The FizzicsEd Podcast

Ally Watson co-founded Code like a Girl after experiencing first-hand the barriers women have in the male-dominated computer science and developer industry. Code like a Girl aims to change the playing field, with a strong focus on mentoring girls in coding and computational thinking in a creative environment that sparks a love of logic and leadership.“We tell them, this what a programmer is, this...

Meet Deb and Jaimie Cook, two highly motivated educators who are putting together the Gympie Bone Museum Project in QLD. This is on top of running two successful STEM businesses in Dissection Connection and RockHoundZ.“Every kid says to me I’ll have to have a dig pit! So, I’ll be having some sort of a sandbox where they can get in and dig out their own bones. This also lends it to having guests co...

As the National Youth Science Forum again kicks off for 2018, we're looking back at a past episode where we chatted with Timothy Smith & Stephanie Terwindt about their student experiences in NYSF and how it helped their now awesome careers in STEM! While the content of the NYSF program has changed over the years, the impact of the experience is clearly still relevant. This episode looks at the pos...

Primary teacher & #aussieED founder Brett Salakas is an inspirational educator who’s worked to create a global network of motivated people on Twitter to make educational theory into classroom practice that works. In this podcast we chat about his new work in WorldSTEM.co where his mission is simple... to bring STEM education to young people everywhere, in a way that empowers them to shape their ow...

Meet Isabelle Kingsley, a former science teacher who previously ran the Sydney Science Festival as well as adult programming at the Museum of Applied Arts Museum in Sydney. She is now a researcher in science communication at the University of NSW. In this episode, we talk about the importance of scientific literacy and value of allowing students to explore their learning through guided long-term s...

Science experiments for the end of the year! This episode we're having a little bit of fun with the Christmas theme and as such you'll hear about a number of simple science experiments you can run over the holiday break that won't break the budget. Each science experiment is easily accessible from the local shops and have been proven to grab kids attention! You can find full descriptions of each e...

The Science Teachers Association of NSW exists to help teachers from all years and from all school types to learn from each other and to share best practice. This week we’re joined by Margaret Shepherd, president of STANSW and lecturer in science education, who shares her thoughts on educational leadership and the huge variety of experiments that can be used to grab the hearts and minds of student...

Since 2012 the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science has been running a global competition called The Flame Challenge’. Here, scientists from around the world compete to create a compelling visual or written explanation for a scientific concept, whereby entries are judged by thousands of 11 year old children! In this episode we chat with Johanna Howes, the visual submission winner of the 2017...

Dr Simon Crook, Founder of CrookED Science, drops by to discuss his work with schools across Australia in building science capacity. Nominated on the Educator Magazine's Hot List for 2017, Simon reflects on what makes a great science lesson and the importance of working collaboratively. “A former colleague of mine had this phrase ‘engage me or enrage me.’. If they’re engaged, you’ve won out! You d...

Cherine Spirou and the team at the Lachlan Macquarie College works with hundreds of science teachers across NSW. Working in partnership with the Western Sydney University School of Science and Health, the team puts together a variety of student science events and PLN conferences & meetups, all aimed at accelerating our high schools understanding of their world. “You have to start getting yourself...

Just across from the mangroves in Sydney Olympic Park is an education center designed to help students to discover more about their environment. We caught up with Danielle Leggo, who as the education coordinator at SOPA has very much had the opportunity to see first-hand the positive impact that biological field studies and nature walks can bring to kids from urban centers. “The sampling technique...

Ally Watson co-founded Code like a Girl after experiencing first-hand the barriers women have in the male-dominated computer science and developer industry. Code like a Girl aims to change the playing field, with a strong focus on mentoring girls in coding and computational thinking in a creative environment that sparks a love of logic and leadership. “We tell them, this what a programmer is, this...

We speak with Neil Bramsen, recent winner of the 2017 Prime Minister’s Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching in Primary Schools and Assistant Principal at Mt Ousley Public School in NSW. From students counting birds for citizen science to using drones & robotics, Neil’s passion for STEM clearly shines through! Neil Bramsen is a 2013 Churchill Fellow, an Apple Distinguished Educator and a winner...

