From the desk of DLTV President Ben Gallagher
Hi all,
In this final week of Term Two, I’d like to take the opportunity to communicate a few happenings at DLTV as we prepare for a well earned break.
Firstly, congratulations to David Ebert from Glen Eira College who won our $150 Pakronics voucher for contributing to our PL survey. I would also like to thank all the other people who took the time to complete the survey, it was very much appreciated and your input is invaluable to us.
Now is the time to start thinking about renewing or becoming a DLTV member in 2023. Our membership base allows us to provide the following valuable resources like these as well as providing services and discounts to schools.
We will be promoting membership and offers in a few of our next newsletters and at our website. We have found from experience that a school membership represents the best value, so we’ll have some offers on this during the next semester. Access great benefits available to members here.
DLTV had a very strong presence at the National Education Summit held on Friday 17 and Saturday 18 June. Thanks to Margo, Maria and their team for managing such a great event. It was fantastic to reengage with educators face to face.
DLTV were heavily involved in the Classroom of the Future project and we encourage you to take a look at the new site. This resource will be updated regularly between now and the next Education Summit in 2023.
We would like to thank the following people on our Committee, staff and others who presented at the Summit:
- Craig Nicholls from Melbourne Girls’ Grammar School
- Claire Andrewartha from CS in Schools
- Martin Richards from Education Services Australia
- Catherine Newington from Australian Computing Society
- Nathan Alison, Kevin Daly and Daryl English from DLTV
Hopefully I haven’t forgotten anyone, as you can see it was a very strong team!
We’d also like to thank our industry partner IntegrateAV for providing equipment at our stands. The displays were interactive and made for clear and engaging presentations for delegates.
We were also pleased to see several of our other industry partners and supporters of DLTV at the Summit as well.
Our Term Three Professional Learning program is promoted in this newsletter; however, we are acutely aware that teachers are facing continued barriers to attending in-person. At this stage, we will trial running these opportunities face-to-face, particularly as they will be free to attend (many thanks again to Google for their continued support of educators). Dependent on numbers, we will consider our delivery during Term Three and be flexible based on response. Keep an eye on our website and in our newsletters for upcoming events.
As always reach out if we can support you in any way. We are only ever a phone call or an email away.
Wishing you all a relaxing and enjoyable term break!
Cheers,
Ben Gallagher
President DLTV and ACCE
(Australian Council for Computers in Education) |
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WEBINARS AND WORKSHOPS:
Semester Two is full of PL opportunities |
While we are aware of the difficulties getting out for in-person professional learning, DLTV is continuing to offer face-to-face opportunities for those who can attend. |
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Everyone's a DigiTech teacher:
Primary workshops |
when: 9:30am - 3:30pm, various dates where: venues around Melbourne cost: free |
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A series of full-day workshops rolling out across venues in Melbourne and regional Victoria. Participants will explore why Digital Technologies is a vital area for their students, will develop their ability to articulate the Digital Technologies and Digital Literacy curricula and be an exemplar of change within their school. A detailed curriculum walk-through with practical activities to enhance concepts will be undertaken. Pedagogical models will be used as a self and whole school reflection tool for participants. Excellent support resources will be identified and shared. How Digital Technologies and Digital Literacy can be addressed across subject areas will be a feature of the workshop. Choose an option below (more to be announced in Term Three): |
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Digital Technologies in Contemporary Art |
when: 1pm - 4pm, various dates where: venues around Melbourne cost: free |
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A unique series of afternoon workshops rolling out across galleries throughout Victoria. Advancements in technology have profoundly impacted contemporary art, encouraging artists to incorporate technology as part of their art or enable them to manipulate materials in new ways. Participants will learn basic block coding (visual programming language) then use it to interface with micro:bits to program artworks that move, light up in response to user input. By exploring these concepts contextually within galleries we hope to help demystify technology integrations and boost teacher confidence in using them in a visual art setting. The workshop will be largely hands-on learning with opportunities for reflection on classroom practice. Choose an option below (more to be announced in Term Three): |
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Positive influencers: Student voice and social media |
when: 2pm - 4pm, 4 August 2022 where: DLTV Training Centre, 61 Blyth Street, Brunswick |
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This afternoon workshop outlines a process / program / guide to support your students to lead the investigation and analysis of the digital world at your school, voice their knowledge and ideas, and build direction and support for real action.
Each school will do it differently but if allowing your students’ voice to be heard is part of your school's philosophy then this session will resonate. |
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Gaming for social connection: lunch time gaming clubs to create inclusive school communities |
when: 5pm - 5pm, 18 August 2022 where: online webinar |
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Led by Dr Matthew Harrison, this session explores the fundamentals of starting an inclusive gaming group in your school. We can use carefully selected games and 'Gamer Culture' as a starting point for strength and interest-based support programs that will help all students to develop communication skills, find friends with common interests and develop a sense of belonging to their community. This webinar will provide an introduction to 'digital games-based support programs' and is accessible to people with all levels of gaming knowledge. |
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VCE Applied Computing Teachers' Conference |
when: 9am - 3:30pm, 3 November 2022 where: Melbourne Graduate School of Education, Parkville |
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This year, our November VCE conference returns to a face-to-face format, hosted at the Melbourne Graduate School of Education in Parkville.
This is a collaborative professional learning day for teachers of VCE Applied Computing, Data Analytics and Software Development. Join with your colleagues and share knowledge about course plans and resources; approaches to teaching and preparing assessment tasks.
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SOME WAY TO GO YET: New report on Digital Technologies teaching shoftfall in Australia |
Earlier this year, we highlighted the news about the high teacher supply shortfall for Digital Technologies positions in Victoria.
