This book has been a journey in the writing, one designed to take you on your own journey of reflection, learning, discovery and wonderings. For the Love of Learning is your call to reimagine education and nurture the learning and life capabilities essential for the flourishing of self, others, and our world.

Joan’s vivid stories take you back to the past age of CONFORMITY, into the years of REFORM to learn from the ground-breaking work of remarkable teachers and leaders, through to creating new purposes and visions that TRANSFORM learning for young people, teachers and communities.

Dedication
To all those teachers who came before,
To those who presently teach our young, and
To those yet to enter the honourable profession of teaching.
May this call to flourishing assist your own.

Thwack! The sound reverberated off the walls, slicing into the already silent air and forty-four heads snapped to attention.

Thwack! There it was again, and with military precision his right knee stretched up and then down in another resounding crack, his shiny black shoe smacking the wooden floor hard.

Eyes swivelling to make sure all hands were clasped on desktops, feet together under desks, he opened his mouth to speak.

I looked at the grim faces of Mr Thomson’s Grade 3 class. They were petrified. And so was I.

One day, though, he did bring exciting news to the staffroom: female teachers had been awarded equal pay with men, and this would begin next year. How grateful my female colleagues and I were, and how forward thinking the Education Department seemed at the time to make our pay equal with men.

Even loud harrumphing from one of the male teachers couldn’t spoil our excitement, or his parting shot as he left the staff room: ‘First the Department allows married women to teach, taking jobs away from men, and now they’re going to get the same pay. What next!’

I couldn’t imagine what might be next. A lot of changes seemed to be taking place. Why, I’d been told it was only a year or two before my first appointment to East Brunswick that the previously separate male and female staffrooms were amalgamated into one.

BREAKING NEWS
From the Office of the Minister for Learning, the Hon. Erika Bruce

Education for a World in Crisis: Bold New Vision

Today, the new Minister for Learning issued a landmark statement addressing the deepening global crises that threaten the future of humanity:

”We are facing unprecedented challenges: climate change, technological disruption, social fragmentation, and economic uncertainty,” Minister Erika Bruce stated.

”Our education systems and schools have a responsibility to prepare young people for this transforming world and traditional models of schooling are failing to equip them with the necessary life skills to flourish.

Education must prepare young people both to earn a living and to contribute toward sustaining life – on this planet and in our communities. This means teaching lifelong capabilities such as wisdom, compassion, and adaptability,” Minister Erika Bruce emphasized, continuing with:

”Such learning capabilities are essential and best developed in real-life ways that enable young people to learn in and from their communities.”

Learning is Marvel(lous)

’Hey, mum…’ Zed’s booming twelve-year-old voice carried him through the doorway. ‘I got a new learning buddy today!’

’That’s great, mate… who is it?’

’I call him Marvel because he knows EV…ERY…THING!’

’Yes, but what’s his real name?’

’That is his real name and I’ll be able to bring him home in my Smart Bag once he’s finished his ‘test’ period. Sam says we need to be sure our Learning Buddies are providing us with safe and accurate information. All the kids are helping our Learning Guides with this.’

The bewildered look on his mum’s face told Zed that his mum thought his new learning buddy was human!

’Oh, mum, you are funny…’ he smiled, explaining patiently ‘Marvel is my AI Learning Buddy – everyone is getting one. Like, Marvel knows what I love, what I’m good at and what I need to work on. He helps me with my personal learning plans and to find answers to my questions.’

’Learning Buddies can analyse and assess your child’s learning, identify what they know and any gaps in their learning and areas of need. We use this information with your child to tailor personal learning pathways in their Life Compass that take account of their strengths, interests, skills and ways they prefer to learn.