Professional Educator Volume 8 Number 2 June 2009

OPINION ­ Want world-class schools? Then agitate

It¹s time to agitate for significant, systematic and sustained change if we want world-class schools, says Brian Caldwell.

FEATURE ­ Australian schools: Three questions; three answers

How good is Australian school education, how fair is Australian school education, and how could we do even better? Barry McGaw has some answers.

BEGINNING TEACHERS ­ Bloody tough, but absolutely rewarding

With a Bachelor of Communication already under her belt and about five years of journalism experience, Gemma Patterson felt confident that she could handle a bunch of teenagers and become a high school English teacher.

TRANSITION ­ Post-school pays off

Post-school education or training pays off, according to a recent analysis of longitudinal data. Steve Holden reports.

CLASSROOM CONFIDENTIAL ­

Start building but don¹t forget educational leadership

With $14.7 billion for schools on the table, now is not the time merely to change the colour of the carpet, says Seamus O¹Grady.

THE PROFESSION ­ Find your voice: Real professional renewal

Allow the educational agenda to come from outside of the school or the profession, and we hand over the reigns of pedagogical reform, say Peter Noonan and Peter Hayes.

INNOVATION Rollercoaster: Education and online access

It's time all Australian schools started educating students for a digital world, rather than pretending that world doesn¹t exist, says Mal Lee.

Timetables and technology

Hands up if you want to be your school¹s timetabler. If your hand is up, chances are your school uses timetabling software rather than fitting together the pieces of the timetable jigsaw puzzle, piece by agonising piece; but software hasn¹t taken over the job, as Peter Crowe explains.

NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE and IN BRIEF

ISSUES Education for all

Education for all has been a goal since at least the mid-17th Century.

Today, it¹s no less an important goal, for Australia and the world, says Phillip Hughes.

Now is the time for educational change

The worst of times could indeed be the best of times for constructive and purposeful educational change. Norman McCulla explains why.

REVIEW The Use of Instructional Technology in Schools

THE DIARY

AS I SEE IT ... On punishment

Danny Katz suspects teachers sometimes pine for the un-PC days of corporal punishment.