ELH Conference 2010 Critical Conversation Sessions

 

 
Title:
A Passion for Learning, or a Learner's Passion? - Ewan McIntosh
Presenter Organisation:
NoTosh Limited
Session Type:
Critical Conversation

Description:

Over the past twelve months there has been a lot of discussion around identifying and developing talent around a learner's passion. Ken Robinson spoke about it in his recent book The Element, but little of what seems like an obvious idea translates into scalable, purposeful action. This Conversation will explore ideas around learning and passion, and ask.

- What models can we construct around existing structures that would allow kids to embrace their passions?

- What models will we create for 2011-12 that would allow kids to embrace their passions?

- What actual steps will we take to make sure that teachers and parents embrace their passions and share them in the schooling environment?

Conversation Thought Leader: Ewan McIntosh (National Adviser on Learning and Technology Futures for Learning and Teaching Scotland, UK)



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Title:
Exploring the Possibilities for Collaboration that Technology makes possible. - Nathan Bailey
Presenter Organisation:
Monash University
Session Type:
Critical Conversation

Description:

Nathan Bailey oversees a range of innovative education projects as the Associate Director of Monash University's eEducation Centre, and currently leads change programs in learning spaces, educational technology and collaborative education. Following his keynote, Nathan will explore some of his work around collaboration in more detail, with examples of where their innovative programs are now heading, and challenge ideas around where and when learning takes place.

Nathan was the architect of Monash's award winning staff and student portal, my.monash (http://my.monash.edu/) he has presented at a number of national and international conferences on learning and ICT in higher education.

Conversation Thought Leader: Nathan Bailey (Associate Director, eEducation Centre, Monash University, AUS )



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Title:
Exploring the Secrets of Effective Coaching - Travis Smith
Presenter Organisation:
Expanding Learning Horizons
Session Type:
Critical Conversation

Description:

With the rapidly increasing demands on schools to provide increasing professional learning opportunities for their staff, the role of coaches and mentors is becoming increasingly more important. But what are the essentials for successful coaching? How does coaching scale, and what have we learnt from coaches on our staff to date?

In this Conversation, Travis will share his experiences from working with hundreds of at teachers across the country who are seeking to develop effective programs to sustain and scale coaching within their schools.

Conversation Thought Leader: Travis Smith (Expanding Learning Horizons)



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Title:
Innovation: Who takes the Risks, and who Reaps the Rewards? - Mark Sparvell
Presenter Organisation:
Microsoft Worldwide Innovative Teacher
Session Type:
Critical Conversation

Description:

In this session, prior to his keynote, Mark will discuss some of his experiences in exploring innovative ideas from the perspective of both teacher, and Principal. While his own innovative journey eventually saw him named one of the Microsoft Worldwide Innovative Teachers of the Year, Mark will explore ideas that help us better understand how a culture of innovation is a natural and necessary pre-requisite to innovation at scale.

Among his innovative ideas, he will discuss.

 Doing lots with little (and little with lots)- where to be careless and where to be careful

 Connecting Peers with Purpose- engaging students in meaningful action and how ICT can enable

Conversation Thought Leader: Mark Sparvell (Microsoft Worldwide Innovative Teacher)



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Title:
Looking at Transformation beyond Revolutions, Cliches and a New Coat of Paint - Dan Buckley
Presenter Organisation:
Cambridge University
Session Type:
Critical Conversation

Description:

Not only from the mouths of politicians, but sadly too often from educators, ideas about educational transformation are trivialized, normalized and marginalized. Yet again what initially raised the hopes of many, is in danger of being grossly misrepresented, and impeding those who are seeking to bring fresh and powerful ideas to our thinking about what school could, and should be.

In this Conversation, Dan will reflect on his experience hosting envisioning workshops for Education Ministries around the world, and to challenge us to set ambitious and bold goals, with the abundance of resources, and opportunity we now have before us.

Conversation Thought Leader: Dan Buckley (Director of Research and Development Cambridgeshire Education, UK)



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Title:
Personalisation by Pieces-"At last, the end of the Personalisation Groundhog Day" - Dan Buckley
Presenter Organisation:
Cambridge University
Session Type:
Critical Conversation

Description:

What if someone had actually bothered to put aside 15 years of their teaching life to try and find real answers to the personalisation riddle? Dan Buckley has done just that with Personalisation by Pieces (PbyP), and in this conversation he explores more deeply some of the concepts he raised in his keynote, and seeks to offer a solution.

What leading educators have said about PbyP

"A revolutionary tool which opens the door to a new pedagogical paradigm."

Carole Whitty Deputy president of the NAHT.

"At last personalisation has a national and identifiable pedagogy"

David Worlock founder of EPS.

"You have to work as a team and I think that will help people in later life", "It is giving children trust and freedom", "It's just a really good idea"

Quotes from children involved in case studies and online forums evaluating PbyP.

"Dan has come up with an assessment framework for key skills.. That, amazingly, appears flawless and starts out from peer assessment among students. It has the potential to take a huge burden from teachers... The structure is transparent, gets student buy-in for their school work and holds tremendous promise throughout the curriculum. It appears that Dan has come up with something truly original and worked through"

Merlin John, former editor of TES online and currently writing for The Guardian

"It makes explicit for students the abstract learning concepts which many schools are now trying to raise the profile of. The under-pinning philosophy of peer and self-assessment is the key to future success in personalised learning and this scheme is the best example of a clearly worked through strategy that I've come across.'"

Ray Tarleton, headteacher of South Dartmoor Community College and national co-ordinator of the National College of School Leadership network

Conversation Thought Leader: Dan Buckley (Director of Research and Development Cambridgeshire Education, UK)



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Title:
What Really Matters, and What's Worth Doing? - Bruce Dixon
Presenter Organisation:
AALF
Session Type:
Critical Conversation

Description:

With so many conferences, seminars, briefings, blogs, podcasts and research, it should not surprise us to find so many of our colleagues overwhelmed by the information they now have access to; yet how much of it really matters? How much of what is being done in the name of innovation or research is really new, profound, genuinely rigorous, or worthwhile? In this session Bruce will challenge some of the norms that we take for granted, he will test some of the assumptions that we too easily make, and he will present some new ideas about where our energies and our focus should be.

Conversation Thought Leader: Bruce Dixon (President, Anytime Anywhere Learning Foundation, Seattle USA)



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Title:
Where Do Good Ideas Come From? - Ewan McIntosh
Presenter Organisation:
NoTosh Limited
Session Type:
Critical Conversation

Description:

As a lead-in for more in-depth discussion around Ewan's opening keynote, this Critical Conversation will explore some of his ideas in more depth, with particular emphasis on leadership.

In terms of leading creativity:

- "What is the job of a school leader/principal - is it learner-in-chief or something else?"

- "What do we think teachers think our job is?"

- "What do we think learners think our job is?"

- "How do we create a new type of schooling in which creativity thrives, is provoked and supported across many dimensions, when our parents expect what they had - or something damned close?"

In terms of assessment and harnessing creativity:

- "What does creativity mean to us and why is this so crucial in learning? Would we say creativity is more important than examination?"

- "New models of assessment - What if we just changed it?"

Conversation Thought Leader: Ewan McIntosh (National Adviser on Learning and Technology Futures for Learning and Teaching Scotland, UK)



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