Thinking tools are the strategies or scaffolding through which students can access the curriculum. They can be defined as artificial devices that have been developed specifically to improve children’s thinking by: focusing their attention (visually) on an issue that needs to be resolved offering immediate feedback through seeing their ideas on paper seeing the big picture making new connections analysing complex situations explaining relationships between concepts developing new thinking skills producing a larger number of possible solutions making informed choices constructing new knowledge creating new ideas and products. In this exciting resource, author Ralph Pirozzo offers an introduction to teachers to the world of thinking tools, covering a range of different tools for different tasks, and directing teachers as to how to choose the most appropriate tool for each. Transform your school into a thinking school with this helpful guide.

Great writers aren’t born, they’re taught! Unfortunately, the rules of written English can be difficult enough to remember, let alone teach. If you struggle to separate pronouns from prepositions, or are often left wondering whether to use “who” or “whom”, Australian author Dianne Bates comes to your aid with Writing Essentials, a welcome reference for teachers and aspiring authors. This handy guide offers concise explanations on the basics of grammar, punctuation and word usage, while also introducing fundamental techniques to help broaden your vocabulary and bring your writing to life. Packed with plenty of exercises to test yourself and your students, Writing Essentials provides all the support you’ll need to hone your own writing skills and pass on your knowledge to budding writers!

Workplays provides school to work transition play scripts and activities for secondary school students. This approach provides students with a realistic understanding of a variety of professions, trades and careers, fosters collaboration between subjects and develops essential skills for the workplace world. This second edition of Hazel Edwards’ well-loved and used teacher resource, highlights the practicality of integrating plays and simulated workplace experiences in schools in addition, or in lieu of work placements. Multiple play scripts, activities and discussion points provide for all level of reading skills. The book advocates for the value of incorporating simulated workplace experiences, offering a practical and inclusive skills approach to preparing students for future work.

Would you like maths with that? Improving numeracy in the primary years guides educators and school leaders through numeracy improvement with a focus on deeply understanding the difference between mathematics and numeracy, their relationship and the implication on teaching and pedagogy. Author and expert Thelma Perso takes a holistic approach to mathematics teaching, supporting readers to transform low-level learning into higher-order thinking in their classrooms to ensure all students can tackle mathematics with confidence. With a thorough and knowledgeable approach, Thelma lays the foundations for teachers, school leaders and school communities to enhance their numeracy pedagogies and, in turn, improve the numeracy capabilities of their students. Starting with numeracy definitions and how to teach mathematics for numeracy attainment through to intervention, extension and assessment, the chapters support readers through the whole numeracy improvement journey. Would you like maths with that?, along with the online resources developed for individual educators and schools to assess their current numeracy positions, show how it is not only possible but necessary to improve student numeracy achievement regardless of educator, subject area and student capability. Would you like maths with that? will empower educators to teach mathematics in engaging and effective ways that teach students to use mathematics confidently to meet the needs of their everyday lives.   Download the resources and templates from the book here.

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be an architect? In this book from the Real People, Real Careers series, we follow Gerard on his journey from student to owner of two architecture businesses. On the way, you’ll read all about what Gerard does each day, see pictures of his creations, and learn some interesting facts about his job as well as key terms that will help you to better understand the world of work.

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a engineer? In this book from the Real People, Real Careers series, we follow Donna on her journey from trade assistant to LAME (Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineer). On the way, you’ll read all about what Donna does each day, see pictures of the aircraft hanger where she works, and learn some interesting facts about her job as well as key terms that will help you to better understand the world of work.

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a bank manager? In this book from the Real People, Real Careers series, we follow Joe on his journey from bank teller to branch manager. On the way, you’ll read all about what Joe does each day, see pictures of his office, and learn some interesting facts about his job as well as key terms that will help you to better understand the world of work.

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.

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a hair stylist? In this book from the Real People, Real Careers series, we follow Lisa on her journey from apprenticeship to salon owner. On the way, you’ll read all about what Lisa does each day, see pictures of her place of work, and learn some interesting facts about her job as well as key terms that will help you to better understand the world of work.

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a librarian? In this book from the Real People, Real Careers series, we follow Jessica on her journey from a Customer Service Officer in a library to a Children's Librarian. On the way, you’ll read all about what Jessica does each day, see pictures of her place of work, and learn some interesting facts about her job as well as key terms that will help you to better understand the world of work.

