The hugely different opportunities to learn students receive at different schools across NZ concern me deeply. Read more about the role the curriculum plays in this in a nzherald article published today. ow.ly/E1KV50NAvtO

A study into open plan classrooms and learning progress

Such a timely piece by Frederick M. Hess. “Unfortunately, Policy is far less effective when it comes to complex endeavors where how things are done matters more than whether they’re done.”

If you care about literacy in NZ, read this article by Robert Pondiscio. “If we want every child to be literate and to participate fully in life, we must ensure all have access to the broad body of knowledge that the literate take for granted.” fordhaminstitute.org/national/comme…

When I was writing our reports on the state of literacy in New Zealand last year, one factor I was certain was affecting young people’s literacy levels was their knowledge-base (or lack thereof) but I didn't have the evidence to support this. Now I do. ow.ly/XMW250NK1IE

Always a pleasure to talk to Kathryn Ryan on RNZ - Nine To Noon about education in NZ. Today I discussed maths teaching, explicit instruction, the Common Practice Model, and National's Back to Basics education policy. ow.ly/9ugq50NOuZW

In this week's The Education Hub insight article, I explore the importance of the key competencies in the New Zealand Curriculum but also why they have most value when they are positioned in relation to specific academic subjects. ow.ly/KIWN50NOsx8

Today's insight article is more personal than usual. It examines the reasons why the The Education Hub is embarking on a project to understand how well (or not!) the NZ education system supports #neurodivergent students. ow.ly/vIJZ50NZbjj

What works? What doesn't work? And what improvements/changes are needed? The Education Hub want to hear your perspectives on how well the NZ school system supports neurodivergent students. ow.ly/VwMZ50NZfHt

My latest piece discussing why we sometimes need learning experiences that give us the opportunity to step back and explore ideas that are central to the purpose of school-level education.

If you are interested in (and concerned about) youth mental health in NZ, check out this just-released commentary and call to action from Koi Tū Centre for Informed Futures ow.ly/sTH950OuVcE

I'm a bit behind in my podcast listening, but NZ educators, if you haven't listened to Emily Hanford's Sold a Story, you need to. Lots about the history of #reading and #literacy instruction in NZ as well as the US. ow.ly/cfr050OBoH4

A great RNZ interview with Barbara Sahakian on the important role #reading for pleasure at a young age (including being read to) has on learning and academic outcomes, mental health, and wellbeing in adolescence and beyond. ow.ly/e7MJ50P71Z0

Given the data on school absenteeism in NZ, this article is worth a read. The key message, punitive approaches rarely work. Instead, it's important to unpack the root cause of why students are absent and to make school a place where children want to be. ow.ly/q1es50P7aRB

This article provides some insights into why I have written a report on how NZ teachers approach #curriculum design and #instructional materials in their schools. Report to be released September 4! ow.ly/M7OS50PB9iA

Always a pleasure to be interviewed on RNZ - Nine To Noon. Today's discussion was fairly broad-ranging, exploring the ever-growing number of education initiatives being announced in the lead-up to the election. ow.ly/w0TZ50PBHYX

Student outcomes aren't a particularly pretty picture at the moment, and this has some worrying implications, but there are opportunities and initiatives that could substantially improve outcomes for rangatahi.

It's great to have this report finally published. With all that's happening with the #curriculum at the moment, understanding how curriculum design and implementation and the quality of #instructional materials impacts student outcomes is critical.

Great to talk with Mike Hosking about the impact inconsistent curriculum design is having on student outcomes in NZ. We need to ensure all young people have access to a knowledge-rich, relevant & rigorous curriculum. newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-ho…

"“The curriculum should be a driver for equity and it’s not currently" - some great reflections from Tony Giles about the state of the #curriculum in NZ. nzherald.co.nz/nz/what-kiwi-k…