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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 What the Fidget Spinners Fad Reveals About Disability Discrimination ‘Autistic people (and others with developmental disabilities) have been fighting a war for decades . It's a war against being forcibly, often brutally, conditioned to behave more like neurotypicals, no matter the cost to our own comfort, safety, and sanity. And those of us who need to stim in order to concentrate (usually by performing small, repetitive behaviors like, oh I don't know, spinning something) have endured decades of "Quiet Hands" protocols, of being sent to the principal's office for fidgeting, of being told " put that down/stop that and pay attention !," when we are in fact doing the very thing that allows us to pay attention instead of being horribly distracted by a million other discomforts such as buzzing lights and scratchy clothing....

Why have schools made it so complicated - we are all born learners 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 Workaholic Teachers ‘If you are a teacher then you are permanently busting a gut, not getting enough sleep, struggling to keep up and very often going to work unwell. Despite all this, you live and breathe teaching and you talk about leaving but know deep down that you won’t.’ http://bit.ly/2q16gbW Schools told to ditch textbooks and let pupils experiment in science lessons ‘Schools are failing their pupils’ education by forcing them to regurgitate facts instead of letting them take part in practical science lessons, a leading expert has said. Practical science can be overshadowed by factors such as a need to learn a “mountain” of information, a focus on English and maths and a lack of specialist teachers, according to Katherine Mathieson, chief executive of the British Science Assoc...

The book Phil Cullen refers to Time for educators to make a stand in NZ What follows is the final effort of a respected Australian Educator Phil Cullen .  Australia ( and the UK and the US ) has, due to political pressure, gone down the National testing route.  Those who know of Phil have great respect for his efforts to rid Australian schooling of a political influence that has distorted the true purpose of education. No one could say you didn't do your best Phil. Thanks for your efforts over the years - go and enjoy your family and golf. You deserve it cobber! Although we haven't gone so far down the test orientated route as the Australians we are well on our way. With an election later this year it is time for educators to flex their voices and make their views heard. The current government ignores or denigrates those who oppose their educational policies. Our Leading and Learning blog does its best to remind teachers of the importance of a holistic creative education as...