Knowledge for Teachers

In this episode of the Knowledge for Teachers podcast, Brendan Lee and Dr. Zach Groshell (Host of the Progressively Incorrect podcast) collaborated in the first of a series of episodes together. The theme for this episode was around what are the main principles that teachers need to understand about how learning happens and what are the key mechanisms of effective instruction.

Zach’s 4 points were:

1. Intrinsic motivation is a lofty goal but can't be depended upon.

Brendan’s 4 points were:

1. The instructional hierarchy is the single most important thing for teachers to know

Resources mentioned:

• Haring and Eaton’s Instructional Hierarchy

You can connect with Zach:

Twitter: @mrzachg

Podcast: Progressively Incorrect

Website: educationrickshaw.com

You can connect with Brendan:

Twitter: @learnwithmrlee

Facebook: @learningwithmrlee

Website: learnwithlee.net

https://www.patreon.com/KnowledgeforTeachersPodcast

* This was originally published on 15 Sep 2024 with poor sound quality, it was re-published on 20 Sep 2024 with improved sound quality! Hope you enjoy the episode!

In this episode, Brendan Lee speaks with Charlotte Peverett, an experienced learning specialist and inclusion outreach coach, who shares her journey into teaching and special education. Charlotte discusses the significance of structures and routines in creating a safe and consistent learning environment. Charlotte also emphasises the importance of high expectations for all students and the role of teachers in preparing them for adulthood and functioning in society. In this conversation, Charlotte and Brendan discuss the importance of positive reinforcement and effective implementation of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) in schools. They also speak the role of leadership in planning and using data to drive improvement.

Resources mentioned:

• Tom Bennett

You can connect with Charlotte:

Twitter: @lifeoflottie

Facebook: Science of Learning - Special Education Australia

You can connect with Brendan:

Twitter: @learnwithmrlee

Facebook: @learningwithmrlee

Website: learnwithlee.net

https://www.patreon.com/KnowledgeforTeachersPodcast

Charlotte is an autistic, special education Learning Specialist/Inclusion Outreach Coach in South-West Victoria. Her specialty is literacy and language intervention with a passion to introduce research and evidence-based practices into mainstream and specialist settings. Charlotte has her Master of Education (LIHI) and is a postgraduate research student with the Latrobe University SOLAR Lab and is an Honorary Affiliate member of the Institute of Special Education (InSpEd). Charlotte has presented at numerous conferences and works with schools to change systems and practices to ensure all students are reaching their full potential.

In this episode, Brendan Lee speaks with Professor Jonathan Sharples from the Education Endowment Foundation. He has led the recent update to the EEF’s A School’s Guide to Implementation and in this conversation we unpack the paper. Professor Sharples details the updates and why they were made. He also digs into each of the key elements. As Jonathan highlights, how something is done is as important as what is done and throughout this episode, he provides a number of practical strategies that schools can follow. 

Resources mentioned:

• Education Endowment Foundation: A School’s Guide to Implementation - https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evidence/guidance-reports/implementation

You can connect with Jonathan:

Twitter: @Sharples_J

Website: educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk

You can connect with Brendan:

Twitter: @learnwithmrlee

Facebook: @learningwithmrlee

Website: learnwithlee.net

https://www.patreon.com/KnowledgeforTeachersPodcast

In this episode, Brendan Lee speaks with Bethany Rittle-Johnson, a professor of psychology at Vanderbilt University. Bethany has led a lot of the research around conceptual and procedural knowledge. In this chat, she delves into this topic and also discuss other high impact strategies such as worked examples, self-explanations and the power of comparisons in supporting student learning.

Resources mentioned:

• Megan Frankly

You can connect with Bethany:

Twitter: @BethanyRittle

Linkedin

Email: [email protected]

You can connect with Brendan:

Twitter: @learnwithmrlee

Facebook: @learningwithmrlee

Website: learnwithlee.net

https://www.patreon.com/KnowledgeforTeachersPodcast

WEBSITE BLURB

My broad interests concern how people learn and how to improve their learning.  My research focuses on learning of key concepts and problem-solving procedures within mathematics, with an emphasis on experiences that promote learning.  I conduct this research in both laboratory and classroom contexts to better understand learning processes and contribute to improvements in math education.

In this episode, Brendan Lee speaks with Professor Pamela Snow. She has been at the coalface fighting for evidence-based reading instruction to be common practice for a number of years and throughout this conversation, she provides nuggets of gold in describing how when we talk about phonics we need to be using it as an adjective with a noun following it. Pamela unpacks why this debate about reading has been going on for so long and why changing teacher practice can be so challenging. She also delves into what parents need to know and what questions they could be asking.

Resources mentioned:

• Grattan Institute - The Reading Guarantee

You can connect with Pam:

Twitter: @PamelaSnow2

Linkedin

Website: https://pamelasnow.blogspot.com/

You can connect with Brendan:

Twitter: @learnwithmrlee

Facebook: @learningwithmrlee

Website: learnwithlee.net

https://www.patreon.com/KnowledgeforTeachersPodcast

In this episode, Brendan Lee speaks with Jamie Clark, an English teacher and lead practitioner specialising in pedagogy and digital learning. They discuss his recently released book, One Pagers and unpack how it could be used. Jamie breaks down a number of the techniques mentioned in the book and describes his thinking process in putting it all together. He also provides some super useful tips on how teachers can design their own.

