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2017 Students Learn Two-way Science in Remote Western Australian Desert By David Broun 10TH NOVEMBER 2016 CSIRO Blog “The amount of information that the kids found out; talking with the old ladies, language and science. They didn’t even know they were doing school work,” said Fifi Harris, an Aboriginal and Islander Education Officer who works at Leonora High School. Science Pathways for Indigenous Communities is one element of the Indigenous STEM Education Project which is delivered by CSIRO and funded by the BHP Billiton Foundation. In Western Australia, Science Pathways operates in six Western Desert communities to facilitate schools, Traditional Owners and scientists to develop a Two-way science curriculum based around Learning on Country activities. Science Pathways aims to increase the engagement of Indigenous students with science education and careers. READ MORE You Can Do Maths In Virtual Reality Now Rae Johnston Gizmodo Jan 19, 2017, 10:15am SEE MORE KEEPING NEW TEACHERS IN THE CLASSROOM By Holly Bennett, University of Melbourne in Pursuit With so many quitting in their first five years, resilience and job security are key to keeping teachers in the job. With Australian Education Union Victoria research showing 65 per cent of new teachers are on short-term contracts, experts warn Victorian schools risk losing talented teachers to other professions. READ MORE Girls should never settle for second in science Australia's Chief Scientist Dr Alan Finkel has co-written an op-ed with Ann Sherry on women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) that was published by the Australian newspaper on 23 January 2017. The article can be viewed on the Chief Scientist's website. Legend has it that a young woman named Maria Sklodowski was once offered the gift of a dress for her approaching wedding. She replied: I have no dress except the one I wear every day. If you are going to be kind enough to give me one, please let it be practical and dark so that I can put it on afterwards to go to the laboratory. On the day she married she became Marie Curie. And in her serviceable dark blue bridal gown she made the discoveries that opened the door to the nuclear age, picking up two Nobel Prizes on the way. She remains to this day the one female scientist, living or dead, that respondents to surveys can reliably name...continue reading. Queensland school becomes first in state to compete in international robotics competition in Sydney ABC News Jessica Hinchliffe UPDATED WED JUN 24 13:00:26 EST 2015 READ MORE How to quickly spot dodgy science  Michael J. I. Brown The Conversation January 4, 2017 7.13am AEDT •Updated January 18, 2017 10.25am AEDT "I haven’t got time for science, or at least not all of it. I cannot read 9,000 astrophysics papers every year. No way. And I have little patience for bad science, which gets more media attention than it deserves. Even the bad science is overwhelming. 700 papers are retracted annually, and that’s a gross underestimate of the bad science in circulation. I, like most scientists, filter what I read using a few tricks for quickly rejecting bad science. Each trick isn’t foolproof, but in combination they’re rather useful. They can help identify bad science in just minutes rather than hours." READ ON See the placegetters and honourable mentions from this year's Nikon Small World in Motion Photomicrography Competition. Intricate starfish larva swirls win video competition SEE MORE Top 10 science stories of 2016 COSMOS 21 December 2016 Remember gravitational waves? Or Google's AlphaGo trouncing human Go champions? We know, it was a long time ago. Here are our top 10 stories from the year to refresh your memory. Australian dig shows signs of earliest human habitation READ MORE How These Three Women Made Mid-Career Pivots Into Data Science There's more than one path into a successful data job than through the university system's "talent pipeline." WENDY MARX 12.16.16 5:00 AM Fast Company  Rebekah Iliff, Sce Pike, and Micheline Casey - each of their career paths shows that the path into highly successful data jobs doesn't just come through the university system's talent pipeline alone. READ MORE 2016 IDEAS CROSS CENTURIES AND CHANGE LIVES  THE STORY OF A DIGITAL RECORD, A COUPLE OF DESIGNERS AND TWO HANDS Catriona Bryce Trove, National Library of Australia  A day in the Trove team often starts with answering enquiries. These can range from newspaper digitisation suggestions, or help with research, to how to get an item found in Trove. One morning, in late 2015, we received a request that on the surface looked quite normal. A man named Ivan wanted to see if we could help him borrow an object from the collection of the Health Museum of South Australia. This item was an antique prosthetic hand made in the nineteenth century out of whale bone, metal spools and catgut pulleys.  READ MORE! Victoria steps up tech diversity push David Swan The Australian December 8, 2016 Victoria is pushing on with its diversity agenda with the Minister for Small Business, Innovation and Trade saying he will only consider funding for conferences and events that have 50/50 gender representation in their speakers. READ MORE Drone-mounted streetlights Direct Line have developed drone-mounted streetlights that can be requested from a smartphone and follow users to light their journey. From springwise.com READ MORE  Mixhaus - Townsville's Hackmakespace from Justin Reid on Vimeo. Tech Awards Pick Biggest Hits From 15 Years Of Anti-Poverty Honorees Malaka Gharib NPR Goats and Soda December 11, 2016 Great ideas are a dime a dozen. The question is: How do you get 'em to stick? That's the theme of this year's Tech Awards. The annual program, hosted by The Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose, Calif., shines a spotlight on startups that use technology to make lives better in poor countries. But this year, the judging committee — which includes professors from Stanford, Berkeley and Santa Clara University — did something a little different. They looked back at 15 years of winners to find the projects and companies that had not only survived but thrived. READ MORE Indigenous STEM Awards: discovering our stars By Laura Methorst 12TH SEPTEMBER 2016 blog.CSIRO.au “I want to get the word out that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students are natural scientists – and that doesn’t mean we are good at studying nature, it means we are good at investigating,” Karlie said. “There is so much we can do and we are so unique in our approach and that is incredibly valuable in science and STEM.” “I’m really looking forward to seeing some amazing students, teachers, schools and professionals applying for the awards, and can’t wait to read their stories.” READ MORE Coding for kids kit Mathematics Teachers' hub on the Sunshine Coast Like them on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/groups/sunshinecoastmathsnetwork/ Mathekniticians! Meet the mathekniticians - and their amazing woolly maths creations Alex Bellos - Association of British Science Writers blogger of the year The Guardian Monday 3 October 2016 Married couple Pat Ashforth and Steve Plummer have been knitting and crocheting mathematical images and objects for more than two decades. READ MORE FAMELAB: QUEENSLAND SEMI-FINAL – SOLD OUT Presented by the British Council, FameLab is an international science communication competition that aims to find the most charismatic up-and-coming scientists from around the world. READ MORE Women in STEM and Entrepreneurship Grant Recipients Provides funding for activities that support girls and women in STEM and entrepreneurship. The Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering (AINSE) will hold a school specifically for women Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering will produce a series of up to 20 video profiles utilising female role models in STEM industries CBR Innovation Network Limited to create an out-of-school, 10-week programme for girls in Canberra and the nearby regional area Education Changemakers Pty Ltd grant will help support a project that will focus on thirty female teachers or educators from regional areas Florey Neuroscience Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health to support and measure the impact of Women in Science Parkville Precinct (WiSPPs) collective initiatives to overcome the barriers for women to excel and succeed Geelong Manufacturing Council to support, promote and encourage women in manufacturing and engineering in the Geelong area Girl Geek Academy Pty. Ltd. to train teachers to deliver science curricula (algorithmic thinking, computational thinking, software development and coding) Golden West Apprenticeships Limited to provide school based engineering traineeships to six girls based in the Darling Downs James Cook University to support the She Flies Drone Camps: Building Northern Australia's Drone Ecosystem The University of Wollongong Science Centre & Planetarium will be the lead partner for a major Festival of STEM SEE THE WHOLE LIST Veritasium is a YouTube channel of science and engineering videos featuring experiments, expert interviews, cool demos, and discussions with the public about everything science. Plus Magazine's Maths in a Minute series includes: Maths in a minute: negative numbers Maths in a minute: Boolean algebra Maths in a minute: The bridges of Königsberg (illustration) Maths in a minute: Maths and navigation Maths in a minute: What's average? and many more. Read more  Australian schools continue to fall behind other countries in maths and science Sue Thomson, November 29, 2016 Australian performances in mathematics and science have stagnated over the past 20 years, according to latest findings from the 2015 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) report released today. TIMSS has measured student achievement in maths and science at Year 4 and Year 8 in Australia and many other countries since 1995. READ MORE How to prepare for the job market of the future Jackson Stiles, Nov 24 2016. The New Daily The days of settling on a dream job for life are gone, a new report has warned. Australians should instead be building transferable skills in one of seven job ‘clusters’, the Foundation for Young Australians wrote on Thursday. Three of these skill clusters, labelled by the report as ‘Carers‘, ‘Informers‘ and ‘Technologists‘, will be most in demand in coming years, according to the foundation. READ MORE or go straight to the report. RMIT | Morbis Artis: Diseases of the Arts Morbis Artis explores the radical conjunction between the biomolecular and the artistic, and the thin doorway between life and death housed within discourses of disease. Date: 17 Nov 2016-18 Feb 2017 Time: 11:00 am-05:00 pm (UTC +10:00) Venue: RMIT Gallery, City campus Cost: Free See More Numeracy across the curriculum videos Videos showing different methods of engaging students. https://www.filmpond.com/#/ponds/qct Create change with free online learning from UQ Innovation, entrepreneurship and advocacy are essential skills for the 21st-century graduate. Create Change: Masterclass offers inspiring teaching from leading UQ thinkers and shines a spotlight on the journeys of proven change-makers. Dive in now to see how UQ can help you create change – in your life and the world. Learn more about the modules. NISA Women in STEM and Entrepreneurship initiative Round closed 6 October 2016 Australia’s Chief Scientist, Dr Alan Finkel, has released a paper addressing four persistent myths about women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). “This paper will help equip Australians with the facts about gender inequality in STEM, and help us to continue the progress already being made in this area,” the Chief Scientist said. The paper also provides current examples of programmes that address the gender imbalance in STEM studies and careers, including the Male Champions of Change for STEM and Science in Australia Gender Equity projects under the National Innovation and Science Agenda (NISA). To read more about NISA Women in STEM and Entrepreneurship initiative, visit: http://bit.ly/1pI20gT and  HERE. To read the Chief Scientist’s paper visit: http://bit.ly/2eXKpNV On the job! For National Science Week this year, the Australian Academy of Sciences partnered with Australia’s Science Channel for ‘On the job!’—a video series showing a day in the life of seven Australian science support staff. The series explores the science behind the scenes to uncover and celebrate the fantastic work being done all around the country to keep Australia’s scientific progress moving.​ READ MORE Eddie Woo: celebrity maths teacher on how to get smart kids into teaching Kelsey Munro SMH November 2 2016 By day, he's a mild-mannered head maths teacher at the state's biggest high school and a father of three. But by night, he's a YouTube superstar. Eddie Woo is arguably the country's most famous maths teacher.  