REPORTS
STEM-X Academy – from a 2016 alumnus
By Tanya Riach
My story of STEM-X has been a little different from most; it has
been a continuous journey of highs. I was lucky to be selected in
the first intake of STEM-X in 2016. Since that single ASTA decision,
my professional life has changed greatly. I have come out of the
comfort zone of teaching Science in my small rural school and
into the world of STEM. Many opportunities have opened up, not
just for myself, but also for colleagues at my school and in my
area.
motor. Through the students experimenting, they learnt the basic
components required, and were than able to improve their design
for their assessment task.
Lina Ponto is an early career teacher at Marie Bashir Public
School. After attending STEM X this year, she has been inspired
to deliver strategic support and advances in the learning delivery
in her community to engage students, their parents and upskilling
her fellow generalist primary teacher colleagues through team
teaching, with the aim of preparing them for a future focused
world. This involves providing students with real world problems
where they learn through inquiry.
STEM-X isn’t just a single professional development opportunity
that you can look back on and say, “Yeah, it was fun; I think I learnt
something”. It is so much more than that. The week-long camp
in Canberra enabled me to connect with industry professionals
that were willing to share their knowledge, not only during their
session but days, weeks and years later. It placed me in a group
of teachers from across Australia that were there to learn as
much as they could and were willing to share what they know
from activities, lessons, programs and teaching strategies, as
well as personal life experiences and resumé tips. This sharing
does not just stop at the end of the workshop; it still continues
even now, three years later. If I have an idea or a question I am
unsure about, I message one or a group of my STEM-X buddies
and will receive the information I need or a new contact to find
the answer.
I found it a challenge, coming back to school after working with
such an inspirational group and not knowing how to fully share
what I had learnt through my experiences. I was fortunate to
have a group of Alumni review my presentation and then share
prototyping with teachers across the Lachlan Access Program.
The sharing included both primary and high school teachers
looking at basic items found in the home, deciding on the
properties objects had and how they could be used to model
different things: the properties of rubber bands, paper cups,
paddle pop sticks, and so on. Prototyping using equipment that
is easily accessible has improved my classes’ engagement,
especially in Stage 4. Examples of this are demonstrating
the water cycle using a texta and a zip-lock bag, building the
respiratory system with balloons, straws, a Coke bottle and
playdoh, and creating Christmas cards with LEDs and snail tape
as a wrap-up of our ‘Circuits’ topic.
When discussing how our teaching changed, fellow STEM-X
2016 Alumni Shane Fagg said, “I gained confidence to use my
real world knowledge in teaching science. I became more open
to posing questions to my class and allowing them the space to
work their way through things their own way, rather than crafting
an activity with just one expected outcome”. I feel the same way,
with the additional confidence gained in my teaching ability,
instead of making sure that everyone in my class is working at
the same level, at the same time on the same task, all the same
way. I now have a better learning space within my classroom
with differentiated activities where creativity is blossoming and
student differences are utilised.
During Senior Science, studying photosynthesis experiments,
instead of covering leaves in alfoil and checking starch levels,
comparing leaves that are in full sun and leaves that have had no
sun. I implemented information shared by researchers present
using home-made algae balls, and a hydro-carbonate indicator
to check the rate of photosynthesis at different light levels and
light colours by just looking at the colour of the solution using tin
cans and LED lights to change the environment.
While attending the Academy I was inspired by ANU lecturers
to flip my Physics classroom, to become the mentor rather than
the teacher, to provide simple videos the students could watch
in their own time, and to use the class lessons to concentrate on
answering questions and experimenting, and to provide simple
materials and allow students to build or work out the answer rather
than just provide the answers. After STEM-X, when introducing
motors to my HSC physics class, I provided a battery, a screw,
a magnet and some wire and asked them to build me a simple
By partnering teachers with scientists through the CSIRO
workshops we were able to incorporate current research into our
programs to allow students to think about what their future will
be like and STEM solutions and opportunities to improve their
futures. It may be through the creation of presentations of ideas
or building prototypes out of recyclables that can represent their
idea. We now incorporate the teaching tools of questioning and
critical thinking into most of our units from stage 4-6 and use
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SCIENCE EDUCATIONAL NEWS VOL 67 NO 1