You’ve had a full day shopping at the mall, and the last thing you thought about when you parked your car was where you parked your car. How often do you lose your car? Probably the worst place for me used to be airport car parks. I always had a lot on your mind, planes […]
The Importance of Forgetting Read More »
Templestowe College, or TC as we call it in Victoria, Australia, was built to accommodate 1,000 students. At the start of 2010, those numbers had dwindled down to just over 200. Peter Hutton took on the challenge of rebuilding the school, despite severe challenges. Today, you will get to hear the story of the past
#37: Revolutionizing Education Through Student Empowerment Read More »
As happens more frequently these days, the idea for this Shifting Conversations post had its start in a Zoom coaching session in Change School last week. Most weeks we now have the very good fortune to be talking regularly with some outstanding educators, and it was on one of our calls that several teachers wanted
The Dark Arts of Our Agents of Change Read More »
In the midst of everything else we have currently going at Modern Learners, recently I was lucky enough to set aside time to sit in on one day of the exceptional professional learning program that runs at one of our local schools here in Melbourne. It’s the start of the school year here in Australia,
This is What Powerful Professional Learning Looks Like Read More »
Well, 2018 has certainly kicked off with some extremes. In the first week of the year, we saw –37°C on top of Mount Washington in NH US, while on the same day in Melbourne Australia it was +37°C. (that’s –36°F to +100°F ) I’m glad I had the beaches, but I’m tipping this is a
2018-The Year For Living Dangerously Read More »
It’s conference time, and you’re off to the opening keynote. What are you expecting? Do you want to be entertained, informed, inspired or provoked, or maybe all of the above? Are you looking for your current thinking to be affirmed, challenged, or dismissed? So, which of those emotions will impact on you the most? Which
The Value of a Cold Shower Read More »
Greetings Fellow EduChange Travelers, It’s been good to get a post-election look at the Land of Milk and Honey (New Zealand) and along the way sample some truly delightful Pinots from Central Otago. (Wet Jacket is definitely one to remember.) What I’ve found on my trip here is increasing motivation to build a future that
Modern Learners Newsletter #223: When Do Exceptions Become the Rule? Read More »
Are you one of those people who always follow the same route to work, every day, for years? I am. Yes, I know it’s boring, but it’s a habit, it’s intuitive, and I can drive without thinking too much about it. And to be honest, while there may be better, faster ways for me to
The Art of Unlearning Read More »
If there’s one thing that stays on the mind of educators long after they’ve clocked out for the day, it’s testing. And not pop quizzes and end-of-unit exams. I’m talking about the beast we call standardized tests. Although we can find examples of standardized tests in the American education system dating back to the mid-19th
The Dangers of Standardized Testing and Why We Need to Slay the Beast Read More »
It’s inspiring, isn’t it, to think that what was once just a whisper is today the voice of the crowd? The voice for change. Seventeen years ago as a new century was launched with fireworks and fresh ideas, a growing number of educators had an optimism for new models of school for the new millennium.
The Rise of the Learning Professional Read More »
“We have to get a lot smarter, faster.” Yeah, thanks for that! Here I was having a nice casual call with my colleague Susan Einhorn, and she pops this comment out. But you know, she’s right. I mean if we’re even vaguely serious when we talk about the explosive growth of information that is now
Making Way for Modern Ideas Read More »
“But tell me why I can’t…” “No, no, there is no why. Nothing more will I teach you today.” — Luke Skywalker and Yoda This is a story of two cities. Well, to be honest, it’s about two workshops I ran in two New Zealand cities, Wellington and Auckland. Now let me say from the
Professional Autonomy: Myth or Reality? Read More »
Here’s an interesting question for your next workshop, faculty meeting, or maybe even a dinner party? “Would you rather that your children were literate, numerate, or curious?” Pick one, and why? For many, it’s a tough choice; for most, you want all three. But if you had to choose one, which one would it be?
Literate, Numerate or Curious? Read More »
After more than forty years learning about learning, I’m intrigued by how much I still need to learn. I mean, from time to time, I’ve had profound insights on the topic, aided by the research and writings of many of the people Will and I often reference in our work, (and in our most recent
Learning About Learning Read More »
During one of our regular Roundtable discussions in Change School this week, one of our school leaders asked a very interesting question. “Given the number of books that have been written and papers that have been presented around school change over more than 50 years by some very well informed and esteemed writers, why has there
Why This Time is Different Read More »
