STEM X Academy

What a privilege it was to attend STEM X Academy 2018, a five-day residential program held in Canberra for primary and secondary teachers.  This inspiring program connects teachers with expert researchers, scientists, innovators and educators, and was developed by ASTA (Australian Science Teachers Association), Questacon and CSIRO. I was incredibly lucky to receive a generous scholarship from Stile Education; one of many highlights was the opportunity to meet Stile’s founder, Dr Alan Finkel, Australia’s Chief Scientist.

STEM X Academy will be a game changer for me as a teacher. In 2017 I started my own passion project to create a sustainable STEM program in our school and my STEM X Academy experience is going to help to take it to the next level. It has given me the tools, the access to expertise advice, a network of passionate teachers and the confidence to step up as a leader.

When your professional development is kicked off with liquid nitrogen, exploding teddies and marshmallow bazookas, you can be fairly certain that you’re in for a ride. Dr Graham Walker’s demonstration was highly entertaining and educational; I’m still trying to figure out what the risk management would look like to do this with my students!

At CSIRO, we looked at sustainable futures and teachers worked in small groups along with scientists and STEM education experts to create an inquiry based project on a real-world future scenario. In my group we all had different perspectives and ways of looking at the problem. It really pushed me out of my comfort zone and it was a valuable reminder that this is something we often ask of our students. Our group worked with Dr Jacqui Watt, a business innovation facilitator with an impressive list of qualifications. I was really inspired by her career narrative and I can’t wait to have my students connect with her. We also worked with Raghvendra Sharma, a PhD student working in CSIRO Agriculture and Food on breeding for wheat rust resistance in Australia. Five of us were lucky enough to be shown around the laboratory to have a closer look at his amazing work. Our school will be participating in the Futurist’s Fair this year, and I am looking forward to connecting my work from CSIRO with this event.

I was in my element during the two days of hands-on makerspace sessions at Questacon’s Ian Potter Foundation. We were guided through a process to plan STEM projects to take back to our schools, and also had the opportunity to be creative and to problem-solve. We warmed up with an engaging protostorming activity and worked in teams to complete challenges with a ‘fun factor’, including building trigger tracks using LED lights and a donation box that would encourage people to put more money in. A highlight for me was using Makey Makeys to redesign a controller for arcade games, and judging by the noise level and laughter in the room, others felt the same. I am excited to take back these ideas and opportunities for my students and colleagues. 

 

We also had a fabulous evening after hours at Questacon, exploring and playing with the interactive exhibits before being treated to the coolest dessert, using liquid nitrogen to freeze gin and tonics.  

Just when I thought the STEM X Academy experience couldn’t possibly get any better, we spent an evening at Mt Stromlo Observatory handling tiny satellites worth about $2 million dollars. Dr Ben Greene’s work using lasers to deal with space junk was fascinating and I’m still finding it difficult to sleep after Dr Brad Tucker’s thought-provoking presentation on “everything”. 

Weeks after my STEM X Academy experience I am still buzzing with excitement and enthusiasm. The Alumni group provides a constant hum of ideas and inspiration; I have found my tribe and it has quickly become my most constantly checked Facebook group! Being able to connect with passionate teachers and experts who are leaders in their STEM fields and STEM education is an amazing opportunity. I would recommend to any teacher wanting to be challenged and enlightened that they attend the STEM X Academy next year.

Our kids deserve the very best that we can give; STEM X has given me a guide map and helped me to clarify the bigger picture. I have a vision of where I aspire our school to be and I am excited about the learning journey my students are about to embark on this school year. I can’t wait to see where this inspiration and experience takes us all; the best is yet to come.