NAIDOC Week 2014

NAIDOC Week is held in the first full week of July. It is a time to celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and an opportunity to recognise the contributions that Indigenous Australians make to our country and our society.

Virtual Excursions Australia is presenting the NAIDOC Week Video Conferencing Festival. This event will run before and after the July school holidays for student across Australia. Please join the Australian Museum, Australian National Maritime Museum, State Library of NSW, National Library of Australia and Sydney Olympic Park for a series of fabulous events.

Derek from the Australian Museum presenting the Totems workshop

17 June

KOORI CLASSROOM: NAIDOC to today

Time: 10:30 & Time: 14:00

Overview: “To know the future we must first know the past” (Aunty Fran Bodkin D’harawal Elder). In this session of our Koori Classroom series, D’harawal knowledge keeper, Shannon Foster will guide students through the origins of NAIDOC – also part of her own family story.

18 June

NAIDOC Week – Boori Monty Pryor – Writing Workshop

Time: 12:00

Overview: Boori Monty Pryor will talk about his life and work as an author and performer and lead the students through an interactive writing workshop

20 June

NAIDOC Week – Indigenous Totems workshop

In this practical workshop students learn about lifestyles and beliefs of Indigenous Australians whilst creating their own totem.

Time: 10:00

NAIDOC Week – Indigenous Art Workshop

In this practical workshop students create an artwork of their own. They explore Indigenous culture and art from various regions of Australia.

Time: 11:00

24 June

NAIDOC week ANMM Unlocked: Unlock Water and Indigenous people

Time: 10:00

Overview: To celebrate NAIDOC week Indigenous Programs Manager Donna Carstens will discuss the cultural significance of water to indigenous people. Water is integral to the everyday life of communities for survival, travel and play. Listen to a Dreaming story, examine an Indigenous artwork and build a canoe replica.

KOORI CLASSROOM: NAIDOC to today

Time: 10:30

NAIDOC Week – Create YOUR Australian flag

Time: 14:00

Overview: In this special NAIDOC week art workshop students will explore Indigenous culture and art from various regions of Australia. In this lesson students will create their own Australian Flag by investigating their cultural heritage as well as that of Australia’s first inhabitants, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

KOORI CLASSROOM: NAIDOC to today

Time: 14:00

25 June

NAIDOC – Create YOUR Australian flag

Time: 14:00

26 June

NAIDOC week ANMM Unlocked: Unlock Water and Indigenous people

Time: 11:30

27 June

NAIDOC Week – Indigenous Totem workshop

Time: 10:00

Overview: The Indigenous Totems session is a practical workshop where students learn about lifestyles and beliefs of Indigenous Australians whilst creating their own totem. Concepts and culture will be demonstrated with real artifacts and aboriginal cultural material.

NAIDOC week ANMM Unlocked: Unlock Water and Indigenous people

Time: 10:00

NAIDOC Week – Indigenous Art workshop

Time: 11:00

Overview: Students explore Indigenous culture and art from various regions of Australia. Students investigate the traditional styles, symbols, materials and tools of Indigenous art around Australia. They use Indigenous art and cultural objects as a stimulus to create their own design.

16 July

NAIDOC week ANMM Unlocked: Unlock Water and Indigenous people

Time: 10:00

17 July

NAIDOC week ANMM Unlocked: Unlock Water and Indigenous people

Time: 14:00

18 July

NAIDOC week ANMM Unlocked: Unlock Water and Indigenous people

Time: 10:00

23 -2 7 June or 21 – 25 July

NAIDOC Week – NAIDOC and Neighours

Time: By appointment

Overview: This workshop focussing on the fascinating, but little known story of Aya-I-Ga, also known as Neighbour. Neighbour was the first Indigenous Australian to receive the Albert Medal for gallantry. This program allows participants to interact with the National Library of Australia’s presenters, original objects and photographs and is suitable for students in Years 7-10.

Virtual Excursions Australia is proud to support this event

NAIDOC stands for National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee. Its origins can be traced to the emergence of Aboriginal groups in the 1920′s which sought to increase awareness in the wider community of the status and treatment of Indigenous Australians.

February 22, 2014March 11, 2014

Sea Week Video Conferencing Festival

_{Sea Week Video Conferencing Festival 2014}

Sea Week is the Marine Education Society of Australasia’s (MESA) annual education campaign to increase understanding and appreciation of the ocean and its living organisms.

