2015 SASTA Annual Conference & Exhibition

9:30 AM

1 Hour

As the newly appointed Chief Scientist for South Australia, Leanna Read considers Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) education as one of the top priorities for her portfolio. She would like to see a future in which the Australian economy is dominated by innovative, research-intensive industries, and where science graduates and teachers are held in the highest esteem. Her keynote address will focus on the growing importance of STEM skills in Australia’s future workforce as well as the challenges and opportunities to achieve her vision. She will outline the need for industry transformation in Australia and the role of science and innovation in that transformation. At present, Australia’s industry sector rates poorly by international comparisons on the level of innovation, research and development – reflecting a long-term economic reliance on commodities and resources. Changing this mix will not be straightforward, but science education will be key – generating a new breed of graduates with a combination of strong technical skills and entrepreneurial approach. Leanna will outline her views on the strategies that need to be put in place to achieve such change, including incentives for students continuing STEM subjects, increasing the excitement and relevance of science, professional learning for teachers, industry partnerships and entrepreneurship training.

Presenter: Dr Leanna Read

11:00 AM

2 Hours

The workshop will assist participants to create their own google site and • upload material (docs/Ppps/PDFs) • link videos/ quizzes/ scroms/scootle objects/ interactive activities • lLink student support blog • link site to google classroom Participants will access presenter’s site & a potpourri of sites that can be used as an initial guidance. “HOW TO …” videos made by the presenter will be also shared to allow after session revisit and consolidation of the newly acquired knowledge/ideas.

Presenter: Alexandra Holeva

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

11:00 AM

1 Hour

Looking for a framework on which to base your science unit planning then look no further than the Five E’s; Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate and Evaluate. In order to get you started, this practical hands-on session will explore each of the E’s with easy to obtain materials and activities.

Presenter: John Pearce

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

11:00 AM

1 Hour

Today there is a need for detection of small amounts of chemicals in complex environments, such as detecting explosives or measuring molecules in blood. Light-based measurements can both give real-time results and detect minute concentrations. I will present work on laser spectroscopy in optical fibres as a detection technique for explosives and how this is applied to biomedical challenges. This work shows how our understanding of light-matter interactions creates tools for real-world problems.

Presenter: Dr. Georgios Tsiminis

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

11:00 AM

1 Hour

Caffeine, the world's most widely available and used drug, is finding more and more ways into our brains. It can positively affect alertness, mood and cognitive abilities, allowing us to study longer, work harder and even make it home safely on a long car journey. Marketing, consumer reactions and even the products available have all responded to an increasing level of dependency, but what is the downside? What do energy drinks mean for the intellectual development of highschool students?

Presenter: Dr.Stuart Baulk

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

11:00 AM

1 Hour

The term “Nanotechnology” has been bandied about since the mid-1990’s, but has it actually made a difference to the world we live in and more importantly to our individual lives? This presentation will explore real-world examples of how our lives have indeed been changed, from the things in front of our eyes to the way we will generate energy

Presenter: Professor David Lewis

11:00 AM

1 Hour

Kevin Norton is a Professor of Exercise Science in the School of Health Sciences at the University of South Australia. His current research and teaching interests include exercise-induced changes to health risk factors, interventions to increase physical activity among adults, and limits to human performance in sport. In this presentation, Professor Norton will demonstrate activities that link the teaching of physical education with scientific discovery in the field of biology through interactive tools that can be used in the classroom. These tools include Biology of Exercise, Game Analysis and Sport Search, providing teachers with an engaging and interesting way for students to learn about the foundations of biological processes.

Presenter: Professor Kevin Norton

12:00 PM

1 Hour

Would you and your students like to use free digital tools to create cartoons, quizzes, videos, surveys, word clouds, flashcards and other digital products in your science classes?This workshop session will enable you to explore a range of tools to engage and extend student learning. Britt's resources are collected at http://digitaltoolbox.wikispaces.com

Presenter: Britt Gow

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

12:00 PM

1 Hour

Knowing how to manage personal finances is one of the most important and challenging features of everyday life. It is a core life skill in today’s world. It affects quality of life, the opportunities individuals and families can pursue their sense of security and the overall economic health of Australian society. Money Smart Teacher Workshop 1 – Introduction to consumer and financial literacy education in Australia, will provide teachers with an opportunity to explore resources that support the teaching and learning of consumer and financial literacy (C&FL) through the Australian Curriculum learning areas. Resources have been developed by teachers for teachers and include a Teacher Guide, a Facilitator Guide and Units of Work supported by digital activities and other resources. C&FL is not another learning area and it certainly is not an ‘add on’ to what you already do. Rather than add to a curriculum with competing priorities, this workshop will provide real life learning experiences that engage students within the subjects you already teach.

