Adam Watson
I am a STEMShare leader for the NSW Department of Education (DoE). I have 7 years of experience teaching in NSW public schools as a Secondary teacher. My role has included teaching TAS subjects, coordinating STEM projects in the network, ICT coordinator. I have 3 years’ experience delivering curriculum units in the Master of Teaching Secondary at Western Sydney University and mentoring early career teachers. As a passionate technology enthusiast, I am driven by the effect that emerging technology has on industry, and the importance of preparing young people for the changing world of work. Watching staff and students experience the “lightbulb moment” learning STEM is a highly rewarding part of my job.
I am a STEMShare leader for the NSW Department of Education (DoE). I have 7 years of experience teaching in NSW public schools as a Secondary teacher. My role has included teaching TAS subjects, coordinating STEM projects in the network, ICT coordinator. I have 3 years’ experience delivering curriculum units in the Master of Teaching Secondary at Western Sydney University and mentoring early career teachers. As a passionate technology enthusiast, I am driven by the effect that emerging technology has on industry, and the importance of preparing young people for the changing world of work. Watching staff and students experience the “lightbulb moment” learning STEM is a highly rewarding part of my job.
Andrew Balzer
I’m currently a STEMShare Leader for the NSW Department of Education (DoE). I have been teaching for over 6 years as well as being ICT, Aboriginal Education Coordinator, 2IC. Year 9 Coordinator in HSIE, and a Microsoft Innovative Expert (MIE). I’m an avid STEM and technology fan and I am excited by everything that relates to digital learning. I love training and development and having the opportunity to present to educators in digital and face to face interactions. I’m qualified as Human Resource Manager which reinforces my love for people and their digital connections. Human resources, training and development and teaching are all big passions in my professional life and STEM has enabled me to enhance all three of these areas.
Workshop
STEMShare Community is an initiative that empowers schools with technology tools that enable students to develop essential future focused STEM skills, support teachers to successfully integrate STEM concepts within their classroom and build a community that encourages and supports the use of STEM-focused technologies in education. Through STEMShare Community, schools will be able to book one STEMShare kit for one term over a 12 month period, beginning with Term 4 this year through to Term 3 next year. The project will also provide resources, training and an online community to support the use of the kits in teaching and learning.
This workshop will take a look at the STEMShare program and at how teacher librarians can practically implement STEM into their library programs, whether it is through the STEMShare library or other means. It will delve into Minecraft Education and coding (which from 2019 is compulsory in NSW DEC schools). This is an opportunity for Teacher Librarians to see how they can begin to implement , or continue to embed STEM into their library programs (through classroom teaching or lunchtime activities).