Group items tagged

An interesting post on digital footprint and blogging.

Alex Quigley explores the topic of group work. Rather than a clear answer, he provides a excellent series of reflective questions to guide things. If we accept the notion of the 'wisdom of crowds', then what is the magic number for group size? There is no fixed answer, but research evidence shows that any group size above six is unlikely to be effective. Why is this? Well, successful group work relies on group goals, but alongside individual responsibility. With too many students in a group it is too easy for social loafing (students putting in less effort when they know they can because other group members pick up the slack) to happen. Better to have a smaller groups, such as trios or fours. Of course, even then, they'll need training.

"An awful lot of schooling still consists of making kids cram forgettable facts into short-term memory. And the kids themselves are seldom consulted about what they're doing, even though genuine excitement about (and proficiency at) learning rises when they're brought into the process, invited to search for answers to their own questions and to engage in extended projects. Outstanding classrooms and schools - with a rich documentary record of their successes - show that the quality of education itself can be improved. But books, articles, TED talks, and teacher-training sessions devoted to the wonders of adopting a growth mindset rarely bother to ask whether the curriculum is meaningful, whether the pedagogy is thoughtful, or whether the assessment of students' learning is authentic (as opposed to defining success merely as higher scores on dreadful standardized tests). "

"The following account comes from a veteran HS teacher who just became a Coach in her building. Because her experience is so vivid and sobering I have kept her identity anonymous. But nothing she describes is any different than my own experience in sitting in HS classes for long periods of time. And this report of course accords fully with the results of our student surveys.  "

This is a collection of resources that can be used by educators or students regarding the issue of digital citizenship. Note: the questions used here are targeted primarily at high school students, but many of these questions apply to anyone new to the topic

"Education Kit The State Library of New South Wales and the Centre for Learning Innovation have collaborated to develop interactive learning activities for primary and secondary school students. Teachers and students can investigate further the original letters, diaries and artworks by members of the First Fleet that are held in the State Library's collections. Topics include: Bennelong Indigenous Contact Port Jackson Sydney Cove and the First Fleet Australia Day The Kangaroo  Rose Hill"

Great blog post from Pernille Ripp where she argues that we need to give students the freedom to read so that they may want to read.

Great blog post from Pernille Ripp where she argues that we need to give students the freedom to read so that they may want to read.

A study into the impacts of NAPLAN and other such testing on students.

An interesting reflection on formative assessment and some simple ideas of how to incorporate it into the classroom.

Interesting analysis of education setup in Victoria from Geoff Maslen, including a comparison between Scotch College and Brookside P-9 College

A fantastic numeracy resource for Grade 3-6 students! Plenty of problem solving and logic based games that link straight into student interests.

Using thinking tools is one way to "make thinking visible" and help our students explain their thoughts in a simple and explicit way. As the team from Project Zero themselves say "Visible Thinking includes a large number of classroom routines, easily and flexibly integrated with content learning, and representing areas of thinking such as understanding, truth and evidence, fairness and moral reasoning, creativity, self-management, and decision making. It also provides tools for integrating the arts with subject-matter content. Finally, it includes a practical framework for how to create "cultures of thinking" in individual classrooms and within an entire school."

A great post from Kath Murdoch in which she outlines how inquiry teacher teach. What I really liked about it is that even if you don't 'do inquiry' you can still take some of the facets of an inquiry teacher.

A great summary of how to go about doing research online from Chris Betcher.

Graded according to year level. Mainly for Literacy and Numeracy but all subjects covered. Tutorials, videos, interactive activities, assessments, worksheets.

Used by over 70,000 teachers & 1 million students at home and school. Studyladder is an online english literacy & mathematics learning tool. Kids activity games, worksheets and lesson plans for Primary and Junior High School students in Australia.

Findings suggest that smaller class sizes in the first four years of school can have an important and lasting impact on student achievement.

A great post from Jason Borton discussing how he worked with his leadership team to refocus his school on learning.