Minnis Journals

2018 Issue 6 November

Organising chaos works for Makerspaces
A Makerspace is meant to have an element of chaos, that's kind of the point, but if real results are to be achieved providing a bit of structure, instruction and direction makes for happier teachers and more engaged kids.
There isn’t a great deal of research on optimising teaching in a Makerspace yet but some of the first has looked into the introduction of Makers Empire’s 3D printing program. Read more

Majority taught by out-of-field maths teacher
The shortage of maths teachers seems to be an ongoing problem with less than one in four Australian Year 7 to 10 students having a qualified maths teacher according to new data released by the Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute.
Worryingly 8% will be taught by out-of-field teachers for all four years from 7 to 10. The report Crunching the Numbers of Out-of-Field Teaching reveals 76% of students will be taught by an out-of-field teacher at least once and 35% of students twice in early high school. Read more

High flyers at Luna Park
Over two days in November Luna Park and the Palais Theatre in St Kilda Melbourne hosted over 1400 schoolgirls and 80 teachers attending the inaugural AIR4 initiative which introduced girls to STEAM subjects’ potential to launch them into a career in technology and perhaps defence aviation. Read more

Generation Z study: unease about work and education
They’re probably one of the most technologically adept generations ever but Zers are still concerned about their future work lives and whether education is giving them the right grounding to thrive in a future career.
To wit; 92% are concerned about starting work and only half (56%) rank their education as good or excellent at preparing them for their future, however, most are excited about the prospect of working in a high-tech field. Read more

Girl Geek Academy reboots work experience for Year 10 Girls
More innovative events from Girl Geek Academy who turned the internship on its head recently, partnering with Deloitte Digital and 99designs – the online graphic design marketplace – to deliver a week long program where students from Korowa Anglican Girls School worked alongside industry experts to create their own startups.
Read more

VEX Robotics Australia 2018 Nationals
The VEX Robotics Australia 2018 Nationals are taking place December 1st–2nd at the Melbourne Conference and Exhibition Centre, pitting the brightest minds from primary and high school student-led robotics teams against one another. Now in its 11th year, the VEX Robotics World Championship is the largest and fastest growing robotics program on earth. Competitors vie for one of the five spots available to Australia to compete at VEX Worlds Championships held in Louisville, Kentucky USA, April 2019. Read more

Sphero competition winner
Thanks to everyone, and there were heaps, who entered our Sphero giveaway competition, sadly there could only be one winner and that was Matt Handley eLearning Leader Classroom Teacher from SPJ Mooroolbark who wrote in with the following bit:
"Sphero Steve: Single robot seeking electrifying coding companion. Enjoys long rolls along the beach before long recharging sessions on the dock."
We thought it was funny anyway. Apologies to everyone that didn't win, we weren't able to reply to all of the emails, but no apologies go to the terrible punners that entered, you know who you are.

Wanted – Haptic Interface Designer
Tinkers, tailors and candlestick makers will most probably not be in huge demand in the future; job titles will be something more like joy adjuvant, virtual reality arcade manager or haptic interface designer.
But with artificial intelligence and automation nipping at the heels of every current high-paying occupation it’s comforting to think that the kids won’t be lolling around on a universal basic wage, well maybe they might, but there is work to be had in a future reality. Read more

Coomera Anglican College chooses Epson laser projectors for Imaginarium 360-degree theatre
You must admit a 360-degree theatre is a pretty cool facility, it provides an immersive almost real experience combined with the ability to float from one location to the next with little effort, making for exciting learning opportunities.
Coomera Anglican College employed Epson laser projectors for their Imaginarium 360-degree immersive learning environment which is a part of their new building, The Pod. Read more