Earth Science Western Australia (ESWA) has been supporting earth sciences, and more recently STEM, education throughout WA for many years now. Much of this support is through the Woodside Australian Science Project (WASP – an initiative of Woodside and ESWA – www.wasp.edu.au) and the Primary Australian Literacy Mathematics and Science (PALMS) Program (an initiative supported by ConocoPhillips and ESWA – www.palms.edu.au). Through these initiatives materials for the teaching of Earth and Space Science for Kindergarten to Year 10 are freely available, so too are hands-on incursions and teacher training. More recently we have been producing STEM teaching packages providing students with real world problems to explore using a range of STEM skills. These packages, and those to be released soon, will be the focus of this workshop.

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The International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) is an equal joint venture between Curtin University and The University of Western Australia with funding support from the State Government of Western Australia. ICRAR has strong support from the government of Australia and is working closely with industry and the astronomy community, including CSIRO and the Australian Telescope National Facility, the Pawsey Centre, and the international SKA Project Office (SPO), based in the UK. Promoting scientific, technical, commercial and educational opportunities through public outreach, educational material, training students and collaborative developments with national and international educational organisations.

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How do computers work? What are the major components of a computer? What goes on inside the metal box when I start moving the mouse or typing on the keyboard? 

Cosmos Computing aims to help students understand and answer these questions through an immersive interactive role play. Students act as the different components of a computer, working together to work through a ‘program’ (algorithm) to produce an image on a display.

Cosmos Computing is a program suitable for upper primary aged students and is aligned with the Australian Digital Technologies Curriculum, specifically the Years 5 and 6 Content Descriptions. It’s also great for team building between teachers!

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Joint ICRAR computing specialist Kevin Vinsen and education specialist Kirsten Gottschalk as we take you on an adventure through how a computer works from the inside!”

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Project Based Learning - ACARA Digital Technologies Curriculum Officer Martin Levins (NSW) and Steve Grant (SA) will deliver a workshop on Project Based Learning (PBL) and how Digital Technologies can be integrated. 

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Steve Grant's current role at ACARA has him supporting schools in South Australian and schools in the southern part of the Northern Territory. Steve is an experienced educator and school leader, having worked as a Science teacher, head of learning area, and head of house. Steve most recently was a professional learning consultant with Scitech in Perth. Steve has developed and presented a range of professional learning programs for teachers, school leaders, schools and school districts, with workshops in STEM, Science, Mathematics, Digital Technologies, Design and Technologies and project-based learning.

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Martin Levins current role at ACARA has him supporting schools in the New England area of New South Wales and the Northern Territory (Arnhem Land). He is a past President of the Australian Council for Computers in Education (ACCE). Martin is considered a pioneer of internet use in K–12 education in Australia through his role of a director of information technology; he is a hands-on primary, secondary and tertiary educator. He has helped a generation of teachers and students through huge cultural changes of the technological revolution. Martin continues to play a leading role in strategic boards and committees. These include the ACCE, EduTech national conferences, Future-u.org and Day of STEM (Life Journey) advisory committees. He is also Australia’s affiliate representative to the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). 

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First LEGOⓇ League (FLL) deep dive into the Research Project. In this workshop, we will explore how we can use the Engineering Design Process to guide students' inquiry and prototype development for the FIRST LEGO League research project. After exploring examples of integrated STEM inquiry and FLL projects we've developed at Iona Presentation College Junior School, participants will work collaboratively to inquire into, and develop a prototype solution to a past FLL challenge.   Presented by FLL Coach Michael Graffin Robotics Teacher at Iona Presentation College Junior School. 

Michael Graffin (@mgraffin) 

International Society for Technology Education Emerging Leader & STEM X Academy Alumni  

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FIRST LEGO League Overview – “What's the big picture?” Tim Keely has been working in STEM Outreach at Curtin for nearly 10 years.  In his humble opinion, the FIRST LEGO League (FLL) is a program that embraces STEM, 21st century skills and PBL.  Tim will present an overview of the FLL.  The timeline, the comp, the different judging areas, the robot game and the overall feel of the comp will be explored, to give you the confidence and enthusiasm to tackle it in your school. This is NOT a tech-head, robot session.  This is the big picture of what FLL is all about.

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Adelaide Universities Computer Science Education Research (CSER) run a range of Digital Technologies programs for Australian teachers, including a range of free, online CSER MOOC courses, free professional learning events, and a National Lending Library.

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Firebird Learning - LEGOⓇ - Project Based Learning (PBL) via the Hero's Journey, using LEGOⓇ Serious PlayⓇ “Geniuses, Designers, and Heroes” A first step on the road to Project Based Learning in your school.
A couple of years along with the Technologies curriculum… where to next?
Do we tighten the bolts on our planning documents? Do we take what we’ve learned back to our old programs and find a home for it? Do we go looking for new shiny tech to use?
Or do we focus on the learning itself, emboldened by our new bag of skills and tools to empower our students?
Alvin Toffler proposed that “the illiterate of the 21st century will be those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.” Project-based learning in any of its many guises offers us a tangible method to ensure our students develop this essential literacy for their future prosperity.
In this workshop you will learn to plan, position, and facilitate a first implementation of project-based learning in your own school, based on your own experiences so far with the Technologies curricula, following a flexible “master key” framework. To deeply explore possibility, invite creative expression, and empower collaboration between colleagues, the workshop will be facilitated using the LEGOⓇ Serious PlayⓇ methodology.

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SeeSaw & STEMtastic Science - I will showcase the way in which I have shifted the focus of my science learning program to incorporate both digital technologies (including Seesaw digital portfolio) and a focus on real-world STEM problems and projects. As well as showing how I have embedded digital technologies and a STEM focus in science, we will work together to plan for STEM/digital technologies learning within the framework of the mandated science curriculum for the primary years.

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Participants would benefit from having a device that can access the Internet and the Seesaw app if they are working on a tablet/iPad.

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Rachael Lehr is the science specialist and digital technologies lead teacher at West Beechboro Primary in Perth. She teache science with a strong hands-on inquiry and STEM focus; embedding digital technologies into science learning. In addition she also teaches students coding, runs a Minecraft club and hosts a STEM club for girls.

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Scitech are attending this event in-kind thanks to a partnership between Scitech and Rio Tinto. This partnership enables various groups, schools and organisations who may not have the financial means to book a Scitech experience the opportunity to have programs in-kind. Rio Tinto are delighted to support this event through the Scitech partnership to upskill teachers and provide opportunities for them to experience robotics in this way.

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Metaverse and overviews of AR / VR / MR - presented by Geoff Kaye who has developed some great activities for use in schools. 

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Participants will be able to download the Metaverse app from this URL  - suggest doing this prior to the day.
http://studio.gometa.io

You will then have to first register your details and create a 'user account' in order to be able to create an AR app.
The app and user accounts are free. 

Attendees for this session will also need a QR code reader app.

 

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