This webinar was an exciting, free learning opportunity for all kinds of educators, from all over the world. A panel of expert speakers, moderated by Professor Catherine McTamaney, award-winning educator and author sharing their insights on child-centred learning, spreading ideas and inspiring reflection on innovation in education. They also described how attendees could get involved in the Montessori Global Education and HundrED Child-Centred Learning Spotlight project.

Speakers included Dame Alison Peacock, CEO of the Chartered College of Teaching, UK, Lynn Cumpsty-Steyn, CEO of help2read in South Africa, Mariah Voutilainen, Research Coordinator at HundrED and Preeti Patel, Director of Education and Community at Montessori Global Education, who shared innovations from Vincerola Academy in Germany. You can read speakers’ key reflections from the webinar – and watch the webinar recording – below.

Watch the Webinar

The full recording of the webinar is available to watch here. A short highlights video is available here.

Key Reflections

Our speaker panel shared their key takeaways from the webinar, based on the presentations, discussion and input from attendees, as summarised here:

• Innovation does not need to be expensive or even cost anything – it just requires observation; active listening; reflection and sometimes out of the box thinking. Likewise small actions can fuel great outcomes.
• Listening – with intention – to children can unlock so many learning opportunities.
• The landscape of education change-makers is diverse – whether within ‘traditional’ or compulsory education settings, or beyond. All of them share a common commitment to provide joyful service to the child.
• Belonging and community can drive innovation.
• Teachers can feel nervous about stepping outside of the box to take a child-centred approach – some don’t have as much autonomy to do as they wish. Sometimes innovative approaches require some risk-taking.
• Trusting each child’s own inner motivation and providing them with freedom within limits, leads to exciting learning opportunities to shape their own learning.

Moderator

Catherine McTamaney, Professor, Department of Teaching and Learning, Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College, USA

An award-winning teacher and author, Professor McTamaney works primarily with teacher candidates, focusing on the social and political context of public education and the integration of education and the arts. A three-time graduate of Peabody College, Professor McTamaney has been at Vanderbilt for most of the last twenty-five years. In addition to her teaching at Vanderbilt, she is the author of two books on Montessori education and compassionate teaching: The Tao of Montessori and A Delicate Task. She is also a Montessori lecturer across the US and abroad.

Speakers

Dame Alison Peacock – Chief Executive of the Chartered College of Teaching

The Chartered College is a charitable Professional Body that seeks to empower a knowledgeable and respected teaching profession through membership and accreditation. Prior to joining the Chartered College, Dame Alison was Executive Headteacher of The Wroxham School in Hertfordshire. Her career to date has spanned primary, secondary and advisory roles. She is an Honorary Fellow of Queens’ College Cambridge, Hughes Hall Cambridge and UCL, a Visiting Professor of Glyndŵr University and a trustee for Big Change, the Helen Hamlyn Trust and an adviser to the Institute for Educational & Social Equity. She is a Director of the Edge Foundation and has honorary degrees from the University of Brighton and University of Bath Spa. She is a Deputy Lieutenant for Hertfordshire. Her research is published in a series of books about Learning without Limits – offering an alternative approach to inclusive school improvement.

Lynn Cumpsty-Steyn – CEO, help2read

Lynn has been the CEO of help2read (South Africa) since 2018. Lynn obtained her Higher Diploma in Education (Junior Remedial teaching) in 1980. Since qualifying as a teacher, she has continued studying part-time and has a BA degree (non- teaching related), BA Honours degree in Psychology and a Masters degree in Education. Lynn has spent most of her career working in Universities and NGOs outside of the formal education sector. She is a passionate problem-solver, reflective practitioner and a zealous Early Childhood Education activist. Early Literacy and the development of critical thinking skills in children are her passion as is learning through play. Lynn has a keen interest in formal assessment but, in addition, values story-telling and other qualitative measures to provide evidence of programme success.

Mariah Voutilainen – Research Coordinator, HundrED

Mariah Voutilainen has had first-hand experience working as a teacher with the goal of uplifting marginalised communities. After earning her bachelor’s degree at Harvard University, she joined the Teach for America program in Los Angeles, and then completed a Master of Education with a focus on the history of education. Currently, Mariah organizes the HundrED Research Team’s day-to-day operations, conducts innovation research, and serves as a point person for education innovators using the HundrED platform.

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