Tech it Up a Notch is the podcast for Australian teachers ready to bring educational technology into their classrooms. Each episode is packed with practical tips on using digital tools that you can apply the very next day, week, or term. We’ll show you how to boost student engagement, integrate STEM tools and stay aligned with syllabus requirements, all while supporting your professional learning. Join Rachael and Clare to explore effective ways to make edtech work for your teaching and learning.
In this episode, we’re taking coding off the screen and into the air! Rach shares how she used DroneBlocks and Tello drones as part of a cross-curricular STEM project exploring the sustainability of a local river.
Key Takeaways
DroneBlocks is a great place to begin with a whole-class drone experience, allowing students to practise coding and test flight paths in a simulator before moving to physical drones.
Tello drones can bring coding to life by allowing students to see their algorithms control a real-world device.
Plan for technology to be temperamental! Battery life, connectivity and equipment faults can have a big impact, so having technical support and backup activities is valuable.
Create a clearly defined flying zone and establish safety routines before launching the drones, including goggles, tied-back hair and keeping students behind a designated boundary.
You don't need a drone for every student. Small groups or rotating activities can provide opportunities to code and fly without having a whole class of drones in the air at once.
Drones offer rich cross-curricular opportunities, connecting digital technologies with science, mathematics, engineering, geography, design thinking and creative arts.
Be prepared to experiment alongside your students. You don't need to have everything worked out before giving a new technology a go — sometimes the unexpected learning is the best part.
Resources mentioned
DroneBlocks (https://droneblocks.io/)
Droneblocks FREE ‘Crazyflie Simulator (https://crazyflie-app.droneblocks.io/login)(follow the link to grab the pin - top tip, write it on your board for the month and leave it there!)
Tello drones (https://www.ryzerobotics.com/tello)
8 Aug 2026
Putting the 'I' Back in AI: Smart Report Banks with Gemini & Sites
Writing reports is one of the biggest time commitments in a teacher's year, but what if AI could help without replacing your professional voice?
In this episode, Claire shares how she used Gemini Canvas to build a custom report comment generator using her own bank of previously approved report comments. Rather than asking AI to write reports from scratch, she demonstrates how teachers can use AI to organise and streamline their existing expertise while preserving their authentic teacher voice.
Key takeaway
AI works best as an assistant, not an author. By building tools around your own resources and expertise, you can save time while ensuring your professional judgement and teacher voice remain at the heart of student reports.
Resources mentioned
Clare’s how to guide to creating a report comment assistant (https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1aP7KXycUMpxp6e6RAS23U30ep_mTg5adMX8dX4Yy1I8/edit?slide=id.g3dc2058ceca_0_168#slide=id.g3dc2058ceca_0_168)
Google Gemini Canvas (https://gemini.google/overview/canvas/)
Google Sites (https://support.google.com/a/users/answer/9310491?hl=en)
Canva Create (https://www.canva.com/canva-create/)
Apple Learning Summit (https://education.apple.com/)
6 Jul 2026
Insights from EduTECH Australia 2026
Join us as we recap our time at EduTECH 2026. After two inspiring days exploring the latest in education technology, we're sharing the tools, ideas, and standout moments that caught our attention.
Key Speakers
Andy Hargreaves (https://www.andyhargreaves.com/)
Jason Reynolds (https://www.jasonwritesbooks.com/)
Danny Liu / Castlereagh Statement (https://castlereagh.ai/)
Clare Willemse (https://www.instagram.com/creativedigitechteacher/)
Professional learning
CSER Digital Technologies Education (https://csermoocs.adelaide.edu.au/)
Australian Library and Information Association Schools (https://www.alia.org.au/Web/Web/Sectors/Schools.aspx?hkey=937c1abe-72f3-4f51-a79a-96abf468e93f)
EdTech Tools
ALTO (The Great Times Table Race) (https://alto.guru/)
Handwriting Bot (https://www.handwritingbot.com/)
Sphero (https://sphero.com/)
Kahoot! (https://kahoot.com/)
CEChat (https://cechat.ai/)
Behind the News (https://www.abc.net.au/btn/)
ClickView (https://www.clickview.net/)
Redbubble (https://www.redbubble.com/)
Seesaw (https://web.seesaw.me/)
Canva (https://www.canva.com/)
Padlet (https://padlet.com/)
Google Workspace (https://workspace.google.com/)
Google for Education (https://edu.google.com/)
Gemini (https://gemini.google.com/)
Creators
Teach Tech Lead Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/teach-tech-lead/id1848072925)
Term Talk Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/term-talk/id1871631273)
Unteachables Podcast (https://www.the-unteachables.com/podcast)
Kirawee Public School Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-kirrawee-public-school-podcast/id1841529911)
Mrs Priestly ICT (https://mrspriestleyict.com/?srsltid=AfmBOopgFHvJTuRzX0h2RWUUtExKdTjYnld_vQVYfEkDddg7nRBc7hQV)
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