Overview

A lot has changed in the education sector in the last 10 years. There is growing pressure on leaders and teachers around policy, compliance, administration and a wealth of other day to day issues. Alongside of these issues is the growth and innovative use of emerging digital technologies and how they promise to enhance the learning experience.

Across the Conference sessions you will hear and learn:

• As conventional teaching models evolve and emerging technologies gain a solid foothold, formal learning environments require an upgrade to reflect 21st century practice

• In the technology-enabled classroom, educators are moving beyond dispensing information and assessing students' knowledge

• How to engage students in a multi and interdisciplinary learning context

• Hear and learn from colleagues who are successfully grappling with the contemporary challenges that school leadership must address

• Reflect on the models of leadership that can position your school as a leading digital school

As a leader how do you:

• Support your non-instructional teachers to incorporate digital tools into all subjects?

• Introduce, maintain and enhance digital pedagogical practices and effective use of digital tools with new and existing classroom teachers?

• Train and support teachers to be able to help students navigate digital learning – (Horizon Report 2024 future Direction)

Engaging students in a multi and interdisciplinary learning context breaks down barriers that have traditionally existed between different classes and subjects and offers learners opportunities to make new connections. Educators are working together across disciplines to develop integrative projects and goals that give students perspective on how a wide variety of knowledge and skill sets tie into each other in the real world.

As a leader how do you inspire your teachers and create the conditions and support needed for them to become entrepreneurs, feeling supported and free to take risks, be innovative and create learning spaces that will allow our students to thrive.

Tickets

Tickets include arrival tea/coffee, morning tea, buffet lunch and a Certificate of Attendance (mapped to APST).

Speaker: Dave McEwan, Deputy Headmaster, and Dane Warwick, Associate Headmaster, King’s School NZ

Best Practice in a Digital School

Using A.I., incorporating virtual reality and constantly updating technology  - are these our key foci as leaders in digital schools? Well they are certainly part of it and we will talk about how to harness new programmes and tools for the benefit of your staff and students. However, the overarching requirements of best practise when it comes to ‘digital schools’ will come down to two key things that are relatively simple and relatively analogue⸺relationships and critical thinking. In a digital world, more than ever before, the human connection between a student and teacher will become paramount. Our job as leaders is to ensure that our staff understand that learning is first and foremost a human interaction. In this session, we will explore not only what high-performing relationships look like in the classroom and how to create them, we will also delve into what constitutes a ‘thinking classroom’ and break down the best ways to prepare your students for whatever future they will find themselves in.

Speaker: Dr Roy Rozario, Research Scholar, Deakin University

Learning by expanding: A 21st century framework for a digitally inclusive classroom.

Expansive learning theory is a revised version of a 100-year-old educational theory that allows for inclusion of various interactions between technologies, communities and complex settings within a school system to attain set goals. It provides a robust framework for practitioners in school settings, researchers in educational context and policy makers in learning environments by embracing newer technological advancements by incorporating internal changes within an institution or organisation. The framework accommodates the needs of diverse learners and teachers in complex classroom settings, and specifically supports digital tools and explorative/continuous real-time learning pedagogies relevant for 21st Century classrooms. In this presentation I will provide a solid framework that teachers, school management, policy makers and researchers can use to enable a digitally inclusive classroom to attain lesson or unit learning goals. I will use some concrete examples from my PhD thesis using Melbourne case studies and some of my research work conducted at Deakin University as a Research Fellow.

Speaker: Laura Barker, Lead Consultant, InnovatEd Consulting

Strategic leadership in digital transformation — Overcoming common barriers

Implementing digital transformation in schools involves more than technology adoption; it requires strategic, systemic change. This presentation will address the challenges of resistance to change, skill gaps, and limitations, and explore strategies for establishing a school culture that supports innovation among all stakeholders.

Speaker: Trent Ray, Lead Educator, Cyber Safety Project

Leading a Safe Digital School

In today's digital climate, effective leadership requires a proactive approach, particularly when it comes to cyber security and the digital wellbeing of all within a school community. The Leading a Safe Digital School Framework supports school leaders and their teams to evaluate their school's cyber maturity and charter a path for improving the safety, security and wellbeing of their whole community. Participants in this session will:

• Uncover the trending habits and online challenges faced by young people

• Reflect on the systems, processes and programs currently embedded within their school's eco-system

• Uncover the three fundamental principles of leading a safe digital school

• Use the Cyber Safety Project Leading Safe Digital Schools Maturity Matrix to uncover areas opportunities for continual improvement

• Create a plan using the skills and knowledge gained to future proof the digital safety and wellbeing of their school community.

Speaker: Rick Noack, Principal, Para Hills West Primary School

The Role of the Leader in Digital Schools

In today's rapidly evolving educational landscape, the integration of digital technologies is transforming how students learn and how schools operate. Leaders play a pivotal role in navigating these changes, ensuring that technology is used effectively to enhance teaching and learning, promote collaboration, and support student engagement and achievement. As we dive into this topic, we'll explore how effective digital school leaders cultivate a vision for technology integration, create an inclusive digital culture, prioritise professional development, and ensure access to resources that foster innovation and digital literacy. By embracing these roles, leaders can build a dynamic, future-ready learning environment that empowers both students and teachers to thrive in the digital age.