Emanuel School at the forefront of Digital Technologies
Over 60 Primary School educators from schools throughout NSW attended a full day of hands-on workshops, interactive discussions, professional panels and practical applications of the NSW curriculum for Digital Technologies.
Educators from a variety of schools delve into the digital world
Emanuel School’s Principal, Andrew Watt, was thrilled to host the conference, made possible by a Google Computer Science Educator PD Grant, which enabled educators to look at refreshing and interactive ways to engage students in Digital Technologies.
James Curran, one of the writers of the Digital Technologies curriculum, opened the day by unpacking the concepts behind the NSW syllabus. Gary Stager, an international leading expert in computer science, robotics and learning by doing, spoke about the purpose of school in the context of new opportunities for physical computing. Educators engaged in a full day of hands-on workshops using Micro: bit and Hummingbird Bits, facilitated by Mr Stager. The day closed with a range of exceptional educators sharing how they embed Digital Technologies into learning experiences for Years K – 6. Emanuel School attendees included key staff members, who shared their experiences and knowledge with the wider school community.
The response from the participating educators from NSW Government, Independent and Catholic Schools was overwhelmingly positive, with attendees reporting a growth in confidence with, and skill level in, incorporating emerging digital technologies into their classroom practice.
Sophie Poisel, Innovation Leader for Years K-6 at Emanuel School, who was instrumental in developing the grant proposal and conference commented: “The response from the participating educators from NSW Government, Independent and Catholic Schools was overwhelmingly positive, with attendees reporting a growth in confidence with, and skill level in, incorporating emerging digital technologies into their classroom practice. It was a privilege to be able to help facilitate this.”
Emanuel School was also fortunate to have extra sponsorship from ASI and the Coder Academy. Central West Leadership Academy offered a live stream of the event at Charles Sturt University and Dubbo Campus. Digital Technologies Hub assisted in the promotion of this event.
