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27th Apr 2017

Name Time Duration
Keynote 1 - The proposed nuclear waste storage facility in South Australia: Overview and lessons learnt

9:30 AM

1 Hour

The Nuclear Fuel Cycle Royal Commission was established to investigate and report on the potential for South Australia to participate in four areas of activity that comprise the nuclear fuel cycle. These spanned expanded exploration, extraction and milling; processing and manufacture; electricity generation; and storage and disposal of radioactive and nuclear waste. The final report, presented in May 2016, identified waste storage as the priority opportunity and recommended additional work to confirm its feasibility and economic impact, gauge community views and identify suitable sites. Subsequent community consultation generated mixed views on the recommendation, including a Citizens’ Jury, in which the majority of participants were not supportive. Leanna Read was a member of the Advisory Committee to the Royal Commission. As such, she is familiar with the background information, analyses conducted, process adopted, and the recommendations of the Commission. Leanna will provide an overview of the proposition for the nuclear waste storage facility, current status and her insights as to lessons learnt from the process.

Presenter: Dr Leanna Read

Name Time Duration
12D01 - STELR Renewable Energy

11:00 AM

The STELR Renewable Energy module is a ready-to-use resource comprising purpose-built equipment for students to use for injury-based learning. Participants will use the equipment to undertake investigations into wind and solar energy that map to the Australian curriculum, covering topics such as energy transfers and transformations and electric circuits. Research has shown that topics that address global warming and climate change are relevant and engaging for students, resulting in a program that is easy to teach and fun to learn. STELR is an initiative of the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering (ATSE).

Presenter: Pennie Stoyles

Organisation: ATSE

Target Audience: Lab officers, Middle school (yr. 6-9) teachers, Senior school (yr. 10-12) teachers

Name Time Duration
12D02 - FULL: Assessing Science as a Human Endeavour

11:00 AM

Science as a Human Endeavour strand can be difficult to assess using traditional assessment methods in Science. In this workshop, we will explore some innovative ways of identifying evidence of learning to build onto our current practice to assess Science as a Human Endeavour.

Presenter: Katrina Elliott

Organisation: DECD

Target Audience: Middle school (yr. 6-9) teachers, Primary school teachers

Name Time Duration
1S01 - Putting Science Back In The Family

11:00 AM

1 Hour

Most educationists recognise that when schools partner with the community everyone benefits. One way to enable such partnerships is via Family Science, an opportunity for students to work alongside parents in a fun learning environment. In this session we will explore some models for running such sessions as well as engage with a number of activities that can be used to run your own Family Science activity.

Presenter: John Pearce

Organisation: Deakin University

Target Audience: Lab officers, Middle school (yr. 6-9) teachers, Primary school teachers

Name Time Duration
Cutting Edge 1A - A Chemists View of Cellular Machinery

11:00 AM

1 Hour

Biological macromolecules such as proteins and DNA form the machinery that underlies all biological functions. The ability to ‘see’ the atomic detail of these assemblies, including their structures and interactions with other molecules, provides an opportunity to understand their biological activity. It also helps unravel processes which have gone astray to cause disease, and therefore find new treatments for a range of human illnesses. This talk will provide an insight into the important and diverse roles biomolecular machinery play in biological systems. It will also expose the listener to cutting edge approaches being developed to study protein and DNA structure and function, from isolated components to complex, interacting networks. Finally, there will be a discussion on how this information might be used for the benefit of human health.

Presenter: Dr Tara Pukala

Organisation: The University of Adelaide

Target Audience: Lab officers, Middle school (yr. 6-9) teachers, Primary school teachers, Senior school (yr. 10-12) teachers, Tertiary educators

Name Time Duration
Cutting Edge 1B - The Australian Almond Breeding Program

11:00 AM

1 Hour

Almond is an important nut crop in Australia. The University of Adelaide in collaboration with the Almond Board of Australia, and Horticulture Innovation Australia, is conducting a long-term almond breeding program, the only one of its kind in Australia. The program began in 1997 and aims to produce self-fertile almond cultivars with superior kernel quality as well as high productivity and local adaptation that will supply both local and overseas markets. The program focuses on classical breeding, molecular techniques such as fingerprinting and genome mapping to aid the breeding program, virus detection in mother trees using molecular methods, and tissue culture techniques including cryopreservation of almond germplasm for future storage. The industry recognizes that breeding is a long-term commitment that is essential if it is to fulfil its goal of expanding its export markets.

Presenter: Dr Michelle Wirthensohn

Organisation: The University of Adelaide

Target Audience: Lab officers, Middle school (yr. 6-9) teachers, Primary school teachers, Senior school (yr. 10-12) teachers, Tertiary educators

Name Time Duration
2S01 - Unreal Science - using AR and VR to develop science exploration and understanding

12:05 PM

1 Hour

The ‘virtual science experiment’ may soon be possible.. 360˚ camera will be available, if possible, bring a VR viewer (details of VRcardboard will be available) Several AR editors will be examined, free licence for educators. Beacons possibilities will be explored. Just in time serving of data and information based on proximity or location.

