Women and girls in STEM: Verity Normington: From a mining area in South Australia to Geoscience Australia, geologist Dr Verity Normington's career path wasn’t always easy.

Dr Verity Normington is Executive Officer to Geoscience Australia's Office of the Chief Scientist. She's also a 2020 Australian Science Policy Fellow and one of Australia’s Superstars of STEM. Verity has overcome many barriers as a woman in STEM living with a chronic illness. While retaking year 12, she discovered a love for earth science. She was the first in her family to finish high school. She went on to put the ‘Dr’ in ‘Dr Normington’ by getting a PhD. Now, she uses her passion and expertise to contribute to research, policy and science communications.

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

Digital learning: how to manage a very tricky balance

The way we navigate the fast-changing digital landscape is crucial for the academic and social experiences for students of all ages. The digital age presents opportunities and challenges for all learners, whether it be a student in an early childhood setting or an adult engaging in vocational education. We know that for all students to be successful, we need to think carefully about what we are doing with technology and why we are doing it. While understandable given the nature of the crisis, the rapid shift to remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic exposed many unintended consequences of engaging with digital pedagogies in a haphazard way.

<https://blog.aare.edu.au/digital-learning-how-to-manage-a-very-tricky-balance/>

Improving student outcomes by celebrating female figures in STEM

In the latest episode of our podcast series, The Research Files, we spoke with Dr Kathryn Ross about the gender bias evident in Australian high school science curricula. In this article, we speak with primary school STEM teacher Megan Hayes about how she ensures her students learn about the contributions of Australian female scientists in order to improve girls’ participation in STEM.

<https://www.teachermagazine.com/au_en/articles/improving-student-outcomes-by-celebrating-female-figures-in-stem> 

Infographic: ICT standards for teachers – an international snapshot

UNESCO’s Global Education Monitoring Report for 2023 focuses on technology in education. According to the report’s Profiles Enhancing Education Reviews for 211 education systems, 51% have set ICT standards for teachers ‘in a competency framework, teacher training framework, development plan or strategy’. Here is an international snapshot for 2022.

<https://www.teachermagazine.com/au_en/articles/infographic-ict-standards-for-teachers-an-international-snapshot>

How Australia’s education system can overcome its ‘wicked problems’

In the world of global education, few names resonate as deeply as Professor Pasi Sahlberg. Currently a distinguished figure within the Faculty of Education at the University of Melbourne, Professor Sahlberg's journey is a rich tapestry of experience and expertise, spanning continents and roles.

<https://www.theeducatoronline.com/k12/news/how-australias-education-system-can-overcome-its-wicked-problems/283427>

New infographic: What is the difference between Digital Literacy and Digital Technologies?

A topical question and key consideration for schools is working out the relationship between Digital Literacy and Digital Technologies, and how they differ. New to the DT Hub is an infographic that aims to do just that! It explains the differences between the two, provides examples and offers examples for implementing both areas of the curriculum in your classroom.

<https://www.digitaltechnologieshub.edu.au/understanding-dt/the-dt-curriculum/digital-technologies-and-digital-literacy/>

New autism resources to support students starting school

The Student Wellbeing Hub recently launched a new suite of free resources designed to support students on the autism spectrum as they begin their primary school journey.

<https://studentwellbeinghub.edu.au/autism>

Join the free webinar: Support your students to develop spelling accuracy

Are you interested in supporting your students to develop spelling accuracy? Join the Literacy Hub’s free webinar on spelling generalisations and systematic synthetic phonics (SSP).

<https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/8287771633161174106>

Fear of missing out driving teen online anxiety

A new study has shed further light on the effect of social media on young people’s mental health, closely linking FOMO – the fear of missing out – with high social media use and symptoms of anxiety. Australian high school students who reported high social media use in conjunction with high levels of FOMO also reported increased symptoms of anxiety, while those with lower levels of FoMO had less anxiety when online, according to a new study.

<https://www.theeducatoronline.com/k12/news/fear-of-missing-out-driving-teen-online-anxiety/283425>

STEM champion a Global Teacher Prize finalist

A Griffith teacher is among the finalists in the prestigious Global Teacher Prize. Ian Preston, Deputy Principal of the NSW Virtual STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Academy, is in the running for the US$1 million prize that shines a spotlight on the important role teachers play in society.

<https://education.nsw.gov.au/news/latest-news/stem-champion-a-global-teacher-prize-finalist>

Mobile phone ban in schools gives students more learning time, 'freedom away' from devices

When Grace Shoesmith's high school first introduced a phone-free policy at the start of the year, there was a mixed response from students.

<https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-10-11/phone-free-schools-hunter-region/102943532>

Blue Mountains students solving real-world STEM challenges

From coding and robotics to biodiversity and bushfire regeneration, Blue Mountains students are learning new skills in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), thanks to a partnership between Council and Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO.

<https://www.bmcc.nsw.gov.au/media-centre/blue-mountains-students-solving-real-world-stem-challenges>

Measuring learning outcomes across programmes focused on learners, teachers and systems

Measuring student learning in a meaningful way is a significant challenge within a single school, but measuring and comparing learning outcomes at a global scale can seem impossible. This is a problem for anyone in a position of choosing between different options for maximising the impact of their spending on education because it is difficult to make a data-driven decision. It also affects priorities for policy and implementation of education interventions, especially where resources are limited.

<https://edtechhub.org/2023/09/27/measuring-learning-outcomes-across-programmes-focused-on-learners-teachers-and-systems/>

Chromebooks will get 10 years of automatic updates

When Chromebooks debuted in 2012, their affordable price tags helped make personal computing more accessible. That also made them a great fit for the education world, providing schools with secure, simple and manageable devices while helping them save on their budgets. In fact, Chromebooks are the number one device used in K-12 education globally, according to Futuresource. Plus, they’re a sustainable choice, with recycled materials that reduce their environmental impact and repair programs that help them last longer.

<https://blog.google/outreach-initiatives/education/automatic-update-extension-chromebook/>

STEM Education Statistics in 2023

We’ve gathered the most interesting, informative facts and statistics about STEM education.

<https://stemeducationguide.com/stem-education-statistics/>