Last month, the Australian Computer Society released a report urging for more qualified teachers across Australia. From the article:
A key pillar in the plan to encourage more students to pursue careers in technology was the creation of the Digital Technologies curriculum in 2014, which has been progressively (but inconsistently) rolled out across the states since. The report focuses on the development of Digital Technologies, noting that the design of the curriculum is excellent, but there are still problems implementing it. A key issue revealed in the report is a lack of training for teachers, particularly in primary school years. “In primary years, Digital Technologies represents an entirely new set of content that most teachers have not experienced in their own education or teacher preparation,” the report notes. “In secondary education, Digital Technologies was a dramatic shift from teaching ICT applications to teaching computer science, many junior secondary computing teachers having only rudimentary, self-taught programming skills and no information systems or query language experience.” The result, according to the report, is that the implementation of the curriculum has been spotty, and there is often confusion between Digital Literacy (the basic skills of using computers, such as using a word processor or a tablet) and Digital Technologies (using computers to create and design). In its 55 recommendations, the report notes a number of other issues that need to be addressed, including: - the need to have at least one teacher in every primary school having formal qualification in the teaching of Digital Technologies; and all secondary computer education teachers having at least some formal training in a programming language - a requirement that states develop appropriate and systematic professional learning support programs to upskill all teachers - that there needs to be far better communication with parents about the curriculum and student outcomes - that industry and universities need to work far better with schools, to both provide support and help direct learning into productive areas - that significant work needs to be done to address inequality of access to equipment and trained teachers.
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EduTECH 2022: DLTV will be there |
EduTECH 2022 is set to take place in Melbourne at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on 10 & 11 August. With two years of pent-up demand and an eagerness to upskill and reconnect in-person, the education sector is extremely excited to be returning to a face-to-face event format. In partnership with Global Victoria and the Victorian Department of Education, EduTECH brings together the entire education lifecycle and hosts 10,000+ education and training professionals under one roof over two days to learn, debate, exchange ideas, be inspired and network. For an additional 50% off your in-person Delegate pass, use discount code DLTV50 to save! Read the complete announcement for more info, or visit the EduTECH 2022 website.
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SURVEY ON PRIMARY GIRLS AND STEM:
Swinburne University |
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Researchers at Swinburne University of Technology and The University of Melbourne are currently seeking principals, teachers and parents of girls in primary school within Victoria to participate in a survey aimed at increasing the engagement of female primary school students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects and activities. There is a plethora of existing programs and resources available for primary schools in the STEM sector, yet none are mapped and tailored to the Victorian curriculum. The overarching goal of this project is to provide primary schools with tailor-made STEM educational resources designed to advance girls in Victoria. Backed by thorough research, resources have been designed to upskill teachers, so they are better equipped to deliver STEM education at a primary level. Furthermore, current research suggests that parents and families are critical drivers for choosing careers. As a result, resources have also been developed to raise parental awareness of STEM careers/work, which enables families to provide guidance and informed options for their daughters from a young age. Our flyer contains the direct links and QR codes of the survey to complete. If you would like to see our project, which is still coming together, please visit https://primaryandstem.online/ We have also released a report this year – “Engaging Primary Girls in STEM, Best Practice Implementation, Innovation & Gaps in Victorian Classrooms”, which can also be found on the website. If you have any questions about this project, please do not hesitate to contact Associate Professor Therese Keane at tkeane@swin.edu.au. We hope we can collaborate on this important project together. |
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DAY OF AI: Activities for students |
DLTV is a proud supporter of the inaugural Day of AI Australia, a creative and hands-on program which will help students understand what AI is, how it works and how to harness its power for good. Over 160 schools across every state and territory in Australia have already signed up to participate in the day on Wednesday 27 July - that's over 17,000 students who are engaged and excited to immerse themselves in everything the program has to offer. We know that an education in AI is more important than ever before, that’s why the Day of AI helps students move away from just being tech users, but instead tech innovators and creators too. So, what are you waiting for? Sign your school up today! Register – Day of AI Australia You can learn more about the program with Teaching Materials & Training – Day of AI Australia or get in touch directly by emailing hello@dayofaiaustralia.com. |
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FIRST ROBOTICS COMPETITION:
See high school teams competing in Victoria |
Since the previous annoucement, extra teams have been added, making this one of the biggest off-season events in the country. You may have heard of the FIRST LEGO League (FLL), but have you heard of its big cousin the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC)?
In FRC, a team of high school aged students design, build and program a 30-50 kg remote controlled robot which they then drive around a basket-ball sized field to complete a series of game challenges (like picking up balls of the ground and shooting them into a hoop). It’s a big jump from LEGO robots, but it’s one that teams have been doing in NSW for over 15 years. Now it’s Victoria’s turn!
In the July school holidays the Future Robotics Alliance will be hosting Victoria’s first Off-Season FRC event, the Melbourne Robotics Tournament (MRT). This is a unique chance to find out what FRC is all about and how you and/or your educational institution might get involved in this acclaimed international program with demonstrated impact.
Sixteen teams from NSW, SA and VIC will be at competing at Blackburn High School on 1-3 of July, 2022 (doors open at 9 am). Anyone interested in starting an FRC team or finding out more is encouraged to attend. At the event you will have the chance to talk to experienced mentors about the program as well as see students and their robots in action. Come and see what it is all about in person at the Melbourne Robotics Tournament!
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Please email DLTV office if you wish to include a teaching job opportunity in our fortnightly newsletter. |
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Part Time Digital Technologies Teacher Required Start date flexible, good possibility of ongoing contract, time fraction negotiable. Contemporary, well-resourced Independent Girls' School in Canterbury. Please contact Catherine Newton cnewton@strathcona.vic.edu.au
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Sent by Digital Learning and Teaching Victoria
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P +61 3 9349 3733 | 61 Blyth Street, Brunswick, VIC, 3056 | dltv.vic.edu.au |
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