In my international travels I’ve seen many amazing schools, universities and libraries, some that are visually stunning, but often there is something missing. Designing spaces for effective work and learning requires the connection of three distinct ‘spaces’ – cultural, technological and physical – each in harmony. When one is missing you are stuck in… …a waitingContinueContinue reading “Designing effective spaces for working and learning: How to avoid the factory, the treadmill and the waiting room”
Category Archives: Change
Putting the legs on vision. Making it scalable, sustainable and enduring
There are some people who embrace change and others have change thrust upon them. There are a few who are visionary leaders, some who put legs on vision, others who are swept along and a handful who doggedly hang onto the status quo. Which are you? I’m one of the people ‘who put legs onContinueContinue reading “Putting the legs on vision. Making it scalable, sustainable and enduring”
Why innovate? Answer inspired by Ghandi ‘Serving the unserved’
Lasting innovation comes from identifying and responding to need – human need. We are often reminded that people in developing nations are amazing innovators – living, that is staying alive, on less than $1 per day. Ghandi is known as a liberator and revolutionary of his people, yet he approached the issues of tackling theContinueContinue reading “Why innovate? Answer inspired by Ghandi ‘Serving the unserved’”
10 [educational] New Year Resolutions for your 2013
New Year resolutions provide an opportunity to press the reset button on life. So here is a start for thinking about how you will step into 2013 and make some changes. 10. I will discover new ways of achieving the same outcome. One first step to reinventing learning is to think of new ways to bothContinueContinue reading “10 [educational] New Year Resolutions for your 2013”
Leaders, Change school education in four easy steps (As if it were that simple!)
When it comes to rethinking school education I can be overwhelmed at the task and get stuck , or I can do something. The choice to take action is always the best course, but I need to be realistic about the change that is possible. I could look at our government education policy and giveContinueContinue reading “Leaders, Change school education in four easy steps (As if it were that simple!)”
She stepped back and replied, “You’re not one of those schools-with-no-walls, are you?” Who gets it and who doesn’t.
We talk about our passions, they just come up in conversations. sometimes we don’t even realise. On the weekend I briefly met a young woman in her 20s who turned out to be English teacher from an inner London Academy. Once she heard about my work and why I was in the UK she stepped backContinueContinue reading “She stepped back and replied, “You’re not one of those schools-with-no-walls, are you?” Who gets it and who doesn’t.”
Coined the term ‘pedagogic nostalgia’ referring to those who long for how school was once. Let’s help them change.
We had a great time today talking learning, schools and education with some forward thinking principals from a rural area in our state. As I was talking I used the term ‘pedagogic nostalgia’, referring to the way many parents long for, either, the education they had or the one they dream of for their kids.ContinueContinue reading “Coined the term ‘pedagogic nostalgia’ referring to those who long for how school was once. Let’s help them change.”
Are governments just polishing the chrome on the 1965 vehicle, when we need to design a new hybrid model?
Over the past few years ‘education’ in the media followed politicians announcing large-scale projects. The Australian Government’s 2009 GFC stimulus package, ‘Building the Education Revolution’, was more of a building program and the 2007 ‘Digital Education Revolution’ (Year 9 1:1 laptop program) was an election promise that seemed to misunderstand the future technology needs forContinueContinue reading “Are governments just polishing the chrome on the 1965 vehicle, when we need to design a new hybrid model?”
I think the time has come to stop using the term 21st Century [education context] & become authentic #RIP21stC
It has been the passionate rallying call for change in education for more than a decade and has challenged many of us to rethink the context and culture of learning in this century as significantly different from the previous one. Now that we are more than 10% into it, our use of 21st Century in terms ofContinueContinue reading “I think the time has come to stop using the term 21st Century [education context] & become authentic #RIP21stC”
“We shape our buildings, and afterwards our buildings shape us.” (Churchill) Rethinking spaces to learn & work
Churchill was well-known for his classic quotes at a time of crisis: “We shall fight them on the beaches” “Never Give In” His humorous retorts: Lady Astor: “If I were married to you, I’d put poison in your coffee.” Churchill: “If I were married to you, I’d drink it.” On the rebuilding of the HouseContinueContinue reading ““We shape our buildings, and afterwards our buildings shape us.” (Churchill) Rethinking spaces to learn & work”
culture | learning | design 