Presenter: Kate Dilger

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

12:00 PM

1 Hour

Using photolithography, a process similar to photography, it is possible to build integrated circuits of billions of transistors. How does photolithography work? What are transistors anyway? And what are we going to do with a hundred billion of them? This presentation will give an accessible overview of transistor fabrication and operation, how they are used in conventional computers, and how researchers at the University of Adelaide are using them for a new kind of computer designed specifically for Artificial Intelligence.

Presenter: Dr Braden Phillips

12:00 PM

1 Hour

Sleep is related to physical, mental and developmental issues. This session will firstly review the science relating sleep to mental health (e.g. depression) physical health (e.g obesity) and academic performance will be presented. Secondly, data from a recent trial in secondary schools regarding sleep and mood over an entire school term. Thirdly, latest evidence about sleep education in schools, and how to integrate sleep into the health, biology and psychology curriculum areas.

Presenter: Associate Professor Sarah Blunden

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

12:00 PM

1 Hour

At Flinders University we have one of the world’s-best instruments for detecting very weak fluorescence with very high wavelength resolution. This instrument is used to determine the wavelengths of light that a molecule emits after irradiation by a laser. We have recently been modified the equipment to record many fluorescence wavelengths at once, thus allowing an entire fluorescence spectrum to be recorded for every pulse of the laser. Molecules give different fluorescence spectra when different laser wavelengths are used. This results in 2-dimensional images (laser wavelength vs fluorescence wavelength) that are characteristic of the molecule under investigation. The images, coupled with quantum physics, allow us to determine vibrational energies and rotational energies in a molecule, and thus gain an understanding of the dynamic structure of the molecule. During this talk I will explain the operation of the instrument and how the images are generated and give examples of the type of information that can be derived from the images. I will also discuss feedback that we received when these images were displayed as an art exhibition.

Presenter: Dr.Jason Gascooke

12:00 PM

1 Hour

How smart is your dog, and what influence has living alongside humans had on their ability to solve problems? This presentation explores the author’s scientific experiments relating to canine intelligence. Dogs will be compared to wolves and dingoes to provide some context to these skills, including why and how these have evolved, and what it means for dogs. It concludes by detailing the methodology used for conducting behavioural observational and experimental studies of animals

Presenter: Dr.Bradley Smith

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

2:00 PM

1 Hour

In this hands-on session we will explore the advantages of using Google Drive in a science setting, look at the differences between using this suite and traditional software and model ways in which Google Drive can improve your and your student’s productivity.

Presenter: John Pearce

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

2:00 PM

1 Hour

Citizen science can be a great way to engage students in authentic scientific research and has been made possible to a much greater degree by internet and communications technology. This session will allow you to explore a range of citizen science projects and demonstrate how to use mobile devices to photograph, locate, identify and record species of interest. NOTE: Please bring a fully charged laptop or mobile device with internet access.

Presenter: Britt Gow

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

2:00 PM

1 Hour

How and why should you flip your classroom? This workshop will address both of these questions. You will be provided with a range of techniques and strategies to enable you to produce recorded lesson content and implement it effectively. Attendees of this session may also be interested in attending the 'Teacher Recording Studio Introduction' session during workshop session 4.

Presenter: Jeremy LeCornu

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

2:00 PM

1 Hour

Open-ended investigations can provide students with the opportunity to pursue an area of interest to a depth that matches their level of ability. I will focus on differentiation as a model to develop investigations and how I link it to the Oliphant Science Awards and CREST Awards.

