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What’s really going on inside the head of a boy?What can neuroscience teach us about educating and raising boys? This engaging book takes a close look at the male brain – how it develops, and how it is different – and the crucial role it plays in how a boy thinks, learns and engages with the world. Moving past the ‘boys will be boys’ dictum, neuroscientist Dr Michael C. Nagel gives us a guided tour of a boys’ brain, and explains how differences in structure and neurochemistry impact their behaviour, learning, emotions and bodies. Exploring aggression, learning difficulties, behaviour, emotional problems, toxic masculinity and the challenges of technology, Nagel offers solutions and ideas for parents and teachers. Drawing on the latest research, Nagel applies neuroscientific insight to the common problems boys face, and argues that by understanding why boys do what they do, we can better work with them to increase their wellbeing and educational outcomes.  

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be an optometrist? In this book from the Real People, Real Careers series, we follow Joe on his journey from recent migrant to qualified optometrist. On the way, you’ll read all about what Joe does each day, see pictures of the clinic where he examines patients, and learn some interesting facts about his job as well as key terms that will help you to better understand the world of work.

Outdoor Education at School contains sets of practical activities and problem-solving lessons for primary school students. Designed to be done completely within the school grounds and with minimal amount of equipment, these lessons and activities will appeal to the teacher who has little experience in outdoor education and will act as a valuable resource to the experts in the field. The contents are based not only on learning in the outdoors but on learning about and for the outdoors. Specific topics covered include: Environmental studies Initiative games Navigation Bushcraft Mapping Students will enjoy the variety of topics covered while learning skills in personal development, self-esteem, resourcefulness, independence, leadership and cooperation. The lessons are not organised in year levels but in developmental progression from simple and introductory to complex.  

Welcome to the Clancy of the Outback series. Eleven-year-old Clancy has been thrust into life out woop-woop. These are the stories of his outback adventures at his uncle's sheep station, Overflow Station. In this book, Dad's old car has to be taken off the road, so Little Bill decides it could be Clancy's 'paddock bomb'. Meaning he was going to drive it around the farm. Meaning Little Bill was going to teach Clancy to drive. She makes Clancy sit in a baby booster seat so Clancy could see over the steering wheel, and that was just the start of his humiliation! At the conclusion of this book there is an Outback Facts section which provides information on all the car acronyms you will hear, there a poem about the paddock bombs as favourite cars, and the all-important, Outback Jokes section.

Deborah Patterson shares her trials and tribulations gleaned over decades of being in schools, the education system and leadership roles. This book provides teachers, educators and principals with a collection of tips, tools and strategies to help them become the best they can be and the leader that they want to be. Knitting together stories and providing a whole lot of sound advice, Deborah provides a real insight into principalship and how to be a successful unconventional educational leader.   Praise for this book: "I laughed, I cried, and then I laughed and cried some more ...! What a journey. This book is jam-packed with strategies, tips and advice that have been learned by living a life, both personally and professionally, with courage, resilience and authenticity." Dr Loretta Piazza

People Interacting is an extensive resource of interactive games that can be used to help students develop a breadth of social skills. The 150 activities have been designed for a range of abilities, ages and levels of maturity. Each activity is clearly set out with a focus, time, materials, the procedure and points for discussion. The selection of activities cover warm ups, self development and responsibility, communication and relationships, and problem solving and decision making. Each procedure, variation and discussion topic has been tried and tested and chosen specifically because of the value it provides to students. Combining the activities with conversational prompts to encourage reflection and discussion, People Interacting aims to encourage and aid the development of the student as a total person by exploring mind, body, emotions, values, and attitudes. The activities enable students to make sense of what they experience in terms of their own needs – their ability to solve problems, to develop a positive self-concept and to develop their social and interpersonal skills more broadly.   About the authors: Ken Hancock was a Senior Lecturer in Education at the University of South Australia and Flinders University. He taught in-service courses in humanistic education and person-centred education throughout his life. He also worked in schools in the areas of behavioural management, social learning, and staff development. Barry Blaby was a Principal of primary schools in Adelaide. He has had many years’ experience as a teacher, administrator and teacher educator, and trialled all the activities in this book in pre-school to tertiary level settings.

