AAFIE in Conversation gives voice to Flexi Folk. Listen now!
Episode 1 – Research + Practice = MAGIC! Ft. Professor Kitty te Riele & Mr. Dale Murray
The first comprehensive research on ‘flexis’ across Australia. The foremost national flexi provider in the country. Put these two together and you get MAGIC! In this episode of AAFIE in Conversation Prof. Kitty te Riele & Dale Murray yarn about how it all started, the Doing School Differently Conference & AAFIE. What they’ve learnt since then, and where they see it all going…
Episode 2 – Language: Connection to Culture, Identity & Country : Reclaiming the Truth to healing ft. Dr John Davis
In this episode, Dale Murray is joined by Dr John Davis the CEO of the Stronger Smarter Institute. Dale & John yarn about Language, and it’s connection to Culture, Identity and Country. John explores how First Nations communities can use language to reclaim the truth to healing. We also learn how we can all apply the true names of this place to support decolonoisation and work together towards removing the invasion footprint on this land.
Episode 3 – Mentoring Matters ft. Taryn Marks
In this episode, AAFIE’s Professor Julian Sefton-Green spends sometime with Taryn Marks General Manager of AIME, a Wotjobaluk woman from Western Victoria to yarn about why Mentoring Matters.We can’t wait to share this episode with you and extend our thanks for Taryn for making time for AAFIE in Conversation.
Episode 4 – Supporting re-entry for in-person learning: Rhythms, Routines and strategies to support our young people Ft. Dr Tom Brunzell.
In this Episode, AAFIE’s Dale Murray chats with Dr Tom Brunzell, Director of Education at Berry Street and Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne. In this episode, Dale and Tom cover some of the impacts of COVID-19 on young people with complex unmet needs for learning and the sudden in schooling when the pandemic set in in early 2020. Tom shines light on the fact that the unexpected change away from in-person learning made our already vulnerable learners immediately more vulnerable. While this conversation focusses on some of the challenges of this vulnerability, is also aims to share a message of resilience, strength and adaptability of these young people in such uncertain times.
Episode 5 – A Special Interest Group for AAFIE & What’s on at DSD2022
In this episode, AAFIE’s Dale Murray is joined by Mr. Richard O’Neill from Manchester UK. Richard describes himself as a master storyteller brought up in the nomadic storytelling tradition. Richard has made and continues to make a huge contribution to the art of storytelling across the world. Richard’s book ‘The School for Nomads’ recognises the importance for young Gypsy and Traveller people to have access to books that positively reflect their lives and experiences.
Episode 7 – Trauma Informed Practice & Pedagogy ft Professor Karen Martin
In this episode AAFIE’s Professor Kitty te Riele is joined by Professor Karen Martin from the University of Tasmania.
Professor Martin is a Professor in Trauma-Informed Pedagogy in the School of Education. Professor Martin’s research explores trauma-informed practice and how its application can transform the education experience for school students.
In addition to promoting awareness of the impact of trauma, her areas of expertise include child and adolescent mental health, psychological and post-traumatic distress, and family and domestic violence.
Kitty and Karen yarn about trauma, and the work that Karen is doing in Tasmania as part of the Trauma Informed Research Lab at UTAS.
Episode 8 – Voice to Parliament- ft the Young People from Canberra College, joined by Dr. John Davis, Brydie Zorz, Scott Gorringe and words of wisdom and support from Ngunnawal elder Aunty Violet Sheridan.
In this podcast an amazing group of young people from Canberra College host an amazing conversation about the Indigenous Voice to Parliament. This balanced conversation about the YES vote aims to provide as much information for our young people who are of voting age to make an informed decision about their vote. The power of the youth voice important in this referendum and this conversation is a must listen for all young people and all voters!
Episode 9 – Student Ownership of Learning
In this episode AAFIE’s Dale Murray and Professor Kitty te Riele are joined by Henk van Woudenberg from The Netherlands. Henk is the part of the Student Ownership of Learning (SOL) Foundation, whose research relates to the outcomes of ‘game-based research’ with the experiences of ‘ownership of learning’ of students. Henk spends some time talking about ‘The Game’, a board-game that encourages players to articulate the culture of their school and their idea about what is the most desired culture for the future of their school.
The game is played with all participants of the school community. The game generates data that can be used to define the direction of the school development. With the board game dubbed ‘We own the school’ you discuss ownership of learning with students, teachers and school leaders. The aim of this game is to start a conversation about ‘ownership of learning’ and how the school can promote that.
Episode 10 – DSD2024 – Dr. Tom Brunzell
In this episode AAFIE’s Dale Murray is joined by Dr. Tom Brunzell, Director of Education at Berry Street. Dale and Tom chat about Tom’s work at Berry Street, Melbourne University, his new book (co-authored with Professor Helen Stokes) and why he is committed to Doing School Differently. Tom also gives us a little sneak peek into what to expect from his Keynote Presentation this year.
