This year has been one of upheaval, innovation, and the same old gripes in education. If you’ve been reading my blogs, you already know I’m a bit of a cynic and I sound like a broken record, but let’s face it—education is one of those fields that’s always “on the brink of change,” yet somehowContinue reading “Edtopia 2024: Hype, Hope, and the Same Old Headaches”
Tag Archives: teaching
Inclusive Education Isn’t Broken, It’s Underfunded: A Call for Real Change
Inclusive education—everyone nods along when we say it’s important. It’s about making sure every child, no matter their background or abilities, gets the education they deserve. But let’s face it: the system is a mess, and the heavy lifting is being done by teachers who are struggling to keep up. What we need is aContinue reading “Inclusive Education Isn’t Broken, It’s Underfunded: A Call for Real Change”
Ignore the Naysayers: Why Australia’s Education System is Stronger Than You Think
If you only read the headlines, you’d think Australia’s education system is on the brink of collapse. Recent headlines include: “Six ways Australia’s education system is failing our kids,” “One-third of Australian children can’t read properly as teaching methods cause ‘preventable tragedy’, Grattan Institute says,” and “Why Australia’s students keep falling behind.” The news isContinue reading “Ignore the Naysayers: Why Australia’s Education System is Stronger Than You Think”
Paper over Pixels: The Unrecognised Benefits of Traditional Learning
Everywhere I look, and every article I read seems to promise that AI will save or destroy the world. Let’s hope that, for our sake, it is the former. In educational circles, the promise of AI is compelling. Tools like adaptive learning platforms, AI tutors, and automated grading systems are projected to make learning moreContinue reading “Paper over Pixels: The Unrecognised Benefits of Traditional Learning”
The Standards Dilemma: Aligning Goals and Incentives in Australian Education
As an expat American, I’ve always been intrigued—and frankly, baffled—by the Australian schooling system. It’s a system riddled with contradictions that simply don’t add up. Take New South Wales (NSW), where I currently reside and have taught. NSW operates on a syllabus-based system of education. This syllabus tells teachers what to teach, and it’s supposedlyContinue reading “The Standards Dilemma: Aligning Goals and Incentives in Australian Education”
The Paradox of Standardisation in Australian Education: A Step Back from Progress
In an era when Australia ambitiously strides towards professionalising and valuing its teaching workforce, paradoxically, it tethers these professionals to a framework of stringent standardisation. This juxtaposition not only stunts educational progress but also undermines the very essence of the professionalisation that was painstakingly championed. As an advocate for unorthodox thinking in the realms ofContinue reading “The Paradox of Standardisation in Australian Education: A Step Back from Progress”
Teaching Strategies Part 4: The Promise and Pitfalls of Educational Research
This post, the fourth and penultimate in the Teaching Strategies series, will delve into the nuanced world of teaching strategies, guided by what research reveals and its limitations. I aim to provide a nuanced view that respects the complexity of educational research while offering clear, actionable advice to current and future educators. Educational research hasContinue reading “Teaching Strategies Part 4: The Promise and Pitfalls of Educational Research”
Herding Cats in the Classroom: Tackling the Tumult with Tactics and Tenacity
First, let’s address the elephant in the room: kids are maniacs. The young ones are adorable, the teens are budding adults, and all kids are the future of our society, but they are also bundles of chaos. And, if you think corralling these young minds is as easy as saying “please” and “thank you” orContinue reading “Herding Cats in the Classroom: Tackling the Tumult with Tactics and Tenacity”
Band-Aids on Behemoths: Decoding the Sisyphean Saga of Classroom Chaos
In the evolving landscape of education, one of the most pressing challenges that consistently emerges is student behaviour and the challenges this poses to teachers, who have consistently ranked this among the most complex challenges they face for the past 60 years, yes – SIXTY Years. I wrote the following passage in my thesis backContinue reading “Band-Aids on Behemoths: Decoding the Sisyphean Saga of Classroom Chaos”
Maximising Student Potential 