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be an equine carer? In this book from the Real People, Real Careers series, we follow Sam on her journey from after-school employee to self-employed equine carer and services provider. On the way, you’ll read all about what Sam does each day, see pictures of the places where she works, and learn some interesting facts about her 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.  

The Secret Door follows the beloved phonetic chapter book series written and illustrated by Shelley Davidow. In this second chapter book, we return to the world of nine-year-old Mina, her sister Jo, and their neighbour Tim, whose extraordinary pet snake, Jake, is never far from the action. When a mysterious sound in the night leads Mina on an unexpected adventure, she discovers a secret that takes her far beyond her backyard and into a world she never imagined. Along the way, she and her friends must face danger, make difficult choices, and learn that courage often means stepping through a door, even when you don't know what's on the other side. A perfect next chapter book for young readers building confidence with vowel patterns, digraphs and multisyllabic words. It focuses on long vowels, diphthongs and the combinations ar, or, er, ir, oo, ou, ow, oi, oy, au, aw and ea.

The Secret Wish concludes the beloved phonetic chapter book series written and illustrated by Shelley Davidow. In this third and final chapter book, we meet Josh, whose favourite book holds more magic than he ever suspected. When the two tiny characters from its pages escape into his room, very much alive and full of mischief, Josh finds himself pulled into an adventure he could never have imagined. Sliding slugs, crazy crickets and darting fish are just the beginning, as the two tiny kids make Josh an unlikely part of their world. Through the mayhem and mishaps, Josh discovers that sometimes the best stories are the ones you end up living yourself. A perfect final chapter book for young readers building confidence with consonant blends and digraphs, including qu, sh, th, wh, gl, sl, bl, gr, tr and more.

Shared Responsibility is a proven, positive approach to beating bullying in Australian schools. At its core is the Shared Responsibility Meeting—a powerful and effective interviewing process that puts an immediate stop to bullying. The process appeals to empathy by putting a real person with real feelings in the place of the object victim.Shared Responsibility looks after the needs of victims, enabling students to cope and survive in a competitive school environment, teaching them how to be and feel safe. The whole school community is invited to share the responsibility for creating and maintaining an educational environment that is happy and safe for all students.The Shared Responsibility process has been trialled at a number of schools with highly positive results. It is simple, straight forward and can be managed by anyone who has basic people skills.

Agents to Agency is a compelling, practice-driven guide to transforming learning by empowering learners to take true ownership of their growth. Drawing on decades of work with hundreds of schools around the world, renowned author and speaker Lee Crockett reveals proven strategies for shifting the responsibility for learning from teachers to learners—creating classrooms where curiosity, autonomy, and agency thrive. With clear explanations, insightful reflections, and real-world examples, Agents to Agency shows you exactly how to cultivate the mindsets and practices that foster genuine learner agency. Each chapter breaks down complex ideas into practical steps you can apply immediately, helping you transform both teaching and learning. In the final chapters, Lee introduces a series of practical continuums—powerful tools for guiding, facilitating, and measuring the progression of learner agency in any educational setting. The result is an inspiring and actionable roadmap for every educator ready to move from simply managing learning to truly empowering it.

Future-Focused Learning is the definitive guide to transforming today’s classrooms into thriving, future-ready learning environments. Drawing on years of work with schools across the globe, renowned keynote speaker Lee Crockett distils his experience into ten powerful shifts of practice, designed to help educators move from good teaching to truly exceptional learning. With practical clarity and a focus on immediate impact, Lee introduces simple microshifts you can apply right away, regardless of your curriculum or teaching style. These proven strategies make it easy to create more student-centred, inquiry-driven classrooms that foster authentic learning for every kind of learner. Packed with over 50 classroom-tested examples, Future-Focused Learning provides educators with a clear roadmap for implementing change at any scale. You’ll also discover the six essential fluencies—core skills that empower students with creativity, critical thinking, and adaptability in an ever-changing world. From project-based learning and essential questions to STEM education and digital fluency, Lee offers a compelling vision of what learning can—and must—become. Future-Focused Learning is both a practical handbook and an inspiring call to action for educators ready to build classrooms that prepare students not just to learn for the future, but to shape it.

