BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:IEEE vTools.Events//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:Australia/Melbourne BEGIN:DAYLIGHT DTSTART:20251005T030000 TZOFFSETFROM:+1000 TZOFFSETTO:+1100 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYDAY=1SU;BYMONTH=10 TZNAME:AEDT END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD DTSTART:20260405T020000 TZOFFSETFROM:+1100 TZOFFSETTO:+1000 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYDAY=1SU;BYMONTH=4 TZNAME:AEST END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20260405T055808Z UID:BDC05D81-54A8-41C9-B644-227DC251989F DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260402T180000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260402T193000 DESCRIPTION:Understanding the role of STEM (Science\, Technology\, Engineer ing\, and Mathematics) education in early childhood is crucial for develop ing the foundational skills of young learners in both Ireland and Australi a. Early exposure to STEM concepts not only sparks children's curiosity bu t also promotes critical thinking\, problem-solving\, and creativity—ski lls that are increasingly important in our rapidly changing world.\n\nIn I reland\, the early years curriculum emphasises play-based learning\, seaml essly integrating STEM principles into everyday activities. Educators are encouraged to create engaging environments where children can explore scie ntific concepts through hands-on experiments\, immerse themselves in techn ology\, and engage with engineering challenges—all within a framework th at supports their natural curiosity and desire to learn.\n\nSimilarly\, Au stralia adopts a holistic approach to early years STEM education\, with a focus on inquiry-based learning. The Australian Early Years Learning Frame work encourages educators to foster a love for exploration and experimenta tion\, guiding children to ask questions\, test hypotheses\, and collabora te on projects. This approach not only enhances children's cognitive skill s but also builds their confidence and resilience as they learn to navigat e challenges and find solutions.\n\nBy examining the STEM educational prac tices in both Ireland and Australia\, we can uncover best practices and in novative strategies that can be implemented worldwide. Investing in early years STEM education is not just about preparing children for future caree rs\; it's about equipping them with the tools they need to understand and engage with the world around them\, ultimately contributing to a more info rmed and capable society.\n\nThis year\, we are collaborating with IEEE an d Swinburne University to host an online event specifically designed for e arly childhood and primary educators. The event will focus on how STEM edu cational activities are integrated in two countries. The discussion will p rovide pre-service teachers with valuable insights into the contemporary e ducational landscape. Join us in this important discussion about equipping our future STEM leaders with the resources they need to thrive!\n\n🎯 S ession Objectives\n\nThe event will focus on\n\n1. How do STEM play-based educational activities integrate into teaching practices in Ireland?\n\n2. How do STEM play-based educational activities integrate into teaching pra ctices in Australia?\n\n3. Are there any similarities or differences betwe en the STEM teaching and learning approaches in these two countries?\n\nSp eaker(s): Nóirín \, Yingshi\n\nAgenda: \n6:00pm to 6:15pm- Welcome by I EEE Education Society Chair\n\n6:15pm to 6:35pm- Presentation by presenter 1\n\n6:35pm to 6:45pm- Q&A to presenter 1\n\n6:45pm to 7:05pm- Presentati on by presenter 2\n\n7:05pm to 7:15pm- Q&A to presenter 2\n\n7:15pm to 7:3 0pm- Open for discussion\n\nVirtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/5494 50 LOCATION:Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/549450 ORGANIZER:adevi@swin.edu.au SEQUENCE:33 SUMMARY:Exploring Early Years STEM Education in Ireland and Australia URL;VALUE=URI:https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/549450 X-ALT-DESC:Description: <br /><p class="MsoNormal">Understanding the role o f STEM (Science\, Technology\, Engineering\, and Mathematics) education in early childhood is crucial for developing the foundational skills of youn g learners in both Ireland and Australia. Early exposure to STEM concepts not only sparks children's curiosity but also promotes critical thinking\, problem-solving\, and creativity&mdash\;skills that are increasingly impo rtant in our rapidly changing world.