Making the most of ‘big school’

Kindergarten children across Australia wait with nervous anticipation for the first day of school. Early childhood lecturer Dr Amy MacDonald from the School of Education at CSU has some tips for parents.

How parents can prepare their child to be a school leader

Helping children become a school leader gives them important skills for life. Ronan McGinniss works with students across Australia and has discovered a similar group of characteristics in those selected for leadership roles.

Year in review 2013

I would to thank you, the Open Forum community, for all the support you have shown throughout 2013. As readers and bloggers you play a major role in shaping the content of this website.

Future options for child care

The Productivity Commission has released an issues paper to support its inquiry into child care and early childhood learning. This is the first public examination of Australia’s child care and early childhood learning system since the 1990s.

How Australian Universities differ to those in Brazil

International students have many things they need to adapt to when studying in Australia. Denise Frizzo, Brazilian PhD candidate at Swinburne University, shares how the Australian system has a different sense of responsibility placed on students.

Doveton College – school-based community support

Doveton College is a school that offers health and family support alongside its education service for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Catherine Fritz-Kalish, General Manager of Global Access Partners, says this model would be beneficial for all communities.

Celebrating Children’s Book Week 2013

Australia is celebrating Children’s Book Week with events in local and school libraries. Children’s writer Susan Stephenson encourages families to get involved with books and book-related activities and help kids love reading.

The Virtual University — impact on accounting and business education

Massive Open Online Courses or MOOCs have been widely discussed in the last year. James Guthrie from the Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia examines if they are an opportunity or threat for educators and students.

Celebrate Children’s Book Week

Each year, schools and public libraries from all over Australia spend a week celebrating books and Australian authors and illustrators. This year’s Children’s Book Week runs from 17 August until 23 August.

National Literacy and Numeracy Week 2013

Last week was National Literacy and Numeracy Week. Children's books illustrator and author Kerry Argent was this year’s Literacy Ambassador and looks back on a week of reading, drawing with school children and answering a lot of questions.

The complicated problem of education: making active learners is part of the solution

Are you an over-thinker or a gut-feeler? Mathew Ling from Deakin University explains why it is important to understand the differences and causes of thinking tendencies.

Get involved in literacy and numeracy activities

All Governments and school communities are working together this week to highlight the importance of literacy and numeracy skills for children and young people, in particular school-aged children. This year’s ambassadors are Kerry Argent for literacy and Simon Pampena for numeracy. Read Kerry's blog here.