A Commitment to Growth: Essays on Education is an edited collection of materials that Geoff Masters has published over the last seven years, including the ground-breaking Reforming Educational Assessment (Australian Education Review; No. 57). This collection is mostly comprised of shorter pieces such as the influential Five challenges in Australian school education and other essays and posts relating to themes of: effective use of assessment; focus on growth and progress; and school and system improvement. The four sections of the book are: Part 1: ‘Big Five’ Challenges in School Education. Part 2: Is School Reform Working? Part 3: Reconceptualising Educational Assessment. Part 4: Schools as Learning Organisations.  The editors have drawn on this body of writing by Professor Masters in an attempt to tell the story of these past seven years. If the beginning of this story was the publication of Reforming Educational Assessment: Imperatives, principles and challenges (AER 57), the release of the report of the Review to Achieve Educational Excellence in Australian Schools, might be seen as the end of the beginning. With a greater understanding and emerging consensus of the challenges, implications and needed approaches, the next chapter in the story must focus on what Masters has called ‘the hard work of improvement’.

Problem-based learning is a powerful alternative to drill-and practice or skills-based learning, especially within maths, but it can be difficult to source rich materials that engage an entire class.The Creative Activities in Mathematics series provides a wealth of investigations and open-ended active learning activities, designed to engage students with mathematics and develop their problem solving, collaboration and mathematical skills.Book One provides 12 different class activities suitable for students in lower and middle primary school (Foundation to Year 4), along with teaching notes and staged lesson plans. Each activity is a whole-class investigation with open-ended answers that takes a particular scenario and develops it over three levels. This enables it to be used both at different year levels and with students of differing ability in the same class. All activities are firmly rooted in the Australian Curriculum: Mathematics and linked to the content descriptors of the Number and Algebra, Measurement and Geometry, and Statistics and Probability strands.   Student materials Download a full set of activity sheets that provide a framework for student responses. These can be printed or copied for use in class. Download activity sheets Additional online resources Part 1: Number and Algebra Chapter 1: Numbers and words Simon Singh's Black Chamber - http://www.simonsingh.net/The_Black_Chamber/index.html The Caesar cipher - http://www.simonsingh.net/The_Black_Chamber/caesar.html Caesar’s method (The Caesar cipher) - http://mathworld.wolfram.com/CaesarsMethod.html Chapter 2: Cats and dogs How cats age - http://www.calculatorcat.com/cats/cat-years.phtml Chart of cat ages to human ages - http://cats.about.com/cs/healthissues/a/agechart.htm Dog years calculator - http://www.onlineconversion.com/dogyears.htm How to calculate a dog's age in years - http://www.ehow.com/how_8461704_calculate-dogs-age-years.html The lifespan of animals - http://sonic.net/~petdoc/lifespan.htm Chapter 3: Difference and sum problems 1089 problem - http://www.mathsisfun.com/1089.html 1089 and a property of 3-digit numbers - http://www.cut-the-knot.org/Curriculum/Arithmetic/S1089.shtml Mathematical magic tricks: The 1089 problem - http://www.numericana.com/answer/magic.htm#1089 Chapter 4: Arks and Tarks Missionaries and cannibals problem - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missionaries_and_cannibals_problem The river crossing puzzle - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_crossing_puzzle Tricky crossings - https://www.sciencenews.org/article/tricky-crossings Chapter 5: The farmyard problem The farmyard problem - http://nzmaths.co.nz/problem-solving-strategies#The Farmyard Problem Chapter 6: The 12 game Game theory - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_theory Blackjack - http://www.pagat.com/banking/blackjack.html Pontoon - http://www.pagat.com/banking/pontoon.html Nim games - http://illuminations.nctm.org/Activity.aspx?id=4221   Part 2: Measurement and Geometry Chapter 7: Classroom shapes Polyhedron net animations - http://www.mathsisfun.com/geometry/polyhedron-net-animations.html Pyramids - http://www.mathsisfun.com/geometry/pyramids.html Pyramid animations - https://www.mathsisfun.com/definitions/pyramid.html The Dubai Pyramid - http://inhabitat.com/ziggurat-dubai-carbon-neutral-pyramid-will-house-1-million/ The Louvre Pyramid - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louvre_Pyramid The Shrine of Remembrance - http://www.shrine.org.au/The-S... Chapter 8: Jenny's jelly bean problem Maximum volume of a lidless box - http://jwilson.coe.uga.edu/EMAT6680Su09/Park/As12dspark/As12dspark.html Chapter 9: Horrible Hal’s humungous hall Tessellation - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tessellation The Alhambra - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tassellatura_alhambra.jpg MS Escher - http://www.mcescher.com/Galler...   Part 3: Statistics and Probability Chapter 10: The longest name Chinese names - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_name Sri Lankan names - http://www.babynology.com/sri-... (Link inactive) German names - http://www.babynamescountry.com/origins/popular_german_baby_names1.html English names - http://www.babynamescountry.com/origins/popular_english_baby_names1.html French names - http://expat-friendly.com/?Top... Top baby names in 2011 for Australia - http://www.kidspot.com.au/baby... Top baby names in 2011 for England - http://www.kidspot.com.au/baby... Top baby names in 2011 for the United States - http://www.kidspot.com.au/baby... Top baby names in France - http://expat-friendly.com/?Top... Top 20 pet names - http://www.bowwow.com.au/find-... Pet name search - http://www.bowwow.com.au/find-a-name-for-your-pet/pet-name-search.aspx Chapter 11: Penny’s Pet Shop No way José - http://www.nzmaths.co.nz/resource/no-way-jose?parent_node= Lonely pig - http://www.nzmaths.co.nz/resource/lonely-pig?parent_node= Chapter 12: The teddies’ race That's not fair - http://www.nzmaths.co.nz/resource/thats-not-fair?parent_node Dice roller - https://www.random.org/dice/ Dice roller - http://www.roll-dice-online.com Dice roller - https://www.random.org/playing-cards/ Additional sites Maths 300 - https://maths300.com NRICH - http://nrich.maths.org/ NZ Maths - http://nzmaths.co.nz AMSI TIMES (The Improving Mathematics Education in Schools) modules - http://schools.amsi.org.au/times-modules/