The theme for 2014 is Sustainable Seas! Are there really plenty more fish in the Sea?

Human activities are putting pressure of the ocean and marine environments in many ways. Direct impacts like overfishing, chemical pollution and litter lower water quality and threaten wildlife. Less direct activities such as carbon pollution leads to climate change and ocean acidification. It is important to recognise that people have the power to make positive impacts on the ocean in their everyday decisions.

Join the Australian Museum, Manly Environment Centre and the National Maritime Museum in a week long festival highlighting our marine environments

There are a variety of sessions on offer with topics to suit every school.

Sea Week – Meet the Experts

Monday 3 March at 2pm

The Australian Museum is bringing our scientists to you! This is your chance to come face to face with an Australian Museum scientist and ask your questions. Meet Mark McGrouther Collection Manager; Ichthyology (Fish) to talk about the collection and some of the exciting field trips he’s been on.

Sea Week – Catchment Health

Wednesday 5 March at 10am

The Catchment Health video conference explores some of the impacts facing our marine environments. This session looks at the importance of catchments and how everything we do on land has impacts in our marine environments.

Sea Week – Claws, Tentacles and Spines

Wednesday 5 March at 11am

The Claws, Tentacles and Spines session explores the fascinating diversity of marine invertebrates. Join the Australian Museum to discover some of the amazing adaptations of these spineless wonders.

Sea Week – Meet the Experts

Thursday 6 March at 2pm

Australian Museum is bringing our scientists to you! This is your chance to come face to face with an Australian Museum scientist and ask your questions. Amanda Hay will talk about her research into the ecology of larval fishes.

January 20, 2014January 27, 2014

ITEC 2014 Call for Papers

Interactive Technology in Education Conference Call for Paper

ITEC 2014 is fast approaching and an exciting program of international and national keynote speakers and a range of other presentations is currently being developed. The programming committee is currently calling for submissions to present in a number of different strands.

Papers may be submitted in a number of strands:

Strand 1 (Wednesday 9 July)

Industry Professionals, Interactive Technology Experts, and/or Innovators in Content or Program Design and Delivery – this is your chance to share your valuable experience and insight. We particularly encourage papers which deal with innovation, experimentation, new uses for technology and are forward-thinking in their approach; with real case studies and real solutions used as examples.

Strand 2 (Thursday 10 July)
Teachers, Education Providers or Practitioners, Policy Makers, Academics, Research and Training Organisations are encouraged to make submissions for this strand. Papers could focus on: case studies demonstrating of exciting digital educational projects; innovative uses for technology in educational practice; benefits of using technology for education; evaluation and research; policy decisions and developments affecting digital education.

Showcase Sessions (Thursday 10 July)
Schools engaging with interactive, real time education partnerships (i.e cultural/ language exchanges, cross school projects, virtual delivery of lessons) and providers of interactive, real-time educational programs from cultural institutions, museums, science organisations and libraries are encouraged to submit a proposal to be part of a ‘Showcase’ session. Successful submissions will be offered 7-minutes to showcase their programs. Presentations are encouraged to feature live, interactive demonstrations and/or utilise AV to fully demonstrate the programs in a short space of time.

See the 2013 conference video for paper ideas.

SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS
Paper submissions close 7 April 2014 and all papers must be submitted electronically using the Conference’s Online Submission System.

For more information see the full ITEC 2014 site

October 26, 2013April 16, 2020

ClickFest 2013 Program Spotlight: Australian Museum

ClickFest 2013 Program Spotlight.

ClickFest is an annual video conferencing festival run in November each year. Clickfest highlights the diversity and scope of video conferences available to schools across Australia.

The Australian Museum has been involved in ClickFest since it started in 2011 and is proud to be part of this exciting event. In 2013 ClickFest will be launched with Dinosaur day on 4 November 2013.

Join Winny the Australian Museum’s Muttaburrasaurs as she opens ClickFest and Dinosaur day.

