to be a part of such an extraordinary college but it also made me feel a little sad that there was little emphasis on the teaching staff. Yes. I get it. I do work with quite the … [Read more...] about What’s your Super Power? I Teach
Knowledge Is Key
As football becomes a more renown sport in Australia, the possibility and opportunity of one day becoming a professional footballer is becoming less and less. This does not mean that individuals are becoming less talented but rather it takes a great deal more to “make it” than it ever has before. … [Read more...] about Knowledge Is Key
A time to be proud – but not satisfied
This week I attended a two day Heads of Sport conference, 'Taking it to the Next Level' in the glorious Hunter Valley region. The event was attended by over 150 PDHPE teachers and sports professionals including ex Olympic coaches and professional sports psychologists. I was proud to be invited by … [Read more...] about A time to be proud – but not satisfied
PBL. Authenticity of Knowledge
Traditionally, lots of college work looks like a ladder to climb. Modernist teaching methods advocate for teachers to follow a set of lesson plans in a sequence. The routine of college is then a set of activities that are ruled by a timetable. The bigger the college, the more subjects offered … [Read more...] about PBL. Authenticity of Knowledge
Winners focus on winning
With the Rio Olympics in full swing and daily examples of amazing achievement, this picture has been doing the rounds on the internet. It shows one of Michael Phelps’ competitors looking over at him mid-race to check on his progress and is accompanied by the quote, ‘Winners focus on winning. … [Read more...] about Winners focus on winning
Curiosity and Advancement
It is interesting that curiosity, from a biological point of view, is a concept that has never been pinpointed, even though a widely accepted definition is ‘the motivation that stimulates us to seek new information’. Curiosity is the basic essential ingredient of scientific and general development. … [Read more...] about Curiosity and Advancement
Father’s Day 2016
Don't forget Dad this coming Father's Day, September 4. Dads are often forgotten ....:-) IFS is planning to do a Father's Day breakfast on Thursday, September 1 starting at 7:30am and finishing at 9:00am. We will be serving a complimentary hot and cold breakfast for fathers and students, hot and … [Read more...] about Father’s Day 2016
The Universe in a Snowflake
How often do we stray from what we would normally do? I rarely sit to watch TV but when I do it’s usually to watch sport or maybe a good documentary. Instead of watching a football game last week I chose to watch the ABC that was showing “Forces of Nature With Brian Cox - Episode 1 - The Universe … [Read more...] about The Universe in a Snowflake