Wayfinders, Navigation and Progress
Wayfinders are extraordinary – highly trained, technology free and remarkably successful navigators. I’ve been wondering quite a bit recently about data, measuring progress and all that sort of thing, especially given complexity, and these Polynesian navigators provide some rich lessons, I think. They’re not operating...
Research on Ability Grouping and Setting in Maths Classes
I’ve been trying to tie together some of the various bits of research I’ve come across for and against ability grouping in maths. Below is what I’ve got so far, but would love any other pointers, for or against. The last 30 years’ research suggests setting marginally improves high-achievers, but to the detriment of...
Mischief on the Moral High Ground
Thoroughly enjoying Jonathan Smith’s “The Learning Game“. This anecdote is from his childhood. His Uncle Bert, a haemophiliac, always stayed with them. “Every Christmas Day for many years we all gathered in his room for our dinner. After dinner, in my early childhood, we always played cards. I looked forward to...
The Structure of Schools
Should we be paying more attention the structure of schools? A lot of facets of education are coming under scrutiny at the moment, both in the UK and abroad. The merits of various teaching styles, types of school, assessment formats and curricula among others are all being discussed. This debate is healthy and long may […]
The Wisdom of Scottish Weddings
It’s great having friends you admire. And one of the many things I admire about my mate Matthew is that he always wants to test things out for himself. Here’s an excerpt from a recent mail: “at my cousin Al’s wedding on Saturday, one of the guests organized a sweepstake – guess the combined length […]