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A list of the best graphic novels for children and teens reviewed in the past 12 months in Booklist suggests, it was a good year for sweeping, seafaring adventures, but all of the books point to the remarkable versatility of the comics format to deliver thrills, laughs, and ideas to all kinds of readers.

According to recent research findings, e-learning has reached the point in the Australian Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector where it has tipped over into the mainstream with 50% of employers and 51% of Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) saying they use some online learning activities with learners. 90% of trainees say they want it. Yet for the past four surveys, practitioners are rapidly losing confidence in the ability of e-learning to improve learning outcomes for students. What's going on?

Weather Spark is a new site that offers weather data from more than 4,000 weather stations around the world. Not only is there data from more than 4,000 stations, there is also data going back more than fifty years. All of this data can be used to create comparisons of current weather conditions around the world, comparisons of current and past weather conditions, and to view global climate trends.

Some interesting tools and how they might be used mentioned in the post. "In the past, limited access placed a hardship on teachers to meet the diverse needs of their students, especially when school resources are limited. In this brave new world, we are fortunate to live and work in an environment where the possibilities are endless for getting students what they need when they need it, and in a format that works best for them. How are you tapping possibilities to meet learner needs?"

"My first ACEC (Australian Computers in Education Conference) was two weeks ago in Adelaide. Many colleagues and ISTE friends from Australia and beyond had shared their past experiences with this reputable event, so now I am 'back' in Oz it was time for me to find out more. "

Experience shapes our understanding of the world and our responses to it. Our past influences our decision making and constrains our imaginations of what is and is not possible. Understanding this is a crucial step towards change; a first step towards discovering a better way to do things. Until we understand how our experience is limiting our imaginations we will continue to be restrained by the way things have always been done. 

The past five days have provided me with an amazing learning experience as I have attended ICOT 2018. With the conference just wrapped up and with Florida providing another remarkably wet afternoon, here are some initial reflections.  

I have just had the opportunity to spend the weekend learning alongside a large group of mathematics teachers. After a day and a half of talking and thinking about mathematics teaching, I am excited to get back to school and try out some new ideas. There were also some key takeaways for me that I share below. These are the questions or wonderings that my mind wandered to while listening to the numerous talented speakers over the past two days.

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?

I am wanting to take a slightly different approach to this weeks post. The past week has seen the latest round of PISA results and the media has had a field day. Headlines have routinely attacked students, educators and education systems in equal measure. The Canberra Times reported that "Australian school scores plummet on world stage", the Sydney Morning Herald led with "Alarm bells': Australian students record worst result in global tests" and The Weekend Australian went with "PISA global educational rankings: Schools fail on maths, science". 

The PZ Sydney Network has achieved many of its goals in the past five years. Most importantly the network has been able to provide high-quality professional development to many educators through free events large and small and both face-to-face and online. The PZ Sydney Network has been able to expand its reach and in recognition of this is transforming to become the PZ Australia Network.

Atherectomy devices are used to treat atherosclerosis, which is also called atherectomy is the blocking of the arteries and the subsequent atherosclerosis of the affected area. There are various types of atherectomy procedures available and their duration depends on the cause of the blockage. In the past, the most common method of removing the hard plaques was arthroscopic or laser surgery. However, today laser surgery with atherectomy devices has become less risky due to its new techniques, such as beam therapy. With the advancement of technology, other procedures are also coming up.

Purpose: This lecture, reflecting on future roles, posits the potential dawning of a "great age of librarians," if librarians make the conceptual shift of focusing on their own skills and activities rather than on their libraries.