Build your knowledge with 2 days of interactive Free Seminars held at the Knowledge Centre, for teachers delivered by experts in teaching and learning.
Explore the Knowledge Centre and enjoy unlimited access to free seminars while earning professional development hours.
Pick your favourite sessions and secure your spot early — seats fill fast! Conference tickets include access to all Knowledge Centre sessions.
*Program subject to change
Knowledge Centre MC
Irene Anderson
Sessional
Australian Catholic University
8.15 – 8.45am
Andrew Fuller, Clinical Psychologist & Author
BEFORE THE BELL
Setting Our Students and Ourselves up for 2040
It is estimated that we have experienced 0.1% of the technological changes we will see by 2040. This means we will all essentially be newbies as we begin to understand the enormity of the changes facing our world.
The world is poised at the point of one of the greatest changes in history and if our students are not able to capitalise on those opportunities, their ability to succeed will be lessened.
This presentation outlines the major digital innovations and revolutions foreseeable and considers the skills that will be needed in 2040. Three of the basic skills that are outlined are- show up (ready to learn and perform), opt in (rather than avoid) and be curious.
9.15 – 9.45am
Dr Madeline Wishart, Clinical Psychologist, Psych Voice
Settling the Storm: Distress Tolerance Skills for Moments of Emotional Overwhelm in the Classroom
Why can’t we just feel whelmed? Not flooded. Not shut down. Not about to explode. Just… whelmed.
For many young people, even mild discomfort can feel intolerable, pushing them outside their Window of Tolerance and into reactive states like fight, flight, or freeze. In these moments, distress becomes the driver, and behaviour often turns impulsive, disruptive, or withdrawn, affecting both learning and safety.
In this session, we’ll explore the distress paradox, how efforts to avoid discomfort can actually amplify it, and how patterns of up- or down-regulating behaviour become strategies to manage an internal world that feels overwhelming.
That’s the function of distress tolerance. It doesn’t fix the feeling, but it gives students something to reach for in the feeling. A way to ground, distract, or steady themselves just enough to choose a better next move.
This session equips educators with practical, psychologically informed tools to support students through moments of emotional intensity, responding in ways that reduce impulsive reactions and gently redirect emotional momentum, while preserving a sense of safety and flow in the classroom
10.00 – 10.30am
Lisa Kelliher, Chief Executive Officer, Be Challenged
Balancing Empathy with Accountability in an educational context
In contemporary educational settings, the ability to balance genuine empathy with clear, values aligned accountability is emerging as a critical capability for teachers and leaders. This session explores how relational practices—such as active listening, perspective taking, and emotional validation—can strengthen staff collaboration and foster psychologically safe learning environments, while also preventing the risks of over accommodation, blurred boundaries, and “toxic empathy.” Grounded in current research on emotional intelligence and compassionate accountability, the presentation offers a practical framework for educators seeking to build trust, promote student responsibility, and navigate challenging conversations with clarity and confidence. Participants will leave with evidence informed strategies that support both professional collegiality and the development of resilient, connected, and high expectation classrooms.
10.45 – 11.15am
Caroline Gachon, Semaphore – Head of Improvement
Using data analytics tools to effectively manage evidence-based teaching
Learn how modern data analytics tools give teachers centralised access to assessment data across their entire school—covering every student, every assessment, and any time period. Clear, visual dashboards make it easy to track achievement and progress, identify students at risk or exceeding expectations, and support timely, targeted intervention.
This session will also explore how features such as curriculum tracking, dynamically generated lesson plans, integrated individual learning plans and support for widely used assessments like DIBELS and PAT help streamline teaching and planning. See how a purpose-built data analytics platform can simplify data use and support better decision-making for both teachers and school leaders.
11.45 – 12.15pm
Damian Ragusa, General Manager – Services & Programs, Camp Quality
Why Cancer Education Matters
With around 2 in 5 Australians expected to face a cancer diagnosis by the age of 85, few families remain untouched by the disease. A cancer diagnosis can profoundly impact a child’s sense of safety, wellbeing, and school experience. Camp Quality supports the whole family in these instances, including families where a child (0–15 years) has cancer, and families where a parent or primary carer is undergoing treatment.
