Reflections from Day 1 of the Sydney Google Champions Symposium

Day 1 of the Sydney Google Champions Symposium was an incredible journey, filled with enlightening conversations, insightful sessions, and meeting and reconnecting with familiar faces and fellow educators who share a similar vision for pedagogical growth. The symposium was an excellent platform to dive deep into the trends shaping education and how our pedagogical perspectives are aligning with these shifts.

The symposium wasn't just about catching up; it was about learning from each other's classrooms, expanding our teaching horizons, and viewing lessons from the students' perspectives.

Eddie Woo shared his educational journey and the history behind his YouTube channel WooTube. Its success is a testament to the power of accessible education. Eddie's words caused me to think deeply about how we might level the educational playing field, offering free resources that shape and empower both educators and learners. Eddie's emphasis on the importance of storytelling in teaching, employing a positive feedback ratio, and acknowledging the complexity of the educational systems we work within, struck a chord with many of us. So to his ideas concerning broadening the focus on assessment so that it is less about high stake snapshots and more about rich application, the creation of critical thinking and creative problem-solving.

The session on decision-making in a VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous) world was mind-opening. It was led by former NRL player and high performance professional athlete James Graham. Understanding the nuances and differences between complicated and complex environments was pivotal. It highlighted the importance of the ability to navigate through complexity with adaptability in our interconnected educational system, where change is constant and unpredictable.

His breakdown of effective decision-making within teams shed light on the importance of values and how they act as guiding principles, especially in moments of uncertainty. The discussion on different team structures – fragile, resilient, and antifragile – offered a fresh perspective on team dynamics in addressing complicated and complex challenges.

He also lead a discussion of key decision-making styles – autocratic, consultative, consensus, and unanimous, providing a framework for understanding how teams navigate through uncertainty. The emphasis on integrity, collective responsibility, adaptability, and making decisions that align with our values was a powerful takeaway for me.

Another moment of reflection highlighted the reality that life is not linear and obstacles will arise and rather than running from them we should embrace these. In most cases there is not a right or wrong solution, we need to look to make decisions that we would be proud of when we look back on them. By remembering that the decision will never be perfect and we can use these as part of our life long learning journey. With support of others we can collectively shoulder the responsibility in navigating through the complex and complicated challenges. 

Day 1 of the symposium provided invaluable insights and also carved out space for us to network, unwind, and share experiences in a social and enjoyable setting cruising on Sydney Harbour, courtesy of Google for Education. Overall, it was a day filled with enriching discussions and valuable insights. It reaffirmed, we're part of a dynamic learning community driving positive change in education committed to fostering positive, inclusive, and adaptable learning environments where our students flourish.