The FizzicsEd Podcast

Helping students understand mathematics is so critical when it comes to their future. We speak with Michaela Epstein, founder of Maths Teacher Circles, to learn some simple ways you can help students find the delight in problem solving.

Hosted by Ben Newsome from Fizzics Education

About Michaela Epstein

After searching for ways to make professional learning more meaningful, in 2020 Michaela Epstein founded Maths Teacher Circles. Since then, over 700 primary and secondary teachers and school leaders have come together to share expertise and uncover new maths teaching ideas.

Michaela has also taught maths at schools in rural and urban areas, served as President of the Mathematical Association of Victoria and on the Council of the Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers. She has also completed Masters research and presented internationally on the intent of the mathematics curriculum.

At heart, Michaela is an avid learner and maths enthusiast, with a commitment to helping others reignite their own curiosity for mathematics.

Learn more

• https://www.mathsteachercircles.org/fizzicsed
• https://twitter.com/MathsCirclesOz
• https://www.facebook.com/MathsTeacherCircles

Hosted by Ben Newsome from Fizzics Education

With interviews with leading science educators and STEM thought leaders, this science education podcast is about highlighting different ways of teaching kids within and beyond the classroom. It's not just about educational practice & pedagogy, it's about inspiring new ideas & challenging conventions of how students can learn about their world!

https://www.fizzicseducation.com.au/

Know an educator who'd love this STEM podcast episode? 

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The FizzicsEd podcast is a member of the Australian Educators Online Network (AEON )

http://www.aeon.net.au/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Providing an avenue for students to learn and use their STEM skills for real community projects is at the heart of what the T3 Alliance does. Plus, you can get involved too! We speak with Adam Low who is the director of T3 Alaska and Director of the University of Alaska Fairbanks Upward Bound Program to learn just how they make this happen.

Hosted by Ben Newsome from Fizzics Education

About Adam Low

Adam Low is the Director of the University of Alaska Fairbanks Upward Bound Program and the director of T3 Alaska.  He is a science and technology educator with a passion for involving students in community engagement projects. Adam has extensive experience developing and supporting curricula to connect STEM technologies and service-learning as part of both the T3 Alliance and Modern Blanket Toss National Science Foundations grants.  He has worked as a teacher in a makerspace, supported an online school based on cultural and environmental learning in Hawaii, taught at the high school and collegiate levels in Alaska,  and worked as a professional geologist. In 2008 Adam was named science teacher of the year for the state of Alaska.

Learn more

• T3 Alliance
• Upward Bound Alaska

Hosted by Ben Newsome from Fizzics Education

With interviews with leading science educators and STEM thought leaders, this science education podcast is about highlighting different ways of teaching kids within and beyond the classroom. It's not just about educational practice & pedagogy, it's about inspiring new ideas & challenging conventions of how students can learn about their world!

https://www.fizzicseducation.com.au/

Know an educator who'd love this STEM podcast episode? 

Share it!

The FizzicsEd podcast is a member of the Australian Educators Online Network (AEON )

http://www.aeon.net.au/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Whether you're teaching young students or high schoolers, you need to make it accessible, fun and clearly linked to their lives. We join primary science specialist Jacqueline McCarthy to learn just what makes a great science lesson for any age student.

Hosted by Ben Newsome from Fizzics Education

About Jacqueline McCarthy

Jacqueline McCarthy is currently a primary school science specialist at Abbotsleigh, having transferred there from Sydney Grammar. She is a qualified primary and secondary teacher specialising in agriculture. Prior to specialising in Primary Teaching Jac was engaged by the Royal Agricultural Society as their Education manager. She is passionate about nurturing the curiosity of primary-aged students and is a STANSW Councilor.

Twitter

Hosted by Ben Newsome from Fizzics Education

With interviews with leading science educators and STEM thought leaders, this science education podcast is about highlighting different ways of teaching kids within and beyond the classroom. It's not just about educational practice & pedagogy, it's about inspiring new ideas & challenging conventions of how students can learn about their world!

https://www.fizzicseducation.com.au/

Know an educator who'd love this STEM podcast episode? 