Children navigating cancer in their family often face anxiety, confusion, school absenteeism, and social challenges such as isolation or bullying, frequently driven by misunderstanding and persistent myths like “cancer is contagious.” These experiences highlight a critical gap in awareness and education within school communities.
This presentation will explore the challenges faced by children impacted by cancer, and how targeted, evidence-informed education can meaningfully reduce stigma, improve school experiences, and improve wellbeing outcomes.
As a recognised implementation partner of the Australian Cancer Plan, Camp Quality is helping to normalise conversations about cancer, dispel misconceptions, and strengthen community awareness from an early age, ensuring the next generation grows up with knowledge, compassion, and resilience.
12.45 – 1.15pm
Michelle Ware, Senior Quality Teaching Advisor, Quality Teaching Academy, University of Newcastle
Teacher or technician? Choosing a collaborative path to stronger practice in the age of GenAI
This session addresses some of the tough challenges facing teachers today. Come and hear how a powerful, tried-and-tested approach to professional development is supporting teachers and school leaders around the world to collaboratively rejuvenate and celebrate their practice. Join Senior Quality Teaching Adviser, Michelle Ware, as she shares how the evidence-backed PD approach, Quality Teaching Rounds, can change what happens in the classroom for you, your colleagues and most importantly, your students.
1.45 – 2.15pm
Thuy Pham, Founder, Spectrum Books
Your Learning System Has a Score. Do You Know Yours?
If someone asked you how your students were doing, you’d probably have plenty to point to. Assessment results. NAPLAN. Attendance. Maybe even wellbeing surveys.
But what if they asked a different question. How strong is your learning system? Not your teachers. Not your students. The system itself.
Most of us have never been taught to think about learning that way. Yet every school, tutoring centre and education platform has its own way of organising learning. It’s there in the routine’s students experience, the feedback they receive, the choices they’re given and the habits they build over time. We see the results every day, but we rarely stop to look at the system producing them.
In this session, you’ll use the same measurement instrument to score your own learning system. Question by question, you’ll build a picture of what’s already working, where your system could become even stronger and how small changes in structure can have a lasting impact on learning. You’ll leave with a score. More importantly, you’ll leave with a different way of seeing your school.
2.30 – 3.00pm
James Podsiadly, Founder & CEO, AFL Max
Move to Learn: The Power Behind Active Education
We know classrooms have traditionally been built on assumptions that learning requires stillness. While there have been measures to adapt to the changing education landscape, there is still mentality that movement is a reward that comes after learning, never the pathway to it.
When children move, the brain releases dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine; the precise neurochemicals that govern focus, memory consolidation, emotional regulation and intrinsic motivation. Movement increases blood flow to the prefrontal cortex, the region responsible for decision-making, problem-solving and self-control. This isn’t a coincidence, it’s biology.
Children, particularly in their primary and middle years, are embodied learners. Abstract concepts like resilience, teamwork, leadership and mental health cannot be fully understood through text on a page. They must be experienced, practised and felt. A child who navigates a physical challenge with peers isn’t just having fun. They’re building the cognitive and social-emotional architecture that underpins academic performance and lifelong wellbeing.
This session will challenge educators to reconsider the design of learning experiences and how movement can be woven into the everyday fabric of school life, from within the classroom, during lunch and excursions.
3.15 – 3.45pm
David Kolpak, Principal, Trinity College North
Building Culture, Clarity, Collective Efficacy
Strong schools and organisations are shaped by culture, clarity, and collective efficacy – with wellbeing positioned as a strategic driver. This workshop explores how embedding wellbeing strengthens alignment, trust, and shared belief in collective impact.
