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[mrvanw]

Been thinking about when AI helps us teach better and when it chips away at our craft. Tried Claude.ai to build a Pomodoro and exam timer; learned a bit about tools, a lot about balance. #AI #edchat #teachers

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[mrvanw]

import React, { useState, useEffect, useRef } from 'react'; import { Play, Pause, RotateCcw, Plus, Trash2, Bell, BellOff, Settings } from 'lucide-react'; export default function ExamTimer() { const [sections, setSections] = useState([ { id: 1, name: 'Part A', duration: 30, bellEnabled: false }, { id: 2, name: 'Part B', duration: 45, bellEnabled: false } ]); const [readingTime, setReadingTime] =…

[mrvanw]

Supporting Student Success in IB Chemistry: Exam Practice, Feedback, and the Power of Knowing What to Expect

Hi Team, at the Central West Leadership Academy, we believe that feedback is one of the most powerful tools we can give students on their learning journey. It builds confidence, sharpens understanding, and, most importantly, gives students clarity about their next steps. In our International Baccalaureate (IB) program, where inquiry, rigour and reflection sit at the core of student growth,…

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[mrvanw]

IB Chemistry Mock Exam Walkthrough – HL and SL Questions Answered

Our latest video is now live. This IB Chemistry mock exam breakdown walks through HL and SL-style questions from key syllabus areas including stoichiometry, atomic structure, periodic trends, and lab skills. Designed to support post-exam reflection, it includes worked solutions, marking strategies, and tips for using the Data Booklet effectively. Watch it here:…

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[mrvanw]

Just posted a new blog reflecting on Embracing MESSY Leadership (by Alyssa Gallagher & Rosie Connor) and what it means for school leaders trying to balance relationships, wellbeing, and all the “stuff” that needs doing. #Education #Leadership #TeachingAndLearning #MESSYLeadership

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[mrvanw]

Inserting Transitions & Animations in Google Slides A question I get asked by colleagues who've switched over to Google Slides from PowerPoint is how to insert animations and transitions into the slides.

[mrvanw]

The Learning Rainforest by Tom Sherrington - there is no Binary in teaching.

The Learning Rainforest by Tom Sherrington – there is no Binary in teaching.

“Are we more concerned with students reaching specific standards in subject disciplines or with developing them as rounded individuals? Can we have both without unacceptable tradeoffs?”

Tom Sherrington The Learning Rainforest, Chapter 1.

The above quote from the first chapter of The Learning Rainforestby Tom Sherrington is essentially the first question I ask whenever I consider the perspective…

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[mrvanw]

Running into feedback of my own

Running into feedback of my own

Just before Christmas I started running because I couldn’t get to the gym while we were away. I’m not a runner. Well, I thought I wasn’t. But it seems that I do like it.

Now, by no means am I fast and I’m not going to get fast; I’m for sure a fatty for life. But the thing I’m learning is that I can get faster. Maybe not a lot but I like the challenge there. It feels good. Like many aspects of…

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[mrvanw]

Accessibility in the classroom and presentations: Accessibility is not an option

Accessibility in the classroom and presentations: Accessibility is not an option

I’m uncomfortable around teachers who use the phrase “I’m not a computer/tech person”. Always have been, and there are lots of reasons why. For a long time I’ve considered the issue at the heart of it being one based on a certain sense of hypocrisy with teachers pushing for students to be lifelong learners, yet they have this massive area where they not only refuse to grow. But that’s not it, I…

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[mrvanw]

Education research and the teaching profession: Barriers and solutions

Education research and the teaching profession: Barriers and solutions

In tonights #AussieEd chat on Twitter this article was shared again. It’s about a year old and given that we’ve hit the cycle of talking about the interaction of teachers and research, again the blog pretty much distills the problems with teachers using academic research in their classrooms.

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[mrvanw]

Education research and the teaching profession: Barriers and solutions

Education research and the teaching profession: Barriers and solutions

In tonights #AussieEd chat on Twitter this article was shared again. It’s about a year old and given that we’ve hit the cycle of talking about the interaction of teachers and research, again the blog pretty much distills the problems with teachers using academic research in their classrooms.

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[mrvanw]

Behaviour in Australian schools is fine; our media not so much

Behaviour in Australian schools is fine; our media not so much

So we have the 2019 PISA results coming out and OECD releasing its index of disciplinary climate this week. It’s been a big week of teacher bashing in the news. It’s OK. We can take it, we’re all adults who are professionals and understand that the media, politicians and bureaucrats know so much more about my profession than those that are the trained experts on the ground. In fact, you might say…

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[mrvanw]

Concatenate in both Excel and Google Sheets

Concatenate in both Excel and Google Sheets

=CONCATENATE

The =CONCATENATE function allows you to string text together in a cell. It works identically in both Sheets and Excel and I really dig it. In the past I’ve used it to create Dashboards that make sense for students.

But now I’ve decided to try and use it to make email lists of students. I’m not sure if you struggle as much as I do to student emails from the databases in large…

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[mrvanw]

Splitting Text in cells in both Google Sheets and Excel

Splitting Text in cells in both Google Sheets and Excel

Remember as kids when we first got PCs how we’d play “MS Paint”. Well as an adult apparently I like to play spreadsheets. I’ve decided to make some videos on how the many functions of Excel and Google Sheets work as I play with them.

The two videos below are me describing how to split text in a cell in both Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel. Useful for separating names in a mark book (but any…

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[mrvanw]

My accidental book club

My accidental book club - #literacy #AussieEd #Edchat #tmbne

This post was originally written as an outline of my talk at the Teachmeet Brisbane #tmbne hosted by Steven Kolber and Courtney and made public as part of the Teachers Education Review podcast. The video of my talk is at the end.

Our school, like most schools I suppose, is working quite explicitly to improve the literacy of their students. This has had many different forms over the years,…

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[mrvanw]

Teach Meet Brisbane 2019

Teach Meet Brisbane 2019

This was a ridiculously good time with ridiculously good people. Enjoy. I’m towards the end.

Teachmeet Brisbane #tmbne was hosted by Steven Kolber and Courtney and made public as part of the Teachers Education Review podcast. Here it is in both Audio and Visual formats.

Total Playlist

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4…

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[mrvanw]

Flipped Exam Prep, sort of ...

Flipped Exam Prep, sort of …

Our lovely year 12s are off in their examination period for the Trial HSC. This means two weeks off doing their end of year examinations before they come back and have the last few weeks of class before a longer study break and then BANG State Exams (HSC in NSW).

As if my classroom looks like this, but exam halls do

One of the ways we’ve supported our students in the past is by “question of…

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