I wanted to share some words of wisdom from Professor Martin Westwell who I have had the pleasure and opportunity to hear speak on quite a few occasions now and whose words have been guiding me as I have journeyed through this course. This clip is found on the AC Leaders Resource site made within the context of the Department of Education and Child Development in South Australia (DECD) but I think and hope that it is relevant nationally and even globally. This clip touches upon innovation and is the most relevant to this weeks learning path but if you have the time (which I know none of us have) I strongly recommend checking out other Youtube clips of his presentations or bookmarking the AC Leaders Resource if you are interested in learning more or if it is relevant to your context.
These professional development days and resources have helped me develop an understanding of how neuroscience contributes to child development and learning and have made a significant contribution in regards to my understanding of how the science of learning and the Australian Curriculum aligns with and guides my personal pedagogy and practice. I have been drawing upon my experience and existing knowledge as I have been slowly winding my way through this learning path and Professor Westwell’s wise words have been supporting the direction I take as I reflect and build new understandings, he always remind me to ‘stop and think’, which is what I might do right now.
“Educational innovation that has novelty but no value is pointless because it won’t help to raise the level of intellectual demand that our students need.”
Professor Martin Westwell
Team Tine 