Young people are connected to one another around the globe in ways unimaginable just 20 years ago. How we as educators respond will influence the level of civic engagement, the ethics and the intellectual curiosity of an entire generation. Among the choices presented to us is this pressing question: Do we continue on with a traditional curriculum, ignoring forces in the wider world, or do we meet the challenge head-on and shape it in ways that will be both rigorous and relevant?

Last week I bolted to Project Zero Melbourne for 24 hours to see what was coming our way the next weekend. It was an amazing event and set the bar high. My highlight was hearing Daniel Wilson’s plenary on Leadership and Learning where he spoke about disrupting and reimagining power relationships between students and teachers. He described leadership as, “The process of social interaction of influence of direction and action, not a characteristic of an individual.” He stated that reimagining education is not just complicated, it’s complex, and it’s OK to not know. Complicated problems are solved with good practices, while complex problems are solved with emergent practices. It is all about developing the skills to experiment, being prepared to make mistakes, prototyping, and stimulating. He also noted that research is not speaking to curiosity, it speaks to standardised tests, and there is a need to change outcomes to lead learning that matters. It was one of those plenaries that still has me constantly revisiting the ideas and led nicely into Project Zero Sydney six days later.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After almost two years in the planning, Project Zero Sydney arrived last Sunday. David Perkins spoke about reimagining education for a changing world, asking “What’s worth learning for children growing up today?”, and noting the gravity of tradition where niche understandings limit lifeworthy learning. He also spoke about the tensions between achievement and relevance, information and explanation, and expertise and expert amateurism. His question, “What will speak loudly to the lives learners live?” set the conference up powerfully and formed the basis of much conversation and learning for the next two days.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Image: @chiaoyinanita

With a fast-paced backchannel adding to the conversation at the conference, Shari Tishman then slowed us down, taking the time to notice more than meets the eye at first glance and providing structures for lingering.  Complexity is highlighted when we consider who we are in relation to what we are looking at. Slow looking challenges teachers to re-frame ourselves as something other than imparters of knowledge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Image: @HaywoodNellie

Carrie James presented on what good online digital participation looks like.  She spoke about how youth express their civic voices online and how we can leverage social media in ways that promote good intercultural exchanges. The Out of Eden Learn Dialogue Toolkit is a wonderful resource for good digital participation and it was interesting to hear Carrie refer to #blacklivesmatter, #letthemstay, and this great 4th grade Lorax activism video.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A large number of interactive courses were presented by participants. I was proud of the number of my colleagues who presented, particularly the student-led course on Student Voice. A number of students also learned alongside teachers in the plenaries and interactive courses.

 

 

 

 

 

A Project Zero conference really walks the talk, allowing participants to think and have conversations. The Project Zero team is incredibly generous and inclusive. It was such a privilege to host the conference and, in many respects, it was the pinnacle in terms of leading learning and teaching in a school, but now I’m wondering what next? In closing I encouraged attendees to stay in touch and work together to build a PZ movement in Australia. The vibe of the community was palpable and my adrenalin is still coursing as Project Zero Sydney wraps up. Feeling very lucky.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Both images: @AdamLarby