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Thoughts to reflect on for the year ahead Bill English and Deputy Paula Bennett. In New Zealand our populist Prime Minister John Key resigned unexpectedly and  now, with our 'new'  uninspiring Prime Minister Bill English in charge, the 2017 election just got more interesting. Time now for some real political debate . A number of figure in our popular culture died in 2016. Above a clever adaptation of  a Beatles record cover. Who can you recognize? More importantly a number of people spoke out against the consequences of three decades of neo- liberal politics . A move away from a 'me first' to  'we first' society.  In the USA Bernie Sanders And Pope Francis And Democratic Senator   Elizabeth Warren   This is exactly what has happened in New Zealand, the UK and Australia. Attacking the rich, the 1%  is not just envy.  . And when the rich elites got into trouble in the GFC in 2008 they asked the government to bail them out! Too...

Merry Christmas to you all Education Reading s By Allan Alach Another year is ending , which means in New Zealand and Australia, it’s also the end of the school year, and time for teachers and children to have a long summer break away from the trials of teaching and learning. Make the most of the break - it’s the only real chance teachers get to have a ‘normal’ life. Have a great break  I will be taking my own advice and also having a break from sourcing education articles for these reading lists, until the end of January 2017. However I'm not letting you off that easy, so this week’s list is a bit longer than usual . I welcome suggested articles, so if you come across a gem, email it to me at allanalach@inspire.net.nz Brain-Based Learning: Pushing Children to Learn Faster—Why? Let me enjoy life ‘Brain-based learning promotes the idea that children learn faster if they are taught differently. But why push children to learn faster than ever before ? Why turn children into adults b...

Time to think out of the box 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 Taking the PISA Leaning tower of PISA New Zealand teacher Mike Boon (aka Boonman) ‘ Well, friends, today was PISA day . The day when all media outlets around the world breathlessly pronounce their education system is either “plummeting” down the tables, or, through some miraculous miracle, soaring to new educational heights. Three years ago I ranted about this nonsensical test, run by the OECD , which tests hundreds of thousands of 15 year olds around the world on reading, maths and science. I’m listening to Garbage on the Spotify at the moment and that is an incredibly apt word.’ http://bit.ly/2gbXPKP Academics Worldwide call for the end to PISA tests ‘ In education policy, Pisa, with its three-year assessment cycle, has caused a shift of attention to short-term fixes designed to help a country quickly climb the ranki...

 Student feedback to implement next year. A culture of creativity or conformity? Click to read the latest blog At the end of the school year it is a good idea to gather information from the students you are passing on . Not only is this a chance for you to get some insight about your teaching but it is also a great way to value the ‘voice’ of your students. You might also like to think about developing a similar survey for the beginning of next year to give some insight into student’s attitudes that they bring with them to your class. You could include the various learning areas, what they are expecting to gain from the year with you, and what questions they would like to find out more about. You might be able to work the later into a negotiated curriculum? How much have National Standards distorted your teaching? For the students at the end of the year: 1. What have been the best things you have done this year? Why? 2. What would you liked to have done more of this year? 3. What d...

Enuf is Enuf - time to fight back!! 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 Teacher Stress & Anxiety in New Zealand Schools ‘ The results clearly illustrate the extent of the problem of stress and anxiety in NZ schools today : the majority, 54% of respondents (365) answered Yes.  44% (296) answered No, and understandably, due to the sensitivity of the subject, a small number 1% (11 respondents) declined to answer. These results are extremely concerning because no matter how subjective, for a majority of teachers to feel it is necessary to take time off in order to recover from workplace stress and anxiety, there will inevitably be consequences for the health and well-being of staff and potentially for the quality of teaching and learning in NZ.’ http://bit.ly/2fMUtJa The Problem with Choice Choice? ‘I know too many people who are not educators (and some who are) that are ...