Hands on with codable electronics for Years 7-12

Please note, this workshop has been cancelled. It may be rescheduled or converted to an online format. As schools continue to struggle with CRT shortages, we are experiencing lower than usual registrations for face-to-face events.

Whether for a Year 7 Makerspace class or a VCE Innovative Project, there’s many ways electronics can be used to address the Digital Technologies learning area in Years 7-12.

This day has two main goals:

1. Review the common, popular tech used in secondary schools today, from micro:bit to Arduino to Raspberry Pi. What are the pros and cons of using a breadboard, alligator clips or a dedicated expansion set?
   
   
2. Talk about the code. How can teachers support secondary students to move beyond the most simple algorithms for their electronics projects?

At each hackathon, participants are invited to bring along tools and examples from their own schools to share. The day includes a presentation, a team challenge and opportunities for networking.

Who Should Attend?

• Teachers of Years 7-12, including VCE

• STEM teachers

• Digital Technologies specialists and learning leaders

Standard hackathon day outline

• 9:30am Welcome and connect time
• 10:00am Presentation on classroom technology, pedagogy and/or project from teacher or expert
• 10:45am Networking, resource and expertise sharing + Morning Tea
• 11:30am Team challenge introduction and planning session
• 12:30pm Lunch
• 1:15pm Work on team challenge
• 3:00pm Demonstrations and show-and-tell

About the facilitators

Sanjin Dedic is a robotics engineer and an experienced educator in the field of Digital Technologies. Throughout his teaching career Sanjin has been at the forefront of the latest educational technologies, in 2013 he brought Arduino, 3D printing and the make movement ethos into the classroom, he since authored Python curriculum in use by dozens of Victorian schools and co-authored a book on the BBC micro:bit, both aimed at students in Years 7-10. He currently teaches at the King David School in Melbourne and works with Digital Learning and Teaching Victoria, Teacher Training Australia and The Digital Technologies Hub to share the latest in educational technology and pedagogical approaches with fellow teachers.

Nathan Alison taught Digital Technologies, VCE Computing and Software Development in Victoria for 11 years before beginning work for DLTV. He brings a background in Computer Systems Engineering and years of hobby coding, as well as a keen desire to help teachers with more complex Computer Science concepts through clear explanations and relevant activities.

APST standards addressed in this workshop:

Digital Technologies curriculum strands addressed: