ReimaginED21

Conference Report

The ReimaginED Conference is designed to provide a unique space for deep learning and collaboration focused on transformative change in education. This year’s event brought together an innovative community of teachers, students, researchers, school and system leaders, businesspeople, and community leaders with a shared goal of reimagining the pathways and possibilities for senior secondary education.  

The approach used to structure the event drew upon Senge and Boell’s Compassionate Systems Framework and Scharmer’s models for generative dialogue and listening, as a way of encouraging participants to engage with complexity, embrace diversity, and develop compassionate, collaborative approaches to addressing the challenges and opportunities in this distinct phase of learning (Scharmer 2008, Senge and Boell 2019). 

The purpose of this report is to share the process, outcomes, and implications from ReimaginED21. It aims to document an ongoing cross-sector dialogue designed to nurture systemic change in senior secondary education, while also supporting the ongoing collaboration of the changemakers at the forefront of leading this important work. A summary of the emerging themes and selected recordings from the conference can be found at the bottom of the page.

The Woodleigh Institute supports the collaborative partnerships and projects that emerge from this event by connecting people and nurturing communities of practice with a shared interest in leading innovation and change. If you would like to engage further with any of the initiatives and ideas associated with the ReimaginED Conference, or if you have an interest in being part of next year’s event, we would love to hear from you.

Provocations

Building an Australian ecosystem to ensure all young people thrive and gain mastery in a life of learning - Jan Owen AM

In this session, Jan led a provocation on what a learning ecosystem looks like when we place young people at the heart of the learning, open the walls of our traditional education systems to the world, co-design learning with all stakeholders, reimagine the role of learning professionals, and collaborate on the design of new systems that are equitable and serve our most vulnerable. As part of this exploration, Jan examined how the concepts of Systemness, Trust and Power Shift can support our thinking and collaboration in schools, networks, regions and at a national level in driving change, innovation, and improvement.

Developing the Mastery Transcript Consortium - School Looney

In this session, Scott told the story of the development of the Mastery Transcript Consortium and how this movement grew out of the deep, innovative change he led at the Hawken School. The Mastery Transcript Consortium (MTC) is a growing global network of public and private schools who are introducing digital secondary school transcripts that open up opportunity for each and every student — from all backgrounds, locations, and types of schools — to have their unique strengths, abilities, interests, and histories fostered, understood, and celebrated. From its official launch in the USA in 2017, the consortium has grown rapidly to include over 400 schools, including members from countries around the world. The Mastery Transcript from MTC has become an influential model for how schools’ might provide a way to look at the whole student and better communicate the unique depth and breadth of their learning.

Nurturing wellbeing and identity - Hayley McQuire

In this session, Hayley explored First Nations perspectives of wellbeing, their relevance to all young people, and how they can be valued and recognised. She also examined what self-determination, freedom, and acceptance of First Nations leadership looks like and acts like at a school level, in the context of power sharing within community. Hayley drew on her experience in leading the Learning Creates Australia’s The Learner’s Journey Project where she has worked with young people to create a space for First Nations people to drive and deliver prototypes in these areas.  

Leading change: Learner Profiles, New Metrics, and helping learners thrive - Professors Martin Westwell and Sandra Milligan

This provocation unfolded in three parts. At the start of session, Martin shared the ‘story of thrive’, the innovative vision for the future of SACE and its commitment to shaping education to support thriving learners. He also explored the ground-breaking learner profile model being developed by SACE, as well as the practical work being undertaken to trial this work in schools. In the second part of the session, Sandra shared the pioneering work of the New Metrics Project at the University of Melbourne. She explored the development of new metrics to assess, credential and measure student and school success, as well as the practical work being undertaken with schools in relation to the development of learning progressions for capabilities. The session concluded in an open discussion with Martin and Sandra on the future for the development of learner profiles and new metrics in Australia, as part of a new wave of educational change.  

Breakout Sessions: MTC Australia

Strengthening School Transitions - Amanda Siva and Kate Croft

Tertiary entry is changing as more institutions recognise the value of diverse cohorts who are more than an academic rank. Those best placed to make the most of alternative entry programs will have engaged in a broad range of experiences both within school and outside of the classroom and will have the ability to use these experiences to communicate their non-academic attributes in a way that assists in their transition to higher education. In this session, Kate and Amanda explored the role schools can play in supporting students as they navigate their transition to higher education. They looked at what the data says about young people and their career aspirations and identify the barriers within our current structures that are limiting these choices.  The session explored some of the findings of the current research and innovation projects at Carey in its quest to capture important learning data to better describe student growth, strengths and passions of our school leavers.  The session included insights into the school’s early experimentation with MTC and the Leaner Profile and some of its engagement with The New Metrics of Success with the University of Melbourne. 

Exploring Global Citizenship in the French Classroom - Maya Kawashima

This session examined how the development of a capability for global citizenship can be cultivated within the context of language learning. Maya shared her experience from a pilot project with her Year 10 French students and explore some of the implications for lesson design. The session showcased a trial of one of the new forms of assessment being developed through the University of Melbourne’s New Metrics project. New Metrics for Success is a research-practice partnership between the University of Melbourne and a network of innovative schools focused on development of new metrics to assess, credential and measure student and school success.

The Cube - Travis Parker and Birgit Verhagen

This case study presented an initiative from the Knox School called “The Cube” - a suite of electives where students can take up to 8 transdisciplinary subjects across a year. Classes are offered from all departments, but in each, the subject material is used as a frame within which the 6Cs (Communication, Collaboration, Creativity, Critical Thinking, Contribution, and Character) are pursued and assessed based on student growth. By working through the range of classes in The Cube, students gain experience in understanding the ways in which the various Cs are applied in different disciplines. Each Mastery Task focusses on one specific C. Students see their results in a traditional summative rubric – but one which is combined with an encouraging growth ladder so they can clearly understand their current skills as well as the necessary next steps for their improvement. This process is supported through student-led consultation with their teachers, sustained by ongoing self and peer assessment.

This session analysed the successes and challenges of The Cube initiative to date. It presented some examples of how subjects have been redesigned to effectively support the new focus. It outlined the rubrics and growth ladders that guide students within each class and how this has been integrated into assessment. It also discussed how this approach ultimately aligns with Learner Profiles.  

An experiential journey through the Australian bush - Andrew Peach

This session examined how the development of a capability for teamwork can be cultivated within the context of Outdoor Education programs. It focused on a pilot project from Woodleigh that explored how the teamwork capability might be developed and assessed as part of the iconic Year 10 Hattah Expedition at the school. Andrew provided an overview of the program and discussed the insights that emerged from the project. He also looked to the future of the program and how student progress with the development of capabilities might be captured and communicated through the use of MTC’s Mastery Transcript.

Reimagining Maths at Templestowe College - Wendy Gooley and Stephen Gale

In 2019 Stephen (a drama teacher) and Wendy (a science teacher) embarked on a mission to reimagine Maths education at Templestowe College. TC already afforded their teachers flexibility to innovate in their classrooms and continue to push the boundaries of our multi-age model. Three years on, we have transformed our junior maths program (nominally Years 7 – 9) into a collaborative, rich, point-of-need program that fosters the development of Maths skills within the ZPD of the learner. We do this by providing opportunities for students to collaborate with their peers, drawing on tasks that are designed using low-floor, high-ceiling principles whilst targeting our explicit teaching to the needs of the learner. Through these approaches, our students not only develop their Maths skills but apply their numeracy in varied rich contexts whilst practicing their ‘21st Century’ skills.

Stephen and Wendy shared their journey to develop the program, their sources of inspiration, highs and lows, and how they supported staff to implement the program.

Learning progressions and the quest for learning reform: Taking what works well to what works best - Rebecca Swain and Demi Voulgaris

In this session, Rebecca and Demi shared their work at Carey, exploring how they could go about designing learning and assessment to celebrate growth and give students greater agency over their learning. A crucial first step in that process was the work of their team in investigating the place for Learning Progressions within a broader developmental model of learning.

Rebecca and Demi discussed the two-pronged approach they adopted for their investigations, considering learning progressions as an essential part of discipline-based learning as well as co-constructing progressions in general capabilities, such as ‘Communication,’ through their partnership with the University of Melbourne’s New Metrics for Success project.

Their focus was to not just identify growth indicators for learning, but also to consider how they could work with others to establish an infrastructure to support a paradigm shift in their school community.

Preparing students for our complex and interdependent work - Sally Nelson and Kylie Taig

During this session, Sally and Kylie discussed how students can make connections to the real world through ‘impact experiences’ which are carefully designed for engagement and experimentation. They explored some of the programs where Carey students are immersed in authentic, experiential learning with the opportunity to develop their self-understanding, and build connections with others and the real world, while preparing them for the future.

Sally and Kylie also shared insights into a variety of the Carey Integrated and Immersive program experiences, with a particular focus on our Year 8 Human Rights Convention Program, the Year 9 Find Your Passion elective and Year 9 C Change Program, where we they have co-designed modules for active experimentation, incorporating micro-credentialing and portfolios evidencing students’ learning growth.

Breakout Session: Barriers, Enablers and Commitments

The final breakout session at the conference explored the barriers and opportunities for change in senior secondary education in Australia. Participants were able to draw upon their experience of the day’s presentations, workshops and discussions to share collective discoveries and identify promising next steps for action. Participants were encouraged to make a commitment to taking action as part of this session, with many also choosing to stay connected via the participant directory created on the day to support ongoing collaboration. A selection of the documentation from the final breakout session is included below.