Presenter: Gerald Little

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

2:00 PM

1 Hour

“Science related study prepares a student for a lifetime of critical thinking and promotes a drive to find evidence and develop a broader picture of the world” (Chief Scientist 2012). What are the science inquiry skills you need to teach? How can you teach them effectively? This workshop uses hands-on activities to examine a simple approach to teaching the skills needed for science inquiry.

Presenter: Helen Silvester

Target Audience: Primary school teachers

2:00 PM

1 Hour

Ross Groocock (Murray Bridge High School) will share his experience in identifying and overcoming common student misconceptions, using the Britannica Pathways Science online program (newly updated for 2015). As students work through each lesson, they consider and reflect on their understanding of particular scientific concepts. They are then challenged to critically review information as it relates to their ideas. Through this process of critical and creative thinking, students develop a capacity to reframe their own understanding. Linda Wright from Britannica will be on hand to answer any product-related questions and offer 4 weeks’ free trial access to attendees.

Presenter: Ross Groocock

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

2:00 PM

1 Hour

Model rocketry is an exciting way to present the science of flight and space travel. Participants will be encouraged to build and launch their own model rocket. We will discuss themes such as forces and energy transformation and see first hand the engaging nature of the resource. Online worksheets and curriculum material will also be presented and can be viewd at www.dynamicscience.com.au/tester enter as a student with the details below organisationid=dynsci password= robots

Presenter: Stephen Razos

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

2:00 PM

1 Hour

Teaching Jobs London are an award winning company. We recently won the Education Recruitment Service of the Year for 2014 and were in The Sunday Times Fast Track 100 companies in the UK for 2014 for innovation and growth. One of the unique options we offer is iday. This is a week long all expenses paid trip to the UK to interview with multiple schools where candidates ultimately get to secure positions in UK schools. We would be talking to those teachers about the concept of iday, how the process works and how they can go about applying to teach in the UK.

Presenter: Barry de Silva

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

3:00 PM

1 Hour

Digital tools allow our students to connect, communicate and collaborate with peers and experts across the globe This workshop session will allow you to explore some of the tools that can be used to establish connections, share ideas and implement projects. We will set up Wikispaces, Twitter and Skype accounts and explore online science communities. Find out how to get experts to speak to your students for Science week or to support experiments and research projects.

Presenter: Britt Gow

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

3:00 PM

1 Hour

The advent of mobile phones and tablets have bought with them innovation other than apps. Augmented Reality, The Maker Movement, and Coding are just some of the options which are fast becoming available within the classroom. In this session we will explore some of these options using Makey-Makey, some fascinating AR options plus more.

Presenter: John Pearce

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

3:00 PM

1 Hour

Get a hands-on experience in a teacher recording studio and see how highly-effective video lessons can be produced.

Presenter: Jeremy LeCornu

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

3:00 PM

1 Hour

Have you ever wondered how to create a classroom environment where you cater for each individual student's needs? This workshop will look at how I changed my middle school science classroom to foster a blended learning environment. It will focus particularly on flipped classroom models and inquiry learning whilst looking at how Microsoft OneNote can provide the foundation for the instructional change. * Particpants are asked to bring their own computer with Microsoft Office and OneNote.

Presenter: Joanne Cowley

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

3:00 PM

1 Hour

Magic has always fascinated us and done properly can develop into a great unit of work in science where chemistry,biology and physics take on a whole new meaning. This workshop is based on a semester length, year 9-10 unit of work at Trinity Grammar. Participants will come away, if not with an entire new unit of work, with ideas to engage and motivate their students. Visit www.dynamicscience.com.au/tester Enter as a student with the details below organisationid=dynsci password= robots

Presenter: Stephen Razos

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

3:00 PM

1 Hour

Science contributes to solutions to the scarcity and increasing impurity of global water supplies. Join SA Water experts to explore water science. This workshop includes hands on classroom activities and expert knowledge sharing about this vital issue. The microbiology of wastewater, chemistry of drinking water and desalination will be covered.

