What has England learned (Part 1)? Queensland has mandated coding and robotics in primary school since 2017. NSW has mandated coding from kindergarten starting in 2019. However globally this is not new, England introduced compulsory coding into its curriculum in 2014. At the end of last year Miles Berry, a university lecturer and strong advocate for computing at schools, gave a talk at EUCodeWeek in Madrid where he covered what England had learnt in the previous three years. As the saying goes those who do not learn from history are destined to repeat it so lets have a look at what he said.   He first made the point that coding is not in the curriculum as the end goal. The end goal is to develop the skills of computational thinking and creativity. In England this starts before the age of five where children are encouraged to form their own ideas, make predictions, test ideas and change strategy when needed. From this foundation more specific computational concepts are taught and by the age of seven children should know what an algorithm is and by age eleven they should be able to write and read code. This, by and large, mirrors the Australian Curriculum requirements.  In terms of how to teach coding they have learnt that it is important to make it a two step process. Firstly, work out how to solve the problem and devise an algorithm and then secondly, write the code.They have found an incremental approach using resources such as Beebots initially before moving onto Scratch and then Python has worked best. Some general observations that Miles made were: Teaching coding doesn't always mean using a computer It is easier to read code than to write it It is easier to edit code than to start from a blank screen Pair programming (where two students work together on one computer) is a powerful method Teachers have to find interesting contexts Debugging improves the Growth Mindset Coding IS for everyone! There is a lot that Australian teachers can learn from their English counterparts. Next week I will conclude with what links they have found between coding and computational thinking and what teachers need to deliver the subject properly.

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Stuff in the News STEM skills still in High Demand - A new report on employment skills indicates that STEM skills are still in high demand. So what can educators do to make these skills more accessible for all? An article from EducationHQ Australia 2 March 2018 Five things parents can do every day to help develop STEM skills from a young age - Educators and researchers agree early literacy experiences are important for children’s cognitive and language development. But in addition to early literacy skills, we should also be promoting early STEM skills. An article from The Conversation 12 March 2018 7 Practical Ways Parents Can Inspire Girls To Get Into STEM - Girls are turning away from careers in STEM due to perceptions that the jobs lack creativity and the subjects are too difficult to learn. An article from the Huffington Post 15 March 2018

Stuff to buy Sony Koov -  Construct colorful 3D robots and learn the coding skills to bring them to life *At this point in time I earn no money from any product I list and I am not affiliated with any other company.

Stuff in education Girls at single-sex schools more likely to choose STEM subjects - Girls in single-sex schools are nearly twice as likely to study VCE chemistry and specialist maths than those in co-ed schools, new research has found. An article from the Canberra Times 1 March 2018 STEM is an exciting new area to study - From building robots to learning how to code, independent schools across Sydney are finding creative ways to prepare young people for the jobs of the future.

Stuff to do Australia Wide 2018 Australian STEM Video Game Challenge - The Australian STEM Video Game Challenge is completely free to enter. This year’s competition will run from Tuesday 20 Feb – Friday 3 August 2018 CSIRO CREST Program - CREativity in Science and Technology. Engage your students with open-ended science investigations and technology projects through the CREST program. - - - Fizzics Education - Mobile workshops & shows by dedicated science educators NSW, VIC & QLD & ACT Bricks 4 Kidz® | Awesome Fun With LEGO® Bricks  Young Engineers Australia - Provides an engaging, hands-on learning platform using LEGO® and K’nex® assembly kits CoderDojo - A volunteer run programming club Code Club Australia - A global network of coding clubs for kids aged 9 to 11.

Stuff to do in Brisbane RoboGals Brisbane Robotics Days - Robogals has various workshops programmed throughout the year. - - - Street Science - Street Science provides captivating and curriculum aligned school Incursions and community entertainment, to excite and engage Australia's youth! STEM in a Box has ongoing coding, robotics and 3D printing activities Brisbane Library Service has purchased the very flash NAO Robot and is showing it off in various libraries. The Cube at QUT has a number of changing programs.  Brisbane Planetarium - Features entertaining and informative shows for adults and children STEMPUNKS STEM classes for kids in Brisbane STEAMPUNX - Not to be confused with the organisation above! Offers in-school and out of school workshop programs Flying Fox Studios - A studio offering programs in the arts, music and construction areas from babies to teenagers in Brisbane Building Block Studio | Learning Activity Centre in Brisbane For Budding Coders And Engineers Fun Chess Classes For Kids in Brisbane | Chess Mates Red Cat Science | Kids get to do what they can't at school It's Rocket Science School Incursions - Educational and fully interactive project based rocket science incursions for primary and secondary schools in a safe and empowering learning environment.

