Knowledge for Teachers

In this episode, Brendan Lee speaks with Dr. Nathaniel Swain. He currently works at La Trobe University as a Senior Lecturer, Learning Sciences and Learner Engagement and the Director of Undergraduate Academic Programs. He is also the founder of Think Forward Educators. Nathaniel first appeared on the Knowledge for Teachers podcast in episode 20 and unpacked some of the FAQ about the science of learning. This time they delve into the messy world of teaching writing. He explains how writing is a complex skill and provides practical strategies for sequencing the teaching of grammar and integrating writing into the curriculum.

Resources mentioned:

• Wexler and Hochman - The Writing Revolution

• Masterclass: Developing Great Writing Skills - Once off - 19 March 2024 (live or asynchronous): https://shortcourses.latrobe.edu.au/masterclass-developing-great-writing-skills

You can connect with:Nathaniel

Twitter: @NathanielRSwain

Facebook

Linkedin

Website: www.nathanielswain.com     

Order Nathaniel's book, "Harnessing the Science of Learning"

You can connect with Brendan:

Twitter: @learnwithmrlee

Facebook: @learningwithmrlee

Website: learnwithlee.net

https://www.patreon.com/KnowledgeforTeachersPodcast

In this episode, Brendan Lee speaks with Dr. Jenny Donovan, CEO of the Australian Education Research Organisation. Jenny has led some of the heaviest hitting bits of research in Australia. In her current role with AERO and previous one with NSW Centre for Education Statistics and Evaluation, Jenny has been behind the teams that brought cognitive load theory to prominence and highlighted the lack of evidence behind programs like Reading Recovery and Language Learning & Literacy or L3 as it is more commonly known.

Throughout this interview, she discusses her journey into education research and the importance of evidence-based practice. Jenny emphasises the importance of areas such as explicit instruction, classroom management, teacher training, standardised testing like NAPLAN, and accountability in educational practices. It also touches on controversial topics such as fads in education and how to spot and avoid them.

Resources mentioned:

• AERO: Teaching for how students learn: A model of learning and teaching

You can connect with: Jenny 

Twitter: @JennyDonovan2

Linkedin

AERO

You can connect with Brendan:

Twitter: @learnwithmrlee

Facebook: @learningwithmrlee

Website: learnwithlee.net

https://www.patreon.com/KnowledgeforTeachersPodcast

In this conversation, Brendan Lee speaks with James Dobson, an experienced teacher who has been expertly applying the art and science of learning when teaching students in their first year of school (Kindergarten/Prep/Reception/Foundation). He discusses the importance of evidence-based practice, the use of Direct Instruction programs, and the challenges and rewards of teaching young children. James shares insights on maintaining sanity in the classroom while balancing work and personal life. We also delve into James' weekly timetable, looking at phonemic awareness, phonics, handwriting, writing and mathematics. He really gets into the nitty-gritty of what his lessons look like day-to-day and how they progress throughout the year.

Resources mentioned:

• Siegfried Engelmann

Twitter: @jdtdobson

Instagram: @mr_j_dobson

Website: layingthefoundations.weebly.com/ 

Twitter: @learnwithmrlee

Facebook: @learningwithmrlee

Website: learnwithlee.net

https://www.patreon.com/KnowledgeforTeachersPodcast

James Dobson is a Foundation teacher and Learning Specialist at Campbells Creek Primary School including Guildford Campus in central Victoria. James has worked with students from a diverse range of backgrounds in Victoria and the Northern Territory. During his time in the NT, he implemented a range of Direct Instruction programs and became an accredited DI trainer. He was a finalist for the Outstanding Primary Teacher award as a part of the 2022 Victorian Education Excellence Awards. James is passionate about ensuring that all students receive a quality education. This begins by laying a solid foundation. 

https://www.patreon.com/KnowledgeforTeachersPodcast

In this episode, Brendan Lee speaks with Dr. Ray Boyd, the Foundation Principal of Dayton Primary School. Throughout the interview he shares his journey into education leadership and the pedagogic shift he led at his previous school West Beechboro P.S. He reflects on the mistakes made and lessons learned during his time there and discusses the surprises and challenges of starting a new school. 

Dr. Boyd also explains the vision and mission of Dayton Primary School and how he communicates it to the community. Dr. Boyd underscores the vital role of fostering success and creating robust support systems within schools. He stresses intentional communication with parents and the cultivation of a positive school culture. Ray delves into strategies for nurturing staff well-being, employing tools like playbooks and coaching. He highlights the importance of revisiting priorities and setting precise goals for professional development. As the discussion concludes, Ray provides valuable tips for a strong start to the school year and recommends resources such as cognitive load theory and educational research books. 

Listen to this episode for profound insights and guidance tailored for school leaders.

Resources mentioned:

• James Nottingham

Twitter: @RayBoyd007

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/rayboyd007/

Twitter: @learnwithmrlee

Facebook: @learningwithmrlee

Website: learnwithlee.net

https://www.patreon.com/KnowledgeforTeachersPodcast

Dr Ray Boyd, DipT., MSL., Ed.D.. FACELWA., FACEL is the foundation principal of Dayton Primary School. Prior to this he led a school that achieved remarkable improvement, resulting in his team mentoring WA school personnel as a part of the Centre for Excellence in Literacy initiative. Ray’s world is dominated by the need to improve teaching and learning in schools, having done considerable work with state and interstate schools in developing highly effective teaching models alongside their leadership teams. Prior to his career as a school leader, Ray competed at an international level, representing Australia at the World Cross Country Championship, in the marathon at the World Athletics Championships in Athens, and was a member of the Australian Team that won the International Ekiden Relay Championships in 1995.

