In less than a month EduTECH will take place at the International Conference Centre Sydney. This congress and exhibition runs from the 5-7th June and is an incredible opportunity for educators from around the globe to see the latest in technology and innovation. I had the privilege of presenting at EduTECH in 2015 on the topic of student blogging. This year I am presenting on the topic of digital citizenship. Last week I was interviewed by Education HQ, an online publication for Australian and New Zealand educators. The interview was focused in my involvement in EduTECH and current classroom innovations. Below is a transcript of the interview. Once the interview has been published I will link it on my Articles page.
What brings you to EduTECH this year?
I’m looking forward to gaining the latest information about innovations using technology in schools, as well as learning more about the digital technologies curriculum. EduTECH is a wonderful opportunity to network with teachers and leaders across the Asia Pacific region who are passionate about innovation in education. I am also interested in hearing from experts in education such as Sir Ken Robinson. The exhibition is also an excellent experience in gaining exposure to innovations in schools such robotics demonstrations and maker playgrounds.
What are you hoping to get out of the event? What are you hoping to gain from the keynote speakers more specifically?
I am hoping to be exposed to innovative technologies such as robotics, drones, 3D printing and virtual reality in teaching STEM. I am also hoping to connect with other passionate educators who are on the cutting edge of teaching practice.
They keynote speakers are Sir Ken Robinson and Dr Richard Harris. Sir Ken Robinson is one of the world’s elite thinkers on creativity and innovation. I am looking forward to hearing his passion for transforming culture of education through the rich conception of human creativity and intelligence. I hope to learn how teachers can best foster creativity and deep thinking in their students.
Dr Richard Harris is the Australian of the Year for 2019. He is an anaesthetist and cave diver who was involved in Tham Luang cave dive rescue in Thailand. At first glance Dr Harris is an interesting choice for keynote at EduTECH. But his presentation will address the 21st century skills that are necessary for our students to be successful. In the Tham Luang cave rescue Dr Harris had to use team work, problem solving and resilience. Thee are crucial skills for our students in order to work collaboratively to find innovative solutions to real world problems.
What can delegates expect to hear from you about? How did you gain expertise in this area?
I am presenting as part of the ICT management stream which is for tech professionals who are responsible for supporting education institution ICT systems and ensuring teachers and students are operating in a save environment. I will be talking about digital citizenship in primary school. This has evolved from my work at Emanuel School as Deputy Head of Primary and now Primary School Innovation Teacher as well as my years at Newington College as ICT Integrator. I will discuss the significance of equipping primary school students to be responsible digital citizens and the importance of parent partnership to ensure consistent messages and boundaries. I will go through structures, policies and teaching programs that we use to support students in developing strategies to develop a positive digital footprint. I will also outline two case studies for student use of social media and our management approach.
What are the tech tools/processes you’re using in the classroom right now that have you excited?
I am really looking forward to my units with Years 5 and 6 this term. In Year 5 we are looking at adaptations of Australian animals. Students have been set the challenge to discover and document some of our most interesting Australian animals as researchers for the CSIRO. Students are working collaboratively to develop Google Sites that have a range of elements including Tour Creator, Lucidchart, Mindomo and Animation. In Year 6 we are looking at a unit on Space. Students have been commissioned by the secretary general to take part in an important mission into space to save humanity. Students have to work in teams to design a digital solution to address an identified need to sustain life in space. I will be working with students using Hummingbird Duo robots designed by BirdBrain technologies coded using Scratch.
Tell me a little about Think Teach Learn – what compelled you to start it? What does ‘teaching strategically’ with technology look like to you?
My intention with Think Teach Learn is to share my knowledge and expertise with other educators. The blog is focused on thoughtful teaching. My mission is to inspire teachers to think strategically about their educational philosophy in order to truly engage their students.
One of the topics that I regularly write about is ICT and innovation. Teaching strategically ensures you are using technology for redefinition rather than substitution (Dr Pertendura). My posts help teachers select the best ICT tools that inspire innovation, fit seamlessly into the curriculum and can be adapted to suit a variety of student learning needs and abilities. I promote technologies that give teachers an insight into student thinking, for example screencasting. I also post about core skills that can be developed across the primary school using a range of tools such as video creation, animation and visual coding.
How do you think the way teachers use and teach digital technologies and computational thinking changing in the future?
The new curriculum has an emphasis on design and production of digital solutions. Students are being empowered to create technology based solutions. They need to understand literacy in coding that allows the technology of digital system to be created. Computational thinking involves systematic solutions to problems. Students have to organise data logically, break down problems, interpret patterns and then create and implement solutions. Design Thinking requires consideration of social, environmental and economic impacts of potential solutions. These skills are paramount for preparing students for 21st century jobs but also equipping them to solve future social, political, economic and environmental problems. We don’t know what the future will look like, so students need skills rather than knowledge that can be used to solve future problems.
