The 2017 InTEACT AGM was held at the ACS Offices in Deakin at 5:30pm Tuesday 28th March. Proceedings of the meeting captured in the official minutes have been made available to members here. InTEACT members will need to log in with their InTEACT Google accounts to view the minutes.
It is with mixed feelings that I announce that I am standing aside as President of Information Technology Educators ACT. It has been an exciting five years, working to establish the association as a presence advocating for improved Digital Technologies education across the territory. We have seen the organisation grow from its initial group of 10 or so interested educators to the almost one hundred members we have now.
It has been a privilege to have been able to lead the organisation through this period of growth, especially in the context of the development of the Australian Curriculum and the introduction of the Digital Technologies subject in ACT schools. We’ve developed partnerships with organisations such as the ACS, CSIRO, Digital Careers and WIC, and through those relationships have been able to host fantastic events in the form of our annual CS4HS workshops and joint conference with the ACS. We continue to advocate for educators and students, and through our efforts now have representation on many advisory groups across the education and IT industry sectors. This advocacy will continue as the curriculum renewal process approaches for senior secondary education in the ACT, and alongside federal and territory government initiatives that have seen increasing interest in STEM and Digital Technologies education.
I remain a member of the executive committee in the role of Treasurer, and to provide support to our incoming President, Toni Falusi. I am confident that Toni will bring new enthusiasm and ideas to the role, and I look forward to working alongside her as she continues the work of InTEACT, promoting the opportunities for teachers and students in the ACT in Digital Technologies.
I would also like to thank Mitchell Tummers for his contributions on the InTEACT committee. Mitch was the founding Vice-President of the organisation and remained on the committee as a general member in 2016. He has chosen to relinquish this role in 2017, but his valuable input and support was invaluable to me early on, and I know that other members of the committee feel the same way. I look forward to his continuing engagement with InTEACT as a member.
To the other members of the committee who remain in their positions and have done so for many years, thank you for your support. We could not have achieved what we have in the short time we’ve existed without all of your efforts. Know that I have appreciated everything that you have done – be it providing advice when dealing with issues, working on documents or policy, or wading through the regulatory requirements we’ve needed to abide by. The association lives and dies by the work of its volunteers, and we’ve got a good group that have the best interests of ACT educators and students at heart.
To everyone who has contributed to InTEACT in some small way over the past five years – whether it has been through your representation on the committee, voice at meetings, attendance at events or comments and suggestions via email or in person – thank you. Every positive comment, every constructive criticism has been something to think about and use as I’ve looked for ways to strengthen the association. If you value what we offer and are looking for a way to contribute to the association in the future, all I ask is that you remain involved – promote the association to your colleagues, register your school as an institutional member, and come along to events and share your expertise and knowledge. Education is a dynamic profession and compared to now, especially for those of us working in IT, there hasn’t been a time in recent years that so much emphasis has been placed on the work we do. Keep engaging with the committee – contribute your ideas, your time, your suggestions – and help us deliver the services you need to improve the learning experiences for all students in the ACT.
The skills and knowledge we develop in our students is what ultimately decides the fate of the world. In an increasingly technological society the solutions won’t be found in the ground, but in the way we use the data we already have to address the greatest challenges facing our time.
To many, what we do with a keyboard and a screen can seem like magic; when we demystify this for our students, we equip them with the skills and knowledge they need to make sense of a world drowning in data and information.
Again, thank you. It has been an honour serving as your President.