Big Brain Channel

In this episode of Around the School Table  (xuno.com.au/podcast), host Steve Davis welcomes Danni Mattiazzo , assistant principal at Larrakeyah Primary School (larrakeyahprimary.com.au) in Darwin. Recently recognised with the Australian Education Award for Best Use of Technology , Danni Mattiazzo shares how her leadership has guided the development of IntelliLearn, a locally built platform t...

In this episode of Around the School Table ( xuno.com.au/podcasts ), host Steve Davis is joined by Ryan Ma , assistant principal of Saltwater P–9 College , one of Australia’s fastest-growing schools. Since opening its gates in 2019 with 490 students, Saltwater has expanded to more than 2,200 learners in just six years. With families representing over 29 nationalities and 81 languages,...

In this episode of Around the School Table   ( https://xuno.com.au/podcasts/ ), host Steve Davis is joined by Darcy Nolan , lower secondary subschool leader at Sunbury and Macedon Ranges Specialist School ’s Bullengerook campus ( https://wordpress.smrss.vic.edu.au/ ). The school is the setting for the acclaimed ABC documentary This is Going to Be Big, ( https://iview.abc.net.au/show/thi...

In this episode of Around the School Table , host Steve Davis is joined by Jason Mustin , assistant principal at Good Shepherd Lutheran College in Palmerston, Northern Territory. Drawing from 17 years in education and an early career in medical science, Jason Mustin brings a unique blend of analytical insight and heartfelt leadership to the table. From navigating national education policy through...

In this episode of Around the School Table , Ben Sacco offers a fresh perspective on classroom behaviour. Drawing from his book ‘ Disruption in Schools: Understand me before you mark me! ’ , he challenges traditional approaches to student discipline and reframes disruption as a signal, not simply a setback. With a decade of experience in education, policy, and innovation, he blends res...

Cameron Peverett may have stumbled into special education, but his leadership journey has been anything but accidental. In this episode of Around the School Table , host Steve Davis is joined by Cameron Peverett , principal at Lake Colac School and current president of the Principal Association of Specialist Schools (PASS) . From humble beginnings and unexpected opportunities to pioneering best-pr...

In this episode, Kristy Miller and Suzanne Litchfield share their journey founding Turrun Primary School on a greenfield site. In this episode of Around the School Table , host Steve Davis explores how they built a school identity rooted in local Indigenous language and meaning. From day one, Principal Kristy Miller and Assistant Principal Suzanne Litchfield focused on core values—respect, c...

In this episode of Around the School Table , host Steve Davis speaks with Kendall Lange and Wendy Tregenza from North Mandurah Primary School in Western Australia. Kendall Lange, the principal, and Wendy Tregenza, leader of the school’s Specialised Learning Programs for Autism (SLP-A), share real-world strategies for supporting autistic students and fostering inclusive school communities. Ke...

In this episode of Around the School Table , host Steve Davis talks with Paul James, ICT Manager at St Ignatius College in Geelong—a school where technology is no longer confined to the IT office but woven through every aspect of school life. From cybersecurity to AI-driven classroom tools, James is helping reshape how schools operate, protect, and innovate. As the person responsible for all...

In this episode of Around the School Table, host Steve Davis speaks with Anthony Rowe, principal of Huntingdale Primary School in Melbourne — a pioneering bilingual school where students navigate their learning in both English and Japanese from their very first day. With half the curriculum delivered in Japanese, including subjects like mathematics—the school challenges traditional edu...

In this episode of Around the School Table, host Steve Davis talks with Craig Ainsworth from Westport Public School about how a modest chess program in a low socio-economic school achieved elite educational outcomes over 18 years. Far from just a lunchtime club, Craig’s program developed students’ physical control, emotional intelligence, intellectual stamina, and creative thinking&mda...

In this episode of Around the School Table, host Steve Davis speaks with Nikki Bonus, founder of Life Skills Group and the digital platform Life Skills Go. The conversation dives deep into the intersection of emotional intelligence, student well-being, and readiness to learn—arguing that emotional regulation is foundational to academic success. Bonus explains how Life Skills Go serves as a &...

In this episode of Around the School Table, host Steve Davis visits Leigh Johnson, principal of Harkaway Primary School—a small, 150-year-old school nestled in Victoria’s scenic hills. Despite its modest size and absence from the national spotlight, Harkaway has gained international recognition for its innovative, student-centred approach to education, especially around resilience and...

Strategikon is back in 2023 and we are kicking off the year with Round 5 of the Hyper Realist Bombs series. Our good friend Rhoderick Miller returns to the podcast to discuss the latest developments from the Russia / Ukraine conflict, from his hyper realist perspective. John, David and Rhoderick discuss the present state of the Russian military, including whether it’s military production is strugg...

This week I talk about a feasibility cohort study which sought to determine whether a larger cohort study addressing this question would be feasible. Listen to hear some interesting preliminary findings.  Merza, E.Y., Pearson, S.J., Mallows, A.J. and Malliaras, P., 2023. The relationship between psychological, cognitive, and contextual factors and rehabilitation outcomes in Achilles tendinopathy:...

We have known for a while that type of exercise intervention (e.g. intensity, frequency, etc) does not seem to influence self-reported outcomes such as pain. Maybe all the benefits from exercise are explained by non-specific effects, or maybe exercise has benefits that do not depend on the type of exercise. In this episode, I discuss 3 studies that look into (at least partly) other benefits that w...

This week, I had an engaging conversation with Anthony Nasser , an up-and-coming researcher on tendinopathy who recently completed his PhD on proximal hamstring tendinopathy. Our discussion covered the reasons for the lack of research attention towards this condition, the current state of evidence, and insights from his doctoral studies. You can find the full conversation here. Here are Anthony's...

Palpation can be useful for the diagnosis and assessment of tendinopathy, but there are limits. This is because non-painful tendons can be tender, and tenderness in painful tendons seems to be very slow to get better.  Link to  Evidence for Improvement in Local but not Diffuse Pressure Pain Thresholds Following Physical Therapist Interventions for Tendinopathy: A Systematic Review Link to   Reprod...

Interesting perspective paper from Arampatzis et al talking about how we should consider tuning of muscle tendon unit in terms of muscle strength and tendon stiffness when considering training for specific groups.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Watching David's career change over the course of this podcast can be a little perplexing. It might seem that a philosophy-trained academic wouldn't be that interested in marketing and communications, but these areas aren't as disjointed as they may seem. Tim and David discuss their love for communicating and how their academic interests have led to their professional pathways. If you have any tho...

This talking tendons episode will discuss a study by Igor Sancho, PhD, assessing Achilles forces during common rehab exercises and habitual activities and how this relates to reported pain among runners. Some interesting implications for practice. Achilles tendon forces and pain during common rehabilitation exercises in male runners with Achilles tendinopathy. A laboratory study See omnystudio.com...

At the end of 2022, David Finished his master's thesis with a High Distinction. David wrote a relatively comprehensive analysis of Inbound Marketing for his Master of Strategic Communications and pitched his writing for a professional audience while still achieving academic success. Tim and David discuss David's findings where he blended academic evidence with the professional application. This is...

Ever wonder what makes a mind? Philosophers have asked this question for millennia and don't have much concrete evidence to show for it. Tim asks David for his current thoughts and it turns out we now know a lot more about our brains. David can paint an interesting picture of what our conscious thoughts consist of, and why we have them. If you have any thoughts or questions on how to flourish and...

David has been getting asked a lot about the plans to merge the University of Adelaide with the University of South Australia . This podcast discusses the possible negatives and the likely positives of the merger, giving a perspective the staff and university management will never admit or fail to see. There's a lot to look forward to if this merger succeeds and it's looking more likely than ever...

Friend of the podcast Rhoderick Miller is back on Strategikon and we find out what Rhoderick’s Hyper – Realist perspective has to say about the Russia / Ukraine conflict, 10 months after it began. John and David also offer their predictions on whether Putin or Zelenskyy will come out of the war in a better position, before discussing the chances of Germany being able to right it’s economy despite...