ARTICLES
STEM-X Academy, 2018; An Exhilarating, Enlightening X-perience! (continued)
now on. I continually found myself thinking back nine years since
I last taught a school class, but coming up with little to help the
team. My memory is very good, but so much has changed since
then! Nor was it merely the new equipment we had been given
to use when required – the entire methodology of these new
teachers made me feel as if I’ve been asleep since then. I was
scribbling notes; they were taking photos with i-phones. I was
thinking back to the physics I knew very well; they used youtube
videos and other mostly recommended sites on their lap-tops to
discover what had to be done and how to make and assemble
materials in an efficient way to fabricate what was required. We
worked together, sharing the skills of our partner/s, changed
and shared materials and plans; no selfishness or competition,
no holding back or laziness – all in it to learn together. I truly
appreciated this since I was usually the weak link in spite of my
years of teaching. There is so much more excitement, and new
equipment and materials since 2008!
positive suggestions, enabling us to prepare a useful Teachers’
Resource, as well as Carinya’s “working model” of a cane toad
trap, for Friday’s exhibition of the Major Investigation of every
group.
Being in Canberra we all visited Parliament House on a bright
cloudy day
Cindy Chambers, the CSIRO’s principal presenter, challenged
groups to use materials (including an interesting device CSIRO
invented called a ‘Makey-makey’, which functions in a way
very similar to a computer mouse), to use with a wide array of
unexpected materials, including metal bowls, spoons and forks,
to enable common computer games, pacman, tetris, etc., to
become playable by people who had some form of physical
challenge or disability. The results were just extraordinary! One
defining part was that everybody was having so much fun, each
delighted by the inventions by other groups as well as their
own! This was science learning at the pinnacle! It is the form
these fortunate teachers will take into their schools, and do their
very best to encourage their own students to emulate. THEN we
really won’t have a problem inspiring our children, primary or
secondary!
3. Whatever each group had done, all other groups gathered
around with interest, support and applause. There was a fine
spirit of 'all in it together to learn'
The ability of my youthful companions to listen – and hear, to
watch – and observe, and to think – and comprehend, surpassed
my own.
The 69 other teachers with whom I shared six days were all
selected from a total of more than 400 applications, based on the
perceived merit of their applications. So the question arises, how
can the other 330 who applied be included? Or the many who
didn’t apply? Or the even greate