This month we chat to leaders from across the school sector who meet and exchange ideas at the University of Melbourne Network of Schools (UMNOS). Program founder, Katherine Henderson, explains the link between this kind of collaboration and a lift in overall student achievement.

Next up, Dr Geoff Masters, CEO of the Australian Council for Education Research, argues its time to move away from a structure whereby students are organised according to age or year level, to one based on the achievement of proficiencies.

Finally, David Baker explains to Sophie Murphy how Gippsland Grammar is already moving towards this approach and exploring ways to move students from surface to deep learning.

In this episode of Talking Teaching, we chat with the maths teacher behind Woo Tube, the dynamic communicator Eddie Woo. With an audience in the hundreds of thousands that stretches way beyond his home school of Cherrybrook High in Sydney, Eddie has a down-to earth approach to technology, seeing it merely as an amplifier. Central to his high impact teaching is a well developed methodology and a talent for hooking his students with a great story. Talking Teaching is recorded and mixed by Gavin Nebauer at The Horwood Recording Studio, University of Melbourne. Theme music by Gavin Nebauer

In this episode of Talking Teaching we focus on the national teaching standards that are validated by the Australian Institute of Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL). In particular, AITSL's chair Prof John Hattie looks at the way Highly Accomplished teachers are using their networks to spread the word about high-impact teaching practice. We also hear from his counterpart in the U.S. Peggy Brookins who describes the way national standards apply across the American states.

In a separate story, we take a look at South Melbourne Primary School, Victoria's first public vertical school. The University of Melbourne's Professor Wes Imms says that re-thinking the design of learning spaces is a proven way to boost student interest.

Read the full transcript.

Laureate Professor John Hattie, Melbourne Graduate School of Education, University of Melbourne

Peggy Brookins, President/CEO National Board fro Professional teaching Standards, U.S.

HALTS teachers - Tania Crawford, Deana Cuconits, Adele Maughn, Natalie Polak, Andrew Cornwall, Meghan Smith

Principal Noel Creece, South Melbourne Primary

Associate Professor Wesley Imms, Melbourne Graduate School of Education, University of Melbourne

Theme music by Gavin Nebauer

Talking Teaching recorded and mixed by Gavin Nebauer at The Horwood Recording Studio, University of Melbourne