Bastow Educational Leadership Podcast

In this episode, Academy Principal in Residence Justine Smyth is joined by executive class principals Gail Hardman and Prue Pisani who currently work in Differentiated Support School Improvement [DSSI] in the Northwest Victorian Region. Prue Pisani commenced her executive class principal role in a school and recently moved into the DSSI role to support the implementation of school change at a network level. This uplifting episode is aimed at school leaders, and anyone interested in school improvement. This conversation style episode delves into the complex work of Executive Class Principals and how they raise the quality of leadership in schools by creating positive change, overcoming challenges, and connecting with school communities in a time of unprecedented challenges. Most importantly Prue and Gail share the key factors of change that have contributed to improving student outcomes. Learn with the Academy With online programs and sites all over Victoria, professional learning has never been so accessibl

Hosted by Academy Principal in Residence Simone Eirth, this episode delves into all things instructional coaching with internationally recognised thought leader Dr Jim Knight. This is a great episode for principals, assistant principals and aspiring school leaders as it provides practical strategies and insights into supporting and empowering educators and school staff, and how to better understand yourself as a leader. They also touch on compassion and the importance of treating yourself as you would a friend, and how self-criticism can negatively impact not only educators but people in general. Jim joined the Academy for a 5-day instructional coaching program at our East Melbourne site – 41 St Andrews Place. In partnership with Growth Coaching International, educators from across the state delved into globally significant ideas and techniques aimed at deepening their leadership understanding and skillsets. Who is Dr Jim Knight? Dr Jim Knight is a Senior Partner of the Instructional Coaching Group (I

Academy Principals in Residence, Kendra and Simone, have been working on embedding the Academy Leadership Excellence Framework (ALEF) and to develop resources for schools to foster excellence in educational leadership. In our latest podcast episode they are joined by Distinguished Professor Emeritus Viviane Robinson, to discuss the ALEF how it can be used by school leaders and leadership teams to identify, develop and support educational leadership excellence across our system. Viviane collaborated with the Academy to create the ALEF and is a thought leader in education and leadership development. Aimed at school and system leaders, middle leaders, teacher leaders and anyone who aspires to leadership, this episode will help you consider the capabilities, dispositions and domains required to be an effective, excellent leader. The Academy’s Leadership Excellence Framework sets out the capabilities and dispositions for excellence in leadership, from teacher leader to principal. The ALEF sets our 3 capabiliti

Principals in Residence Samantha Jeacle and Justine Mackey are joined by Chris Varney and Rachael Hamilton of the I CAN Network. In this episode, they discuss practical ways educators can support students with autism in the classroom. Chris and Rachael provide insights into how the I CAN Network assists teachers in aiding neurodiverse students and share personal examples of work avoidance. The I CAN Network The I CAN Network is an organisation founded by Chris Varney in 2013, with a mission to challenge negative perceptions of autism. Through respectful, peer-based programs, the I CAN Network aims to shift young individuals from an 'I CAN'T' to 'I CAN' mindset by celebrating neurodiverse strengths, passions, and shared experiences. https://icannetwork.online/ Learn with the Academy With online programs and sites all over Victoria, professional learning has never been so accessible. Explore our professional learning to find the training and support you need at your career stage to lead c

This episode is 3 of 3. Valuing maths positively impacts student learning outcomes and determines whether a student will continue to engage with maths at school and beyond. This episode discusses a particular type of maths – utility value – and the research backed way to improve it. Hosted by Teaching Excellence Program Master Teacher Ben Allen with guest Dr Sarah Buckley (Australian Council for Educational Research -ACER), this episode is great for both teachers and parents to help support students develop more positive attitudes towards maths. Resources: https://go.vic.gov.au/3TlxyKX Time stamps: (01:03) – MAES (maths anxiety engagement strategy) definition and history. (03:19) – What is positive maths talk? (04:35) – What does positive maths talk look like at home? (06:00) – Why is positive maths talk essential? (08:32) – Dispelling maths myths. (10:10) – Research and student outcomes. (14:17) – Resource ‘Why Maths?’ (17:41) – What is different about this resource? (22:25) – Where is math in

