Making science less threatening, and more fun

Melbourne’s Veena Nair has won the 2022 Prime Minister's Prize for e xcellence in Science teaching in Secondary Schools

By RAJNI ANAND LUTHRA

Veena Nair thought it was a scam call when the Minister for Industry and Science Ed Husic rang her recently.

“Ultimately when I did call him back,” she laughed, “I did so thinking he was following up on something I wrote on LinkedIn, where I’m very active.”

When he told her she was in this year’s Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science, all she could muster was, “Are you sure?”

Veena Nair, Head of Technology at Melbourne’s Viewbank College, has won the Prime Minister’s Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching in Secondary Schools.

As a physics graduate who qualified in electronics, Veena has been teaching science subjects for more than 20 years in India, UAE and Australia.

“Currently I teach VCE Systems Engineering to Years 11 and 12, and also prepare students who may be interested in this subject from Year 9 onwards,” Veena told Indian Link. Systems Engineering is a subject option that prepares students for careers in engineering, manufacturing and design. It integrates aspects of designing, planning, producing, testing and evaluating in a project management process.

Teaching science at the secondary level in Australia must be challenging, we put to her, given the outlook for science literacy has been described as ‘bleak’.

“Yes, I have encountered the perception that science is difficult,” Veena observed. “I tackle this in many different ways. For starters, I’m constantly giving the students opportunities to experience science and engineering first-hand. I love to expose them to what engineering looks like – that it’s not hard, that it can be interesting, and that they can do it.”

She does this particularly well – her students tell her she should have been in sales and marketing.

The gender divide is another issue that bothers Veena. “My classes are currently 7030 in favour of males; my goal is to raise it to 50-50. I work to get the fear out of the female students. Give it a shot, I tell them.”

3D printing, an essential aspect of her early course, has been a great way of initiating the girls into science. “Every industry uses it, I say to them; try it, it’s a skill you can use whatever workplace you find yourself in. I make science less threatening, and more enjoyable.”

She counts as a career highlight a shy and retiring Year 9 student, who was so science-phobic she wouldn’t work on a laptop. “She blossomed as she continued in my classes through to Year 12, finished as one of the top students in the state, and took engineering at university.”

Another program Veena is enthusiastic about in her work is Superstars of STEM, a nationwide platform in which select science personalities trained as ‘ambassadors’ regularly present to the media, on stage and in schools. “Representation matters, and we have some wonderful role models from our own community – Madhu Bhaskaran, Onisha Patel, Veena Sahajwalla. They are great inspirers towards science, for our girls especially.”

The program also helps build scientific temperament. “An epidemiologist presentation I organised during lockdown for example turned out wonderfully; parents joined in too as the expert provided evidencebased information and knowledge about COVID and vaccination. We need more such conversations.”

Equally, Veena Nair believes, teachers must proactively encourage the take up of science in other ways. “We’ve got to connect with new technology. As teachers we must move away from old methods of teaching and incorporate new advancements. Students are already tech savvy, and if you don’t provide the new platforms, they won’t engage. Bridge that gap between curriculum and pedagogy.”

Is there a realisation at the school level that we need more scientists in this country?

“There is in my school, and I push it a lot. I’m passionate about greater engagement from industry and tertiary education. In 2017 I wrote to universities to provide extra ATAR points for Systems Engineering students – I was able to pull it off. In recognition of this I was given the Educator of the Year Award in 2018 presented by the Design and Technology Teachers’ Association of Australia.”

Today 90% of Systems Engineering students go on to engineering at university.

Veena also makes the most of other available programs to bring science closer to her students. One such is the Young Persons’ Plan for the Planet (YPPP), an extra-curricular and interdisciplinary activity at school based on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, to deliver local, regional and globally sustainable outcomes. “Australian and Indian students collaborated successfully on a YPPP project recently,” Veena related.

“Again, in the Swinburne Youth Space Challenge, students get the opportunity to work with space scientists in a 10week program, competing to develop an experiment to launch into space. The winning project is sent to the International Space Station with the help of industry partners.”

At STEAM Club, where the A stands for Art, Veena leads integrated art and technology projects like wearables.

These innovative initiatives aside, Veena Nair’s infectious enthusiasm for all things science must be rubbing off on her wards at school – it certainly makes us want to go back to school science.

Summer’s here and the beach is where we’ll head to as much as possible over the next few months. Sea shore, river banks or lakes – lovely cool water, and possibly water sports, make them the best place to be.

However, these idyllic thoughts about summer come to a halt when you read headlines about drowning accidents. Particularly significant for us as a migrant community, is data that shows we could be vulnerable.

The National Drowning Report for 2022, reporting on fatal incidents between 1 July 2021 and 30 June 2022, said 339 people lost their lives to water, and 686 people experienced a near fatal drowning incident. This is much higher than the reported national average of 288 people – with a fourth of this number being overseas-born persons. Korea, Taiwan and India rank high among migrant populations included in this statistic, besides China, UK and New Zealand. Water safety is a concern among multicultural communities, given cultural differences in water safety knowledge and swimming ability.

So how can you be water safe? Are there special guidelines to be kept in mind when you’re at the beach or riverside? How can you tell which area is safe to swim and which isn’t? What is a rip? What are the water safety guidelines you and your family must be aware of?

Here are some tips to be safe around water this summer.

For adulTs

n Never swim alone – it is important to always swim with another person n Check for currents or rips n Swim between the red and yellow flags at the beach n Check the conditions. Ask someone who is familiar with the area n Follow the advice of lifeguards or lifesavers and ask them for help if you’re unsure n Look for and read the water safety signs. Ask someone who speaks English to help you understand instructions n Take care of slippery or uneven surfaces around or in the water n Avoid drugs and alcohol around water n Be aware of your medical conditions and their impact around water n If you are caught in a rip or current, float on your back and travel downstream n If you get into trouble in the water, stay calm. Signal for help, then float and wait for assistance. Float with a current or undertow. n Wear a lifejacket whenever boating, rock fishing, or using a watercraft

For Children

n Children should never be left alone when near a water body.

n Actively supervise children around water n Restrict access n Teach water awareness n Learn how to resuscitate

Source: www.drowningprevention. org.au/watersafetytips/

Whether you’ve moved to Australia recently, or have lived here for twenty years, people of all ages and backgrounds should learn essential swimming and lifesaving skills, and know what to do in an emergency. There’s nothing worse than calling the family of a young person to inform them of a tragedy that occurred on a fun day at the beach. Have fun, enjoy the sun, sand, and water, but at the same time, do take care and stay safe.

SOME ThINg S yOU NEED TO kEEp IN MIND BEFORE yOU hEAD TO ThE wATER

Loo K f IRST

n When you arrive at a beach, first take a good look at the water for five minutes. Observe the tide, the turbulence of the water, and the points at which the waves don’t break as those could be dangerous rip currents. Look for the red and yellow flags and only swim between them, never outside.

n If you’re swimming at a riverside, keep in mind that inland waterways like ponds, rivers and creeks aren’t patrolled.

n Always enter the water slowly, feet first. Never dive in. Diving in shallow waters can cause spinal injuries.

n Always swim with a companion.

n Inland waterways may seem calm on top but are home to dangerous currents too. Always inspect the water’s nature before stepping in.

n Be adequately dressed. Cold water can cause hypothermia.

n Wear a life jacket.

n Avoid alcohol and drugs.

M AK e A N o T e n Once you pick a patrolled beach, make sure your companion has jotted down the lifeguard’s phone number. Keep in mind that dialling ‘000’ will connect you to the police, ambulance and fire and rescue service. Never swim alone.

WATCH TH e SIGNS n Always read the signs before entering waters – whether they are ‘Beach closed’, ‘Shallow water’ or ‘Strong current’ signs. n Full from a meal. Never swim directly after eating n Under the influence of alcohol or drugs. n Drink lots of water to stay hydrated so you don’t get cramped while swimming.

You SH ou LDN ’ T B e..

Le ARN R e S u SCITATI o N n A quick course in resuscitation can prove life-saving, especially in inland waterway situations where lifeguards aren’t present. n A rip is formed when water that has flown into the beach tries to head back into the sea. As it does this, it forms a channel through which water travels at high speeds – that’s what a rip is. The current in a rip is so strong that even experienced surfers or swimmers can have difficulty handling. The water in a rip is usually a darker colour because it’s deeper and calmer since there are no waves breaking.

W HAT ’ S A RIP ?

If You’ R e CAu GHT IN A RIP n Don’t panic, float so you save energy. n Raise your weaker hand so that you can use the stronger hand to paddle. n Don’t try to swim against the rip. First figure out which way the rip is taking you and then – if you can – swim left or right to the rip. n If you see whitewash in the waves, try to move towards those as that maybe a sandbank. Waves will also push you towards the beach.

If You SP o T S o M eo N e IN TR ou BL e n Alert the lifeguard n Call 000 n Alert people around you n Never try to rescue anyone yourself

Source: Staying water safe in Australia: www.australia.com/en/facts-and-planning/ useful-tips/water-safety-in-australia.html