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 Grok Academy STEM 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 STEM 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 STEM and entrepreneurial learning. This will spark new ideas about curriculum and pedagogy.
Who Should Attend
- Students – those who are already (or aspire to be) STEM Leaders in your school
- Teachers – those who have little experience and those who have a lot
- Heads of Learning Areas / Curriculum – who wish to discover how to plan as a team to break down the discipline silos of learning
- Principals and Deputy Principals – to witness what is possible by embedding STEM authentically in your school
INTRODUCING THE KEYNOTE SPEAKERS.....
DR ELAHE ABDI
Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Mechatronics Engineering Monash University
Superstar of STEM
Dr Elahe Abdi is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Monash University. She is the Director of Robotics in Medicine and Interaction Laboratory and the Robotics Education Liaison Representative at the Australian Robotics and Automation Association.
Dr Abdi received her PhD in Robotics in 2017, from EPFL, Switzerland. She then moved to Australia to establish her research team active in human-robot interaction, shared autonomy and haptic, with application in medicine, construction and service robotics. Elahe has received numerous recognitions for her leadership and efforts for encouraging diversity in Engineering, including being selected as a Finalist for the Women’s Agenda Award “Emerging Leader in STEM” in 2021, and Women Leading Tech Award Education/Research in 2023. Most recently, she was named as one of Science and Technology Australia’s Superstars of STEM 2023.
PAULA WASIAK
Senior Research Officer, Phillip Island Nature Parks
Superstar of STEM
They may be the clowns of the animal kingdom but Little penguins are so much more. Fierce apex predators, long distance endurance swimmers, and a key indicator of ocean health. Paula’s mission is to make you fall in love with them – and inspire you to protect our coastal environments in the process.
Paula began her journey researching penguins in 2007 and has been found covered in penguin poop and elbow deep in burrows ever since. She coordinates and conducts Little penguin field research for the Phillip Island Nature Parks, supporting projects aimed at future-proofing Little penguins and unlocking the mysteries of the oceans.
Paula loves sharing her knowledge and has a passion for sharing nature stories with broader audiences, mixing in the serious science with funny anecdotes. You may have seen her doing just that on the ABC documentary Meet the Penguins, or you can hear her regularly on ABC Radio National.
HEAR FROM PAST PARTICIPANTS
TEACHER MINI-MASTER CLASSES
First Steps to designing a well-planned STEM program
Dr Adrian Bertolini
Intuyu Consulting / Spark STEM Conferences
Evaluating Possible, Probable and Preferable Futures Using Science Fiction
Jordan Michael
Richmond High School
Inspiring STEAM through problem solving challenges
Wendy Keen
Melbourne Girls’ College
Using AI tools – the good, the bad and the ugly
Grok Academy
Developing climate change problem solvers
Pathik Shah
Pakronics
Using Design Thinking to create or enhance your school’s STEM program
Stephanie Pollard
Malvern Valley Primary School
DIGIDESIGN MINI-WORKSHOPS - students and teachers
Railway Signalling with Puffing Billy
Peta Howard
Puffing Billy Railway
Good Design / Bad Design
Sid Verma
BrainSTEM
Detecting the Unseen: Dark Matter
ARC Centre of Excellence for Dark Matter Particle Physics
LEGO Algorithmics
Grok Academy
Is the beach really as clean as it looks – Secondary?
Dolphin Research Institute
Create a Chase Game using Scratch!
Students from Malvern Valley Primary School
Is the beach really as clean as it looks – Primary?
Dolphin Research Institute
A Bug’s Life!
Rowellyn Park Primary
High Powered Paper Rockets
Monash High Powered Rocketry
Man or Machine: How does Artificial Intelligence work?
Grok Academy
The Art of Rapid Prototyping
Kristen Hebden
Swinburne University of Technology
Gears in motion!
Nash Naidoo
STEMed Kits
STEM to STEAM: When art and science unite!
Thomastown Secondary College
Designing For Disability
Adam Oldmeadow
Akorn Education
Future of Fashion
Academy for Enterprising Girls
STEM Expo hands-on activities area
Grok Academy @ the STEAM Expo
Australian STEM Video Game Challenge
Australian Council for Educational Research
How can visual art communicate data?
Birgit Verhagen
The Knox School
Indigenous Creativity
Dr Tim Patston
Creative Actions
Stick Insects
Harrisfield Primary School
Volcanic Vista – Drone Mission
Pakronics
Augmented Reality Live
Worley
Blast off. Look out below!
