Minnis Journals

2018 7 August

Minecraft wins over Victorians
If there was a time when the idea of games in education was left field it isn’t any more as Victoria rolls out Minecraft Education Edition to all students in the public system. It’s the second biggest program of its kind in the world.
The kind of engagement that kids show when they’re playing video games has long been coveted by educators, and the idea is that giving teachers Minecraft means they can now access that kind of immersion in their practice. Read more

Thornbury High School wins OfficeMax’s inaugural STEAM grants program
Thornbury High School teacher, Lisa Pieropan, has been announced as the national winner of the inaugural OfficeMax STEAM Grants program.
“Lisa showcased a true passion for STEAM learning and is set to empower and equip our next generation with the skillsets they need to carve out promising career pathways in this ever-changing world,” GM Marketing OfficeMax Australia Anu Jose said.
Read more

Game on for 3D Printing
If we’re to believe the futurists we’re all going to be manufacturers plugged into a global marketplace and 3D printing is the technology that, partnered with the internet, will take us there, ushering in the industrial revolution’s third wave.
Maybe, but whatever the future of commerce looks like, 3D printing is going to be essential to it and a solid grounding in the technology will be a baseline skill. Read more

New Five-Year partnership for Scitech and Rio Tinto to strengthen STEM in WA
Over two million West Australians have been influenced by STEM education initiatives since 2003 via the Scitech and Rio Tinto partnership and it is set to roll on with a new five-year partnership worth $4.4million.
The 2018–2023 partnership will add two new initiatives to the five existing program areas to specifically boost engagement with young people aged 12–17 years to ensure there is a STEM workforce in the pipeline. Read more

Nicholas Berryman on forging a robotics career
Currently completing his computer science degree, Nicholas Berryman looks to be headed for a career in computers and robotics, a trajectory that began in high school. Involvement with the FRC Robotics Competition both informed his career choices and helped to clarify a pathway.
The competition has seen Berryman visit the US and his passion for robotics has led him back to high school as a mentor for others who share his interest in the field. Read more

Bio-degradable GROWLAY 3D printing filament for indoor farming
GROWLAY filament can be used for indoor farming. Layers of GROWLAY can produce organic structures like small hills and landscapes. Add some water, seeds, or spores of any kind of plant and they will grow on the filament. The key point here with GROWLAY is the micro-capillary nature of the layered thermoplastic material. Its cavities absorb and store water, and dissolved liquid nutrients or fertilizer. It is an absorptive carrier for agents, providing a stable structure for grass seeds or moss to hold on to. Read more

Why relatable gamification is the obvious next teaching frontier
According to the IET, 203,000 people with engineering skills will be required each year to meet demand through to 2024, but it’s estimated there will be an annual shortfall of 59,000 engineering and technicians to fill these roles.
Could this be due to the way we currently teach maths? Read more

GitHub Education, a free program for schools
Coders’ resource and collaboration site GitHub is offering schools its tools for free in a new GitHub Education bundle.
GitHub Education includes access to GitHub, an ever-growing suite of developer tools in the Student Developer Pack, workflows for teachers in GitHub Classroom, and training through Campus Experts and Campus Advisors.
All of these tools and programs have now been put together – along with free access to Business Plan and GitHub Enterprise. Read more