Global Teacher Prize 2016 - Top Ten Finalists | Page 2

Richard Johnson
Rostrata Primary School, Perth, WA, Australia

Richard’s career has flourished at Rostrata Primary School. Originally a generalist
teacher, ten years ago his principal Tom Campbell was looking for a way of exposing
primary students to more engaging science learning. Richard jumped at the chance
and became a science specialist teacher. His science lab evolved into an advanced
STEM lab for young students. This was supported by donations from local
businesses, the school P&C Association and grants including $25,000 that he
received when he won Australia’s most prestigious teaching award, the Prime
Minister’s Prize for Science Teaching: Primary, in 2013. Richard has also received the
Department of Education Award for Excellence and Innovation (2008) and the
Premier’s Science Award (2008). In 2015 he was runner up in the DiscoverE.org
Educator Awards for an outstanding contribution to STEM Education.

In his classes students are tasked with problem solving using some of the most
amazing technologies in the world. He uses robotics, 3D printing, 3D Pens and
augmented reality and is building an augmented sandbox. He introduced his
students to the F1 in Schools Challenge in 2009 and now some at his school have
qualified for the national event in 2016. Richard’s students have even created a
harmonograph from components they designed and then manufactured with a 3D
printer.

Nobel Prize winner Robin Warren honoured Richard's school with a visit in 2013 to
recognize the work of his year 4 students. They wrote the Laureate's story in a
children's online book. Richard works closely with the local science museum, Scitech
and Curtin University. He shares his influential style of teaching widely at
conferences and online. Rostrata Primary School has been assigned the status of a
Teacher Development School. The science program has changed the dynamics of the
school in many positive ways, and its students have achieved significant
performance improvements in national and state tests.

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