Tell me and I’ll forget, show me and I may remember, involve me and I’ll understand.
Chinese Proverb
Larry Spry is a Teaching Academic and Lecturer in the Master of Teaching & Undergraduate Program at Magill and Mawson lakes campus. He has been teaching in Design and Technologies as a specialised teaching area in ECE and Primary and Secondary education with a strong focus on the curriculum understanding, curriculum planning, integrated learning, and STEM.
Over the years Larry has diversified his interests & expertise as a Course Coordinator in Educational Psychology, Critical Perspectives in Education in the Master of Teaching program.
Larry has established a formidable National and International... Read more
About me
Tell me and I’ll forget, show me and I may remember, involve me and I’ll understand.
Chinese Proverb
Larry Spry is a Teaching Academic and Lecturer in the Master of Teaching & Undergraduate Program at Magill and Mawson lakes campus. He has been teaching in Design and Technologies as a specialised teaching area in ECE and Primary and Secondary education with a strong focus on the curriculum understanding, curriculum planning, integrated learning, and STEM.
Over the years Larry has diversified his interests & expertise as a Course Coordinator in Educational Psychology, Critical Perspectives in Education in the Master of Teaching program.
Larry has established a formidable National and International reputation working with Government and Teaching associations & private companies in Design and Technologies. Building on his experience and expertise as a past President of DATTA [Design and Technologies Teachers association] of both South Australia and Australia,& as a Board Member of Educators SA , he has been directly involved as a Curriculum writer for SACSA [South Australian Curriculum & Accountability Frameworks] for Design and Technology curriculum and as a developer & writer of the Design and Technologies subject for [ Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority] ACARA and the Australian Curriculum. He is currently a selected member of the ongoing reviewer & contributor process to both state and national development of the Curriculum
Larry interests and expertise in Design and Technologies and the use of “space” in classroom design & management has taken him to many national and international learning environments & connected with groups throughout the UK, Canada, SE Asia, and the USA. These have linked him with STEM centre in York University in UK, Goldsmith University London, George Washington University Washington DC, San Diego University in California and the NUVU Studio in Boston USA. He is currently an active member & contributor to Learning Environments Australasia, DATA UK and DATTA SA.
Larry has extensive experience teaching & learning at all levels of education for ECE to tertiary level, teaching in Education Department schools across SA, and in the Catholic and Independent systems as well. He has held many positions of influence in schools from classroom teacher, key teacher, Coordinator, Deputy Principal and Head of school roles. He is well versed in the strategies for effective teaching and effective learning within an educational setting
larry views Design and Technologies as offering learners a rich combination of knowledge, skills, strategies and dispositions to develop their identities as individuals, and to help them design shared, preferrable sustainable futures.The significance and importance of Design and Technologies as a designated Learning Area from the Early years of schooling to the Senior years ,establishes the key and important role that learning in Design and Technologies brings to not only learners lives but ultimately to the future of design and technological practices of the nation.
Cheers
About me
About me
Masters in Educational Administration Adelaide College of Advanced Education
Graduate Diploma of Teaching Adelaide College of Advanced Education
Bachelor of Education Adelaide College of Advanced Education
Diploma of Teaching South Australian College of Advanced Education
Research
Excludes commercial-in-confidence projects.
Education and Design Living Laboratories Study
My interest
The purpose of space - by Larry Spry
I have recently returned from the UK visiting 12 schools across the greater London area. These schools were a cross section of Academies, public, private and free schools that were developing teaching and learning programs engaging students in STEM related approaches.
We are of the belief that through Design and Technologies educational practice, which has a focus on learning through an engineering and technologies contexts, as a component of the learning framework, the teaching of and the understanding of science and mathematics by learners is enhanced in a relevant and proactive “situational learning” circumstance.
Whilst we’re looking at “STEM teaching as a pedagogy“ the real impact of my observations and time spent in the sites ,was the creative and critical use of “space” in all the schools and the purpose and the design of spaces that supported the notion for a multi- purpose approach to teaching D&T in workshop areas and teaching spaces.
