Many will know the difficulties I have encountered, while trying to improve education standards within Australia. I am a former UK OFSTED (Office for Standards in Education) Inspector and very concerned about the direction many education leaders are taking here. Especially this push for direct, explicit teaching when the HOW is being translated as using BORING programs such as Spelling Mastery which does NOTHING to create confident communicators and imaginative thinkers. We need teachers to be INSPIRED by their work, and for students to be emotionally healthy and happy. The National Curriculum asks that too! eg The study of English is central to the learning and development of all young Australians. It helps create confident communicators, imaginative thinkers and informed citizens. It is through the study of English that individuals learn to analyse, understand, communicate with and build relationships with others and with the world around them. The study of English helps young people develop the knowledge and skills needed for education, training and the workplace. It helps them become ethical, thoughtful, informed and active members of society. In this light it is clear that the Australian Curriculum: English plays an important part in developing the understanding, attitudes and capabilities of those who will take responsibility for Australia’s future. The focus is on RELATIONSHIPS and emotional health. As you will also know, a group of innovative and forward thinking people want to set up a school that DOES allow for emotional growth, seeks to explore inquiry learning with as much gusto as skills acquisition/ scaffolded learning and where children can connect with the lesson goals every day. As much as is possible, they find MEANING in what they are doing. How much can a child be inspired, and feel connected, with something like Spelling Mastery. Come on leaders, teachers trained as they want to TEACH !!! Most do this as they do actually like kids. So they want to see smiles, and JOY on faces when students find links, and when their brains take over and they start to fly. The more I have been talking to this group, the more I realised that I want ANY child to have access to this, not just those who live near the school. And so the direction we are taking is that the school will be a Distance School of Education, but with huge differences to those currently in operation, and where the social elements are also taken into account ie the parts of school children should love- hanging out with friends. So watch this space for updates. Parents who home school will have another option as they can home school but ALSO access our curriculum so they do not need to plan, or create resources. It is still the FUN, differentiated learning style most wanted, and why they chose to home school. Would NAPLAN results of students who attend Wiring Brains Distance Education Centre/s actually perform, across the board, far better than those who attend traditional schools? Would traditional schools incorporating Wiring Brains Distance Education strategies / curriculum (which aligns with the National Curriculum) also perform better when NAPLAN tested, than those who dont? We would offer training and support to ALL types of education providers. It also means that small, remote schools with high Indigenous populations are able to access a consistent level of eduction, regardless of how transient the teaching team is. Teachers can often leave after 2 years, which means training new teachers, and redefining the team dynamic. Why do new solutions matter for Indigenous Communities especially? In Australia, children from rural and remote areas, and indigenous children have been shown to be at particular risk of low literacy (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 1996; Kemp, 1999; Noonan, 2000; Storry, 2006). The extent and severity of the problem is reflected in a report by the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission on an inquiry into rural and remote education in Australia, in which the disadvantage experienced by country students is described as amounting to discrimination (Noonan, 2000). Over a decade later, and little has been actioned, that has been effective. Wiring Brains Education are proud to support the ALF and other organisations, to offer new tools. It is not money that is needed, it is NEW TOOLS, and a new attitude towards education, that is far more in line with the Finnish system.. Also means that I can reach more students, personally, as I can deliver lessons online, via skype, and through pre-recorded lessons. Could this be a new solution, for a brighter education future within Australia? Keep following the page for updates... Em distance.vic.edu.au/getting-organised/
Posted on: Sat, 06 Dec 2014 02:39:00 +0000
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