Episode 18: The Mental Health Crisis in Schools: A Call for Change

A Quick Summary

In this podcast episode of "Where's Your Head At", Dr. Ellen Heyting, an experienced educator and researcher from Melbourne Metrics, discusses the critical challenges in international education, focusing on the need to transform assessment systems and prioritize student agency. She argues that current high-stakes examination models are restrictive, causing mental health issues and limiting students' potential, and advocates for a more holistic approach that recognizes broader competencies and empowers students as producers of their own learning.

Currently, Ellen is spearheading the New Metrics International Schools program, a collaborative initiative launched by CIS and Melbourne Metrics to support international schools who are interested in harnessing the power of assessment, recognition and credentialing to change the grammar of schooling and celebrate a broader picture of our young people's competencies and successes.

We hope you enjoy this episode of WYHA, voted the number 7 international education podcast according to Feedspot. https://podcast.feedspot.com/international_education_podcasts/

Key Highlights:

• Current Education System Crisis: Schools are experiencing high rates of student anxiety, mental health issues, and teacher shortages, indicating a fundamental problem with traditional educational approaches.
• Assessment Transformation: High-stakes exams are ineffective at measuring students' true capabilities, focusing solely on content knowledge instead of critical skills like ethical behavior, communication, and collaboration.
• Agency as Key Competency: Melbourne Metrics emphasizes developing student agency, shifting from viewing students as consumers of teaching to producers of their own learning.
• Authentic Learning: Schools should break down barriers between classrooms and the real world, providing students with authentic audiences and meaningful learning experiences.
• Collaborative Approach: Melbourne Metrics works in partnership with schools, education departments, and organizations to co-create better assessment and recognition tools.
• Holistic Development: The goal is to help young people thrive by developing competencies that extend beyond traditional academic metrics.
• Future of Education: There's a growing shift towards concept-based, project-based learning that connects education more meaningfully to real-world experiences.

Bio

Dr Ellen Heyting is a passionate and experienced educator, researcher, and facilitator who works at Melbourne Metrics within the Faculty of Education at The University of Melbourne. She has over a decade of teaching and leadership experience in K-12 IB World Schools in Melbourne, Beijing, Singapore and Helsinki. Her PhD explored the power of fostering a sense of belonging amongst students from marginalised backgrounds in international schools as a way to boost academic success.

Ellen's ongoing research interests include international school teacher identity, the assessment of complex competencies, and measuring 'hard to measure' constructs (like belonging and agency). She is an expert in instructional leadership and coaching, having designed and delivered professional learning across the globe.

Currently, Ellen is spearheading the New Metrics International Schools program, a collaborative initiative launched by CIS and Melbourne Metrics to support international schools who are interested in harnessing the power of assessment, recognition and credentialing to change the grammar of schooling and celebrate a broader picture of our young people's competencies and successes. Ellen believes that education can be a force to unite people for peace, justice, and a sustainable future, and strives to empower teachers and learners to place agency at the heart of learning.

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