Dr. Tom Brunzell and Professor Helen Stokes: Implementing trauma informed pedagogies for school change shifting schools from reactive to proactive.
Episode 11- DSD2024 – Carolyn Blanden
In this episode, AAFIE’s Professor Kitty te Riele is joined by Carolyn Blanden, Principal of Warakirri College in Western Sydney. Kitty and Carolyn chat about her move from mainstream schooling into flexible learning and what she values about the flexible and inclusive education sector. Carolyne also offers us a little insight into her DSD2024 Keynote Presentation: Breaking the Cycle – rising to the challenges of raising students’ aspirations.
Episode 12 – DSD2024 – Associate Professor Marnee Shay
In this episode, AAFIE’s Dale Murray yarns with Associate Professor Marnee Shay from the University of Queensland. Marnee is currently a Principal Research Fellow at the University. She has an extensive externally funded research program and has many publications in the fields of Indigenous education, flexi schooling and Indigenous education policy. During this yarn, Dale and Marnee have the chance to discuss Marnee’s passion for the work: elevating voice, advocating and bringing about change for community. Marnee’s Keynote presentation at DSD2024 is one not to be missed, with an emphasis on young people voice in co-design.
Episode 13 – DSD2024 – Krysta McMah
In this episode of AAFIE in Conversation, AAFIE’s Simon Vaughan chats with Krysta McMah about her work with the Australian Youth Climate Coalition. Krysta shares the important grassroots work she undertakes in communities and schools towards Climate Action. Krysta is a passionate advocate for Climate Justice, and she aims to empower our DSD delegates to be leaders alongside of young people, to take action in their own schools and communities, to make positive climate change for all our futures.
Episode 14 – AAFIE Welcomes a Music Special Interest Group
In this episode, AAFIE’s Dale Murray is joined by Katie Wighton and Barry Davies.
QLD Conservatorium-trained, ARIA award winning artist/writer, Katie Wighton, is co-founder of alt-folk group All Our Exes Live in Texas. With the Exes, Katie toured the world as support for Midnight Oil and is now a regular visitor to Nashville where she has become an in-demand songwriting collaborator for prominent global artists. Katie is a songwriting educator at Monash University and mentor with SongMakers.
Barry Davies is a music teacher at St. Joseph’s School in Geelong Victoria. He is also a member of the Victorian APRA SongMakers Teacher Advisory Panel. Since 2014, he has been involved with SongMakers, helping to deliver their programs in government schools.
In 2022, SongMakers and St Joseph’s School collaborated to develop the SongMakers FLEX program, which is designed to support young people in flexible learning environments create and produce their own music.
In this conversation Katie and Barry talk about their partnership, and some plans for the AAFIE Special Interest Group, with the vision of amplifying the musical talents of young people in Flexi’s across Australia.
DSD26: Inside Doing School Differently with Dr. Tom Brunzell
In this episode of Inside Doing School Differently, AAFIE is joined by good friend, collaborator and founding partner of the Doing School Differently Conference, and 2026 Insight Speaker, Dr. Tom Brunzell.
Tom sits down with AAFIE’s Dale Murray to reflect on the origins of Doing School Differently, share memories from across the sector, and look ahead to the future. In particular, Tom highlights the growing influence of young people’s voices in shaping the spaces where they learn.
Tom also offers a preview of his Insight session at this year’s conference, which explores what these approaches mean for students after many years of developing the Berry Street Education Model.
His session will create space to acknowledge an important shift: after years of educators introducing ideas, building the evidence base, and sharing practice, it is now students themselves who are adapting, extending and making these strategies their own.
Let’s talk DSD26 with Professor Julian Sefton Green
In this episode, we welcome Professor Julian Sefton-Green to the conversation. Julian will present his session, Bans, Moral Panics, Hopes and Dystopia: Growing Up in Australia Today, on Day 1 of the Doing School Differently conference.
Drawing on his work with the Centre for Research for Educational Impact (REDI), Julian reflects on community concerns about the future for young people and the growing debate around social media bans. As Australia finds itself on the global stage in this discussion, Julian explores what it means when decisions about young people are being made without their voices at the centre of the conversation.
Let’s talk DSD26 with Professor Kitty te Riele
In this episode, we welcome Professor Kitty te Riele to the conversation. Kitty is the author of Putting the Jigsaw Together: Flexible Learning Programs in Australia, a landmark study demonstrating how flexible, relational, and student-centred education models can successfully reconnect disengaged young people with learning. This research helped pave the way for AAFIE and the Doing School Differently movement.
A decade on, the conversation hints at how Kitty will revisit the findings in her Insight Session. Are they still true? What has changed? Kitty will explore these questions alongside young people from Flexible Learning Programs and acknowledges the shift in how young people are now driving the sector.
Let’s talk DSD26 with Phil Theodoros
