Kim Maslin: Digital Technologies Educator

1. Could you describe a typical day in the life of Kim?

A typical day starts with a morning coffee and a walk at the beach with my dogs. Then, I settle in for the day at my home office. Here, I will work on various projects for The Tweeting Galah cyber safety children’s book series. No day is the same! It might include working on a new story, taking promotional photography for the website and/or socials, packing up book orders, or making more felt for the new finger puppets. There’s always at least one Zoom meeting thrown in as well (sometimes very early when collaborating with people from over east!)

2. How has being an entrepreneur affected your life?

It has given me the flexibility to enjoy a lifestyle of my choosing. I love being in control of where I work, who I work with, and what I work on.

3. What motivates and inspires you?

I’m motivated to help others use digital technologies in safe, happy, and healthy ways. The Tweeting Galah series grew out of a goal to find an innovative and engaging way of teaching children about cyber safety. And, to provide helpful resources to teachers and parents who may not have grown up with social media themselves. It was also always a dream of mine to become an author!

4. What has been your most satisfying moment in business?

This year, my books have been turned into live performances by the cyber safety presenters at Inform & Empower. Marty and the team are delivering these performances virtually and using augmented reality to dress up as my animal characters and then act out each story. I’ve been working with Marty and The Tweeting Galah illustrator, John Field to create new backdrops for the shows and have loved seeing the characters come to life. As an author, it is incredible to see others enjoy my books and transform them into something that can engage children on a whole new level!

5. How did your time at Santa Maria shape your decisions and choices?

Having subjects like Media and AIT available helped me develop my skills and interest in technology – there are things I learned about Adobe Photoshop in high school that I still used to this day! The teachers put in so much effort to showcase different career opportunities for us – from alumni guest speakers to career expos. There was certainly a culture of ‘you can do anything’ … if you put your mind to it!

6. What are your plans for the future?

I have just started my PhD with the Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child which I’m completing remotely through Curtin University. So for the next three years, I’m going to be conducting research into how we can foster children’s creativity through STEM activities in online learning environments. I will of course continue to work on The Tweeting Galah series – there are also a few new projects in the works, so stay tuned!