READ MORE WooTube Guide for First Year Coordinators in Mathematics The Guide for First Year Coordinators in Mathematics was launched at the 2016 AGM of the Australian Council of Deans of Science. This Guide is intended to be a practical resource for Heads of School of Mathematics intending to establish or review a First Year Mathematics coordination role, academics in existing First Year Mathematics coordination roles or those who might be thinking of assuming such a role. The PDF of the guide is available at https://fyimaths.org.au/resources/first-year-coordinator-guide/. Call For Papers: Special STEAM Issue Of IJISME The International Journal of Innovation in Science and Mathematics Education is pleased to announce a special issue on the “STEAM classroom” of the future. This special issue aims to bring together technologists, researchers and teachers – to share, discuss and evaluate what we need for successful learning and teaching in our future classrooms. We invite submissions from all STEAM areas (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) including computer programming, computational thinking, electronics, robotics and coding, digital literacies and creative thinking, to address questions such as: How can professional development activities increase teacher confidence to embed and foster a maker-culture within the classroom? What challenges exist in the implementation of gender-specific education programs and professional development? What role does teacher professional development play in equipping children to be active learners and future innovators? What new learning space and curriculum designs will our future classrooms require? How are new technologies, pedagogies and learning designs shaping teacher practice, and what is the impact on learners? Papers should be between 3000-6000 words in length. MORE INFO Prime Minister's Prizes for Science The prizes are awarded annually and are a public recognition and tribute to the contributions that our scientists, innovators and science teachers are making to Australia's current and future scientific and commercialisation capabilities. 2016 Prize recipients   The 2016 Prime Minister's Prizes for Science was awarded at a presentation ceremony on 19 October 2016. Prime Minister's Prize for Science  Richard Shine Prime Minister’s Prize for Innovation Michael Aitken Prize for New Innovators Colin Hall Malcolm McIntosh Prize for Physical Scientist of the Year  Richard Payne Frank Fenner Prize for Life Scientist of the Year  Kerrie Wilson Prime Minister’s Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching in Secondary Schools  Suzy Urbaniak Prime Minister’s Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching in Primary Schools  Gary Tilley SEE MORE Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, Vol 1377,  Issue 1 A contextual perspective on talented female participants and their development in extracurricular STEM programs Heidrun Stoeger, Sigrun Schirner, Lena Laemmle, Stefanie Obergriesser, Michael Heilemann and Albert Ziegler Version of Record online: 21 JUL 2016 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.13116 ABSTRACT  We advocate a more contextual perspective in giftedness research. In our view, doing so opens up three particularly interesting research areas, which we refer to as the participation issue, the effectiveness issue, and the interaction issue. To illustrate their utility, we examined characteristics of females participating in German high achiever–track secondary education who had applied for participation in a 1-year extracurricular e-mentoring program in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) (n = 1237). Their characteristics were compared with male and female random-sample control groups.  We assessed the effectiveness of the mentoring program by comparing the developmental trajectories of program participants with those of three control groups: applicants who were randomly chosen for later participation (waiting-list control group) and a female and a male control group. Finally, we examined whether differences in program effectiveness could be partially explained by characteristics of the interaction with the domain.  Program applicants possessed more advantageous individual characteristics but, unexpectedly, less advantageous home and school environments than female and male members of the control groups. Program participation affected positive changes in certainty about career goals (independent of STEM) and in the number of STEM activities. The amount of STEM communication partially explained differences in program effectiveness. STEM Works STEM Works will provide 139 schools with modern facilities. Contemporary facilities combined with cutting edge teaching and learning approaches will help prepare students for future jobs in a wide range of industries from health to defence. Over the next 3 years the department will invest $250 million in our schools to refurbish or to build new facilities as part of STEM Works.  https://www.decd.sa.gov.au/sites-and-facilities/stemworks In Virtual Reality, Women Run the World By  Dayna Evans  nymag.com   Photograph Courtesy of Maureen Fan A new generation of female artists is making VR the most diverse corner of the male-dominated tech space. A family of white American parents and their child are debating whether they should have evacuated. The little girl doesn’t know what is going on, but the threat is visible in the parents’ eye contact, in their uncertain glances. They should have gotten out sooner, but now it’s definitely too late.  READ ON! Daydream View Is Google’s Plushy VR Headset for the Masses  David Pierce GEAR  Wired October 4 2016. During its much-hyped hardware event today in San Francisco, Google showed off the first devices in its Daydream VR lineup.  READ MORE Code in Virtual Reality Go inside your code with this new technology. from futurism.com video 43 seconds http://futurism.com/videos/code-in-virtual-reality/ 3D printed bones are a thing now  msn video duration 1:15 http://a.msn.com/09/en-au/BBwXbnZ?ocid=st From Lost at E Minor Minecraft: The Island  Mojang, the Swedish video game developer behind Minecraft, has announced the series will have a spinoff in the form of a novel, called Minecraft: The Island. The book will feature a story that involves “a hero stranded in an unfamiliar land, with unfamiliar rules, learning to survive against tremendous odds.” So basically, it’s Robinson Crusoe but with creepers. READ MORE Droneseed brings reforestation into the 21st century msn video 43 seconds Why deep learning is suddenly changing your life Roger Parloff, Fortune, 28 Sept, 2016 Decades-old discoveries are now electrifying the computing industry and will soon transform corporate America. The most remarkable thing about neural nets is that no human being has programmed a computer to perform any of the stunts described above. In fact, no human could. Programmers have, rather, fed the computer a learning algorithm, exposed it to terabytes of data—hundreds of thousands of images or years’ worth of speech samples—to train it, and have then allowed the computer to figure out for itself how to recognize the desired objects, words, or sentences. READ MORE Figure it out yourself Liz Mineo, Harvard Gazette 26 Sept 2016 No learning without doing, future teachers find. On the first day of class, the instructor handed out spaghetti, string, tape, and marshmallows to the eight students gathered around a table and asked them to build the tallest possible freestanding structure and place the marshmallow on top, in 18 minutes. READ MORE Melinda Gates Has a New Mission: Women in Tech Jessi Hempel 28 September 2016 Backchannel Philanthropy’s first lady returns to her roots to tackle gender inequality in computer science. Gates got her start in tech. After graduating from Duke with a computer science degree (and an MBA), she spent a decade working at Microsoft. That was back in 1987, when just over a third of undergraduate computer science degrees went to women. Nearly 30 years later, fewer than one in five CS degrees are earned by women. That, according to Gates, constitutes a crisis. “This has got to change,” she told me when we met to discuss her efforts last week. READ MORE 6 Math Concepts Explained by Knitting and Crochet Lela Nargi mental floss Using yarn and two pointy needles (knitting) or one narrow hook (crochet), pretty much anyone can stitch up a piece of fabric. Or, you can take the whole yarncraft thing light-years further to illustrate a slew of mathematical principles. READ MORE Tackling biosecurity threats with robots and sensors  We are developing robotic and sensor systems to assist in surveying, monitoring and tracking pests and diseases and improve efficiency and capability in biosecurity systems.  READ MORE Why making, coding, and online learning are the real trends to watch By Stephen Noonoo, Editor, eschoolnews.com September 14th, 2016 Take a casual flip through this year’s trend-predicting Horizon Report, released today, and you’ll find plenty to get excited about. The end of the report is stuffed with tantalizing promise about how future learners will engage with robots, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and wearable tech (think data-collecting headbands and skill-tracking sensors) that could explode into classrooms in as little as four to five years. By contrast, the report’s short-term developments, online learning and makerspaces, have a distinct yesterday’s news vibe about them. But make no mistake, they still hold some of the biggest long-term promise in the report. READ MORE Download these documents here IJISME Special Issue CFP: The Future STEAM classroom: What will we find there?  Abstracts due: 11 November, 2016 – Interested authors should initially submit a 250-word abstract for consideration to s.beames@uq.edu.au This expression of interest is to help ensure that the final edition addresses a broad range of disciplines and challenges. Manuscripts due: 3 February, 2017 - Reviews will be returned in March, with final versions due in May 2017. This special issue will be published online in mid-2017 at: escholarship.usyd.edu.au/journals/index.php/CAL Papers should be between 3000-6000 words in length. Guidelines for authors are available at: escholarship.usyd.edu.au/journals/index.php/CAL/about/submissions#authorGuidelines The International Journal of Innovation in Science and Mathematics Education is pleased to announce a special issue on the “STEAM classroom” of the future. This special issue aims to bring together technologists, researchers and teachers – to share, discuss and evaluate what we need for successful learning and teaching in our future classrooms. We invite submissions from all STEAM areas (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) including computer programming, computational thinking, electronics, robotics and coding, digital literacies and creative thinking, to address questions such as: How can professional development activities increase teacher confidence to embed and foster a maker-culture within the classroom? What challenges exist in the implementation of gender-specific education programs and professional development? What role does teacher professional development play in equipping children to be active learners and future innovators? What new learning space and curriculum designs will our future classrooms require? How are new technologies, pedagogies and learning designs shaping teacher practice, and what is the impact on learners? Guest Editors: Dr Marie Boden School of Information Technology & Electrical Engineering, The University of Queensland marieb@itee.uq.edu.au Dr Aneesha Bakharia Senior UQx Programmer, Institute for Teaching & Learning Innovation, The University of Queensland a.bakharia1@uq.edu.au Stephanie Beames Senior Research Manager, School of Education, The University of Queensland s.beames@uq.edu.au Coding needs a new youth movement Posted Aug 22, 2016 by Josh Seides, Tech Crunch "...Coding in youth is, in many ways, broken in the very areas commonly thought to be its strengths. Why is it that only 8 percent of STEM graduates major in computer science when 71 percent of new STEM jobs are in the very same field?... READ MORE Hydrogel injections help repair hearts More than five million people in the US are living with heart failure. Could a simple injection of jelly-like polymer help shore up weakened cardiac areas? READ MORE Physicists help deliver precision to paddocks Farming is on the cusp of a new scientific revolution. Viviane Richter reports. COSMOS 6 September 2016 A farm in Australia is the testing ground for sophisticated sensors and tracking systems that boost crop and livestock productivity with precision. These gadgets – controlled from a smartphone – could revolutionise farm management around the world. READ MORE Girls in Tech to launch first Australian chapter Patrick Wood 6 September 2016 ABC News Breakfast Adriana Gascoigne is the founder and CEO of global non-profit organisation Girls in Tech, which aims to empower, educate and mentor women in the technology industry. It has more than 50,000 members across 60 cities and will this week launch its first Australian chapter. READ MORE Pet wearables: Gadgets allowing animal owners to watch, 'gamify' companions The Conversation By Larissa Hjorth and William Balmford, RMIT, and Ingrid Richardson, Murdoch University ...Australia has one of the highest rates of pet ownership in the world, with nearly five million households including one or more pets. As our work progressed, it became clear that humans and their pets are entangled in various forms of intimacy and kinship, often in digitally mediated ways. We have observed (or heard tales of) cats playing with iPads and keyboards, of dogs watching television or participating in video calls.... READ MORE Rethinking STEM education in Ghana August 24, 2016 Ferdinand Hassan, GH Scientific Lack of equipment is one of the biggest problems facing STEM education  in Ghana. A UNESCO report on education in four African countries, including Ghana, discovered that there is a serious dearth of “functional laboratories” in most schools in these countries because of the lack of equipment, while some schools are completely without laboratories for practical work, forcing teachers to adopt a largely theoretical curriculum. READ MORE 100 Days of Learning Boeing engineers worked closely with education partners to co-create K-12 resources that focus on applying science to solve tough real-world problems. READ MORE Dr Rebecca Vivian Receives Barbara Cail STEM Fellowship August 26 2016 Dr Rebecca Vivian has been awarded a Barbara Cail STEM Fellowship. The Fellowships are a highly prestigious award from the Australian Government, funded through a partnership between Chief Executive Women (CEW) and the Office for Women within the Commonwealth Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Only two awards are awarded nationally for this Fellowship scheme. Ms Sarah Chapman, a prize-winning Science educator from Townsville is the second recipient. The Barbara Cail STEM Panel looks to award fellowships to the most outstanding research proposal that clearly identifies benefits of their project to Australia, or a region of Australia, or to a particular industry (eg engineering) or field of study (eg mathematics). READ MORE Smithsonian Institution Fellowship for Dr Chris Campbell Lecturer in Digital Technologies in the School of Education at the University of Queensland, Dr Chris Campbell will work at the Smithsonian Centre for Learning and Digital Access in Washington DC to look at what they have been doing to assist science teachers in the US. She intends to use what she learns to help Queensland’s up and coming and established science teachers access and utilise the Smithsonian’s considerable digital resources for teaching science. READ MORE Warwick student rewarded for STEM success Sophie Lester | 30th Aug 2016 5:00 AM Warwick Daily News The Year 10 Warwick State High School student has been rewarded for her academic efforts in STEM subjects - science, technology, engineering and maths - with a trip to Japan. Eleven students from across Queensland selected for the inaugural study tour and will travel to Hiroshima and Kyoto state high schools for the 10-day program. They will be immersed in a language and cultural environment and experience how STEM subjects are taught internationally. READ MORE Calling All Women Futurists Rebecca Searles, August 2016 Huffington Post This is about the power to decide what the future should look like, and it’s too important to leave it up to a singular, limited perspective. READ MORE To further the conversation, Searles created a private Facebook group for women “futurists” — for anyone who enjoys reading about, discussing, and sharing their work on emerging technologies. You can request to join here. Will the new Ghostbusters movie help address the lack of women in STEM? 18 July 2016 Phil Simon, Huffington Post As it turns out, the underrepresentation of women isn’t just limited to real-world, high-tech jobs. As the following data demonstrate, Hollywood has consistently underrepresented female techies and scientists in films for years. READ MORE Stingray Robot Powered By Rat Cells By William Herkewitz Jul 7, 2016 Popular Mechanics "Roughly speaking, we made this thing with a pinch of rat cardiac cells, a pinch of breast implant, and a pinch of gold. That pretty much sums it up, except for the genetic engineering," says Kit Parker, the bio-engineer at Harvard who led the team that developed the strange robot. READ MORE Avoiding a STEM fail Why evaluation tools must come before funding Brody Hannan 30 Aug 16 APPS Policy Forum "without standardised psychosocial evaluation tools, like those used in the United States, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, the Australian Government could be spending millions of taxpayer dollars on programs that may have little or no success." READ MORE Do single-sex schools best prepare girls for the STEM revolution?  RN Afternoons SPOILER: "research has never actually proven that girls in single-sex schools out-perform their co-ed peers." LISTEN HERE This blind Apple engineer is transforming the tech world at only 22 BY KATIE DUPERE JUL 10, 2016 Mashable She says the adults in her life would often hand her a gadget, telling her to figure it out and show them how to use it. And she would. "I realized then I could code on the computer to have it fulfill the tasks I wanted it to," says Castor, whose current work focuses on enhancing features like VoiceOver for blind Apple users. "I came to realize that with my knowledge of computers and technology, I could help change the world for people with disabilities. READ MORE Wikibomb dropped to raise profile of female scientists in Antarctica   A group of Australian female scientists have taken part in a Wikibomb in an effort to be recognised for their contribution to Antarctic research. As part of the event, which took place at the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research conference in Malaysia, 93 Wikipedia profiles were created and 20 were improved upon. READ MORE Drones in science: Rising beyond pretty pictures Drones are revolutionising environmental science. Four scientists explain how they are using drones, what challenges they face and how the technology is changing our understanding of the world around us. Genelle Weule Posted Thu Aug 18 06:15:04 EST 2016 ABC News READ MORE The Chief Scientist on University Degrees and Employment Pathways "...Of course, there are genuine concerns regarding the preparedness of today’s school leavers to enter universities. It is unethical and unfair to lower entry standards too far in order to achieve the recruitment targets of the university. Equally important, it would be wrong to lower exit standards, because we have a responsibility to give graduates something of value in exchange for years of work and possibly decades in debt..." And on ABC Radio National's The Science report:  STEM PhDs have skills for tomorrow's work place Alan Finkel says STEM PhDs require flexibility. He argues a STEM PhD suggests a job applicant with initiative, resilience and communication skills, who would be self-reliant but also a team player. He cites his own PhD in neuroscience which baffled careers advisors, but led to his establishment of a successful ASX listed company. LISTEN HERE ANU team cracks solar thermal efficiency of 97% – a world record By Sophie Vorrath on 22 August 2016 http://reneweconomy.com.au A team of Australian National University scientists has brought economically competitive, grid-scale solar thermal energy generation closer to reality, after achieving a new record in efficiency for the technology that could compete with the cost of electricity from fossil fuels.   READ MORE Jellyfish are the key to producing safer laser beams By Cormack OConnor Techly, 22 Aug 2016 As polariton lasers use less energy they are safer for medical applications (as they are less destructive). It was this insight that lead scientists to begin work on a polariton laser that could be used at room temperature. Jellyfish proteins just happened to be their answer. The barrel-shaped proteins are unique in that their light-emitting molecules are spaced widely enough to produce laser light at room temperature. READ MORE Words: Murray Grimswood When someone creates a clever space and then that clever space is put to a clever use, it’s got to be worth writing about. This particular space started life as an shipping container and goes by the name of Lab in a Box, or LIAB for short. Read on at ThisNZLife The special issue of IJ-ISME is now live! Vol 24, No 3 (2016) http://openjournals.library.usyd.edu.au/index.php/CAL/issue/view/826  Editorial Louise Kuchel,    Janet Hergt,    Stephanie Beames The Nexus Between STEM Qualifications and Graduate Employability: Employers’ Perspectives Gerry Rayner,    Theo Papakonstantinou From University Student to Employee Trine B. Nielsen,    Henriette T. Holmegaard Graduate Employability: Views of Recent Science Graduates and Employers Mahbub Sarkar,    Tina Overton,    Christopher Thompson,    Gerry Rayner Using a Professional Development Program to Enhance Undergraduate Career Development and Employability Julia Choate,    Judi Green,    Sandy Cran,    Janet Macaulay,    Michelle Etheve Science Undergraduates Are Motivated to Undertake Leadership Education to Enhance Employability and Impact Susie S. Ho,    Bob B. M. Wong,    Melissa Tham,    Rowan H. Brookes Lessons to Educators From Recent Studies About Employability For Research-Trained Graduates Susan Rowland Want to learn to code? These 5 apps make it easy By Christian de Looper — Digital Trends July 14, 2016  Some say coding is the new literacy, which makes it pretty important for kids to start learning young — and for adults to learn the basics of coding if they want to be a part of our increasingly digital world. Read more  A robot with a human-like muscular system https://www.facebook.com/somersault1824/posts/894569820649680 Designer Babies: This video perfectly explains why CRISPR really will change the world forever It's so much more than the hype. FIONA MACDONALD 14 AUG 2016 in Science Alert We've heard a lot about genetic engineering over the past two decades and, lately there's been even more hype about a new molecular tool called CRISPR, which acts like a cut-and-paste tool for our DNA. But what many of us don't realise is that, after years of talking about it, we're on the verge of a major change for society - one where we can edit genes as easily as we give medication today...if the idea of designer babies makes you uncomfortable, then get ready, because that's a world we're already living in.READ ON See also: www.sciencenews.org/article/crispr-inspires-new-tricks-edit-genes  Some evil geniuses built a terrifying robotic mouth By Cormack OConnor  Developed by a group of scientists at Japan’s Kagawa University, this terrifying looking device is a robotic mouth that works to mimic human speech.  