Today, my guest is Norman Hunter, an Educational Leader and Author. In this episode, Norman shares insights into his upbringing, educational background, and experiences as a school teacher and principal. We chat about Norman’s book, ‘Between the Idea and the Reality: Decision making for the Thinking Educational Leader,’ a book that explores the central role of reasoning behind the many decisions that school leaders make each day. Norman reflects on the importance of understanding human factors i...
May 09, 2025•1 hr 4 min
Today my guest is Paulina Larocca, Creativity Author, Trainer and Provocateur. In this episode, we discuss the relationship between creativity and innovation, and Paulina’s studies in pursuing a Master's in Creative Problem Solving. Paulina offers insights into creativity, and the significance of embodiment practices and self-reflection in fostering creativity and personal growth. Paulina explains that connecting with the body and the environment can lead to powerful insights and creative breakt...
Mar 24, 2025•44 min
Today my guest is Ben Lawless, an educator, teacher, university lecturer, textbook author, and education consultant. Ben helps schoolteachers make sense of the different approaches to assessment, specifically by demystifying the design and use of rubrics and encouraging their value in supporting student progress. In this episode, we find out about Ben’s very early experiences on a university campus, through to his later studies in law, philosophy, and education, which eventually lead to roles th...
Feb 05, 2025•56 min
Today my guest is Dr Selena Fisk. In our conversation, we chat about Selena's career journey and her work as an author and data storyteller in education. We explore the use of generative AI in data analysis, the challenges and opportunities related to the use of data and strategy in schools, and the importance of using multiple sources of data, including personal reflections, to gain a well-rounded understanding of impact. Selena highlights the importance of understanding the context and purpose...
Nov 28, 2024•45 min
Today my guest is Melissa Gough, an educator, brain injury advocate, and podcaster. In this episode, we find out about Melissa’s early and diverse career roles. We also explore Melissa's unexpected life-changing experience of surviving a brain haemorrhage. Melissa reflects on her recovery process, the challenges she faced in navigating the healthcare system, and the cognitive difficulties related to her condition. We explore her additional advocacy efforts for individuals with brain and other in...
Oct 30, 2024•43 min
Today my guest is Tim Kitchen, an educator, technologist, and advocate for creativity in education. Tim is also Adobe’s Senior Education Specialist for the Asia Pacific region, with a focus on K-12 education. In this episode, Tim shares insights into his career, spanning a diverse range of roles, from teaching music and physical education, managing technology within schools, teacher professional development, and writing about creativity in education. We chat about educational technology and Tim’...
Oct 24, 2024•53 min
Today, my guest is Helen Perris, a singer-songwriter and teacher. In this episode, we explore Helen’s early life in Bundaberg, Queensland, where she grew up in a musical family surrounded by the rhythm and clickety clack of sugar cane trains. We explore her journey as a singer-songwriter and performer, her experiences as a teacher, and her ongoing passion for music that has been a constant throughout her life. Helen shares insights into her creative process, how she uses music as a therapeutic t...
Aug 12, 2024•46 min
Today my guest is Matt Pitman, a Leader, Educator and Author. In this episode, we find out about Matt’s early career as a teacher, as well as Matt’s post-graduate studies. Over several years Matt was awarded not one, not two, but three Masters-level qualifications in educational leadership, student wellbeing, and evidence-based teaching, with each area linked back to the practicalities within a school. Matt provides insights into his context and motivations and how he decided to combine these bi...
Jun 15, 2024•1 hr 4 min
Today my guest is Peter Quarry, a psychologist, media presenter and writer. In this episode, we find out about Peter’s early life and upbringing living between Australia, Germany, and other parts of Europe, his burning urge to be an actor, further studies in law, psychology and philosophy, his professional practice as a psychologist and counsellor, and forty years as a corporate training and development presenter and video producer. Peter shares his life highlights: being a presenter for several...
May 03, 2024•58 min
Today my guest is Daniel Bourke, a Creative Media Practitioner. In this episode, we find out about Daniel’s background and current professional practice in creative media production with a focus on animation and video. We explore how Daniel communicates to an audience with video. He guides us through some of the ‘how-to’ technical skills he uses, as well aspects that inform the ‘craft of storytelling’, especially with technology. Daniel outlines how he used video and other technology to create p...
Apr 09, 2024•1 hr
Today my guest is Monica Davidson, a Creative Practitioner and Business Educator. Monica believes that creativity gives our world a soul. In this episode, we find out about Monica’s early life and her love of creative culture and expression. Monica recounts her early studies in communication and post-graduate studies in screen arts, business, leadership, and finance. Monica offers insights into supporting other creative practitioners – writers, film makers, artists, designers, and others – throu...
Mar 23, 2024•47 min
Today my guest is James Watt, a Palliative Care Nurse. In this episode, we find out about James’ early life and upbringing in New Zealand and his study and training as a nurse. James shares insights into topics that are hard to talk about, for example those universal experiences such as death, dying and grief. James is particularly interested in how communication might be improved in health care, especially in palliative care, that is, supporting people who have a life-limiting illness. We chat ...
Mar 01, 2024•1 hr 2 min
Today my guest is Leanne Tobin, a Multidisciplinary Artist. In this episode, we find out about Leanne’s early life and upbringing in Sydney and her connections with Irish, English and Aboriginal (Dharug) heritage. Leanne shares insight into what she describes as ‘the hidden generation’ and profound ideas around secrets, suppression, and identity. We chat about Leanne’s ancestors, including Yarramundi (who met with Governor Phillip in the late 1700s) and Yarramundi’s daughter, Maria Lock, the fir...
Feb 18, 2024•1 hr 16 min
Today my guest is Chris Curtis, a Cancer Advocate and founder of the UK-based Swallows Head & Neck Cancer support group and charity. In this episode, we find out about Chris’ early life and his love of sport, football, food, cooking, hospitality and marketing. Chris offers insights into his more recent life and his diagnosis and treatment of stage-four throat cancer. We chat about the mental, physical, and psychological impact on Chris’ everyday life and how, in the months following his trea...
Jan 09, 2024•48 min
Today my guest is Jennifer D Klein, an Author, Speaker, Facilitator and Coach. In this episode, we ask ‘What does good education look like if we place the student at the centre of their learning?’ Jennifer outlines how she and co-author Kapono Ciotti approached the development of their recent book ‘The Landscape Model of Learning’ by collaborating remotely during the pandemic, engaging with established and emerging educational theories, and gaining further insights through dialogue and conversat...
Nov 29, 2023•43 min
Today my guest is Vanessa Hamilton, a Sexual Health Nurse, Educator & Author. In this episode we chat about Vanessa’s professional experience as a nurse and her various roles delivering professional development and educational workshops to a wide range of audiences including doctors, healthcare workers, teachers, and parents. Vanessa brings her experiences from human sexuality and reproductive nursing to outline that sex is much more than just the physical act or being male and female; it’s ...
Nov 12, 2023•49 min
Today my guest is Mark Bennett, a Teacher, Educational Leader & Instructional Coach. In this episode, we find out about the role of coaching and conversations in educational leadership and teacher professional development. Mark reflects on how he and other teachers adjusted and responded during the pandemic, and the lessons learned in terms of teaching, learning, education design, and how teachers relate to each other. Mark also reflects on the value of teachers collaborating and becoming le...
Nov 08, 2023•58 min
Today my guest is Kath Bicknell, a researcher, educator, and content creator. Kath’s academic work relates to performance studies, cognitive science, anthropology, philosophy, psychology, cultural studies, and sports science. In this episode, we explore learning about learning and Kath’s research activities on collaborative embodied performance and her recent collaboration with sports sociologist Kristina Brümmer. Within the cyclical process of success and failure, they asked the question: How i...
Oct 10, 2023•47 min
Today my guest is Declan Neil Fernandez, a film enthusiast and author. In this episode, we find out about Declan’s avid long-term interest in film, especially physical media – that is, VHS tapes, DVDs, laserdiscs, and Blurays. In our conversation we explore Declan’s ten-year writing journey which resulted in the published book, ‘Horrible and Fascinating – John Boorman's Exorcist II: The Heretic’. The book seeks to answer many of the questions associated with the unique, compelling, and infamous ...
Oct 02, 2023•51 min
Today my guests are Trudy Ambler and Puspha Sinnayah, both Teachers and Educational Researchers. In this episode, Trudy and Puspha reflect on their earlier studies and teaching experiences, leading up to their more recent research activities. We chat about their latest article ‘Reviewing the literature: Collaborative professional learning for academics in higher education’. We explore the value of scrutinising the existing research and literature alongside the practice of peer observation and le...
