A chance to collectively Reimagine Education at ReimaginED 2024
At the beginning of November I joined 280 other participants for the ReimaginED conference held by the Woodleigh Institute at Woodleigh School. This Friday and Saturday event was the kind of conference that one minute had you perplexed and the next had you inspired. The conference explored a range of themes related to the complexities in the world and how we can transform education to help young people navigate and thrive in that environment as part of the system.
Major concepts that were richly explored from the perspective of the Emerging Futures for Education by keynote speakers and in breakout workshops were:
- Regenerative Learning
- Systemic Wellbeing
- Learner Agency
I have so many key takeaways from my time engaging with sessions and reflecting with other participants. I will share just a few.
- If we accept that our structures shape our behaviour, then how do we develop a vision that is so compelling we act on it. How we do transform and grow within our learning ecosystem without the suffering that comes with scaling? Our current structures do not optimise thriving for the people in our communities, how do we change them?
- It has to be our core business to help young people deeply connect into several positive communities so that they feel a strong sense of belonging and an ability to contribute, this is one of the most profound ways that we will influence wellbeing. At the same time how do we ensure that schools are generative social fields help people connect and belong so that they can become who they are.
- Children become adults in our schools. How do we ensure that they are learning the skills that they need to lead systemic change? What might that look like?
- We need to move on from teaching about sustainability and focus on Regeneration. Our survival will come out of taking regional action. We need to teach children to think Global and act Local, to take meaningful regenerative practice in their own backyard and local community. How might we create experiences where young people experience the wonder and awe of creation, fall in love with nature and be willing to fight for it?
Provocation by Daniel Christian Wahl- What if (formal and industrialised) education is the worst crime ever committed against humanity?
Provocations for Regenerative Action
What place can you heal?
Who can you connect with?
What is already happening?
What is local?
What is meaningful?
A full report of the conference is available here: https://www.woodleighinstitute.com/reimagined-24
The next ReimaginED conference is happening in Fremantle WA in April next year. I can highly recommend this as a conference to help you connect with like minded people engaged in the incredibly important work of transforming education. Early bird Registration has just opened: https://www.woodleighinstitute.com/reimagined-freo-25
Kim Powell
Learning Leader: Innovation