Presenter: Gary Bass

Target Audience: Lab officers, Middle school (yr. 6-9) teachers, Primary school teachers, Senior school (yr. 10-12) teachers, Tertiary educators

Name Time Duration
Cutting Edge 2A - Aboriginal Australian DNA reveals a 50,000 year connection with Country

12:05 PM

1 Hour

Using historic samples of hair clippings obtained from Aboriginal Australians, collected from around Australia and across the outback, we have reconstructed the first detailed picture of the initial colonization of Australia – some 50,000 years ago. DNA retrieved from the hair samples, along with the remarkable anthropological metadata collected during the original expeditions, have allowed us to look back to the period before European arrival and widespread disruption of Aboriginal life. The genetic patterns reveal how the first populations rapidly moved around the Australian coast, before penetrating into the interior. Following this initial phase, there seems to have been very little subsequent population movement, underlining the very deep and longstanding relationships between Aboriginal groups and Country, and their remarkable longevity in the face of extreme environmental changes. This work is the first stage of an ongoing project with Aboriginal communities and families around the country, run by the University of Adelaide and South Australian Museum. Our aim is to work with communities to develop and strengthen their histories and explore the pre-European past, and to bring this knowledge to the rest of Australia, especially schools and students.

Presenter: Alan Cooper & Ray Tobler

Organisation: The University of Adelaide

Target Audience: Lab officers, Middle school (yr. 6-9) teachers, Primary school teachers, Senior school (yr. 10-12) teachers, Tertiary educators

Name Time Duration
Cutting Edge 2B - Novel Solar Cells or Where will we get our energy from in the future?

12:05 PM

1 Hour

One of the most important issues facing society is the ability to supply the world’s energy requirements via both environmentally responsible and sustainable means. Renewable energy, and in particular solar energy, has the potential to address current issues in energy production but costs, both in terms of the energy required for production and final price to the consumer, as well flexibility in terms of system deployment are problems that will need to be addressed. This talk will focus on work to make new architectures for solar cells.

Presenter: David Lewis & Joe Shapter

Organisation: Flinders University

Target Audience: Lab officers, Middle school (yr. 6-9) teachers, Primary school teachers, Senior school (yr. 10-12) teachers, Tertiary educators

Name Time Duration
3S01 - Teaching Stage 2 Biology in 2018?

2:00 PM

1 Hour

Biology in 2018 will be using the new SACE accredited subject outline. With some significant changes in both content and assessment requirements, this workshop will bring into focus some of these changes and provide some indication on the depth of understanding that will be needed by students. Suggestions for how to approach the new course will be of particular emphasis in this workshop. The new topics of DNA and Proteins, Cells as the Basis of Life, Homeostasis and Evolution, include concepts that cover some of the latest technologies being used in Biology, which may be unfamiliar to some teachers and so these will be also be addressed.

Presenter: Dr Kathy Adams

Organisation: SACE Board of SA

Target Audience: Senior school (yr. 10-12) teachers

Name Time Duration
3S02 - Getting The Picture Scientifically

2:00 PM

1 Hour

In science, observation and communication are vital skills. Whether it be through the use of magnifying glasses through to a synchrotron, both skills are enhanced by the use of technology. Whilst the hands-on use of synchrotrons is out of the reach of schools, most students now have potential access to a range of other powerful tools and options to capture and share digitally. In this session we will explore how digital images and video can enhance learning in the science classroom.

Presenter: John Pearce

Organisation: Deakin University

Target Audience: Lab officers, Middle school (yr. 6-9) teachers, Primary school teachers

Name Time Duration
3S03 - STEM Physics – Motion Analysis

2:00 PM

1 Hour

This seminar/demonstration is designed to show how to implement, from both a teacher and student perspective, the use of video and images to analyse motion within the classroom. Using the free software "Tracker" from the Open Source Physics project out of Canada, students are able to collect calibrated measurement data from recording/photographing practicals for post-­‐analysis in spreadsheets. Examples of year 12 Physics work will be shown with the projectile motion and the Teltron tube experiments.

Presenter: Paul Gavini

Organisation: Marryatville High School

Target Audience: Middle school (yr. 6-9) teachers, Senior school (yr. 10-12) teachers, Tertiary educators

Name Time Duration
3S04 - Turning everyday objects into a science investigation

2:00 PM

1 Hour

Using your imagination and a little obtuse thinking see how you can use a variety of everyday objects to provide the basis of a science investigation. (Kitchen roll will not be used in this session!)

Presenter: Bill Flynn

Organisation: CSIRO Education and Outreach

Target Audience: Middle school (yr. 6-9) teachers, Primary school teachers

Name Time Duration
3S05 - (CANCELLED) Explicit Strategies for Improving Students' Writing in Science

2:00 PM

1 Hour

To achieve success in Science, students need to be able to write with the appropriate structure and language for the purpose. This workshop gives teachers of science practical strategies for teaching students how to plan and write scientifically, using the resource How to write what you want to say ... in Science by Patricia Hipwell and Lyn Carter. Participants will experience the modelling, joint construction and independent construction of scientific writing for various purposes, using graphic organisers, sentence starters and connectives. All participants will receive a complimentary copy of the resource.

