In this plan to transform "the profession into an evidence-based system, educators will relinquish certain freedoms — notably the leeway to employ ineffective practices — but will gain guidance that empowers them." the74million.org/article/new-in…

This is the kind of 21st century scientific evidence that leaves the 20th century folly of WL/BL gasping for air. It’s extraordinarily sophisticated knowledge & it’s equally extraordinary that it is rejected by those whose fairytale it dashes. One step forward, two steps back 😔

“Teaching is a non-causal practice” A senior lecturer at one of Australia’s schools of education does not believe teaching causes learning. Let’s give up, go home, let the children play, close the schools and close the schools of education. blog.aare.edu.au/escape-oppress…

Our ambition is to ensure every child from any background can read fluently. Studies show children learning by the phonics method are two years ahead of their peers. We’ll put high quality phonics at heart of teaching children to read. #EducationState theage.com.au/national/victo…

Great to see that explicit teaching of phonics in early reading instruction has BIPARTISAN SUPPORT. People of all political persuasions can agree that education should be designed to achieve the best outcomes for all students.

Rachael Buck @AEUVictoria This is really disappointing from the @AEUVictoria This mandate will not only improve our students lives, it will decrease teacher workload. Ben Carroll was present at the recent Science of Teaching & Learning Australia conference in Melb. Where was the AEU?

Rachael Buck @AEUVictoria Ironically, these reforms will ⬇️ workload for teachers and educational leaders. And not only ⬇️ teacher burden but ⬆️⬆️ student outcomes. We predict reforms will also ⬆️ teacher satisfaction and retention in the profession. Research project coming soon … with Pamela Snow et al

People think they sound very sophisticated saying things like ‘teaching is non-causal’ but it’s typical of educational academia, its inability to speak plainly and its elevation of commonplace ideas as profundities. Here’s the argument in a different context, shorn of academic

Can someone please tell the union the 25mins of explicit PA & Phonics is not for them. It's for children who will be failed by balanced literacy if nothing changes. theage.com.au/national/victo… Pamela Snow Emily Hanford Science of Teaching & Learning Australia Sharing Best Practice

It takes a village: Changing reading instruction in the Education State. New Snow Report blog post - pamelasnow.blogspot.com/2024/06/it-tak…

Dear @AEUVictoria please re-consider your response to Ben Carroll's announcement on shifting the needle on reading instruction & success for Vic. children. Talk to teachers already teaching this way & enjoying their students' gains (and their own⬆️sense of professionalism).

Teacher autonomy is a false idol and it works *against* the best interests of teachers. James Dobson (a classroom teacher) does a great job of explaining why. I hope the @AEUVictoria team will read and reflect.

I’m looking forward (not) to my next flight and the pilot deciding to try out a few ideas of his or her own on the passengers…. 🫣😳😱

Tom Mahoney The Age Our kids are being disrespected and undermined by having to endure teaching approaches that lack evidence. Their precious time is being wasted - and they don’t get that back. So I’ll choose to advocate for them rather than adults who enjoy the privilege of being literate.

Vocabulary teachers - something to be aware of! Tiers of vocab should not be though as hierarchical like a pyramid !!

"If we trained air‐traffic controllers the way we train new teachers, we’d tell them that deadly crashes are just how you learn. We’d tell surgeons there’s no substitute for hands‐on experience, and not to worry: Their patient mortality rate will decline over time as they got

One of my favorite things I’ve ever heard Kareem J. Weaver say is, “If your instruction is boring, don’t blame phonics.” 💖

The jury is in. For the most part, tech in the classroom produces poorer learning outcomes. The article is overly long but chock full of evidence about why we should reconsider its use. The EdTech Revolution Has Failed buff.ly/3Z6AMnp

An education academic said to me in an email some years back (without even a hint of self-consciousness) - “you can find a journal article to support just about anything in education”. The problem? “Support” for an approach does not equal *evidence* for an approach.