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For Education Leaders

Surpassing on-campus safety grades: How your existing tech can do something new

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The impact of COVID-19 on schools has prompted educators to reassess their on-campus safety. How can we deliver the utmost duty of care in this new world? How can we ensure community safety and do our part on campus, as we seek to reduce the spread of the virus long term? How can we broadcast information to all those on site in times of emergency? Read more

Tech can level the playing field – CEO of Kahoot!

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Classes using Kahoot! experience increased attendance, student participation, engagement and motivation, using it enhances interaction between students and peers, and students and teachers.
   “As education across the globe shifted to being offered remotely, schools and other institutions rapidly adopted digital tools to help support this transition,” says Eilert Giertsen Hanoa, CEO of Kahoot!.
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New grad course to increase numbers of maths and science teachers

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Some 38 per cent of maths teachers have not studied the speciality beyond their first year of university and therefore were not trained in the newest approaches to maths teaching. More than 15 per cent of science teachers have not studied any of the subdisciplines in science.
   To address the issue Deakin University will deliver a new graduate course designed to increase the number of qualified maths and science teachers. Read more

Chatbot to boost teen mental health at school

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Chatbot ‘Ash’ was created to communicate evidence-based resources, wellbeing support, educational mental health information and adaptive coping strategies to support students.
   The topics covered by the chatbot include both positive and negative aspects of life, including school, family, friends or relationships, the future, religion, books, games, art, sports, exercise and music. The chatbot can also handle common phrases/utterances by young people, ranging from common greetings like ‘hello’ to coarse language, and can detect longer phrases like ‘how are you?’ and ‘where did you come from?’. Read more

Culturally diverse children miss out on early childhood education, so more vulnerable

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Almost 1 in 4 (24 per cent) of children starting school across Australia were from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds, up from 17 per cent in 2009.
   These children continue to be more likely to be developmentally vulnerable at school entry than children from non-CALD backgrounds in each census since 2009 as children from CALD backgrounds are less likely to attend any type of early childhood education.
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$1 million to power STEM and indigenous programs

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$1 million in grants from tech giant Salesforce will assist expanded STEM learning opportunities for approximately 3,600 students at 18 schools.
   The funding will support professional development for more than 50 teachers in delivering blended online and classroom teaching. Teachers will be supported to create flexible learning environments as well as new STEM education opportunities.
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