Presenter: Catherine Black

Organisation: LogonLiteracy

Target Audience: Middle school (yr. 6-9) teachers, Senior school (yr. 10-12) teachers

Name Time Duration
3S06 - Water Quality Science

2:00 PM

1 Hour

Artificial wetlands provide a water filtration service on First Creek in the city. The effectiveness of this system is as yet unknown. The idea is to filter runoff water and store it in an aquifer until it can be utilized later in an irrigation system. Real field experience for an unknown situation is provided with a service fee.

Presenter: Bruce Baker

Organisation: Baker Environmental Education Services (BEES)

Target Audience: Lab officers, Middle school (yr. 6-9) teachers, Primary school teachers, Senior school (yr. 10-12) teachers, Tertiary educators

Name Time Duration
3S07 - STEM with Smart Phones

2:00 PM

1 Hour

There is no denying that Mobile Phones are a source of disruption in schools. But most smart phones now come packed with a wide range of sensors and capabilities that exceed the capacity of most school labs. It’s time to look at Mobile phones as tools that can support active learning – through new pedagogic approaches that exploit the sensor and processing capacity to create entirely new 20th century learning experiences. We have found the levels of engagement to be significantly higher in our phone based sessions in comparison to conventional sessions. There are strong indications that the learning outcomes that we are currently measuring are also significantly higher. There are significant efforts world-wide to use mobile phones for Education. I will be sharing our experience in developing phone microscopy, a measurement, sensor and internet of things and newtons laws sessions along with interesting examples from other parts of the world.

Presenter: Sivam Krish

Organisation: University of Canberra

Target Audience: Lab officers, Middle school (yr. 6-9) teachers, Primary school teachers, Senior school (yr. 10-12) teachers

Name Time Duration
3S08 - (CANCELLED) Stage 2 Chemistry 2018

2:00 PM

1 Hour

What’s New in SACE Stage 2 Chemistry • A brief overview of changes in Assessment and Science Inquiry Skills • A look at changes from the old Key Ideas and Intended Student Learning to the new Science Understanding • Planning a task that incorporates Science as a Human Endeavour

Presenter: Robyn Pillans

Organisation: SACE Board of SA

Target Audience: Senior school (yr. 10-12) teachers

Name Time Duration
3S09 - Beyond Real Science - using simulations to model data

2:00 PM

1 Hour

In this session, inaccessible situations will be modelled using the examples of solar cells and wind turbines. A variety of software models are explored, then hands on activity will gather data. Comparison between ‘real’ and theory data can be attempted.

Presenter: Gary Bass

Target Audience: Middle school (yr. 6-9) teachers, Senior school (yr. 10-12) teachers

Name Time Duration
4S01 - Effective Questioning in Science

3:05 PM

1 Hour

"Not all tasks are created equal, and different tasks will provoke different levels and kinds of student thinking" Stein, Smith, Henningsen, Silver, 2000. In this workshop, we will explore effective questioning strategies and techniques to design tasks for learning science. We will explore how we can transform learning for cognitive engagement and intellectual stretch using the content descriptions and achievement standards.

Presenter: Katrina Elliott

Organisation: DECD

Target Audience: Middle school (yr. 6-9) teachers, Primary school teachers

Name Time Duration
4S02 - Making, Makerspaces, STEAM and the Australian Technologies Curriculum

3:05 PM

1 Hour

Most of you will be familiar with urgings to embrace STEAM, (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths) in your teaching. Others may have heard of the Maker Movement and Makerspaces and maybe Design Thinking and maybe even the Internet of Things. All of these fit neatly within the new Australian Technologies Curriculum and there is quite a lot of overlap with the science curriculum. In this session we will explore some of the principles underpinning these movements and linkages.

Presenter: John Pearce

Organisation: Deakin University

Target Audience: Lab officers, Middle school (yr. 6-9) teachers, Primary school teachers

Name Time Duration
4S03 - Concept mapping for constructivist teaching and the rapid development student essays / presentations

3:05 PM

1 Hour

Concept mapping is a powerful tool that allows one to quickly and visually differentiate learning and highlight deficiencies in knowledge and poorly constructed understanding. I will demonstrate the two main types of concept mapping and how it can be implemented to produce rapid and concise essays, presentations and even teacher lesson planning! Software that assists with these processes, will be demonstrated. This is a definite must for beginning teachers and those seeking alternative ways to assess student knowledge and understanding whilst producing a greater quality of product. NB: this workshop will be an interactive session with questions and answers as the workshop goes on.