Participants will examine how clear expectations, shared language, and consistent practices create the conditions for both wellbeing and performance to thrive. The session highlights how wellbeing-informed approaches – such as psychological safety, connection, and emotional literacy – enhance collaboration and cohesion.
Drawing on research and practical examples, attendees will consider how to move beyond isolated initiatives and integrate wellbeing into everyday routines and decision-making.
Participants will leave with practical strategies to embed wellbeing as a foundation for clarity, cohesion, and collective success.
*Program subject to change
Knowledge Centre MC
Irene Anderson
Sessional
Australian Catholic University
9.15 – 9.45am
Dr Tim Kitchen, Education Consultant, CTL – Creative Teaching & Learning
The Human Advantage – how teaching & learning is changing in an AI-rich world
This session is for educators who are already using generative AI regularly, those who are experimenting with it now and then, and even those who are simply considering where it might fit. But more than that, it’s for people who want to pause and think deeply about what this all means.
What does generative AI change about learning?
How should it reshape the way we approach assessment & the role of a teacher?
And, which uniquely human capabilities do we now need to double down on?
10.00 – 10.30am
Alexandra Ryan, Head of Campaigns, Products & Experience, Leukaemia Foundation, The World’s Greatest Shave
Shaving the way for student leadership: Building confident changemakers through school-based social action and the World’s Greatest Shave
What happens when students are trusted to lead something bigger than themselves? Across Australia, thousands of primary and secondary students step into authentic leadership each year through the World’s Greatest Shave, a school-based social impact campaign supporting Australians living with blood cancer.
This session explores how participation in purpose-driven fundraising equips emerging student leaders with confidence, collaboration skills and agency to mobilise their peers and create meaningful change. Drawing on the Leukaemia Foundation’s work with schools nationwide, we will share practical approaches to student-led campaigning that build wellbeing, belonging and real-world capabilities across diverse learners and age groups.
Educators will learn how the World’s Greatest Shave provides a supported, curriculum-connected framework for student voice, service learning and project-based leadership from primary through secondary years. We will map participation to key Summit priorities including wellbeing for future-focused schools, early leadership development, and classroom-to-community learning, while demonstrating how schools are scaffolded every step of the way with ready-to-use resources, planning tools, educator support and new interactive events that build community.
Attendees will leave with tangible strategies to help students plan, lead and sustain school-wide movements that strengthen social responsibility, empathy and teamwork — empowering the next generation to move from inspiration to action, while also raising awareness and critical funds for Australians with blood cancer. And having a lot of fun along the way!
10.45 – 11.15am
Simon Peter Misso-Veness, Director of Academics, Epsom College Malaysia and Global Enrichment Programme (GEP)
From Sun Bears to Startups: Designing Interdisciplinary Learning Around Real Conservation Problems
This session uses a residential entrepreneurship and conservation programme in Borneo as a case study in interdisciplinary learning design. Participants will examine how entrepreneurship, design thinking, sustainability, and applied problem solving can be structured into a coherent sequence rather than delivered as disconnected activities.
The presentation focuses on the pedagogical decisions that shaped the programme. It looks at how design thinking and structured creativity tools were introduced before students engaged with genuine conservation challenges; how field experiences, including visits to wildlife sanctuaries, were positioned as primary research rather than enrichment; and how students moved from problem identification to ideation, prototyping, financial modelling, user-centred design, and final pitch.
The session concentrates on the planning decisions and structural choices that made the learning rigorous rather than experiential in name only. Participants will leave with practical principles and design approaches that can be applied in their own schools, with or without a sun bear sanctuary nearby.
11.45 – 12.15pm
Michelle Kueh, Head of Growth, & Dianne Summers, Chief Psychologist, Psychs in Schools
How Strong Is Your School’s Wellbeing System? A Scorecard for School Leaders
Schools are increasingly expected to respond to complex student mental health and wellbeing needs. Yet many wellbeing efforts rely on classroom strategies and isolated programs to address challenges that require a coordinated system of support.
