GeoNight - Online STEM in Geography webinar (Hosted by AGTA)

Geography Technology Industry Careers: Making connections
The event will commence at 7.30pm (AEDST, from Sydney NSW Australia).

Presentations will include time for questions.
Please join via zoom: https://macquarie.zoom.us/j/89220327675

Registration here is not essential. Please join in via Zoom.

https://www.geonight.net/25336-2/

7.30pm - 7.35pm - Welcome and overview of the Australian context
Presenter: Dr Susan Caldis (Chair Australian Geography Teachers Association; Senior Lecturer
Geography Education, Macquarie University, NSW Australia)

7.35pm - 8.00pm - Getting the G into STEM: Lessons learned from a geography teacher and
research scientist partnership in the Northern Territory, Australia
Presenters: Yuliya Snoxall (senior geography teacher, AGTA Board member) and Dr Adam Liedloff
(research scientist CSIRO)

Yuliya Snoxall is a geography and history teacher at Darwin High School, in the Northern
Territory, Australia and a board member of the Australian Geography Teachers Association
(AGTA). With extensive experience in both the UK and international education sectors, she
is committed to advancing geography education and fostering critical thinking skills in
students. Having taught in the UK and at international schools in Qatar, Yuliya focuses in
enhancing students’ high-level thinking in geographical inquiry. In 2023, she joined STEM
Professionals in Schools program run by CSIRO to enhance and refine Year 12 independent
study (fieldwork) experiences, ensuring students gain valuable hands-on learning
opportunities.

Dr Adam Liedloff is an ecologist and systems modeller working for CSIRO in the tropical
savannas of northern Australia. His work includes understanding the role of fire in Australian
landscapes, predicting how native species respond to climate change, investigating how a
wide range of farms can operate in an environmentally sustainable way, and determining the
value the Darwin community places on biodiversity and natural places. This research requires
explaining how complex systems function and what outcomes we can expect from changes in
management decisions and climate change. Adam has used simple conceptual models to
explain the fundamentals of fire around the Top End of the Northern Territory to primary
school students and now seeks to encourage secondary students to use the scientific approach
to answer questions and consider a STEM-based career.

Abstract: This presentation will discuss the insights gained from a STEM Professionals in Schools
partnership between a Darwin High School geography teacher and a research scientist (ecologist)
from CSIRO. This partnership has significantly benefited the year 12 geography students and both
professionals. We present some of the challenges of teaching geography in Darwin and how access
to a STEM professional’s skills, understanding and alternate point of view can assist teachers. The
new understanding highlights the lack of understanding of geography in Australia and how
geography deserves a fundamental place in education where students with a strong geography
background will provide the criteria demanded by STEM-based careers answering society’s most
demanding questions.

8.00pm - 8.25pm - Geography is more STEM than STEM in a Queensland state high school
Presenter: Brett Dascombe (geography teacher; GTAQ Committee member)

Brett Dascombe is a geography teacher at Wavell State High School in Brisbane,
Queensland, Australia. He is also a committee member at the Geography Teachers
Association of Queensland. He has taught geography in Queensland for over 20 years and has
worked as a syllabus writer, lead endorser, lead confirmer and marker for the Queensland
Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA). Brett supports teachers around Queensland
with Professional Development opportunities, assistance with project development and
geospatial and STEM resources for their classrooms and schools to enhance geography
teaching. Brett and his students have been recognised nationally and globally for their
innovative use of industry standard geospatial tools and data in projects ranging from urban
encroachment on Koala habitats to finding high levels of E.coli and Faecal coliforms on one
of Southeast Queensland favourite beaches. Brett innovative use of technology on field trips
including drone and 360 degree camera footage and in class teaching using interactive
assessment platform has seen the QCAA accept new modes of field work and investigative
assignments.

Abstract: The true scope and potential of geography reaches far beyond traditional boundaries,
placing it squarely at the heart of STEM education. In this presentation, "Geography is more STEM
than STEM," we explore how geography, when taught through modern technological approaches,
powerfully integrates science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to tackle real-world
challenges. Drawing from firsthand experiences in classroom environments, industry partnerships,
and collaborative projects, this session highlights how geospatial technologies and innovative
problem-solving connect students directly to tangible career pathways. From urban planning and
sustainability initiatives to disaster management and climate adaptation, geography provides a
dynamic, multidisciplinary lens through which students engage with complex issues, blending
technological proficiency with critical thinking and spatial literacy. This talk will demonstrate
practical strategies and successful case studies illustrating geography's unique capacity to bridge the
gap between academic knowledge and industry readiness. Educators and STEM advocates will gain
insights into leveraging geography as a central pillar of STEM education, empowering learners with
the skills and mindsets necessary to thrive in an interconnected, technology-driven world