NAPLAN to blame for teacher, student stress
NAPLAN to blame for teacher, student stress: study - ABC News Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Is Exercise “Useless” In Treating Depression?
The publication of a new study in the BMJ on 6 June triggered a flurry of headlines suggesting that "exercise doesn't help depression". However, reducing the study's specific, detailed findings to a media-friendly sound bite has run the risk of misleading people, because the researchers did not set out to test the effect of exercise [...]
Testing Testing 1,2,3
As the Fairfax media reports that more parents than ever were withdrawing their kids from the annual NAPLAN tests I wonder if these tests are even assessing the right things in school. Now I realize the importance of literacy and numeracy – of course I do. But, these tests only measure outcomes. [...]
Diet, exercise fight depression
The incidence of depression has skyrocketed in children and adults since World War II; depression affects about 10 percent of the population in the United States, and the World Health Organization predicts that by 2030, more people will suffer from depression than any other medical condition. Antidepressant medication use has also increased (to the tune [...]
10 minute activist: help stop violence against women
48% of women have experienced physical violence 34% of women have experienced sexual violence* 14% of young women aged 12 to 20 have experienced rape or sexual assault** Join over 60,00 Australians, including many celebrities like Rove, Keith Urban and Andrew O’Keefe and take an oath to end violence against women. It is important to [...]
Homework – The Flip Side
I'm a bit over this whole 'homework' debate! Research findings across the years seem to come to pretty much the same conclusion - there's a good side and a bad side to homework. Nothing new here. I've been a primary teacher for 25 years and avoided what I considered to be useless and time-wasting 'fillers' [...]
The Neuroscience of Belonging
The brain has evolved to respond in predictable ways to threats in the physical environment. Similarly, the brain is attuned to identify and reinforce behaviours that benefit our survival. These threat and reward-related circuits are well described. For example the amygdala, the most well studies threat-related brain region, responds to universally threatening stimuli such as [...]
Teenage sex offenses increase, Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show
SEXUAL assaults and related offenses committed by school-aged children have almost quadrupled in four years. Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show that between 2007 and 2011 the number of offenses jumped from 430 to 1709 across the nation. Experts believe the greater and easier access children now have to pornographic material via the internet is [...]
Education and Wellbeing Q&A Promotion
On Wednesday 14th November at 7pm AEDT (6pm in Brisbane, 4pm in Perth & 8am in London) PLANE will be hosting a live online Q&A webinar addressing a range of issues around education and wellbeing. I will be on the panel taking questions alongside 2009 Young Australian of the Year for Tasmania Sam Cawthorn, Daily [...]
Tips for ensuring good mental health in children
25% of people with a mental disorder experience their first episode before they are 12 years old.* The Australian Medical Association (AMA) Vice President, Professor Geoffrey Dobb, said that “Good mental health is vital to our wellbeing - it allows us to think and learn and interact meaningfully with others.” The main influences on a [...]