This session introduces the School Wellbeing Systems Scorecard, a practical tool designed to help schools evaluate the strength of their approach to student mental health and wellbeing. Participants will be guided through a simple framework covering areas such as early identification, tiered supports, staff capability, student voice and integration with external services. Using an interactive format, attendees will have the opportunity to reflect on their own school context and assess how their current structures support student wellbeing.
The session will also showcase examples of how schools have strengthened these domains in practice, highlighting strategies that move wellbeing from a collection of initiatives to a coherent system of support. School leaders will leave with a practical framework they can use to identify gaps, prioritise improvements and strengthen their school’s approach to supporting student mental health.
12.45 – 1.15pm
Malathi Ferdinando Corluka, Director and Speech Pathologist, Speech Pathology for Schools
Unlocking Learning: How Schools and Speech Pathologists collaboration holds the key to improving student outcomes
Communication and literacy are fundamental human rights, forming the foundation for participation, learning, and belonging in every educational community. Effective collaboration between speech pathologists and schools is a powerful key for improving student outcomes in literacy, oral language, and overall engagement. This presentation explores an integrated, data driven model of partnership that places collaboration at the centre of learning. By embedding speech pathology knowledge within school processes, educators are equipped to identify needs earlier, deliver targeted interventions using data driven informed practice that aligns with classroom practice, and include teaching adjustments in the classroom that support diverse communication profiles.
Participants will gain insights into practical frameworks for integrating speech pathology expertise through a managed services model into whole school processes, from professional learning and collaborative planning to Response To Intervention systems of support.
Come and learn about how sustained, purposeful partnerships between speech pathologists and educators contribute to equitable access, improved literacy and language outcomes, and thriving learners across all school communities.
1.45 – 2.15pm
Kim Elith, Head of School Assessments and Partnerships, and Paul Montuoro, Chief Psychometrician, Janison
From Numbers to Narratives: Knowing Your Students Through Data
Schools are rich in student performance data yet turning that data into meaningful action remains a challenge. This session introduces PSAM (Post-Secondary Academic Measure), Janison AAS’s ATAR analysis platform, which applies official scaling methods to internal assessment data across HSC, VCE, QCE and IB schools.
The session will explore how forecasting, value-add analysis and longitudinal insights can help educators identify where intervention will have the greatest impact, while providing a clearer understanding of cohort and subject performance over time.
Importantly, it emphasises that data alone is not enough. The most effective insights come when analysis is combined with the contextual knowledge educators hold about their students, cohorts and school environment.
Attendees will gain practical ideas for using data with confidence, while recognising where professional judgement remains essential in supporting student outcomes.
2.30 – 3.00pm
John Blake, Director of Online Learning, Eastern College
GROW – Great Resources on the Web
Be inspired by this interactive resource development presentation, highlighting great resources on the web. This session allows teachers to grow their teachers’ toolbox and help student growth via dozens of great resources to enhance collaboration and engagement using new ideas and interesting activities.
The content will allow you to build engagement via:
3.15 – 3.45pm
Cassandra Richardson, Founder Compelling Minds & Co-Creator Classroom Companion
From Reactive to Proactive: Rethinking Behaviour Support in Today’s Classrooms
Classroom behaviour is no longer a future problem to solve — it is a real-time challenge teachers face every day. Yet many current systems rely on delayed responses, reactive processes, and time-intensive interventions that leave educators feeling overwhelmed and unsupported.
This session explores the growing gap between when behaviour occurs and when meaningful support is implemented. Drawing on direct work with teachers, schools, and neurodivergent students, we will unpack why traditional behaviour frameworks often struggle to keep pace with the needs of modern classrooms.
Attendees will gain a practical understanding of how shifting from reactive to proactive behaviour support can reduce teacher stress, improve student outcomes, and create more connected classroom environments. The session will introduce a simple, actionable framework that enables educators to identify patterns, respond earlier, and implement strategies in the moment — not weeks later.
This is not about adding more to a teacher’s workload — it’s about rethinking how support is delivered, so that both students and educators can thrive.