Presenter: Paul Gavini

Organisation: Marryatville High School

Target Audience: Middle school (yr. 6-9) teachers, Primary school teachers, Senior school (yr. 10-12) teachers, Tertiary educators

Name Time Duration
4S04 - Chemical Security in School Science areas

3:05 PM

1 Hour

Peter will discuss the issues of chemical security as they relate to school science areas. Some substances that are widely used in the community can also pose risks as precursor chemicals for the manufacture of explosives or illicit drugs. Which of these chemicals are likely to be in school science areas, and what security precautions are appropriate?

Presenter: Peter Turnbull

Organisation: ASTA/SASTA

Target Audience: Lab officers, Middle school (yr. 6-9) teachers, Senior school (yr. 10-12) teachers

Name Time Duration
4S05 - Taking the textbook online with Education Perfect

3:05 PM

1 Hour

Are you looking to take advantage of the latest in technological advancements, while ensuring that your students’ learning needs are addressed and your pedagogy remains effective? Education Perfect is designed as a replacement for the traditional textbook and presents a flipped classroom, allowing your students to gain an understanding of topics through rich images and video. World-class reporting gives you meaningful insights into students’ learning and the latest in live monitoring, and customisable content (aligned with the Australian curriculum) is incorporated into this intuitive platform. Come along to learn more about how you can implement Education Perfect in your classroom and make the most of this exciting and engaging program!

Presenter: Tania Christie

Organisation: Education Perfect

Target Audience: Middle school (yr. 6-9) teachers, Senior school (yr. 10-12) teachers

Name Time Duration
4S06 - Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary (Sec)

3:05 PM

1 Hour

The Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary (AIBS) is a unique resource for teaching and learning on Adelaide's doorstep. The AIBS offers amazing opportunities for science / environmental studies locally and internationally.

Presenter: Bruce Baker

Organisation: SASTA and Friends of Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary

Target Audience: Lab officers, Middle school (yr. 6-9) teachers, Primary school teachers, Senior school (yr. 10-12) teachers, Tertiary educators

Name Time Duration
4S07 - New Opportunities in the teaching of SACE Earth and Environmental Science

3:05 PM

1 Hour

This workshop will feature an overview of recent activities of our Geoscience Pathways Project, with a special focus on support and resources for the new SACE Earth and Environmental Science courses. We also support the teaching of middle years Earth and Space topics. Membership is free. Our partner schools access fully funded field and laboratory investigations, either with our mentor teacher-geologist, or in a well-equipped Earth Science school laboratory, or in laboratories at our partner Universities. Bus subsidies are available. Our work is sponsored by the Geological Society of Australia, AusIMM and the SA Department of State Development.

Presenter: Dr Bronte Nicholls

Organisation: Geoscience Pathways Project

Target Audience: Middle school (yr. 6-9) teachers, Primary school teachers, Senior school (yr. 10-12) teachers

Name Time Duration
4S08 - Sustainable Housing as a context for teaching about heat

3:05 PM

1 Hour

The STELR Sustainable Housing module is the newest, ready-to-use resource in the STELR Program. Purpose-built equipment allows students to undertake injury-based learning into the design and materials used to make energy efficient homes. This module includes activities that map to the Australian curriculum, covering topics such as heat transfer by conduction, convection and radiation and the particle theory of matter. Research has shown that topics that address global warming and climate change are relevant and engaging for students, resulting in a program that is easy to teach and fun to learn. STELR is an initiative of the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering (ATSE).

Presenter: Pennie Stoyles

Organisation: ATSE

Target Audience: Lab officers, Middle school (yr. 6-9) teachers, Senior school (yr. 10-12) teachers

Name Time Duration
4S09 - Big Data Requires Huge Analysis

3:05 PM

1 Hour

The Internet of Everything (IoE) is generating a huge fog of data. Smart tools are available beyond the standard spreadsheet approach. This hands on interactive workshop will use data sources and software to answer simple questions. Plotly and Tableau are examples of drag and drop data visualisation web Apps. eg. What does your phone metadata reveal? How many Pokemon are there? (A complete database listing is provided)

Presenter: Gary Bass

Target Audience: Middle school (yr. 6-9) teachers, Senior school (yr. 10-12) teachers

28th Apr 2017

Name Time Duration
5S01 - Keep calm and throw out your textbook!

9:30 AM

1 Hour

If you get stuck without a textbook, don't fear! There are many benefits to teaching students without textbooks including increased creativity, flexibility, tailoring to student cohorts and contexts and increasing differentiation. Be shown many free, online resources that we have reviewed for you, and experience what learning without a textbook is like. By Dr Catherine O'Halloran and Lara Lang from Cabra Dominican College

Presenter: Lara Lang & Dr. Catherine O'Halloran

Organisation: Cabra Dominican College

Target Audience: Middle school (yr. 6-9) teachers

Name Time Duration
5S02 - STEM de-Codified

9:30 AM

1 Hour

Most of you will have seen in the media the call to embrace STEM in schools. Some may also be familiar with the push to include coding in the curriculum. Both are often mentioned in the same reports. In this session we will explore why, how and where coding might fit within the science curriculum. Participants will explore how we can code with and without the use of technology as well as be directed to resources which can be used both within the classrooms as well as the staffroom.

