Sylvia Walton Oration

2017: Social and emotional learning – from evidence to action presented by Professor Helen Cahill

The 2017 oration was presented by Professor Helen Cahill, Director of the Youth Research Centre, Graduate School of Education, University of Melbourne. Professor Cahill leads research and teaching in the area of child and youth wellbeing, specializing in approaches to addressing social health issues relating to gender, mental health and sexuality education. Her body of work includes transformative education programs developed for a range of United Nations agencies working within 15 countries in the Asia-Pacific region, and education systems across Australia. She is the lead author of over 30 education programs designed to advance student wellbeing in the areas of gender rights, sexuality, social and emotional learning, violence prevention, alcohol education, grief education and youth participation. Her 70 academic publications span the disciplines of health and education. Her recent works include the Resilience Rights and Respectful Relationships teaching and learnings resources published by the Department of Education Victoria, developed for use with students from Foundation to Year 12.

The title of the 2017 oration was:

“Social and emotional learning – from evidence to action”

Schools are a key setting through which to build the personal and social capabilities. The OECD defines social and relational skills as the 21st Century skills which are key for success in life and employment. Research demonstrates that social and emotional learning programs can lead to improved academic outcomes and reduced rates of bullying, disengagement, depression and anxiety. The presentation focused on the ways that evidence-informed approaches to social and emotional learning can inform best practice in pedagogy, with emphasis on collaborative learning, relationship-building and metacognitive engagement.

2016: The shifting roles of teachers and students amidst the demand for twenty first century skills by Emeritus Professor Patrick Griffin

The 2016 oration was presented by Emeritus Professor Patrick Griffin of the Melbourne Graduate School of Education (MGSE), who will speak on:  The shifting roles of teachers and students amidst the demand for twenty first century skills.

2015: How to recognise excellent teachers by Professor John Hattie

John Hattie is Director of the Melbourne Educational Research Institute at the University of Melbourne. His areas of interest are measurement models and their applications to educational problems, and models of teaching and learning. John’s previous appointments were in Auckland, North Carolina, Western Australia, and New England. He was Chief Moderator of the NZ Performance Based Research Fund, and is Past President of the International Test Commission and Associate Editor of the British Journal of Educational Psychology and American Educational Research Journal.

2014: National & State Policy developments in education

Bronwyn Pike was the National President of ACE from 2014 – 2016. Ms Pike was Minister for Education in Victoria and was the Member of Parliament for Melbourne from 1999 to 2012. Prior to entering Parliament, Ms Pike worked as a teacher, a community services manager and as the Director of the Unit of Justice and Social Responsibility in the Uniting Church. She is also a former Board Director of Greenpeace Australia. Bronwyn has a long history of advocating for social change, equality and the disadvantaged.