ARC Centre of Excellence for Future Low-Energy Electronics Technologies (FLEET)
Monash University
The STEAM Journey at Puffing Billy
Puffing Billy Railway
Seed Paper
CERES
Remida resources and STEM exploration at Reverse Art Truck
Turning a micro:bit into a household item
John Paul College
Edunet Learning Showcase
Get STEMed!
STEMed Kits
Follow the Water
Frankston Primary School
Data Analysis & AI Technology
Elastik
Structural blocks – open ended STEM Play explorations
Green Hat Workshop
Invent Your World
MakerDojo
Pat’s Robots
Patrick McMahon
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.
Sustainably powered vehicles
John Paul College
Strange Devices
Casey Tech School
Space Design: Humans on the Moon
Emilie Nachtigall
Scienceworks/Museums Victoria
Creativity in Indigenous STEM
Dr Tim Patston
Creative Actions
Building a socially responsible digital future
ARC Centre of Excellence for Future Low-Energy Electronics Technologies (FLEET)
Monash University
Rover rangers: Let’s Explore Our Moon!
Swinburne Youth Space Innovation Challenge
Crash Course in Micro:Bit
Grok Academy
The Ideas Challenge
Sid Verma
BrainSTEM
Become a disease detective- solve an outbreak!
Rladies-Melbourne
Future of Food
Cat Kitney
Young Change Agents
What Does Learning Sound Like? Optimising acoustics for educational environments
Matthew Ottley – Marshall Day Acoustics & Fiona Young – Hayball Architects
Earthquake Proof Structure
Jacqui Ross
John Paul College
A Porpoiseful Problem
Dr Sue Mason
Cetacean Science Connections
Agenda
8.15 AM
REGISTRATION, COFFEE/TEA & NETWORKING
8.45 AM
MASTER OF CEREMONIES
Welcome to Country, Welcome to Participants, Set up for the Day
9.00 AM
Keynote Speaker – Dr Elahe Abdi
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 STEM in their curriculum
- Various sessions will address beginning teachers, next step and extending
Breakout Rooms
Pre-registration required
9.40 AM
DIGIDESIGN MINI-WORKSHOPS + STEM Expo (Rotation 1)
- 40 min sessions
- For teachers and students
- Parallel workshop stations
- Workshops demonstrate hands-on STEM and / or entrepreneurial activities for Year 4 to 10 students
- Presented by attending students / teachers / universities / sponsors / organisations
Breakout Rooms
Pre-registration required
10.25 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
11.00 AM
TEACHER NETWORKING
- 40 min session
- An opportunity to connect with other teachers and presenters to share ideas, possibilities and practices
Breakout Rooms
Pre-registration required
11.40 AM
STEM PATHWAYS SESSION
- 40 min session
- An opportunity to meet with the sponsors in the STEM EXPO area to discuss (without students) how they can support you in delivering and inspiring STEM in your school
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 – Paula Wasiak
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 STEM in their curriculum
- Various sessions will address beginning teachers, next step and extending
Breakout Rooms
Pre-registration required
1.40 PM
DIGIDESIGN MINI-WORKSHOPS + STEM Expo (Rotation 2)
- 40 min sessions
- For teachers and students
- Parallel work stations
- Workshops demonstrate hands-on STEM 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
FEEDBACK AND CONFERENCE COMPLETION
- Awarding of prizes to attendees
- Completion of feedback form
2.45 PM
CLOSE OF CONFERENCE
REGISTRATION INFORMATION
VENUE
John Paul College
161 McMahons Rd
Frankston VIC 3199
DATE Friday, 17 November 2023
TIME / AGENDA 8.15am open
8.45am start – 2.45pm finish
Read FAQ’s – suggestions on who should attend, answers about what stage you are at and if the conference will suit, registration T&C’s, and more…
CONFERENCE RATES
Teacher $225
Student $35
Pre-service/Aides $99
inclusive of GST, morning tea and lunch
Teachers are able to attend without students
We recommend max 25 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. Workshop selection will open 3 to 4 weeks prior to the conference, we will email the registered teachers and contact person.
Host School
Platinum Sponsor
Gold Sponsor
Spark Scholarship Sponsor
Silver Sponsor
Conference Coordinator
CREATE SPARKS IN LEARNING FOR TEACHERS, STUDENTS AND EDUCATORS! BECOME A SPONSOR…
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
STAY CONNECTED
Facebook: @SparkEDUConferences
Instagram: Spark.in.STEAM
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