Outdoor Tinkering Studio
by Sallyanne Burtenshaw
We know students love the investigative and
experimental nature of Science and Technology. They
value hands-on experiences over all else, however,
providing opportunities for learning experiences is
becoming harder due to continuous testing and data-
collection. Most kids think of Science as experiments and
hands-on learning so providing places for discoveries
should be a major part of their STEAM experience,
where they feel free to explore, invent and play in a
setting with minimal teacher intervention, challenges
collaborative, and student experts can be identified by
peers.
notion of students and teachers working side-by-side
to become engineers of collaboration, designers of
learning experiences, leaders, guides and catalysts of
change.
It is also designed to connect students with their
environment. Guided by the SAMR Model for integration
technology into teaching and learning, by providing
real-world challenges for students to solve I hope it
increases the use of digital technologies in the school
to transform pedagogy rather than merely enhancing
established classroom practice. All lessons encourage
students to create and advocate to solve real-world
problems in a socially responsible way. To that end
we have joined the iEARN Global Classroom https://
iearn.org/, and are currently undertaking a project
‘Water Is Life’, http://worldslargestlesson.globalgoals.
org/, addressing global goals 6 and 14, aimed to ensure
the availability of clean, healthy water for people and
their environment. We also have started working on
https://www.bebras.edu.au/ (the Bebras Australia
Aided by an eager crew of staff, parents, friends, local
business and government departments, I designed and
built an Outdoor Tinkering Studio, a STEAM classroom
where experimenting takes place, not only a dream
space for tinkerers, it provides a link between STEAM
and the environment. I am sure it will help unleash
the power and potential of our students to transform
their world. It empowers me to become a co-learner
with my students by building new experiences for
exploration of content. It embodies John Dewey’s
(continues on page 6)
HSC Study Lab is an online HSC preparation and revision tool, developed at Macquarie University to support science students and teachers
in years 11 and 12. We provide meaningful teaching and learning resources that are based on the NSW Stage 6 syllabi and are delivered by
expert teachers. Our courses allow for a flipped classroom approach.
We’ll have the new science syllabus covered!
We are working on updating our resources to meet the requirements of the new Stage 6 science syllabi. New courses for Preliminary biology,
chemistry and physics will be available by Term 1, 2018. The current courses will also be available for those students sitting their HSC in 2018.
New content will include:
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Video lessons and animations complete with
worked solutions
Games and simulators
Hundreds of practice questions
Investigations
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Working scientifically outcomes integrated into
each module
Separate section covering Depth Studies through
video lessons, games and simulators
We offer FREE teacher subscriptions as well as discounted school and class subscriptions. Sign your students up now for the
revision period, and include HSC Study Lab in your budget for next year. Contact us at [email protected]
hscstudylab.com.au
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