Students as Partners

This session is all about sharing what we’ve come to know are core design principles of activating agency in students, and those who teach them to become true partners in learning. John Cleary & Summer Howarth, along with Damian O’Brien will showcase the work of the Northern Territory Learning Commission, a data-driven design initiative that has influenced policy and practice in NT schools for over 5 years. Students from the Learning Commission will be participating in a live workshop and will join us to explain in their own words the power of having agency in their learning. Alongside students of the NT, members of the NSW Minister’s Advisory Group (DOVES) will be actively participating in this session and also joining us in learning throughout the conference. This is a profound opportunity to not only learn how to embed agency in your own context, but bounce ideas off students who are leading the way for every learner at a system-leadership level..

SUMMER HOWARTH

Summer Howarth works across Australia with school leaders, teachers and policy makers. She is the founder of The Eventful Learning Co, supporting organisations & governments with strategy, content and learning experiences.  Summer has worked as a teacher and leader in NSW & USA Schools, Lecturer at Sydney University, internal Innovation Consultant at AITSL and Director of Learning Design in consultancy.

Summer has led projects at a national scale and worked alongside organisations such as Zoos Victoria, The Prince’s Trust Australia and Google for Education and continues to support projects for Departments of Education, as well as individual schools. She currently supports student agency & voice projects across three states/territories, advises Launch Vic Start Ups and is a member of the National Advisory Committee (Education) for Beyond Blue. Summer has been named three times on the Educator Hotlist and twice been a finalist for Melbourne Young Entrepreneur of the Year.