Most conferences currently being offered on STEM, STEAM and Entrepreneurship tend to be targeted towards teachers and involve a series of speakers and the occasional mini-workshops. This conference is designed to be different. This conference is designed by students and teachers for students and teachers.
The intent of the It Takes a Spark EDU Conference is to bring together Students (Year 4 to 10) and Teachers to connect with inspiring industry role models, share their current school based activities and projects using an authentic sharing and experiential model, create networks of teachers and student teams, and solve social justice design challenges.
The participation of the students is as important as teachers as our intent is to ignite, empower and nurture both to be leaders of STEAM and Entrepreneurship within their schools. This is a conference designed and led by students and teachers for students and teachers.
Teachers will have both formal and informal opportunities to speak to other teachers who have enacted programs and activities in their schools and get their questions answered.
The workshops and social justice design challenges are all hands-on so students and teachers will experience first-hand what it is like to be part of great STEAM and entrepreneurial learning. This will spark new ideas about curriculum and pedagogy.
Who Should Attend
- Students – those who are already (or aspire to be) Technology Leaders in your school
- Teachers – those who have little experience and those who have a lot
- Heads of Learning Areas / Curriculum – who wish to discuss how to create trans-disciplinary units that are powerfully engaging
- Principals and Deputy Principals – to witness what is possible by embedding the Technologies Curriculum in your school
INTRODUCING THE KEYNOTE SPEAKERS.....
DR RINA FU
Scientist, singer-songwriter,
author-illustrator
Since migrating from the concrete squeeze of Hong Kong to idyllic Perth as a ten year old, Rina has grown into a colourful composite of scientist, singer-songwriter, and author-illustrator.
Rina pursued a medical science career firstly in a pathology lab and then as a graduate student. Her doctorate on malaria drug resistance included various field trips to PNG and earned her the prestigious JFA-Sprent Medal from the Australian Society of Parasitology. She earns accolades as a teaching academic for her innovations as an instructor – testament to her enthusiastic and engaging style of science communication. She is the author of a picture storybook ‘My Mad Scientist Mummy’ and recently launched the medical science cartoon animation MicroToons!
DR SABINE BELLSTEDT
International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research UWA,
Superstar of STEM
Dr Sabine Bellstedt is an astronomer at the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research. Her love for physics arose from a desire to understand the world around her – from the quirks of the natural world (like why bubbles are coloured like rainbows), to the scientific basis of the technological world around her (like the photoelectric effect that makes solar panels work).
For Sabine, the most awe-inspiring aspect of physics is astrophysics. As an astronomer, she now uses some of the biggest telescopes in the world to work in the field of galaxy evolution. In addition to astronomy, Sabine is passionate about the environment, and trying to reduce her environmental footprint.
We will have the brightest educators, organisations and students who are passionate about STEAM lead either Teacher Oriented Mini-Master Classes and/or Student Oriented DigiDesign Mini Workshops. These sessions are short, sharp action packed with activities / communications. No waffle!
Teacher Mini-Master Classes – 40 minutes
Who will present: teachers / university / industry / sponsors
Audience: Teachers
Embedding STEAM into curriculum
Showcase projects, eg app design, creativity, circular design
Beginning to advanced teachers
Brilliant PD and conference presenter
Share knowledge and create networks
DigiDesign Mini Workshops – 40 minutes
Who will present: students / teachers / university / sponsors / organisations
Audience: Students Years 4 to 10 and Teachers
Students inspiring students
Interactive, hands on STEAM or entrepreneurial activities
Grow in confidence by sharing ideas / innovation
Unique public speaking opportunity
Participate in Problem Solvers Design Challenges
In the past we had challenges varying from Shaky Solutions – Earthquake simulator, Bee-pocalypse, TurtleGate, Self-Drive Cars, and Coding for Disaster Relief.
Each session will have a different real life design or STEAM challenge to solve aimed at students (Year 4 to 10) and teachers.
This session is an opportunity for schools, universities, industry, or community organisations to pose real life design challenges and lead student through the design process to ideate and present possible solutions.
Could this be you? Are you a Student, Teacher, Organisation or University?
TEACHER MINI-MASTER CLASSES
STEAMpunk Adventures – Take your students on a tailored journey around the world!
Gry Stene
STEAM Engine Global
Using enterprise skills to improve your students’ financial capability
Lacey Filipich
Money School
Leading STEM Inquiries in non-traditional STEM areas
Hayden Brown, Judith Lawrence and students
Halls Head College and WA Holocaust Institute
Cyber Teacher – Starting Up in Cyber Security
Tim Edwards, LifeJourney and Donna Buckley, John Curtin College of the Arts
Using Big Data with real data sets across STEM areas
Marianne Beattie and Samantha Rees
All Saints’ College
Drones and Robots – STEM Education can be more fun!