ICT does not equal Digital Technologies

Stuff this week - ICT does not equal Digital Technologies This week I heard a story of a principal who said words to the effect of "The kids can really use a laptop well so that shows that we are doing a good job with digital technologies". Whether this was a slip of the tongue or not I thought I would talk about the difference in the curriculum between ICT (Information and Communication Technology) and Digital Technologies. The Australian Curriculum has eight subjects which cover the specific knowledge areas that a student should gain over their time at school and then also has seven General Capabilities which are, amongst other things, skills that a student should acquire. Digital Technologies is a SUBJECT and ICT is a GENERAL CAPABILITY.  ICT, in basic terms, covers the skill of using a computer and the traditional software applications such as Microsoft Excel for spreadsheets, Google Docs for word processing and Apple's Keynote for presentations. It also covers the digital citizenship ideas of respecting copyright, remaining secure online and being respectful net-izens. In summary you can consider that ICT is about USING technology. Thus ICT can and will span across all of the subject areas and teachers should be including it as part of all learning (along with the other general capabilities). Digital Technologies on the other hand is about UNDERSTANDING and CREATING with technology, it is one HALF of the TECHNOLOGIES subject. By the end of year 6 students should understand how computers work (in basic terms), how everything in a computer is reduced to ones and zeroes, how the Internet works and how to create visual programs using a combination of programming concepts. The students should be on their way to understanding and employing Computational Thinking to solve a wide variety of problems.  You are probably thinking "WOW I don't know how to do any of that!" which is also what a lot of the teachers are saying which is why it is so important that schools upskill them to be able to deliver these new subjects properly. Knowing how to blind carbon copy (BCC) someone in an email is not digital technologies, creating a game of catch the banana is! P.S. If you want a little more info on what this is about have a read of the FAQs on the Government's Digital Technologies Hub. P.P.S. NATIONAL SCIENCE WEEK begins TODAY!!

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Stuff in the news $6m in STEM funds for preschools - Australian preschools are about to find out if they have been selected for a new $6 million STEM program. The play-based science, technology, engineering and maths program will be piloted at 100 preschools in 2018. An article from the Sydney Morning Herald 5 August 2017 PBS Show Will Teach Preschoolers How To Think Like Computers - PBS is creating an animated television show called Monkeying Around that uses four monkeys to teach the subject of Computational Thinking. An article from Edsurge 3 July 2017 Tim Cook and Other Leaders Contacted by Trump Administration for STEM Education Advice - Members of the Trump administration have begun contacting technology, education, and business leaders to ask for advice on "shaping funding approaches" for education related to STEM in United States schools. An article from MacRumours 27 July 2017

Stuff to buy Arduino 2 Wheel Drive Ultrasonic Robot Kit - Looking to get your child into some more advanced robot building and coding. Look no further than this all in one kit. Add an IR receiver module and you could drive it around with your TV remote! *At this point in time I earn no money from any product I list and I am not affiliated with any other company.

Stuff in education How Teachers And Students Benefit From Technology - Technology has the potential to revolutionize how classrooms function, a fact that has not gone unnoticed over the years by teachers and legislators alike. Determining how schools should best capitalize on that potential has been a process of trial and error, with some approaches proving, ultimately, ineffective. An article from techtree.com 1 May 2017 STEAM learning - A short blog post detailing the successes in STEAM that a school in Sydney is having through their careful planning and commitment to teach training. NSW Department of Education website June 2017.

