Teacher

Weight loss and learning? There is a link

Brian Brennan — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 16:56:47 PDT

Choosing an approach that leads to effective learning is a bit like choosing a diet. Faced with a bewildering array of options, the best first step is to get back to fundamentals, says Brian Brennan.

Emagination

Sarah Hassanen — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 16:56:47 PDT

A growing Australian not-for-profit organisation is working to increase the educational opportunities of children in the developing world by supplying them with computers and software. Sarah Hassanen explains.

School funding: Making the right policy choice

Bill Daniels — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 16:56:46 PDT

Policies which promote school choice and provide incentives for private investment are a sound basis for an efficient, effective and equitable school funding system, says Bill Daniels.

School funding: Time for new thinking

Tim Hawkes — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 16:56:46 PDT

We need to find new ways to fund Australian schools that are socially responsible, for the good of all Australians, says Tim Hawkes.

Balancing act: Balancing study, work and a personal life

Terry Evans — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 16:56:45 PDT

Undertaking postgraduate study, particularly a doctorate, is a big commitment, but as Terry Evans explains, there are ways to make part-time study complement your work and home lives.

One foot in university, the other at school

Field Rickards — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 16:56:45 PDT

Field Rickards explains a new model for teacher education.

School funding: An equity model

Trevor Cobbold et al. — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 16:56:45 PDT

It’s time for a new approach to school resourcing that provides increased funding for disadvantaged school communities in the interests of equity, say Trevor Cobbold and Ian Morgan.

Risk averse

Simon Gipson — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 16:56:44 PDT

In our highly risk-averse society it’s surely time, says Simon Gipson, to expose children to challenge, and give them a degree of autonomy, responsibility and trust.

Back to school – for teachers

Rebecca Leech — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 16:56:44 PDT

Postgraduate study is a great way for teachers to develop new skills to improve their classroom practice and further their careers. Rebecca Leech spoke with six teachers who have returned to study.

The 'Cat and Mouse'

Judy McKinty — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 16:56:43 PDT

Reports of the death of children’s games in school playgrounds are greatly exaggerated, finds Judy McKinty.

External management of curriculum change

Judy Smeed et al. — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 16:56:43 PDT

At a time of rapid curriculum reform, some schools are turning to external change agents for assisstance, but what's the best way to initiate such an approach? Judy Smeed, Angela Douglas and Julie Nickerson have some answers.

Educating and enterprising: The Big Issue Classroom

Elise Moore — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 16:56:43 PDT

The Big Issue Classroom is a social enterprise program that works to educate students about homelessness and marginalisation in Australia. Elise Moore explains.

The benefits of service learning

Diana Whitton et al. — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 16:56:42 PDT

Service-learning programs give pre-service teachers valuable experiences beyond the classroom. Diana Whitton, Ana Levar and Clare Willmott offer three perspectives on an innovative new service-learning program that’s not only enhancing teacher education, it’s making a tangible difference in the local community.

In defence of numbers in standards-based assessment

Mike Wilkinson — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 16:56:42 PDT

Mick Wilkinson defends the use of numbers, rather than the written word, to communicate student achievement.

Work-life balance: Stop and smell the roses

Robyn Collins — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 16:56:41 PDT

Rapid change takes its toll on teachers and school leaders. All the more reason, says Robyn Collins, to address your own wellbeing, not least to ensure your longevity and sustainability in your challenging role.

Mentoring the mentors

Caroline Cotton — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 16:56:41 PDT

A mentor program can make or break the career of a beginning teacher, and improve teacher retention in your school, so how do you get one up and running? Caroline Cotton offers some tips.

On empathy: If soldiers in Flanders fields could show empathy, so can we

John Hendry — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 16:56:41 PDT

New research indicates that empathy is learned. All the more reason, says John Hendry, that we ought to teach it in our schools.

Editorial

Steve Holden — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 16:56:40 PDT

It’s with regret that we announce this is the last edition of Teacher. The hard realities of magazine publishing broadly and publishing in the education sector in particular mean the magazine is no longer viable. As a subscriber, please rest assured that arrangements for fair compensation are in place.

Beginning life as Educare News in 1987, and relaunched as Teacher in 2004, this award-winning magazine has brought you thousands of articles by leading educators for leading educators, publishing the latest on professional development, curriculum and assessment, educational research, leadership and management issues, education policy, resources, opinion and news.

We’re proud that both Rebecca Leech and I have been recognised multiple times in the Australian Council of Deans of Education Excellence in Education Journalism Awards. Rebecca is also a winner of the prestigious Publishers Australia Excellence Awards Writer of the Year Award, while I have been recognised in the Melbourne Press Club Quill Awards. Teacher has also been recognised in the Publishers Australia Excellence Awards Business-to-Business Magazine of the Year category, putting it in the top eight magazines in the country vying for the title of Magazine of the Year, and in the highly competitive Best Print Quality category, which is due recognition to our superb printers, Printgraphics.

Delivering a magazine like this to you is a team effort. It’s depended on the talents of our amazing advertising manager Carolynn Brown, our dynamic designer Ralph Schubele, our peerless production manager Jillian Coates and our stalwart subscriptions manager Jan Gardiner. Most of all, it’s depended on you, our readers. Thanks, and good luck.

National News

Steve Holden — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 16:56:39 PDT

Aussie students online, on top

A new PISA report shows Korean students on top, but students from Australia and New Zealand are not far behind. Steve Holden reports.

Grapevine

Steve Holden — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 16:56:39 PDT

In a world first, one Australian school will form a unique partnership with a Ugandan refugee school, courtesy of a partnership between Australia for UNHCR, the United Nations Refugee Agency’s charity in Australia, and Skype. Called Here & There, the collaborative program will enable Years 7 and 8 students in both countries to learn about each other’s lives as part of their geography studies. Secondary schools across Australia can apply by explaining why their Year 7 and 8 students would like to share stories about their lives with students from Nakivale Refugee Settlement. The school selected will then work with the school in Nakivale on a multimedia project designed to help students understand differences and similarities in childhood as experienced in their respective countries by interviewing one another on a supervised Skype video call in September. Here & There is aimed at raising awareness of issues facing refugees and has been designed to dovetail with the Australian geography curriculum. Interested schools can apply online by 20 August. Schools are encouraged to exercise creativity in their application through innovative use of multimedia, using either video or images, and can change and add to their application before the deadline.