INNOVATION FOR EXCELLENCE

FIFTH MEETING OF THE EDUCATION ROUNDTABLE ADVISORY GROUP 3 AUGUST 2012

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DEC12

LEADERSHIP FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS

03. Thought leadershipThree areas critical to achieving Innovation for Excellence were identified as key focus areas:

•insights into emerging technologies and discussion of the implications for education was led by Rod Mewing, former CEO of David Jones, now Business Consultant for Telstra. Rod offered a compelling synopsis of the power of technology to connect learners and technology’s capacity to turbo-charge learning opportunities

•Steve Vamos, former Vice President and Managing Director of Apple in Australia, now non-Executive Director on the Telstra Board, challenged the group with provocative narratives that demanded completely different thinking about change management. Steve offered insight into new mindsets for a fast-changing and connected world that triggered deep interrogation of how we think and what this means for our leadership styles

•the challenging issues associated with systemic and political imperatives were commented on by Tony Mackay, Executive Director of Centre for Strategic Education. Tony remarked that Australia is in a good position. The signposts include: increasing digital access to learning experiences; support for iconic projects like the ATC21S (Assessment and Teaching of 21st Century Skills) project and the highly successful Ministers’ Biennial Forum as a prime example of politics, education and Telstra in partnership for innovation and reform.

The recent Biennial Forum brought together nine Education Ministers, their respective Directors-General and senior education stakeholders in each capital city on the Telstra network for a full day conference. Live links provided connections to Paris and Chicago. This example of partnership serves as a new milestone of what is executable in 2012 through the power of technology. Benefits include linking Ministers, system leaders and approximately a 400,000 teacher audience across Australia in an extended professional conversation.

PROGRESS AND POTENTIALThe progress made over the past 12 months is significant. Proof points include:

01. The 2nd Telstra in Education White Paper – articulation of innovation for ‘doing’ personalised learning

02. WA Education – designing and building new schools in new ways with new thinking

03. Partnership – Ministers’ Biennial Forum – first-ever fully distributed conference accessible in each capital city and on mobile devices in real time.

SCORECARD

The reality is that these proof points are indicative of the immense potential that lies waiting in technology-enabled innovation. Blended with the maxim ‘the status quo is not an option’ and with a clear call to action the potential that has been revealed in the proof points could form the core of a defensible business case for change underpinned by a roadmap.

CALL TO ACTIONIn the context of Innovation for Excellence and underpinned by technology-enabled personalised learning environments as well as strategic partnerships, the agreed commitment of the 5th Roundtable is for members to act as both a catalyst and an advocate for education reform.

Catalyst – thought leadership – this includes championing ‘structured experimentation’ that provides living examples of next practice and diffusing these narratives.

Advocate – ambassador for change – this includes sharing our agenda, achievements and preferred future at the local, cross-sectoral, national and international levels.

PURPOSE OF THE 5TH ROUNDTABLEDriven by a focus on Innovation for Excellence, the purpose of the 5th Roundtable was to reflect on action taken, achievements made and narratives emerging from the field.

INPUTSA range of substantial and high-calibre contributions were made on and before the day. The three highlighted here are research; in-field innovation and thought leadership.

01. Research Each of the education jurisdictions represented at the 5th Roundtable had supported the 2nd Telstra in Education White Paper, Quality Teaching for Personalised Learning. The pioneering narratives collected from Australian schools clearly demonstrate successful innovation in teaching and learning. The findings also illustrate an impatience that is fuelling local decisions to adopt a wide range of technology-supported measures to lift learning engagement and outcomes.

