[RE]LEARN 2020 - The Learning Innovation Festival

Attendees at this session will gain an insight into how and why placing wellbeing at the heart of a learning community offers such great potential for transforming education. The global pandemic of 2020 has posed many challenges to traditional and mainstream approaches to education. Whilst it may be tempting to see this disruption as exceptional, the challenges that lie ahead as global society grapples with technological transformation, changing demographics, climate change and biodiversity loss provide an imperative not to simply revert to normal.

This session will draw on emerging trends, research and evidence in conjunction with the practical experience of navigating the pandemic in a rural school with a significantly disadvantaged cohort. The notion of wellbeing will be explored to consider how it can encompass a whole learning community, challenging participants to consider their preconceptions and go beyond narrow approaches to wellbeing. Participants will gain an insight into how Wodonga Senior Secondary College placed wellbeing at the heart of their learning community in response to both unprecedented summer bushfires and the global pandemic. The impacts on engagement, health and academic outcomes will be explored through qualitative and quantitative data from educators, students and the broader community.

Participants will be challenged to reflect on the current status of wellbeing in their learning community and how transforming this could produce tangible positive outcomes for students, educators and society. The global challenges that lie ahead will be explored, providing a challenge to look beyond notions of skills and employment to the large societal disruptions that confront our species in coming decades. A compelling case will be made for completely rethinking our models of schooling, placing wellbeing at the heart. The vital role of embracing honesty, transparency and failure in making this change will be highlighted. Participants will be provoked to reflect on these challenges and grasp the current window of opportunity for transformation change.