Our hidden learners

Thirteen years ago, Graham Nuthall published his seminal research ‘The Hidden Lives of Learners‘. It’s a wonderful read that takes us into the heart of what actually happens in the classroom. A key idea to be learned from this research was that we cannot tell, just by being in the room with students, what they […]

Students, computers and learning: 5 takeaways from that OECD report

It was with breathlessness more suited to the daily rag that the BBC ran the headline Computers ‘do not improve’ pupil results, says OECD while the Register yelled “Don’t bother buying computers for schools, says OECD report”, prompting an outpouring of reaction that, predictably, asserted the opposite. Still, we are sensible professionals who are quite capable […]

Transforming our learners’ experiences

“Leaders that sustain their transformation always remember the reason for the journey: Transformation leads to new ways of helping families to self-sufficiency. Transformation increases capacity to help communities” (Oftelie, 2014). Talking about ‘transformation’ can feel rather esoteric, vague and resonant of a hundred other buzz words of the moment. That said, what’s important is to […]

Voice and Choice: Growing great citizens for a connected world

The following notes were the basis for my recent keynote to a large cluster of Whanganui schools, with thanks for the opportunity to speak with nearly 300 teachers. Over the past years we have become aware that ‘one size fits all’ no longer fits anyone, that the ‘industrial models’ of education – legacy thinking – are being rapidly debunked […]

You go where you look | Day 5 #28daysofwriting

It’s a worthwhile task discussing the ‘why’ behind our actions – why we tried one particular activity, why we think of a certain student in the way we do – and to have a critical and supportive culture in which to have these challenging conversations.

We go where we look. So it’s vital to know where we are looking. And why.

Ten Trends 2014: Global connectedness

[Cross-posted from the CORE Education blog – here is my recent post for the Ten Trends series, published by CORE Education] Nā tō rourou, nā taku rourou ka ora ai te iwi | With your food basket and my food basket the people will thrive Most of us now have more opportunities to connect with others […]

Teaching as inquiry and e-learning: 3 questions

I have done a fair bit of work with schools recently exploring what the ‘teaching as inquiry’ professional learning cycle looks like in a school that has e-learning as a focus. There seem to be a handful of key questions that keep coming up that I thought I would touch on in this post 1. […]

BYOD: Build your own depth

Today I’m sharing a thought to conjure with. My recent presentations to schools have increasingly emphasised the inclusive nature of effective learning design. The importance of designing different pathways around the learners, those people, both students and teachers, who sit at the heart of how we think about learning programmes. Dimensions of effective teaching A recent […]

The impact of digital technology on learning

I recently saw the following piece of research – “The Impact of Digital Technology on Learning” – pass across my desktop, via DERN (the Digital Education Research Network). Overview In their intro to this report, DERN states: “Taking into account the scarcity of rigorous research into the benefits of teaching and learning with digital technologies, [this […]

Personalisation and the use of technologies

“Personalization of learning and emerging technologies are engaged in a policy handshake that must be examined.” This article by Phil McRae – The Politics of Personalization in the 21st Century – has been one of the most useful reads I explored in a while in relation to the way technologies are used – even justified – […]