26-29 July 2008
Melbourne Convention Centre - Cnr Spencer and Flinders Streets
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 3005
Presenters Papers Now Available, click here to view the papers available for download
Speakers
Professor Shirley Brice Heath
Shirley Brice Heath, author of the classic Ways with Words: Language, life, and work, does her research primarily in learning environments beyond ordinary classrooms. She studies how work in the arts and sciences enables young people of varied backgrounds, interests, and abilities to advance their understanding of the importance of learning. In particular, she attends to how young people take on roles and responsibilities to make their communities inclusive and full of possibilities. She has published more than 100 articles and a dozen books, and she is director and producer of several documentary films on the artistic work of young people. Shirley has lived and worked in Australia, most recently in 2005. Currently, she is Professor at Large at Brown University and Margery Bailey Professor of English and Dramatic Literature, Emerita, at Stanford University. She also holds a Visiting Professor of Research position at Kings College, University of London.
The expression "maps are territories" equates theories with maps. Examined in these remarks is the importance of envisionment and imagination in the learning lives of young people of different abilities. Children diagnosed as autistic benefit from dance and painting. Why? Children with a range of learning delays find the combination of dramatic portrayal, children's literature, and music release their talents. Why? Recent theories from the neurosciences help explain how our internal visions of time and space order our knowledge of the world. These theories open up ideas for us of activities, language, and strategies.
- http://www.shirleybriceheath.net
- http://www.stanford.edu/group/adolescent.ctr/Research/heath.html
- http://www.brown.edu/Departments/Education/personnel.php?who=shheath
Professor Brian J. Caldwell
Professor Brian J. Caldwell is Managing Director of Educational Transformations Pty Ltd in Melbourne and Associate Director of iNet (Global) of the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust in England. From 1998 to 2004 he served as Dean of Education at the University of Melbourne where he is currently Professorial Fellow. His previous appointments include Head of Education Policy and Management at the University of Melbourne and Head of Teacher Education and Dean of Education at the University of Tasmania. He holds the degrees of Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Education from the University of Melbourne, and Master of Education and Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Alberta.
International work over the last 25 years includes more than 400 presentations, projects and other professional assignments in or for 37 countries or jurisdictions on six continents, including Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Chile, China, China Hong Kong, Chinese Taipei, Denmark, England, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Israel, Kenya, Korea, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Mauritius, Myanmar (Burma), Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Scotland, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Vietnam and Wales with several assignments for Asia Development Bank, APEC, OECD, UNESCO, UNICEF and World Bank. He has served as Wei Lun Visiting Professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Visiting Professor at the National College for School Leadership in England, Special Professor at the University of Nottingham, Provost's Distinguished Visiting Scholar at the University of Southern California, and Invitational Research Fellow for the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. He is Honorary Professor at the University of Hull. He was consultant to an APEC project on ‘Best Practice Governance: Education Policy and Service Delivery' in 2003-2004 commissioned by the DEST in Australia. From 2005 to 2007 he served as chair of the Quality Assurance Project for a project in school reform (STRIVE) in the Philippines funded by the Australian Government and conducted by Melbourne Development International.
From 2005 to 2007 he was project director and co-author of a project to write the history of state aid to non-government schools in Australia commissioned by DEST. He is currently leading a six-country project on alignment of resources to achieve transformation in schools. Entitled an International Project to Frame the Transformation of Schools, the project is being conducted in Australia, China, England, Finland, United States and Wales. The project is funded by the Australian Government and the Welsh Assembly Government with partnership support from institutions in the other four countries. He is also project director of a nation-wide study of principal autonomy in Australia under a commission from the Australian Government and project director of a study of parental engagement in schools in Queensland commissioned by the Queensland Government.
Brian Caldwell is author or co-author of books that helped guide educational reform in several countries, most notably the trilogy on self-managing schools: The Self-Managing School (1988), Leading the Self-Managing School (1992) and Beyond the Self-Managing School (1998), each with Jim Spinks. He was co-author of Creating an Excellent School (1989), The Return of the Mentor (1993), and The Future of Schools: Lessons from the Reform of Public Education (1998). In 2005 he wrote School-Based Management for the International Academy of Education and published by the IIEP of UNESCO. Re-imagining Educational Leadership was published in 2006 by ACER Press (Australia) and Sage (London). Raising the Stakes: from Improvement to Transformation in the Reform of Schools will be published in July 2007 by Routledge. This is the fourth collaboration with Jim Spinks.
Brian Caldwell was Chair of the Advisory Board of the Asia Education Foundation from 1998 to 2004. He is a director and Deputy Chair of the Board of the ACER, a member of the Board of Patrons of The Education Foundation, and a member of the advisory board of The Wesley Institute. He is a Fellow and Life Member of the ACEL and a Fellow of the ACE. He was President of ACEL from 1990 to 1993 and was awarded its Gold Medal in 1994. In July 2005 he received the College Medal of ACE. In 2004 he was awarded the Sir James Darling Medal of ACE (Victoria) and the Hedley Beare Educator of the Year Award of ACEL (Victoria).
Professor Martin Comte
Currently an Education and Arts Consultant and was formerly Dean of the Faculty of Education & Training at RMIT University. Dr Comte has had an illustrious career in music and arts education. He earned his PhD in 1983 from the University of Michigan, with a study of arts education in the state school system in Victoria from 1945 to 1980. He was awarded the first university Chair of Music Education. He is a Past President and Honorary Life Member of the Australian Society for Music Education, and a former Chair of the international Commission on Music in Schools & Teacher Education. For many years he was editor of the Australian Journal of Music Education.
Professor Comte has worked extensively in curriculum design. He has been active in professional education and arts associations over many years. His board/council membership has included Musica Viva Australia, The Chamber Strings of Melbourne, the Australian Ballet School, and the Victorian Association for Gifted and Talented Children. He has numerous publications and conference presentations to his credit; these include Music Education: International Viewpoints, Doreen Bridges: Music Educator, and Giving Children a Voice. Along with Sandi Ferrari, Phillipa Clarke and Rob Newall he was one of the specialists engaged in the design of the arts-based curriculum at Port Phillip Specialist School. This year he was appointed a Fellow of the Australian College of Educators.
Bella Irlicht AM
Principal of Port Phillip Specialist School. Throughout her career she has gained the reputation as innovative teacher, excellent counsellor and an outstanding educator. In 1988 she was appointed principal at South Melbourne Special Developmental School and in 1997 helped transform the school into what is now known as Port Phillip Specialist School. Through her leadership the school has gained the reputation as being one of Australia's leading schools catering for students with special needs.
Bella has been the recipient of numerous awards for outstanding achievement and contribution to the profession, including: Equity Trustees National Not for Profit CEO of the Year Award (2005); Order of Australia (2003); Paul Harris Fellow awarded by Rotary International (2000); Professor John Miller Medal (2000); Churchill Fellow (1996); and a Queens Trust Award (1993). She is a Fellow of the Australian College of Education (1988) and a Fellow of the Australian Principals Centre. She has also been a finalist in the Telstra's Business Women's Award and is extensively involved in the broader community where she is on various committees and project teams.