Ignite, Engage, Complexify! - Purposeful Provocations

Unlike an activity with a 'right or wrong answer', an enticing, invitational, and intentional provocation can spark a sense of wonder, stimulate creativity and possibilities, and stretch and scaffold thinking!

Purposeful provocations can give us windows into children's meaning-making and knowledge building processes, support co-constructed and co-designed research, and activate dispositions for learning.

This session will be a deeper dive into the power of provocations.

About our Guest Presenter

David Gilkes (B.Ed, MECE) has been a highly regarded early childhood educator for 30 years, the majority of this time spent working alongside 4 and 5 year old children and their families in Hobart, Tasmania and in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. He has been employed in both Government and Independent school settings. David also spent periods of time in leadership roles as Director of an Early Learning Centre for 3 – 5 year olds in Canberra and as an Early Years Network Leader, primarily supporting teachers in the Tasmanian Education Department.

David possesses both a Bachelor of Education and a Master of Early Childhood Education (MECE). His Masters research (2013) explored parent perspectives on the importance of beauty and aesthetics in the early years of schooling.

In recognition of his contributions and commitment to his work with children, families and the early childhood sector, David was awarded a 2014 NEiTA (National Excellence in Teaching) Award for ‘Innovation’ in Early Childhood.

David’s thinking has been influenced and challenged by the Reggio Emilia educational project, and its provocation for the Australian context, for many years. He has been fortunate enough to have participated in Study Tours and professional learning in this northern Italy city on seven occasions.

In 2015, David participated in a Forest School training course and residency in Denmark. In the same year, he was also invited to be one of the ‘Key Thinkers’ in ‘The Hothouse’ – a forum on the future of education in Tasmania, which was organised as part of Hobart’s DARK MOFO winter festival.

David has given presentations, spoken at large conferences, and run workshops for various organisations, government and independent departments, as well as universities around the country. He has articles and chapters published in various education journals and books, including “The Challenge”, “Pedagogy+” and “Professional Educator”.