“Experts” tell it how it is at our Teacher Workshops – SA next
May 24, 2023
As part of our ACIAR-supported NextGen program, we have been focusing this year on encouraging the use of our updated free curriculum-aligned resources Development for a Better Future.
In addition to contacting all national and State teacher associations with a connection to food and nutrition security, we are having four in-person and three online events in 2023 to assist teachers in getting the most out of our curriculum materials. And we also want to let them know about our competition for Students in Years 9 and 10 who can win $1000 for their school!
We are so lucky to have a great network of researchers to call upon to explain their work and field experience of direct relevant to the case studies we highlight in our teaching modules, to really bring the work and its impact to life.
With presentations completed at the national conferences of the National Association of Agricultural Educators and the Primary Industry Education Foundation of Australia, our next in person event is on 30 May, with our curriculum specialist Heather MacDonald of Education Partnerships, who helped us developing the teaching resources, travelling to Adelaide to present a workshop to teachers from 3.30-5pm at Urrbrae Agricultural High School. If you haven’t yet registered and are available for the in-person only workshop, please register by clicking here.
Heather will be joined by AgCommunicators’ education team member, Belinda Cay and:
Dr Andy Barr, South Australian grain grower and former chair of the board of CIMMYT who is well placed to brief the teachers on issues related to our teaching modules on “Climate Change, Food and Nutrition Security” and “Climate-Smart Technologies.” Andy was recently awarded the GRDC Seed of Gold award – one of the grains industry’s most prestigious awards.
Dr Sally Norton, Leader of the Australian Grains Genebank, to brief the teachers on issues related to our teaching module on “Genebanks – more than saving seeds.” Sally presented at this year’s ABARES Outlook conference on “Germplasm Conservation, Exchange and Use” and has been supported by the Crawford Fund to carry out a range of training programs for genebank managers from the Asia-Pacific.
Others we have involved in our teacher workshops include:
- Dr Michael Wellington, Senior Advisor, Capacity Development at Digital Earth Africa, Crawford Fund student awardee and conference scholar.
- Professor Michael Furlong, specialist on biological control and integrated management of insect pests, University of Queensland.
- Rebekah Ash, PhD candidate, University of Tasmania, soil carbon specialist, Agriprove and Crawford Fund student awardee and conference scholar.
Our next in person event with Heather will be in Goulburn on 3 July – more details to come!