Presenter: Hayley Morton

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

3:00 PM

1 Hour

Climate change presents one of the greatest challenges of our time. Ninety seven percent (97%) of the world’s climate scientists and one hundred percent (100%) of the world’s climate/meteorological societies agree that global warming and the resultant catastrophic impacts are the result of anthropogenic climate change. With more than 7 billion people now inhabiting our planet, the need for us to live sustainably has never been greater. This keynote firstly presents the science and the evidence of anthropogenic climate change and then the solutions and the case for Education for Sustainability. It concludes by demonstrating how Sustainability, one of the Australian Curriculum's three cross-curriculum priorities, can be integrated into science and across the curriculum.

Presenter: Ian Tooley

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

3:00 PM

1 Hour

Just like our STEM workshops on campus you will participate in an inquiry based sensor technology and problem solving activity. There will also be opportunities to ask questions about the many programs run by the UniSA Connect team. Student learning continues through a take away aspect incorporated into all our workshops. In sensor technology this includes sets of data for you to take home for further analysis.

Presenter: Victoria Fielding

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

9:30 AM

1 Hour

Let us take you on a journey of how science is taught at Trinity Grammar, with the use of computers, enabling the flipped classroom to take shape and the power of exciting activities. Participants will be given access to the resources and all will definitely come away with ways of engaging students. If participants wish to preview some of the resources they can email the presenter at razosp@trinity.vic.edu.au

Presenter: Stephen Razos

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

9:30 AM

1 Hour

You know what it’s like, someone has decided iPads are all the thing and now you're charged with using them in your classroom. Maybe it’s as basic as “how does this thing work” or more “how can I possibly learn all about all those apps”? In this session we will explore a range of resources and strategies which might maximise both yours and your student’s iPad experiences. Along the way we’ll look at some exemplar apps and how to source them.

Presenter: John Pearce

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

9:30 AM

1 Hour

DNA-based identification of missing persons can be a complicated and time-consuming process. In addition to the difficulties of extracting and typing DNA from skeletal remains, their can be considerable complexities finding suitable living family members to provide DNA references for comparison. In this desktop exercise, that simulates the problems encountered when multiple sets of remains from World War 2 are recovered, participants will search through family trees of 11 missing soldiers to select suitable living persons to provide a family reference DNA sample and then attempt to identify the remains by comparing DNA profiles.

Presenter: Dr Jeremy Austin

9:30 AM

1 Hour

Citizen science can be a great way to engage students in authentic scientific research and has been made possible to a much greater degree by internet and communications technology. This session will allow you to explore a range of citizen science projects and demonstrate how to use mobile devices to photograph, locate, identify and record species of interest. NOTE: Please bring a fully charged laptop or mobile device with internet access.

Presenter: Britt Gow

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

9:30 AM

1 Hour

Are you looking for new ways to engage students with investigations that utilise data collection technology? This workshop provides participants with a range of key experiments that provide rich data for analysis and interpretation. Experiments may include: analysis of fruit juice concentration; rates of chemical reaction investigations; rates of photosynthesis and pea respiration; investigating Lenz’s law. There will be a choice of workstations so that quality time can be spent on experiments.

Presenter: Raymond Harvey

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

9:30 AM

1 Hour

75 teachers worked collaboratively over 3 years to design curriculum for middle years students. The ATIP project aimed to reinvigorate studies in 19 secondary schools with specific focus on integrating maths and science with studies in technologies. This session will outline the professional learning program that supported the learning design of school based teaching teams for cross curriculum STEM programs. Examples of learning designs linked to the Australian Curriculum will be shared.

Presenter: Jayne Heath

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

9:30 AM

1 Hour

Why not teach a lesson about gravity based on the Rosetta comet landing? Or explore diseases in the context of the Ebola crisis? This hands-on workshop will guide you through Cosmos Magazine’s online interactive lessons, each of which is based on a breaking news article from the magazine. It is recommended that you bring a tablet or laptop to the workshop. Participants will be eligible for a discount on a Cosmos school subscription.

Presenter: Daniel Pikler

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

9:30 AM

1 Hour

Earth Science is a fascinating area of study particularly if you can make it experimental and hands on! This workshop attempts to give you a range of practical activities, to engage your students to understand more about the planet they live on. I will cover a broad range of topic areas to illustrate the breadth of the Earth Sciences. Some mathematics and computing will be used along the way and participants will receive CD’s containing many teaching resources ready to be used with your students. The topics and level of difficulty will suit students from year 9 to 12. The workshop will be useful for Science Teachers and Laboratory Technicians, as some equipment will need to made for some practicals.

