Three Port Hedland educators gain insights into latest advances in EduTech set to advance regional education

The latest educational technology innovations were on display at a conference in Melbourne and three Port Hedland educators who attended are hoping to use the experience to advance regional education. Sarah Nowers, Emily Ulrich, and Libby Sutton, who are all members of the Polly Farmer Foundation, attended the acclaimed EduTech conference in Victoria in August to gain insights and learn from influential speakers about the latest developments in education technology. Hedland STEM Centre program co-ordinator Emily Ulrich said the conference showcased technology and ideas that could bridge the gap between regional and metro students. “For me, the technology on display at the convention was simply captivating,” she said. “In particular seeing the latest innovations to deliver quality education to remote areas via telepresence and holoportation technology. But I feel that the real value was the opportunity for informal networking. We collaborated with people in a variety of related fields who could offer our programs something unique and vice versa. “The conversations centered around solving both simple and larger real-world problems. These included ‘filling the gap’ for our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students” The PFF provides education enrichment programs to empower Aboriginal students into post-school pathways. More than 3000 students are enrolled in the foundation’s programs in 138 schools across Australia. Ms Nowers, Baler and South Hedland Learning Club program facilitator, said the conference exposed the trio to groundbreaking innovations that would support Hedland students. “The opportunity to experience the forefront of technology in education during the conference opened up new avenues for our students,” she said. “We’re excited about the possibilities, not just the technology itself, but also the diverse educators and guest speakers from around the world who brought their ideas and enthusiasm.” At the conference, PFF STEM manager Anna Ritzma delivered a presentation alongside Kyra Galante from the Worley Group which emphasised the importance of building industry partnerships to empower Aboriginal students on their own country.