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April Newsletter
April 2025
Dear colleagues,
Welcome to the April edition of our newsletter, the third installment for 2025. As we prepare for the upcoming Easter school break, we’re excited to continue building on the momentum from Term 1 and sharing the latest developments within our DATTA QLD community. This monthly communication serves as your window into the professional activities, opportunities, and achievements across our network.
In this edition:
- 2025 DATTA Queensland State Conference
- PD – TeachMeet Term 2
- PD – UQ Schools Net – Future Ready with AI
- PD – Makers Empire
- Design Teachers QLD website – designteachersqld.org
- Department of Education – Virtual Academy
- EOI for Critical Friends – Department of Education
- Prime Ministers Prize for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Knowledge Systems
- Student Subject Awards now open
- Teacher Excellence Awards now open
- Podcast #76 – Virtual STEM and Rural Wins with Tim from Roma State High
- 5% discount for Inspired Education workshops
- Request for Assistance with PHD
- Member Spotlight
- Stay up to date and follow our socials!
- Useful links
- Upcoming events and important dates
- Reminders
- Newsletter articles
With best wishes,
Carol-Anne Durkin
President – Design And Technology Teachers’ Association QLD
2025 DATTA Queensland State Conference
Conference Registration and Attendance
Registration is now open for attendance at the 2025 DATTA Qld State Conference. Members and Non-Members welcome!
Come for one day or two!
As well as attending an array of presentations, workshops and tours that could help you with implementing curriculum across subjects and year levels, it is a great opportunity to socialise, speak with companies who may have resources and equipment that you can use at your school, pick up samples, make new contacts and learn new skills,
Don’t forget to register for the Conference Dinner too! Thursday 19 June at 6pm at The Ship Inn, Southbank – a great night out, good food and company. The dinner registration includes a three-course meal and drinks, for the heavily subsidised price of $55. This represents great value for money, especially for those of staying overnight in Brisbane to attend the conference.
Don’t forget the winners of the DATTA QLD Teacher Awards will be announced at the Conference Dinner.
PD Opportunities – Teach Meet Term 2
Free PD for DATTA Qld Members!
Term 2, Wednesday 21 May, Week 5.
Delivered via Zoom – Anyone can attend.
Audience: Teachers from all areas of Design and Technologies.
What you need to bring: Ideas, examples of classroom experiences and learning sequences, questions, examples of how you plan to substitute, augment, modify or redefine tasks.
PD Opportunities – UQ Schools Net - Future Ready with AI
Dear DATTA Queensland Members,
Your school staff and teachers are invited to gain hands-on experience with practical AI tools and insights designed for educators.
This one day event will focus on empowering educators with practical AI knowledge and tools. It breaks down AI fundamentals, helping participants understand what AI is and how large language models (LLMs) work. Participants will engage in a hands-on session on using AI as a personal assistant for classroom planning and administrative tasks, as well as an interactive workshop on integrating AI into content-based learning and developing students’ problem-solving and logical reasoning in the classroom.
See the highlights below, or the full schedule on our website.
Register Now!
UQ Future Ready with AI PD 2025 early bird registrations now open
PD Opportunities – Makers Empire
Advanced Manufacturing Future Skills Program
An exciting professional development opportunity available in a number of regions, with the Department of Natural Resources and Mines, Manufacturing and Regional and Rural Development. The program is aimed at secondary school teachers, with some resources for students too.
Teachers get PD, tools and resources, and support from a learning team, while students get to participate in a STEM and technology project, so for executive leaders at school, it is a great project to build on-site capacity and connect with industry.
Overview
Teachers will attend 2 x PD/industry immersion days including an industry site visit which will cover the manufacturing industry in their region, pd on design-thinking, hands-on 3D printer training and Makers Empire 3D design software.
Teachers then work with students on a project aimed at either Years 7-9 and/or Years 10-12 to solve a manufacturing-related problem. Year 10-12 students will do a pitch, like in Shark Tank.
At the end of the project, teachers and students attend a half-day showcase to present to guest judges and industry.
Schools also receive a 3D printer to keep, Makers Empire 3D design software for 3 years, support from Makers Empire learning team and the opportunity to work with their local Qld Manufacturing Hub and/or industry partners.
Schools will need to budget for:
- local travel and teacher relief days for the 2 x PD/industry days; and
- local travel and teacher relief day for teacher and some students to attend showcase day.
You can see an article on last year’s program on the Gold Coast, Toowoomba and Moreton Bay. The program has been running since 2021:
Schools can register and apply here now:
- Cairns region (pd scheduled start of Term 3, student project Term 3-4)
- Logan/Beenleigh region (pd scheduled middle of Term 2,student project Term 3-4)
- Toowoomba region (pd scheduled middle of Term 2,student project Term 3-4)
- Sunshine Coast region (pd scheduled middle of Term 2, student project Term 3-4)
Design Teachers QLD Website - designteachersqld.org
The website provides a secure platform for teachers of General Design to collaborate. It doesn’t matter if you’re an Industrial Design and Technology teacher, Food and Textiles Design and Technology teacher, Art teacher, or any other teacher out of field. If you are teaching or planning to teach General Design, log on, create an account and collaborate with your peers.
Department of Education - Virtual Academy
The Queensland Virtual Academy (QVA) is a Department of Education state-wide, cohesive approach to increasing equity in student access to curriculum pathways, learning opportunities, and teaching expertise.
