Track: Boys’ Education
Appeals to: All Ages
Knowledge Level: New to the Topic
Room: Dods 3
Are schools seeing a resurgence of parental interest in character education? A recent AIMS/NAIS study conducted in the United States indicates that parents rate character education in the top four things they look for in independent schools. Examine how one school has attempted to implement a coherent K-12 character education curriculum.
Presenter: David Faus, St. Paul's School (United States)

Track: Leadership
Appeals to: Middle School (Ages 12-15), Upper/Senior School (Ages 15-19)
Knowledge Level: New to the Topic
Room: Dods 8
Through mindfulness meditation students gain a better perspective of how to more ably manage their time and resources. Investigate how the increased use of social media and smartphone technology can impact student development, with a specific focus on introducing strategies to facilitate practicing mindfulness meditation in the curriculum to enhance leadership skills.
Presenter: Rhys Ibbott, The Southport School (Australia)

Track: Boys’ Education
Appeals to: Upper/Senior School (Ages 15-19)
Knowledge Level: New to the Topic
Room: Dods 5
The debate around the underachievement of boys in the education system is well documented, providing fertile ground for the development of inaccurate teacher perceptions. Against this background, how can we frame our expectations of boys in a manner that gives them every opportunity to succeed?
Presenters: Debra Da Silva and Kirsten Randle, Toowoomba Grammar School (Australia)

Track: Leadership
Appeals to: All Audiences
Knowledge Level: New to Topic
Room: Dods 11
Focus on evidence-based approaches to the development of leadership within schools, including a series of leadership summits conducted between 2012-17 that engaged more than 700 school leaders across all Australian states. Take home the publications related to the summit and material developed to unlock the strengths of school leaders.
Presenter: Mathew White, The University of Adelaide (Australia)

Developing Communication Skills in an Electronic Age
Track: Boys’ Education
Appeals to: All Ages
Knowledge Level: Advanced
Room: Dods 6
Social and communication skills are declining due to the increased time adolescents spend in front of a screen — TV, computer, tablet, or phone. While teens stay at home and are physically safer, they are more at risk for depression and other mental health issues. Discuss these issues and delve into methods to help our students develop communication skills.
Presenter: Abigail James (United States)

The Lure of the Screen Handout

Track: Boys’ Education
Appeals to: Middle School (Ages 12-15), Upper/Senior School (Ages 15-19)
Knowledge Level: Intermediate
Room: Dods 7
The Mind Body Heart Program is a nontraditional formative assessment strategy to improve sporting participation and performance. Hear about its next phase, expanding beyond sport to academic, mental, and affective domains. Learn how artificial intelligence platforms and a live student dashboard are turning developmental data into powerful personalized learning pathways for every boy.
Presenters: Ian Lambert and Graham Pattison, The Scots College (Australia)

Track: STEM and Futures
Appeals to: All Ages
Knowledge Level: New to the Topic
Room: Dods 10
In 2017, participation in STEM subjects in Australia was declining, with enrollments at the lowest level in 20 years. The Southport School has implemented LEGO Robotics, which embeds STEM throughout all year levels. Utilizing project-based learning, boys tackle STEM challenges. Engage in this hands-on workshop showcasing the flexibility of LEGO to build solutions to real-world challenges.
Presenter: Mark Lockett, The Southport School (Australia)

Reinvigorating STEM presentation

Track: Boys’ Education
Appeals to: All Ages
Knowledge Level: Advanced
Room: Dods 4
If asked, could you articulate what you do that works with boys at your school? And, how do you know it works? Do your colleagues have similar philosophies and strategies as you? Brisbane Boys’ College faced these very questions. Learn how we managed to tackle this issue and what happened, and gain a set of practical strategies backed by research.
Presenters: Dominic Piacun and Sean Riordan, Brisbane Boys' College (Australia)