Presenter: John Pearce

Organisation: Deakin University

Target Audience: Lab officers, Middle school (yr. 6-9) teachers, Primary school teachers

Name Time Duration
5S03 - (CANCELLED) Inquiry based learning- a powerful teaching tool

9:30 AM

1 Hour

Inquiry based learning – a powerful teaching tool What is inquiry based learning Learning concepts through inquiry-observing, visualising, classifying, defining, measuring, quantifying etc Challenges in Inquiry based learning Addressing the challenges in IBL Unstructured and structured tasks in IBL Tackling unstructured and structured tasks with examples

Presenter: Priya Ghosal

Target Audience: Middle school (yr. 6-9) teachers, Primary school teachers, Senior school (yr. 10-12) teachers

Name Time Duration
5S04 - STEAM approaches to investigations in wind energy

9:30 AM

1 Hour

A STEAM approach to exploring wind energy will see participants designing, making and testing their own windmill to lift a load weight or build a sail to race across the floor! Who can design and build the most efficient machine? Can you design a functional yet aesthetically pleasing device? These activities are well suited to any studies of forces and energy but fits well with Year 4 Forces, Year 6 Alternative Energies, Year 7 Unbalanced Forces and Year 8 Forms of Energy. There will also be an opportunity to explore wind turbine construction with the option of collecting energy and power data in an electric circuit.

Presenter: Allan Morrison

Organisation: Scientrific Pty Ltd

Target Audience: Middle school (yr. 6-9) teachers, Primary school teachers

Name Time Duration
5S05 - Maths, English and Science meet in Earth & Cosmos

9:30 AM

1 Hour

Experience Problem-Based Learning first hand. We shall discuss why should we move onto Intercurricular Studies, followed by an open-ended task we did at ASMS which was very well accepted by students.

Presenter: Maja Williams

Organisation: Australian Science and Maths School

Target Audience: Middle school (yr. 6-9) teachers, Senior school (yr. 10-12) teachers

Name Time Duration
5S06 - This is how papermaking becomes child's play!

9:30 AM

1 Hour

The fascination in papermaking is that you: 1) don't know how the fibre in the paper is going to turn out until nature dries it and pulls it together - banana leaves 2) don't know how the surface texture will look until the lace print imparted on the paper is peeled from the felt 3) don't know how the petals in your vat will randomly form on your sheet or how finely pressed flowers will look embedded in your paper until it dries 4) don't know how the secret invisible message will read until the paper is held up to the light 5) don't know if the paints will sink or flow on the surface tension of the marbling medium where patterns are transformed onto paper The experimental mad science of it all makes it become one continuing obsession!

Presenter: Tracy King

Organisation: The Travelling Papermaker

Target Audience: Middle school (yr. 6-9) teachers, Primary school teachers

Name Time Duration
5S07 - Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary

9:30 AM

1 Hour

Every year over 27,000 migratory birds travel frm the Arctic Circle to the northern Adelaide metropolitan shoreline to feed in the biodiverse rich mud flats of the Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary (AIBS). The AIBS stretches from St Kilda to Port Parham along the upper St Vincent Gulf coastline. The AIBS education program aims to engage schools across the northern Adelaide area with the habitat, ecosystems and conservation value of the AIBS through immersing students in nature-based learning and activities. A pilot program has been delivered to three schools in 2016 with the aim of increasing this in 2017.

Presenter: Julian Marchant

Organisation: NRM Education

Target Audience: Primary school teachers

Name Time Duration
5S08 - The Future, Science, and the Internet of Things

9:30 AM

1 Hour

The future is unfolding before our eyes toward an ever-more-connected world, courtesy of the internet. New devices operated by the internet independently of human intervention are increasingly being invented and becoming widely adopted by society. What science operates behind and supports these devices? Are we heading towards a Dystopian Future or a Reinvented Paradise?

Presenter: Vanessa Fay

Organisation: Australian Maths and Science School

Target Audience: Middle school (yr. 6-9) teachers, Senior school (yr. 10-12) teachers

Name Time Duration
5S09 - Beyond Real Science - using simulations to model data (repeat of 3S09)

9:30 AM

1 Hour

In this session, inaccessible situations will be modelled using the examples of solar cells and wind turbines. A variety of software models are explored, then hands on activity will gather data. Comparison between ‘real’ and theory data can be attempted.

Presenter: Gary Bass

Target Audience: Middle school (yr. 6-9) teachers, Senior school (yr. 10-12) teachers

Name Time Duration
5S10 - Moving Beyond Textbooks - Stile demonstrates online interactive science lessons from Cosmos Magazine

9:30 AM

1 Hour

In this hands on workshop you'll begin by experiencing online interactive science lessons from Cosmos Magazine as a student. After that, you'll find yourself working collaboratively to create your own online interactive lessons, ready for use with your own class. Suitable for Y7-10 science teachers with any level of IT experience, this workshop will provide you with some insight as to why Stile has grown by 10x in the last year, and why more schools are ditching their science textbooks in favour of online interactive lessons.

