New publications

This paper uses longitudinal information from the calendar in the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey to track monthly education and labour market activities from 2000 to 2010 for about 6500 working age individuals. For youths aged 15–24 in 2001, five pathways are identified: three associated with increasing education levels and transitions to work; one associated with churning in and out of work; and one dominated by young women withdrawing from the labour force to raise children. Adapted from the paper, which is available online.

Prepared in collaboration with the EU Kids Online network, this report critically reviews recent research to understand the internet use, and emerging policy priorities, regarding children from birth to eight years old. Over the last five to six years there has been a substantial increase in internet usage by children under nine years old. Children under nine years old enjoy a variety of online activities, including watching videos, playing games, searching for information, doing their homework and socialising within children’s virtual worlds. The range of activities increases with age. Video sharing sites are popular with children in this age group and are one of the first sites very young children visit. As such, the ease with which children can access inappropriate video content is of concern. Adapted from Executive Summary.

This program is a tool for helping teachers and their co-workers evaluate their teaching and work, by gathering structured feedback from those they work with and for. Used wisely, it can enhance performance by ensuring good evidence-based analysis and therefore targeted professional development effort and expenditure. The survey tool may be used by individual teachers for feedback on their teaching; by schools to highlight school-wide development priorities; and by school systems to design system-wide standards and have high-level oversight of how the survey tools are being used in individual schools. Adapted from publisher's description. A free trial of edu360online is available.

The active learner is at the centre of the learning process, amplifying the best traditions of progressive education. This book helps educators bring the opportunities of the maker movement to the classroom. Adapted from publisher's description. See also review in Education Review.

The author details the number ideas underpinning numeracy: numeration, computation, fraction ideas and making connections. Key examples of mathematical misconceptions and inappropriate ways of thinking are shown and discussed. Explanations of the analysis of evidence gathered from screening tests are given, leading teachers towards the diagnosis of difficulties and then effective intervention. A series of numeracy screening tests are provided to allow teachers to assess the strengths and weaknesses of a class, a small group or individuals. A CD-ROM containing professional support resources (instructional videos, PowerPoint animations, and tests with allied spreadsheet records) is also included. Adapted from publisher's description.