All Professional Learning

Date: Friday 22 November 2024

Time: 9.00 am - 3.00 pm

Venue: Westminster School

Bookings close: 20/11/2024

To be added to the waiting list please press book now and register your details. 

Presenter: Vera Dunaiski, Westminster School

A hands-on practical session trialling different ideas for investigations suitable for Stage 1 and 2 Chemistry. The workshop will involve guidelines on supporting students to deconstruct and design appropriate investigations.

Check out some comments from the 2023 workshop attendees:

• This workshop was excellent - it was well-organised and gave participants the opportunity to try out some new investigation/practical ideas. 
• I had a great time and really enjoyed spending time learning and networking with experienced chemistry teachers.
• This was a great workshop - the most practical PD I've ever attended. 

Participants will have the opportunity to trial and adapt methods designed around investigations such as:

• Nitrogen fertiliser retention in soils
• Kc values and concentration of reactants
• Properties of biopolymers
• Use of natural resins as adhesives
• Water disinfection
• Acid effects on shark teeth or marine shells
• Effectiveness of soaps and detergents
• Making and testing biodiesel

Time will be set aside for collaborative sharing and brainstorming of ideas. Please bring a notebook, pen, and laptop. Guest Wi-Fi will be available, and resources will be published on padlet.

If you prefer to wear your own lab coat and glasses, please bring your own. Otherwise, we can supply student lab coats.

Date: Friday 29 November 2024

Time: 8:30 am – 4:30 pm

Venue: UniSA, Mawson Lakes Campus

Bookings close: 26/11/2024

Conference Theme: Harnessing STEM: Empowering Innovators

"Harnessing STEM" is a specialised conference for ALL, sharing the potential of STEM to nurture hope, shape positivity and build thriving communities.

Come together to propel STEM education forward. “Harnessing STEM” promises to be a platform for inspiration, collaboration, and the Igniting of passion. 

The year’s Conference will include specialised workshops for both Primary and Secondary Teachers.

Date: Friday 17 January 2025

Time: 9.00 am - 3.00 pm

Venue: Westminster School

Bookings close: 14/01/2025

In this workshop attendees will look at a variety of themes which concern early career and pre-service teachers with regarding to successful planning and execution of laboratory practical sessions. Teachers will be guided through a typical laboratory lesson including the planning of the lesson, safety concerns, equipment use and managing risk whilst students are working.

There will be a session during the day where experienced lab technicians will be on hand for Q + A.

Topics covered will include:

• Safety equipment and risk assessments
• Skill building in specific areas – eg. microscopes, burners, chemicals, spectrometers, electrophoretic equipment
• Datalogging and using dataloggers
• Setting up effective and practical laboratory spaces
• Making effective use of laboratory staff + Q and A from lab staff
• What to do when – glass breakage, acid spills, fires, burns
• Planning for and ordering practicals
• Lab work + demonstrations – how to run (this will be taught practically!)  
• Running multiple practicals in one classroom – how to manage design practicals (+order them effectively)

A range of resources will be provided to assist you in running a range of practicals in which your students learn essential skills in a safe and fun manner!

Date: Friday 7 February 2025

Time: 9.00am - 3.00pm

Venue: Walkers Arms Hotel

Bookings close: 05/02/2025

Presenter: Michael Smith (Tatachilla Lutheran College)

Dr Michael Smith has taught Physics for over fifteen years; has delivered professional development since 2014; and authored and edited Physics textbooks.

Intended Audience: For teachers new to Stage 2 Physics and current teachers seeking guidance that have not taught the Physics course recently.

Program Outline:

This professional development session will cover:

• Course requirements and planning
• SACE submission requirements
• Using the performance standards appropriately
• Advice and practice on writing quality assessments

In addition, participants are invited to collaborate, share resources, and develop networks that will assist in early-career teaching.

Key Topics: 

Date: Friday 7 February 2025

Time: 9.00am - 3.00pm

Venue: Walkers Arms Hotel

Bookings close: 05/02/2025

Presenter: Andrew Sayers (Henley High School)

Intended Audience: For teachers new to Stage 2 Biology and current teachers seeking guidance for the new course.

Please see detailled program HERE.

Date: Friday 14 February 2025

Time: 9.00am - 3.00pm

Venue: Walkers Arms Hotel

Bookings close: 12/02/2025

Presenter: Vera Dunaiski, Westminster School

Teachers new to SACE Stage 2 Chemistry provides an overview, and guidance offered for planning, assessment and task design. Participants will be given the opportunity to share and discuss ideas, tasks and other resources.

Intended Audience: For teachers new to Stage 2 Chemistry

Date: Wednesday 19 February 2025

Time: 4.00pm - 5.00pm

Venue: Online

Bookings close: 18/02/2025

 Presenter: Lara Golding, Marryatville High School

There are things experienced teachers say and do in the classroom (and laboratory) to increase student engagement and decrease the chances that students will misbehave - it’s not as magic as it may seem. In this workshop I will discuss and model strategies for gaining students’ attention, managing student movement, asking whole class questions and group work. 