Aug 29, 2023•59 min
Today my guest is Dr Joanne Casey, a Research Practitioner and Author. In this episode, Joanne reflects on her experiences as a classroom teacher working in three sectors of education - Government, Catholic and Independent - and trying to make sense of the decisions being made in schools, and their potential impact on students. We also explore Joanne’s further professional work and her PhD based around classroom teaching, leadership and teacher professional learning. In her research, Joanne made...
Aug 04, 2023•55 min
Today my guest is Julie McCrossin, a Broadcaster and Cancer Ambassador. In this episode, Julie reflects on her studies in arts, education and law, and experiences working in educational theatre with disadvantaged and isolated schools. Julie reflects on her role as a national radio broadcaster, that is, talking for a living, getting other people talking, and helping them to discuss a range of important and complex topics. We also chat about Julie’s experiences as a cancer patient, and how her ins...
Jun 06, 2023•47 min
Today my guest is Mark Boulet, a Sustainability Educator and Behavioural Researcher, working at BehaviourWorks Australia at Monash University. Mark reflects on his early interest, study, and work related to zoology, animals, and wildlife which led to further interest and activities in environmental and sustainability community education. Mark offers insights into his teaching approach, which emphasises active and dynamic student-led pedagogies. In relation to his research activities, Mark outlin...
May 08, 2023•46 min
Today my guest is Dr M David Merrill, an Instructional Researcher and professor emeritus at Utah State University. David has been engaged in the study of effective, efficient and engaging instruction for more than 50 years. In this episode, we chat about David’s early studies and research, including his PhD at the University of Illinois in 1964. We chat about David’s additional research activities throughout his extensive career, partly inspired by fellow educational researchers B.F. Skinner and...
Apr 30, 2023•53 min
This is a special micro episode - Chatting with Mark - where I catch up with a previous guest about a topic that’s captured their attention. This episode was recorded in April 2023, when I chatted with Amber Boardman about her creative art practice during the past few years. We also chat about Amber’s experiences and perspectives on teaching art online during the pandemic, as well as teaching and learning that favour a theory-based or conceptual approach vs those focused on studio techniques. We...
Apr 16, 2023•36 min
Today my guest is Tanya Natalie, a second-hand bookseller, a professional editor, and an occasional writer. In this episode, we chat about reading, editing and writing, and the value of books. Tanya shares her love and enthusiasm for books, with insights into some of her favourites that have resonated and made an impact. We explore Tanya’s studies in English literature and associated subjects, and her further studies in book editing and publishing. Tanya offers insights into the various stages o...
Mar 26, 2023•55 min
In this episode, we find out about alternative approaches to teaching mathematics. We explore how learning can be encouraged through spontaneous or planned conversations and by asking questions that drive discussions and the exchange of information. Alex outlines how an entire class might approach a single maths problem, with students invited to share their strategies for solving the problem with the group. As guided by the teacher, the students’ strategies are further discussed, explored, and c...
Mar 11, 2023•52 min
You’re listening to Perspectives in Parryville. I’m particularly excited because this a milestone episode—number 50—with a slightly longer duration because it features two guests, both with interesting, interwoven personal insights and stories to share. So, today my guests are Effy Alexakis, a Documentary Photographer & Leonard Janiszewski, a Socio-cultural Historian. In this episode we find out about Effy and Leonard’s collaborations in researching the Greek-Australian historical and contem...
Feb 27, 2023•1 hr 17 min
Today my guest is Eva Amores, an Author & Designer. Along the way, we refer to a few visuals, so you might like to explore the links in the show notes so you can view the designs as you listen. In this episode, in the atmosphere of a busy outdoor cafe, we ask the question: Have you ever had a bad week? We find out about Eva’s background and enthusiasm for arts and design and working in various professional roles. We chat about design processes and how they can be used to answer a question or...
Feb 05, 2023•49 min
This is a special micro episode - Chatting with Mark - where I catch up with a previous guest about a topic that’s captured their attention. This episode was recorded in December 2022, when I chatted with Leon Furze about Artificial Intelligence in teaching and learning. We explored some of the potential advantages and opportunities, along with some of the complexities around assessments and the ethics of use. https://leonfurze.com/
Jan 30, 2023•20 min