</p>\n<p class="MsoNormal">In Ireland\ , the early years curriculum emphasises play-based learning\, seamlessly i ntegrating STEM principles into everyday activities. Educators are encoura ged to create engaging environments where children can explore scientific concepts through hands-on experiments\, immerse themselves in technology\, and engage with engineering challenges&mdash\;all within a framework that supports their natural curiosity and desire to learn.</p>\n<p class="MsoN ormal">Similarly\, Australia adopts a holistic approach to early years STE M education\, with a focus on inquiry-based learning. The Australian Early Years Learning Framework encourages educators to foster a love for explor ation and experimentation\, guiding children to ask questions\, test hypot heses\, and collaborate on projects. This approach not only enhances child ren's cognitive skills but also builds their confidence and resilience as they learn to navigate challenges and find solutions.</p>\n<p class="MsoNo rmal">By examining the STEM educational practices in both Ireland and Aust ralia\, we can uncover best practices and innovative strategies that can b e implemented worldwide. Investing in early years STEM education is not ju st about preparing children for future careers\; it's about equipping them with the tools they need to understand and engage with the world around t hem\, ultimately contributing to a more informed and capable society.</p>\ n<p class="MsoNormal">This year\, we are collaborating with IEEE and Swinb urne University to host an online event specifically designed for early ch ildhood and primary educators. The event will focus on how STEM educationa l activities are integrated in two countries. The discussion will provide pre-service teachers with valuable insights into the contemporary educatio nal landscape. Join us in this important discussion about equipping our fu ture STEM leaders with the resources they need to thrive!</p>\n<p class="M soNormal"><strong><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Segoe UI Emoji'\ ,sans-serif\; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Segoe UI Emoji'\; mso-ansi-language: EN-US\;">🎯</span></strong><strong><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-la nguage: EN-US\;"> Session Objectives</span></strong></p>\n<p class="MsoNor mal">The event will focus on</p>\n<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" sty le="text-indent: -18.0pt\; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1\;"><!-- [if !supportLi sts]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Aptos\; mso-bidi-theme-font: min or-latin\;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore\;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt 'T imes New Roman'\;">&nbsp\;&nbsp\;&nbsp\;&nbsp\;&nbsp\; </span></span></spa n><!--[endif]-->How do STEM play-based educational activities integrate in to teaching practices in Ireland?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes\;">&nbsp\; </span></p>\n<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -1 8.0pt\; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1\;"><!-- [if !supportLists]--><span style= "mso-bidi-font-family: Aptos\; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin\;"><span s tyle="mso-list: Ignore\;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt 'Times New Roman'\;"> &nbsp\;&nbsp\;&nbsp\;&nbsp\;&nbsp\; </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->How do STEM play-based educational activities integrate into teaching practic es in Australia?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes\;">&nbsp\; </span></p>\n<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-indent: -18.0pt\; mso-list: l 0 level1 lfo1\;"><!-- [if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-fami ly: Aptos\; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin\;"><span style="mso-list: Ign ore\;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt 'Times New Roman'\;">&nbsp\;&nbsp\;&nbsp \;&nbsp\;&nbsp\; </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Are there any similari ties or differences between the STEM teaching and learning approaches in t hese two countries?</p><br /><br />Agenda: <br /><p class="MsoNormal">6:00 pm to 6:15pm- Welcome by IEEE Education Society Chair</p>\n<p class="MsoNo rmal">6:15pm to 6:35pm- Presentation by presenter 1</p>\n<p class="MsoNorm al">6:35pm to 6:45pm- Q&amp\;A to presenter 1</p>\n<p class="MsoNormal">6: 45pm to 7:05pm- Presentation by presenter 2</p>\n<p class="MsoNormal">7:05 pm to 7:15pm- Q&amp\;A to presenter 2</p>\n<p class="MsoNormal">7:15pm to 7:30pm- Open for discussion</p> END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR