What's newMinisters agree to deliver national arts and geography curriculumA meeting of all Australian education ministers has endorsed the first national Arts curriculum for Foundation to Year 10 and the first national senior secondary Geography curriculum. See statement by Australian Minister for Education Bill Shorten, 30 July 2013. For more information visit www.acara.edu.au. Schools consider policy on personal mobile devices at schoolAustralian schools are considering whether students should be using their personal mobile devices at school. Issues include school finances, network infrastructure, which devices should be used, and implications for teaching. See article in Australian Teacher Magazine 23 July 2013. NZ university study queries value of Reading Recovery programIn New Zealand a study by Massey University's Institute of Education has challenged the effectiveness of the Reading Recovery program as a strategy to lift literacy levels and reduce the gap in reading achievement. The researchers examined Reading Recovery monitoring reports and data from the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) carried out in five-yearly intervals since 2001. New appointment to ACARA BoardAustralia Minister for Education Bill Shorten has announced the appointment of Ms Susan Bowden to the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) Board, and the reappointment of Deputy Chair Mr Tony Mackay. Microsoft marketing its tablet to Australian schoolsMicrosoft 'is working hard to get its tablet into Australian schools', according to an article in the Courier Mail 1 August 2013. How to help students deal with maths anxietyA research fellow at the Australian Council for Educational Research discusses mathematics anxiety, and how it may be addressed, in an article in the Sydney Morning Herald 29 July 2013. Follow Curriculum and Leadership Journal on TwitterFor news updates between editions of the journal, follow Curriculum and Leadership Journal on Twitter. |