This episode is 2 of 3. Valuing maths positively impacts student learning outcomes and determines whether a student will continue to engage with maths at school and beyond. This episode is hosted by Teaching Excellence Program Master Teacher Emma Moore and features Dr Sarah Buckley from the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER). This episode covers types of maths (eg., utility value) and discusses research backed ways to improve it. The episode will also introduce a new publicly available information resource for teachers, co-developed by ACER and the Academy. This episode may also be of interest to parents to help support their children develop more positive attitudes towards maths. Resources: https://go.vic.gov.au/3TlxyKX Time stamps: (01:36) – MAES (maths anxiety engagement strategy) definition and history. (03:52) – Motivation definition in MAES and Expectancy value theory. (07:25) – What is maths utility value? (12:45) – Intervention in this context. (14:40) – How to build utility valu

This is episode 1 of 3. Maths anxiety is an emotion experienced by students all over Australia and can significantly impact learning. Hosted by Head of Mathematics at Albert Park College and Teaching Excellence Program (TEP) Alumni Rachael Gore, this episode will discuss a model for understanding Maths anxiety and strategies for addressing causes and symptoms. Featuring the Australian Council for Educational Research's (ACER) Senior Research Fellow Dr Sarah Buckley, this episode and associated strategies complement techniques that are widely used in classrooms. Resources: go.vic.gov.au/3TlxyKX Time stamps: (01:12) – MAES (maths anxiety engagement strategy) definition and history (02:32) – Key barriers to learning and participation in maths (03:33) – What is maths anxiety? (05:35) – Symptoms of maths anxiety: physiological and cognitive. (08:50) – Causes of maths anxiety. (13:08) – Strategies to help students with maths anxiety. (18:12) – Strategies to give students control over the symptoms of anx

Attention all school ‘middle leaders’!  Hosted by 2023 Academy Principal in Residence Greg Lacey, this episode features EC by Go1 CEO Dave Faulkner and learning designer and facilitator Glenn Solomons. In this episode Greg, Dave and Glenn cover all things middle leadership and the impact they can have as “the engine room of change in schools”.  Meet the EC team  EC (by Go1) is a Melbourne based and globally connected provider of online professional learning. This organisation partners with the Academy to support Victorian educators (especially middle leaders) in their professional development and further education. Dave Faulkner has worked in K-12 education for more than two decades as a teacher, principal, system leader and thought leader. Dave is the co-founder and CEO of professional learning provider EC (by Go1). His questions about why early career teachers were leaving the profession, led him to begin work in professional learning that better prepared them for leadership and gave them greater personal f

Teaching Excellence Program Master Teachers Lorena Pellone-Gismondi and Francés Braithwaite are joined by neurologist, former teacher and change maker Dr Judy Willis to discuss the connections between neuroscience, teaching and learning. This is a great episode for teachers of all year levels looking for practical strategies they can apply within their classrooms to motivate and engage students. Who is Dr Judy Willis? Dr Judy Willis is an expert in education neuroscience, with 15 years’ experience as a board-certified neurologist and an additional 10 years as a classroom teacher. Dr Willis has written 7 books and over 200 articles on applying neuroscience learnings and research to successful teaching approaches. Dr Willis is on the adjunct faculty of Williams College and delivers international presentations, workshops, and consulting while continuing to write books. She has been selected by Edutopia as one of their “Big Thinkers on Education” and joined the Academy as part of the 2023 Teaching Excellence Prog

This episode was originally recorded as a live webinar. While the audio quality may not be what you're used to on our channel we know the ideas raised will help challenge and advance educator understanding. Join Principal in Residence Kendra Parker and international thought leader Professor Yong Zhao to better understand and support student engagement. Suitable for all Victorian educators, this episode allows you to critically think about what education means in a globalised world and the role of teachers and school leaders in supporting student engagement.  Watch the original recording and see the slide deck here: https://go.vic.gov.au/3PA4cqe Yong Zhao is a Foundation Distinguished Professor in the School of Education at the University of Kansas and a professor in Educational Leadership at the Melbourne Graduate School of Education in Australia. Yong Zhao has received numerous awards including the Early Career Award from the American Educational Research Association, Outstanding Public Educator from Hor

With a focus on mathematics, Academy Master Teacher Emma Moore is joined in this podcast by international thought leader, Dr Gary Stager. In this episode they discuss how educators can use technology to create better mathematical thinking and learning experiences for students. This episode also touches on how computers and technology can create valuable learning adventures for students and teachers alike.      This podcast is 1 of 3 episodes featuring Dr Gary Stager. In these, thought-provoking episodes, Gary aims to challenge educators to rethink the traditional ways of teaching mathematics and consider alternative methods for engaging students.     Who is Dr Gary Stager?   Dr Gary Stager is an international thought leader who has spent decades helping school leaders embrace computer technology to amplify the learning potential of students. In 1990, Dr. Stager led professional development in the world’s first laptop schools and played a major role in the early days of online education. He has also earned

