Thursday 3 & Friday 4 September 2026 Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre
The Podcast Hub brings together leading voices in education to create a dynamic live podcast experience at the National Education Summit Melbourne.
Located on the exhibition floor, the Podcast Hub is a dedicated space where selected education podcasters will record live episodes in front of an audience of educators, school leaders and industry professionals. It’s an opportunity to hear authentic conversations, discover fresh ideas, and gain practical insights from some of the sector’s most respected voices.
Across the two-day Summit, a curated program of eight live podcast recordings (four each day) will explore the latest trends, challenges and innovations shaping education today.
Whether you’re looking for inspiration, practical strategies or engaging discussions from across the education sector, the Podcast Hub offers a unique opportunity to be part of the conversation.
The Podcast Hub is free to attend and included with your Summit Expo registration.
*Program subject to change
10.00 – 10.30am
Gus Humpries, Q4T PL Program Lead, Caulfield Grammar School, Adrian Janson, Associate Head of Teaching and Learning, Caulfield Campus co-hosts of Teach Tech Lead Podcast and Dr Haili Hughes, Associate Professor, La Trobe University
Teach, Tech, Lead Podcast: Explicit teaching, codification vs teacher agency: The false dichotomy
In this live episode of the Teach Tech Lead Podcast, we talk to Dr Haili Hughes! Dr Hughes will unpack what explicit teaching actually means, why it’s often misunderstood, and how codification and teacher agency get set up as opposing forces in some educators’ minds. Finally, we will explore how to resolve that false dichotomy in practice – where the real value of instruction lies, which pedagogies are most often misapplied when codifying practice, and how leaders can build programs and establish expectations in new school contexts that support teachers rather than constrain them. We’d love you to join us – there will be a Q&A at the end!
11.30 – 12.00pm
Dan Bowen, K12 CTO, Microsoft and Ray Fleming, Founder, Stratentia, co-hosts of AI in Education Podcast
AI in Education Podcast
How do we balance the incredible promise of AI with the irreplaceable value of the human teacher? Every week on the AI in Education podcast, Dan and Ray tackle this question by breaking down the latest global news, analysing academic research, and interviewing the educators and students on the front lines. Whether you are drafting school policy or designing tomorrow’s lesson plan, this is your weekly roadmap for navigating the AI revolution in education.
1.00 – 1.30pm
Rebecca Vukovic, Deputy Editor at Teacher (ACER) with Dr Jonathan Heard, Research Fellow (ACER)
Developing critical thinking across the curriculum with Dr Jonathan Heard
Critical thinking is widely recognised as an essential skill for students, but what does it look like in practice? In this live podcast recording, Dr Jonathan Heard – a Research Fellow at the Australian Council for Educational Research – will share insights into teaching, assessing and strengthening critical thinking across the curriculum, with practical takeaways for teachers, teacher librarians and school leaders.
2.30 – 3.00pm
Dr Tim Kitchen, Education Consultant, CTL, host of The Kitchen Think Podcast, along with Adrian Cotterell, Managing Director, Thinking Mode and Victoria Spicer-Stuart, Head of Teaching & Learning; Adoption Lead, Beaconhills College
The Kitchen Think Podcast
Adrian Cotterell will be talking with Tim about Assessment and AI Detection software. Tori Spicer-Stuart will focus on how AI is being integrated at Beaconhills College and what does being human mean in a world of gen AI.
*Program subject to change
10.00 – 10.30am
Anita McCurdie, Primary School Teacher, Writer and Creator of the Right Now Podcast, along with Dr Jodi Richardson, Anxiety and Wellbeing Speaker & Author
Right Now Podcast: What Helps In The Hard Moments
Teaching has always asked a lot of educators. Right now, many are carrying more than ever before. Dr Jodi Richardson joins Anita McCurdie for a thoughtful conversation about anxiety, overwhelm and what helps us find steadier ground. Together they explore how we can keep showing up – for ourselves and for the young people we support.
11.30 – 12.00pm
Dominique Beech, Senior Digital Content Producer at Teacher (ACER) with Miriam Tanti, Deputy Dean, Professor in Education, La Trobe University
Meaningful integration of GenAI in teaching and learning with Miriam Tanti
This podcast will further explore and unpack Miriam Tanti’s session from the AI in the Classroom Conference. Miriam will tell us about the work she’s conducting in this space and share practical guidance for secondary teachers when using GenAI.