Dr Julia Atkin
Dr Julia Atkin is an independent education and learning consultant who has worked with educators in Australia and internationally. For over twenty years she has focused their reflection and dialogue around two key questions: What is powerful learning? and, What is powerful to learn? Julia is passionate about developing educational services that:
- nurture the human spirit of individuals and the organisation
- are personalised and customised
- help the learner learn to think and learn to learn
- integrate the best of learning technology with information and communication technologies
- are collaborative
- result in learning that has deep personal meaning and is transferable from one context to another.
Julia’s work is characterised by an innovative approach that bridges the gap between theory and practice. She has received a number of prestigious awards in recognition of her work. In 2000-2004 she was named a Distinguished Educator by Apple Computers Australia. In October 2003, The Bulletin named Julia as one of Australia's Smart 100 - a list of one hundred people, ten in ten fields, making a difference to Australian society through innovation. In 2000 Julia was made a Fellow of the Australian College of Educators and awarded the Sir Harold Wyndham Medal 2000 in recognition of her contribution to the learning of teachers and the children of Australia.
Julia's work with Learning to Learn
Dr Julia Atkin has provided enthusiastic, insightful leadership to Learning to Learn from its inception. Along with Professor Richard Bawden, she has helped develop and shape the initiative and provided leadership in:
- designing and conceptualising Learning to Learn
- delivering the Core Learning Program to sites
- identifying possible futures for Learning to Learn
In 2003, Julia was the convenor for Learning to Learn focus on 'MWIM' - Making What's Important Measurable. She has, throughout her career, encouraged educators to 'measure what matters' rather than value only that which is easily captured through quantitative processes.
Julia continues to support Learning to Learn through her involvement in both Core Learning Program and broader professional learning programs. These have included:
- Values Driven Redesign - Mandated Core Learning for New Sites
- Teaching for Effective Learning
- Reconceptualising the Curriculum
- Learning Circle, LOCG
- Senior Secondary Forum Retreat
- Learning to Learn Residential Retreat Program.
Participants in these activities have especially appreciated Julia's ability to engage educators as learners and provide experiences that demonstrate the practical application of the 'Integral Learning Model'. Julia's passion for designing educational systems that work for learners has infected us all!
The 'Mu' Dictionary process provides opportunities to express meaning in four different ways of knowing: propositional, factual, personal/experiential and conceptual. The assumption behind the approach of the ‘Mu' dictionary is that deepest understanding emerges from the integration of these four ‘ways of knowing'.