With a focus on mathematics, Academy Master Teacher Colin Chapman is joined by international thought leader, Dr Gary Stager. This episode delves into the ever-evolving technology and computational environments used to support both student and educator learning. With a focus on practical and engaging project-based numeracy development, this a must-listen episode for classroom teachers with the desire to improve student outcomes in mathematics. This podcast is 1 of 3 episodes featuring Dr Gary Stager. In these thought-provoking episodes, Gary aims to challenge educators to rethink the traditional ways of teaching mathematics and consider alternative methods for engaging students. Software and applications for consideration in the classroom Scratch, Snap!, MakeCode, Turtle Art, Lynx, Beetleblocks, Turtle Stitch, microBlocks, and Wolfram Language. Who is Dr Gary Stager? Dr Gary Stager is an international thought leader who has spent decades helping school leaders embrace computer technology to amplify th

With a focus on mathematics and artificial intelligence (AI), Academy Master Teacher Anam Javed is joined by international thought leader, Dr Gary Stager. This episode discusses the mathematical limitations and possibilities of AI in the classroom and the presence of programs such as ChatGPT. Also up for discussion is ‘symbolic programming’, data analysis and how teachers can use technology to reengage students and bring back their wonder, amazement and curiosity for mathematics. This podcast is 1 of 3 episodes featuring Dr Gary Stager. In these thought-provoking episodes, Gary aims to challenge educators to rethink the traditional ways of teaching mathematics and consider alternative methods for engaging students. What is artificial intelligence? Artificial intelligence (AI for short) is the science of making machines that can think like humans. AI technology can process large amounts of data, respond to complex questions, provide answers, calculate mathematics, edit text and much more. Who is Dr Gary S

Originally recorded as a video/vodcast, in this episode, Professor Eric Mazur (Harvard University), Dr Claire Brown (Director Teaching Excellence Division - Academy), and Gail Bray (former Director of Wyndham Tech School), discuss what it means to advance the quality and status of teaching. Eric discusses the ‘moral obligation’ that educators have to develop well-rounded individuals who embrace creativity, diversity, and collaboration. Gail touches on the transformative learning environment Wyndham Tech School provides students and teachers and Claire weighs in on empowering educators to think differently about their work and impact. View the original video recording and transcript: https://www.academy.vic.gov.au/news/advancing-quality-status-profession

2023 Teaching Excellence Program (TEP) Master Teacher, Christopher Hudson, is joined by educational thought leader, Professor Amanda Berry, from RMIT University. In this episode Chris and Amanda delve into the power of teachers engaging in practitioner inquiry, both individually and collectively. They unpack self-study and consider the dispositions and traits that teachers need to successfully critique and improve their practice. What is practitioner inquiry? Practitioner inquiry is the 'in-classroom' intentional study of teaching practice and student learning. Who can 'do' practitioner inquiry? While the Academy's year long Teaching Excellence Program (https://go.vic.gov.au/3IQInQq) involves a practitioner inquiry cycle - all educators can benefit from self-reflection practitioner inquiry by remaining curious about what classroom patterns and approaches generate the best student engagement and outcomes. Amanda’s paper on tensions: Berry, A. (2007). Re-conceptualizing teacher educato

What are the fundamental skills for successful leadership in education?  Neil Barker discusses the value of leaders continuing their own learning journeys, the meaning of true collaboration, and the importance of a clear leadership vision.

How can we change our education systems to give young people the skills they need to become global citizens? Joanne Quinn talks about the key drivers for transforming learning to prepare students for the future.

How do school leaders get the most out of technology for their teachers and students? Baroness Susan Greenfield knows the brain evolves with every experience. And while technology can be a positive learning tool, its impact on the brain and a young person’s sense of identity still needs further exploration.

Rigour involves raising expectations and teaching and learning to the highest level. Dr Barbara Blackburn explores the building blocks of motivation and how teachers can implement them in their classroom to create a rigorous learning environment.

How can school leaders empower parents, students and staff to create sustained positive change? Richard Gerver talks about creating the conditions for excellence and enthusiasm within school communities.