In recent years, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been changing the game in education, whether it’s transforming how schools are being run to the advent of exciting new innovations that are supercharging teaching and learning in classrooms.
Perhaps one of the most notable ways AI has been making an impact is by shaking up traditional tests to give teachers instant feedback and enabling them to focus on bigger thinking tasks.
Between September 16-19, 2024, Australian educators, school leaders, and IT experts got a tantalizing look at these innovations in action when gathered virtually for the AI for AussieEd event, organised by Toddle, Australia’s fastest-growing, AI-powered LMS that serves over 2,000+ schools globally.
The four-day event, which drew over 1,000 live participants out of more than 3,000 registered delegates, focused on how AI is transforming learning and leadership, offering attendees practical insights into integrating AI in education to support both teaching and administration.
One of the 20 expert speakers was Louka Parry, CEO and founder of global strategy and education consultancy, The Learning Future. In his talk, Parry explored the immense possibilities (and pitfalls) that AI brings to K12, Higher Education, and beyond.
“We examined our need for unlearning, to relearn what education is really for, and the shifting landscape of work and learning with AI,” Parry said.
The discussion also looked at how global shifts are already reshaping learning practices, innovative Pedagogies to leverage technology in a human way, and how educators can enable deep learning where student grapple often and learn well.
“Together, we'll look to the future of education and discuss how AI can help us achieve it, envisioning a tech-empowered world where learners thrive.”
Another speaker was Steve Henderson, director of Innovation at Snowy Mountains Grammar School. Henderson, who is known as the “AI Teacher Guy”, presented a case study on A Whole-School Approach to Teacher AI Adoption, showcasing how Snowy Mountains Grammar School has embedded AI in its teaching framework.
As a special bonus, Henderson gave away the four best of the 33 ‘Super Prompts’ from his book ‘Teacher Prompt Secrets’, for free.
Dr Nici Sweaney, an AI consultant, educator, innovator, speaker, and Gender Equality Champion, captivated the audience with ‘Not Another ChatBot’, where she demonstrated innovative tools to automate school workflows and reduce teacher burnout.
“We covered what using AI looks like once you’ve graduated from playing with large language models,” Sweaney said.
“I also showed actual use cases from schools I’ve worked with that have helped reduce teacher workload, streamline operations, and reduce manual administrative processes.”
Dr Selena Fisk, a ‘data storyteller’, author, speaker, and advocate for data champions, provided nine practical steps for school leaders in her session, ‘Using AI for Data-Informed Decisions, guiding attendees on using AI to improve data analysis.
The event also heard from four educators who have utilised Toddle AI to showcase how they're driving change in their schools.
The session ‘How schools leverage Toddle AI for innovation and learning’ included rich insights from Ian Fairhurst, Team Leader of Innovation and Technology at Knox Grammar School; Louisa Kennard, a primary teacher at International School of Western Australia; Jo Muirhead, eLearning and Innovation Specialist at Coomera Anglican College; and Tegan Franks, a primary teacher at Coomera Anglican College.
The event concluded with an upbeat and inspiring panel discussion on Driving Innovation in Australian Schools, featuring Dan Bowen, Ray Fleming, Ryan Elwell, Matt Heinrich, and Rachel Saunders, who shared their experiences with AI's potential to revolutionise education.
“As a former educator myself, I know how tough [and expensive!] it can be to attend high-quality professional learning opportunities,” Rachel Bodily, Associate Director of Learning & Engagement at Toddle told The Educator.
“With the rapid advancements in generative AI, it's important to hear from those at the forefront. Teachers and school leaders are very busy – so being able to offer them online sessions that cover AI in education from multiple perspectives can be of such value to them.”