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Hello! I’m so glad you’re here.
Creative STEAM Studio is the space for this arts, literacy, and STEM education practice.
For those who may not be familiar with the term, STEAM stands for Science Technology Engineering Art and Mathematics.
Currently, I’m primarily operating from my home studio in the Southern suburbs of Adelaide, Australia. However, in-person classes and workshops for kids and adults may be held in various locations.
My name is Shai Coggins and I’m the resident artist and teacher here at the Studio. I’ve been practising as an artist for as long as I can remember. Although I’m primarily self-taught, I’ve taken various art classes and workshops in Australia (Adelaide Central School of Art, private studios and tutors, etc ), Singapore (La Salle – SIA College of the Arts, private tuition, etc), and the Philippines (Artist’s Gallery, etc). Some of my art have also been exhibited and sold in different parts of the world.
Two years ago, I was invited by a local art studio in Adelaide to teach art to adult learners. And, more recently, I began teaching a sketching workshop when a local art shop invited me to teach in their premises. The workshop was booked out and had tremendous feedback, so I got invited to teach more art classes.
I have a Master of Teaching degree from Flinders University, specialising in Primary and Special Education. During my studies, I maintained a high GPA and I received the University Award for Literacy Education from ALEA (Association of Literacy Educators in Australia). And, I’m now officially a registered teacher in Adelaide, South Australia.
I also have a Master of Social Science in Applied Psychology degree and a four-year Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology. Prior to taking on teaching, I was practising in the field of psychology, and later on, in digital media. I am currently running a digital media business called Vervely, where I have been privileged to work with some amazing clients, including Microsoft.
It has been a lifelong dream to combine my different interests in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics – and Literacy. That’s why Creative STEAM Studio came to life.
Although the Studio has only officially started in 2017, it really began when my two children were old enough to hold pencils and brushes.They were officially my first STEAM students.
C, making art when he was about 3 years old
M, making art when she was about 2 years old
Before having kids, I taught communication and literacy skills to children, teens, and adults at SpeechPower in the Philippines. Since then, I have done practicum teaching in primary schools here in Adelaide, Australia.
In my classes, I take special effort incorporating an integrated, multidisciplinary learning approach, whereby students develop skills and meet Australian Curriculum Standards across various subjects and strands. An example of this teaching approach may be found through this class website that I created for one of my classes.
Shai uses hands-on and integrated techniques in classroom teaching. This was a science and health lesson on grouping fruits and vegetables, etc. in a Special Education Unit at a primary school in Adelaide, Australia. Later, an art lesson was introduced in conjunction with this lesson. The students were taught how to make “fruit faces”.
My hope is that through Creative STEAM Studio, I will be able to continue sharing my love of learning, literacy, and STEAM.
Shai Coggins is a Registered Teacher in South Australia, with a Masters' degree in Teaching and Applied Psychology. She is a practicing artist and a published author. She started Creative STEAM Studio to promote holistic and play-based learning in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) with a strong literacy focus for kids and families in Adelaide and around the world.