Entries by gina@tanker.co.nz

Reclaiming Our Knowledge

I often find myself sharing an idea or opinion and then wondering, genuinely, “Where did that come from?” I’ll search through my life, what I’ve learned along the way, and try to tease out connections to the original source. Sometimes, I get the feeling that it’s not lived experience, that the source can’t be traced […]

The Learner First is Making Headlines

Check out the recently published headlines for The Learner First. It is time for a Global Education Vision  The Learner First founder and CEO Joanne McEachen, along with international collaborators Vishal Talreja and Dr. Pilvi Torsti, recently published “Why We Need a Global Education Vision,” an urgent article illuminating the need for a global education […]

Contributive Learning

As the school year in the USA comes to a close, educators in all types of roles are reflecting on the year and its successes and challenges. While there are so many successes each day for educators, challenges and stressors always seem to be the first—and longest—list created. No matter the year, pandemic or no pandemic, […]

New Zealand Mathematics Workshops

The Ministry of Education is partnering with New Zealand Principals Federation on a series of workshops aimed at supporting principals to lead mathematics effectively in schools. The workshops will be co-facilitated by Rob Proffitt-White (Math and Numeracy Director, The Learner First) and the NZPF Executive and will take leaders through high-leverage routines using existing resources […]

Stop the Swing, Start from Center

By Beth Hamilton, Director, The Learner First USA. I recently stepped away from the schoolhouse after 20 years in education that encompassed roles as a teacher, instructional coach, and, for the last 10 years, an elementary school principal. A lot happens in 20 years, professionally and personally, and in my time of reflection these past […]

Going Toward vs. Going Away

By Ellen Perconti, Superintendent of Goldendale School District in Washington State. The New Year is a time when we typically reflect, set goals, and determine actions. It’s a time in our school year when we recommit to action plans for the current school year while looking ahead into the next school year’s planning, finance, and […]

Assessment: What’s the Fuss All About?

By Mary Coverdale, Executive Director at The Learner First Australia. The COVID-19 pandemic has perhaps unwittingly created a sliding doors moment in education. One consequence has been a global awareness of the scale of educational inequality that reflects the broader social issues which have spawned a deep divide in communities across the globe. While equity […]

Goldendale School District Awarded WSSDA Board of the Year

The Learner First has partnered with Goldendale School District (GSD) in Washington State since 2019. This week, GSD’s School Board was awarded Board of the Year in the category of Small School Districts for its extraordinary efforts in supporting GSD’s focus on learning and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. Congratulations to the GSD School Board, […]

Goldendale School District: A Commitment to Connection

By Ellen Perconti, Superintendent of Goldendale School District in Washington State. The 2021-22 school year is off to a great start, and our staff and students are enjoying being back together daily for learning and growing. Our focus in the Goldendale School District this fall is on connection. Feeling connected increases our ability to learn. This […]

Moments of Joy

What does it mean to experience joy? Looking back, I recall some unjoyful experiences of sharing middle names as a child. Mine is Joy. My classmates would hear it and start singing “Joy to the World” at the top of their lungs on the playground, merrily dancing around as they sang. Those memories always had […]