Dear Colleagues,
Welcome to the November edition of our Newsletter.
Thank you to Melissa Planten, Principal UC Senior Secondary College Lake Ginninderra who has written a reflection on our recent National Conference in Adelaide.
Reimagining Education: A future beyond boundaries ACEL National Conference 2024
Adelaide Convention Centre
As the day began at the Reimaging Education ACEL Conference 2024 we acknowledged the Kaurna people as the custodians of the lands and waters of the Adelaide region, on which we were meeting. A beautiful venue on the banks of the River Torrens, there is something exhilarating when among a group of people fascinated by the world around them and engaging young people in ideas, collective wisdom and affecting positive change.
Dr Briony Scott, President ACEL, emphasised the conference theme and sub themes of leadership, schooling and innovation. Quotations from poet Wendell Berry highlighted the collective purpose to create moments of quiet reflection in this changing world. Jim Knight, keynote speaker Day 1 explored the partnership approach in change management and Martin Westwell and Selena Fisk the importance of the right choices for curriculum, programs of learning, evidence, and artefacts to improve student learning outcomes, build teacher capacity and strengthen impact.
Workshops, panels, and student voice interspersed with insights from unique perspectives. Chadden Hunter, what a story! As a wildlife documentary maker, he works through film as the vehicle to subtly shape, and challenge, our perceptions, and actions to educate for a better world.
Nathan Wallis focused on ‘How neuroscience informs education – what does a brain-based curriculum actually look like?’ Nathan placed importance of timing with education and the life/social factors that contribute to a great disposition for learning. Indeed, words matter!
The Willian Walker oration: A decade of disorientation: what you need to know next, delivered by Dr Sandra Peter, Director of Sydney Executive Plus and Associate Professor at the University of Sydney outlined the challenges and the skills we will need to lead through the next decade.
The themes running through the three days focussed strongly on connection, curiosity, challenge, and the moral imperative to embrace change and complexity.
Whilst in Adelaide I took the opportunity to wander through the magnificent Botanic Gardens to view the Dale Chihuly exhibition, an American glass artist, known for his large-scale glass sculptures. In a sense he embodied the themes of the conference - curiosity, innovation, and reimagining.
A varied life, in his early years working in a meatpacking plant, Chihuly worked for a brief period as a commercial fisherman in Alaska while saving up funds to attend graduate school at the University of Wisconsin. He initially studied weaving and incorporated pieces of glass into the textiles he created. From there creating art in a variety of mediums, he is most renowned for his spectacular glass works.
My wanderings through these amazing creations of light, colour, fragments, refractions, and reflections a wonderful way to bring the conference themes full circle. Through reimagining in glass to reimaging education.
The conference casting ‘light’ on stories, strategies and ideas of curiosity, awe and, ultimately hope, as we look to the future challenges in education.
ACEL Middle Leaders professional learning event
ACEL ACT presented a workshop with Danny Pinchas from the Australian Institute for Education al Leadership at St Francis Xavier College on Wednesday 30 October at which over 80 educational leaders from across the three sectors came together to unpack the new AITSL Professional Standards for Middle Leaders to assist them to lead change and gain the knowledge and skills to make an impact.
Thank you to Danny Pinchas, General Manager, Teaching and School Leadership AITSL, and the ACT Executive who planned and led the event. The spring event was a great new initiative, and the branch looks forward to leading more of these in 2025 as we focus on middle and emerging leaders.
With best wishes,
Sandra Darley
ACEL ACT Branch President