EduTech 2022

Tracy Owen Operations Manager The King’s School Institute Ben Lum Computing Studies Teacher Bronwyn McLoughlin Librarian

In July 2022, Ben Lum, Bronwyn McLoughlin and Tracy Owen attended the EduTECH Conference at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. The Conference boasted over 10,000 attendees, over 450 speakers, and 400 exhibitors all coming together to explore the latest developments, opportunities, new digital technologies, products, and solutions available to help Australian educators improve teaching and learning. Each of us had different aims. The EduTECH Conference provided Ben with the opportunity to connect with the changes currently occurring in the space of digital learning and the upcoming changes to the Computing Studies and Digital Technologies syllabuses. The keynote sessions attended, focused on a number of themes, including rethinking our relationship with technology in a post-COVID world, new ways of teaching in contemporary classrooms, and the changing face of pedagogy and meaningful improvements to student learning outcomes. With planning for the new STEAM precinct underway at The King’s School, the EduBUILD stream of the conference provided insights into contemporary learning space design with presentations from architects and schools who have recently developed new learning spaces. The presentations focused on modern design considerations in educational infrastructure, learning environments, and current research in learning space design.

EduTECH 2022

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The new Computing Studies and Digital Technologies syllabuses are just around the corner and Grok Learning provided opportunities in their workshops to learn more about PRIMM, Object Oriented Programming, Data Science and understanding the new Digital Technologies curriculum.

VEX Robotics also had a large presence at the conference, providing opportunities to network with schools, coaches, educators, and key people from VEX in Australia, and demonstrate how VEX Robotics is implemented across K-12 in schools. The VEX Robotics Competition, in which The King’s School will be competing in for the first time this year, was also discussed. As a librarian, the sessions Bronwyn attended were focused on literacy, reading, and library trends. In line with the plans being developed by the TKS English Department, the literacy discussions focussed on intentional, deliberate, explicit instruction of reading skills. Threaded through many of the sessions was the idea that students should be helped to identify themselves as readers, despite their own beliefs to the contrary.

Author Andy Griffiths uses humour and ridiculousness to engage the reader. His works are far from canon literature, but he considers the form/technology of a work should be subservient to the purpose of the work. He also warns against the temptation of technology, which provides the opportunity to edit and revise a creation far too early in the process, so that the original thought and direction is lost before it even has a chance to see the light of day. Interesting thought. Although Griffiths did not denigrate technology, he does warn that sometimes it gets in the way of the literature and the comprehension; that perhaps technology should be a standardised platform well understood and used, so that getting caught up in the technology does not obscure the message. The Australian School Library Association (ASLA) provided a half-day session best summed up as Inclusive/Inspiring/ Innovative, and included information about media literacy programs and the new NSW Information Fluency Framework for school libraries, which describes teacher librarians as “enabling world ready students who are fluent, effective ethical learners,” and which now substitutes the phrase “Digital Literacy” for ICT. Much of the content served to reinforce and expand on some of the approaches adopted in the Senior Library.

Holistically, observing the entire conference in operation, from early advertising, the structuring of sessions, keynote presentations, and effective means of communication for participants was of considerable value. Insights on a technology-based conference could enhance the offerings KingsTech could extend in the future. In particular, the session Tracy attended, by EC by Go1, showcased a suite of quality professional development opportunities that can be accessed and tailored to align with the needs of different educational institutions. King’s has since engaged EC by Go1 to pilot a professional development package for staff in 2023. We are excited about the training it will provide, further equipping staff to further enhance the quality of educational experiences for our students.