Presenter: Sarah Lindop

Organisation: Stile Education

Target Audience: Middle school (yr. 6-9) teachers

Name Time Duration
Keynote 2 - STEM agendas, expectations and implications for teaching

11:00 AM

1 Hour

STEM agendas, expectations and implications for teaching Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) is actually not a new agenda but emerged in the 1990s in the US, UK and the European Economic Commission. Over the years there have been a number of periods of targeted activity around STEM, such as that being experienced in Australia now at both state and national levels. The drivers behind this agenda are economic (i.e., workforce) and political (i.e., future national prosperity). Interestingly, the notion of STEM has changed substantially in its current form. Initially, STEM was used to raise public awareness regarding the relevance and importance of each specific discipline while in its current form many conceive of STEM as an entity in its own right. This major shift is associated with two key educational issues: (i) a lack of sufficient time in which to develop a shared understanding of STEM; and, (ii) a lack of substantive peer-reviewed educational research in the area to inform STEM policy and initiatives. Hence, in the absence of these two components there is the potential for diverse ideas around STEM to co-exist creating considerable confusion and little consistency. As educators and teachers our focus is on the learning of our students – helping all to build a foundational understanding of science and STEM while developing and enhancing their competency around the associated skills. What is most critical for us as teachers is to nurture and help our students become independent learners so that they are able to use their knowledge to build ‘new knowledge’ while adapting their skills to a range of career and job opportunities as required in the future. Education for life is at the heart of what we do - not merely prepare our students for the immediacy of particular jobs or careers, which is often the view of politicians. So, given the ‘moving feast’ around STEM - What can we do to support our students in the STEM area? In addition to elaborating on some of the key aspects mentioned here, the presentation attempts to offer practical ideas for implementing STEM in ways that are not overwhelming to teachers. This will be achieved by accessing the substantive research findings currently available about strategies and pedagogies known to make a difference to student learning, understanding, and engagement in science, technology and mathematics education.

Presenter: Debra Panizzon

Organisation: University of South Australia

Target Audience: Middle school (yr. 6-9) teachers, Primary school teachers, Senior school (yr. 10-12) teachers

Name Time Duration
6S01 - Implementing Science Inquiry in Years 7 to 10 Science

12:05 PM

1 Hour

Science investigations, practical work, fieldwork, in fact a range of hands-on activities are used to teach the Science inquiry skills strand of the Science 7 to 10 Syllabus. While students regularly report enjoying hands-on activities, teachers often struggle to shift from prescriptive investigations to open-ended inquiry. Furthermore, it is often challenging to understand how to scaffold inquiry learning as required in the syllabus. We will use an ‘inquiry slider’ to shift an investigation from a prescriptive activity, to guided inquiry to open-ended inquiry. In this hands-on workshop, participants will work on an investigation and obtain resources to assist with implementing and assessing where the students are on the ‘inquiry slider.’

Presenter: Andrew MacKinnon

Organisation: University of Adelaide

Target Audience: Middle school (yr. 6-9) teachers

Name Time Duration
6S02 - My Teaching Has Become Robotic, How About Yours?

12:05 PM

1 Hour

Believe the hype and within a couple of years, robots will dominate our workplaces, service our every need and potentially make us subservient to their domination. Things might not be quite as we anticipate however. Affordable electronics combined with a range of factors have seen an evolving range of robotic toys ripe for inclusion with classrooms. In this hands-on session you will get the chance to play with some of these whilst considering how to include them in your science curriculum.

Presenter: John Pearce

Organisation: Deakin University

Target Audience: Lab officers, Middle school (yr. 6-9) teachers, Primary school teachers

Name Time Duration
6S03 - Oliphant Science Awards Information Workshop

12:05 PM

1 Hour

The Oliphant Science Awards Competition is a great way to incorporate science learning into any classroom! SASTA and the Oliphant Science Awards Committee will be holding an information workshop for those interested in becoming involved in the 2017 competition. This session will give you a chance to hear about the event, what you need to do to register, tips on what criteria the projects need to meet and the key dates to remember.

Presenter: Gerald Little & David LeCornu

Organisation: SASTA

Target Audience: Lab officers, Middle school (yr. 6-9) teachers, Primary school teachers, Senior school (yr. 10-12) teachers

Name Time Duration
6S04 - STEM approaches to collision investigations

12:05 PM

1 Hour

If you are looking for ways to engage your students in challenging real world problem solving that incorporates design and testing regimes in an integrated STEM approach, then this workshop is for you. The workshop challenges participants to design and test a device to reduce the impact of a collision to “safe” limits. Real world examples would include safety crumple zones for vehicles or crash barrier design. Taking a STEM approach to solving the problem will involve Engineering design as well as drawing on principles of Science supported by data analysis to provide a technological solution. The workshop will explore ways of collecting data that gives a basis for decision making in the design test and review method.

