Gonski 2.0 The recent release of David Gonski's second report into education notes that Australian student's performance in reading, science and maths has been declining for years. Many of the recommendations were particularly interesting from a STEM perspective as they called for many things that STEM proponents have been saying for some time. For example one recommendation is to strengthen the development of the "General Capabilities" which is directly related to the STEM proponent's call to improve student's ability to use the 4Cs of 21st Century Learning of Collaboration, Communication, Critical Thinking and Creativity. Two other standout recommendations were for more individualised learning and use of technology to help children achieve their full potential. Flipped Learningand Project Based Learning are two approaches that could help meet these objectives.  The report noted that there were too many "cruising schools" which weren't being innovative in their teaching practices nor in the way they delivered the curriculum. School's have to be nimble in what they teach children about technology as this is a rapidly changing field. This is one of the Gonski report's priorities "Equip every child to be a creative, connected and engaged learner in a rapidly changing world". Clearly a pre-requisite for this is comprehensive and ongoing teacher training and this was called for when the "Innovation committee recommends teachers get schooled on STEM".. Articles such as "STEM needs all the help it can get" and "STEM education in primary schools will fall flat unless serious issues are addressed" have previously highlighted issues with the education system that hopefully will get some attention as a result of this landmark report, Sir Ken Robinson in the followup to his fabled 2006 talk called for us to Bring on the Learning Revolution! We simply must move away from the way we have always done things and get creative. Make learning real world and integrate the subjects instead of teaching in a siloed manner. All of these ideas were covered in this video from 2014 "STEM Education Overview" This isn't new stuff yet traction is anaemic. David Gonski said in an interview "There is never time to waste and I think it would be wonderful if we could get cracking with it straight away." I think so too.

Share Tweet +1 Pin Forward

Stuff in the News Science-nonfiction: Robotics author says AI will affect all children - It is important for young children to be familiar about big changes that may occur during their lives. An article from the Brisbane Times 14 May 2018 Re-envisioning NAPLAN: use technology to make the tests more authentic and relevant -  Experts look at options for removing, replacing, rethinking or resuming NAPLAN. An article from The Conversation 14 May 2018

Stuff to buy STEM Story Books - Queensland University Professor and father Michael Milford has been producing a number of story books for children with different STEM themes. Great for presents! *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 Gonski review attacks Australian schooling quality and urges individualised teaching approach - The Gonski review into the quality of Australian schooling has highlighted declining academic performance and recommended school education be radically reformed to tailor teaching and assessment to individual students. An article from The Conversation 30 April 2018 How Victorian principals responded to the Gonski 2.0 report - Critical thinking and STEM skills are vital for survival in the future workforce and can not simply be tacked onto the existing education system. An article from the Sydney Morning Herald 30 April 2018 Two articles from the Sydney Morning Herald highlighting schools which are embracing STEM: Belle Vue Park Primary Merrylands East Primary

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. QLD Premier's Coding Competition - Students need to create a digital solution that meets the theme of ‘stand up to cyberbullies’ using Anti-Bully Girl - one of the Cyber Heroes. Closes 19 June 2018 - - - 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.

Flipped Learning

Stuff this week - Flipped Learning There are a number of new methods and tools available to teachers in the 21st century classroom. Over the next few weeks I will introduce a number of them to provide a glimpse of how teaching could be done (and is being done around the world). The primary goal of introducing anything into the classroom should be to improve the outcomes for the students. This could be through direct impact by increased engagement or better, more understandable, ways of presenting the material. It could also be through freeing up the teacher’s time so they can spend more one on one time with the students that need it. This weeks post is an example of the latter. In last week’s post I mentioned at the end the term “flipped learning”. So what is this? In the traditional classroom the teacher stands at the front and delivers the lesson then sets tasks to be completed and moves around assisting the students, further practice is done as homework. Typically though during the lesson delivery due to the “bell curve” there are a group of students who get it straight away, a group who are concentrating hard and just getting it and a group who are thinking “I have no idea what the teacher is talking about.” The flipped classroom is a pedagogical model in which the typical lecture and homework elements of a course are reversed. Short video lectures are viewed by students at home before the class session, while in-class time is devoted to exercises, projects, or discussions. First mentioned in 2006 Flipped Learning gained popularity when Salman Khan mentioned it in his Ted Talk "Let's Use Video to Reinvent Education" in 2014.There are many advantages to the flipped learning model: Time in class is freed up for the teacher to provide direct 1:1 instruction Video instruction allows teachers to implement demonstrations that would be hard to do live in every class (e.g., animation, experiments or visualization techniques). Students can watch the lesson at their own pace. Pause or rewind if desired Students can think about questions they have about the topic and write them down for the next day Students can work at their own pace in class There are a number of websites devoted to helping teachers introduce flipped learning into their classroom. There is the Flipped Institute and also flippedlearning.org. It is important to emphasise that the concept is not a fringe idea. The University of QLD Institute for Teaching and Learning Innovation have a page devoted to it. There has been research devoted to exploring the effectiveness of the technique which finds that it generally leads to positive gains. This is brought home by Jon Bergman who is a high school science teacher in Brisbane who writes an article "Grades & Satisfaction Up in New Flipped Learning Research". In terms of making the videos teachers can record their own (iPads are great for this) or they could use videos they find online that meet their requirements. For maths the Khan Academy is a great resource and the blog post from Massachusetts University provides ideas about how to go about using this.  I hope that a common theme I have been presenting is that planning is essential. Flipped learning is a great tool to use amongst many other tools in a teacher's bag. I will finish by pointing you to a great article titled "Flipping the Classroom Requires more than Video" which provides some more food for thought before embracing this method of teaching and also "7 Things You Should Know About Flipped Classrooms".

