Long reads

Financial technology developments such as cashless transactions and in-game purchases, and risks such as scam emails and texts warrant teaching about. Carly Sawatzki, Jill Brown and Peter Saffin ask: ‘In what ways are your students financially active, and how is your school preparing them for informed financial participation?’

Getting ready to start teaching in the classroom, managing student behaviour and meeting with parents can be a daunting prospect for many pre-service teachers. Researchers at the University of Virginia have spent the last five years developing digitally mediated simulations to supplement traditional teacher training.

‘Considerable momentum is building around the belief that education will increasingly benefit from teachers becoming more ‘research-engaged”…’ Our latest reader submission discusses the phenomenon of Research-Invested Schools and shares examples of what’s happening in Australia.

Twenty Things to Do with a Computer Forward 50, edited by Dr Gary Stager, celebrates the vision of Cynthia Solomon and Seymour Papert in their seminal 1971 paper. In this exclusive extract, Martin Levins shares ‘Some Modern Things to Do with a Computer’, with examples from Australian schools.

In his second article on data-driven school improvement, Patrick Sanders from Brighton Grammar School shares examples of how staff have used data to influence decision-making and improve the teaching, learning and wellbeing of the school community.

In the first of two articles on data-driven school improvement, Patrick Sanders (Associate Head of the Crowther Centre, Curriculum and Assessment at Brighton Grammar School) shares the steps that have been taken to capture better quality, and more actionable, data to inform decision-making.

With Term 1 just around the corner in Australia, it’s a great time to start brainstorming events and themes to tie in to your lesson planning for the new school year. We’ve rounded up some of the key dates in each term to help get you started.

The Connection is a network of high-performing school leaders working in some of Australia’s most challenged communities. They’ve been reflecting on successful practices in their own schools since the start of the pandemic. Today’s article shares their top five recommendations for learning through COVID.

Researchers have held forums with students about their views on moving up to high school and, in a new report, share that students are most concerned about academic expectations, high school systems and social challenges during the transition process.

The leadership team at Suncoast Christian College in Queensland has been working hard to open up classrooms, encourage greater sharing of practice, and make the shift to a more collaborative model of planning, teaching and assessment. We find out more from Principal Greg Mattiske and Director of Teaching and Learning Haley Whitfield.