I was standing in The Zone with an architect. The hubbub of learning engagement was all around. 180 students and six teachers call this space ‘home’ at Northern Beaches Christian School. In front of us a teacher was taking a large group through a step-by-step process on a particularly technical aspect of uploading their workContinueContinue reading “Open space learning: Let’s talk about the elephant-in-the-(class)-room. The ABC of acoustics”
Category Archives: Education
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”
Finland “only country…students leave…innovation ready” a big call. Some thoughts from my own experiences
“…it is the only country where students leave high schools “innovation ready” I have visited schools in Finland on numerous occasions now. I have found a hardworking nation – the community, its students and teachers – with a commitment to attaining high educational outcomes. Finland is definitely a nation the ‘punches above its weight’. But,ContinueContinue reading “Finland “only country…students leave…innovation ready” a big call. Some thoughts from my own experiences”
What’s your strategy to keep Gen Ys engaged and interested in teaching for the long haul*? (You may have to lead them differently)
(*about five years seems to be the long haul for these guys) Recruiting, training and retaining young teachers is a challenge. Gen Y have a high work turnover rate, so instead of rolling our collective Baby Boomer/Gen X eyes, maybe we should be considering how we keep them. We need them to stay. Our kidsContinueContinue reading “What’s your strategy to keep Gen Ys engaged and interested in teaching for the long haul*? (You may have to lead them differently)”
There’s no *place* like *home* – why comfort and community matter when we work, learn, play & create
This post is my presentation at the Education Future Forum, 15 March 2013 There is no sense of ‘place’ that is greater than ‘home’. Hugh Mackay, in What makes us tick? Ten desires that drive us says ‘My place’ is partly an anchor, partly a refuge, partly a stable point in a world that seemsContinueContinue reading “There’s no *place* like *home* – why comfort and community matter when we work, learn, play & create”
Will this be in the test, My Pyne? Old school is not way to go #weneedvision
Christopher Pyne is the Australian Education Minister in-waiting, with an election due in September this year. We have been waiting for a clear vision for the students in our nation and are yet to receive it. The current government hasn’t delivered. This piece appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald this week. Old School is wayContinueContinue reading “Will this be in the test, My Pyne? Old school is not way to go #weneedvision”
Dogfooding: Would you send your own kids to your school?
Dogfooding… It’s a curious term that I came across in the business section of my newspaper this morning. In business ‘eating your own dogfood’ refers to the scenario in which a company uses it’s own product to demonstrate its quality and capabilities. Of course, there are many extenuating circumstances in the decisions we make forContinueContinue reading “Dogfooding: Would you send your own kids to your school?”
Kicking off the new school year. Never “same old, same old” here at Northern Beaches Christian School
In Australia the end of January is the start of the new academic year. Within a few days of getting back into it I usually gaze out the window, trying to recall the vacation and thinking to myself that perhaps it was just a dream? (No, I really did have Christmas in Paris with myContinueContinue reading “Kicking off the new school year. Never “same old, same old” here at Northern Beaches Christian School”
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”
culture | learning | design 