Why work with Brendan
After falling down the rabbit hole of educational research, Brendan started to question why the research wasn’t transferring to the classroom. This led him to not only developing his understanding of the science of learning, but also looking into how to deliver professional learning that actually improves what teachers do.
Brendan is now a highly sought-after professional learning provider and educational consultant having presented around the country at conferences, workshops and staff development days such as:
- Sharing Best Practice
- Science of Teaching and Learning Australia
- Teaching Matters Conference – Tasmania
- Effective Teaching Conference
- Think Forward Educators
- White Rose Education Conference
- SUMit Dubai
- South Coast Network Primary Schools
- Sutherland Principals Conference
- Macarthur Principal Network
- Auburn / Chullora Network – Numeracy Initiative
- Hawkesbury and Windsor P.S. Middle Leaders
He is a Board member for Ochre Education and has collaborated with educational experts such as Dr. Simon Breakspear and Dr. Nathaniel Swain to support schools in taking an evidence-informed approach towards implementing evidence-informed practice.
Let Brendan take away the stress of sifting through the overwhelming amount of educational research and deliver professional learning that sticks.
Choose your focus area
Learn about the science of learning and what the implications are for teachers. This includes an overview of areas like:
- cognitive load theory
- the simple memory model
- retrieval, spaced & interleaved practice
Combines well with the Science of Teaching presentation.
Learn what the research says are the most effective ways of delivering instruction. This includes practical teacher techniques to:
- manage a classroom
- review content
- check for understanding
- ask questions
- provide feedback
Combines well with the Science of Learning presentation.
Brendan can work with school leaders in setting up a positive school culture to enable school improvement. He will go through the research on:
- implementation science
- change management
- effective school leadership
- instructional coaching
- delivering high impact professional learning
Find out what the science of reading is and what it looks like in the classroom. Brendan can go through:
- the Simple View of Reading
- Scarborough’s Reading Rope
- the key differences between previous ways of teaching reading and a more structured approach
Learn about the importance of explicitly teaching writing and what it looks like in the classroom. It includes an overview of:
- the Simple View of Writing
- the Writing Revolution
- Self-Regulated Strategy Development
Brendan will highlight the importance of mathematics and debunk some of the myths surrounding it. It will look at:
- How mathematics is highly hierarchical
- Why we need both conceptual and procedural understanding
- The concrete, pictorial and abstract framework
- Effective modelling techniques
- How to address word problems
Choose the type of support
Targeted
This is for schools that are already heading in the right direction or just need an external voice to present to staff. Brendan is able to deliver one-off presentations or workshops that are specific to the schools needs.
Sequential
Choose a focus area and Brendan can provide a sequence of professional learning sessions that focuses on building knowledge, practical advice and supporting small incremental changes in teachers' practice.
Strategic
This involves Brendan working with school leaders to strategically plan out how the science of learning will be implemented through professional learning, curriculum, pedagogy and assessment.