Presenter: Allan Morrison

Organisation: Scientrific Pty Ltd

Target Audience: Middle school (yr. 6-9) teachers, Senior school (yr. 10-12) teachers

Name Time Duration
6S05 - (CANCELLED) Explicit Strategies for Improving Students' Writing in Science (repeat of 3S05)

12:05 PM

1 Hour

To achieve success in Science, students need to be able to write with the appropriate structure and language for the purpose. This workshop gives teachers of science practical strategies for teaching students how to plan and write scientifically, using the resource How to write what you want to say ... in Science by Patricia Hipwell and Lyn Carter. Participants will experience the modelling, joint construction and independent construction of scientific writing for various purposes, using graphic organisers, sentence starters and connectives. All participants will receive a complimentary copy of the resource.

Presenter: Catherine Black

Organisation: LogonLiteracy

Target Audience: Middle school (yr. 6-9) teachers, Senior school (yr. 10-12) teachers

Name Time Duration
6S06 - Stage 2 Chemistry 2018 (repeat of 3S08)

12:05 PM

1 Hour

What’s New in SACE Stage 2 Chemistry • A brief overview of changes in Assessment and Science Inquiry Skills • A look at changes from the old Key Ideas and Intended Student Learning to the new Science Understanding • Planning a task that incorporates Science as a Human Endeavour

Presenter: Robyn Pillans

Organisation: SACE Board of SA

Target Audience: Senior school (yr. 10-12) teachers

Name Time Duration
6S07 - Flipping Senior Science - A Journey

12:05 PM

1 Hour

Do you want to spend more time with your students in class on the important aspects of learning? Do you want more time to get to know your students? Do you want more time to do experiments in class? If so then Flipped Learning may be the model for you. Flipped learning transforms classroom teaching by getting the students to learn important theory in their own time, and use class time to reinforce the theory. Flipped learning has been successfully implemented at Brighton Secondary School over the last 3 years. In this session I will share my experiences of flipping, show some examples of different types of flipping, provide evidence of its efficacy, and give participants some simple techniques for flipping their classes.

Presenter: Toby Ward

Organisation: Brighton Secondary School

Target Audience: Middle school (yr. 6-9) teachers, Senior school (yr. 10-12) teachers

Name Time Duration
6S08 - 30 Year 8s in a Lab - now what?

12:05 PM

1 Hour

Laboratory instruction allows students to engage in practical experiences and authentic discovery, apply theory to practice, and explore different methods of scientific inquiry while generating new knowledge. Leading a laboratory session has challenges and opportunities that differ from those in a standard classroom environment. This workshop examines how we can make the laboratory experience more meaningful for students and replace “cookbook” experiments with more engaging techniques. We will explore practical investigations that are clear and precise about the purpose of the activity and designed to assist students in thinking about the process of science, analysing and evaluating evidence and reflecting on their learning.

Presenter: Kate Dilger

Organisation: SASTA

Target Audience: Middle school (yr. 6-9) teachers, Senior school (yr. 10-12) teachers

Name Time Duration
6S09 - Big Data Requires Huge Analysis (repeat of 4S09)

12:05 PM

1 Hour

The Internet of Everything (IoE) is generating a huge fog of data. Smart tools are available beyond the standard spreadsheet approach. This hands on interactive workshop will use data sources and software to answer simple questions. Plotly and Tableau are examples of drag and drop data visualisation web Apps. eg. What does your phone metadata reveal? How many Pokemon are there? (A complete database listing is provided)

Presenter: Gary Bass

Target Audience: Middle school (yr. 6-9) teachers, Senior school (yr. 10-12) teachers

Name Time Duration
7S01 - World of Warcraft: A STEAM approach to Disease and Injury during war

2:00 PM

1 Hour

World of Warcraft is an integrated unit on WWII covering Maths, Science, HASS, English, Tech and Art. Students completed a disease/injury study. They developed skills by observing wounds and making 3D models. The study was supported by learning around the year 6-10 biology and run with a 6-10 class. In this workshop participants will discover how STEAM was integrated into a HASS unit and how the unit was developed to increase engagement. You will also get the chance to develop their scientific art skills through making fake wounds. We encourage bringing devices with photographic capabilities. This session does contain graphic images and participants will be working with fake blood, skin putty and makeup to create wounds on themselves.

Presenter: Alexandra Fowler & Karina Darling

Organisation: Woomera Area School

Target Audience: Middle school (yr. 6-9) teachers

Name Time Duration
7S02 - The Science of Data and the Australian Technologies Curriculum

2:00 PM

1 Hour

Science lives off data, data which continues to grow almost exponentially. At the same time there is an expectation that we analyse data faster and more accurately. Indeed much science these days is done via datasets more commonly referred to as “Big Data”. The new Australian Technologies Curriculum recognises the need to expose students to strategies to not only create data but to also represent and interrogate it in a range of creative ways. In this session we will explore some ways in which science education can embrace data, big and small.

