Category: STEAM Education
How LittleBits Toys Encourage STEM Exploration
Ayah Bdeir, littleBits founder and chief executive officer, explains how the company’s toys encourage stem exploration. She speaks with Bloomberg’s Emily Chang on “Bloomberg Technology.” (Source: Bloomberg)
Chief scientist’s term extended a further two years
The Australian Government has extended Dr Alan Finkel’s term as Australia’s Chief Scientist for a further two years to the end of 2020.
It’s time for schools to take engineering seriously
As the Morandi Bridge collapse in Genoa demonstrated, ageing infrastructure is an alarming problem facing the developed world.
We need engineers to maintain this infrastructure, largely built in the post-war period and coming to the end of their design lifespans. At the same time, cities are racing to build urgently needed infrastructure to accommodate rapidly growing urban populations. continue reading
Up to $20,000 in Grants Available to Australian Schools
Grants between $2000 and $20,000 are available to Australian schools and community organisations, encouraging practical skills, creativity and entrepreneurial thinking.
Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews announced applications for the Coalition Government’s Maker Projects grants will open on Thursday, November 8.
What’s New in November 2018
NEW Strawbees Coding & Robotics Kit
Create your own robotic creatures with the Strawbees Coding & Robotics Kit. You can program and construct different shapes and forms. Connect Strawbees, motors, LEDs and sensors to make your own creatures! It’s a fun and easy way to learn the basics of physical programming, electronics and mechanics, and encourages children to explore coding. This coding kit is pefect for kids, grown-ups and educators. continue reading
We have a national STEM strategy, but what we need is a successful one
Australian schools are now wrestling with a new digital technologies curriculum. In this new subject, every student in Australia will learn the fundamentals of computer science, data science and coding.
This curriculum change is long overdue. Australian students ranked last in tech skills and interest in technical jobs according to a 2016 report produced for the World Economic Forum, across a global sample of countries.
The lack of capability in STEM is evident in the downward trend of PISA scores in science and mathematics, identified in the recently published Australia 2030: Prosperity Through Innovation Plan.
Girls and Boys Perform Equally in STEM, New Study Finds
A new study has found that girls and boys perform very similarly in STEM, including those at the top of the class.
The analysis, led by UNSW Sydney PhD student Rose O’Dea and published in prestigious journal Nature Communications, explored patterns in the academic grades of 1.6 million students.
littleBits Avenger Hero Inventor Kit Review: Build your own superhero
I’ve got the luckiest kids in the world – some cool things come to our office for them to see before things even hit the stores. Sometimes, they are goodies for kids – the coolest and latest toys and gadgets.
The littleBits Avengers Hero Inventor Kit is one such item. It’s been sitting in the office ready for the kids for aa few weeks – then finally School Holidays were upon us so a morning project had to be putting together this super-hero arm.
iWorld Australia releases Two New Robotic STEM Products from Robobloq
Melbourne, Australia – October 17, 2018 – iWorld Australia in partnership with Robobloq have launched two new STEM products from Robobloq, the Q-Elephant Robot Kit and the Q-Dino Robot Kit. The kits will be available in Australia and New Zealand at selected retail locations, online and education resellers.
New scholarships for STEM-smart Sydney students
In Sydney’s south-west, members of the Macarthur Astronomical Society – some retired professional astronomers, others keen amateurs – mentor school students, passing on a love of the night sky to future stargazers.