The on-demand learning materials are a suite of resources accessible by schools, staff and students (under teacher direction as part of the school’s learning program) anywhere, anytime.
The materials are aligned to the Australian Curriculum and enable out-of-field and early career teachers to build their knowledge and capability to deliver curriculum content with confidence.
The QVA provides an online community and individual support to help teachers build their knowledge and capability.
The 4 services provided by the QVA are:
- Live online lessons: virtual learning is delivered to students in difficult-to-staff learning areas or subjects by a QVA partner school teacher to students in another school.
- On-demand learning materials: the QVA provides access to learning materials that assist teachers to more confidently deliver the curriculum.
- Schools teaching to other schools: through school-initiated partnerships, schools work together to deliver curriculum and learning opportunities.
- Targeted and specialist virtual programs: these programs enrich curriculum for targeted students and support schools to further personalise student learning.
The On-demand learning materials service will provide out-of-field or inexperienced teachers with curated resources that enable them to more confidently deliver the curriculum.
In 2025, On-demand learning materials are being developed for P-6 Technologies and 7–10 Design & Technologies (all four contexts).
EOI for Critical Friends – Department of Education
We are seeking expressions of interests for Critical Friends to provide feedback on the development of these learning materials, assessment tasks and unit plans.
Commitment and role:
- Commitment – provide feedback via email and surveys on QVA On-demand learning materials and curriculum documents.
- Role – offering feedback and suggestions based on expertise to help the QVA refine and enhance educational resources, ultimately supporting teachers who may be new to the field or teaching outside their primary subject area.
Please contact Ryan Bishop via email or phone with any questions about this opportunity.
Ryan Bishop
Education Officer — Digital and Virtual Learning
School and Student Support
Department of Education
M: 0493525163
E: ryan.bishop@qed.qld.gov.au
Prime Ministers Prize for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Knowledge Systems
The Prime Minister’s Prize for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Knowledge Systems recognises the contribution of Australian Indigenous peoples’ knowledge systems to science, our nation and humanity. It recognises solving a significant challenge through the practice and preservation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge systems.
Nominations close on 18 March 2025 at 5:00pm AEDT.
By nominating for the Prize, you are acknowledging the value of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge systems to community, place and our nation.
Nominations can be made by community members, colleagues and peers.
The Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science are Australia’s most prestigious and highly regarded science awards.
They celebrate demonstrated achievements in scientific research, research-based innovation, the practice of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge systems and excellence in science teaching.
Recipients of the Prizes are important role models and join alumni whose achievements benefit Australia and the rest of the world.
Student Subject Awards now open
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; studentawards@dattaqld.org.au by Friday 2 May 2025 (Term 2 Week 2).
There are no limits to the number of entries from each school.
See the DATTA Qld website for entry forms and templates.
Teacher Excellence Awards now open
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.
Nominations close Saturday 31 May.
Winners are announced at the DATTA Qld State Conference Dinner, Thursday 19 June.
Podcast #76 – Virtual STEM and Rural Wins with Tim from Roma State High
Stephen Anderson sits down with Tim Bateup, a STEM teacher from Roma State High School, who’s kicking goals in rural education. Recently awarded a $10,000 Toyota STEM scholarship, Tim’s headed to London to bring back fresh ideas for his Southwest Queensland students. From his roots in digital technologies to pioneering virtual lessons in the Queensland Virtual STEM Academy, Tim shares how he’s bridging the gap for kids in the bush. We explore his gypsy-like teaching journey, the power of virtual learning, and why country life beats the city chaos any day.
5% discount for Inspired Education workshops
DATTA Qld and Inspired Education Australia are happy to offer a 5% discount for IEA workshops (state-wide) – on top of early bird – for DATTA QLD Members!
Use the code DATTAQLDInspired25
Request for Assistance with PHD
You are invited to participate in a research study on ‘The factors impacting on school staff intervention in bullying among students.’
We are seeking Queensland school-based staff working in the following roles:
- Deputy principals
- Teachers
- Year level coordinators / heads of year / behaviour management teachers / heads of behaviour
- Guidance officers / psychologists / counsellors
Your involvement:
- Completion of an online survey that will take approximately 15mins
- Participation is voluntary and you or your school will not be identified in the data
If you have any questions about this study, please contact:
Ms Shannon O’Brien (PhD Candidate) – shannonolivia.obrien@hdr.qut.edu.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
Socials!
Do you like and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Linkedin?
Please follow our pages to receive regular reminders and updates!
Useful links
Upcoming Events and Important dates for 2025
- Teach Meet – Professional Development – Week 5 each term – Wednesday 21 May – Register via email: teachmeet@dattaqld.org.au
- DATTA Qld Student Awards submissions close Thursday 24 April *Note this is earlier than in previous years. See website or future newsletters for more information.
- DATTA Qld Teacher Excellence Awards nominations close Saturday 31 May
- DATTA Qld 2025 Conference 19–20 June 2025, Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre.
- Design and Technology Week 13–19 October 2025
Membership renewal reminders
Membership! – Check your membership details for DATTA Qld. School membership and/or personal membership! Remember that there are benefits to members throughout the year and you are supporting our professional association with your membership fees. Talk to others about their membership – who can you remind or encourage to renew or begin their membership in 2025?
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