12 items | 2 visits
Theories, reports, articles of interest.
Updated on Sep 17, 12
Created on Apr 09, 12
Category: Schools & Education
URL:
An interesting & informative read. Can see many links to the quality teaching framework in this too. I also love it because it encourages teacher creativity!
Pasi Sahlberg has written a remarkable book showing how Finland established a high performing education system by adopting policies counter to that which came in across most Western education systems. He calls these the GERM - the Global Education Reform Movement. The features of the GERM are: standardizing teaching and learning with common criteria for measurement and data; increased focus on core subjects, particularly literacy and numeracy; teaching a prescribed curriculum; transfer of models of administration from the corporate world; high stakes accountability policies - control through testing, inspection, division between schools and an ethos of punishment (for educators).
Sahlberg shows how Finland took another route, yet which led to high performance, even by international comparators. Its success was achieved by the simple solution of framing the development of the system around dialogue based on professionalism, trust and responsibility. It fostered practice change through reflection over theories and models of education whilst other countries focused on performance management, standardized testing and inspection.
As so many education systems opted for public grading, `shaming and blaming' of schools and teachers (for what?), ratcheting up pressure, and a mantra of `excellence' proclaimed as a threat not an aim, Finland went another way looking for the conditions which promote success and set about involving school communities in the process. This book is an antidote to `Race to the Top' (USA) `Journey to Excellence' (Scotland) and `raising the bar to outstanding' (England) by a process which works by more humble means, yet would seem to work very well indeed. Read this book to find out how this success was achieved.
Information on Reading Recovery
Struggling schools in regional and remote NSW can volunteer to become community hubs with a heavy focus on pre-school education.
Room organisation - sneak peak into a kindy room.
Organisation tips - teacher binder, student binder, substitue teacher binder, forms, first aid, need-to-know, emergency sub plans, student info, filler activities etc. Informative.
Some interesting information opposing NAPLAN in our schools.
Blog entry for 1st May 2012, opposing NAPLAN in our schools - interesting read.
12 items | 2 visits
Theories, reports, articles of interest.
Updated on Sep 17, 12
Created on Apr 09, 12
Category: Schools & Education
URL: