The John Weeks Show #52 20260216

The John Weeks Show #52 - Monday 16 February 2026

On this week’s radio show, The John Weeks Show, 3pm AEST. Melbourne, Australia on 3MDR 97.1 FM & 3mdr.com streaming, @3mdr97.1fm, I will be presenting :

Feature 1

Singer/Songwriter Interview Series #31 - Jess Coombes

Interview by John Weeks

Jess Coombes focuses on now with new single, The In Between

Third time’s a charm for Gloucester singer-songwriter Jess Coombes who released her new single, The In Between, on February 12, 2026.

The In Between continues her focus on telling her stories of regional life through her country-pop style of music.

Singer-songwriter, producer and video director Jake Davey co-wrote the single which stemmed from Jess thinking about learning to slow down and focus on the present rather than always looking ahead.

Feature 2

Interview: Dr Anabela Malpique, senior lecturer in literacy from the School of Education at Edith Cowan University (ECU)

Interview by John Weeks

The writing is on the wall — Are kids ditching pens for keyboards?

A nation-wide study of more than 500 Australian primary school students in Year 2 has revealed how beginner writers’ attitude and motivation towards writing is related to the quality of their writing and writing skills (handwriting vs keyboard automaticity).

The research led by Dr Anabela Malpique, senior lecturer in literacy from the School of Education at Edith Cowan University (ECU), in collaboration with colleagues from the Writing for All research group, examined students’ specific attitudes toward writing on paper compared to writing using a computer. The researchers also looked at how primary school-aged students feel about writing more generally.