02. In-field innovation The Western Australian Department of Education shared its scorecard on personalised learning environments. Opening remarks by John Leaf, the Deputy Director-General, Finance and Administration, supported by Bevan Doyle, the CIO, made clear that ‘structured demonstration programs’ powered by strategic partnerships can help realise big ideas through controlling small environments where change can be effected. This was exemplified by the success of Roseworth Primary School where partnerships are central to the normal school operation. Equally, the yet-to-be-opened Butler and Baldivis Secondary Colleges are off to a flying start by standing on the shoulders of the

Roseworth learnings and working with Telstra to create effective e-learning environments. The engagement strategy is actively sponsored by John Leaf and his team led by Bevan Doyle.

In the words of Keith Svendsen, Principal of Baldivis Secondary College that will open in 2013: ‘We can make this happen. I’m certain that we can make this happen, with the collective wills of us all…We’ve got two brand new schools…It’s an opportunity for us to use the technology in the ways that we would like to…’

Thinking ahead, Armando Giglia, Principal of Butler Secondary College adds: ‘One of the things in my school, is that it will have an education support facility. It’s a school within a school, with very high needs students, and we don’t want them to miss out on what’s going on. So, it might be that we stream content

from one class to another wing of the school to ensure that a student who can’t come into that classroom for whatever reason on that particular day, still doesn’t miss out, let alone someone in a remote school 2,000 kilometres from us who might need to have access to that particular lesson as well.’

Both principals agree that fundamental attributes (among many) of quality teachers focused on personalising the learning experience include:

•appetite to integrate cutting edge technology into their practice

•commitment to work collaboratively

•capacity to be self-reflective, and

•being passionate about working with young people.

THE ROUNDTABLE COLLABORATION

The Telstra Education Roundtable Advisory Group draws from the highest levels of the national educational leadership pool; it has an emerging platform for collaborative action based on a set of strong educational propositions; and provides an ongoing forum for thought leadership in designing educational futures for current and future generations. The Roundtable represents an enabling structure for transformation within the broader education architecture of the nation.

WA EDUCATION INNOVATION

2ND TELSTRA IN EDUCATION WHITE PAPER-IN-FIELD RESEARCH

MINISTERS’ BIENNIAL FORUM

2012 FOR 2013 APRIL/JUNE 2012 2 AUGUST 2012

THE TELSTRA EDUCATION ROUNDTABLE NOVEMBER 2012

CHAIR

Susi Steigler-Peters National General Manager Education, Telstra

SPEAKERS

Lincoln Crawley Managing Director, Manpower Group

Amando Giglia Principal, Butler Secondary College, WA Department of Education

Simon Hallsworth Acting Manager, Strategic Business Engagement, SA Department of Further Education, Employment, Science and Technology

Kevin Harris Institute Director, NSW TAFE Northern Sydney Institute

Kerry Holling CIO, University of Western Sydney

Eric Jamieson Director, Educational Measurement and School Accountability Directorate, NSW Department of Education and Communities

Kerri-Lee Krause Pro Vice Chancellor (Education), University of Western Sydney

John Leaf Deputy Director-General, Finance and Administration, WA Department of Education

Tony Mackay Chair AITSL; Deputy Chair ACARA; Chair The Innovation Unit UK; Executive Director, Centre for Strategic Education

Dianne Marshall Director, Public Schools, NSW Department of Education and Communities

Geoff Metcalf Principal, Roseworth Public School, WA Department of Education

Michael O’Leary Executive Director, Web and Digital Delivery, QLD Department of Education, Training and Employment

Keith Svendsen Principal, Baldivis Secondary College, WA Department of Education

Raju Varanasi Director, Curriculum and Learning Centre, NSW Department of Education and Communities

Jai Waters General Manager, NSW TAFE Customer Support

Greg Whitby Executive Director, Catholic Education Diocese Parramatta

Helen Wildash Executive Director, Teaching and Learning, SA Department for Education and Child Development

NOW AND INTO THE FUTUREWith this commitment to leadership and change, acknowledgement of our scorecard and the publication of the 2nd Telstra in Education White Paper, a platform for serious collaborative engagement and action is being shaped. Telstra is happy to provide an ongoing and key supporting role in helping the education industry realise its preferred future.

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