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We ask lots of questions as we plan for our student's learning. Some of the questions we ask are about where they are with their learning. But perhaps we miss one important question along the way. Maybe we should be asking questions about how our students will apply what they learn? 

Identifying what our children need to learn is one of the most important processes within education. For the teacher this is the question they engage with as they design their teaching and learning units. By no means is this an easy task and the teacher must balance multiple factors to ensure that the programmes they design provide their students with the learning they require. Even the most effective sequence of lessons is of little value if what it sets out to teach has little importance in the lives our learners are likely to lead. 

With the year rushing to a close, this seems like the right time to set goals for the year ahead. To pause and consider what next and make some personal promises.  The trouble is that the history of setting New Year Resolutions is littered with failures. It is so easy at this point  in time to make commitments for change and then just a few weeks later to have forgotten what they were.

The year 2018 has been quite hectic for eLearning with newer trends taking traction. What will unfold in 2019? What are the key trends to watch out for in the coming year? I will share my thoughts on the same in this article.

What should our goal for student thinking be? How do we scaffold student thinking in ways that are meaningful while developing autonomy and encouraging students to think effectively when we are not there? What would success with thinking strategies look like? These were the challenging questions that Mark Church presented to teachers at the most recent 'Cultures of Thinking Teach Meet' hosted by Masada College.

This week I am in Florence having spent two days at "The Future of Education" conference. Visiting this city, which has played such a significant role in western history, is inspiring. It encourages one to not only look back at what was, but also to look ahead at what might be, especially when the t

All learning is a consequence of thinking. I have these words printed and posted on the wall above my desk. It is a reminder of what I believe is a vital understanding. The consequences of this one statement are quite profound. They fundamentally shape what I do as an educator and the experiences I hope to create for my learners.

Our collective ability to learn and by doing so, adapt to changing circumstances through the acquisition of new skills and dispositions is what Edward de Bono refers to as EBNE; Essential But Not Enough. - What then might education need as it develops a response to times of rapid change?

As thousands take to the streets as part of a global 'March for Science' it is worth considering the significant role that education has to play. What are the messages we need to send our students about science and what role have schools played in creating the current climate? Now seems like the time to pause and reflect on the place of science in our community and our schools.

Constructivism is one of those ideas we throw around in educational circles without stopping to think about what we mean by it. They are the terms that have multiple meanings, are at once highly technical and common usage and are likely to cause debate and disagreements. Constructivism in particular carries a quantity of baggage with it. It is a term that is appropriated by supporters of educational approaches that are in stark contrast to the opposing view; constructivism vs didactic methods or direct instruction. The question is what are the origins of constructivism and does a belief in this as an approach to understanding learning necessitate an abandonment of direct instruction or is this a false dichotomy?

You do not need to look very hard to find a report claiming that schools and education needs to change. But real change needs more than teacher blaming and increased accountability. What will drive real change is . . .

In the final weeks of 2017 a new Science & Technology Curriculum for Kindergarten to Year Six slipped into the schools of New South Wales. What does this new curriculum bring and what does it reveal about the nature of learning as we approach the year 2020?

What changes when we refer to ourselves or our students as members of the community of thinkers and learners that they are apprenticed to? What changes when we are mindful in our use of a language of identity?

