Curios of the week #103

Clippings, endnotes and other ephemera

Image via AI

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This week has been the lead up to Head of The Lake, the Ballarat rowing spectacular where school crews compete for honours on Lake Wendouree. This has involved our students practising their ‘ringers’ with which they will cheer on the Clarendon crews on Sunday. These chants involve them crouching down in a solid circle before gradually rising to their feet and jumping as the chant progresses. This requires some monitoring.

This time of year, yard duty, monitoring chants and spectating at the lake come with the hazard of a high ultraviolet light index and so I have been trying to be more sun smart. I have bought a new hat and am attempting to remember to wear it everywhere. This can be a challenge.

This week’s Curios is the Greg Ashman multimedia edition. Sorry about that.

Podcast of the week

Back in December, Margaret Paton interviewed me for her Out-of-Field Teachers podcast. I reflected on my own experience teaching out of field in 2024, including the use of artificial intelligence.

You may listen to the podcast here.

Video of the week

It’s me, again, only this time, I am talking to Clinton Milroy of education company Edrolo about the forthcoming researchED Conference at Clarendon.

Unfortunately, researchED has now sold out but we are looking at our options. You can still add yourself to the waiting list here.

Job opportunities of the week

If you like the idea of standing on the spit next year, watching the boats go by, OR watching the Galacticos of education speak at researchED Ballarat 2026, why not consider a post at Clarendon.

We have just begun our international recruitment campaign for 2026 or earlier. You can find the posts here.

And here is a taster video:

Bans of the week

At the beginning of 2024, the Australian federal government banned mobile phones in schools, following initiatives by individual schools, schools systems and states. How is that going?