Constructed from a blend of types of silicone rubber, the lengthy robot works by having air pumped through a section which resembles human vocal chords, which causes vibrations. Mechanical parts under the mouth then move to change the volume of air within parts of the mouth. This allows for word-like sounds to be formed. READ ON Forget the cape, the truly unbelievable ways engineers are creating superhumans today Larissa Bricis, 15 August 2016 While we aren’t quite at the point where humans are shooting lasers from our hands, or reading thoughts with in-built chips, biomechanics are certainly making our bodies better, healthier, and more…superhuman than ever before. Biomedical engineering ensures that there are fewer medical life sentences than ever before. Exoskeletons to help quadriplegics walk, bionic contact lenses, artificial hearts and livers; they’re all revolutionary ways that we’re making our bodies better. READ ON Why University Learning Management Systems are the temporary classrooms of today June 23, 2016  Mark Smithers takes a stick to virtual dongas. One for all Blackboard fans: Now let’s imagine a university in the 21st century decides, as a matter of choice, to make all of its students attend classes in these sorts of learning spaces. But more than this, they decide to black out all of the windows so that no one can see in and they say that there can be no displays of student work within the room. They provide a standard overhead projector in each room and they insist that teaching consists of a 5 minute introductory presentation from the teacher followed by a question, followed by another 5 minute video and so on. Students are only allowed to talk to each other if they go to a corner of the room that has been walled off from everything else. This method of teaching will be the same for every degree program so the artists and sculptors will use a space like this as well as the engineers and physicists. Learning about modern dance and nursing will all occur in these spaces. READ ON f She Can See It, She Can Be It: Women of STEM on Television Amy C. Chambers 28 July 2016 It is important to have women represented in fictional media as scientists from across the spectrum of sciences, not just biological and medical sciences. Although I did not struggle to create a post-2000 TV list of women with science-based professions, I did find that a higher percent of the women I found were working in the biosciences including all the female medics on House, Body of Proof, CSI, Rizzoli & Isles, The Strain. Finding women represented in the hard sciences was more of a challenge – READ ON - a bit of fun! There’s work (and life) outside of universities for PhD graduates August 4, 2016 6.07am AEST The number of PhD students graduating from Australian universities continues to rise, with more than 8,000 in 2014 and about one in three in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. Our best estimates are that about half of these students will begin an academic career as postdoctoral research fellows or research assistants. But over time most will move out of – and much less frequently back into – academic jobs. Only around 2% of PhD graduates are expected to reach professorial levels and enjoy the privilege of an uninterrupted academic career. READ ON Painting by numbers: when mathematics and art collide Ex-mathematics school teacher Emily Lynch Victory, inspired by patterns and numbers, reimagines them on canvas. WATCH THIS ... Calling STEM professionals to inspire young Queenslanders  29 July 2016 QUT invites alumni who studied and currently work in the STEM disciplines to share their expertise with Queensland schools through STEM Connectors, a unique online engagement platform. READ MORE... Turn your entrepreneurial idea into a reality with qutbluebox 29 July 2016 The qutbluebox Innovation Challenge is back, offering $100,000+ in prizes to alumni, students and staff who have an innovative idea or venture. READ MORE,,, Developing quality teachers for Australian classrooms 26 July 2016 Professional standards for teaching and the rigorous accreditation of training courses do not necessarily ensure we develop quality teachers, according to a new report. Building quality in teaching and teacher education, by Professor Nan Bahr of Griffith University and Suzanne Mellor of the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), argues that personal attributes that enable an effective teacher to become a high-quality teacher cannot be developed through a competency-based standards system alone. READ MORE ... New Zealand's National Statement of Science Investment 2015-2025 How to keep more women in STEM   Merryn McKinnon  July 13, 2016 There have been myriad promises made by the major political parties over the years focused on funding programs aimed at increasing the number of women pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Although some of the policies do target disciplines where women are underrepresented, there seems to be very little acknowledgement of the bigger problem. Attracting women to STEM careers is one issue, retaining them is another. And that does not seem to get the same level of attention. READ MORE... Monday 4 July 2016 - Future Proof Regardless of who wins the Federal election, the major issue facing Australians is the future of work.  There are startling and credible predictions that more than five million Australian jobs will simply disappear in the next 15 years, as a result of technology. That's 40% of the jobs that exist in Australia today. Watch the video here Google celebrates Nettie Maria Stevens (July 7, 1861 – May 4, 1912) - early American geneticist   READ Journey to Pluto at PBS STEM Education and 3D printing MakerBot’s #MakerMilestones Contest Winners Include Pet Wheelchairs, 3D Printing Kindergarteners & STEM Education for Girls in Africa by Scott J Grunewald | Jun 30, 2016 READ MORE... STEM Education News from ScienceDaily July 5, 2016 Finger Tracing Can Lift Math Performance - Schoolkids who used finger tracing fared better with previously unseen geometry and algebra questions, new research has found. Math Skills Count for Premature Babies - A new study links being born premature with low wages. Researchers have identified a link between being born preterm and decreased intelligence, reading and in particular mathematical ability and have highlighted an effect on earnings into adulthood. Lack of Education as Deadly as Smoking - A new study estimates the number of deaths that can be linked to differences in education, and finds that variation in the risk of death across education levels has widened considerably. READ ALL THIS AND MORE ... Slithering between science and art A fellowship program at ANU has brought researchers together from diverse fields to collaborate and learn from each other. Under the Vice Chancellor's College Visiting Artist Fellows Scheme, artist Steven Holland spent one year working in the Research School of Biology with Professor Scott Keogh, a herpetologist.     READ MORE  http://biology.anu.edu.au/research/slithering-between-science-and-art http://biology.anu.edu.au/news-events/rsb-artist-residence http://biology.anu.edu.au/news-events/bronze-and-snakes-sculptural-and-biological-study Bringing Bones to Life Amy Karle: Bringing Bones to Life from Pier 9 on Vimeo. https://vimeo.com/168270199 Amy Karle is an artist who has always been fascinated with mysteries of the body. (amykarle.com) Her most recent work uses the building blocks of life: cells. As an Artist in Residence at Pier 9, Amy collaborated with Autodesk to create “Regenerative Reliquary,” a sculpture consisting of 3D printed scaffolds for cell growth in a bioreactor. The intention is that stem cells seeded onto these scaffolds will grow into bone. She hopes that this project serves as a foundation for further exploration and opens conversations about the awe and mystery of life, transhumanism, synthetic biology, the future of medicine and implants, and things that could be made from the building blocks of life. For those who wish to experiment, Amy has shared her workflow with open source instructions @ (instructables.com/id/3D-Printed-Scaffolds-for-Cell-Culture). The top 10 emerging technologies of 2016  28 June 2016 Cosmos The World Economic Forum's diverse list of breakthrough technologies: 1. Nanosensors and the Internet of Nanothings 2. Next generation batteries 3. The Blockchain 4. 2-D materials 5. Autonomous vehicles 6. Organs on chips 7. Perovskite solar cells 8. Open AI ecosystem 9. Optogenetics 10. Systems Metabolic Engineering READ MORE at Cosmos READ MORE at World Economic Forum  Ahead of its time: Doctor Who’s 56 inspiring female scientists   May 19, 2016 The Conversation Rachel Morgain, Lindy Orthia Our research into scientists and gender in Doctor Who over the past 50 years shows there are many reasons to celebrate. Fifty years, 222 scientists Doctor Who abounds with well-loved female scientist characters, such as Martha Jones, Liz Shaw, Zoe Heriot and Romana, who stayed in the show for a while and rocked the sci lab. Their scientific personae and gender politics have been discussed extensively in books and bytes. READ MORE    Scientists Unveil New ‘Tree of Life’ By CARL ZIMMER April 11, 2016 New York Times A team of scientists unveiled a new tree of life on Monday, a diagram outlining the evolution of all living things. The researchers found that bacteria make up most of life’s branches. And they found that much of that diversity has been waiting in plain sight to be discovered, dwelling in river mud and meadow soils. READ MORE  What is CRISPR and what does it mean for genetics?  Cosmos 28 April 2016  Viviane Richter explains everything you need to know about CRISPR, the tool that could usher in a golden age of gene editing. READ MORE    Providing Guidance to Australian Women in the IT field Shae Howard, a Partner Business Consultant at Cisco Systems in Sydney, knows how challenging it can be to work in an industry where women are the minority. That’s why she’s part of the Lucy Mentoring Program. It’s her way of guiding and inspiring the next generation of women IT professionals. READ MORE... Queensland researchers print three-dimensional body parts for implant By Josh Bavas Updated 9 May 2014 ABC News Making a human ear, Cornell University The information is then sent to a 3D printer which uses 'bio-ink' to build the implant, which is made from a mixture of synthetic plastic and the patient's stem cells. The bio-ink can cost up to $5,000 for 10 grams. Once printed, the scaffold is implanted in the body along with small amounts of fat taken from the patient. READ MORE ON BIO-INK Google, Apple, Amazon will steal uni ‘customers’: IBM  official by James Wells May 25 2016 An education technologist (Simon Eassom from IBM) has argued that the biggest threat to any university isn’t its rival down the road, nor even the one in the neighbouring state or country; it’s the ones that universities don’t actually consider competitors. http://www.campusreview.com.au/2016/05/google-apple-amazon-will-steal-university-customers/ Context-based assessment: creating opportunities for resonance between classroom fields and societal fields International Journal of Science Education Volume 38, Issue 8, 2016 pages 1304-1342 Alberto Bellocchia, Donna T. King & Stephen M. Ritchie ABSTRACT There is on-going international interest in the relationships between assessment instruments, students’ understanding of science concepts and context-based curriculum approaches. This study extends earlier research showing that students can develop connections between contexts and concepts – called fluid transitions – when studying context-based courses. We provide an in-depth investigation of one student’s experiences with multiple contextual assessment instruments that were associated with a context-based course. We analyzed the student’s responses to context-based assessment instruments to determine the extent to which contextual tests, reports of field investigations, and extended experimental investigations afforded her opportunities to make connections between contexts and concepts. A system of categorizing student responses was developed that can inform other educators when analyzing student responses to contextual assessment. We also refine the theoretical construct of fluid transitions that informed the study initially. Implications for curriculum and assessment design are provided in light of the findings. READ ARTICLE Maria Sibylla Merian: First person in history to record insect metamorphosis The United Nations General Assembly has recently adopted an innovative and leading-edge resolution to encourage women and girls to achieve gender equality and empowerment in the male-dominated discipline of science. Resulting from this, they have declared 11 February as  International Day of Women and Girls in Science... The University of Queensland is also honouring the increasing number of women and girls embracing all aspects of science. Many celebrated the inaugural International Day of Women and Girls in Science.  READ MORE... New Canberra gene technology gets $7 million budget boost May 31 2016 Canberra Times: ACT News Natasha Boddy The ACT government will spend $7.3 million on new gene technology which could open the door to drug therapies that can be adapted to individual patients based on their genetics and medical conditions. Canberra Clinical Genomics director Professor Matthew Cook from ANU said the new centre would make a real difference to patients' lives.  READ MORE... STEM conference: poster presentations : Higher Education Academy 18 downloadable poster presentations. Includes: Video diaries: aid for laboratory report writing Dr Jo Wallace, Aberystwyth University  Mathematics teaching and learning in FdEng programmes on a FE context: design of a unified mathematics curriculum Dr Joana Amorim, Oxford Brookes University  How can Mathematics students become confident communicators through writing? Dr Chinny Nzekwe-Excel, Aston University  READ MORE ...  