Informing the debate.

Everyone has an opinion about education. Usually based upon their own experience and a collection of anecdotes which support their beliefs. This means that every time journalists raise questions about the purpose of our education system we get the regurgitation of half thought through debate and very little informed insight. Quite depressing if your whole life has been dedicated to service in teaching. Someone who, in my opinion, has made a real contribution to informing the debate is Donald Clarke with his recent collection of blog posts summarising the thoughts and influence of those who have spent many years thinking about human learning and have influenced teaching through the ages. Donald's concise style makes the posts very readable and should be shared with a wide network thanks to his huge twitter following. They also make a handy resource for teacher trainers and those professionals who have long forgotten the theories that underpin their craft. Here is one of my favourite on Bruner For me there is nothing in life as important as the ability to learn, therefore it is worth investing time in reflection and informed discussion to improve educational experiences for our young people.