Share Tweet +1 Pin Forward

Stuff in the news The Gold Coast school where boys become drone pilots - The elite Gold Coast school has introduced a Civil Aviation Safety Authority-approved drone piloting course, in what was claimed to be a Queensland-first.  Transcend the Classroom with Virtual Place-Based Learning - Simulation-based learning allows us to play in a highly immersive environment that reflects aspects of the real world.

Stuff to buy A recap on projects I have backed on Kickstarter! Makeblock Neuron - Like LittleBits on steroids. It has some unique modules and what sets it apart is that many are programmable. I think it is a fantastic product! Orboot: The Educational, Augmented Reality Globe - A smart AR globe that teaches children about countries and cultures from around the world. Inexpensive but awesome! *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 Science curriculum needs to do more to engage primary school students - A new report around science literacy in primary school shows that while most students appear to be interested in learning new things in science – which includes learning about science and doing science-based activities – many students do not relate science to their own lives. An article from The Conversation 15 March 2017 Continuing the STEM conversation in primary schools - It is the quality of teachers and their classroom practices that are key factors in engaging students in STEM. An article from the High Possibility Classrooms Blog Modifying the Flipped Classroom: The "In-Class" Version - If flipping the classroom failed the first time perhaps with a slight twist, flipping might be possible after all. An article from Edutopia 24 March 2014.

Stuff to do Australia Wide 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! - - - 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

Stuff to do in Brisbane QLD Association for Gifted and Talented Children Debating Competition - Love to see both sides of an argument, or simply looking for a chance to think critically and hear the ideas of others?  Look no further! Kenmore Library 26 March 2017 World Science Festival Brisbane - 22 - 26 March 2017. Dr Karl for Kids is sold out. Whats happening at the Queensland Museum during World Science Week - Loggerhead turtle hatching! Taxidermy and Street Science! STEMies - This event is open to all girls in years 4 to 6, offering the opportunity to participate in a series of workshops with STEM topics. To register visit the flexischools website and search for St Aidan's then select GUEST in the top right class list. Stuartholme STEAM Residential - A STEAM Residential program for gifted girls in Years 5 – 6, which will be held from the 2nd – 5th April during the school holidays 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  - - - 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 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

Why Coding for Kids?

Stuff this week - Why Coding for Kids? So why is the USA bringing in the CS FOR ALL initiative? Why is the QLD Government promoting its policy of #Coding Counts? Why did the U.K. change its curriculum in 2014? It isn't because government believes there is a need for millions of computer programmers in the future. Generally the view is that the world of the future will require those that can not only use technology but also be able to understand it and create with it. This view is not new as this Guardian article from 2014 shows (and this Forbes article from 2013). The U.K. has led the way from a country point of view. Their curriculum states that "A high quality computing education equips pupils to use computational thinking and creativity to understand and change the world" Thus it is not specifically the skill of coding that is the ultimate aim of the curriculum. The actual goal is to equip all kids with the skill of computational thinking. This involves being able to take a large problem and break it down into smaller parts. To examine those parts and looks for patterns which can be exploited to further simplify the problem. To strip away any unnecessary detail before creating a solution which can be represented as a series of logical steps. Finally to be able to evaluate the solution to ensure it does actually solve the original problem. There might be a number of ways that a skill such as this might be able to be taught and learnt. However, the easiest way is to teach kids to code as they can't code if they don't use these skills. Notably this skill is not only useful when coding it can be applied to any complex problem that is encountered. A great side effect of this coding skill is that it can lead to greater engagement in many subjects as this new form of creativity allows kids another form of expression to show their understanding. For example, instead of creating a PowerPoint presentation to show an animals lifecycle a Scratch animation could be produced instead. So having our kids understand how the technology that will rule their lives works rather that just being able to use it will set them up to be able to prosper in this technological age. (And done well they will have fun doing it) What do you think? Is this a fad or is it a new form of literacy? More reading on this topic: Should you teach kids to code - Swayed by tech evangelists, the UK government has put programming on the curriculum. But will kids really be left behind without it? The Guardian December 2015 An education for the 21st century means teaching coding in schools - An Australian perspective from The Conversation May 2015 Share Tweet +1 Pin Forward Stuff in the news Code: The Next Universal Language. A TED Talks playlist. SA Government initiates $250m STEM schools works programme. Stuff to buy PocketLab - You probably missed the upgraded version of this on Kickstarter but the original version might be all you need! This is small device that incorporates sensors to log motion, acceleration, angular velocity, magnetic field, pressure, altitude and temperature. Conduct your own experiments and record real time data! How fast are you going on that swing?! Circuit Scribe - Let your creativity merge with science as you build exciting circuits using a conductive ink pen, sweet magnetic modules and plain old printer paper Blueberry4 - A fantastic Australian invention teaches the fundamentals of computer architecture New pink version of the mBot - A capable and low cost robot *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 Just because a school is focused on STEM it doesn’t mean that the other subjects don’t matter. Navigating a STEM School as a Non-STEM Teacher The secret to effective STEM education might be in a new Swedish graphic novel Is this graphic novel STEM education’s secret sauce?  Stuff to do in Brisbane STEMPUNKS STEM classes for kids in Brisbane 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 Bricks 4 Kidz® | Awesome Fun With LEGO® Bricks - Australia wide Fun Chess Classes For Kids in Brisbane | Chess Mates Young Engineers Australia - Provides an engaging, hands-on learning platform using LEGO® and K’nex® assembly kits Red Cat Science | Kids get to do what the can't at school CoderDojo - A volunteer run programming club