This science teacher’s drawings prove he should teach art too By Inigo del Castillo 13 JUN 16 Lost At E Minor Imagine coming in to art class and the substitute is the science teacher. In Taiwan, that’s highly possible, especially with professor Chuan-Bin Chung. The Taiwanese educator has gone viral after photos of his anatomical illustrations circulated online. READ MORE... Sorry about this, but Aussie kids won’t have a choice about studying maths By Larissa Bricis 20 JUN 16 TECHLY When compared globally via the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), Australia’s levels of mathematics literacy are… Well, they’re not terrible, but they sure aren’t anything of which to be proud. It’s genuinely worrying that Australia is under-performing internationally compared to STEM strong countries. READ MORE... Facebook's ad chief: Let's rethink STEM by Parija Kavilanz   @CNNTech April 14, 2016: 10:46 AM ET He's a passionate technologist for whom the stars aligned when he was a student at Harvard: Andrew Bosworth was a teaching assistant in an artificial intelligence class and Mark Zuckerberg was one of his students. Two years after graduating, the computer science major joined his former pupil at Facebook (FB, Tech30). He's currently Facebook's VP of advertising and pages. But when Bosworth, now 34, tells the story of his success, he reaches back into his childhood. READ MORE... RESOLVE TO WRITE MORE THIS YEAR: 5 IMPORTANT ARTICLES ABOUT WRITING By Joshua Fields Millburn , theminimalists.com For a long time I was an “aspiring” writer. Which means I didn’t write much. Sure, I aspired as hard as I could, and yet my quill produced nary a paragraph. Of course once I got serious, I stopped aspiring and started writing. Perhaps you, too, aspire too much, write too little. If so, then maybe this is the year to get serious. Here are five articles I’ve written about writing to help inspire that change. READ MORE... Aboriginal children learning about culture through animation techniques BRIANA SHEPHERD SAT 25 JUN 2016, 10:26 AM AEST ABC News A grassroots community program in Perth is using animation and technology to entice young Aboriginal children to learn and then share their family's culture and history. Students from nearby schools have been coming to the Champion Centre in Armadale once a week for the term-long project. It sees a number of volunteers help the students research, write, and then animate stories related to their family's culture. READ MORE ... Mathematics and Superheroes Plus Magazine interviewed Keith Mansfield, a mathematician who took his career into science fiction writing, publishing and TV. In this short interview he tells us how being able to do maths turns you into a superhero, helps you work out why we haven't yet been contacted by aliens, and remembers his favourite mathematical moment from school. Be inspired! Watch the video and access other material on Keith Mansfield HERE The Era of Universal Participation in Higher Education: Australian policy problems in relation to cost, equity and quality By Belinda Probert ISBN 9780994554635 Published by Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia Publication year 2016 The move towards universal levels of participation in higher education has been widely welcomed in Australia, as has the focus on improving the participation of under-represented equity groups. Although the challenges posed by universal levels of participation are becoming apparent, they are rarely analysed as a set of interdependent problems that threaten the quality of Australian higher education in the future. This paper uses the work of key thinkers such as Trow, Barnett and Douglass to identify the global structural pressures facing university systems at this time, before proposing some policy options to address the general problems of cost, equity and quality that might be relevant to the Australian context. The paper is addressed not only to policy makers, but to the academic community itself. Download at this page Using Minecraft to help children with autism develop social skills Ronan O'Connell 19 MAY 16 Techly A version of the wildly-popular Minecraft video game designed specifically to be played by kids with autism is helping protect these children against online bullying and aiding them to build social skills. Autcraft is a Minecraft server which is only for use by children with autism and their families. READ MORE...  How Risky Are The World Economic Forum’s Top 10 Emerging Technologies For 2016? By Andrew Maynard 24/06/2016, 21:23 IFLSCIENCE! .... it’s hard to predict the plausible downsides of emerging technologies. Yet this is exactly what is needed if we’re to ensure they’re developed responsibly in the long run. READ MORE...  Our world is changing more rapidly than at any other time with the influence of technology spreading to touch every aspect of our lives. Queensland children and young people are ready to engage in this exciting future. Through learning coding and robotics, we will prepare students for the jobs of the future and develop their skills in critical thinking, creativity, collaboration and innovation. READ MORE... Download the Discussion Paper Handy Resource of the week! Media releases Friday 13 May 2016 Improving primary mathematics teaching Improvements to how future primary teachers learn to teach maths have been recommended in a Board of Studies, Teaching and Educational Standards (BOSTES) report. READ MORE... The “L-functions and Modular Forms Database”, abbreviated to the arguably catchier “LMFDB”, is an online catalogue of millions of mathematical objects and how they are related: READ MORE in COSMOS A new way to explore the mathematical universe Scientists are expecting big things to come from a new online resource that shows how mathematical objects relate to one another. Viviane Richter reports. Quality Schools, Quality Outcomes You can download and read the Australian Government’s report   at:  www.education.gov.au/quality-schools-quality-outcomes COMMUNIQUE: Building productive industry-university collaboration in ICT The Office of the Chief Scientist has issued a communique on the Building productive industry-university collaboration in ICT Forum. On 21 April, the Office of the Chief Scientist, Australian Information Industry Association, Australian Council of Deans of ICT, and the Australian Council of Deans of Engineering convened a national forum to chart the future for Australian ICT education. More than 90 leaders from business, government and universities came together to discuss the needs of the future economy, and the implications for degree programs. The communique outlines the focus, key outcomes and actions being considered as a result of the Forum. READ MORE (including the communique)... The Ultimate Science Guide - free resource The Ultimate Science Guide is the annual go-to publication for high school students, teachers and parents looking for information on career opportunities, where and what to study and how-to advice on surviving uni. The 2016 Ultimate Science Guide is packed full of information on the latest STEM careers, study options and how you can make a difference just by thinking big.  READ MORE... ‘Deadly’ maths program sees prime future for Indigenous students QUT's YuMi Deadly Centre has been selected to deliver the mathematics element of a new project to direct Indigenous students toward a STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) career.  READ MORE ... CSIRO BLOG 27TH APRIL 2016  A scientist, IT professional, engineer and mathematician walk into a classroom…. By Ofa Fitzgibbons  Getting students excited about specialised subjects at school can sometimes be a tough slog. Most of us can recall going to class and wondering why we have to make a battery out of lemons or dissect a frog. But helping students understand their relevance and apply science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) can build interest, confidence, creativity and out-of-the-box thinking. READ MORE Aussie students pinned to be global science successors By Laura Methorst 28TH APRIL 2016 1700 students far from home, science and engineering projects as far as the eye can see and thousands of tiny sharp objects all in one place could easily be the stuff of nightmares. READ MORE 10 technologies inspired by nature COSMOS FEATURE TECHNOLOGY 12 April 2016 After 3.5 billion years of intensive R&D, nature has come up with some ingenious solutions for everything from defying gravity with stickiness to surviving a century-long dehydration using sugar.  Sometimes living systems directly inspire scientists and engineers to develop new technologies. Cathal O'Connell has a rundown. https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/10-technologies-inspired-nature Proceedings of The Australian Conference on Science and Mathematics Education (2015) Reconceptualising mathematics and science teacher education programs David Hoxley, Michelle Livett, Cristina Varsavsky Reconceptualising Mathematics and Science Teacher Education Programs (ReMSTEP) is a project established under the Enhancing the Training of Mathematics and Science Teachers Programme of the Office of Learning and Teaching (OLT).  http://openjournals.library.usyd.edu.au/index.php/IISME/article/view/8853 AND Using the island to teach statistics through data investigations: A pilot project in Australian secondary schools James Baglin, Minh Huynh Declines in secondary school students’ attitudes towards, and participation in, mathematics and science are cause for concern. In 2012, a report from the Office of the Chief Scientist called for universities and schools to develop partnerships aimed at improving mathematics and science education in schools. http://openjournals.library.usyd.edu.au/index.php/IISME/article/view/8785 Top 5 Under 40 | UNSW Australia -https://www.unsw.edu.au/top5under40 Are you a young scientist with a flair and passion for communicating your research? UNSW and ABC RN have teamed up again for Top 5 under 40, an exciting initiative to discover Australia’s next generation of science communicators and give them a voice.  Applications are now open for outstanding early career researchers under 40 who are working in Australian universities and research organisations across science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medical researchFollowing a nationwide call out, the 10 most promising science communicators will be shortlisted for interview by a panel of judges. The Top 5 winners will undertake a two-week media residency in Sydney at RN, the ABC’s national ideas network, supported by UNSW, one of Australia's leading universities.  Who learns in maths classes depends on how maths is taught Kelly E Matthews Lecturer in Higher Education, The University of Queensland December 30, 2013  Queensland Facility for Advanced Genome Editing The Queensland Facility for Advanced Genome Editing (QFAGE) provides expert genetic modification (GM) services using CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing and standard transgenic (TG) mouse production technologies. Established in January 2016 at the Institute for Molecular Bioscience, QFAGE offers a flexible service to help life sciences and biomedical research groups make the most of this valuable technology. Read more ... Everything you need to know about gravitational waves in the 12 Feb issue of COSMOS The art and beauty of mathematics Why couldn't high school mathematics be more like this? Basic concepts and equations produce thousands of intricate and unique images. Belinda Smith chats to mathematics student and artist Hamid Naderi Yeganeh. Emily Singer, Science Date of Publication: 04.09.16. 04.09.16 Time of Publication: 7:00 am.   http://www.wired.com/2016/04/map-brain-teach-machines-see-like/?mbid=social_fb A Map of the Brain Could Teach Machines to See Like You Photo: Andreas Tolias (left), shown here with his student R.J. Cotton, is co-leading one of the Micron teams. Baylor College of Medicine Australia’s STEM Workforce Australia’s Chief Scientist Dr Alan Finkel released ‘Australia’s STEM Workforce,’ a major review of Australia’s current capacities in STEM education and the prospects for the future for a STEM educated workforce.  Summary: So what was the report all about?  Women of Science Headsup! Women of Science - National Press Club of Australia https://npc.org.au/speakers/women-of-science/ This event March 31 2016 featured:  Emma Johnston is a Professor of Marine Ecology and Ecotoxicology at the University of New South Wales and Director of the Sydney Harbour Research Program at the Sydney Institute of Marine Science.  Professor Nalini Joshi became entranced by numbers during an unusual childhood in Burma and inspired by astrophysics as a teenager in Australia. She is an ARC Georgina Sweet Australian Laureate Fellow in mathematics at the University of Sydney. Professor Tanya Monro is Deputy Vice Chancellor Research and Innovation and an ARC Georgina Sweet Laureate Fellow at the University of South Australia. L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Fellowships 2016 Each year the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science program recognises the achievements of outstanding female scientists in over 100 countries. Since 1998, over 2250 women have been awarded Fellowships to support their continued research. 