In this episode, Dr. Peter Dalmaris and Marcus Schappi talk with Joy Suliman.
Joy is the Learning Space Coordinator at Library Services for the City of Canada Bay, one of Sydney’s most multicultural suburbs.
Joy brings together her diverse experience in learning, technology, workshop facilitation, research, professional development training, regional outreach, and community engagement in her role with City of Canada Bay Libraries.
She leads a multi-disciplinary team that works alongside the community at The Learning Space, The Connection, Rhodes, providing access to online resources and a wide range of programs focusing on digital and emerging technology such as 3D printing, augmented reality, robots, and electronic making.
In her previous roles as the digital media facilitator for Save the Children NSW, as Senior Research Fellow at Queensland University of Technology, and before that Thinkspace Manager at the Powerhouse Museum, Joy has researched, developed and implemented innovative STEAM workshop programs and resources for community, school groups, teachers , and cultural organisation professionals.
She has also worked at the University of Western Sydney, Arab Council Australia, ABC local radio, and the University of Wollongong.
This is Stemiverse Podcast episode 31.
Stemiverse podcast is brought to you by Tech Explorations, a leading provider of educational resources for Makers, STEM students, and teachers. Go to techexplorations.com to see a complete list of our books and courses covering the Arduino, Raspberry Pi, and electronics.
Show Notes
- [00:00] Introduction – Introducing Joy Suliman
- [02:40] Greetings and talking about birds that make fire!
- [05:16] Joy current occupation as Learning Space Coordinator at Library Services for the City of Canada Bay
- [06:38] Joy talks about her background as a media artist
- [08:18] How Joy’s background connects to her current role in the Canada Bay Library
- [10:11] How Joy set up the learning space in the Library
- [12:47] What differentiates the Canada Bay Library Learning Space from a makerspace
- [14:01] The hurdles to get to the point of being a makerspace
- [15:58] Starting the club and reaching the community: Community engagement strategy
- [18:38] How people go through the facility
- [20:02] Proximity to the Sydney 2000 Olympics’ sites
- [20:52] The people in the library and their roles
- [24:59] A typical scenario of a visitor to the library
- [29:03] The worldwide trend for libraries to become more freestyled, away from the traditional book towards more activities
- [30:45] Chattanooga Public Library, US
- [31:31] Identifying need in communities…
- [32:28] …and developing programs
- [33:57] Surprising data or insights: Census 2016: Sydney’s best-educated suburbs
- [35:59] AR and VR in the Canada Bay Library
- [37:44] Aurasma
- [38:10] How can we see education being affected by AR and VR technologies?
- [42:20] Rapid Fire Questions
- [42:41] Who has been the most influential in shaping the way you teach? The education manager at the Powerhouse Museum, Peter Mahony
- [43:12] Advice to Educators just starting out
- [44:35] Professional Development suggestions: the book Lifelong Kindergarten: Cultivating Creativity Through Projects, Passion, Peers, and Play, by Mitchel Resnick
- [45:32] Mitchel Resnick’s TED talk
- [45:45] Programming Language of choice: Python for BBC micro:bit and NAO humanoid robots
- [46:49] Joy’s contact information: email: [email protected]