Minnis Journals

2019 (9) 27 November

A ground up STEAM program build is winning
When Strathcona Girls Grammar in Melbourne decided to redo their STEAM program they took the opportunity to rebuild it completely. They did it well, STEAM teaching is now almost seamlessly integrated with the curriculum, the students are getting an early grounding in design thinking while sharpening their tech skills and the program has also managed to win international acclaim. Read more

Teenagers want technology careers, unsure of how to get there
Nearly half of teens say they would consider a career in tech but run up against perceived barriers and lack of career information.
Some 35% of Australian teenagers think they lack the preparation and exposure to technology in high school or college that would prepare them for a career. A like number believe there are limited job opportunities in technology in their local area. Slightly more than one-quarter of teens cite the lack of affordable schooling and training options and feel the technology field is too competitive and difficult to enter.
Read more

Github helps build new generation of coders
Github is the go to resource for code, students in Australia are amongst the biggest users of the service and that number is growing.
This year, more than 760k students are learning on GitHub, 55% more than last year, and 1.7m total students have learned to code on GitHub.
Some 31k total teachers have used GitHub in their courses to teach real-world developer workflows, 33% more than last year, and 761k active students learned and built with the GitHub Student Developer Pack. Read more

Code Camp free activity for Hour of Code
Hour of Code, the global movement introducing computer science to over 100 million children worldwide, is running from 9–15 December 2019 during Computer Science Education Week.
As a contribution, Australian coding education provider, Code Camp has launched their official activity – a brand new lesson plan where students aged 8 and over can build their very own computer game… for free.
Following the success of Code Camp’s involvement last year, which saw over 5,000 people take part, Code Camp wants to get more schools, teachers, parents and kids involved for 2019.
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Creativity and “feeling” needed to solve novel maths problems
We used to believe that you’re either creative or you’re good at maths, as it turns out to be really good at maths you have to be very creative too as intuitive non-cognitive thought processes are vital to solving mathematical problems.
A focus on creative thinking in maths and a different approach to teaching it in schools may help to reverse the trend away from studying maths. Teachers might change the way they approach their classes and emphasise the role of creativity in problem solving. Read more

New Venture Institute ranked best in Asia Pacific, second year running
Flinders University’s New Venture Institute (NVI) has been acknowledged as one of the leading university business accelerators in the latest UBI World Benchmark study and the only Australian incubator to feature.
The Stockholm-based UBI World Benchmark Study is the most extensive ranking exercise for university-linked business incubators and accelerators.
“It is a credit to the strength of our award-winning business support programs and the hard work of our talented entrepreneurs,” says NVI Director Aron Hausler.
Read more

A federal jobs guarantee demanded to prevent robots destroying jobs
Australians are feeling insecure about how robots will effect their livelihoods, for good reason, any number of jobs from stock trading to manufacturing have been heavily impacted by automation.
A survey of 1,075 Australians – conducted by YouGov, and commissioned by Unions NSW – found an overwhelming expectation robots will decimate jobs, with 81% of respondents believing automation will replace much of the work now done by humans within 30 years. Read more

Turramurra High School successfully pilots 3D print academy
The be3D Academy, which was launched in November 2019, is an online library that offers an assortment of resource rich 3D lesson plans to help teachers use 3D printing in the classroom and Turramurra High School has become the first school in Australia to use it as part of its STEAM curriculum.
The teacher-tested projects in be3D Academy include a variety of videos, student worksheets and 3D model files to assist educators in incorporating 3D printing as a learning aid. Lessons in be3D Academy also specify the science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics (STEAM) or design concepts that each project explores. Read more