STEM MAD is designed to acknowledge and promote STEM learning initiatives that address real-world problems and demonstrate how students in Catholic schools take action that matters. Student teams are invited to design a product, service or innovation to Make A Difference (MAD) to others or the environment.  We talk with Shelley Waldon – Science & STEM Lead, Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools who initiated this program in 2018.

Hosted by Ben Newsome from Fizzics Education

About STEM MAD

The mission of STEM MAD is clear:

• Celebrate students taking action that makes a difference
• Showcase deep learning
• Engage schools in effective STEM-based multidisciplinary inquires
• Promote high-quality STEM education for future-focused learning
• Contextualise STEM in the core curriculum
• Enact Social Justice for the Common Good

What began in 2018 in Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) has now spread across Australian diocese schools.

Find out more

• Catholic Network Australia STEM MAD site 
  https://www.cna.catholic.edu.au/stem-mad-national
• Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools STEM MAD site
  https://sites.google.com/vic.catholic.edu.au/stemmad/home

About Shelley Waldon

Shelley started her career as a geochemist, working in the mining industry for 4 years with BHP and for the Victorian government as an Environmental Scientist for 6 years. After this she undertook postgraduate teaching qualifications to work in both the primary and secondary sectors.

Have worked in Catholic education in Melbourne for 25 years in a variety of roles and educational settings. These include classroom teaching, specialist teaching, curriculum leader and Catholic placed teacher in extension education at Zoos Victoria. Also extended post-graduate learning with a Master of Education, Graduate Certificates in Assessment and STEM Education and additional qualifications in business management, leadership and risk management.

Within Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools, major responsibilities have been supporting schools and working with teachers to devise and develop resources and professional learning opportunities that enhance science learning across the curriculum.

In collaboration with our teachers, cultural organisations and expert providers, we develop learning opportunities and partnerships that improve teachers' core content knowledge in science, whilst developing pedagogical models that improve understanding by enabling the application of scientific conceptual knowledge in the context of multidisciplinary projects.

Acted as Primary Investigator for MACS in a 4-year ARC Linkage Research Project (with Monash Uni, BCE, and UQ) researching problem-based learning through STEM education. Using problems as the drivers for student engagement and motivation with the curriculum and exploring teachers' attitudes, beliefs and pedagogical practices as they participated as co-researchers.

In 2018 initiated STEM MAD, which has become a flagship program in Melbourne and a national program in dioceses across Australia, and continues to demonstrate scientific learning, where students use STEM projects to Make a Difference (MAD) to others and the environment.

Hosted by Ben Newsome from Fizzics Education

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!

https://www.fizzicseducation.com.au/

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