Brendan Lee provides his key takeaways from the Knowledge for Teachers Podcast for 2023. This year he spoke to people such as Tom Sherrington, Daisy Christodoulou, Christopher Such and many more. Find out what he took away from these conversations.

He has split this episode into three sections:

• Science of reading

https://www.patreon.com/KnowledgeforTeachersPodcast

In this episode, Brendan Lee speaks with Dr. Corey Peltier who is an Assistant Professor of Special Education in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Oklahoma. He also contributes to The Science of Math movement that is focused on disseminating research-informed recommendations to enhance math instruction and outcomes for students and this is the area that is unpacked in this episode. 

Resources mentioned:

• Sarah Powell

You can connect with Corey:

Twitter: @CoreyJPeltier

Website: coreypeltier.substack.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 Dr. Tim McDonald who is currently the CEO of YMCA WA and previously led Catholic Education WA, the Minderoo Foundation and was the Education Lead for Knowledge Society. Recently, he wrote a paper for the Centre for Independent Studies titled: Teaching Behaviour: How Classroom Conduct Can Unlock Better Learning. Throughout this conversation, he touches on a lot of the key points from the report and talks about what schools can do to build a behaviour curriculum. He also answers some of the tough questions on things such as phones in schools, exclusions and behaviour expectations.

Resources mentioned:

• Teaching Behaviour: How Classroom Conduct Can Unlock Better Learning

Classroom Management Classroom Management 

You can connect with:

Twitter: @DrTimMcDonald1

Linkedin

Website: www.classroommastery.com.au/

You can connect with Brendan:

Twitter: @learnwithmrlee

Facebook: @learningwithmrlee

Website: learnwithlee.net

https://www.patreon.com/KnowledgeforTeachersPodcast

In this episode, Brendan Lee speaks with Jessica Colleu Terradas the Senior Officer Teaching and Learning Literacy and Instructional Coach in Canberra and Goulburn Catholic Education. In 2022, she travelled to the USA, England and France where she met with leading experts to investigate effective literacy screening and instructional practices to support older struggling readers as part of her Churchill Fellowship. She details some of the findings from her report in this chat.

She speaks about her amazing experience meeting people like Anita Archer and Stanislas Dehaene and goes through some case studies of schools that have implemented a Multi-Tiered System of Support framework effectively.

Resources mentioned:

• Jessica Colleu Terradas Churchill Fellowship: To identify effective language and literacy screening and intervention practices for at-risk students

• Podcast: the Science of Reading platform with Susan Lambert https://amplify.com/science-of-reading-the-podcast/

You can connect with Jess:

Twitter: @JessicaColleu

LinkedIn: @jessicacolleu/

You can connect with Brendan:

Twitter: @learnwithmrlee

Facebook: @learningwithmrlee

Website: learnwithlee.net

https://www.patreon.com/KnowledgeforTeachersPodcast

In this episode, Brendan Lee speaks with Jessica Del Rio the government and public finance lead at Equity Economics. She has recently been involved in a couple of major reports that have highlighted the poor literacy standards across Australia. 

• Raising the grade: How schools in the Australian Capital Territory can lift literacy outcomes for students and the economy, written for the ACT Alliance for Evidence-Based Education and funded by the Snow Foundation 

In this conversation, Jess will tell us how bleak our current situation is, what needs to be done, what will happen if changes aren’t made and go through some examples of who is doing this well.

Resources mentioned:

• Rowe, K., & National Inquiry into the Teaching of Literacy (Australia). (2005). Teaching Reading: Report and Recommendations. Department of Education, Science and Training. https://research.acer.edu.au/tll_misc/5

Linkedin

Twitter: @learnwithmrlee

Facebook: @learningwithmrlee

Website: learnwithlee.net

https://www.patreon.com/KnowledgeforTeachersPodcast

In this episode, Brendan Lee speaks with Bruno Reddy CEO of Maths Circle (Times Tables Rockstars and Numbots). He is the former head of Mathematics at King Solomon Academy and one of the pioneers of mathematics mastery, as we know it today. As you will hear, he is hugely passionate about mathematics and has thought long and hard about what needs to be done to teach it effectively. Some of the things that are just starting to become common practice now, like retrieval practice, spaced practice and variation theory, are things that he was talking about 10 years ago. 

Resources mentioned:

King Solomon Academy

Doug Lemov - Teach Like a Champion

Kris Bolton

Brendan Lee - 5 Key Principles for Teaching Primary Mathematics Effectively

Brendan Lee - A Systematic and Structured Approach to Teaching Primary Mathematics (Part 1)

Alex Blanksby - Five Ways to use Worked Examples

The ResearchED guide to explicit and direct instruction - Adam Boxer

John Mason and Anne Watson - Thinkers

Episode 18 – Kevin and Robyn Wheldall on Effective Instruction in Reading

Knowledge Society

CogLearn

Think Forward Educations: Sarah Powell - Maths Intervention

Dan Meyer

You can connect with Bruno:

Twitter: @BrunoReddyMaths

You can connect with Brendan:

Twitter: @learnwithmrlee

Facebook: @learningwithmrlee

Website: learnwithlee.net

Support the Knowledge for Teachers Podcast: 

https://www.patreon.com/KnowledgeforTeachersPodcast