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Education Readings By Allan Alach I welcome suggested articles, so if you come across a gem, email it to me at allanalach@inspire.net.nz The education system would fall over without many hours of teacher overtime. How long until this goodwill is withdrawn? This article is from the UK; however it sure applies to New Zealand , and, I suspect, to many Colin Harris - former primary principal other countries as well. ‘ There is no doubt that the vast majority of teachers do far more work than they are either contracted or paid to do. Recent BBC research showed that the average primary class teacher, if there is such a thing, worked 59 hours per week. If we consider that only 20 hours of this time is actually in front of a class, then it means a phenomenal amount of time is spent on preparation or marking or taking on the many additional responsibilities a class teacher now has.’ http://bit.ly/2dDrnwl Author Ron Ritchart How Clear Expectations Can Inhibit Genuine Thinking in Student s Time ...

Education Readings By Allan Alach I welcome suggested articles, so if you come across a gem, email it to me at allanalach@inspire.net.nz Author Steven Lewis (Aust) Fast policy: when educational research morphs into quick fixes and ‘silver bullets ’ ‘These new ‘actors’ in the field produce and promote usually short, easy-to-read and easy-to-implement glossy reports, which offer simplified evidence and give definitive solutions involving ‘best practice’, and where research knowledge is orchestrated to best influence government policy. Evidence is tailored to the needs of policymakers but also fits within the report generator’s own interests and agendas. We call this type of report ‘fast policy ’; that is, policy shortcuts via readymade examples of ‘what works’, which are often borrowed from other countries (or systems) and cherry picked to meet political needs.’ http://bit.ly/2cx7mIW We are in “ Deep” Doo Doo: Latest Buzz Word of Caution Beware ….when will this arrive in your location ?...

Back to the future: c lass organisation for student centred learning  The other day I had the opportunity to visit a school I began my career visiting in 1960 During  a discussion with the principal she mentioned the classrooms had been developed into innovative ( or flexible) learning environments. Teachers teach students learn I couldn't help suggest that  I bet the daily classroom programmes/timetables haven't changed much since I first visited the school 40 plus years ago ( with exception of availability of information technology).. If anything the current emphasis on literacy and numeracy had reinforced the timetables of earlier times taking up the morning time with the rest of the Learning Areas squeezed into the afternoon period. Hardly flexible teaching? Hardly progress? What would I do if I were teaching today? My visit made me think of what I would do if I were to be responsible for teaching in one of the classroom spaces . It is always easier to give advice t...

Education Readings By Allan Alach I welcome suggested articles, so if you come across a gem, email it to me at allanalach@inspire.net.nz Ambitious Mathematics Curriculum ‘What about curriculum? We all know that children enter classrooms in many different shapes and sizes, and that their understanding of the content we intend to teach is as varied, and yet we design curricular resources that mostly aim to support an average child. What if there is no such average child? The curriculum that aims to best support the average child may in fact support no one best. It is well-known, for example, that students need multiple opportunities to both learn a mathematical idea and to access their memory of the idea in order to strengthen their memories. Almost no curricula deliberately interleave practice or offer opportunities for spaced retrieval practice. What if a curriculum deliberately included ideas from cognitive science into its construction? ’ http://bit.ly/2czbgzL What Students Really R...