Join colleagues for a day of hard fun and problem solving — where computing meets tinkering and design.
Teacher professional learning workshop day
Friday, 6th September 2013 9am-3pm
Macquarie ICT Innovations Centre, North Ryde
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The workshop begins with the case for project-based learning, making, tinkering, and engineering. Next, we will discuss strategies for effective prompt setting. You will view examples of children engaged in complex problem solving with new game-changing technologies and identify lessons for your own classroom practice. Powerful ideas from the Reggio Emilia Approach, breakthroughs in science education, and the global maker movement combine to create rich learning experiences.

Participants will have the chance to tinker with a range of exciting new low- and high-tech construction materials that can really amplify the potential of your students.

Participants will learn:

  • How new tools and technology can reinvigorate Project-Based Learning
  • Best classroom practices for integrating maker technology
  • How to plan engaging projects based on the TMI design model
  • How to choose the technologies with the maximum learning impact
  • How to make the case for making, tinkering, and engineering

Fabrication with cardboard and found materials, squishy electronic circuits, wearable computing, Arduino, robotics, and computer programming are all on the menu. Bring a laptop or borrow one of ours. All you need to bring is your imagination. We’ll supply the rest (craft materials, art supplies, construction elements). Invention is the mother of learning!

This workshop is suitable for all grades and subject areas.

Registration is via MyPL@Edu. Click on the course code below to enrol.

Friday 6th September | Time 9:00am – 3:00pm | MyPL@Edu Course Code DV02498

Presenter: Dr Gary Stager

Invent to Learn is a day-long workshop led by Dr. Gary Stager, co-author of the new book, Invent To Learn: Making, Tinkering, and Engineering in the Classroom. Gary Stager is an internationally known champion for student-centered authentic technology use, an entertaining speaker, and the world’s foremost authority on teaching children of all ages to program. He has worked across Australia since 1990 when he led professional development in the world’s first laptop schools. Dr. Stager worked closely with Seymour Papert for more than two decades and his doctoral research at The University of Melbourne was based on work with Dr. Papert in creating a high-tech alternative learning environment for incarcerated at-risk learners.