Richard Zhang & Anita Cheng
AIZONE & AICODE
DIGIDESIGN MINI WORKSHOPS - STUDENT and TEACHER
The Secret Science of Cryptography – Primary
Donna Buckley and students
John Curtin College of the Arts
The Secret Science of Cryptography – Secondary
Donna Buckley and students
John Curtin College of the Arts
Beacy Does Science Week
Students from Beaconsfield PS
STEM: From school to the real world
Nick Coplin
KodeKlix
LOTE language explorers with VRTY
Hayden Brown and Kingston Lee
Halls Head College and VRTY
AI and automation with DOBOT Magician Lite
Dr Fincy Patrick, Marwa El-Ayashy and Yr 7 students
Al-Ameen College
Arduino in the Classroom
Year 6 students & Sheree Pudney
CSIRO STEM Professionals in Schools Partner
St Hilda’s Anglican School for Girls
Virtual Reality: Beyond the Headset
Kay Hargreaves
Women In Technology WA
Solving Real-World Problems using Drones
Robopro Australia
AICODE
What parachute materials allows for the longest flight? (Primary)
Kristina Hicks
iFly Australia
Exploring Ocean Science
Sarah Curran Ragan
Little Genius Science
Investigating Terminal Velocity with a Skydiving Wind Tunnel (Secondary)
Kristina Hicks
iFly Australia
WA Robotics Clubs (WRC) Hands-On Workshop
WA Robotics Clubs
Cecil Andrews College
Mystery Box
Karen Donnelly and students
St Hilda’s Anglican School for Girls
Penguin Task Force Adventure
Andy Tan and Bronwin Vowles
St Hilda’s Anglican School for Girls
STEAM Expo hands-on activities area
Micro:bits Showcase
Seema Shorey and students
Grovelands Primary School
VR Mini Theatre
Year 7 students
Halls Head College
Kodeklix
Nick and Ellie Coplin
Kodeklix
Engineers Make Things Happen
Engineers Australia WA
A scientific investigation into UV light exposure on human skin
Coolbinia Primary School
Phased Array Ultrasonic Inspection
Richard Stocker
Stork Technical Services Australia
Coding drones to solve real life problems
Robopro Australia
AICODE
VR Site Tours
Steve Doubell
Construction Training Fund
CSI: Fingerprinting
Rhiannan Horton
North Metropolitan TAFE
Expand your Mind!
School of Psychological Science
UWA
STEM Outreach Program (AusEarthEd)
Cecily Arkell
Australian Earth Science Education
Going Bush with STEM Learning
Teachers and students
Coolbinia Primary School
Curious about Engineering?
Clough Group
Curved space-time
Einstein First
UWA
PROBLEM SOLVERS DESIGN CHALLENGE
Each session has a different real life design or STEAM challenge to solve aimed at Year 4 to 10 students. You will be posed with a real life design challenge and lead through the design process to ideate and present possible solutions.
Small Scale Renewable Energy
Engineers Without Borders
Around YOUR World in Eighty Minutes – A STEAMpunk Excursion
Gry Stene
STEAM Engine Global
Batteries in Recycling Challenge
Chee Wong
E2 Young Engineers Australia
Picture Book Engineering
Kelly Ngatai
Mount Lawley Senior High School
A Very STEM-y Christmas
Jessica Garara and Courtney Weaver
Carine Senior High School
The STEM Energy Game
Dr Marc Senders & Usha Patel
Woodside Energy Ltd
What is a Game?
Russell Scott
Vortals
Pipeline STEM Challenge
Cecily Arkell
Australian Earth Science Education
The Energy Transition – path to sustainability
Worley
Catapult Carnage
St Hilda’s Anglican School for Girls
What Makes Bridges So Strong?
Clough Group
FLOW OF THE DAY
TIME
EVENT / ACTIVITY
LOCATION
8.15 AM
REGISTRATION, COFFEE/TEA & NETWORKING
8.45 AM
MASTER OF CEREMONIES
Welcome to Participants, Set up for the Day, Housekeeping
9.00 AM
Keynote Speaker – Dr Rina Fu
9.40 AM
TEACHER ORIENTED MINI-MASTER CLASSES (Rotation 1)
- 40 min sessions
- Parallel sessions
- Presented by attending teachers / universities / industry
- Mini-master classes for teachers to explore specific aspect of embedding STEAM in their curriculum
- Various sessions will address beginning teachers, next step and extending
Breakout Rooms
Pre-registration required
9.40 AM
DIGIDESIGN MINI-WORKSHOPS + STEAM Expo (Rotation 1)
- 40 min sessions
- For teachers and students
- Parallel workshop stations
- Workshops demonstrate hands-on STEAM and / or entrepreneurial activities for Year 4 to 10 students
- Presented by attending students / teachers / universities / sponsors / organisations
Breakout Rooms
Pre-registration required
10.30 AM
MORNING TEA
An opportunity to network with other teachers and students, and explore trade displays.