^{Dinosaur Day}

Meet Winny
The Australian Museum launches the 2013 Dinosaur Day with Winny our Muttaburrasaurs. Come along to meet Winny to learn more about Australian Dinosaurs
10am Monday 4 November

Australian Giants
Giant animals from dinosaurs to megafauna have roamed the Australian continent at different times. Find out about some of these Australian giants. Look at fossils and learn what they tell us about these extraordinary animals.
11am & 1pm Monday 4 November

Dynamic Earth
The Video conference will look at the dynamic earth forming processes. There will be experiments highlighting different earth processes. You will also see Australian Museum specimens and there will be opportunities to ask questions, so have some ready.
2pm Monday 4 November

ClickFest

Geology Rocks
The Video conference will look at the dynamic earth forming processes. There will be experiments highlighting different earth processes. You will also see Australian Museum specimens and there will be opportunities to ask questions, so have some ready.
11am 5 & 19 November

Minibeast Magnified
Minibeasts Magnified explores the exciting and diverse world of invertebrates. Students will learn how to identify common groups of invertebrates and why they are important.
10am 5 & 19 November

ClickFest – Life in Freshwater

This event provides a glimpse into life in freshwater. You will find out how to use water quality collecting and testing equipment and we will look how we impact our water ways and what we can do take to improve our catchments.

10am 6 & 14 November

Meet the Experts – FREE
The Australian Museum is bringing our scientists to you! Meet the Experts aims to provide quality science education and research resources. This is your chance to come face to face with an Australian Museum scientist and ask your questions.
10am 15 November

ClickFest – Museum Secrets Revealed

Become a detective and discover how scientists collect, preserve and display the many extraordinary specimens in their collection. Explore the Australian Museum specimens to investigate how they were discovered and why they are important.

10am & 2pm 20 November Bookings can be made through the Dart Connections or See Share Shape

The Australian Museum has been involved in ClickFest since it started in 2011 and is proud to be part of this exciting event.

ClickFest will be launched with Dinosaur day on 4 November 2013.

Join Winny the Australian Museum’s Muttaburrasaurs as she opens ClickFest and Dinosaur day.

Winny

See below for Australian Museum session throughout ClickFest

Dinosaur Day

Meet Winny
The Australian Museum launches the 2013 Dinosaur Day with Winny our Muttaburrasaurs. Come along to meet Winny to learn more about Australian Dinosaurs
10am Monday 4 November

ClickFest

All booking can be made through the Dart Connections website dartconnections.org.au/home

– See more at: http://australianmuseum.net.au/blogpost/Lifelong-Learning/ClickFest-2013#sthash.KMCQwsdr.dpuf

September 24, 2013September 30, 2013

YES 2013 LIVE Launch 23rd October, 9:30am

YES 2013 LIVE Launch Video Conference

YES 2013 LIVE LAUNCH: Meet The Hon. Robyn Parker MP, NSW Minister for the Environment and Heritage as schools across NSW present innovative and inspirational examples of sustainability in action

9:30am – 10:30am on Wednesday 23rd October, 2013
Book your seat in the front row at the 2013 Youth Eco Summit!!

This is a unique opportunity to meet the NSW Minister for Environment and Heritage and make your live appearance CENTRE STAGE at the 2013 Youth Eco Summit.

Participating schools will engage in a facilitated discussion on contemporary aspects of sustainability before being joined by The Hon. Robyn Parker MP who will hear from selected primary and secondary schools around NSW, reporting on sustainability initiatives, innovations and achievements in their schools and communities.

All sites connected into the video conference will be appearing in real time on the massive Event Screen at the heart of YES – so hundreds of people onsite will be able to see and hear you!!

The session will progress as follows:

9:30am Meet & greet with discussion on sustainability principles and practice

9:50am Welcome to Country

9:55am Welcome to YES 2013

10:00am Minister’s address

10:05am State of Sustainability (6 schools around NSW will report on sustainability initiatives in their local area)

10:20am Wrap-up & YES Launch

We are working to connect some interstate and overseas schools into this session as well – This will be a memorable connection not to be missed so BOOK NOW!!

Don’t forget, the full range of FREE YES video conferences on 23 and 24 October, 2013 can be viewed here http://www.virtualexcursionsaustralia.com.au/youth-eco-summit-live-free/

and booked here: http://dartconnections.org.au/view-provider?ProviderID=1147835

July 20, 2013July 20, 2013

SciFest 2013

SciFest Video Conferencing Festival

SciFest is a video conferencing festival promoting science and technology. SciFest links up with National Science week and in 2013 we aim to be the biggest video conferencing festival in Australia.