Little Scientists Australia is a nation-wide accelerator program for preschool teachers wanting to make STEM shine for early learners. Funded by the Australian Federal Government and supported by PwC, the Little Scientists team is helping prepare young minds by building capacity. “Am I actually looking at the world with open eyes? How many questions do I have about the world on a regular basis? Fr...

Hundreds of educators & innovators converged on Melbourne’s Royal Melbourne Exhibition Building to challenge thoughts & create new ideas around how we all can support schools to extend students learning. Since the launch of EC14, Educhange has rapidly grown into the most exciting education event in Australia! Supported by the Education Changemakers and drawing upon talented innovators from the acr...

Even the best science & technology centers in the world need a support network. Ann Hernandez drops by to discuss how the Association of Science-Technology Centers helps over 600 members across 50 countries make their exhibitions even more interactive and engaging than ever for ages young and old.  “It’s a sense of membership, a sense of ownership and a sense that you’re at equal levels. It’s not...

Karen Taylor-Brown drops by to share how Refraction Media's Careers with STEM and Careers with Code publications are helping students learn about what really is available to them once they leave high school. We also discuss ways that your students can get involved in submitting articles to science publishers and how to grab the attention of the editors. "Policymakers and corporate leaders were sta...

Steve Sherman, TEDx speaker & Director of Living Maths, shares his highly student-centred approach to teaching mathematics & logical reasoning. In many ways it’s not about how integers are moved in equations, it’s about producing a learning environment that students can thrive in. “How are you going get students to fall in love with mathematics if all you are going to do is make them do sums at sc...

Meet Deb and Jaimie Cook, two highly motivated educators who are putting together the Gympie Bone Museum Project in QLD. This is on top of running two successful STEM businesses in Dissection Connection and RockHoundZ! “Every kid says to me I’ll have to have a dig pit! So, I’ll be having some sort of a sandbox where they can get in and dig out their own bones. This also lends it to having guests c...

We speak with two alumni from NYSF, a not-for-profit organisation that has been running STEM residential programs to encourage young people in their passion for science since 1984. This episode looks at the positive impact that this enrichment experience can have on school students and how the skills they learn are highly beneficial for early career scientists. Hosted by Ben Newsome from Fizzics E...

Bringing students to Space Camp USA opens up new horizons for students interested in STEM! In this episode, we talk with One Giant Leap founder Jackie Slaviero and the newly announced student ambassador Emily Rozanc about the enormous opportunities that Space Camp brings. From meeting NASA astronauts and flight directors through to training on spacecraft simulators and touring Northrup Grumman aer...

Different episode! This time we bring you to the Innovation Games where the last day of National Science Week finished with a bang in the heart of Sydney Olympic Park on Sunday! With help from Federal Government via Inspiring Australia and the NSW State Government, the Innovation games concluded the Sydney Science Festival with flare as more than 20 captivating STEM providers descended on Cathy Fr...

Hidden in the heart of UNSW is the Museum of Human Disease, a fascinating site filled with over 3000 unique specimens for students study and for the public to check out. Recently named one of the city’s treasures by the Sydney Morning Herald, the museum is part of the school of medical sciences and provides information to the public about health, disease, human anatomy and biology. Visitors will s...

A botanic garden is more than just a collection of pretty flowers; they’re a living laboratory used by botanists, plant pathologists, historians, geologists, students and more. In this podcast Mary Bell tells us how students can learn about our landscapes, vegetation and heritage whilst visiting one of Australia’s premier outdoor spaces. From the science of chocolate to plant collections created b...

Learning by doing is by far the best way for kids to learn skills for life. At the Ann Arbor Hands-on Museum, the Corrina Strecker and the team have created an immersive STEM environment that captures kid’s imaginations and teaches families valuable lessons in creativity, exploration and collaboration. From interactive water play through to Halloween slime sessions, Corrina and the team at Ann Arb...