As I record this, we have about one month to go. It has been and will be my pleasure to speak
with many of the presenters at this year’s conference and today I am really in a bit of a quandary because these two speakers are not only had my absolutely rapt attention, but they are both talking at the exact same time and that is also the same time I have promised to attend another presentation. At 1.55 on the last day of the conference there is just a smorgasbord of sensational speakers. And cheers to the committee for doing it because you would have to be a dope to want to leave after lunch like the really unattractive man that sits next to me in my staffroom tries to every year. First, we have Leanne Cameron from James Cook who is going to lead us through the beautiful things we can do with AI that will make our teaching so much better, enjoyable, easier, and exciting. Then we get to chat with Brett Dascombe who is already doing so many of the things we all or at least I dream of doing with my classes. And he tells me he will be bringing some of his virtual reality gear with him. Now these two talks are called How might general AI help you as a teacher and Geography complimenting Design through real world projects. And again, if you are silly enough to leave before the last session you are really missing out. I’ll be back next week with more of the sensational presenters that will be speaking this year at the Brisbane convention centre from the 13th to the 14th of June.
And remember the 2024 Teacher Excellence Awards are looking for nominations right now so look to your left and look to your right. Because you may be sitting right next to someone who deserves to be applauded. There are two awards the Design and Technology teacher of the year and the contribution to design and technology education award for that person who is not a teacher but still does great things for our teaching area.
About the Bridge Building Podcast
“This is the place where we dissect and then discover the many ways ITD teachers all over this country are using their passion to create passionate students. We talk of measuring and manipulating a multitude of materials of design and divergent thought, of creation with our minds and with our hands. And most of all, we talk of growing great young people because of course that is what we do.”
So what does that mean other than I like to show off my alliteration skills? Since coming back to teaching a few years ago the thing that strikes me most, and frankly scared me most is how lonely this job is. How little we know about what is happening in our subject area. The classroom next door, a class in the next school, let alone the next town are a mystery to me. I know there are teachers out there doing incredible things and this (the podcast) is a way for me to find out and be inspired. I would like to invite you along to listen and learn, to be inspired by some of the sensational teachers I speak to on the “Bridge Building Podcast – from technology to the trades”
About the Podcast Host
Stephen Anderson is a Design Technology, Trade Training and accidental Science teacher at a small high school 2 hours North West of Brisbane.
Over To You
If you know someone who is doing something spectacular or just great fun in design and tech or in trade training, I would love to know about them.
Contact me through my email osaerial@gmail.com
Music by:
Viola Pink
My favourite busker from the Nanango markets.