Resources mentioned:

• Oliver Caviglioli

You can connect with Jamie:

Twitter: @XpatEducator

Instagram: @xpateducator

Linkedin: @jamieleeclark85

Website: www.jamieleeclark.com/

You can connect with Brendan:

Twitter: @learnwithmrlee

Facebook: @learningwithmrlee

Website: learnwithlee.net

https://www.patreon.com/KnowledgeforTeachersPodcast

In this episode, Brendan Lee speaks with Emina McLean. Emina works with systems, schools, leaders, and teachers to develop ambitious and rigorous assessment, curriculum and instruction practices in English and literacy. In this chat, Emina discusses her focus on implementing effective systems and practices for teaching reading and writing. She highlights the importance of aligning curriculum, assessment, and instruction, and the need for a well-sequenced and comprehensive curriculum. Emina also unpacks the challenges of implementing evidence-based practice in schools, including the overwhelming number of competing priorities. 

Resources mentioned:

• A Single Shard - Linda Sue Park

You can connect with Emina:

Twitter: @EminaMcLean

Linkedin

Email: [email protected] 

Website: www.eminamclean.com/

You can connect with Brendan:

Twitter: @learnwithmrlee

Facebook: @learningwithmrlee

Website: learnwithlee.net

https://www.patreon.com/KnowledgeforTeachersPodcast

In this episode, Brendan Lee speaks with Bronwyn Ryrie Jones, an instructional coach who supports teachers and instructional leaders to develop their expertise. She discusses the importance of responsive teaching and shares techniques to effectively check for understanding in the classroom. She emphasises the need for teachers to have a deep understanding of the principles behind responsive teaching before implementing specific techniques. 

Bron also explains the concept of instructional playbooks and how they can be useful for schools. She unpacks the potential dangers and how to avoid these pitfalls. 

Resources mentioned:

• Jim Knight, Ann Hoffman and Michelle Harris - Instructional Playbook

You can connect with Bronwyn:

Twitter: @BronRyrieJones

Linkedin: @bronwyn-ryrie-jones/

Website: bronwynryriejones.com

You can connect with Brendan:

Twitter: @learnwithmrlee

Facebook: @learningwithmrlee

Website: learnwithlee.net

https://www.patreon.com/KnowledgeforTeachersPodcast

In this episode, Brendan Lee speaks with Trisha Jha who currently works with the Centre for Independent Studies and recently released a couple of reports titled: What is the Science of Learning? And Implementing the Science of Learning: Teacher experiences. Trisha unpacks these papers and discusses her journey into education research and the importance of focusing on what happens in the classroom. Throughout the conversation Trisha defines what the science of learning is and the difficulty in making cognitive science common knowledge. 

The conversation also explores the challenges and misconceptions surrounding explicit instruction and how teachers engage with the science of learning. We also delve into what schools and systems can do to support effective implementation. 

Resources mentioned:

• What is the Science of Learning? https://www.cis.org.au/publication/what-is-the-science-of-learning/

You can connect with:

Twitter: @themetresgained

Linkedin: Trisha Jha

You can connect with Brendan:

Twitter: @learnwithmrlee

Facebook: @learningwithmrlee

Website: learnwithlee.net

https://www.patreon.com/KnowledgeforTeachersPodcast

Trisha Jha is a Research Fellow in the Education program, working on projects relating to the science of learning, improvement of initial teacher education and overall school quality.

Prior to rejoining CIS, Trisha had roles as a secondary teacher, including through the Teach for Australia program, in state and independent schools in regional Victoria. She has also worked as a senior policy adviser to opposition leaders in Victoria. She holds a Masters of Teaching with a specialisation in Research from Deakin University and a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from the Australian National University.

In this episode, Brendan Lee speaks with Dr. Mark Dowley (Associate Head – Staff Development at the Crowther Centre for Applied Educational Research) who has recently released the book, “The Classroom Management Handbook” that he co-authored with Ollie Lovell. In this chat, they unpack the book and how it’s what Mark and Ollie wish they had when they started teaching. They also discuss ten important principles for classroom management, including the idea that behavior is a curriculum and the importance of mastering one's own behavior to influence others. The conversation also explores the use of scripts and tools to support effective behavior management.

Resources mentioned:

https://classroommanagementhandbook.com/

Bill Rogers - Know the fair rules

Mastery Schools Australia

Marsden Road PS

Tom Bennett

Michael Fullan - Six Secrets of Change

You can connect with Mark:

Twitter: @coachdowley

Linkedin

Website: classroommanagementhandbook.com

You can connect with Brendan:

Twitter: @learnwithmrlee

Facebook: @learningwithmrlee

Website: learnwithlee.net

https://www.patreon.com/KnowledgeforTeachersPodcast