2023 STEMinar: Using PBL in STEM - Insights from the classroom

In celebration of National Science Week 2023, join us to hear expert teachers share insights about working with the principles of Problem Based Learning (PBL) in their STEM teaching. Learn more about what this approach meant for their practice, and how they responded to the emerging opportunities and challenges.

<https://www.monash.edu/education/research/projects/exploring-problem-based-learning-in-schools/updates/2023-steminar-using-pbl-in-stem-insights-from-the-classroom>

Forget Barbie: Meet CSIRO's real-life STEM role models

There’s a powerful woman who’s been inspiring and exciting children for over six decades: the iconic Barbie!

<https://www.csiro.au/en/news/All/Articles/2023/July/barbie-STEM-careers>

Kazakh schoolchildren win silver at robotics championship in Australia

More than 300 children from 10 countries including China, Canada, India and the U.S. participated in Asia Pacific Open Championship held at the Macquarie University in Australia, Kazinform reports citing the Ministry of Enlightenment.

<https://www.inform.kz/en/kazakh-schoolchildren-win-silver-at-robotics-championship-in-australia_a4090602>

Local school teams among winners at annual RoboRAVE robotics competition

Budding tech entrepreneurs have put their robots to the test – climbing vertical surfaces, battling in sumo arenas and navigating labyrinthine mazes – at an annual national event.

<https://www.sunshinecoastnews.com.au/2023/07/19/students-put-their-robots-to-the-test-at-national-event/>

Young minds break boundaries at RoboRAVE

Climbing vertical surfaces, battling in sumo arenas and navigating labyrinthine mazes were just some of the weird and wonderful things seen at the annual RoboRAVE Australia robotics competition at the weekend (July 15 & 16).

<https://www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/news/young-minds-break-boundaries-at-roborave>

Special robots teleport sick children into the classroom

A special robotics program aimed at teleporting sick children into the classroom needs more funding to reach more kids across Australia.

<https://9now.nine.com.au/a-current-affair/special-robots-teleport-sick-aussie-children-into-the-classroom/62884bba-2645-4b48-80a2-1366642c242c>

Immersive technology – teaching and learning the augmented way

‘[When] fully embedded and aligned with the Australian Curriculum, AR can be an extraordinary tool for learning, particularly suited to use by primary-aged students.’ Dr Susan O’Donnell and Adrian Rayner give an update on the work of the VR Learning & Design Hub, which has been exploring the benefits of Augmented Reality in the classroom.

<https://www.teachermagazine.com/au_en/articles/immersive-technology-teaching-and-learning-the-augmented-way>

How should schools navigate the use of AI in classrooms?

For those of us who were school students in the 1990s, being without the Internet or a mobile phone wouldn’t be a catastrophe. We managed just fine without them, as did every generation before us.

<https://www.theeducatoronline.com/k12/news/how-should-schools-navigate-the-use-of-ai-in-classrooms/282869>

Women and girls in STEM: Cherie Davidson

Cherie Davidson has many people’s dream job – making video games. ‘Video game development is so fascinating because it requires deep, thoughtful collaboration between people with widely different perspectives and skill sets to create a single artistic work.’ Cherie says. ‘Every game development process is different – there’s always some unknown being explored and you never know quite what you’re making until you’ve made it.’

<https://www.industry.gov.au/news/women-and-girls-stem-cherie-davidson>

Global plaudits for technology innovators

Baulkham Hills North Public’s commitment to excellence and innovation has been recognised on the international stage as the school finished runners-up at the Global EdTech Awards 2023.

<https://education.nsw.gov.au/news/latest-news/global-plaudits-for-technology-innovators>

Arkana College students build a robot to compete on the international stage

Students from Arkana College, Kingsgrove are preparing to travel to Osaka, Japan next month to represent Australia at the 2023 Universal Robotics Challenge (URC) World Final.

<https://www.theleader.com.au/story/8270913/arkana-college-students-build-a-robot-to-compete-on-the-international-stage/>

Shaping Digital Education: Enabling Factors for Quality, Equity and Efficiency

Investment in education technology has surged worldwide over the past decade and digital education technologies are now a key resource for OECD education and training systems. If used effectively, they promise to transform teaching and learning practices, to reduce learning inequalities and to create more inclusive and efficient education systems. However, countries’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic exposed shortcomings in the extent to which digital technologies are currently enabling high-quality teaching and learning, and underlined the need for supportive policies and conditions to make use of their potential. The rapidly improving capabilities of Artificial Intelligence (AI) also bring new focus to the role of education policy in preparing learners for an AI-driven future. This report seeks to guide governments in shaping digital education. Offering a range of perspectives for governments and education stakeholders, it analyses enabling factors that can support quality, equity and efficiency in the use of digital technologies in education systems. It provides a comprehensive review of current trends and emerging policies, covering school education, vocational education and training (VET) and higher education, highlighting pathways to support a cohesive and holistic policy framework for digital education.