Presenter: John Mignone

9:30 AM

1 Hour

Verso is a fantastic online resource that can enable you to flip your classroom and facilitate in depth and robust class discussions. Students are able to collaborate in an anonymous forum and are rewarded by their peers for quality responses. Verso also provides students and teachers with statistics to measure their productivity.

Presenter: Jeremy LeCornu

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

11:00 AM

1 Hour

Identifying the remains of missing persons, either natural mortalities or victims of murder, natural disaster, terrorism, wars and/or humanitarian violations, is a growing global issue with significant social, legal and cultural impacts. More than 100,000 Australians have been killed in combat since WWI. Tens of thousands of these are still listed as missing in action (MIA) and their remains have not yet been recovered. Ongoing work by the Australian Defence Force (ADF) to locate and recover remains in Europe (e.g. Fromelles, ~ 400 British and Australian WWI war dead recovered), Korea (where 42 Australians are still MIA) and the Pacific (e.g. Papua New Guinea, thousands of Australian WWII MIAs) highlights the scale and time-span over which identification of Australia’s war dead is required. Recovery and identification of war dead is complex and requires sophisticated DNA analysis. When human remains are recovered they are usually quite degraded making identification complex and difficult. Traditional forms of identification (dental records, personal effects, identification tags) may not be sufficient. Over the past seven years, I have established advanced DNA forensic research expertise, infrastructure and capabilities at the University of Adelaide. I have used this expertise to assist the ADF (Navy and Army) with DNA-based identification of human remains recovered from WWII and later conflicts. In this talk, I will describe the challenges of working with highly degraded human remains and discuss some of the cutting-edge science being applied to the identification of Australian missing persons and war dead.

Presenter: Associate Professor Jeremy Austin

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

2:00 PM

1 Hour

The Flipped Classroom is “a pedagogical approach in which direct instruction moves from the traditional classroom space to an individual learning space”, but what does this mean in practical terms. This session will explore some ways in which you can flip your science teaching to include more meaningful “work done at home” for students as well as potentially enable more time for student engagement in class time.

Presenter: John Pearce

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

2:00 PM

1 Hour

Digital tools allow our students to connect, communicate and collaborate with peers and experts across the globe This workshop session will allow you to explore some of the tools that can be used to establish connections, share ideas and implement projects. We will set up Wikispaces, Twitter and Skype accounts and explore online science communities. Find out how to get experts to speak to your students for Science week or to support experiments and research projects.

Presenter: Brit Gow

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

2:00 PM

1 Hour

Enjoy some hands on science learning the processes involved in quality papermaking. A great way to engage primary and lower secondary students in process writing with a usable product at the end!

Presenter: Jo Hendrix

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

2:00 PM

1 Hour

This workshop uses practical experiences, supporting resources and dialogue to build participant familiarity with the General Capabilities and develop practical strategies for using them to increase the intellectual engagement of students and deepen their understanding of science concepts. Ethical Understanding, Critical Thinking and Personal and Social Capabilities will be a focus.

Presenter: Marianne Nicholas

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

2:00 PM

1 Hour

How do we help students develop a deep conceptual understanding of science? What is the difference between concepts and content? In this workshop we will look at how we can use the Conceptual Narrative Tool from the Leading Learning resource to develop a deep understanding of science concepts with different content.

Target Audience: Primary school teachers

2:00 PM

1 Hour

Have you ever wondered what drives the big decisions that are made around science and STEM education? Do you know what "Target 88", "Investing in Science" and "STEM: Australia's Future" refer to? In this workshop we will demystify these and other policy drivers and have some far ranging discussions about what they may mean for the future of science and STEM education.

