As the drone's engine roars through the classroom, science teacher Alfina Jackson guides students through the steps needed to fly and land the device.
Inspire a love of science
Ms Jackson's enthusiasm appeals to her students and she also hopes to inspire more girls to get involved in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
Ms. Jackson’s passion for technology was nurtured by an information and processing technology (IPT) teacher during her high school years. Ms. Jackson works to encourage students to explore science and technology fields, where women are still underrepresented.
Ms Jackson is a digital technology coordinator and STEM teacher at two primary schools on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales (NSW), Australia. As technological advances create new careers, she wants to ensure her students at St Joseph's Laurieton and Wauchope Primary Schools are ready.
She seeks to instill a love of science and technology in students. "It's great to see girls getting excited about STEM," she said.
Leah Hayward, a student at St Joseph's Laurieton, said Ms Jackson had inspired her to continue pursuing science and technology projects. "I really enjoy being able to learn from what I've experienced. It's been very motivating," Leah said.
Her passion for education has seen Ms Jackson named the NSW ICT Educator of the Year. The award recognises leaders and innovators in the field.
I love the opportunities that technology brings. I think in terms of focusing on education for the next generation, understanding the role of technology is something we need to aim for. Whether it is medicine or agriculture, everything we do requires technology, using it effectively to improve lives and solve problems.”
Alfina Jackson
Ms Jackson hopes the award will help her reach more schools. “I’m excited about the opportunity it has given me… I’m looking at helping other schools develop digital literacy tools,” she said.
Diversity in innovation is needed.
Marianella Chamorro-Koc, an industrial design lecturer at Queensland University of Technology, said Ms Jackson's achievement was encouraging and hoped it would inspire more female students to pursue careers in science and technology.
“It’s important to show women that at different stages of their academic careers there are pathways for them to apply their interests, to use their passions to develop different solutions,” says Ms. Chamorro-Koc.
Chamorro-Koc emphasizes the importance of diverse perspectives in innovation and success. Women's perspectives on the use of technology are essential. "My field is industrial design…
"The majority of members in this field are male, so most projects and solutions have a male perspective, with little regard for human qualities," she said. According to Ms. Chamorro-Koc, diversity enriches the methodology.
At the elementary level, one of Ms. Jackson’s main goals is to encourage digital independence. One of her initiatives is to build websites with personalized links for students, allowing them to access child-friendly resources for research.
She applies flipped learning techniques, using videos to support students' understanding and retrieval of information. She also integrates technology into real-world contexts, such as exploring the use of drones in agriculture and designing surveillance systems.
Source: ABC News
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