<https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/education/shaping-digital-education_bac4dc9f-en>

What Is Threads? Here’s What Educators Think About the Newest Twitter Alternative

Meta's new competitor to Twitter launched on July 5, and many educators are already using it.

<https://www.edweek.org/technology/what-is-threads-heres-what-educators-think-about-the-newest-twitter-alternative/2023/07>

ChatGPT and PISA: Ensuring Our Education Systems Keep Up

ChatGPT and the likes remind us that many of things that are easiest to teach are now also easy to digitise and automate, and that too often we educate students for our past, rather than for their future. At the OECD, we have been tracking how well systems like ChatGPT fare on tasks from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), the global yardstick of educational success that over 80 countries use to assess the knowledge and skills of 15-year-olds. This comparison shows rapid advances in the capabilities of artificial intelligence when compared with humans. In March 2022, ChatGPT could answer 28% of a set of PISA mathematics tasks, in March 2023 GPT answered 46% of the tasks successfully. In science, the corresponding percentages were 65% and 85%.

<https://oecdedutoday.com/chatgpt-and-pisa-ensuring-our-education-systems-keep-up/>

Chatbots in the classroom: Revolutionising Career Readiness with Cutting-Edge Technology

Imagine being able to embed an AI chatbot link into every classroom whiteboard. It could allow teachers and students to quickly carry out searches, get feedback, supply study tools and even provide personalised coaching on different subject matters. The interactive learning environment could revolutionise teaching practices; by making lessons more interesting for students and, at the same time, helping teachers save time by automating repetitive processes – freeing them up to concentrate on specific needs within the classroom. It is one vision for the future. But are chatbots really that effective? And are schools and the teaching profession ready to adapt?

<https://oecdedutoday.com/chatbots-in-the-classroom-revolutionising-career-readiness-with-cutting-edge-technology/>

AI trend drives rise in students wanting to study computing

School-leavers are choosing computing courses in record numbers, according to the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).

<https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-66178247>

Yes, AI could profoundly disrupt education. But maybe that’s not a bad thing

Education strikes at the heart of what makes us human. It drives the intellectual capacity and prosperity of nations. It has developed the minds that took us to the moon and eradicated previously incurable diseases. And the special status of education is why generative AI tools such as ChatGPT are likely to profoundly disrupt this sector. This isn’t a reflection of their intelligence, but of our failure to build education systems that nurture and value our unique human intelligence.

<https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/jul/14/ai-artificial-intelligence-disrupt-education-creativity-critical-thinking>

More Teachers Are Embracing ChatGPT. Students? Not So Much

Only 35 percent of students said in a recent survey that ChatGPT has positively impacted their schooling experience.

<https://www.edweek.org/technology/more-teachers-are-embracing-chatgpt-students-not-so-much/2023/07>

What Educators Know About Artificial Intelligence, in 3 Charts

Most educators say they have not received any professional development on artificial intelligence.

<https://www.edweek.org/technology/what-educators-know-about-artificial-intelligence-in-3-charts/2023/07>

What Do Educators Think of New Twitter Competitor 'Threads'?

Looking for Twitter alternatives to build professional learning networks and connect with peers, some educators said they felt "inspired" by conversations on the app while others compared it to shouting into a void.

<https://www.govtech.com/education/k-12/what-do-educators-think-of-new-twitter-competitor-threads>

Could TikTok Be Teachers' New Best Friend?

Teachers are turning to TikTok for content, strategy, and community.

<https://www.edweek.org/technology/could-tiktok-be-teachers-new-best-friend/2023/07>

Lewis Hamilton supports youth in Bradford to pursue career in STEM, motorsports

A new campaign has been launched in Bradford to support young people to take up careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and motorsports, a statement said.

<https://www.gg2.net/lewis-hamilton-supports-youth-in-bradford-to-pursue-career-in-stem-motorsports/>

Microsoft MakeCode release exciting new updates

Microsoft have announced some new features and exciting developments in their newly launched update to Microsoft MakeCode.

<https://www.microbit.org/news/2023-06-20/microsoft-makecode-release-exciting-new-updates/>

Support whole class teaching with micro:bit classroom

Run whole class MakeCode or Python coding lessons, share code with students and save their progress with our new online tool - micro:bit classroom.

<https://www.microbit.org/news/2023-07-19/support-whole-class-teaching-with-microbit-classroom/>