DATTA Qld Newsletter
April 2026
Dear Colleagues,
Welcome back to Term 2! We hope you’ve had a chance to recharge over the break and are ready for what is always one of the busiest and most rewarding terms in the Design and Technologies calendar. DATTA Qld has a full suite of professional learning opportunities lined up to support you and your students. In this edition, you’ll find detailed updates on our upcoming Annual Conference – a highlight of the year and a fantastic chance to connect, learn, and be inspired. We’re also excited to share the latest releases in our podcast series, offering practical insights and conversations tailored to Queensland D&T educators.
Looking ahead, Term 2 also brings our Week 5 online PD session focused on Quality Assurance, a valuable opportunity for teachers seeking clarity, confidence, and consistency in assessment practices. This newsletter includes extended information on all these events, along with important updates about the Teacher of the Year and Student Subject Awards. We encourage you to take a moment to read through and explore everything on offer. There’s a lot happening across our community, and we’re thrilled to support you as we dive into another productive and engaging term.
With best wishes,
Carol-Anne Durkin
President – Design And Technology Teachers’ Association QLD
2026 DATTA Qld Membership
Is your membership up to date? Remember that members receive a range of benefits, indluding discounted Conference tickets, access to exclusive deals throughout the year and DATTA Qld rely on your membership for the continued operation of this as a professional association. We can’t do it without you and need your support! We are all better when we work together!
To renew your membership please check your email for your renewal notice and take a moment to confirm your DATTA Qld school and or personal membership details. Schools – Don’t forget to list your teachers on your membership record so they can access the discounted conference rates!
Any questions – email membership@dattaqld.org.au
2026 DATTA Qld Conference - Registration reminder
Registration is now open for the DATTA Qld Conference, taking place on Thursday 18 and Friday 19 June 2026 at our new venue, Kedron-Wavell.
Submit your PD forms and register early to take advantage of early bird rates.
We can’t wait to see you in June!
Week 5 PD - Term 2
Topic: Sharing good practice in 2026 – Applied Subjects and QCAA Quality Assurance
Description: An opportunity to connect with colleagues across the State to share your plans, approaches and questions about the upcoming QCAA Quality Assurance process for QCAA.
Audience: Teachers, HODs.
What you need to bring: ideas, examples of assessment instruments you plan to use and units of work.
When: 20/05/2026 5:00-6:30
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Register by emailing teachmeet@dattaqld.org.au
Teacher Open Day at Nudgee College - an invitation
On Saturday the 9 May, Nudgee College is inviting prospective families to grasp the educational opportunities it provides, view the grounds, learn about our history and be amazed by our students. Running concurrently with the Open Day for future students is our Teacher Open Day – an invitation to prospective teachers to visit and learn about what it is like to work here.
Please take the time to view this video to gain an understanding of our workplace, and use this link to register your interest in attending the Teacher Open Day. It consists of an introduction to College Leadership, a tour of our facilities and a complimentary voucher for our tuckshop – you can enjoy a meal and watch a great game of football! Specific details about the event will be shared in the days prior.
Free resource for DATTA Qld members
DATTA Qld members now have free access to the April 2026 “Live Edition” of The Australian Farmer.
“Editor’s Picks”: UNSW, Roberts + Morrow, ProdOz International, PIEFA, Waite Research Institute, AgNova Technologies
DATTA Qld Teacher of the Year Awards
Who have you nominated for the 2026 DATTA Qld Teacher of the Year Awards?
We all work with somebody who is an outstanding teacher and deserves recognition for the work they do in the classroom and with our students. Teachers with dedication, passion and a way of creating content that engages the students with amazing outcomes. Nominate them now!
Let’s get some recognition for your colleagues! They deserve it!
The DATTA Queensland Teacher Excellence Award program was established to recognise Design & Technology teachers (and other industry associates) who contribute to the profession, serve as models for their colleagues and demonstrate excellence in the classroom. It should be noted that the term “Design & Technology teachers” is meant to include all teaching areas in the subject area, including areas such as engineering and STEM.