Share it!

The FizzicsEd podcast is a member of the Australian Educators Online Network (AEON )

http://www.aeon.net.au/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Combine science & comedy together? Love it! Through Praxical a team of scientists were trained by comedians to perform STEM comedy on stage at the Sydney Comedy Festival, Australian Museum, at Splendour in the Grass & more. We speak with Luke Stellar, Co-founder and Director of Praxical to find out more

Hosted by Ben Newsome from Fizzics Education

About the STEAM Room

The STEAM Room trained seven scientists to perform on stage to sold-out shows at the Sydney Comedy Festival, Australian Museum Jurassic Lounge, and the Science Tent at Splendour in the Grass, alongside comedians and Dr Karl! You can learn more about this year's ABC Radio National interview or this write-up in chemistry world magazine. 

Applications open for the 2023 STEAM Room Science Comedy Program 

Participants will receive free workshops and mentoring from leading comedians and science communicators (including Dr Karl!) to turn their funny STEM stories into an entertaining stand-up performance.  So if you’re looking to learn fresh communication skills to present your research to a huge new audience, follow this link to learn more and apply: www.praxical.com.au/the-steam-room/steam-room-2023-apply-now

Hosted by Ben Newsome from Fizzics Education

With interviews with leading science educators and STEM thought leaders, this science education podcast is about highlighting different ways of teaching kids within and beyond the classroom. It's not just about educational practice & pedagogy, it's about inspiring new ideas & challenging conventions of how students can learn about their world!

https://www.fizzicseducation.com.au/

Know an educator who'd love this STEM podcast episode? 

Share it!

The FizzicsEd podcast is a member of the Australian Educators Online Network (AEON )

http://www.aeon.net.au/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Imagine bringing citizen science to your students & contributing your images of local wildlife globally in an effort to help educate and inspire the next generation of wildlife explorers! We chat with Jesse Hildebrand from Exloring by the Seat of your Pants to learn more.

Hosted by Ben Newsome from Fizzics Education

About Jesse Hildebrand

Jesse Hildebrand is the VP of Education for Exploring By The Seat of Your Pants, a global education non-profit that connects scientists and explorers to kids through 40+ monthly live, free, interactive programs (exploringbytheseat.com). Their full library of 2500 past programs featuring divers, mountaineers, conservationists, astronauts and more is on Youtube athttps://www.youtube.com/c/Exploringbytheseatofyourpants/videos

Jesse is the lead on their BackyardBio global nature campaign run every May, which gets kids outdoors observing, documenting and sharing all the local wildlife that lives near them through social media (#backyardbio), INaturalist and through direct international teacher connections facilitated through their website

Extra links

• https://www.backyardbio.net/
  
  
• https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/backyardbio-2023
  
  
• https://www.youtube.com/c/crashcourse
  
  
• https://www.youtube.com/c/inanutshell
  
  
• https://www.inaturalist.org/pages/seek_app
  

Recommended books

• Regeneration
• Drawdown 
• Under a White Sky (for adults)
• An Immense World
•  A Short History of Nearly Everything

Hosted by Ben Newsome from Fizzics Education

With interviews with leading science educators and STEM thought leaders, this science education podcast is about highlighting different ways of teaching kids within and beyond the classroom. It's not just about educational practice & pedagogy, it's about inspiring new ideas & challenging conventions of how students can learn about their world!

https://www.fizzicseducation.com.au/

Know an educator who'd love this STEM podcast episode? 

Share it!

The FizzicsEd podcast is a member of the Australian Educators Online Network (AEON )

http://www.aeon.net.au/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Teaching science effectively is incredibly important when it comes to improving science literacy levels. The important part, it doesn't require overly expensive items! We speak with Dr Stuart Kohlhagen, also known as The Science Nomad and former Director of Science and Learning at Questacon - Australia's National Science and Technology Centre for over 35 years.