2016 marks the 10th anniversary of For Women in Science in Australia and there will be four fellowships worth $25,000 each available – three for Australia and one for New Zealand. Applications close Tuesday 12 April. Eligible candidates must be within five years of completing their PhD and an Australian or New Zealand citizen or permanent resident.  For more information click here - https://www.forwomeninscience.com.au/  http://chemnet.edu.au/chem-pck Pedagogical Content Knowledge Project Pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) encompasses carefully selected analogies, examples, explanations and demonstrations used by a teacher to make a topic comprehensible to students. It includes an understanding of what makes the big ideas difficult to grasp, along with an awareness of common misconceptions. A useful paper describing PCK for tertiary chemistry is Bucat, Chemistry Education: Research and Practice, 2004 This project aims to collect PCK from experienced chemistry lecturers. To do so, participants are first introduced to the concept of PCK. They are then invited to express their own PCK for a specific chemistry topic using the CoRe framework developed by John Loughran and his colleagues. The full list of CoRe questions is found in this paper. Big ideas within tertiary chemistry teaching are being discussed as the organising principles for PCK. As part of this project, all Federally funded projects in chemistry education since 1995 have been re-examined and their outcomes are being disseminated to encourage use of existing PCK. The list of projects with their reports and other materials is available here. Support for this project has been provided by the Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching. The views expressed in this project do not necessarily reflect the views of the Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching. The project team for this project is Madeleine Schultz (QUT) and Gwen Lawrie (UQ). Project officers were Bronwin Dargaville and Chantal Bailey, whose work is gratefully acknowledged. For more information, please contact madeleine.schultz@qut.edu.au.  Record Level of Partner Engagement for TEDxSydney 2016 TEDxSydney is the leading platform and pipeline for the propagation of Australian ideas, creativity and innovation to the rest of the world. The 7th annual TEDxSydney event will be held within the Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House on Wednesday 25 May 2016. Read more ... Do you want to have a say in the Future of Work? JLL & TEDxSydney recognise that the work habits of the TEDxSydney community are a window into the future. We’re excited to explore the changing nature of our cities, built environment and workplaces of the future. We want you to collaborate with us to get a glimpse into the Future of Work. Sounds interesting? Complete the survey for your chance to be a co-designer of the Future of Work.  This artist turns climate data into works of art Glaciogenic Art : Communication of Scientific Research through Art “Art is a uniquely articulate lens: through it I can address environmental concerns to raise awareness and inspire people to take action.” - Jill Pelto  http://www.1millionwomen.com.au/blog/artist-turns-climate-data-works-art/ ACS Foundation: BiG Day In - Animal Logic 2016 Published on Mar 21, 2016 'Animal Logic & the use of Computers in Making Films' - Luke Emrose, Animal Logic Gravity Sketch: 3D modeling for everyone Posted by Mansee • March 24, 2016 • Using a virtual plane, the app allows users to see their designs in real-time as they are “sketching.”  see it also talked about in WIRED 25 March 2016 Playlist: New tech new morals  With technical advancement comes great ethical responsibility. In these talks, amazing, life-altering feats of science make us ask: How could we mess this up? Mathematics Teachers Hub on the Sunshine Coast - MATHS Network has a Facebook page! Lots of events and resources! Students as teachers effective in STEM subjects Peer to peer learning model is gaining traction according to new study at Syracuse University Date:March 17, 2016 Source:Syracuse University  Summary:In the traditional college learning structure, students enter the classroom and place their focus on the classroom instructor. But researchers are finding that higher levels of academic success may be achieved by adopting an alternative pedagogical model, one which has a recent student teaching fellow students.  Read more. Q&A science special | Mon 14 Mar 2016 Tony Jones hosts a science special featuring: physicist, Brian Greene; astrophysicist, Tamara Davis; Australia's Chief Scientist, Alan Finkel; Marine ecologist, Emma Johnston & molecular biologist, Upulie Divisekera. #QandA Brian Greene, Tamara Davis, Alan Finkel, Emma Johnston, Upulie Divisekera http://iview.abc.net.au/programs/qanda/NC1603H007S00 Professor Carl Wieman and Dr. Sarah Gilbert – UQ Public Seminar The Institute for Teaching and Learning and Faculty of Science were pleased to host Professor Carl Wieman, Nobel Laureate (Department of Physics and Graduate School of Education, Stanford University) and Dr. Sarah Gilbert (The Carl Wieman Science Education Initiative at the University of British Columbia) for the following events on the 7 - 8 March 2016: Public seminar with Q&A by Prof. Carl Wieman: A Scientific Approach to Teaching Science and Engineering. (more info, view presentation, view recording [may require login] If you don't have a login watch this similar address Professor Wieman gave at University of California, Davis on Jan. 25, 2016 as part of as part of the Chancellor Linda Katehi's Colloquium Distinguished Speaker Series 2015-16. Push for Year 12 maths prerequisites for STEM degrees Kate Aubusson  SMH, Date March 17, 2016   All year 12 students should be made to study intermediate mathematics if they want to enrol in a science, engineering or commerce degree at university, according to a national report by the Australian Academy of Science (AAS).  Read more See also  Maths must be mandatory prerequisite for certain university degrees, experts say by Lucy CarterABC The World Today 17 March 2016 and Universities should require science, engineering and commerce students to know their maths  Deborah King and John Rice March 18, 2016  New ten-year plan for mathematics to be launched today March 17, 2016 Mid-level maths should be made a pre-requisite for students looking to enrol in science, engineering or commerce degrees according to a new ten-year plan for mathematics in Australia to be launched today by the education minister.  Currently only 14 per cent of Australian universities require science students to have studied intermediate mathematics in Year 12.  The plan, developed by the National Committee for Mathematical Sciences, makes a dozen key recommendations including increasing professional development for out-of-field maths teachers and a new national mathematics research centre to link industry and research. It also highlights an urgent need to address the low participation of women and rural Australians in the mathematical sciences.  The plan was developed after extensive consultation with mathematical scientists in schools, universities, government agencies and industry. SEE MORE  Aussie teens take on the world in robotics challenge by Patrick Avenell Campus Review 14 March 2016 More than 50 teams representing countries throughout South-east Asia will descend on Homebush, in Sydney, this week for the FIRST Robotics Competition, a competition for high schoolers to test their STEM skills against international rivals. READ ON KEYNOTE ADDRESS to the National Press Club for Science Meets Parliament | Australia's Chief Scientist On 02 March 2016,Dr Finkel addressed the National Press Club as part of the 16th Annual Science Meets Parliament event run by Science and Technology Australia. Dr Finkel’s speech can be read below or downloaded as a pdf. Introducing the World's First 3D Printed Aluminum Drone    Back in January we brought Aluminum to our maker community, giving you another great option for 3D printing. Last week, Fusion Imaging, an Australian based design duo, took this to a whole 'nother level. They built an entire drone from our 3D printed aluminum. Strong, lightweight and heat resistant, Fusion took their drone for a test flight. The results may astound you. Read the story on our blog and watch the video of the inaugural flight for "Project Eclipse." You will be amazed by how fast it goes!    Alan Alda on the art of science communication: ‘I want to tell you a story’ March 9 2016 Alan is in Australia this month to help spread his message about the importance of communicating science and he spoke with Will Grant and Rod Lamberts from the Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science at the ANU. SPARQ-ed™ (Students Performing Advanced Research Queensland)  http://www.di.uq.edu.au/sparq-ed a unique educational facility established as a collaboration between The University of Queensland's Diamantina Institute (UQDI) and Queensland's Department of Education and Training (DET).  aims to promote excellence and innovation in biological and biomedical education by delivering world class specialist programs to Queensland school students and their teachers. The SPARQ-ed facility is located in the Translational Research Institute (TRI) in Woolloongabba, Brisbane. It features a state of the art biomedical teaching laboratory and online learning area on the ground floor of the TRI building where participants can work alongside scientists from TRI's partner institutes. First established in 2009, SPARQ-ed is coordinated by Anne Brant and Shannon Walsh, registered teachers employed by DET. How ‘Silent Spring’ Ignited the Environmental Movement http://nyti.ms/P3yGKz On June 4, 1963, less than a year after the controversial environmental classic “Silent Spring” was published, its author, Rachel Carson, testified before a Senate subcommittee on pesticides. She was 56 and dying of breast cancer. She told almost no one. READ ON Simone Giertz - Applause Machine! Cultivating the next generation of 3D designers The Shapeways EDU program allows students from around the world to start pushing the boundaries of 3D printing. Over the years, we have seen some amazing designs come from the minds of our youngest designers.  Designer Spotlight Interview : Chip van Gilder    Australian Academy of Science - Everyday Science: "Rise of the machines" | YouTube | February 9, 2016 A talk from our Everyday Science public speaker series from Professor Hugh Durrant-Whyte (The University of Sydney) on how automation, big data and robotics are changing everything from mining and agriculture to how we deliver medical care.  [FFW to 4:00mins to skip intro > total 1 hour]    New MOOC launched at the World Science Festival Brisbane 11 March 2016 More secondary school students than ever will have access to science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects after a new Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), launched at the World Science Festival Brisbane on Thursday (10 March). QUERY101x Question Everything: Scientific Thinking in Real Life was developed by a team of Brisbane Grammar School maths and science teachers and online learning specialists from The University of Queensland, and will be open to a global audience. Visit uqx.uq.edu.au to find out more and register. Boosting science and maths study starts in primary school By Holly Bennett The numbers of students studying maths and science at senior secondary and tertiary levels are in terminal decline, but specialist primary teachers may offer a vital breakthrough. Women in STEM: On UN International Day of Women and Girls in Science, meet five scientists making strides | ABC News http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-11/five-women-in-stem-at-top-of-their-fields/7157750 STEAM: How art can help maths students - Tom Joyner  SMH February 10, 2016  A Sydney school has appointed the nation's first science, technology, engineering, art and maths director .... Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/national/education/steam-how-art-can-help-maths-students-20160210-gmqlfg.html#ixzz40HqTiqoe Photo: Janie Barrett Wise women: females in science tell their stories February 11, 2016 | Campus Review http://www.campusreview.com.au/2016/02/wise-women-females-in-science-tell-their-stories/ 2015 ITEMS Items of Interest - a grab bag! 2015 ACSME proceedings now online at : http://openjournals.library.usyd.edu.au/index.php/IISME/issue/view/729 Reconceptualising mathematics and science teacher education programs | Hoxley http://openjournals.library.usyd.edu.au/index.php/IISME/article/view/8853 Opening Real Science: Engaging primary teacher education students with science and mathematics | Stewart http://openjournals.library.usyd.edu.au/index.php/IISME/article/view/8872 Using The Island* to teach statistics though data investigations: A pilot project in Australian secondary schools | Baglin *This pilot project used an online simulation of a human population, known as “The Island” (Bulmer [UQ] & Haladyn, 2011)  http://openjournals.library.usyd.edu.au/index.php/IISME/article/view/8785 Facing the challenges of undergraduate mathematics education: findings from the FYiMaths project - Deborah King, Joann Cattlin Transfer of first year mathematical learning in stem disciplinary university assessment Yoshitaka Nakakoji, Rachel Wilson, Leon Poladian  Using journal articles to build and assess communication skills in undergraduate mathematics Leon Poladian, Collin Zheng Oral assessment in science and mathematics: how, what, and why? Heather Lonsdale, Anthony Morphett, Leon Poladian This project aims to create a networking framework that promotes teaching leadership in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. Project dates:  This is a two year funded project.   Start date: March 2014    End date: March 2016 Grants and funding:  This is a federally funded project – Office of Learning and Teaching   Priority Two Project: Leadership for Excellence in Learning and Teaching 2013. Disciplinary and Cross Disciplinary Leadership University of Wollongong CLOWD Rooms CLOWD stands for Collaborative Learners, Occupants Working Dynamically and it reflects the 21st-Century style of collaborative and cooperative learning that happens in the room. IMSITE is proud to have sponsored the room, with the assistance of the Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, and the UOW Outreach division.  Click on the photo to read more about it. Art versus science: A beautiful pairing for Erica Seccombe February 20 2015 Canberra Times Sally Pryor Back in 2005 when Seccombe approached the Department of Applied Mathematics at ANU, keen to use X-ray technology in her art, employing plastic animals as subjects, she had no idea how fruitful the relationship would turn out to be. She began working with Tim Senden, who is head of the department, and Ajay Limaye, at VizLab in the ANu Supercomputer facility, who had only recently created the software Drishti ("insight" in Sanskrit) used to visualise data. READ MORE Publication Coach : Why you should spend your first 30 minutes writing Reading time: Just over 3 minutes  Raymond Chandler's routine: (1) you can write, or, (2) you can sit there doing nothing. Here is my best advice on how to prioritize writing…. I learned some hard lessons when I wrote my first book. It took me more than a year of angst-ridden, slogging work, and while I had very brief patches of playfulness, and was proud of the finished product, I didn’t enjoy the whole process nearly enough.  TeachConnect - Connecting teachers to help educate the next generation   http://www.teachconnect.edu.au/index.php?r=user/auth/login TeachConnect is an altruistic network of pre-service, current and experienced teachers across Queensland. It’s free and always will be - because it’s owned by you, the teachers.  TeachConnect is a simple idea - a platform to let you talk to other teachers and to benefit from the experiences of others. Teachers tend to be generous in sharing their knowledge. TeachConnect is about making sure that this knowledge can be re-used by the whole community of Queensland teachers. Measuring pre-service primary teachers’ knowledge for teaching mathematics. Mathematics Teacher Education and Development, 14(2), 70-90. Beswick, K. & Goos. M. (2012). Full text available at - Measuring pre-service primary teachers’ knowledge for teaching mathematics (PDF) New Mathematics Education Special Interest Group of AustMS -fyimaths.org.au/2015/05/28/new-mathematics-education-special-interest-group-of-austms/  In response to growing interest among mathematicians in tertiary mathematics education, a new Mathematics Education Special Interest Group has been established by AustMS. This also follows on from research projects such as FYiMaths and mathsassess (both funded by the Office for Learning and Teaching) and conferences such as Delta, ACSME (Australian Conference for Science and Mathematics Education) and ANZMC8. The establishment of a "Mathematics Education SIG" is designed to ensure that AustMS members can contribute to, and be informed of, the current national discussions in tertiary mathematics education. New QILT website online – comparing quality of learning and teaching across Australian Universities. How do mathematics degrees compare?  http://www.qilt.edu.au/ The Klein Project is a project of ICMI and IMU (the world bodies of mathematicians and mathematics educators respectively). The aim of the project is to produce readable material on contemporary mathematics for the pleasure of mathematics teachers of senior secondary or college students. You are invited to visithttp://blog.kleinproject.org, or simply Google “Klein Project Blog”.  Our main product to date are what we call Klein Vignettes. These are short pieces (8-10 pages) written for teachers but containing significant mathematical content. They are freely downloadable and may be reproduced under creative commons conventions. The blog also contains 'Book of the Month' and 'Site of the Month' entries.  Professor Masami Isoda  (University of Tsukuba, Japan)  LessonStudy: Problem Solving Approaches in Mathematics Education as a Japanese Experience Professor Masami Isoda recieved the title of Honorary Professor from Universidad San Ignatio de Loyora, Peru The title ‘honorary professor’ was given for his outstanding achievement in the field of mathematics education ....  Mathematical Thinking, How to Develop it in the Classroom   Developing mathematical thinking is one of major aims of mathematics education. In mathematics education research, there are a number of researches which describe what it is and how we can observe in experimental research. However, teachers have difficulties developing it in the classrooms.  This book is the result of lesson studies over the past 50 years. It describes three perspectives of mathematical thinking: Mathematical Attitude (Minds set), Mathematical Methods in General and Mathematical Ideas with Content and explains how to develop them in the classroom with illuminating examples. New Maths Ed special interest group @AustMS #SIGME The new AustMS Special Interest Group in Mathematics Education (SIGME) is up and running and seeking members. An article in the AustMS Gazette (Sept15) provides some background. The group is open to all mathematicians, statisticians and mathematics teachers.  For more information about the group go to the SIG website. WELCOME TO THE SCIENTIX BLOG Through this blog, people connected to Scientix (EUN colleagues, Scientix Ambassadors and Deputy Ambassadors, Scientix friends) will publish personal stories on science education in Europe.  The opinions in the articles are the sole responsibility of the corresponding authors and they do not represent the opinion of the European Commission, European Schoolnet (EUN) nor Scientix, and neither the Commission nor EUN nor Scientix are responsible for any use that might be made of information contained herein. For official news, please check the Scientix website: www.scientix.eu Check out:  10 points for exploring Maths creatively! and  Code camp for girls 11 TED Talks for Educators https://globaldigitalcitizen.org/11-inspiring-ted-talks-for-modern-educators 1. John Hunter and the World Peace Game 2. Sugata Mitra—Build a School in the Cloud 3. Marcin Jakubowski—Open-Sourced Blueprints for Civilization 4. Neil Gershenfeld—Unleash Your Creativity in a Fab Lab 5. Dale Dougherty—We Are Makers 6. David Kelley—How to Build Your Creative Confidence 7. Gever Tulley—Life Lessons Through Tinkering 8. Navi Radjou—Creative Problem-Solving in the Face of Extreme Limits 9. Jack Andraka—A Promising Test for Pancreatic Cancer … From a Teenager 10. William Kamkwamba—How I Harnessed the Wind 11. Logan LaPlante—Hackschooling Makes Me Happy Bonus:  Christopher Emdin—Teach Teachers how to Create Magic AITSL's monthly eNews for educators http://eepurl.com/bwsS0z ICYMI - Impact survey  'Demonstrating evidence of impact’ is a phrase that’s increasingly heard in discussions around quality in education. This issue of eNews joins the debate with a position paper on initial teacher education that seeks responses from the profession and we have views from a practising Principal in a guest blog.  Publisher's note: A case for better science teaching Teenagers are opting out of science. So how can we make it relevant, asks Alan Finkel. Emilie du Chatelet: the woman science forgot Émilie du Châtelet was a gifted mathematician and Voltaire’s mistress. Together they spearheaded Newton’s revolution in France. Robyn Arianrhod tells the tale. COSMOS podcasts Teaching strategies Using Creativity to Boost Young Children’s Mathematical Thinking | MindShift | KQED News “...creativity is not fluff or an add-on, but is instead an essential part of what it means to be a mathematician.” Five reasons to teach robotics in schools | The Conversation | October 27, 2015  Leon Sterling, Professor Emeritus, Swinburne University of Technology  http://theconversation.com/five-reasons-to-teach-robotics-in-schools-49357 STEM ‘to drive future of nation' The Australian DAMON KITNEY EDUCATION 16 Nov 2015 Westpac’s chief information officer, Dave Curran, calls it a program of “national significance”. Which is why the bank will offer mentors for half a dozen “journeys” as part of the inaugural Day of STEM program designed to bolster science, technology, engineering and maths education across the economy....Global IT giant Cisco will also offer a mentor to show students how the cloud is built. It will provide another focused on the socalled “'internet of things'', digging into the processes allowing you to control household devices from your mobile phone. http://m.theaustralian.com.au/business/companies/stem-to-drive-nations-future-says-westpacs-dave-curran/story-fn91v9q3-1227610024928 SAS data scientists to mentor STEM students Chief analytics officer Evan Stubbs wants to show students that maths and science are not “abstract dry subjects” Hamish Barwick (Computerworld) on 17 November, 2015 15:51 http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/589059/sas-data-scientists-mentor-stem-students/ Knowledge Nation 100 http://www.knowledgenation.com.au/ The Australian Government released its Innovation and Science Agenda on 7 December 2015. Knowledge Nation - a summit for the jobs and skills of tomorrow - is the platform for one hundred leaders of Australia's knowledge economy to convene with policymakers and key stakeholders to galvanise around a common agenda and turn ambition into action. Australia's best thinkers, researchers, knowledge creators, industry and university leaders, state and federal governments, and media partners will gather in Sydney on March 21 for this critical national conversation. The Government has a key role to play in setting a vision for the future of the nation and putting in place the policies that allow Australians to succeed and prosper. This Agenda is an important step on the path to a more innovative and entrepreneurial economy. National Innovation and Science Agenda - Report.pdf (4.22 MB) PM Malcolm Turnbull calls for'ideas boom' as he unveils $1b vision for Australia's future - ABC News(Australian Broadcasting Corporation) WOMEN IN THE SCIENCE RESEARCH WORKFORCE: IDENTIFYING AND SUSTAINING THE DIVERSITY ADVANTAGE Professor Sharon Bell and Professor Lyn Yates with assistance from Dr Robyn May and Dr Huong Nguyen The research described in this report was supported by an Australian Research Council Linkage Grant (LP110200480, 2011-2014) with Industry Partners the Bio21 Cluster / Biomedical Research Victoria, the Royal Australian Chemical Institute and Science and Technology Australia. The host institution was the University of Melbourne. http://www.lhmartininstitute.edu.au/documents/publications/wmn-in-sci-rsrch-rprt-web-070915.pdf "How to Learn Math: For Teachers and Parents" - Stanford Center for Professional Development http://scpd.stanford.edu/ppc/how-learn-math-teachers-and-parents YOUCUBED - at Stanford University:  "Inspiring ALL Math Learners" https://www.youcubed.org/  Maths assess A guide to implementing criteria based assessment in undergraduate mathematics Limited quantities of the printed Maths assess guide are now available. If you would like a copy, please complete the form on thecontact page at:   http://mathsassess.org/ http://www.science.uq.edu.au/career-profiles Why study science? Careers that started in science aims to inspire and reveal a broad range of opportunities. The scientists profiled have used their qualifications to catapult them