The design and purpose of the spaces also reflected a teaching approach that in my opinion was constructed to break down the “silo approach to teaching D&T" and supported the notion of consistency in thinking and a cumulative approach to learning, concepts especially process and production skills and design thinking.
The approach meant that the same teacher would take the same cohort of students for a “multi-faceted teaching journey“ e.g. wood, metal, polypropylene, electronics, textiles and food & nutrition over a 12month or Semester course.
Research
sTEm as a tool for Teaching & the creative use of space in teaching Design and Technologies education
I recently returned from the UK from a 5 week study tour visting schiool sites and Universities ,where STEM/STEAM/sTEm or whatever you want to call the approach has been on the agenda for a number of years.
From this trip I am starting to develop an ideas that ......
An effective “sTEm “teacher and an effective “sTEm “program is focussed on the LEARNING, highlighting the concepts,skills andunderstandingsnecessary to solve a problem or to achieve a successful outcome for an inquiry based program or project based approach.
Once the LEARNING is identified then the connections to the relevant ‘subjects’ can be identified and assessed and catered for.
Teaching subjects/linked concepts /linked skill sets in a learning environment that creates a CONTEXT that focusses on LEARNING creates an atmosphrere where the learning becomes relevant for all students.
This concept and approcah should be the guiding principle in all teaching and reflective of an effective sTEm program
The only separate standalone STEM classes were “clubs’ out of hrs. and attended by interested and some targeted students that focussed on specific projects- F1, Robotics etc.
My thinking is that :- "sTEm is an approach to teaching and learning that contextualises the learning of Science and Maths concepts through a Technologies and Engineering lens creating learning connections that develops thinking skills , hands on minds on learning & creates an learning enviroment that is centred on relevancy ,purpose & intent and hence enagagement of students and a link to a futures perspective for learning " Larry Spry 2016
Phew !
2019 August -During my recent trip to Canada & USA I was able to spend time with some key educators at various Universities that are directly involved in practicum and field experience programs for Undergraduate and Graduate programs in schools of Education .
Each University visited had specific expectations in regards to placements and have developed programs to support experiences in schools for all of their students. The Universities shared the view that recognised the importance of field experience as an essential component in preparing preservice teachers for a successful & proactive career in teaching& learning .
A common thread at each University was a focus on practitioner research , professional development for university supervisors and ethical supervisory practices and in the development strong MOU with school sites , districts and systems .
Canada -Vancouver
· Rod Brown-Program Coordinator Practicum and Field placements .The University of British Columbia
· Laurie Anderson- PhD Executive Director, Vancouver Campus | Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Education Simon Fraser University Harbour Centre
Washington DC
· Prof Patricia Tate -George Washington Uni Graduate school of Education… Practicum and Field placements & President of the Association of Teacher Educators [ATE]2018-2019
· Katina S. Lacey -Program Associate, Field Placement & Licensure, Office of Professional Preparation & Accreditation, Division of Clinical Experiences & Licensure’ Graduate School of Education & Human Development. George Washington University
San Diego
· Dr Reyes Quezada Chair of the Department of Learning and Teaching.
School of Leadership and Education Sciences , University of San Diego
· Serena Pariser, M.A. Assistant Director of Practicum and Field placements Department of Learning and Teaching School of Leadership and Education Sciences University of San Diego
I am now connected with each site working on developing working relationship and joint projects to enahnce the initial contact and connections
External engagement & recognition
External engagement & recognition
DATTA SA -Certificate of Excellence for Teaching and Learning 1999
DATTA SA - Certificate of Excellence for Teaching and Learning 2001
DATTA SA - Certificate of Appreciation for Curriculum Development and ACARA implemenation 2013
UniSA- School of Education -High Achievement in Student Evaluation Attainment Award 2014
UniSA -School of education -Recognition Award -Studnet Choce Excelenet Teacher Award 2018
UniSA- Division of Education,Arts and Social Services -High Achievement in Student Evaluation Attainment Award 2018-Post graduate program
Educators SA -The Anderson Solicitors Award -Connecting our educatuonal community Award -World Teachers Day 2018
Course Coordinator - EDUC 5160 Educational Psychology M program -Learning , Development and Cognition
Teaching & student supervision