Problem-based learning is a powerful alternative to drill-and practice or skills-based learning, especially within maths, but it can be difficult to source rich materials that engage an entire class.The Creative Activities in Mathematics series provides a wealth of investigations and open-ended active learning activities, designed to engage students with mathematics and develop their problem solving, collaboration and mathematical skills.Book Two provides nine different class activities suitable for students in upper primary school (Years 4 to 7), along with teaching notes and staged lesson plans. Each activity is a whole class investigation with open-ended answers that takes a particular scenario and develops it over four levels. This enables it to be used both at different year levels and with students of differing ability in the same class. All activities are firmly rooted in the Australian Curriculum: Mathematics and linked to the content descriptors of the Number and Algebra, Measurement and Geometry, and Statistics and Probability strands.   Student materials Download a full set of activity sheets that provide a framework for student responses. These can be printed or copied for use in class. Download activity sheets Additional online resources Part 1: Number and Algebra Chapter 1: Hours in a day Leap day timeline - http://www.timeanddate.com/date/leap-day-timeline.html Leaplings - http://patch.com/minnesota/edina/what-s-a-leapling-fun-leap-year-facts Leap years - http://www.enchantedlearning.com/time/leapyear/ Days of the planets - http://www.universetoday.com/37481/days-of-the-planets/ How long is a day on Jupiter? - http://www.universetoday.com/15084/how-long-is-a-day-on-jupiter/ The Hebrew calendar - http://www.judaica-guide.com/the_hebrew_calendar/ Why are there 24 hours in a day? - http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2011/11/15/3364432.htm Decimal time - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decimal_time Internet time - http://www.timeanddate.com/time/internettime.html Chapter 2: Magimaths Mind-reading card trick - http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl_card_trick1.htm Two wrongs do make a right - http://www.cs4fn.org/mathemagic/twowrongs.php Mathemagic - http://www.cs4fn.org/mathemagic/mathemagic.html Guess your number - http://izismile.com/2011/02/01/it-will-guess-your-number.html Magic shuffles - http://www.cs4fn.org/mathemagic/magicshuffles/ Wizardy - http://www.milaadesign.com/wizardy.html All change - http://www.cs4fn.org/mathemagic/coins.php Mind reader - http://www.sandlotscience.com/... I can read your mind (video) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVrmQipRvpY&NR=1&feature=endscreen Chapter 3: Mr Mac’s iPhone Apple's guide to battery life - http://www.apple.com/au/batteries/ Egyptian fraction calculator - http://www.had2know.com/academics/egyptian-fraction-calculator.html   Part 2: Measurement and Geometry Chapter 4: Hubcaps Rotational symmetry (video) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlWXuT4R3oI Indigenous Instyle Dunghutti-Ngaku Aboriginal Art Gallery (DNAAG) - http://dnaag.com.au/ Rose windows - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose_window Rotational symmetry - http://www.mathsisfun.com/geometry/symmetry-rotational.html Chapter 5: Goats and wheels Locus of points on rolling objects - http://www.math-mate.com/chapter44_3.shtml Cycloids - http://mathworld.wolfram.com/Cycloid.html Cycloids (video) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohP0clzK5rc The cycloid family of curves - http://curvebank.calstatela.edu/cycloidmaple/cycloid.htm   Part 3: Statistics and Probability Chapter 7: Sports shots Goal kicking - http://www.afl.com.au/news/201... Standard normal distribution - http://www.mathsisfun.com/data/standard-normal-distribution.html Chapter 8: Roman gamblers How many dice? - http://nrich.maths.org/692 Chapter 9: The school fete Hans Rosling and the magic washing machine (video) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sqnptxlCcw The Likert scale - http://www.surveygizmo.com/sur... Additional sites Maths 300 - https://maths300.com NRICH - http://nrich.maths.org/ NZ Maths - http://nzmaths.co.nz/ AMSI TIMES (The Improving Mathematics Education in Schools) Modules - http://schools.amsi.org.au/times-modules/

