Punished by rewards

Lionel Cranenburgh

By Lionel Cranenburgh
Community contribution / June 7, 2016

Alfie Kohn is described as America’s most outspoken critic of education’s fixation with grades, punishments and rewards. He is a former teacher living in Boston and addressed the Positive Schools in WA Conference in Fremantle via video link in May this year. Lionel Cranenburgh was there.

Karen Pedrick with Ita Buttrose after discussing ideas relating to the conference host’s presentation.

Controversial author, Alfie Kohn, challenged long-held beliefs by teachers, daring them to change time-worn practices.

However, some teachers did ...

Head of Department (Industrial Design and Technology) - Indooroopilly State High School

Department of Education and Training (Queensland) Brisbane

Indooroopilly State High School has an exciting opportunity for a Head of Department - Design & Technologies. Applications are encouraged from appropriately qualifi...

Teaching - Secondary / Jun 28, 2026

SEN Support Assistant

Teaching - Primary / Jun 27, 2026

Graduate Learning Support Assistant

Teaching - Primary / Jun 27, 2026

School news / New govt-funded program removes the usual barriers to OOF maths prof learning

A national shortage of maths teachers is shaping a new teacher education initiative in Victoria.

School news / Bilingual brains use a shared concept map between languages: new research

For many bilingual people, switching between languages feels effortless. Now, scientists have figured out how bilingual brains accomplish this feat at the single neuron level.

School news / Universities to have more incentives to cater to disadvantaged, regional students

More Australians from disadvantaged backgrounds will be given the opportunity to study at university.

School news / ‘Like an infection’: jailing kids increases likelihood of re-offending, inquiry hears

Putting kids in jail only exposes them to criminal networks, stops them learning from mistakes and increases re-offending, international experts have told an inquiry into youth crime in Sydney.

School news / Fed Govt flags beef-up of world-leading teen social media ban

Three more AI “nudifying” platforms have been taken down in Australia as the Federal Government flags plans to strengthen its world-first social media age restrictions.

School news / Exceptional leadership in play-based learning separates primary school from the rest

When Steve Kanowski arrived at Berrinba East State School in south-east Queensland’s Logan City 12 years ago, it was quickly apparent that oral language was a deficit for the youngest children entering his new school.

Leadership / ‘A big risk’: inside the ‘burnout paradox’ gripping Australian school leaders

A curious case of ‘burnout paradox’ is defining the experience of Australian school leaders, as intensifying workload and workforce challenges risk pushing many to the brink, a new study has found.

School news / Hindered growth: Strong early readers let down by instruction, study reveals

A new study has raised big questions around the extent to which high achieving students are extended in their reading, after finding a surprising reverse Matthew Effect is playing out in Australian schools.

School news / Australia’s social media age restrictions showing limited early impact: new research

New research examining the early implementation of Australia’s world-first social media age restrictions for under 16s has revealed little change in adolescence use of the platforms.

School news / Google’s YouTube settles over social media harm to kids’ mental health

YouTube and its parent company Google have settled with a minor who ‌claimed the platform caused mental health harms ahead of ‌a second trial over claims the design of social media sites has ‌fuelled a youth mental health crisis.

Comments