What to know when putting together science festivals Follow Us: Comments 0 What to know when putting together science festivals About Vanessa Barratt is a highly experienced science teacher and who has also worked for a variety of sites such as the Australian Museum, London’s Natural History Museum, Taronga Zoo and more. Her 2017 role as a science communicator with Sydney’s Royal Botanic Garden saw her put on major science festivals such as Science in the Swamp in Centennial Parklands and Jurassic Garden in Australian Botanic Garden Mt Annan. In this podcast episode we discuss what it’s really like to put together a science festival that people will want to attend and lessons she’s learned whilst working closely with scientists to help them engage with the public. More Information About the FizzicsEd Podcast About Vanessa Barratt Vanessa Barratt teaching in Shenzhen, China Vanessa is a highly experienced teacher and science communicator with a strong history of working in a range of high profile, much-loved scientific organisations. her work in 2017 in Sydney’s Royal Botanic Garden as a science communicator which covers sites such as the Australian Botanic Garden Mt Annan, Centennial Parklands and Blue Mountains Botanic Garden in Mt Tomah and is completing her Masters of Science Communication. Top 3 learnings Don’t rest on your reputation. Don’t get blinded by a ‘shiny logo’, there are fantastic educators in schools, preschools and more. Whilst there are enormously famous museums that grab the headlines there is also fantastic work being done by your local cultural institutions as well. For museum educators… you’re only good as your last show! Work with your stakeholders. Find out what they need to know, learn from them and create events that reflect both the needs of both the public that is visiting your site as well as the needs of the scientists who are helping you put on the event. If it doesn’t work, pivot your ideas and try again. Don’t worry be happy! As much as we like to plan everything out when it comes to our careers and projects it can also be just as important to relax and take opportunities and chances as they come. Extra Education tip Create a science meme! Create a shareable image found on Meme Generator, Image Chef or Meme Creator where you can type a message over the top of the image to convey an idea. Use this to have a bit of fun with posters on lab safety, a science topic you’re studying or simply to grab students attention when it comes to their homework assignments. Further contact details for Vanessa Barratt Find Vanessa on LinkedIn Interesting book to read that was discussed in this episode During this podcast we talked about an upcoming exhibition at the garden on distillation of alcohol from different plants. This reminded me of a fantastic book by Amy Stewart which goes in to the science and history of the creation of alcohol from all manner of plants (not just barley and potato but from cacao, paw paw and melons and more). This not a book on making cocktails, it’s a book that covers the real botanical science and the hidden history that is found behind the drinks the world knows. Drunken Botanist by Amy Stewart Stewart, Amy. The Drunken Botanist: the Plants That Create the World’s Great Drinks. Chapel Hill, N.C. :Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2013. Print. http://www.amystewart.com/books/drunkenbotanist/ About the FizzicsEd Podcast 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! Other Episodes Episode: 57 " Challenging students Australia-wide to expand their creativity " Comments 0 The Science and Engineering Challenge Ben Newsome June 19, 2018 Edchat Education Maker Space Podcasts Scicomm STEM Teaching secondary education Listen to Dr Terry Burns as he describes why science & engineering challenges help students prepare to work collaboratively and creatively in real-world environments. Read More Listen Episode: 125 " Keep devices safe " Comments 0 Podcast: School cybersecurity with Paul Hankin Ben Newsome June 21, 2021 Edtech Teaching Podcast Cybersecurity in schools has become an increasingly important topic given the implications of having so many students online. We chat with Paul Hankin, a cybersecurity expert from Kaesim who takes us through 5 simple ways in which your families can protect the devices that your student's access. Read More Listen Love Science? Subscribe! Join our newsletter Receive more lesson plans and fun science ideas. PROGRAMS COURSES SHOP SCIENCE PARTIES Calendar of Events HIGH SCHOOL Science@Home 4-Week Membership 12PM: March 2024 Feb 26, 2024 - Mar 29, 2024 12PM - 12PM Price: $50 - $900 Book Now! PRIMARY Science@Home 4-Week Membership 2PM: March 2024 Feb 26, 2024 - Mar 22, 2024 2PM - 2PM Price: $50 - $900 Book Now! Light and Colour Online Workshop, Jan 18 PM Jan 18, 2024 2PM - 3PM Price: $50 Book Now! 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Vanessa Barratt is a highly experienced science teacher and who has also worked for a variety of sites such as the Australian Museum, London’s Natural History Museum, Taronga Zoo and more. Her 2017 role as a science communicator with Sydney’s Royal Botanic Garden saw her put on major science festivals such as Science in the Swamp in Centennial Parklands and Jurassic Garden in Australian Botanic Garden Mt Annan. In this podcast episode we discuss what it’s really like to put together a science festival that people will want to attend and lessons she’s learned whilst working closely with scientists to help them engage with the public.
About Vanessa Barratt Vanessa Barratt teaching in Shenzhen, China Vanessa is a highly experienced teacher and science communicator with a strong history of working in a range of high profile, much-loved scientific organisations. her work in 2017 in Sydney’s Royal Botanic Garden as a science communicator which covers sites such as the Australian Botanic Garden Mt Annan, Centennial Parklands and Blue Mountains Botanic Garden in Mt Tomah and is completing her Masters of Science Communication. Top 3 learnings Don’t rest on your reputation. Don’t get blinded by a ‘shiny logo’, there are fantastic educators in schools, preschools and more. Whilst there are enormously famous museums that grab the headlines there is also fantastic work being done by your local cultural institutions as well. For museum educators… you’re only good as your last show! Work with your stakeholders. Find out what they need to know, learn from them and create events that reflect both the needs of both the public that is visiting your site as well as the needs of the scientists who are helping you put on the event. If it doesn’t work, pivot your ideas and try again. Don’t worry be happy! As much as we like to plan everything out when it comes to our careers and projects it can also be just as important to relax and take opportunities and chances as they come. Extra Education tip Create a science meme! Create a shareable image found on Meme Generator, Image Chef or Meme Creator where you can type a message over the top of the image to convey an idea. Use this to have a bit of fun with posters on lab safety, a science topic you’re studying or simply to grab students attention when it comes to their homework assignments. Further contact details for Vanessa Barratt Find Vanessa on LinkedIn Interesting book to read that was discussed in this episode During this podcast we talked about an upcoming exhibition at the garden on distillation of alcohol from different plants. This reminded me of a fantastic book by Amy Stewart which goes in to the science and history of the creation of alcohol from all manner of plants (not just barley and potato but from cacao, paw paw and melons and more). This not a book on making cocktails, it’s a book that covers the real botanical science and the hidden history that is found behind the drinks the world knows. Drunken Botanist by Amy Stewart Stewart, Amy. The Drunken Botanist: the Plants That Create the World’s Great Drinks. Chapel Hill, N.C. :Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2013. Print. http://www.amystewart.com/books/drunkenbotanist/
About the FizzicsEd Podcast 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!
Listen to Dr Terry Burns as he describes why science & engineering challenges help students prepare to work collaboratively and creatively in real-world environments.
Cybersecurity in schools has become an increasingly important topic given the implications of having so many students online. We chat with Paul Hankin, a cybersecurity expert from Kaesim who takes us through 5 simple ways in which your families can protect the devices that your student's access.
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