Thoughts on the review of ‘Tomorrow’s Schools’

The following opinion piece was originally published on Education Central in preparation for the Chalktalks Event about the Tomorrow’s Schools report on 27 February 2019. I have found the ‘Our Schooling Futures: Stronger Together’ report reviewing the ‘Tomorrow’s Schools’ policy to be a fascinating and bold read. I bring a unique lens to […]

Of policy and practice

Nature abhors a vacuum, so the saying goes. And right now, we are in the calm eye of the storm when it comes to education policy in New Zealand. While some policies have been abruptly swept to the wall (such as National Standards, charter schools), others are still waiting to hatch. With no fewer than 16 […]

Why we need a fresh view on ‘future-focused’ education

“Education… is a process of living, not a preparation for future living.” — Dewey, 1875 I want to talk about what we frame our intentions — our purpose — when we talk about ‘future focus’ and ‘innovation’. I want us to consider how central motivations for educational change have been conflated with technological and economic […]

ULearn16 | My closing keynote …

Ehara taku toa, he takitahi, he toa takitini My success should not be bestowed onto me alone, as it was not individual success but success of a collective. Standing on the shoulders of giants. Well, better late than never — but it is with much pleasure and a mighty dollop of relief that I share […]

Harnessing the power of connectedness | Growing adaptive experts #ConnectAU15

I recently presented one of the sessions at #ConnectAU15, a huge expo focused on futures thinking and connected practices, with one summit devoted to Connected Education. I’ve blogged about the other themes here: Keynote: Don Tapscott Keynote: Sebastian Thrun Pipelines for education Robotics for the future Below are the notes from my session which focused […]

Networks to drive change | Knowledge Seminar with Anthony S. Bryk

Anthony S Bryk was a guest of the Ministry of Education and University of Auckland. This was a Knowledge Seminar held for the education sector in Wellington. HIs most recent publication: Learning to Improve: How America’s Schools Can Get Better at Getting Better Bryk began by highlighting the genius of randomization. When we isolate one factor and […]