11.00 AM
PROBLEM SOLVERS DESIGN CHALLENGE
- 80 min session – parallel sessions aimed at Year 4 to 10 students
- This session is an opportunity for universities, industry, schools, or community organisations to pose real life design challenges and lead students through the design process to ideate and present possible solutions.
Breakout Rooms
Pre-registration required
12.25 PM
LUNCH
An opportunity to network with other teachers and students, and explore trade displays.
1.00 PM
Keynote Speaker – Dr Sabine Bellstedt
1.40 PM
TEACHER ORIENTED MINI-MASTER CLASSES (Rotation 2)
- 40 min sessions
- Parallel sessions
- Presented by attending teachers / universities / industry
- Mini-master classes for teachers to explore specific aspect of embedding STEAM in their curriculum
- Various sessions will address beginning teachers, next step and extending
Breakout Rooms
Pre-registration required
1.40 PM
DIGIDESIGN MINI-WORKSHOPS + STEAM Expo (Rotation 2)
- 40 min sessions
- For teachers and students
- Parallel work stations
- Workshops demonstrate hands-on STEAM and / or entrepreneurial activities for Year 4 to 10 students
- Presented by attending students / teachers / universities / sponsors / organisations
Breakout Rooms
Pre-registration required
2.30 PM
WHERE TO FROM HERE
Student Session
- Awarding of prizes to attendees, conference feedback
- Opportunity for students to meet with university and industry experts and inspiring students.
Teacher Session
- The intent of this session is to build connections and networks to continue growing and learning after the conference.
3.00 PM
CLOSE OF CONFERENCE
Invitation to be on the Steering Committee for the following year.
REGISTRATION INFORMATION
VENUE
St Hilda’s Anglican School for Girls
26 Bay View Terrace
Mosman Park WA 6012
DATE
Tuesday, 7 December 2021
TIME / AGENDA
8.15am open
8.45am start – 3.00pm finish
CONFERENCE RATES
Teacher $195
Student $30
Pre-service/Aides $77
inclusive of GST, Morning tea and Lunch
Teachers are able to attend without students
We recommend max 30 students per school with minimum teacher ratio of 1T:10S
Upon registration you will receive a confirmation email and invoice, payment is via direct deposit or credit card. For full details click on the register button alternatively call Rachel on +61 (0) 411 270 277 to coordinate your registration or ask any questions.
It was fantastic. Our girls could not stop talking about it. It appealed to all of our girls in different ways and at different levels. Some of our girls thoroughly enjoyed the collaborative activities and hands-on activities and some of our girls thoroughly enjoyed talking with the guest speakers and presenters. It had something for everyone. The teachers we took also thoroughly enjoyed the conference and were inspired with the activities presented.
Toowoomba Teacher,
Toowoomba Region State School"I used to think STEAM was going to be boring because it was hard but now I think it is fun even if it is a bit challenging"
Student Testimonial,
Student participant"I understand that Science is so much more than just about scientists and I can enter a path or career that involves Science and I can solve world problems"
Student Testimonial,
Student participant“I attended the It takes a Spark Conference on Friday - it was wonderful! I really enjoyed the sessions and can see ways to incorporate them into incursions and excursions for blind and vision impaired students. It was also a great chance to network and see students participating in the activities. Thank you again.”
Katie Niedda,
Sensory Vision Education, School of Special Educational Needs: Sensory"Many thanks for such a well organised and well run conference. From our perspective and the feedback from others, it was a resounding success."
Jacqui Butler,
Strategic Technology, John Curtin College of the Arts“Thank you, I greatly benefited from attending the conference and hope to attend future conferences and recommend it to my peers.”
Samina Hasan,
Student Teacher 2nd Yr Masters, University of MelbourneMajor Sponsor
Gold Sponsor
Host School
Silver Sponsor
Supporting Organisation
Conference Organiser
GET IN TOUCH WITH US
Rachel Manneke-Jones
Registration & Bookings
Ph: 0411 270 277
E: rachel@spark-educonferences.com.au
Dr Adrian Bertolini
Conference Co-Ordinator
Ph: 0413 036 382
E: adrian@spark-educonferences.com.au
Become a Sponsor: adrian@spark-educonferences.com.au
Facebook: @SparkEDUConferences
Instagram: Spark.in.STEAM
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