Blogs, Youtube comments or emails all involve writing, the format is brief, punchy and often involves humour or sarcasm, and those are skills that need to be mastered if you're to be an effective writer. 
  Deakin University wants to see if this kind of writing can be used to teach secondary students English and bring school curriculums "kicking and screaming" into the 21st Century.
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Down, Down, Maths Performance Is...

Once, twenty years ago we were 11th in the world in maths according to the OECD, now Australian secondary students are languishing in 29th place out of 38 countries, according to the most recent statistics.
   University of South Australia's Dr Fernando Marmolejo-Ramos might have part of the solution and it lies in giving students a helping hand. Gestures such as hand motions can help students understand maths.
   "Many people struggle with mathematics and there is a lot of anxiety around it," Dr Marmolejo-Ramos says. Read more

Anxiety and depression are common mental health issues among young people and schools and families play an important role in helping them develop protective mechanisms so they are better prepared to face life’s challenges.
   One protective mechanism is having a strong sense of self, which means young people knowing that it is OK to be themselves and to respect who they are.
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Most educational outcomes are measured using metrics that reflect student academic performance, and increasingly leadership and teaching performance. A range of factors that influence student outcomes have been identified by studies.
   Hattie's (2009) influential meta-analyses highlighted the effect and value that is added when students participate in extra-curricular activities.
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With high-profile figures like Jamie Oliver and Dave Grohl going public about having ADHD, we're seeing a surge in adults being diagnosed with it.
  There is a growing public awareness of the condition, and recognition that it is far more prevalent than previously imagined.
   But this realisation doesn't seem to be hitting home in one critical area - in schools. Any teacher is likely to have at least one child with ADHD in class. Read more

Parents, students and schools are invited to nominate extraordinary educators for a National Excellence in Teaching Award.
  The NEiTA Foundation will award more than $100,000 in development grants to Australia's top teachers and educators.
   This year NEiTA wants to recognise the role early childhood, primary and secondary teachers and principals played in students' lives as Australia emerged from the COVID-19 health crisis. Read more