Hosted by Ben Newsome from Fizzics Education

About Dr Stuart Kohlhagen

Stuart helped pioneer Questacon's exhibit development, science demonstrations and shows over a period 35 years. He as part of the original group that established the internationally renowned Science circus, and worked on the transformation of the original Questacon into the National Science and Technology centre. His passions are for simple, open-ended hands-on exhibits, and inquiry-based activities that provide learning opportunities. He has been active in capacity development programs for science centre staff and educators in South Africa, Lesotho, Indonesia, Korea, Brunei, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, as well as lead a number of international workshops and master classes in exhibit development.

In recent years he has been able to conceive develop and implement and realize a range of significant outdoor exhibits and public sculptures. He has also been leading the development and delivery of a range of teacher professional development programs within Australia and internationally.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuart-kohlhagen-3625bb78/

Hosted by Ben Newsome from Fizzics Education

With interviews with leading science educators and STEM thought leaders, this science education podcast is about highlighting different ways of teaching kids within and beyond the classroom. It's not just about educational practice & pedagogy, it's about inspiring new ideas & challenging conventions of how students can learn about their world!

https://www.fizzicseducation.com.au/

Know an educator who'd love this STEM podcast episode? 

Share it!

The FizzicsEd podcast is a member of the Australian Educators Online Network (AEON )

http://www.aeon.net.au/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hackathons truly accelerate innovation and Melanie De Gioia very much has an understanding of what makes them work!

Hosted by Ben Newsome from Fizzics Education

About Melanie De Gioia

Melanie is a Project Manager, by nature and training.  She specialises in bringing order to chaos and thrives when working with a number of key stakeholders delivering projects that promote STEM. Some of Melanie's current clients include the University of Sydney, World Federation of Engineering (for UNESCO), TEDxSydney, AusIndustry and Engineers Australia.  She's delivered projects, hackathons, events and podcasts that have reached around the globe and are inspiring innovation and change in the world.

https://melaniedegioia.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/melaniedegioia/

https://ramaley.media/

About the FizzicsEd podcast

Hosted by Ben Newsome from Fizzics Education

With interviews with leading science educators and STEM thought leaders, this science education podcast is about highlighting different ways of teaching kids within and beyond the classroom. It's not just about educational practice & pedagogy, it's about inspiring new ideas & challenging conventions of how students can learn about their world!

https://www.fizzicseducation.com.au/

Know an educator who'd love this STEM podcast episode? 

Share it!

The FizzicsEd podcast is a member of the Australian Educators Online Network (AEON )

http://www.aeon.net.au/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Want to incorporate STEM into environmental education? Meridith Ebbs is someone to guide you through this! Meridith is a highly experienced teacher with a real passion for teaching students in natural environments whilst using different technologies.

Hosted by Ben Newsome from Fizzics Education

About Meridith Ebbs

Meridith is an experienced teacher with a background in Education, Environmental Science and Digital Technologies. She is currently exploring applications for STEM and technology while learning outside and applications for STEM in low-cost real-world projects. She facilitates the hashtags #STEMnNature and #STEMinTheWorld on social media and shares knowledge and ideas using the handles @iMerinet and @MakeCreateEducate 

In the past, Meridith worked for 4 years as the CSER NSW Project Officer on the Digital Technologies project with the University of Adelaide. Meridith has experience teaching students K-10 and she is an experienced facilitator of adult workshops, with experience working in both school and corporate environments. She has worked as an instructional designer documenting computer systems and creating training materials. Meridith is accredited as a Makey Makey ambassador, an Apple Teacher, an Apple Teacher in Swift Playground and Sphero Lead Educator. 

Contact Meridith

https://withkoji.com/@iMerinet  - one link for all contacts

https://www.instagram.com/imerinet/

https://www.facebook.com/makecreateeducate

https://twitter.com/iMerinet

https://www.youtube.com/c/MeridithEbbsiMerinet/videos

https://makecreateeducate.blogspot.com/ 

More information about Meridith

https://imerinet.weebly.com/ 

Resources for more information

What is Citizen Science - https://citizenscience.org.au/10-principles-of-citizen-science/ 

Project Finder

https://www.csiro.au/en/education/get-involved/citizen-science 

https://citizenscience.org.au/ala-project-finder/

https://biocollect.ala.org.au/acsa#isCitizenScience

Projects mentioned

International:

