JJFBbennett

Australia is now heading towards an idea BOOM Our economy is transitioning away from the mining boom The record commodity prices that drove growth are now receding. Our future growth will depend on a different type of boom –an ideas boom. In 2009 PISA identified 23 out of the 54 countries as  “innovation-driven” economies, Australia was ranked 8 in the Ranking of 23 “Innovation-driven” economies by 2009 PISA math scores AND as an “ Innovation-driven ” economies  (% of people confident in their ability for entrepreneurship). Australia is ranked 6th As a leading Math score country and leading Innovation-driven country Australia's Education System is achieving - good standards Maths and good Standards Innovation. Graphs from  Test Scores vs. Entrepreneurship: PISA, TIMSS, and Confidence  Why do we focus on one aspect of PISA? In the latest OECD league table, Australia is ranked 14th behind Poland (11th), Vietnam (12th) and German...

Schools are the engine house of the future however there is disconnect between workplace expectations, and students' in-school and out-of-school learning experiences. This discussion is about 'cultures of learning' and engaging 21st century students through innovative programs. A personal story. Video Slides from video

Reflection My understanding of the Australian Standard for Principals, as compared to the Standard for Teachers is that it is not a regulated nor a compliance framework. Principal registration is not based on meeting standards identified within the Principal Professional Standards. Principals are expected to meet standards identified within the Standard for Teachers to maintain teacher registration. An essential criteria with Northern Territorian Principal  J ob  D escriptions is have teacher r egistration. Whilst, the Australian Standard for Principals doesn't have a compliance mandate, the strength of the standard is the explicit and descriptive understandings/expectations gained through (what I call) a common language statement of expectations. The Australian  Standard for Principals ensures a common understanding of what is expected across Australia. The benefit of a common understanding is that it explicitly describes 'standard based expec...

Title: Deep Sea Bug  - It is not about maintaining balance Year: 2014 Medium: Autodesk SketchBook, Samsung Note 2 Artist: John Bennett jjfbbennett Series:   Calligraphy Bug series Image version: png Influence: Paul Klee -  Fish Magic 1925   Ashile Gorky -  The Liver is the Cock's Comb Henry Moore -  Mother and Child 1936 Description There are moments in life when melancholy grips in. In the pursuit of achievement, when worthiness is implicitly questioned by peers and outwardly demonstrated by the actions of authority; when overt praise is is actually an ambience of sarcasm;  when attacks are protected by status; when attempts are denied by priority; when  innovation is denied and a holding bay is fabricated;  Deep rooted micro questions emerge from depths where loneliness and emptiness abide. Degenerate logic, scratch and scrawl and scrape at sublime minds whilst authority and pe...

In  the fast  growing region in the  world there   is  high levels of unemployment of university graduates. India, China, Malaysia and Hong Kong are all experiencing a surplus of university graduates. In China there are over 6 million unemployed graduates and This has led to a questioning of education standards and the capabilities of the graduates. Business says they do not have the skills for the 21st century. http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/asia-pacific/china/120717/economy-college-education-youth-unemployment  This has led to a questioning of the value of exam-based learning and the promise of white-collar jobs. Look at the World Economic forum and scroll down and look at the global dimensions of unemployment for your people. http://www.weforum.org/community/global-agenda-councils/youth-unemployment-visualization-2013 Educating or unemployment. The issue of youth unemployment is a significant issue for Australia. A...

PISA and Education Reform. This ABC Hindsight program discusses why Finland reformed its education system in the 1970s. http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/rearvision/finland-the-real-education-revolution/4228418 Pasi  Sahlburg, a former director of Education in Finland discusses  how Finland has achieved success and the important role of teacher quality and teacher training. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hf65Z_gqH1U This is an excellent discussion, as it covers the purpose of change and the strategic processes employed to gain achievement. The discussion also highlights the need of countries to make reform . PISA is a reflective tool which countries can validate against and use to make reform . Australia is different  to  Finland and as this discussion implicitly identifies – as the world changes nations need to reform their approach to education. It could be that Finland got it right for an era the Industrial era (which the PISA testing m...

Readings: Global Student Mobility in the Asia Pacific: Mobility, Migration, Security and Well-being of international students:   http://www.c-s-p.org/Flyers/Global-Student-Mobility-in-the-Asia-Pacific--Mobility--Migration--Security-and-Wellbeing-of-Internat1-4438-1908-5.htm Two cultures in science :   http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/ockhamsrazor/two--cultures-in-science/5154684 Science, Engineering and mathematics in Crisis :  http://spectrum.ieee.org/at-work/education/the-stem-crisis-is-a-myth Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics in the National Interest: A Strategic Approach in July 2013 :   http://www.chiefscientist.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/STEMstrategy290713FINALweb.pdf Globalization and the Australian Dream :  http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/sundayextra/the-australian-dream-is-over/5154750 The following discussion is based on personal understandings in association with the signifi...

Education Drivers   (Fullan) personalised student centred capacity systemness System Needs & Change   (Clayton Christensen) efficiency (faster & cheaper) sustaining (improve current system needs), disruptive (make complicated solutions simpler) Enabler Technologies  internet ubiquitous mobile efficient (cost and HR support) rich content Purpose and Target Doing the same things the same way will not work Move from a centralised authority to a discreet and   targeted system focus on targeted client audiences (not at the system middle) view schools as interconnected cottage industries focus on teaching and learning work practices (Hattie) Why, then how then  what  Innovation and Culture innovation is as important for leaders as strategy and operational excellence Innovation to enable continuous improvement (not big bang) Disciplined, deliberate, relentless Developing business units cultur...