Australia gets Women in STEM Ambassador in astrophysicist professor
Professor Lisa Harvey-Smith has been appointed as Australia’s first Women in STEM Ambassador.
The federal government has announced the appointment of Australia’s first Women in STEM Ambassador, with Professor Lisa Harvey-Smith charged with overseeing the country’s attempt to diversify its science, technology, engineering, and mathematics sectors.
It’s time for schools to take engineering seriously
As the Morandi Bridge collapse in Genoa demonstrated, ageing infrastructure is an alarming problem facing the developed world.
We need engineers to maintain this infrastructure, largely built in the post-war period and coming to the end of their design lifespans. At the same time, cities are racing to build urgently needed infrastructure to accommodate rapidly growing urban populations. continue reading
What’s New in November 2018
NEW Strawbees Coding & Robotics Kit
Create your own robotic creatures with the Strawbees Coding & Robotics Kit. You can program and construct different shapes and forms. Connect Strawbees, motors, LEDs and sensors to make your own creatures! It’s a fun and easy way to learn the basics of physical programming, electronics and mechanics, and encourages children to explore coding. This coding kit is pefect for kids, grown-ups and educators. continue reading
Up to $20,000 in Grants Available to Australian Schools
Grants between $2000 and $20,000 are available to Australian schools and community organisations, encouraging practical skills, creativity and entrepreneurial thinking.
Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews announced applications for the Coalition Government’s Maker Projects grants will open on Thursday, November 8.
We have a national STEM strategy, but what we need is a successful one
Australian schools are now wrestling with a new digital technologies curriculum. In this new subject, every student in Australia will learn the fundamentals of computer science, data science and coding.
This curriculum change is long overdue. Australian students ranked last in tech skills and interest in technical jobs according to a 2016 report produced for the World Economic Forum, across a global sample of countries.
The lack of capability in STEM is evident in the downward trend of PISA scores in science and mathematics, identified in the recently published Australia 2030: Prosperity Through Innovation Plan.
STEM career orientation event Girls’ Day to be held for the first time in Australia
Female high-school students in Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth will get to explore a future career in STEM when the Goethe-Institut holds the first ever Girls’ Day in Australia on 16th November. Groups of Year 7 and 8 students will visit companies and universities on the day to find out more about professions in fields such as science, technology, engineering and research. continue reading
Kano’s First-of-its-Kind Wand and ‘Harry Potter’ Coding Kit!
As previously announced by Leaky, Kano Computing will release a Harry Potter coding kit next month, teaching users code whilst also allowing them to live out their dreams of learning how to cast spells with a fully immersive wand, powered by tech! We were lucky enough to talk to the team behind the kit at Kano HQ, test out the wand and a few of the coding features, and find out more about this unique experience for Potter fans. Read on to find out more about the graphics, levels, technology and lessons offered in the Harry Potter Kano Coding Kit!
The sheer amount of research and preparation put into this project was outstanding to see – huge amounts of care and attention has been dedicated to ensuring this is the most enjoyable and educational experience for all users, all fans, and all ages. After correspondence with Warner Bros, the Neil Blair Partnership and even MinaLima, Kano have created something truly unique: the very first Harry Potter STEM Kit. The spells, music and graphics are officially approved and you’ll see that they take a huge amount of inspiration from the films, but the simple and colorful graphic style adds a unique, quirky touch to Potter:
“We wanted people to also know that this is Kano, and really make something unique to us, whilst also making it familiar to fans”
The Promise (and Pitfalls) of AI for Education
Artificial intelligence could have a profound impact on learning, but it also raises key questions.
Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are no longer fantastical prospects seen only in science fiction. Products like Amazon Echo and Siri have brought AI into many homes, and experts say it’s only a matter of time before the technology has a profound impact in education, as well.
Girls and Boys Perform Equally in STEM, New Study Finds
A new study has found that girls and boys perform very similarly in STEM, including those at the top of the class.
The analysis, led by UNSW Sydney PhD student Rose O’Dea and published in prestigious journal Nature Communications, explored patterns in the academic grades of 1.6 million students.
100-year-old mining tech used to recycle lithium-ion batteries
As the electric vehicle market grows and batteries reach the end of their 10-year lifespan, the world is set to face another recycling crisis. A team of chemical engineering students in the US might have found a solution.