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August 2024
Did you come along and see us at Science Alive!? We're taking it slow in the office this week after a very busy last week onsite for the Oliphant Science Awards and Science Alive! Thank you to everyone who was involved in this massive undertaking, we are so appreciative of your time 😊
We've just released the Early Career Teachers Conference program and registration, check it out here. And don't forget, our Marking & Moderation Workshops are coming up this month! Plus it's National Science Week this month! We'd love to know what you're doing in your classroom. Send us some details and photos to go on our blog.
Keep an eye on our socials to stay up to date with what is happening in the office!
August - Upcoming Events
July - Science Educators
Did you see the blog posts that went out celebrating science educators in July?
- Reflections from Retired Science Educators
- 2024 SASTA Award Winners
- Celebrating Primary Years Science Teachers
- Recognising some of our Science Educators
- Celebrating our Science Leaders
If you're interested in sharing something that's happening at your school or community on the Blog, please get in contact with Tegan - tegan@sasta.asn.au!
SASTA News
Members Networking & Nibbles
4 September | 4.00pm - 5.30pm
Connect: Whether you're a seasoned member or new to the community, this event is the perfect chance to expand your network and enrich your professional journey.
Indulge: Indulge in a selection of snacks and your first drink is on us!
Your Feedback Matters: We value your input and insights! Take this opportunity to weigh in with your feedback and suggestions. Is there anything our association can be doing better? Your opinions shape the future of our community.
We can't wait to celebrate with you and express our gratitude for your continued support and contributions to our science community. Register to attend here.
Introducing Credit Union SA's Knowledge Counts banking benefits
Our Knowledge Counts banking benefits provide the South Australian education community and their eligible immediate family members with special offers, discounts and products.
These offers are exclusive to current and retired employees of the South Australian education community, students carrying out studies in education, and their eligible immediate family members (parents, children, grandparents, grandchildren, siblings and partners only).
- Educator+ Account - a transaction account that pays interest on your entire balance no matter how many transactions you make!
- $2000 cashback offer - on new eligible home loans
- Term deposit benefits
- Education Community Credit Card
- A great deal on personal loans
Credit Union SA has been supporting the South Australian education community for over 65 years!
Find out more here.
Professional Learning
Early Career Teachers Conference
Program and registration now available!
This one-day event is designed to support new educators by providing opportunities to network, share experiences, and learn from expert practitioners. The conference will feature four engaging streams: Engagement, Wellbeing, Curriculum Focus, and Practical Lessons, ensuring a comprehensive professional development experience.
Attendees can look forward to a full day of insightful sessions, interactive workshops, and the innovative Share-a-thon, all aimed at enhancing teaching practice and wellbeing. Don't miss this opportunity to connect and grow with fellow early career educators!
STEM Conference
Call for workshop presenters now open!
This year the STEM Conference will be bigger than ever! We’re excited to expand the Conference this year to include primary years teachers as well as secondary in collaboration with DATTA - SA, EdTech SA, Mathematical Association of South Australia (MASA) & SASTA.
"Harnessing STEM" is a specialised conference for ALL, sharing the potential of STEM to nurture hope, shape positivity and build thriving communities.
7-10 Design and Assess Differentiated Tasks
Monday 19 August
This session will only focus on Australian Curriculum 7-10 Science courses – these are so critical for making sure we are retaining students in Science in the senior years. It is essential that we equip students in these year levels with confidence and the skills needed to explain, analyse and be critical.
Effective Learning in Primary Science
Friday 6 September
Bring your creative mindset, engage in playfulness, using your imagination and intuition in learning. Learn the new core concepts for Science as a Human Endeavour and Science Inquiry strands through interweaving with Science Understanding strand. Using a conceptual progression within each strand and Key Ideas to design multiage classroom learning in science.
MEMBERS Webinar Navigating the Decon and Design Task at Stage I and II – Teaching and Assessment
Friday 13 September
This webinar will be a condensed version of the all day workshop in which we examine introduction and assessment of the design and deconstruction task to Stage I and II scientists.
Some live moderation and marking will take place and it will be interactively streamed from the Westminster Digital Delivery Lab.
Years 7-10 Design Investigations: Time to play
Friday 1 November
A hands-on practical session trialling different ideas for investigations suitable AC 9.0 from Years 7 -10. Full details available here.
SACE Chemistry Design Investigations: Time to play
Friday 22 November
A hands-on practical session trialling different ideas for investigations suitable for Stage 1 and 2 Chemistry. The workshop will involve guidelines on supporting students to deconstruct and design appropriate investigations. Full details available here.
Resources
SASTA is excited to make available sets of Topic Tests that may be used as formative or summative Skills and Applications Tasks (SATs) in Stage 1 & 2 Biology, Chemistry and Physics. These tests are of the highest quality and feature a comprehensive range of questions including science understanding, science inquiry skills and science as a human endeavour.
You can also bundle your Stage 1 & 2 Topic Tests with Trial Exams! All trial exams are new for 2024.
Contributions from the science community
Sustainable Seafood in Australia
PIEFA has collaborated with Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC) and Seafood Careers
Australia to create a printable poster and student worksheets accompanied by interactive videos that highlight career prospects, sustainability efforts, and technological advancements in Australia’s aquaculture and wild-catch fishing industries.
All resources are aligned with Version 9 of the Australian Curriculum, focusing on the Design and Technologies and Science learning areas for each year level. Access resources here.
CSIRO National Science Week Activities
12 August: Storytime with an Endangered Songbird
Join award-winning author, Coral Vass for this webcast as she reads 'The Forgotten Song: Saving the Regent Honeyeater' live from Melbourne Zoo.
13 August: Join the great Koala Count
Meet our scientist to find out all the ways we are counting koalas and how you can too! This webcast explores themes relating to citizen science, conservation, ecology, biology, and the use of data, maths and technology in real-world science.
15 August: Keeping an eye on water
How can taking a picutre on your phone help us predict a slimy green algal bloom or a mass fish kill or even when it's safe to go for a swim? Learn about AquaWatch, which combines water quality sensor data with satellite images to measure Australia's water quality.
Women in STEM Lecture Series
For National Science Week, the University of Adelaide is hosting a series of 3 x 20 minutes lectures by women working or studying in STEM. Your students will have the opportunity to hear from our amazing guest speakers who will share their life journeys and how they connected with STEM. The lectures will be held at our North Terrace Campus and will also be streamed live for those that aren’t able to attend in person.
- Tuesday 13 August,
2:30 pm – 2:55 pm - Wednesday 14 August,
2:30 pm – 2:55 pm - Thursday 15 August,
2:30 pm – 2:55 pm
Register here
STEM Defence Work Experience
Are you interesting in Science? Inspired by Technology? Intrigued by Engineering? Into Maths? The work experience dates below might be just what you need to experience a STEM Career in Defence!
- STEM Immersion Week 1: Defence Science Technology, Edinburgh, 23-27 September 2024 (applications close 18 Aug).
- STEM Immersion Week 2: Defence Science Technology, Edinburgh, 4-8 November 2024 (applications close 2 Sep).
Available to anyone who is 15 or over and this includes anyone who will turn 15 on or before Monday 23 September 2024.
Click here to find out more & to apply
Take 10 minutes to tell Copyright Agency what materials you’ve copied and shared with your students and go into the draw to win one of five $500 e-gift cards.
The information you provide will help Copyright Agency ensure fair payment to creators of educational material.
Complete the online questionnaire by 15 September to go into the draw.
Engineering is Elementary: Bridges Professional Learning Workshop
Monday 2nd September & Wednesday 4th September
Get hands-on in this FREE workshop designed for all educators to refine and develop skills in inquiry-based learning. Build engagement and immersion with our strategies and tools, including the Engineering Design Process, as you bridge cross-curriculum areas to solve real world problems. All Questacon’s Units of Work are ready to implement with built-in assessment tools and are easily adapted to student learning needs.
All participants will receive a FREE resource kit with the materials needed to run the activities in the classroom. Educators will also join our national community of practice for ongoing collaboration and support. Engineering is Elementary is developed by the Museum of Science, Boston, and adapted by Questacon to suit Australian educators and curriculum with support from our Diamond Partner, Department of Defence. Find out more and register.
ABC Project: Explore Australia's dark skies
Each year, National Science Week and the ABC provide an opportunity for everyone to participate in an online national project.
This year, the ABC is exploring the dark night sky and the impact of light pollution on science, creatures and culture. ABC Science will invite people online to show them what the night sky over Australia should look like, report how clearly they can see the Milky Way, find out how light affects wildlife, and vote for their favourite celestial body, constellation, or other night sky phenomenon.
Girls Day Out in STEM: Imagineering Adventure!
This National Science Week 2024 sign up for the best metaverse adventure in cyberspace to discover so much more than just sustainability. Take the hero’s path to enter our Imagineer-verse where you get to be the imagineer for a better world!
Find out how you can be involved here.
Professional Development at Flinders University
Sessions are presented by experts & leaders of cutting-edge research in their fields. Many are 'hands-on' sessions to get you involved and trained up. Sessions run from 5pm - 7pm - light snacks and drinks supplied.
- Mixed Reality - Thursday 15 August
- The World of Polymers - Thursday 22 August
- Evolution in the Classroom - Thursday 29 August
- Nanoparticle-enabled Large-scale Advanced Composites and Structures - Tuesday 3 September
- Renewable Energy Revolutions & Energy Systems - Tuesday 10 September
- Nature's Best Solar Factories - Tuesday 17 September
Sustainability in the classroom and beyond – one day forum
Thursday 10 October
Green Adelaide are excited to announce the keynote speakers for Green Adelaide’s forum sustainability in the classroom and beyond on Thursday 10 October. The forum at Adelaide Botanic Highschool is for school and preschool educators to share your successes and challenges of educating for sustainability. The theme sustainability in the classroom and beyond focuses on practical actions and rich learning opportunities for your classroom, school and preschool. You will learn from other educators leading interactive workshops and presentations and meet with like-minded professionals who are passionate about sustainability, youth leadership, community collaboration and real-world learning.
Find out more and register here.
Contact SASTA
South Australian Science Teachers Association
249 Henley Beach Road Torrensville SA 5031
P 08 8354 0006 F 08 8354 0008 E office@sasta.asn.au
www.sasta.asn.au
