This approach to teaching and learning for all students makes sense. That is, break knowledge and skills into its parts and engage in explicit teaching, scaffold learning with ongoing opportunities to practice, provide timely quality feedback leading to guided independent learning. Eventually students can engage independently in creative and deep reasoning. The proposition in teaching gifted students also makes sense. That is, that the same approach applies but the amount of time spent on explicit instruction is a lot less with fewer repetitions, prompts and scaffolding and students moving straight into more independent application and problem-solving.

How does the first world “crisis” of some students not doing well on a one-off national or international test compare with these catastrophic crises of escalating poverty, conflict and war, sexual and gender-based violence, and lack of safety and security, and their devastating impact on children’s ongoing learning? Its good to put things in perspective sometimes.

A great mantra: “I trust you, as a professional, to make the right decision for yourself. I believe that you deserve to explore a topic that interests you, and I believe you know what will best serve you in the context of your job.” As part of a system or groups of school, teachers and school leaders will inevitably participate in training sessions providing information about what and how of new policies or new curriculum or approaches to pedagogy. But, meaningful professional learning has to involve teachers making choices about what and how they should learn. The best PL I’ve been involved in as participant and facilitator was funded action learning where participants chose what their needs were and then were supported to find the best source of help within their school and/or network of schools with committed facilitators and relevant resources (people or materials); and getting together with peers to share experiences and ideas, to assist with problem solving issues or challenges in non-threatening collegiate environments. These typically resulted in consequential learning that became embedded in changed practice.

Kudos for the commitment to an evidence-based approach to reform. But to be rushed into a quick turnaround implementation without fully engaging, and bringing with you, the people in the front line who will need to make this work, does not bode well for any reform.

So, let’s see –education systems and schools just need to focus on literacy and numeracy skills; explicit instruction; social and collaboration skills; essential digital skills; health skills; retention and completion by Year 12; raising standards; narrowing achievement gaps; student and teacher well-being; and the whole child. Sorry – so what does the education system need to do differently?

Outlaying some funding for experienced and capable retired or ex-teachers to be used in mentoring and coaching roles would be a good investment.

Agree!

With the move to online assessments, it is inevitable that AI will be integrated eventually into more comprehensive test and assessment design. There are a number of potential applications and benefits for teachers and students. The big BUT is to do with readiness, accessibility, capability and capacity – of systems/providers, schools, teachers, students. For example, at a basic level, with online writing assessments some students lack keyboarding skills impacting their potential to achieve; teachers need targeted professional learning and support; and many school communities still do not have broadband access let alone access to digital tools and resources.

Some compelling and logical points.

A few points, not just about maths nor the US, but applicable more broadly. One, it is very important for teachers to program, plan and revise lessons. Two, education systems and providers must develop and curate for their teachers, relevant support materials in the form of student and teacher resources, in digital (including online links) and print form. Three, these materials must be deemed good enough by the users to initially adopt or adapt as needed, with more experienced teachers going beyond these and developing or curating their own. Four, education systems and providers must provide platforms and highly organised repositories for teachers to continue to promote and share helpful resources. Finally, this part of the job is deeply idiosyncratic as related to the nature of the subject, the experience of the teacher and the needs of the students in front of them. For this reason, teachers need the above support in the form of good exemplars and modelling– for newer teachers to get started, for some to use in an ongoing way, and for others (as part of a collaborative and innovative culture) to have the flexibility to build on these for their students and make them even better.

Interesting development with the Digital School. Many of the important components and characteristics associated with successful education reform are mentioned including provision of equitable access to quality schooling across geographies and socio-economic status; attending to reading proficiency; preparedness and proactive responses to natural disasters and other disruptions; building and incorporating digital technologies and online content with a mixed mode blended learning approach on a scalable learning platform; co-development and localisation of resource materials; high quality teacher training and multi-faceted professional learning; and innovating for sustainability.

Worth a listen-some great points also evidenced in other research and transferable to countries beyond Pakistan. Key takeaways about effective education reform include being cognisant of the social, cultural, and political contexts; focusing on school improvement and developing quality teachers and heads with multifaceted professional learning; taking a holistic approach where all the elements of the system are aligned from policy to practice with a focus on inclusive practice; and nurturing localisation and local expertise with co-development leading to greater ownership.