Using these strategies we can increase the likelihood students will be on task and thinking about Science and we can better manage safety risks in the laboratory. These skills are backed by recent research and AITSL papers but the workshop will focus on learning and using practical classroom management and engagement skills, not listening to research. This workshop is aligned with AITSL Standard 4: Create and Maintain Supportive and Safe Learning Environments, HITS 5: Collaborative Learning and HITS 7: Questioning.

Date: Friday 21 February 2025

Time: 9.00am - 3.00pm

Venue: Walkers Arms Hotel

Bookings close: 19/02/2025

Presenter: Carolyn Pinchbeck & Ben Whyte

Carolyn has over 15 years of experience teaching SACE Stage 1&2 Psychology and has supervised both marking and moderation for a number of years and has also been involved in examination setting and curriculum writing for the SACE Board. She has supported many students in her classes to achieve A+ and Merit scores for Psychology over the years. Carolyn has convened the SASTA New Teachers conference and Psychology Summer Conference for many years and has a keen passion for promoting student and teacher excellence in the discipline of Psychology.

Intended Audience: For teachers new to Stage 1 & 2 Psychology

Program:

9:00 - Welcome and networking

9:30- The bio/psycho/social model

10:30 - Morning tea

11:00- Stage 1

Assessment Type 1: Investigations Folio

• Science as a Hunan Endeavour (planning, task sheets, rubrics, exemplars, marking & mock moderation)
• Design & Deconstruct  (planning, task sheets, rubrics, exemplars, marking & mock moderation)

12:45- Lunch

1:30 - Stage 2: Research Programs & Investigation Reports

2:30- Stage 1 & 2

Assessment Type 2: Skills and Application Tasks

• Tests
• Assignments
• Formative classroom activities

3:30 - Close

Date: Friday 21 February 2025

Time: 9.00am - 3.00pm

Venue: Walkers Arms Hotel

Bookings close: 19/02/2025

Presenter: Elizabeth Arthur (Nazareth College)

Intended Audience: Stage 1 and 2 teachers new to Nutrition

This session will provide an introduction to Stage 1 and Stage 2 Nutrition covering content, resources, assessment and SACE requirements. 

This workshop will give teachers new to teaching SACE Nutrition an opportunity to meet and network with fellow new teachers. The workshop will provide practical information for planning in Stage 1 and Stage 2 and an overview of the topics as well as examples and discussion around assessment tasks.

Program: 

SUBJECT OUTLINES

Stage 1 Subject Outline

• Topics

(left hand column vs right hand column)

• How do these topics link to Stage 2
• Ideas for teaching

Stage 2 Subject Outline

• Topics

ASSESSMENT

Assessment requirements Stage 1 vs Stage 2

• Folio: prac and SHE
• SATs: task or case study

Performance Standards

Assessment tasks Stage 1 vs Stage 2

Science Inquiry Skills

+ Practical ideas

+ errors discussion

+ moderation

SHE

+ exemplar

+ writing a SHE test question

Case Study

+ exemplar

+ what it might look like in the exam

Test

+ writing good test questions

Examination – what to expect

Date: Monday 24 February 2025

Time: 9.00 am - 3.00 pm

Venue: Education Development Centre

Bookings close: 20/02/2025

In this workshop we will look at more advanced topics of pedagogical and staff leadership. This day builds on the Leading in Science workshop but is not required. This will be useful for anyone hoping to work with or lead teachers in areas of curriculum.

Presenter: Jason Greenslade, Curriculum Leader Science, Westminster School

In this workshop we will look at more advanced topics of pedagogical and staff leadership. This day builds on the Leading in Science workshop but is not required. This will be useful for anyone hoping to work with or lead teachers in areas of curriculum. 

This session will include:

• Curriculum planning for 2025 – where do you want to go? What needs to be done and how to do it
• Targeted action planning – goal setting for you and your staff
• Staff management – goal setting, performance, planning for success
• Meetings and data management

Please come prepared to contribute your visions to help others and bring all your plans and dreams so we can document them – bring your laptop, planners and curriculum documentation!

Date: Monday 3 March 2025

Time: 9.00 am - 3.00 pm

Venue: Education Development Centre

Bookings close: 27/02/2025

Presenter: Jason Greenslade, Curriculum Leader Science, Westminster School

This workshop is aimed at people who want to further their skills in setting, assessment and providing feedback on the SHE task. It also will cover the writing and marking of SHE questions for tests and examinations. There will be time to examine your own student work and participate in some cross-moderation and marking of work/drafts.

Morning Sessions: The SHE Task

• Performance Standards
• Introducing + structuring the task
• Providing guidance to students (drafting)
• Marking and moderation

Afternoon Session: SHE Questions in SATs/Exams

• Types of questions
• Guiding students to answer these questions
• Writing SHE questions – how to effectively use articles + how to structure them

Date: Friday 14 March 2025

Time: 9.00 am - 3.00 pm

Venue: Education Development Centre

Bookings close: 12/03/2025

Presenter: Chris Bush, Leading Teacher at University High School

AI in Education: A Practical One-Day Workshop for South Australian Science Teachers

Revolutionise your teaching with Artificial Intelligence (AI) in this hands-on, one-day workshop designed for educators of all levels. Discover how AI tools can streamline your lesson planning, support differentiated learning, and help you design rigorous assessments and feedback systems. Whether you're new to AI or already familiar with its potential, this workshop will equip you with the skills to effectively integrate AI into your teaching practice.

Throughout the day, you’ll collaborate with peers to design AI-powered tools for creating personalised learning tasks, rubrics, and assessments. You’ll also learn how to use AI to mark student work and provide detailed feedback, significantly reducing your workload while maintaining high academic standards. Ethical considerations and responsible use of AI will be addressed to ensure thoughtful integration in your classroom.

By the end of the workshop, you'll have the tools and confidence to use AI for unit planning, marking student work, and designing differentiated assessments, preparing your students for the future while making your teaching more efficient.

Key Takeaways:

• Understand AI fundamentals and their applications in education.
• Use AI tools to plan units of work, create rubrics, and mark student work.
• Build AI chatbots to provide personalised support for students (tutoring, Q&A) and teachers (task automation).
• Collaborate with peers to design AI-powered lessons and assessments, including differentiated tasks.
• Explore ethical considerations of AI in education, ensuring responsible and thoughtful use.
• Equip yourself with future-ready skills to stay ahead of AI-driven changes in education.

About the presenter
Christopher Bush, Head of Student Voice and Leadership at University
High School, is an AI for education expert who helps teachers unlock
the full potential of AI. He guides educators in creating engaging,
student-centered experiences while streamlining work and maximising
their impact. With his expertise, you'll discover how AI can transform
your school.

Date: Wednesday 7 May 2025

Time: 4.00pm - 5.00pm

Venue: Online

Bookings close: 06/05/2025

 Presenter: Amanda Salha, Westminster School

In a field where Artificial Intelligence is interjecting in a range of teaching and learning spaces, it helps to have a better understanding of how it’s being used. More importantly, strategies to not only manage challenges in AI but to get ahead of the game and use it to our advantage as educators. This workshop will focus on ways teachers can use AI to save time, plan, report and differentiate for learning.

Date: Wednesday 21 May 2025

Time: 4.00pm - 5.00pm

Venue: Online

Bookings close: 23/05/2025

 Presenter: Michael Lincoln, CESA

This workshop will explore some of the reasons children and young people disengage from learning and become disruptive in the classroom. With an understanding of these in mind, the workshop will explain a series of teacher-centred strategies that can be put in place to encourage engagement in learning and minimise the potential for disruptive and anti-social behaviour.

Date: Wednesday 10 September 2025

Time: 4.00pm - 5.30pm

Venue: Online

Bookings close: 09/09/2025

Presenter: Chris Bush, Leading Teacher at University High School

In this webinar, AI expert and Leading Teacher Chris Bush will teach you how to harness ChatGPT and AI for revolutionary results. You’ll learn how to use AI for planning, assessment, marking, and more. Join us to discover the power of AI to transform your classroom and school so you can work smarter, not harder. Click here to download the flyer.

What you'll learn:

• Transform planning: Craft compelling, AI-generated term outlines, lesson plans and assessments in seconds, complete with activities, solutions and rubrics.
• Personalise every path: Quickly design differentiated, tailored learning journeys that are adapted to individual student needs and strengths.
• Maximise your time: Streamline feedback and grading using AI, freeing teachers for deeper student interactions.
• Introduce and embed AI: Develop guidelines around the safe and appropriate use of AI in your context, bringing along all community members.

What you’ll leave with:

• Expert mentoring: Receive personalised support and strategies from a Leading Teacher and AI specialist.
• Ready-to-use prompts: Explore a curated library of classroom-tested prompts to spark immediate AI integration.
• Prompt mastery: Learn the techniques to craft your own powerful AI prompts with an easy-to-follow guide.
• Discover the best AI tools and policies: Access handpicked resources and policies that will lead to the most impactful AI integration for your classroom and school setting.

Date: Wednesday 22 October 2025

Time: 4.00pm - 5.30pm

Venue: Online

Bookings close: 21/10/2025

Ross Riach, STEM Innovator & Laboratory Coordinator, Gleeson College

This course is designed for all teachers to provide the tools and strategies to promote and harness the benefits of engagement, embed immersive, gamified and storytelling strategies to your lessons and create a love of science through innovative practices. This course is a modified version of the full day PD offered, focusing more on the benefits, approaches and examples of engaging science lessons without the hands-on, directed coaching on the skills to build / collaboration with peers to develop your own work.

This professional development journey will equip you with both the 'why' and the 'how,' providing a wealth of resources and collaborative opportunities to enhance your teaching skills alongside fellow forward-thinking educators. You’ll discover the science behind engagement in learning and how it will make your students retain information longer, be more present and unleash a renewed love for science. From tips to avoid the dreaded Death by PowerPoint to embedding gamification, effective check-ins, lesson design and integrating storytelling into your practices, you’ll walk away with a plethora of ideas, inspiration and resources to transform the science classroom.