Authors
Felicity Bradshaw AM MSc has been involved in science for all her professional life, either learning it, teaching it or researching it. Her career has involved 10 years as a Demonstrator in the Zoology laboratories at the University of WA, followed by 18 years as Senior Research Officer to Professor Don Bradshaw and his field based environmental physiological research in the Pilbara and Western Australia’s southwest. Felicity has over 40 scientific publications in international journals and has written two science-based books for Primary School children.
After retirement Felicity, as a CSIRO Stem Professional in Schools, assisted teachers with her program Be a Bush Scientist, highlighting the current environmental research within the University of Western Australia, and produced for the West Australian Department of Education by SPICE at the Centre for Learning Technology, UWA (2012). As a contributor to CSIRO’s Two-way Science, an Integrated Learning Program for Aboriginal Desert Schools (2019), Felicity had the opportunity to learn the two way approach to science teaching in Aboriginal Community schools. This was followed by a request from a Ballardong man to develop two-way learning between the Quairading District High School and the local Aboriginal Community. Supported by the State Natural Resources Management program, Learning On Country has a whole of school approach to the teaching of science throughout the science curriculum in Western Australia's Wheatbelt region. Felicity is committed to the equal place that Aboriginal people have in this journey.
Nikita Kitson, B.Ed, Grad Dip (Writing), is an English and education support teacher whose experience ranges across a Wheatbelt agricultural college, special education needs schools, and gifted and talented programmes. She has extensive experience with curriculum writing, specialising in innovative cross curricular design and experiential learning. Nikita also has experience working with rural communities in Cambodia where she established an education and community development initiative, and is accustomed to navigating between languages and cultures. Literacy in the programme is designed as connected classrooms, in which science is linked to language at each year level.
Nikita has a deep interest in the natural environment. She hopes the literacy activities will inspire creativity, reflection, a sense of belonging, and a deep love of our landscape.
Sophia Owen B.A. Dip Ed. TESOL is an EAL/D teacher at a Perth school. Sophia has worked in both urban and remote schools as a classroom teacher (in EAL/D and English) and is a facilitator in Tracks to Two-Way Learning. Her passion for Two-Way Learning on Country has been the impetus for her involvement in this project.
Emeritus Professor Don Bradshaw, PhD, FABiol, is an ecophysiologist, spending a lifetime in researching the adaptations of Western Australia’s unique native animals to their varied environments, from the Pilbara to the south-west. Felicity’s Wheatbelt program gave him the opportunity to design projects for Secondary School students to engage with the natural environment and learn about it.