About Tangible Learning STEM
Hi, I'm Dana. This is Tangible Learning STEM.
Welcome to Tangible Learning STEM! I’ve taken a long and twisty pathway in my last 20 years in the education sector. From Primary teaching, to specialist cooking and gardening teaching, day-care, educational governance and everything in between. And if I’m to be honest, it’s not really where I saw myself as a kid.
After finishing university with a bachelor’s in media studies,
I took a ‘Gap Year’ and went over to Prague to teach English. I taught in a Czech Gymnazium school for a year and loved it so much that I changed career directions. I decided to come back home to Australia and get my teaching degree.
After returning to Australia to have children of my own, I decided to get my degree in early childhood, and ran a family day care onsite at the local Primary School.
After that, came a job working at a science museum writing and delivering science, technology, engineering & mathematics (STEM) programs to young children. I had always been interested in this area, but this job allowed me to focus my time on making block towers, using playdough, painting, interacting with young children and their caregivers and generally getting very, very messy.
In the immortal words of Ms Frizzle...
This was where I learned that parents and educators know that STEM is important but feel challenged about what this looks like in early childhood (birth to 8). I know that most of you are actually already doing so much STEM with your children and students, but you may not really be aware of it. It is my aim to help you to put the language around what you are doing, to help you to extend the children’s natural inclinations and to assist you to scaffold their inquiry.
Since working at the science museum, I have worked in state kindergarten governance and am currently working at an educational not for profit creating curriculum and facilitating programs, but I am still passionately interested in STEM education.
I am here to help you and want to hear from you. Please use my contact page to communicate with me, or follow me on any of my social media channels.