National Science Week is an annual celebration of science in Australia. Join in to enjoy and explore the wonders and benefits of science. The 2013 National Science Week theme for schools is A Century of Australian Science. You can find more National Science week events on the website at www.scienceweek.net.au/

There will be a variety of activities for students and teachers across the 5 day video conferencing festival. This means there will be something to interest every student. See below for some of the great sessions available:

SciFest – Meet the Experts
Date: 5 – 9 August 14:00
Australian Museum is bringing our scientists to you! Meet the Experts aims to provide quality science education and research resources. This is your chance to come face to face with an Australian Scientist

SciFest: Creative chemistry workshop for primary students
Date: 5 August 12.00 & 14.00
Designed to cover a broad range of chemical concepts that is accessible to primary students.- kitchen chemistry found at home- physical changes vs. chemical reactions

SciFest: K – 2 Science in Art
Date: 5 August 9:30am & 10.30am
Explore chemistry in colourful art creations you can make in your class! Your class participates in a number of activities as a series of group activities run in class

SciFest: Primary PD Session – Simple science experiments for Staff Development
Date: 5 August 15:30

The presenter will cover simple ways to demonstrate forces, light, sound and chemistry in your primary classroom. A strong focus is on using cheap materials easily obtainable materials

SciFest – Bugwise
Date: 6 & 7 August Time: 10:00, Date: 8 August Time: 13.00

Bugwise explores the exciting and diverse world of invertebrates. Students will learn how to identify common groups of invertebrates and why they are important.
06Aug

SciFest – Explosive Geology
Date: 6 & 7 August Time: 11:30
The Video conference will look at the dynamic earth forming processes. There will be explosive experiments demonstrated.

SciFest – Life in Freshwater
Date 6 August Time: 13:00, Date: 8 August Time: 11.30
Overview: Overview: Life in Freshwater provides a glimpse into life in freshwater. You will find out how to use water quality collecting and testing equipment and we will look how we impact our water ways and w…

SciFest: Light & Colour Show
Date: 6 August Time: 09:30, 10:30 &12:00
Students learn about properties of light in this fun interactive science show- Investigate rainbows using the visible light spectrum, plus learn about colour addition and subtraction.

SciFest – Snail, Slugs and Slime
Date: 7 August Time: 13:00, Date: 8 August Time: 10.00
We encounter Slime in our environment everyday. Some animals use slime for movement, others for protection, to catch food and to keep their skin hydrated.

SciFest – The Wonderful World of Fishing
Date: 9 August Time: 11:00
Learn all about professional fishing and the NSW seafood industry from those who know it best. Join 4th generation Sydney fisherman Richie Bagnato and OceanWatch Chairman Brad Warren

SciFest: Science of Sound
Date 9 August Time: 09:30, 10.30
What do sound waves look like? Do soundwaves always travel at the same speed? How does the Doppler effect work? What is resonance? How does a soundwave change with pitch and increasing volume?

SciFest Science Week Slam – narrative writing with Paul Stafford
Date 16 August Time: 09:30 & 11.00
Use science as a springboard for ideas to write fast, ferocious and fun narratives. The Scattered Bones team with author and literacy consultant Paul Stafford will present a one-off workshop

SciFest topics and programs will vary over the 5 day to provide flexibility. Bookings are available at DART connections

SciFest event is proudly supported by Virtual Excursions Australia.

July 12, 2013April 16, 2020

Launch of Virtual Excursions Australia

New national partnership connects teachers and students to virtual excursions

SYDNEY, Australia – 11 July 2013 – A new web portal providing access to online education resources was officially launched today by Senator, the Hon Kate Lundy, Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Minister Assisting for Innovation and Industry, Minister Assisting for the Digital Economy.

Virtual Excursions Australia (VEA) is an initiative developed by a network of video conferencing providers from across the country, including arts, cultural, science and other education organisations.

The launch took place at the Interactive Technology in Education Conference (ITEC 2013) at the Sydney Opera House, where digital education programs and leading-edge technologies are being showcased this week.

Senator Kate Lundy and Virtual Excursions Australia content providers

The aim of VEA is to provide educators across the lifelong learning spectrum with information about high-quality videoconferencing events and other educational content delivered via high speed broadband networks.