There are distinct advantages for a recruiting organisation to consider this type of assessment - as long as the organisation can be honest (and not just aspirational) about the desired cultural fit. I think it’s equally important for potential candidates to do the same thing! Making such an assessment when you are not inside the organisation can prove challenging unless there are opportunities to speak with people who have worked or are working there.

These are a great start! I really like that there are a set of coherent frameworks for both students and teachers! Students cannot develop competencies in any area unless they and their teachers have access to clearly defined competencies, with a shared language to discuss their meaning and application, and with clear well-researched progressions of how students can grow and develop. At the same time, there must be a continued focus on developing teachers’ skills and understandings in relation to these competencies. Over time, with greater use and a more comprehensive research base, these frameworks will get even better.

It makes perfect sense to say that different strategies are appropriate and work with different students at certain times in their growth and development and over a certain period of time. As opposed to a counter position by others elsewhere that one approach is categorically better than another for all students.

A country’s national curriculum framework can, and some say should, include an articulation of the agreed values that underpin the education of young people and the key learning outcomes to be achieved. But for any ‘democracy’, the key term is “agreed”, that is making sure all members of society through their representatives have had the opportunity to contribute to the framing of the values so as to be as inclusive as possible.

Whatever the reality on the ground, this scenario is oft repeated during hectic times of curriculum reform. Whether it be insufficient funding, poor planning, weak or inexperienced bureaucratic heads or intransigent and ill-informed political masters, the price will be paid for not engaging the profession adequately and appropriately from the outset and in an ongoing way. One lesson I’ve learned over the years is that listening to and involving teachers (and others who have a direct stake) and consulting them at critical points, is of paramount importance to the ultimate success of any curriculum reform. Not doing it will result in failed implementation and more significantly in unnecessary distress for teachers, schools and the broader community.

“You reduce a lot of cognitive load when schools are set up with really specific norms around how behaviour is managed, and also how classrooms are run or how the school runs”. Agree.

Certainly not just a problem in Australia, but in whatever country, it is always about three things. First, is it part of the intended curriculum and therefore expected to be taught, learned, assessed and reported on. Second, is it well supported with resources, exemplification and professional learning. Third, is it prioritised and does it have some form of mandate at a system level and therefore at a school level. All three are needed – if one of these is missing (and it tends to be the third one) then the neglect remains.

I applaud the intention of the national education reform In Egypt in the move way from rote learning and focusing on strengthening student’s cross curriculum skills. But the limited focus here on examinations and resources excludes the vital exploration of a commensurate contemporary K-12 curriculum promoting skills as well as knowledge and understanding, and the building of teacher’s pedagogical skills.

Evidence-based instruction is not a new catchphrase, its been around in various iterations for many years. What does it mean for any education system? Well in all those years including now, it means, examine research evidence and reports written by different academics and organisations, and take the bits that suit the latest narrative. Then insist all schools adopt the approach, create projects, employ staff and pour resources into that implementation over 4-5 years. Until a change of government, a new narrative, the next review, and the latest evidence-based initiative to implement. When will we learn there is no one approach to instruction for all schools and all students?

Not just in the US!

Education fads debated by academics and the latest pendulum swing adopted by education departments, with teachers and schools bearing the brunt of another reform. Most of these strategies and approaches to teaching and learning are not oppositional. They are complementary and part of good teaching practice to best meet the needs of the learner and the teaching context.  

Many classrooms have students with learning difficulties, intellectual or physical disabilities, or who are gifted. How all students can be best supported in school to meet or exceed their potential is the ongoing challenge for teachers, schools, and systems. As with all areas, there are specific complexities associated with gifted education and that require system support for teachers, students, and parents. For example: What types of student assessments/diagnoses are available? Who makes these assessments, when and how? In relation to what domains of learning and what specific skills, competencies, and dispositions? Will an instructional focus on the relevant domain(s) result in greater student engagement or achievement across the board? Are teachers adequately trained and resourced to support variously gifted students? Are there opportunities for students with gifts in similar domains to flourish outside mainstream classes? When in mainstream classes are their gifts acknowledged and respected, and can teachers provide personalised opportunities as expected for students with other learning needs?