In a time where much of the debate around education is linked to performance on national and international assessments such as PISA, TIMMS, PIRLS and in Australia, NAPLAN combined with calls for market-driven reforms there is a danger that a climate of competition between schools and systems will grow.

An increasingly significant aspect of literacy is an awareness of the visual elements that fall beyond the traditional components of written text. Termed 'Visual Literacy' this is the ability to read and create communications that use visual elements. It combines the skills of traditional literacy with knowledge of design, art, graphic arts, media and human perception. It takes literacy further beyond a decoding of text to a decoding of the complete package around the communication.

'Inside the Black Box' was written by Black and William in 1998 and in it they describe the classroom as a black box with inputs and outputs but what occurred inside was a mystery. For many teachers the reality has been that what occurs in their classroom has been both private and isolating, a matter between the teacher and his or her students but a task largely tackled alone. But this isolationist view is, in the age of the social media and networking increasingly challenged and more and more teachers are finding their voice, sharing their ideas and gaining valuable insights from a global community of connected educators.

There is an innate beauty and wonder in History. How might we ensure students receive the maximum benefit from their study of History? How do we encourage them to see History as more than content?

A discussion of curriculum review and nationalisation reveals a messy field with no clear way of meeting the needs of all involved. What lessons might we learn from high-performing international systems and what are the dangers of borrowing ideas?

There is a danger in seeking finished perfection in all that we do. There is a risk that our students will focus solely on the attributes that define a finished piece and overlook the importance of the process that leads to it.

In the song 'There's a Hole in the Bucket' we are introduced to Liza and Henry as the overcome the difficulties caused by a bucket with a a hole in it. Liza sets Henry the task of collecting water but as we soon find out this is no simple task.

Recently I read Amanda Ripley's thought provoking book 'The Smartest Kids in the World: And How They Got That Way' in which through a comparative study of foreign exchange students she reports from the inside on the modern powerhouses of education. Amanda set out to explain why some countries are able to outperform others on PISA scores.

Assessment is an essential component of the teaching and learning cycle but sadly it is one that is often misunderstood. If we are to have any hope of getting it right we must begin with a sound understanding of what we hope to achieve, what is being assessed, who is being assessed and what will be done once the results are available.

Genius Hour - The idea is simple, identify a block of time and give it over to the students as an opportunity for them to create a learning experience of their own. But while the idea is simple implementing such a plan can be challenging and there are aspects of such a project that require careful planning and a clear philosophical understanding before you begin.

With one term down now is the perfect time to look back and identify what has worked and suggest some areas for growth ahead of Term Two. - Stand Up Meetings, Genius Hour, Science, History, Optional Homework, Growth Mindsets

Recently I read 'Good to Great' by Jim Collins a book that describes the processes and structures that allowed eleven companies to transition from good to great and outperform the market by a factor of three for sustained periods. One story stands out as a metaphor for a growth mindset.

Of all the topics that can be discussed around Education, homework is possibly the one most likely to cause heated debate. It is either an essential component of learning, the foundation of positive behaviours for learning as an adult or a waste of time and energy that robs students of valuable time with family and friends. But can we make homework something that benefits everyone?

A recent lesson with my Year Six class reminded me of the fear teachers face when confronted by the unknown. I thought the lesson would go quite smoothly, I have taught it before but this time things went in an unexpected and frightening direction.

You might not want to buy this book.' These are not my words but the first line of the authors foreword, a warning that this book by Patrick Rothfuss is not for everyone but it is for anyone who loves words and quality literature.

We all want to see our students and our children grow into happy, balanced and successful adults but exactly what that means and how it is to be achieved are areas of uncertainty. Into this debate comes Carol Dweck's research into 'Mindsets' and how individual differences in our approach to the world dictate our ultimate experiences of success or disappointment.

A comparison of traditional dictionaries and internet based options for finding meaning in words

Recently I have been thinking about the role I play in encouraging my students to think and to trust in themselves as capable learners. This is largely due to the topic of our Term Four Unit of Inquiry.

Inspired by a quote from Patrick Rothfuss' King Killer Chronicles, this article considers the sort of questions we need to ask our students and how we can guide them towards asking creative questions.