Stuff to do Australia Wide Australian STEM Video Game Challenge - For grades 5+.The Australian STEM Video Game Challenge will ask participants to develop games in response to a central theme or idea. Registration open 1 May and submissions close 25 August. NSW All Schools Paper Plane Challenge - Calling all paper pilots. 2017 challenge is open. Closes 26 August 2017. LITTLE BIG IDEA -  The Big Competition for Inventive Little Kids (You could win a trip to NASA!). Closes 22 September 2017 NATA Young Scientist of the Year - Students are required to undertake an investigation around any topic relating to the theme of a sustainable planet. Closes 22 September 2017 CSIRO CREST Program - CREativity in Science and Technology. Engage your students with open-ended science investigations and technology projects through the CREST program. National Science Week - Australia’s annual celebration of science and technology and thousands of individuals – from students, to scientists to chefs and musicians – get involved, taking part in more than 1000 science events across the nation. 12 - 20 August 2017 - - - Bricks 4 Kidz® | Awesome Fun With LEGO® Bricks  Young Engineers Australia - Provides an engaging, hands-on learning platform using LEGO® and K’nex® assembly kits CoderDojo - A volunteer run programming club Code Club Australia - A global network of coding clubs for kids aged 9 to 11.

Stuff to do in Brisbane EKKA Scratch Coding and 3D Modelling Challenge - Submit entries online for display at the Ekka from 17 August 2017 Robotronica 2017 - Robotronica is a groundbreaking one-day event showcasing the latest developments in robotics and interactive design. QUT's The Cube 20 August 2017. BOOKINGS ARE OPEN!! Wizarding Workshops - Workshops are designed to accommodate Potter fans of various ages. Participants are grouped according to year levels and work in teams to complete projects at their ability level, challenged and supported by teachers. Paddington.23 September 2017 - - - SLQ Digital Futures - Each year the State Library of Queensland presents a theme of interest to the Queensland community. Throughout 2017, they invite you to join in exploring Digital Futures. STEM in a Box has ongoing coding, robotics and 3D printing activities Brisbane Library Service has purchased the very flash NAO Robot and is showing it off in various libraries. The Cube at QUT has a number of changing programs.  Brisbane Planetarium - Features entertaining and informative shows for adults and children STEMPUNKS STEM classes for kids in Brisbane STEAMPUNX - Not to be confused with the organisation above! Offers in-school and out of school workshop programs Flying Fox Studios - A studio offering programs in the arts, music and construction areas from babies to teenagers in Brisbane Building Block Studio | Learning Activity Centre in Brisbane For Budding Coders And Engineers Fun Chess Classes For Kids in Brisbane | Chess Mates Red Cat Science | Kids get to do what they can't at school It's Rocket Science School Incursions - Educational and fully interactive project based rocket science incursions for primary and secondary schools in a safe and empowering learning environment.

Coding helps with Maths!

Stuff this week - Coding helps with Maths! One of the great things about coding is it shows how math is used in a practical way. You will find, especially if your kids start coding in prep, that they will have to learn aspects of maths that they would not normally for years. I think that is great because if they can grasp it then why not! So what sorts of mathematical concepts am I talking about? Angles may be the fist thing they come across. When they want to draw a square then they need to know that they need to turn 90 degrees at each corner. On the topic of shapes they will reinforce their understanding of those as they draw them out on the screen. When drawing on the screen they will need to learn about Cartesian coordinates because the characters can be moved around to x and y coordinates with the centre of the screen being 0,0. This means that to the left of centre and down from the centre the numbers are negative so they will be introduced to that concept. As things get more sophisticated they will need to use math to add, subtract, multiply and divide as they work with numbers to produce the outcome they need. Then these skills are usable when they start to work with spreadsheets and need formulas to work with data.  What coding really does well is allow kids to visualise a lot of abstract concepts. There is such an interest in this overlap between coding and maths that in the UK there is a research project being undertaken to examine the effectiveness of using coding to teach mathematical concepts. It is called ScratchMaths and for at least the next month the curriculum can be downloaded for free! So get your kids coding and see their maths improve as well!

