About 300 teachers from across NSW attended the 2023 iTE (Institute of Technology Education) Conference from 29th Nov to 1st Dec and Adobe was very pleased to again be involved.

ITE is the professional association for NSW Technologies teachers. This includes subjects such as:

• Science & Technology
• Agriculture/Agricultural Technology
• Food Technology
• Engineering Studies
• Design & Technology
• Graphics Technology
• Industrial Technology
• Information & Software Technology
• Information Processes & Technology
• Marine & Aquaculture Technology
• Software Design & Development
• Technology Mandatory &
• Textiles Technology & Design

On day 1 of the conference, Adobe opened up its Sydney office for an all-day set of workshops with over 20 teachers. Adobe Education Leader Jason Eddie and I rotated the teachers though a range of workshop experiences that features the following applications with a focus on how AI & Gen AI are helping to enhance creativity:

• Adobe Express
• Character Animator
• Animate
• Photoshop
• After Effects
• Photoshop

On Day 2 of the conference, I did the opening keynote address at the Sydney Masonic Centre and titled it Eight Big Ideas for any Classroom.

The eight ideas were based on Professor Seymour Papert’s Constructionist learning theory:

• Idea 1 – Learning by doing
• Idea 2 – Technology as building material
• Idea 3 – Hard fun
• Idea 4 – Learning to learn
• Idea 5 – Taking time
• Idea 6 – You can’t get it right without getting it wrong
• Idea 7 – Do unto ourselves what we do unto our students
• Idea 8 – Digital world

The slide deck I shared is available via – https://adobe.ly/ite23

Adobe was invited to present at the NSW Government Rural Access Gap Digital Classroom Officer Forum on Wednesday 22nd November, 2023.

Since the initiation of the Rural Access Program, over a thousand teachers employed by the NSW government in rural and remote schools have assumed the responsibilities of Digital Classroom Officers. Their primary mission has been to bolster teacher proficiency and confidence in utilising technology and embracing digital learning, achieved through a variety of professional development initiatives and mentorship programs.

As the program nears its conclusion, the NSW Digital Support Team organised this culminating event. This occasion prvided a platform for 25 of the most accomplished Digital Classroom Officers, along with their school principals, to share and showcase their success stories.

Being invited to present and conduct a workshop on Adobe Express, with a specific emphasis on the proficient utilisation of Generation AI (Gen AI) in the classroom, was an honor for Adobe. Many of the educators had prior experience with Adobe Express, making it an opportune moment to introduce them to new features. Additionally, the session delved into the ethical considerations associated with training Gen AI on the K-12 friendly version of Adobe Stock. Stressing the importance of ensuring that students’ creations with Gen AI align with ethical standards and safety guidelines for their projects and publications was a key aspect of the discussion and workshop experience.

I would like to thank my colleague Helen Lacey (Adobe Manger, Customer Success) for supporting me at this event. We look forward to continuing our relationship with these rural and remote NSW schools to help enhance digital creativity throughout NSW.

Here is a clip from a visit I had to one of these schools earlier this year.

The Adobe Day at Tempe High School in Sydney on the 9th of November, 2023 began with all 400 Year 7s & 8s being introduced to Adobe Express and Character Animator.

During this 55min session, the students played with some of the Gen AI features within Express and explored the real-time animation potential within Character Animator.

The rest of the day was spent with Year 9 & 10 media students focusing on enhancing their digital creativity skills with Photoshop & Premiere Pro.

After school I ran an Adobe Creative Educator level 1 course for teachers from Tempe High as well as visiting teachers from Tempe Public school. I would like to thank Ben Jone (Head Teacher TAS) for organising this Adobe Day.