Amid the discourse surrounding the controversial role of generative AI in education, Practical AI Strategies goes beyond the hype to explore the opportunities and challenges of the technology in K-tertiary education. The book looks past individual applications to explore the broader landscape of generative AI, offering educators invaluable insights into its workings and ethical considerations. Divided into six parts, Practical AI Strategies guides readers through the construction and ethics of generative AI technologies, navigates policy landscapes and provides practical strategies for using these technologies in education. Detailed sections on text and image generation provide a solid foundation for using generative AI, and prepare educators for multimodal technologies on the near horizon including video, audio and 3D generation. Leon Furze prompts educators to engage critically with generative AI and consider the near future of this rapidly developing technology. He encourages readers to navigate this terrain with an open mind and a discerning eye, and stresses the need for educators to have the fundamental skills to work with generative AI.

Practical Reading Strategies introduces teachers to six highly effective strategies that every reader uses when grappling with texts. Through a range of engaging classroom activities, students will be introduced to Making Connections, Visualising, Questioning, Inferring, Summarising, and Synthesising as a way of making meaning and understanding what they read. Activities range from focused close reading to group work and discussion, and are broken down into teacher and student instructions, clear examples, and the underlying theory. With Practical Reading Strategies, all teachers can develop confidence in building their students’ abilities to read and understand.   Templates from the Appendix are available to download here 

Get all 3 titles in the Practical Strategies series. Practical Reading Strategies by Leon Furze Practical Writing Strategies by Leon Furze and Benjamin WhitePractical AI Strategies by Leon Furze

Educational Publishing Awards Australia 2023 Shortlist - Secondary Teacher Resource Practical Writing Strategies is the perfect guide for educators looking to take their students' writing to the next level. This book balances the process and product of writing with a clear Writing Cycle in six stages: Purpose, Exploration, Ideas, Skills, Collaboration, and Publication. Each stage includes engaging activities to help students understand and value the writing process. Practical Writing Strategies teaches genuine writing not just as an assessment task, but as a means of self-expression, exploration, creativity, and knowledge building. With Practical Writing Strategies, you will learn how to guide your students to become confident and successful writers.  

Reading is one of the most important skills. It is essential for success in not only high school, but life. Reading effectively isn’t always easy for students going through high school – including you, the reader – especially as students come across more difficult subjects. However, reading effectively doesn’t have to be complicated at all. In Reading Skills Handbook, Ben White provides a comprehensive approach to help students confidently unlock successful reading strategies and based on proven techniques and tips from years of teaching. Learn through the variety of reading skills, developing your reading comprehension, uncovering reading strategies for different types of texts, improving your reading speed and efficiency and, most importantly, developing a lifelong reading habit.  Filled with practical tips and activities, this book will help you practice and apply the skills you’ll learn. Whether you’re a struggling reader or if you’re keen on improving your reading skills, Reading Skills Handbook will help you reach your full potential.

Get all 10 books in the Real People, Real Careers series.

Welcome to the Clancy of the Outback series. Eleven-year-old Clancy has been thrust into life out woop-woop. These are the stories of his outback adventures at his uncle’s sheep station, Overflow Station. In this book, the school bus runs over a mother kangaroo outside the gate to Overflow Station and Clancy and Little Bill find a joey in the pouch. Eventually the whole family become involved in looking after the joey. The story becomes more complicated when Big Bill announces a kangaroo cull. Clancy and Little Bill decide to mount a campaign to save the local wildlife which coincides with Little Bill declaring herself vegan. Nevertheless, the campaign goes on and is a huge success. At the conclusion of this book the Outback facts provides information about native wildlife. There is the DH Lawrence poem Kangaroo and the all-important, Outback Jokes section.     Download the teacher notes here

Billy Kool was an ordinary boy until he was thrust into the life of an extreme sports TV celebrity. Billy feels down that the final episode of the Xtreme World of Billy Kool is coming up. But he is also excited because the final episode will feature the most extreme sport yet: rock climbing! Will Billy be able to climb the full rock face, or will he fall? At the end of the book, there is an extreme information section detailing the origins of rock climbing, a glossary and a description of the equipment used when rock climbing.  Part of an 8-book series, the Billy Kool books are informative, empathetic and exciting; targeted to readers and reluctant readers alike ages 8-11 years.   Teacher Notes here. 

We know education is not a level playing field. Those living with early adversity are starting school significantly less likely to complete their education than their peers who have things easier. When educators and schools understand childhood trauma, they are well placed to embed wellbeing practices into every interaction, and when those interactions are trauma-informed and responsive, students’ lives are positively impacted in a deep and enduring way. Safe to Learn offers readers an understanding of behaviour through the lens of trauma and adversity, and provides practical strategies for primary schools and educators to become trauma-informed and responsive in a way that best supports all students, regardless of their life experiences. This book offers guidance for schools to introduce, or expand, a whole-school model of integrated wellbeing practice and support for individual teachers to learn how they can make a significant difference to their students. It also provides the tools to identify which interventions may benefit a student or class as well as ideas for tracking and showing wellbeing growth.

“Philanthropy responds to a vision more than a need. Its best advocate is the voice.” A strong philanthropic culture enhances a school’s capacity to provide an exceptional education and improve outcomes for all students. The School Philanthropy Handbook explores the role of modern philanthropy in independent schools and provides a framework to establish an enduring culture of giving that will outlast short-term fundraising tactics. Gavan Woinarski’s future-focused model of school philanthropy empowers educational leaders to create a compelling vision and bring people together to connect and inspire prospective donors. He offers practical guidance on how to sharpen funding strategies, unify working groups, develop major gift plans, improve database management and practise good stewardship to secure real philanthropic support. Featuring a wealth of wisdom, tips and templates—with some fascinating stories shared along the way—the School Philanthropy Handbook offers a refreshed look at how schools can embrace a culture of philanthropy that delivers benefits for years to come.     Praise for the book:   It is rare to be able to access the deep expertise and wise counsel of a genuinely expert practitioner in such a concise and well-structured book. So many great messages and much values-based guidance. Definitely a must read. Emeritus Professor Glenn Bowes AO   A combination of vision, values, strategy, compelling communication via stories and practical advice make this a significant resource for school leaders. Philanthropy is not fundraising. If you are unsure of the difference, this is the book for you. Allan Shaw   There are a number of things common across third sector organisations; one is the need for friend and fundraising, another is how inexperienced the sector is in achieving either. This book provides an accessible, ‘hands on’ guide, written by an expert in the field with supportive tools to start or refine your approach to attract and retain philanthropic support. Whilst the book has a school focus, the contents extend to all third sector organisations. Dr John Ballard The accumulated wisdom and experience in this book are invaluable. It is a resource every independent school needs. Gabby Montagnese   I admire anyone who has the courage to write about culture. And I particularly admire someone who encourages a culture of giving to support something as essential as education. This book should be compulsory reading for anyone contemplating a school fundraising program. It contains the wisdom of a lifetime’s devotion to this critical task. Simon McKeon AO

Permaculture expert and educator Ross Mars is back with another collection of hands-on projects and investigations that provide students with opportunities to observe, understand and contribute to a thriving garden ecosystem. You learned the basics of garden design and maintenance through the first book in this series, Life in a garden. Now you can take that knowledge even further with Science in a garden: Activities and projects for the outdoor classroom, Years F–6. Students will follow the journey from theory to final product through the book’s six parts: understanding science in the garden, growth in the garden, changes in the garden, animals in the garden, human use of the garden and products from the garden. Each activity is aligned to the Australian Curriculum: Science and the Australian Curriculum: Technologies as well as the cross-curriculum priority of sustainability. Plus, teachers can use the handy index of curriculum links to assist with their planning. You will love watching your students deepen their understanding of the outdoor environment and apply their knowledge in real-world scenarios. Access more resources and templates from the book here.  

Get Selena Fisk's 3 data books in this bundle.  Using and Analysing Data in Australian Schools - 2nd edition by Selena FiskLeading Data-Informed Change in Schools by Selena FiskData-Informed Learners: Engaging Students in Their Data Story by Selena Fisk

‘Everyone knows everything about teachers. They can tell you about their holidays (too long), their days (too short), their whinging (too much), their job (too easy), and their personalities (too bossy). I thought I knew what I was doing when I retrained as a teacher as part of my mid-life crisis. I. Had. No. Idea.’ Georgie wanted to make a difference and do some good in the world. She decided that becoming an English teacher was the perfect solution. She could impart her love of literature to the impressionable young minds of tomorrow as a ‘mature-age’ high-school teacher. Not to mention enjoying the perks of working 9 to 3 five days a week! She had survived years of law, government offices and hobby farming, combined with hand-rearing her own children, so how hard could teaching really be? Well, quite hard as it turned out. Quite hard indeed. A must for teachers, educators, parents and anyone who appreciates dark humour!

In Seriously Fun Maths, Dr Laura Tuohilampi changes the narrative of mathematics education into something fascinating, intriguing and something that touches every human. Based on her cutting-edge research she challenges the outdated ways of motivating students around maths. This engaging book provides teachers with research, resources and activities to teach a lesson a month. The rich activities are accessible to young students and deep enough for secondary students. Even adults! This book will help mathematics educators reflect on their skills of orchestrating mathematical discussions and problem-solving. They will learn how to increase students’ engagement in ways that reduce stress-inducing expectations around what a ‘good’ student in maths can and cannot do. Teachers will improve their grasp of what’s important – making mathematics a meaningful experience. Everyone will have serious fun while learning maths!  

Welcome to the Clancy of the Outback series. Eleven-year-old Clancy has been thrust into life out woop-woop. These are the stories of his outback adventures at his uncle’s sheep station, Overflow Station. In this book, Big Bill decides to bring the shearing forward and Mum and Little Bill and Clancy clean the shearers’ quarters. Big Bill is keen to see if Mum will do the cooking for the gang but in the end a cook arrives with the shearers. Little Bill shows Clancy how to throw a fleece and then the rain arrives which means that the whole shearing process must stop. The cook has had enough. When shearing resumes some weeks later Mum does the cooking and it’s a great success. At the conclusion of this book there is the Outback Jokes section, a traditional rhyme ‘Lime Juice Tub” and a glossary of shearing terms.   Download the teacher notes here

  Simple Tools explores the use of technology in the classroom and offers a considered, student-centric and foundational approach. In this book, teachers will be introduced to the selection of simple digital resources that have a clear purpose and do one thing well. They will be able to identify suitable technology that is quick and easy to set up for classroom use, as well as a host of strategies that will help make learning clear for both teachers and students. Along with recommendations and advice, Simple Tools includes activities for teachers to develop the confidence to select and embed digital resources that have a purposeful fit within an existing practice. Find out how using the Simple Tools approach can be beneficial in your classroom.     Finally a book about technology and the classroom that is insightful about both topics. Simple Tools offers teachers practical strategies that they can use to maximise their impact in the classroom immediately.Glen Pearsall, author and education consultant

Billy Kool was an ordinary boy until he was thrust into the life of an extreme sports TV celebrity. Billy, Sally and Nathan realize that they want their viewers to believe that extreme sports are for anybody. They decide that Basher Brown, the neighbourhood cricket star, should join them in their next sport. Now, Basher, Billy, Sally and Nathan must prepare for the most extreme sport yet; Skydiving! At the end of the book, there is an extreme information section detailing the origins of skydiving, a glossary and a description of the equipment used when skydiving.  Part of an 8-book series, the Billy Kool books are informative, empathetic and exciting; targeted to readers and reluctant readers alike ages 8-11 years. Teacher Notes here. 

Billy Kool was an ordinary boy until he was thrust into the life of an extreme sports TV celebrity. After white-water rafting and bungy jumping, the Xtreme World of Billy Kool is becoming more popular and the TV ratings are getting higher. Billy’s friend, Nathan is sad because his father (who left him when he was young) is coming to visit. Luckily, Nathan cheered up when it came to filming another extreme sport; snowboarding. Nathan’s dad happens to be amazingly good at snowboarding and shows the cast a couple of moves. Ultimately, snowboarding was an extremely fun experience for Billy, Sally and Nathan especially! At the end of the book, there is an extreme information section detailing the origins of snowboarding, a glossary and a description of the equipment used when snowboarding.  Part of an 8-book series, the Billy Kool books are informative, empathetic and exciting; targeted to readers and reluctant readers alike ages 8-11 years. Teacher Notes here.