thank you tomaz.

truly – i could read that everyday – just as a reminder of why we do what we do.

Our discussion on Friday was interesting, challenging but slightly intimidating. No you’re not intimidating but your wealth of knowledge of ICT overwhelms me at times.

As I emailed to you I have spent quite a few hours today (Sunday, 17th May, 2009) trying to familiarise myself with the plethora of information that you have posted via Moodle. The highlight was reading your post ‘My f*#!%ing goosebump story’ through your Human Edublog. This was not only an inspirational read, it gave me a renewed confidence in my efforts as a teacher at BCC.

As you know both my children were educated at private schools. Rebecca, now nearly twenty one, went to Methodist Ladies’ College in Claremont and Matthew, seventeen and a half, went to Scotch College in Swanbourne. I think I did mention to you that my son Matthew topped the state in History and achieved a TER of 99.75 last year. Our education system obviously suited him perfectly. As proud as I was I still remember how disillusioned I felt about our education system when my daughter was at Floreat Primary School and not fitting into mainstream schooling. This was incredibly hard for me as I had taught and believed that our education system was “right” and this was the first time I had ever questioned it after many years of teaching.

My daughter, Rebecca has read your blog and completely relates to how schools, particularly a private school like MLC, reproduces what society thinks and wants rather than looking at students’ individual talents and creativity. She said to me “The only thing MLC recognized and rewarded was academic excellence”.
This is Rebecca talking now: It’s really wonderful to know that not only students like me but teachers are being alerted to the problem I endured at school. Although school wasn’t my favourite place to go, I am now really loving every day at TAFE currently studying Interior Decoration and Design. I totally agree with what you said and to quote it:
“The sole reasons why I personally push for and like ICT (so) much are the enormous possibilities it provides for better engagement, care, confidence, freedom and ethics. It has the possibility for changing the numbingly ineffective system that clearly has not and will not reward many students in our school, but who are creative, smart, and caring.”
Mum just said if ICT can do that at BCC then she’s all for it. Your blog was awesome and inspiring Tomaz.

[WORDPRESS HASHCASH] The comment’s server IP (72.34.53.165) doesn’t match the comment’s URL host IP () and so is spam.

Keep on sharing your thoughts and struggles. Hats off to you.

Almost certainly, had the option been available, McCourt would have used technology in the classroom, and I suspect he would have enjoyed the connection with other teachers that blogging offers. Keep up the good work! We may not find all the answers, but at least we can take comfort in knowing we aren’t alone in our struggles.

I have only worked in public schools in the western suburbs of Melbourne. I have made a specific choice to do this and I did not go in with rose coloured glasses. I do believe in the public system we are trying to cater for a critical majority whilst working with a disruptive minority. I do not think teachers in the independant sector can always grasp that we cannot pick and choose our teachers, resources or students. I went to a presentation yesterday by Chris Btecher which spoke about good ICT interview questions to ask, I mentioned that in Victoria we could never ask these questions because it doesnt sit within the criteria for employment. It is these conversations we need to be having because then the realities of different systems become apparent.

In public schools life is not always roses, I have had to mandatory report, cop abuse and get a restraining order on a parent once but I was making a difference and now I am out of the system I cannot wait to get back when the time is right because even if I am the only one giving a damn at that school then that is one more than the day before.

For us to cater for the critical mass and the minority funding models have to change, inequities where taxpayers funding independants only increases these gaps. Rudd’s education devolution just focuses on the tool but not the student or the teacher and is bound for failure. Measuring schools wont make them weigh more we all know that !

I have rambled on enough here and would love to say hi when I get to perth soon but thanks for reminding me that it is OK to blog about the clouds as well as the sun and shooting for the stars. It is this breadth which moves us forward in making great decisions and reflections as learners.

When I first walked into a NSW DET public classroom in 1985 it was a conscious choice and one on the whole I have not regretted. Sure, severely questioned at times, but not regretted.

Challenging, abhorrent, at times evil behaviours of a miniscule number of attendees has still not swayed my passion for what I do. There are just too many alternate success stories that inspire me. The various high need, special and GT units provide such stories daily as do the mainstreamers.

Yes public means we take all comers. Public means we cannot exclude on any grounds except proven violent histories and even they go to publically funded institutions of a different guise.

To me, public is an accurate reflection of our real society. Not so good at times, but never the less, real. We need more teachers with your passion in our places, leaders like you are scarce. The point of grades is? I’m serious.

Others choose to attend systems that do and can exclude, that’s their prerogative, and they work their comparable wonders, albeit in a cloistered version of the greater reality. This is irrefutable, no biggy in that and happy learning outcomes to all.

I am a passionate supporter of accountable transparent publically funded education in any system for these reasons. Level playing fields and choices are great, providing independently audited evidence of public tax funding is available. This has never happened in Australian education history.

At present funding is far from transparent and public, let alone accountable. Rudd’s recent suggestions re Edrev will shake the disclosure tree and the traditional lack of accountability in the funding equation pie may just change. I hope so.

Those paying twice for education have this right, as they often make sacrifices to do so. But all taxpayers, regardless of whether they ‘consume’ education, have a far greater right to not only know how all public monies are spent, but what is the change effect (improvement?) of that public funding.

The monolithic glacial nature of change in edubureaucracy is far more damaging than an adolescent rant, brain snap or swear sess, no matter how bad it may seem at the time.

My sense of frustration in our public system lies not with the intransigent students, despite experiencing identical behaviours at the 4 NSW DET schools I have worked at, but with the far queue expert advisers who ponder significantly from afar and then tell fantastic teachers how to suck lemons.

Then as their pyĕs də rā-zē-stäns’those with the responsibility to lead do stuff all to help expedite fundamental change in education. Never had one yetin 20 odd years so I guess I shouln’t be too optimistic real leaders are going to come along anytime soon. Old saying, you dont leap a 20 foot chasm in two 10 foot leaps. I want leaders capable of 40 feet.

Mindless curriculum/syllabus tinkering, incremental fiddling with antiquated systems and self serving political point scoring. I’m so over these aspects of what we are dished up as avant guarde.

Societal shift in all its guises is exponential from now on. I wonder if governments get it? Ned Ludd certainly didn’t.

ICT will fundamentally shift learning, it just depends when?

That shared beer is going to taste awesome Tomaz.

Unfortunately I can relate to your post, having worked in a series of disadvantaged areas of Sydney with high levels of social dislocation and the resulting anti-social behaviours. I know that creating good spaces can be challenging but it is the most important work that will happen in your city today and tomorrow. Pity the state budget wouldn’t extend to ameliorating some social ills with some smart investment in Education.