Do your systems have protection against Ransomware attacks? Ransomware is a sort of malware that cybercriminals use to extort cash. It holds information to ransom with encryption or by keeping users out of their devices. Few tips to prevent Ransomware attacks: This section gives you tips on the best way to safeguard from ransomware attacks. Never click on unverified weblinks Try not to click spam emails or on unfamiliar sites. Downloads that start when you click on malicious links is one way that your system could get tainted When the ransomware is on your system, it will encrypt your information or lock your system. When the ransomware has something to hold as "hostage", it will request a payoff with the goal that you can recover your data. Paying these payoffs may seem like the easiest solution. But it is actually what the criminal needs you to do and paying these payments doesn't ensure they will give you access to your device or your data back. Never open untrusted email attachments Another way that ransomware could get onto your system is through an email attachment (Email breach) Try not to open email attachments from senders you don't trust Always download from a reliable source To decrease the risk of downloading ransomware, don't download software or media documents from unknown sites. Go to verified, trusted sites on the off chance that you need to download something. Most respectable sites will have markers of trust that you can perceive. Simply look in the hunt bar to check whether the site utilizes 'HTTPS' rather than 'HTTP.' In case you're downloading something on your mobile, ensure you download from trustworthy sources. For instance, Android telephones should use the Google Play Store to download applications and iPhone clients should use the App Store. Avoid sharing personal data If you get a call, text, or email from an untrusted source that requests personal data, don't give it out. Cybercriminals planning

Most business Entrepreneurs and Data Scientists can disclose how to triumph with (AI) and ML, yet rarely anyone can share to fail with such technologies. While the innovation is solid and publicised   there is a lot of ways to fall flat with AI. Let's talk about nine innovative approaches to censure any AI startup to bankruptcy. #1 Cut R&D expenses AI requires heavy expenditure in cutting-edge research, experimentation, advanced computing, and computing infrastructure. Any AI startup willing to create helpful AI innovations needs to spend a lot of money on innovative work (R&D). To scale down expenses in this area, cutting R&D expenses will rapidly make way to failure. #2 Technology Bubble operation Technology is confined to the social condition in which it is created. Technology never sustains itself but other various important aspects. AI has failed a few times since the commencement of computer science not for technical reasons but as a result of an absence of social need and interest at that point. Experience has taught that AI advancements can't be made in isolation from the social conditions that make them important (like medical care, Health analysis, and money). It is quite crucial to first engineer people to persuade them. Before designing the actual technology, visionaries and business visionaries convince them to suspend their questions and embrace the novelty and utility of disruptive ideas. Working in a bubble and overlooking the current necessities of society is a certain way to failure. #3 Prioritize Technology over business technique Only technology isn't enough to make progress, regardless of how strong it is. In the end, Tech startups also need a great strategy to succeed in being a business entity. Any startup that comes up short on a technique for recognizing objective business sectors, generating sales, and viably allotting and spending resources, yet gives need only to their technical resources, is destined to fail rapidly.

As we move towards this brighter future with the fear of a global pandemic somewhat alleviated, what might be our next steps? How might we apply the lessons learned so rapidly, and brutally during this past twelve-month period? Might COVID be a catalyst for the reinvention of education that so many have been calling for?

Particular patterns of pedagogy have been of most interest to me across the years, particularly those that shift the focus from what the teacher does to what the student does. With this shift comes an emphasis on understanding how students learn and with this knowledge in mind developing learning experiences that will allow them to develop their skills for learning.

To ensure reflective practice is more than an activity added to our schedule, we need to take a reflective stance. Too often, reflection becomes the thing we do at the end of a task or the end of the day. We look back and contemplate what was, and with that in mind, we look forward to what we might do differently next time. It is in this way a very reactionary process. By all means, this form of reflection has its place, and it can be a powerful strategy to deploy as we seek to learn from experience. If we value reflective practice, we will be sure to set aside time for this form of reflection on a routine basis. By engaging in reflection habitually, we ensure that it is a routine part of our day. But adopting a reflective stance can make this more powerful.

These two powerful questions framed a recent webinar presented by Professor David Perkins of Harvard Graduate School of Education's Project Zero. Answering these questions and helping teachers find meaningful and contextually relevant answers to these questions has been a focus of Perkins' work, especially in recent times. His book "Future Wise: Educating Our Children for a Changing World" introduced us to the notion of lifeworthy learning or that which is "likely to matter in the lives our learners are likely to live". This is a powerful notion and one that has the potential to change not only what we teach but also how we go about teaching what we do.

What place does documentation play in our learning environments? What roles might it play?