The award serves to provide public recognition for Queensland Design & Technology teachers with candidates being nominated by their colleagues. They may also self-nominate.
These awards are made each year and one of the awardees will become the Queensland nomination for the DATTA Australia Educator of the Year award, which is announced at their conference.
Submit your nomination form by Sunday 31 May 2026.
DATTA Qld Student Awards
The Design And Technology Teachers’ Association of Queensland Student Subject Award program has been established to recognise excellence and outstanding achievements in Design and Technologies subjects across Queensland.
This year there has been an update to the requirements for submission. Please see following:
- Student work must use the template provided
- Student work must be submitted in .jpeg format
- Submissions must be accompanied with media coverage permission form
- File name format “LastName_FirstName_School_Category” (Doe_Jane_SHS_Y10D&T.jpeg)
Submissions along with the completed nomination form and signed media consent form, should be emailed to Jamie Lay at; studentawards@dattaqld.org.au by Sunday 6 September 2026.
Bridge Building Podcast
The latest podcast was published on 24 March 2026.
In this episode, Stephen Anderson is joined by Dominique Falla from Griffith University’s Queensland College of Art and Design to explore a powerful reframe for Design and Technology education.
Dominique shares why design isn’t about being “creative,” but about structured problem solving—and why every teacher is already doing this every day in their classroom.
The conversation explores the importance of studio-based learning, the role of hands-on experimentation, and why students need opportunities to tinker, test, and fail in order to truly understand design.
A key takeaway is the shift from abstract design challenges to personally meaningful problems. Instead of asking students to solve generic tasks, Dominique encourages teachers to start with what genuinely frustrates students—because that’s where real engagement and authentic design thinking begins.
This episode is particularly valuable for teachers who feel out of their depth teaching design, especially those coming from trade or technical backgrounds. It offers reassurance, practical strategies, and a clear pathway to embedding design thinking more intentionally in the classroom.
Free classroom resources
DATTA Qld have been delighted to collaborate with Forest Learning and support them to develop a fantastic range of free units of work for Design & Technologies.
Each resource provides unique insights into how forests play a vital role in the provision of forest and wood products and environmental services for society.
Topics include the sustainable seating project, going green in your school canteen, the nesting box project, forest VR and the phone stand project.
To access all the D&T resources, click here to set up your free website login and then browse the resources library.
Useful website links
Below are some links to websites that may be useful for planning and curriculum. *Note, these are simply a random selection of websites which may offer inspiration, they are not affiliated with DATTA Qld in any way.
Instructables – Workshop Section
A treasure trove of student friendly woodworking, metalworking, electronics, and fabrication projects. https://www.instructables.com/workshop/
Dezeen – Technology & Design
Showcases cutting edge design, architecture, product innovation, and materials research. https://www.dezeen.com/
Yanko Design
A global design innovation platform featuring conceptual products, industrial design, and future focused ideas. https://www.yankodesign.com/
TeachEngineering
Free, classroom ready engineering design challenges aligned to curriculum outcomes. https://www.teachengineering.org/
CSIRO – Future Science & Engineering
Australia’s leading research organisation showcasing innovations in robotics, materials, manufacturing, and sustainability. https://www.csiro.au/
Member spotlight
We want to celebrate our amazing members. There are so many inspiring, hard-working Design and Technology teachers working in our State. We want to recognise your contributions to high-quality Design and Technologies Education. Nominate a colleague, or yourself, to feature in one of the DATTA QLD Member Spotlights.
Email Expressions of Interest to socials@dattaqld.org.au.
Contribute to our monthly newsletter
We encourage our members to contribute to our monthly newsletter! Please contact us if you have any articles or information that you think could be included in future newsletters.
Email on: socials@dattaqld.org.au
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