Reading Writing Responding

There are so many ideas and arguments that seem to get bandied around online and at conferences that sometimes feel as if they lack any evidence and elaboration to explain them. These are the things that are thrown around during keynotes and chats as support for whatever is being argued. The two most common for me seem to be John Hattie's effect size and the phenomenal success of the Finnish education system. Some of the things commonly attributed to Finland are that teachers are allocated a lot of timhe to prepare and that they do not do a lot of explicit testing. The problem with these ideas is that they lack perspective and speak of Finland as if it were some sort of ahistorical commodity, rather than an organic system continuing to grow and evolve. Continuing with my recent love of audio books , I therefore decided to listen to Pasi Salsberg's Finnish Lesson . For I knew that there had to be more to Finnish edu cation than a few titbits. As I have worked my way through the...

creative commons licensed (BY) flickr photo by mrkrndvs: http://flickr.com/photos/aaron_davis/14476927585 Someone recently asked me which educational podcasts I listen to. It got me thinking about the different podcasts and what makes them each unique. Although they all focus on education and so often incorporate some element of technology and pedagogy. What makes them each unique in my view is the voice in which they provide. By 'voice' I not only mean the perspective grasped, but also the means in which it is presented. I feel that the best way to represent these differences is through different forms of refreshments and the context created through each one. RU Connected I am not sure if it is my habit of listening to the podcast at school early in the morning or it is the style of conversation, but I always feel as if I am sitting at a cafe with +Jenny Ashby  and  +Lois Smethurst  drinking a coffee and having a chat. Wandering from one subject to the ...

cc licensed (BY-NC) flickr photo by Thomas Hawk: http://flickr.com/photos/thomashawk/2355249759 I am not sure if I was being naive or slightly arrogant, but this post began its life as an effort to provide an overview of the different modes and methods of inquiry. Whether it be challenged-based, project-based, problem-based or plain old inquiry, I was trying to bring everything together in my own head, to make more sense of it all. However, what I soon realised was that the more I explored the topic, the more variants that appeared, with so many different ideas and interpretations. It all came to a head when  +Richard Olsen  shared a blog with me from  +Ewan McIntosh  on the difference between project-based learning and design learning. As you read through both McIntosh's  post , as well as various comments that follow, you realise that there is little consistency throughout. Although many of the differences are only marginal, there is littl...

It is so easy to get caught up wanting one thing, but not necessarily wanting everything that it may bring. Take for example, the following: Want an 8 cylinder car, but don't want to pay for the increase in petrol Want to use Google Apps/Chromebook at school, but don't want to invest in quality Internet and appropriate infrastructure Want to go on a holiday, but don't want to pay for accommodation Want writing proofread, but don't want to discuss any of the changes Want students to be at the centre of learning, but still as a teacher want to have all the control Want a bigger house, but don't want to clean it or pay the increase mortgage repayments Want to have a big night, but don't want to put up with the hangover in the morning And the list goes on ...  This happens in all facets of life, where there is a discrepancy between what we want and the reality of the full situation. However, it is becoming more and more pertinent in schools. So of...

Sadly, one of the first things that teachers often do is get their class lists at the start of the new year and start critiquing it, looking at who they do and don't have, making judgements about what the class will be like, long before the class has even had a chance to take shape. The question though is what impact does this have for students and their potential to prosper? I understand that it is important to be prepared, to know who is walking through the door, but when does being prepared come at the sack of the child? I believe that w ith the new year comes the opportunity to provide students with a new beginning, to start again, to break out of the mould. Although it can be a good thing to have long term relationships with the students, reinforced through interactions in and out of the classroom, this can also sometimes be a constraint. In developing rapport, we often create an understanding of who the student is - sporty, reader, gamer, social and the list goes on...