Tuesday, October 4, 2011 at 11:29AM 
Have a listen to some insight from kiwi kids about the qualiities of a good teacher, some wisdom beyond their years here.
education, effectiveteaching, teachers, teaching in education Saturday, September 3, 2011 at 2:14PM Here is another video from Sir Ken Robinson, discussing in simple terms why our kids are not robotic and should not be educated in a factory. I know I have posted a few Sir Ken videos over time, however he has a very relevent message for parents and educators alike. Until there is some system change we need to keep hearing from people like Sir Ken. You can view a whole range of Sir Ken's presentations here.
education, educators, kenrobinson, parents in Creativity, Learning, Life, education Friday, March 4, 2011 at 8:31PM 
Now usually I come from the camp that says, stick to your knitting, i.e. if your an actor don't get involved in poltics or commenting on social issues and maybe passing judgement on the state of the education system.
However I came across this interview with actor (one of my favourites by the way) Matt Damon. Having been positively vocal during the election campaign that swept Barack Obama to power, he is expressing some concerns about Obama's presidency. Then during the interivew he provides some great insight on matters education that I think apply to New Zealand as well as the USA, infact most western education systems.
...the idea that we're testing kids and we're tying teachers salaries to how kids are performing on tests, that kind of mechanized thinking has nothing to do with higher order. We're training them, not teaching them...
Thanks Matt
Wednesday, February 16, 2011 at 9:21PM There are a number of issues that are bugging me at the moment education... however... on Monday this week
Mike Hosking on Newstalk ZB summed up the ongoing but always put in the too hard basket by ALL governments, that being school funding. I think he says it all in a very well written 2 minutes and speaks for many, many parents, teachers and principals alike. Take 2 minutes and see if you agree.
Mike's thoughts reminded me of one of my favourite quotes from the best TV drama ever written... The West Wing and is worth repeating here,
Mallory, education is the silver bullet. Education is everything. We don't need little changes, we need gigantic, monumental changes. Schools should be palaces. The competition for the best teachers should be fierce. They should be making six-figure salaries. Schools should be incredibly expensive for government and absolutely free of charge to its citizens, just like national defense. That's my position. I just haven't figured out how to do it yet.
Sam Seaborne played by Rob Lowe
Tuesday, January 25, 2011 at 10:10PM On the back of New Zealand's international success in the OECD PISA results, our education system is recognised
as the best in the world. That's right, not third, or even second, but the BEST.
New Zealand has been ranked fifth on an international scale of the prosperity, with its education system rating as the best in the world
We do pretty well in a number of other areas too.
It was first in education and third in ranks of personal freedom and social capital. It was fourth in governance and seventh in safety and security. It was 14th in entrepreneurship and opportunity.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 at 9:46PM This captured my attention from Seth's blog back in July. I often think we, society, become conditioned to
thinking that failure can be fatal. In other words if we fail at any activity, endeavor, task we are taking on then it will lead to consequences we don't and can't face, you know like, embarrassment. In actual fact some of the best learning occurs as a result of failure. I think Michael Jordan said something about that.
I have missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions I have been entrusted to take the game winning shot... and missed. And I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why... I succeed. - Michael Jordan.
Anyhow I have taken Seth's version and put an education slant on it, unfinished as it is add your thoughts.
FAIL OFTEN: Ideas that challenge the scared cows. Brainstorms. Concepts that open doors.
FAIL FREQUENTLY: Prototypes, new teaching ideas, learning new concepts
FAIL OCCASIONALLY: Staff Meetings, Board Meetings
FAIL RARELY: Interactions with small groups of actual parents and kids
FAIL NEVER: Keeping your promises to your kids, team and parents.
Better to have the difficult conversation now than a failed interaction with a child, parent later.
What do you think?
Tuesday, August 10, 2010 at 10:08AM The 'one stop shop' for NZ educators, TKI, has finally got its new look at many of its new features that have
been long promised. I say finally as I can remember listening to presentations from important people involved in the TKI makeover back in 2004 and 2005. Attending numourous ICT conferences and ICTPD cluster days we were told about how with the new TKI we would be able to perosnalise our home page, have a single login to all things education and secure access to great professional web 2.0 tools.
Credit where credit is due and 10 out of 10 for persistence and determination. We still need to ask the question why do these things take so long in the education sector? One can't but wonder if it would have taken so looooong in the commercial world.
I have not had a long play but the mere look and feel is a vast improvement. Once I have played I will post more thoughts.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010 at 8:49PM This from Podgorani which I unashamedly republish here in full, It's very good.
1 The focus of 'your' school must be on the success of kids 100% of the time. All too often, it seems, we try to fit kids into our expectations and in the process ignore the ideas, questions, points of view, and talents the students bring with them. And we see any conflict with students as a problem rather then as a means to work out a mutual better solutions.2 Leaders need to create a vision,write it down,and start implementing it. It is important not to put your vision in drawer and forget about it and hope for the best. Every decision must be aligned against the vision and beliefs that underpin it. The whole school community is watching when you make a decision so consistency, by referencing decisions against the vision, is important.3 It's the people stupid. The secret of managing is to keep the people who hate you away from those who are undecided. Hire people who support your vision, who are prepared to learn and who like kids.4 Keep the paddles in the water. When navigating dangerous rapids in raft the only way to succeed is for everyone in the boat to sit on the edge and paddle really hard even though everyone would rather sit in the centre where it is safer. In times of school crisis everybody must be involved.5 Find time to think and worry during the day. You are never always going to have a good days so it is OK to stare at the wall, reflect on the vision, and think about how to make necessary changes. Value input from other but ask those who provide it to provide possible solutions as well.6 Take responsibility for the good and bad. The solutions to problems are almost always right in front of you; the genius of the school lies within the school. Imposed solutions have their consequences. Don't give away your responsibility.7 You have ultimate responsibility. Have very clear expectations derived from the school vision and beliefs and then make sure people have the knowledge, resources, and time to accomplish expectations. Autonomy is the goal but actions need to be within the bounds of the vision.8 Have bias for yes. The only progress you ever make in life involves risk.Ideas that teachers and others may suggest may seem a little crazy but try to makes such requests into a yes. Use the vision as a self reference and encourage others to do so.9 Consensus is over rated. Twenty percent of the people will be against anything. When you realize this you avoid compromising what really should be done because you stop watering things down.If you always reach consensus you are being led by the 20%10 Large changes need to be done quickly. If you wait too long to make changes to a school culture you have already sanctioned mediocre behaviour because you are allowing it.That is when change is hard. Define with the staff the behaviours required by the vision and belief and hold people accountable to them.
education, educational leadership, leadership in Leadership Wednesday, June 2, 2010 at 8:14PM However, education and the environment dominated the conference, with participants saying climate change had become their generation's biggest problem and that the education system should be changed.Spokesman Anthony Rohan said participants believed the National Certificate of Educational Achievement qualification was ineffective and expensive.An internationally accepted qualification would be better."Too much emphasis was put on exams and the time required to pass them and not enough emphasis on learning," he said.
It reminds me of the quote from Albert Einstein,
Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted
We, teachers, leaders, parents and extended communities need to always ensure we are continually about learning and looking after what counts.
education, student voice in Future, education Tuesday, May 25, 2010 at 8:32PM This just posted on TED.com a follow up talk from Sir Ken Robinson. It is throughly worth the 18 minutes. He quotes Abraham Lincoln when describing what must happen in education,
The dogmas of the quiet past, are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew and act anew. We must disenthrall ourselves, and then we shall save our country.
However my favourite quote is from Sir Ken himself,
Human communities depend on a diversity of talent not a singular conception of ability
Enjoy
