Category Archives: Public schools

Autonomous schools- outed

Posted on March 11, 2012 by

Finally the curtain has been raised on the NSW Govs. intentions over autonomous schools- as the initiative now comes out of the trial phase and into implementation late April. http://www.smh.com.au/national/education/principals-want-more-power-but-no-strings-20120311-1usob.html#ixzz1oqSYJ3kO http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/sydney-nsw/bureaucracy-of-the-department-of-education-will-be-stripped-back-under-the-states-biggest-education-revolution/story-e6freuzi-1226296356803 While Public school principals have endorsed a NSW government … Continue reading →

Posted in Autonomous schools, Communities, education, Public schools, schooling | Leave a comment

NSW DET Netbooks

Posted on April 22, 2009 by

Lenovo is certainly getting its expected deal of press on the laptops for schools program. The S10e is an impressive device; for NSW DET- 8-9 hrs battery life, intelligent cycling, RFD/ RFI antitheft tagging-  certainly the company has risen to … Continue reading →

Posted in Laptops, Public schools, schooling | 4 Comments

Loos or Laptops

Posted on December 6, 2008 by

The announcement from last weekends COAG meeting on the roll out of laptops for NSW public schools, has produced a frenzy of comments in the media. While most letters to the ditor raised the inevitable- ‘why can’t the money be … Continue reading →

Posted in education, Public schools, schooling, Social networking | 2 Comments

More Shift happens

Posted on July 3, 2008 by

I know these are popular at the moment but this latest version is neat    

Posted in education, knowledge, Net Gen, Public schools, schooling, Social networking, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Business of education

Posted on May 11, 2008 by

The recent TAFE:Doing Business in  the C21  possibly highlights the contradictions in  our approach to education. The paper espouses the need for a competitive environment- students are referred to as clients and the title of the doc says it all- not about education but doing … Continue reading →

Posted in education, Public schools, Social networking, Vocational Education, Web2 | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Lessons in paradise

Posted on May 3, 2008 by

Spending some time last week in Fiji, visited a school on Malolo Levu island. It was the last day of term, so the kids were happy and appreciative, but like so many schools in emerging economies that seemed a regular … Continue reading →

Posted in education, Public schools, schooling | Leave a comment

Being digital citizens

Posted on October 23, 2007 by

Email from colleague Janet Burstall about a ‘Cybernite’ held at her daughters school (for parents and students) regarding being a digital citizen- great initiative. Wonder how many other schools are doing this? Time we (DET) thought of putting together a … Continue reading →

Posted in blogging, digital natives, education, filtering, Informal learning, Internet safety, literacies, Net Gen, policy, professional development, Public schools, schooling, Social networking, Web2 | Leave a comment

Alan Levine-being there…

Posted on October 18, 2007 by

Alan‘s presentation on behalf of the AFLF group in Sydney, was a whirlwind trip of Web 2 offerings. After a number of these events-its time to act on how we as educators/administrators can knock down -or at least provide gates … Continue reading →

Posted in access, AFLF, blogging, Commentries, Communities, education, filtering, Informal learning, innovation, Internet safety, knowledge, Net Gen, policy, Public schools, schooling, Uncategorized, Web2 | 2 Comments

IWB positions

Posted on September 30, 2007 by

October hols roll around and DET NSW still poised to make an announcement on the procurement of IWBs (vendor support for one off placement) . My daughter’s primary school are fired up to purchase boards for every classroom. I’ve noticed … Continue reading →

Posted in Interactive whiteboards, IWBs, professional development, Public schools, schooling, Teacher | Leave a comment

Filtering education

Posted on August 28, 2007 by

The noise in the media and from teachers about the NSW Dept Education and Training filtering system, is getting louder. Stephen Downes, Jacinta Gascoigne, Techdirt, Mike Seyfang are all picking up on it from OS. Most teachers we talk with … Continue reading →

Posted in blogging, disadvantaged, education, filtering, Public schools, schooling, Social networking, Web2 | 2 Comments

Killing creativity Pt2

Posted on August 19, 2007 by

This week witnessed another (public) school caught in the X fire between State and Federal politics. Davidson High’s performance in the annual Rock Eisteddfod with an anti-Iraq war piece, drew criticism from the local member, claiming it was deliberately initiated … Continue reading →

Posted in creativity, education, Public schools, schooling | Leave a comment

Swings and Roundabouts in homework

Posted on June 26, 2007 by

I want to keep referencing any ‘local’ articles on homework. This one by Don Aitkin in the Auss Financial Review is a reflection of his own experiences. “education is full of intractable problems…too much [homework] and you will come to … Continue reading →

Posted in education, homework, Informal learning, Public schools, schooling | Leave a comment

On board with Dias, and all his ghosts

Posted on June 19, 2007 by

Once again my 10 yr old daughter is stuck with the inevitable ‘new age explorers’ assignment for Year 5. After two weeks of colouring, ‘researching’ and agonising over what the other kids are doing… I made the mistake of suggesting … Continue reading →

Posted in education, homework, Public schools, schooling | 1 Comment

A country that has stopped thinking

Posted on June 17, 2007 by

Steve Burrells report in this weekends (June 16-17) Sydney Morning Herald will hopefully rally some public debate (whats it take?). Australia is currently riding on the back of the coal truck (once was sheep) to prosperity-but that betrays our failure … Continue reading →

Posted in education, innovation, Public schools, schooling | Leave a comment

Net Geners

Posted on June 12, 2007 by

A timely article by Barbara Combes (Edith Cowan Uni) from her thesis on behavour of the Net Gen. Her analysis of research on the Net gen largely debunks the myth of an intuitive user who is capable of using electronic … Continue reading →

Posted in digital natives, education, information organising, literacies, Net Gen, Public schools, schooling | 4 Comments

Virtual High Schools and Innovation in Public Education

Posted on June 9, 2007 by

Interesting report on accelerating innovation in the US school sector. 2007 June. Sponsored by Education Sector –(proclaiming itself as ”independent education think tank in Washington, devoted to developing innovative solutions to the nation’s most pressing educational problems”). The report covers … Continue reading →

Posted in education, PLE, Public schools, schooling | Leave a comment

Net Gen & Digital natives

Posted on June 7, 2007 by

The assumptions underpinning the ‘Net Gen /Digital natives’ cohort need unpacking. I suspect they are more part of a ‘mobile’ gen than Net gen. In this article, Sarah Lohnes and Charles Kinzer argue for a more nuanced understanding of Net … Continue reading →

Posted in digital natives, education, Net Gen, Public schools, schooling | 2 Comments

Real guts

Posted on May 30, 2007 by

Ripper article itself from CATHERINE DEVENY  in the Age May 30. If you want to send your kids to the best school, send them to the local, writes Catherine Deveny. I  met this bloke at a party a while back. … Continue reading →

Posted in Public schools, schooling | Leave a comment

More privileged for the priviliged

Posted on May 24, 2007 by

Yet another spate of articles on the inequaties of Aust federal gov funding between the private and public school system , this time in the SMH by Ross Gittins Wed May 23 and Anna Patty National . And again the … Continue reading →

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