The core purpose of schools and educators must be the successful facilitation of teaching and learning – and to do this effectively, teachers must also be leaders. In Leading Learning and Teaching, Stephen Dinham follows up the success of How to Get Your School Moving and Improving with an authoritative, in-depth examination of the field of instructional leadership. Building on extensive research in Australia and around the world, Leading Learning and Teaching examines the importance and impact of instructional leadership. Key themes include successful change management, the effectiveness of teacher professional development and the importance of evidence and the use of data. Examining current international contexts of educational theory, policy and practice, Dinham presents strategies, agendas and direction for enhancing the capabilities of individual educators, teaching teams, schools and systems. He brings together essential research and understandings of leading teaching and learning, and the role of instructional leadership in promoting quality teaching and enabling student learning.

Strong Foundations: Evidence informing practice in early childhood education and care celebrates the progress made by the Australian early childhood education and care profession since the implementation of the Early Years Learning Framework. Recognising this progress, Associate Professor Anna Kilderry and Honorary Professor Bridie Raban lead a team of 33 notable contributors from 11 universities and institutions across Australia, who focus on the challenges of access, equity and quality that remain across the sector. Together with a Foreword by Professor Alison Elliott, Strong Foundations brings together knowledge and insights from research in education, health, social care, child safety, science, mathematics and the arts. The book addresses policy requirements from the Early Years Learning Framework, the National Quality Standard and Quality Improvement Plans and includes Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives. With an emphasis on professional practice expectations, it showcases evidence from Australian and international research and provides case studies of how early childhood educators are applying evidence-informed actions in a wide variety of child care centres and services. Strong Foundations translates high-quality research and supports the everyday practice of early childhood educators and the subsequent long-term outcomes for children in their care, their families and their communities.

This book has been designed to support you as you begin experimenting with Project Based Learning (PBL) in your English classroom. Trying out something new in the classroom is always a daunting experience because feedback on success or failure is immediate. The great thing about PBL is that it is creative for both the teacher and the student, and that means that experimentation, and sometimes failure, is a natural part of the process. The methodology of PBL is relevant to areas other than English – it can be used in a range of subjects, with many projects actually integrating more than one subject across the curriculum. This book has been structured into three distinct parts, designed to help you feel supported in your PBL journey. PART ONE: The What, Why and How of Project Based LearningThe first part of the book provides you with some background information about the nature and purpose of PBL, as well as outlining key strategies to ensure a successful and enjoyable learning experience for you and your students. This section also includes a discussion of how assessment works in PBL, as well as the relationship between PBL and the Australian Curriculum’s General Capabilities. PART TWO: Sample ProjectsThe second part of the book provides you with a selection of sample projects suitable for students in Years 9 and 10. You will be pleasantly surprised that a lot of the activities in this section look familiar – that’s because PBL is about taking the best teaching strategies and re-purposing them. The difference with PBL is that it empowers students to see a purpose for their learning beyond the classroom and to feel confident that they know where they are headed while they move through the project process. PART THREE: Additional ResourcesThe third part of the book is full of extra resources to help you design and run your own engaging projects for your English classes.

Improving thinking in the classroom does not have to be difficult. This book, Improving Thinking in the Classroom, provides teachers with useful and practical strategies that will enable them to provide all their children with the most engaging, exciting and challenging learning environment. Teachers can achieve this most noble goal by: building depth and rigour using Bloom’s taxonomy engaging students with multiple intelligences transferring the knowledge to the real world. Engagement, depth and rigour are essential characteristics of a curriculum that will motivate and interest students. This means challenging, meaningful and relevant activities that make the classroom an active centre of learning.