Presenter: Jan Brooks

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

2:00 PM

1 Hour

Need support in the delivery of stimulating, inquiry-­‐based science activities that promote student investigation? Want a portal that directs you to only high-­‐quality teaching and learning resources directly linked to the Australian Curriculum: Science? Need your science teaching questions answered by an expert group of science teachers? Then come to this workshop and find out about Science ASSIST -­‐ a website that offers all of this! Science ASSIST is a new and innovative national online advisory service for school science educators and technicians. Using the Science ASSIST resource as the core stimulus, this workshop will focus on giving primary science teachers the tools they need to increase student engagement, strengthen critical thinking skills and promote self-­‐directed student exploration. Through this resource, teachers will have access to an extensive range of educationally sound and safety-­‐ compliant practical activities for a hands-­‐on, inquiry based study of science in school science laboratories and classrooms.

Presenter: Kate Dilger

2:00 PM

1 Hour

This workshop session will focus on those elements of the Australian curriculum which will strengthen your ability to use the achievement standards to assess student work, and provide you with strategies to continue this development in your school. We will look at the following aspects: • Curriculum overview, linking the elements of the curriculum • ACARA’s position on assessment • Using the achievement standard • Use of work samples and the achievement standard • Moderation & evidence

Presenter: John Pedrazzini

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

3:00 PM

1 Hour

We’ve all heard the stats that Facebook plays a major part in the day to day lives of our students. For most schools though Facebook is just too great a risk. Enter Edmodo, a social networking developed by teachers with education in mind. Simple to use Edmodo is very safe. In this hands-on session you will explore how Edmodo is the perfect tool to support science students working independently and in collaboration with others.

Presenter: John Pearce

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

3:00 PM

1 Hour

Would you and your students like to use free digital tools to create cartoons, quizzes, videos, surveys, word clouds, flashcards and other digital products in your science classes?This workshop session will enable you to explore a range of tools to engage and extend student learning. Britt's resources are collected at http://digitaltoolbox.wikispaces.com

Presenter: Britt Gow

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

3:00 PM

1 Hour

Engaging students has never had more exciting options than in the modern classroom, with integrated curriculum approaches, STEM/STEAM pathways and partnerships becoming part of pedagogical consciousness. Sadly though, student numbers in senior STEM subjects reflect poorly on these exciting opportunities. Why is this? It is vital to create STEM programs that are inclusive of gender interests ensuring longevity in these subjects, especially amongst female students. In this workshop we will explore a wide range of options to differentiate STEM learning in the classroom taking into account the importance of gender balance in pedagogy design and the need to broaden traditional approaches to STEM education.

Presenter: Sam Moyle

3:00 PM

1 Hour

In this workshop we will look at what executive function skills are and the critical role they play in student’s learning. We will explore the strategic shift towards teaching practices that develop students’ executive function skills and model how ‘stop and think’ skills can be deliberately incorporated into student learning of science concepts.

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

3:00 PM

1 Hour

Explore a selection of humorous stories I have written linked to particular Primary Connections units and complete some of the suggested follow-up activities. The stories are free to download from my website after the workshop. Basic familiarity with Primary Connections is helpful.

Presenter: John Flint

Target Audience: Primary school teachers

3:00 PM

1 Hour

This workshop will showcase the collaborative development of resources for Earth and Space topics of the Australian curriculum. Our Geoscience Pathways Project is an incorporated not for profit organization, currently with member teachers in 24 schools. New members are most welcome and joining is free. We have government, industry and professional association sponsorship to offer specialist equipment on loan, bus subsidies for student field investigations and teacher mentoring by geoscientists.

Presenter: Len Altman

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

3:00 PM

2 Hours

CSIRO, one of Australia’s largest informal science education providers, offers a range of education resources to assist teachers to engage students in STEM. In this fun, interactive session learn more about CSIRO’s three most popular national programs for schools; Sustainable Futures (formerly CarbonKids), Scientists in Schools and CREST. Explore the ways in which these programs align with and support the implementation of the Australian Curriculum in your classroom.

Presenter: Julie McClements

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

3:00 PM

1 Hour

This is a demonstration of Education Perfect in action, the online learning platform valued by 1,200+ schools and 300,000 students worldwide. You will see how students use Education Perfect and how Teachers use the Teachers’ Control Panel to customise content, set and assess tasks, create competitions, build examinations and track student progress. Contextual, competitive activities can make a positive impact on your students’ motivation and their learning outcomes!

Presenter: Mary Agrios

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