Engaging Minds in IT
Interested in integrating Artificial Intelligence and Future-Focused STEM into your curriculum? Discover endless learning possibilities of a Technology Professional Development course at the Engaging Minds in IT workshops!
This two day event will focus on hands-on, activity-based learning and problem-solving activities that foster discussions and networking opportunities, enabling teachers to enrich their classes with engaging content for their students. This Professional Development is specifically tailored to cater to the needs and interests of teachers seeking to incorporate AI and future-focused STEM into their curriculum, with a particular focus on empowering female students and First Nations students.
Event: Engaging Minds in IT
Dates:
- Monday 14 December: Arrival for teachers coming from outside of Brisbane | 3pm onwards (AEST)
- Tuesday 15 December: All teachers | 9am-4.30pm (AEST) (optional dinner & keynote address 5pm - 9pm)
- Wednesday 16 December: All teachers | 9am-2pm (AEST)
Travelling to join us? Accommodation will be provided for teachers coming from outside of Brisbane at no cost to the participant (please specify that you will require on-campus accommodation in your registration. Breakfast included in accommodation)
What you will receive: You will receive a certificate of participation, access to all tools, websites and software used during the PD, a copy of teaching resources and ongoing educational support beyond the PD
Secondary School Focus
Schedule - Day 1
8:45 am: Welcome
We will meet at the University of Queensland in Collaborative Room (49-301) at the Advanced Engineering Building.
9:00 am: Learn Through Play (Concurrent Streams)
- Binary Coding - Computer languages are often referred to as Python, C#, Cobol and more, the computer’s original language is very basic and binary, 1’s and 0’s. In this workshop teachers will learn the basic of binary coding and how to create their own code. From there, they will design their own personalised wristband using the code.
- Break the Code - Cryptography - This workshop will introduce teachers to the fun world of cryptography where they will learn how to leverage skills in maths to create and solve different coded messages. You will work in groups using cipher methods and with the help of a key; decipher secret messages performing an inverse substitution process to extract the original message, teachers will be able to “crack the code” and hopefully send some decrypted responses back!
10:00 am: Interactive Presentation
AI Companions that Prioritise Learning over Performance - This interactive session explores how AI can be designed and used to support learning, rather than simply complete work on behalf of learners. Unpack why learning requires challenge, struggle, reflection, and agency, and how poorly designed AI tools can lead to counterproductive “metacognitive offloading.” Participants will be introduced to a framework for trustworthy AI learning companions: tools that are responsibly designed, embedded in authentic learning environments, inclusive of diverse learners, and focused on supporting rather than replacing student thinking. Using RiPPLE as a case study, the session will showcase how AI companions can work alongside educators and peers to keep the learner at the centre. The session will include a hands-on demonstration of existing AI companion tools teachers can explore, and practical examples of what this has looked like in real learning contexts.
11:00 am: Morning Tea
Enjoy morning tea in the atrium of the Advanced Engineering Building.
11:30 am: Hands-on Workshops
- Using AI Effectively: Principles for Practice - This practical session will help teachers explore how AI can support meaningful learning without relying on access to any single tool or platform. The workshop will unpack general principles for using AI effectively, including how to frame strong prompts, question and critique AI outputs, use AI as a springboard for problem-solving, and support students to develop their own ideas rather than simply accept generated answers. Drawing on real-world problem-solving contexts, teachers will consider how AI can be used to encourage curiosity, creativity, critical thinking, and responsible decision-making. The session is designed to be flexible, low-pressure, and useful across different levels of technology access, with teachers leaving with practical strategies they can adapt for their own secondary classrooms.
1:30 pm: Lunch
Enjoy a delicious lunch in the atrium of the Advanced Engineering Building.
2:15 pm: Hands-on Workshops
Designing Human-Centred Technologies: From Ideas to Inclusive Solutions - This hands-on workshop will introduce teachers to practical approaches for designing technology that responds to real human needs, values, and experiences. Explore how students can move from identifying a problem to developing thoughtful, ethical, and user-centred solutions. Participants will engage with design activities that encourage creativity, collaboration, empathy, and critical thinking, while considering how technology can support diverse users, including people with different abilities or communication needs. Teachers will leave with adaptable classroom strategies for guiding students through human-centred design challenges across technology, design, music, health, and STEM contexts.
4:00 pm: Reflection
Engage in group discussion and reflect on the day’s workshops and identify practical ways to translate key ideas into your own classrooms. This session will support participants to connect AI, coding, and human-centred design with student creativity, critical thinking, and real-world STEM learning.
5:00 pm: Keynote Address and Dinner
Enjoy a delicious dinner at Patina @ Alumni Court and hear from a guest Industry partner, who will deliver a keynote on making STEM fun, engaging, and relatable. The evening will explore the role of STEM in education, the environment, and AI, offering insights into how we can inspire the next generation.
Primary and Secondary School Focus
Schedule - Day 2
8:45 am: Welcome
We will meet at the University of Queensland in Collaborative Room (49-301) at the Advanced Engineering Building.
9:00 am: Guest Speaker
Explore how systems thinking can help students understand complex real-world challenges by recognising connections, patterns, and unintended consequences. Gain practical ideas for helping students think across disciplines, strengthen problem-solving, and engage more deeply with STEM.
9:30 am: Hands-on Workshops
- Zoonosis - Explore the connections between humans, animals, and the environment through a whole-ecosystem health lens. In this hands-on workshop, teachers will investigate how infectious diseases can spread across species and systems; using activities to model cause and effect, data collection, and systems thinking. This session will support teachers to make meaningful links between science, mathematics, and real-world environmental challenges, while providing practical ideas and classroom resources that can be adapted for student learning in primary and secondary contexts.
10:30 am: Morning Tea
Enjoy morning tea in the atrium of the Advanced Engineering Building.
11:00 am: Hands-on Workshops
- CoralWatch - Dive into the fascinating world of coral reefs and discover how coral health can be used to explore science, sustainability, and systems thinking in the classroom. Participants will learn what coral is, how it lives in partnership with algae, and why coral can turn white when stressed by warming water. Through hands-on activities such as observing coral change, making a polyp, and engaging with creative approaches like crocheting coral, teachers will explore practical CoralWatch resources and classroom-ready activities that help students understand reef health, environmental change, and ideas for positive action in primary and secondary contexts.
12:00 pm: Panel Discussion and Q&A
Discuss the impact generative artificial intelligence, design, and environmental challenges has on education in Queensland as well as strategies for implementing AI based learning in the classroom.
1:00 pm: Lunch
Enjoy a delicious lunch in the atrium of the Advanced Engineering Building.
Limited spots available. Book yours now!
About UQSchoolsNet Professional Development workshops
Discover the endless learning possibilities that only a UQSchoolsNet Professional Development workshop in technology can offer, in workshops led by world-class researchers at the University of Queensland.