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Stuff in the news STEM push hotting up - The momentum continues to build for a proposed $400 million STEM centre in the Hobart CBD. An article from news.com.au 18 July 2017. How Coding Develops Resilience - Without a healthy dose of perseverance, it’s unlikely any project or task will get done. An article from the Tynker Blog.  Is Digital Literacy the Most Important Kid Skill? - So how are schools preparing young people to navigate this brave new world where they spend most of their time, make many of their friends, and are exposed to an avalanche of new information? An article from the MiddleWeb Blog 26 June 2017. Programming = Batter Maths Skills + Fun - The conventional belief has always been that kids interested in programming should develop strong math skills. But it might actually be the other way around.An article from the Tynker Blog.

Stuff to buy Latest on Kickstarter: Algobrix | The Ultimate Coding Learning Game - The Latest in Lego and Coding! *At this point in time I earn no money from any product I list and I am not affiliated with any other company.

Stuff in education Building mathematical knowledge with programming - Maths is difficult in part because of the language in which it is expressed. Can we find a different language – and set of ideas and approaches - that is more open, more accessible and more learnable? Students enjoy Australia's first STEM adventure holiday camp - Year seven and eight students from 40 South Australian schools are sciencing-up their school holidays in an Australian-first. An article from ABC News 19 July 2017 Opportunities to Integrate Coding Across the Curriculum - Coding has become a buzz word we hear quite often, particularly in discussions around how to implement the Digital Technologies curriculum. An article from Scootle Lounge3 July 2017

Stuff to do Australia Wide LITTLE BIG IDEA -  The Big Competition for Inventive Little Kids (You could win a trip to NASA!) NATA Young Scientist of the Year - Students are required to undertake an investigation around any topic relating to the theme of a sustainable planet. NSW All Schools Paper Plane Challenge - Calling all paper pilots. 2017 challenge is open. Opportunities and Obstacles for STEM Education - Free public lecture at the University of Melbourne 15 August 2017 Program Computers to Talk - Coding with Speech Synthesis for Kids - Read this blog post from Tech Age Kids to see how you can get your kids into experimenting with speech synthesis. Its easier that it sounds! Australian STEM Video Game Challenge - For grades 5+.The Australian STEM Video Game Challenge will ask participants to develop games in response to a central theme or idea. Registration open 1 May and submissions close 25 August. Young ICT Explorers -  A non-profit competition, which has been created by SAP to encourage school students to create their best Information and Communication Technology (ICT) related projects. Registrations are OPEN. See the YouTube video here! CSIRO CREST Program - CREativity in Science and Technology. Engage your students with open-ended science investigations and technology projects through the CREST program. National Science Week - Australia’s annual celebration of science and technology and thousands of individuals – from students, to scientists to chefs and musicians – get involved, taking part in more than 1000 science events across the nation. 12 - 20 August 2017 - - - Bricks 4 Kidz® | Awesome Fun With LEGO® Bricks  Young Engineers Australia - Provides an engaging, hands-on learning platform using LEGO® and K’nex® assembly kits CoderDojo - A volunteer run programming club Code Club Australia - A network of coding clubs for kids aged 9 to 11.

Stuff to do in Brisbane EKKA Scratch Coding and 3D Modelling Challenge - Submit entries online for display at the Ekka from 17 August 2017 Robotronica 2017 - Robotronica is a groundbreaking one-day event showcasing the latest developments in robotics and interactive design. QUT's The Cube 20 August 2017. BOOKINGS ARE OPEN!! SLQ Digital Futures - Each year the State Library of Queensland presents a theme of interest to the Queensland community. Throughout 2017, they invite you to join in exploring Digital Futures. - - - STEM in a Box has ongoing coding, robotics and 3D printing activities Brisbane Library Service has purchased the very flash NAO Robot and is showing it off in various libraries. The Cube at QUT has a number of changing programs.  Brisbane Planetarium - Features entertaining and informative shows for adults and children STEMPUNKS STEM classes for kids in Brisbane STEAMPUNX - Not to be confused with the organisation above! Offers in-school and out of school workshop programs Flying Fox Studios - A studio offering programs in the arts, music and construction areas from babies to teenagers in Brisbane Building Block Studio | Learning Activity Centre in Brisbane For Budding Coders And Engineers Fun Chess Classes For Kids in Brisbane | Chess Mates Red Cat Science | Kids get to do what they can't at school It's Rocket Science School Incursions - Educational and fully interactive project based rocket science incursions for primary and secondary schools in a safe and empowering learning environment.