Little Scientists Webinar

Inspire STEM - Explore, Play, Reflect

Inspired by the topic of National Science Week, Food: different by design, we are putting on a STEM morning tea. How loud is your sip and crunch? What effect does smell have on your taste buds? You were told to never play with your food but join us for a hands-on, play-based, inquiry-led investigation into food.

Children enjoy exploring food and have so many questions about it: “What’s in a sip?” “What colour tastes the best?” Have you ever wondered how to answer these questions? We will unpack STEM food for you.

STEM education is so much more than factual answers to complex questions and Little Scientists will show you how easy and uncomplicated it can be. In a series of live webinars, Little Scientists will introduce the concepts, methods and skills to early childhood teachers and educators. We will show you some simple techniques to cultivate children’s skills and excitement for STEM exploration, and our hands-on session will enrich your repertoire of STEM activities.

Webinar 1: Explore - Introduction to inquiry-based STEM learning

Date: Monday, 9 August 2021

Time: 4:00pm – 5:00pm AEST

Overview of early STEM education and inquiry-based learning, focusing on the importance of playfulness and joy as impetuses to scientific discovery and research
Creating a rich learning environment to stimulate discoveries, enrich STEM learning opportunities and nurture curiosity in children and adults alike
Resourcing STEM activities, learning how to use what you already have for fantastic explorations

Webinar 2: Play - Hands-on STEM exploration

Date: Tuesday, 10 August 2021

Time: 4:00pm – 5:00pm AEST

Interactive demonstrations of STEM explorations using items found around the home
Discovering everyday phenomena and explanations of basic scientific concepts
Learning techniques to find STEM explorations in everyday situations, making STEM accessible to young children

Webinar 3: Reflect - Process to practice

Date: Friday, 13 August 2021

Time: 4:00pm – 5:00pm AEST

Reflection on what has been learned so far, what has worked well and how to overcome challenges
Discussion of next steps to integrate STEM exploration further in individual circumstances

The webinars are scheduled to run for one hour each and include a Q&A session and a networking opportunity. You will be engaged in hands-on STEM activities during the second session, for which you will receive a materials list in advance.

Questions? Email us at workshops@littlescientists.org.au.

Completing this webinar series will contribute to 3 hours of NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) Registered PD for Teachers towards maintaining Proficient Teacher Accreditation in NSW. To be eligible for NESA accreditation you are required to attend all three webinars live.

TQI registered PD

Completing this workshop will contribute 3 hours of ACT Teacher Quality Institute (TQI) registered PD.