Great Southern Bioblitz 2022 https://www.greatsouthernbioblitz.org/about-1 

iNaturalist https://www.inaturalist.org/

Backyard Bioblitz https://www.backyardbio.net/

Australian:

Frog ID Project https://www.frogid.net.au/ 

Dead Tree Project ​​https://biocollect.ala.org.au/acsa/project/index/77285a13-e231-49e8-b212-660c66c74bac

About the FizzicsEd podcast

Hosted by Ben Newsome from Fizzics Education

With interviews with leading science educators and STEM thought leaders, this science education podcast is about highlighting different ways of teaching kids within and beyond the classroom. It's not just about educational practice & pedagogy, it's about inspiring new ideas & challenging conventions of how students can learn about their world!

https://www.fizzicseducation.com.au/

Know an educator who'd love this STEM podcast episode? 

Share it!

The FizzicsEd podcast is a member of the Australian Educators Online Network (AEON )

http://www.aeon.net.au/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Learn about the work being done by the United Nations Association of Australia and how to get involved as we chat with Brett Martin, the UNAA NSW Director for Members and Volunteers + Global Citizenship Pillar Lead

Hosted by Ben Newsome from Fizzics Education

About Brett Martin & the United Nations Association of Australia - NSW Division

His role involves supporting volunteers, developing partnerships and coordinating monthly meetups to raise awareness about UN aims and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. The UNAA NSW purpose is to inform, inspire and engage Australians to create a safer, fairer and more sustainable world through a wide range of activities, including their current UN Day campaign with NSW schools, running the United Nations Diploma, and hosting a wide range of events and projects. To learn more, check out their website www.unaa,nsw.org.au and subscribe to their newsletter. 

• UN Day Schools Program
• UNAA NSW UN Diploma

About the FizzicsEd podcast

Hosted by Ben Newsome from Fizzics Education

With interviews with leading science educators and STEM thought leaders, this science education podcast is about highlighting different ways of teaching kids within and beyond the classroom. It's not just about educational practice & pedagogy, it's about inspiring new ideas & challenging conventions of how students can learn about their world!

https://www.fizzicseducation.com.au/

Know an educator who'd love this STEM podcast episode? 

Share it!

The FizzicsEd podcast is a member of the Australian Educators Online Network (AEON )

http://www.aeon.net.au/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Learn more about the Andy Thomas Space Foundation and irts impact in space education as we chat with Executive Officer Darcey Watson

Hosted by Ben Newsome from Fizzics Education

About the Andy Thomas Space Foundation

Founded by Dr Andrew Thomas AO, Australian astronaut and Research Scientist, The Andy Thomas Space Foundation exists to fulfill three purposes;

1. Advancing Space Education – Making STEM literacy for all students an educational priority. 
2. Raising Space Awareness – Making connections between space science and technologies and our everyday lives.
3. Contributing to the national space community – Through events and other education initiatives

https://andythomas.foundation/

About Darcey Watson

In addition to her role as Executive Officer with the Andy Thomas Space foundation, Darcey is proud to serve as Chair of the Spence Club Board of Directors and Team Coordinator of the Astra Program. She is also co-founder of CoLab Society and co-host of the CoLab Society podcast wherethey discuss the diverse range of career pathways within the field of science. Through this podcast they showcase the experiences and challenges of current female game-changers (and male allies) in the hopes of making the science industry more accessible and relatable for emerging science leaders. 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/darcey-watson/

About the FizzicsEd podcast

Hosted by Ben Newsome from Fizzics Education

With interviews with leading science educators and STEM thought leaders, this science education podcast is about highlighting different ways of teaching kids within and beyond the classroom. It's not just about educational practice & pedagogy, it's about inspiring new ideas & challenging conventions of how students can learn about their world!

https://www.fizzicseducation.com.au/

Know an educator who'd love this STEM podcast episode? 

Share it!

The FizzicsEd podcast is a member of the Australian Educators Online Network (AEON )

http://www.aeon.net.au/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.