ANNOUNCEMENTS

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.

Everyone's a DigiTech teacher:
Primary workshops

when:  9:30am - 3:30pm, various dates

where:  venues around Melbourne

cost:  free

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):

Digital Technologies in Contemporary Art

when:  1pm - 4pm, various dates

where:  venues around Melbourne

cost:  free

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):

Positive influencers: Student voice and social media

when:  2pm - 4pm, 4 August 2022

where:  DLTV Training Centre, 61 Blyth Street, Brunswick

cost:  $40 DLTV members, $55 non-members

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.

Digital wellbeing is more than online safety

when:  4pm - 5pm, 11 August 2022

where:  online webinar

cost:  $10 per attendee

Co-presented by DLTV and ACHPER (The Australian Council for Health, Physical Education and Recreation).

The ubiquity of digital technology in our students, and our own lives, has reached a point where, "just don't use it" doesn't make sense anymore.

Come along and hear from Daniel Donahoo and our ACHPER colleagues about recent research with families and schools to inform your practice in new ways.

Gaming for social connection: lunch time gaming clubs to create inclusive school communities

when:  4pm - 5pm, 18 August 2022

where:  online webinar

cost:  free

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.

Prototyping with cardboard and code: Years 5-10

when:  9:30am - 3:30pm, 26 August 2022

where:  DLTV Training Centre, 61 Blyth Street, Brunswick

cost:  free

The first in a series of hackathons for STEM and Digital Technologies teachers. At each hackathon, participants are invited to bring along tools and examples from their own schools to share. The day includes a presentation, a team challenge and opportunities for networking.

This event focuses on student product prototyping with two of the most classroom-friendly tools: MakeDo cardboard building and micro:bit. Participants will use a Design Thinking framework to make solutions for a specific need.

VCE Applied Computing Teachers' Conference

when:  9am - 3:30pm, 3 November 2022

where:  Melbourne Graduate School of Education, Parkville

cost:  $165 DLTV members, $210 non-members

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.

VCE NEWS: new on-demand professional learning from the VCAA

From the VCAA:

On-demand videos for Unit 4 School-based Assessment for both Data Analytics and Software Development have been published to the Professional Learning pages via the Data Analytics and Software Development study pages.

The Unit 4 SBA videos for Data Analytics can be accessed at: https://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/news-and-events/professional-learning/VCE/Pages/VCEDataAnalytics.aspx.

The Unit 4 SBA videos for Software Development can be accessed at: https://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/news-and-events/professional-learning/VCE/Pages/VCESoftwareDevelopment.aspx.

Videos for Unit 4 School-based Assessment are:

• School-based Assessment and the VCE Assessment principles
• Background to the Unit 4 Outcome 2 SAC
• Planning the Unit 4 Outcome 2 SAC
• Assessing the Unit 4 Outcome 2 SAC
• Using the Unit 4 Outcome 2 SAC Template
• Unit 4 School-based Assessment Audit process

From DLTV:

Our 2022 Practice Exams for Data Analytics and Software Development are in final editing stages and should be released and available for purchase within the next fortnight.

Look out for the announcement in our next newsletter.

Also, don't forget that the VCE Applied Computing Teachers' Conference takes place on 3 November 2022. Register now.

INDUSTRY PARTNER SPOTLIGHT: 
Zenva Schools

Zenva Schools is one of DLTV's industry partners.

Get engaging, project-based courses for students in years 3 to 12 - and for a limited time only, you can access a FREE 2-month trial so you can try it with your students in class!

Featuring courses that completely cover the Australian Curriculum in Digital Technologies, Zenva Schools is the e-learning platform that provides students with skills that they can take into real-world industry settings.

Currently being rolled out across Queensland as part of the ICT Gateway to Industry Schools Program (in partnership with the ACS and the Qld Government’s DESBT), schools have experienced a range of positive outcomes from using Zenva Schools. Teachers have reported increased student engagement and motivation, successful teacher professional development, and that unit planning was easier. Programming teacher Jonathan Black was also impressed that students were able to transfer their skills to outside of the classroom: “They could actually take this knowledge that we’ve been giving them… they really could implement it in the real world."

With content on programming, STEAM, game creation, networking, and more, students can tailor the courses to their personal style with a wide range of learning materials - such as videos, downloadable handouts, source code, project files, and interactive lessons.

The platform is also designed to get you teaching in minutes, with time-saving features including printable student access cards, and the ability to easily import students using Excel or Google Sheets.

Set your students up for success - access your FREE, 2-month trial HERE before this offer ends.

WHY TINKERING MATTERS:
for students with a disability

Mike McDermott recently presented an informative webinar with DLTV (access the recording). Below is a follow-up article Mike sent through.

Students with a disability can learn many skills through tinkering learning experiences, whether these experiences take place inside or outside of makerspaces and tinkering studios. There is a genuine sense of cooperation and the growth of creative and critical thinking. While it is important to ensure adequate scaffolding is around the task, this type of learning is often unstructured and the teacher becomes a facilitator rather than directly teaching. The facilitator ensures that the student has plenty of opportunity to try, reflect, and iterate. A current program in Nunawading is following this philosophy with a tinkering program for young people with a disability. It takes as its basis The Tinkering Studio, part of the Exploratorium in San Francisco, which encourages tinkering, exploring, and creating. For example, one young man on the program enjoys fantasy. He walks with a cane and wants to create a staff that turns into a cane with lights and the ability to come to him. Breaking this down in a tinkering way, a prototype will be being built out of straws, and playdough, and there will be many iterations before the final product. Throughout the process; art, electronics, design thinking, fabrication will all be explored.

Tinkering activities can be adapted for different disabilities. For example, making your own accessible buttons with Makey Makey and playdough, providing visual aids and examples of the tinkering exercise, building on student’s prior interests and knowledge. The activities can also be run for a low cost using a mixture of things like cardboard, and micro:bits. Or build your own circuit blocks using TapeBlocks a local invention that encourages tinkering for all abilities.

Within Victoria there are other pockets of excellent tinkering taking place in special schools; Bullen Heights School has its own makerspace and an amazing Tardis prop. Yarra Ranges Special Developmental School has been running its own digital channel for a number of years; Glenroy School uses Makey Makey to engage with students. There are a couple of interesting programs based on playing digital games; Next Level Collaboration, and Crank. Another good example is The Lab, where participants are in unstructured after school settings where they have mentors who are interested in gaming and technology.

It is hoped that tinkering will become an important part of the learning process for young people with a disability in Melbourne and wider Australia. The skills that young people learn are the social, creative and critical thinking skills which young people across Australia are being told are vital for their employment prospects.

CALLING ALL MAKERSPACE / STEM LAB TEACHERS: Swinburne University research

There is an opportunity to participate in research about how students’ self-concept (their perceptions of themselves) changes in a makerspace subject.

Schools with a subject timetabled in the Makerspace/STEM lab for Year 7-9 are invited to express interested in participating by contacting Kristen Hebden on khebden@swin.edu.au.

EduTECH 2022: four weeks away

DLTV will have a stand at EduTECH 2022, taking 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.

• 12 multi-streamed conferences with 300+ presenters
  
• An exhibition hall with 250+ market leaders

For an additional 50% off your in-person Delegate pass, use discount code DLTV50 to save!

Visit the EduTECH 2022 website to register.