Presenter: John Pearce

Organisation: Deakin University

Target Audience: Lab officers, Middle school (yr. 6-9) teachers, Primary school teachers

Name Time Duration
7S03 - Practical Lessons: a look behind the scenes!

2:00 PM

1 Hour

You've booked a prac for your science class. What happens next? The primary role of laboratory staff is to provide support to science teachers. But they do so much more! In this workshop, you will gain insight in the reasoning behind the various systems in place to ensure safe, engaging and achievable practicals lessons.

Presenter: Rianne Wright & Michelle Pretorius

Organisation: Immanuel College & Brighton Secondary School

Target Audience: Middle school (yr. 6-9) teachers, Primary school teachers, Senior school (yr. 10-12) teachers

Name Time Duration
7S04 - Food and fibre education for science teachers

2:00 PM

1 Hour

Food and fibre is mentioned 168 times in the Australian Curriculum, demonstrating its increasing importance as a learning area. The challenge now is to support teachers to integrate food and fibre education in their classrooms. The Primary Industries Education Foundation Australia (PIEFA) launched the Primezone web portal (www.primezone.edu.au), which showcases the abundance of high quality resources, including science resources, available to teachers. This workshop will demonstrate a number of developed resources including one Yr 10 Genetics resource and a Yr 7 Water resource.

Presenter: Ben Stockwin

Organisation: Primary Industries Education Foundation Australia

Target Audience: Middle school (yr. 6-9) teachers, Primary school teachers, Senior school (yr. 10-12) teachers

Name Time Duration
7S05 - Teaching Stage 2 Biology in 2018? (repeat of 3S01)

2:00 PM

1 Hour

Biology in 2018 will be using the new SACE accredited subject outline. With some significant changes in both content and assessment requirements, this workshop will bring into focus some of these changes and provide some indication on the depth of understanding that will be needed by students. Suggestions for how to approach the new course will be of particular emphasis in this workshop. The new topics of DNA and Proteins, Cells as the Basis of Life, Homeostasis and Evolution, include concepts that cover some of the latest technologies being used in Biology, which may be unfamiliar to some teachers and so these will be also be addressed.

Presenter: Dr Kathy Adams

Organisation: SACE Board of SA

Target Audience: Senior school (yr. 10-12) teachers

Name Time Duration
7S06 - FULL: MacGyver Challenge

2:00 PM

1 Hour

Blowing holes through walls with Sodium? Creating an ultra-light with bamboo, duct tape and a cement mixer engine? Our old mullet-toting mate, MacGyver brought STEM (Science, Technology Engineering and Maths) to a generation of youngsters before the acronym even existed. This workshop introduces the MacGyver Challenge chemistry test aimed at Year 10 students. Join me to see how applying chemistry knowledge in this practical-based challenge engages learners in a fun, exciting way that will have students telling you, ‘That test was so much fun!’

Presenter: Dr Sam Moyle

Organisation: Brighton Secondary School

Target Audience: Lab officers, Middle school (yr. 6-9) teachers

Name Time Duration
7S07 - SEEDS: A growing hope

2:00 PM

1 Hour

SEEDS is an acronym for Stewardship of Endangered Endemic Species. It involves students germinating and growing an endangered species of plant that is local to their school. Involvement in the program means students are actively engaged in "real" scientific research and can make a real difference to biodiversity.

Presenter: Bruce Baker

Organisation: Adelaide Botanic Gardens

Target Audience: Lab officers, Middle school (yr. 6-9) teachers, Primary school teachers, Senior school (yr. 10-12) teachers, Tertiary educators

Name Time Duration
7S08 - Using STEM to teach the digital technologies curriculum

2:00 PM

1 Hour

This session will demonstrate the use of peripheral devices, specifically the LogIT Explorer data logger, to solve authentic real life problems. The introduction of the TASC (Thinking Actively within a Social Context –Belle Wallace) wheel will provide a problem solving framework for participants to integrate the use of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths to find possible solutions to the scenario set. Part of the digital technologies curriculum for Year 3 and 4 states, ‘students explore digital systems in terms of their components, and peripheral devices’. I will demonstrate how to use the LogIT Explorer data logger which is a simple peripheral device that records temperate, sound and light levels in its basic mode. Participants will be required to use the data logger to ‘collect, manipulate and interpret data, developing an understanding of the characteristics of data and their representation.’

Presenter: Abby MacPherson

Organisation: Burnside Primary School

Target Audience: Primary school teachers

Name Time Duration
7S09 - Unreal Science - using AR and VR to develop science exploration and understanding (repeat of 2S01)

2:00 PM

1 Hour

The ‘virtual science experiment’ may soon be possible.. 360˚ camera will be available, if possible, bring a VR viewer (details of VRcardboard will be available) Several AR editors will be examined, free licence for educators. Beacons possibilities will be explored. Just in time serving of data and information based on proximity or location.

Presenter: Gary Bass

Target Audience: Lab officers, Middle school (yr. 6-9) teachers, Primary school teachers, Senior school (yr. 10-12) teachers, Tertiary educators

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