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STEAM Report 2019 (4)
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The more tech, the bigger the divide?
Breaching the digital divide is more important than ever; as the amount of technology involved in education grows like Topsy the opportunity for some to be left behind grows too.
   If kids don’t have access to the internet at home, even through mobile devices, their education is going to suffer any way you slice the cake. Read more

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Math teacher shortage worse with more enrolments
The shortage of Maths teachers is well documented and has been for some time, a shortage has been appreciated since the 1980s.
   But with the growth in Australia’s population, the problem will only get worse as enrolments increase in step. In Victoria, the Grattan Institute estimates an extra 10,900 students per year between 2018 and 2024, but with a projected 650,000 extra students by 2026.
   The supply of new mathematics teachers is related to Year 12 mathematics enrolments and the figures there are not great; the proportion of Year 12 students taking advanced level mathematics has continued to decline. Read more

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Keeping up your cyber hygiene
Schools, not always the most pristine of places are they? Be that as it may, at least education is good about its cyber hygiene.
   Cyber-attacks on Australia’s education sector have dropped to 18% (down by 32% from 2017) which saw the sector leave the top spot of most targeted. That’s good news and has much to do with the sector’s focus on securing its networks against bugs. Read more

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UK Linked Factory of the Future in Tonsley SA
A proposed $50 million Flinders University-led Australian Centre for Innovative Manufacturing (ACIM) at Tonsley will be the nation’s first reconfigurable ‘Future Factory’ connecting Australian companies with the latest manufacturing technologies, research expertise and providing training to modernise workforces.
   The 4000m2  advanced manufacturing test bed facility at Flinders’ award winning Tonsley Innovation District is expected to play a key role in providing state of the art facilities to explore the application of new technologies capable of manufacturing next generation products.
Read more

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Droning in the Classroom
If we are to believe futurist Thomas Frey, drones will become the most disruptive technology in human history. To be fair Frey’s definition of a drone is more than the flying Unmanned Aerial Vehicles or UAVs we typically think of when we talk of drones. The reality is though that drones are more than just flying cameras, they’re being used to deliver goods, fight climate change, monitor reefs, supply humanitarian aid, and take part in races. Read more

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Camp Amazon – over $150 000 STEM program for 100 school students
Amazon has launched Camp Amazon to encourage children from underserved and low-income communities to pursue careers in computer science. The new program will give 100 school students in New South Wales and Victoria the opportunity to participate in a wide-ranging two-year program to develop their STEM skills.
   The students will engage each term in STEM activities including coding camps and workshops undertaken at Amazon’s fulfilment centres in either Melbourne or Sydney after school or during summer holiday. The sessions will be led by Amazon and industry leaders in the STEM field. Read more

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Grant bot uses algorithm to give schools STEAM funds
Grant is kind of generous, if you manage to impress, Grant will make it very worth your while, giving away funds for classroom STEAM resources.
   The OfficeMax and Winc Grant-Bot Program provides schools the opportunity to secure extra funding for hands on classroom resources as well as accessing lesson plans and inquiry units on the Cool Australia website. Read more

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Anemones fight back against reef bleaching
They’re strong silent types anemones and they’re fighting back against high temperatures and bleaching.
   Anemones’ ability to keep producing venom gives them an edge in surviving long-term changes to marine environments.
   ‘Saving Nemo’ researchers at Flinders University have described the effects of extreme heatwaves and bleaching on anemone – the natural home of clownfish – showing they are not immune from climate change on our coral reefs.
   The struggling marine invertebrates battled on to produce enough venom to capture prey.
Read more

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