Karen Player, Museum Outreach Manager for the Australian Museum and Chair of VEA said, “Virtual Excursions Australia is the result of a grass roots collaborative effort by a group of national organisations who wanted to improve how teachers and learners find out about and access the wide array of innovative digital content available today.”

“A high speed broadband connection enables teachers to access a huge choice of interactive online content to engage students and bring the curriculum to life in meaningful ways, without the traditional barrier of the expense and inconvenience of travel. VEA aims to be a portal where educators around Australia can begin their search for local and international resources and connect with content providers,” she said.

VEA will also be organising videoconferencing events, such as an upcoming Teachers Professional Development Day (15 July 2013), ‘SciFest a’ National Science Week Video Conference Festival (5-9 August 2013), Dinosaur Day (4 November 2013), and Clickfest (4-29 November 2013).

The partnering organisations behind the initiative are: Australian Museum, Australian Fossil and Mineral Museum, Australian National Maritime Museum, Bradman Foundation, Fizzics Education, Literature Live, Opera Australia, Museum of Human Disease, Powerhouse Museum, Questacon: The National Science and Technology Centre, State Library NSW, Sydney Living Museums, Sydney Olympic Park, Sydney Opera House, Australian Institute of Policy and Science (AIPS), Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), CAASTRO All-sky Astrophysics University of Sydney, National Film & Sound Archive, Taronga Conservation Society Australia, Field of Mars Environmental Education Centre, Australia’s Academic and Research Network (AARNet), Cisco, Distance and Rural Technologies – NSW Department of Education and Communities, Electroboard and Polycom.

Nick Cross, Education Outreach Manager for AARNet, a VEA partner, said, “The increased availability of high speed networks has provided a stimulus for content providers to invest in real-time interactive service design and delivery. The VEA initiative plays a vital role by bringing together networks of educators and nationally significant content providers, broadening access and enabling meaningful learning experiences.”

May 15, 2013June 16, 2020

VEA Provider Profile – Fizzics Education

Virtual Excursions Australia is please to bring you the first in a series of provider profiles in which we will showcase each of or excursion providers and demonstrate what they have on offer for you and your students. The videos below give you just a sample of what Fizzics Education can bring to you via video conferencing.

Fizzics Education is a premiere science education organisation that offers engaging hands-on experiments and fully interactive demonstrations designed to improve students understanding and appreciation of science.

Additional videos of Fizzics experiments can bee seen at their Viemo channel

Highlights Chemical Capers VC from FizzicsEd on Vimeo.

April 7, 2013March 24, 2020

Slime Day Video Conference

We encounter Slime in our environment everyday. Some animals use slime for movement, others for protection, to catch food and to keep their skin hydrated. You will be amazed about the variety of animals that need slime to survive. We all know about snails and slugs, but have you heard of slime moulds?

Have a look at the Hagfish one of the slimiest animals of the all

We are running video conferences for schools for Slime Day on April 9 2013. Join the Australian Museum to explore slime made by animals. You could try some kitchen chemistry to find out how you can make slime. Join Fizzics Education as they investigate the chemical properties of different slime. You can also take a journey into our waterways with Professor Pufferfish to explore the role we play in the future sustainability of marine environment in Slime doesn’t pay!

What are you going to do for Slime Day on April 9 2013?

November 2, 2012February 25, 2014

Clickfest video conferencing 2012

Clickfest is an exciting initiative from education organisations across Australia. It highlights the diversity and scope of video conferences available to schools across Australia.

Now in its second year, over 20 organisations are delivering free or reduced cost events to schools from Monday 5 – Friday 30 November. Each day multiple sessions will be available on a variety of topics from content providers including:

Australian Ages of Dinosaurs
Australian Fossil and Mineral Museum
Australian Museum
CAASTRO
Fizzics Education
Literature Live
Powerhouse Museum
State Library of NSW
Taronga Zoo, Sydney

These sessions are being hosted by the Distance and Rural Technologies (DART). DART connections help us by providing a booking system, technical support and marketing to teachers. They make running an event like Clickfest much easier.

Video conferencing provides a great opportunity for schools to participate in special events and programs without leaving the classroom. Distance is no longer an obstacle.