into rewarding and diverse roles across the globe. In their day-to-day work many contribute towards solving global challenges such as climate change, curing illnesses, exploring space frontiers, developing new, life-saving drugs and protecting the environment. You will learn about their career path, salary range, qualifications and experiences: view the publication online or as apdf Science of Learning Research Centre August 2014 Newsletter  SLRC presentations are available at - www.slrc.org.au More information on Professor Butterworth and Professor Laurillard’s research can be found atwww.mathematicalbrain.com and www.number-sense.co.uk Books:  Teaching Secondary School Mathematics: Research and practice for the 21st Century. Authors: Merrilyn Goos, Gloria Stillman, Colleen Vale Teaching Secondary School Mathematics A Portable Introduction to Data Analysis Welcome to the fifth edition of A Portable Introduction to Data Analysis -http://www.maths.uq.edu.au/~mrb/pida/pida5/ Adam Spencer's Big Book of Numbers - all the mathematics, science, pop culture, history and general trivia of the first 100 counting numbers! https://adamspencer.com.au/  Welcome to The Sixth Wave - a book by James Bradfield Moody and Bianca Nogrady -http://sixthwave.org/  Art and Mathematics blog: https://shapingcolour.wordpress.com/ This blog documents the interaction between Liz Shreeve (artist) and Leon Poladian (mathematician) as they learn about each other's work and share their insights. See also Liz's exhibition "Culture at Work" at:http://www.cultureatwork.com.au/liz-shreeve-exhibition-cluster-growth/  Every World In A Grain Of Sand: John Nash’s Astonishing Geometry May 27, 2015 | by Daniel Mathews http://www.iflscience.com/physics/every-world-grain-sand-john-nash-s-astonishing-geometry From CSIRO: Tomorrow's Digitally Enabled Workforce  This report examines plausible futures for jobs and employment markets in Australia over the coming twenty years. The Challenge Why is now any different? Whilst Australia's workforce is continually changing the current period in history is characterised by a combination of forces likely to be associated with greater, faster and different transitions than previously experienced. Our Response Megatrends and Scenarios The study has identified six megatrends for jobs and employment markets over the coming twenty years. https://blog.csiro.au/weve-landed-welcome-to-our-new-home/                        Waving not drowning: actor and Author Michael Veitch dives into Australian marine research To celebrate the launch of his book Southern Surveyor: Stories from on board Australia’s research vessel, we invited author and actor Michael Veitch to recount his experiences writing about the vessel, and share three of his favourite stories from the book. The Shapeways Blog - 3D Printed Anatomy: "There's a lot of talk about 3D printing in medicine, and we love to see the various ways our community uses the technology to learn more about the human body. For example, a team of clinicians, architects and engineers is creating custom trachea stents using wax molds 3D printed by Shapeways. Creating these custom stents for involves CT scanning and 3D printing." [See www.shapeways.com]   Custom trachea stent from render to 3D print "Of course, it's not all implants and surgery. We've seen some amazing medical-inspired designs go through our printers including red blood cell pendants, tooth models and even a brain-shaped bottle opener!" HOT OFF THE PRESS!!! Chemistry: Core Concepts 1st Edition - by Allan Blackman, Adam Bridgeman, Gwendolyn Lawrie, Daniel Southam, Christopher Thompson www.readings.com.au/products/19790269/chemistry-core-concepts-1st-edition SPECIAL ISSUES:   IN PRESS: Special issue of International Journal of Innovation in Science and Mathematics Education (IJ-ISME) on "Link between Tertiary Science Education and Employability" - Guest Editors: Dr Louise Kuchel (UQ), Prof Janet Hergt (UMelb)and Stephanie Beames (UQ) Contact s.beames@uq.edu.au for further information. Special issue of International Journal of Innovation in Science and Mathematics Education (IJ-ISME) on Assessing Laboratory Learning in Undergraduate Science Guest Editors: Dr Madeleine Schultz (QUT), Dr Stefan Huth (La Trobe) and Stephanie Beames (UQ) Details at: http://www.chemnet.edu.au/?q=node/88 Special issue of International Journal of Innovation in Science and Mathematics Education (IJ-ISME) on Inquiry and Problem-Solving in the Undergraduate Science Curriculum Guest Editors: Dr Gerry Rayner and Dr Christopher Thompson (Monash) and Professor Les Kirkup (UTS) Details at: http://www.iolinscience.com.au/2014/07/ijisme-special-edition Special issue of the International Journal of Innovation in Science and Mathematics Education on the mathematical preparation of tertiary students has been published at:  http://openjournals.library.usyd.edu.au/index.php/CAL/issue/view/696 Special issues of the International Journal of Innovation in Science and Mathematics Education on Science Communication, and Biology Education, have been published at: http://openjournals.library.usyd.edu.au/index.php/CAL/issue/archive Vol 22, No 5 (2014) Vol 22, No 4 (2014) Vol 22, No 3 (2014) Vol 22, No 2 (2014) Journal of Learning Design A special issue of the Journal of Learning Design on Assessment for Learning Outcomes in Science has been published at: https://www.jld.edu.au/issue/view/28  Chemical Detectives - iPad app developed by Monash University https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/chemical-detectives/id741760895?mt=8  Challenge Your Friends to a Duel! In Chemical Detectives you can set up a challenge between classmates and friends. Set the timer, and the number of problems, then GO! You can also choose from easy, medium or hard, which toggles between multiple choice and full text-entry, which is the best way to master your naming skills. Maybe even challenge your teachers!  This FREE app is designed for both iPhone and iPad Updated: 27 March 2014 - Version: 1.1 Size: 10.6 MB Language: English - Seller: Nick Randall - © 2013 Monash University Go To Top!  QandA episode: "The future of science" - available on ABC TV iView: http://iview.abc.net.au/programs/qanda  Suzanne Cory, Peter Doherty, Brian Schmidt, Marita Cheng, Ian Chubb To discuss the future of science, Tony Jones is joined by molecular biologist Suzanne Cory, immunologist Peter Doherty; astrophysicist Brian Schmidt; Young Australian of the Year Marita Cheng; Chief Scientist Ian Chubb. This episode was broadcast at 9:35pm on Monday 15 September 2014 and is available until 10:35pm on 15 October 2014. File size approx. 310 MB  16 September 2014, 5.05pm AEST Passion, patience and persistence are needed by today’s scientists Author:Ian Chubb, Chief Scientist for Australia theconversation.com  The Drawing Room Tuesday 1 December 2015 7:15PM How many mathematicians to change a light bulb? Lily Serna, TV host and mathematician, says her father always engaged her in great mathematical stories. Australia's favourite mathematician, Adam Spencer, agrees that stories are the key to sparking the mathematical imagination of both girls and boys. They join Patricia Karvelas in The Drawing Room. (available for download MP3 7.08MB) Science, technology, engineering and mathematics: Australia’s future Recommendations: STEM Australia's Future (PDF)  Australian Industry Group - Progressing STEM Skills in Australia - March 2015 Now available: REPORT: Work Integrated Learning in STEM in Australian Universities  In June 2015, the report Work Integrated Learning in STEM in Australian Universities was released. The report was produced by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) and drew on interviews of 120 staff from STEM faculties representing every public university in Australia. The Occasional Paper STEM-trained and job-ready, released by the Office of the Chief Scientist on 31 August 2015, included findings from this report. Australia 2025: Smart Science Australia 2025: Smart Science website Australia in 2025 will be: strong, prosperous, healthy and secure and positioned to benefit all Australians in a rapidly changing world. We are told that Australia will need a diverse economy built on sustainable productivity growth, knowledge-based industries and high value goods and services. In this series, we invited 12 senior figures in a range of disciplines to prepare an essay describing how their discipline or area will contribute to the Australia of the future. Australian ‘STEM’ research needs coherence: Chief Scientist strategy -   STEM Research Needs Coherence Smart Science symposium with Chief Scientist: Live Stream now available  --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chief Scientist Dr Alan Finkel on jobs, robots, super-intelligence View full story at: http://tinyurl.com/pq7wtku Shoba Rao, News Corp Australia Network  "When asked how are we going to get Australian kids to study subjects such as science, technology, engineering and maths that are crucial to our ability to be innovative, he spoke of altering “old-fashioned” ways of teaching them." Dr Alan Finkel, the nation’s new Chief Scientist, told Lateline TV show that robotics and super-intelligence are on their way... Transforming STEM teaching in Australian primary schools: everybody’s business The paper comes at a critical time with the Federal Government releasing the National Innovation and Science Agenda this week. The Agenda includes an initiative to support primary school teachers to implement a new digital technologies curriculum, helping prepare young Australians for 21st century jobs.It also notes the Federal Government has announced that all future primary pre-service teachers will be equipped with at least one subject specialisation, including a priority on science and mathematics. Now Hiring! Empirically Testing a Three-Step Intervention to Increase Faculty Gender Diversity in STEM  (1) Enhance the competence of the search committee by delivering concrete strategies for conducting a broad applicant search in the form of a printed “faculty search toolkit. (2) Enhance the autonomy of the search committee by showing them how to gain better control over possible unintentional biases in their decisionmaking through a 30¬minute oral presentation by a faculty member on the role of implicit gender bias in skewing the candidate-screening and interview processes. (3) Enhance the relatedness of the search process more generally by both connecting the search committee with a peer faculty member who was supportive during the entire search process and by specifically connecting job finalists with a faculty “family advocate”. http://bioscience.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2015/10/09/biosci.biv138.abstract The power of mentoring  http://www.sciencemag.org/content/350/6259/478  Make academic job advertisements fair to all  The author analysed academic appointments and found that many are through internal, closed processes, which discriminate against women for two reasons:  "First, women have been shown to have weaker personal ties to the core of the concentric circles of academic networks, making them less visible to decision-makers. Second, scholars have argued that male decision-makers’ desire for organizational certainty and their attraction to candidates with whom they share values and behaviour, create subtle and often unconscious practices of ‘male closeness’ and ‘gender homophily’ (preference for someone similar to oneself)." http://www.nature.com/news/make-academic-job-advertisements-fair-to-all-1.18401 US National Science Foundation and the White House Focus on Girls and STEM - Two new resources to note: The NSF-funded, PBS TV series SciGirls encourages girls to succeed in STEM, and the White House profiles outstanding STEM professionals in government with its series The Untold History of Women in Science and Technology COSMOS | Ada Lovelace, prophet of the computer age - Ignored in her own time, Lord Byron’s daughter was the first to grasp the implications of Charles Babbage’s analytical engine. James Essinger examines how the 21st century has resurrected her as an icon of suppressed female genius... [read more] COSMOS | Brian May warns Earth 'living on borrowed time' -  Dr Brian May, Astrophysicist and lead guitarist of rock band Queen, has warned that an asteroid impact was all but inevitable... [read more] Smithsonian.com | Queen Guitarist Brian May is Now a New Horizons Science Collaborator - http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-horizons-team-got-little-help-queen-guitarist-brian-may-180956073/?no-ist Astrophysicist Dr. Brian May is recognized during a July 17, 2015 New Horizons science briefing at NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C. May spent a long birthday weekend with the science team, attending two morning science plenaries, a meeting with the Student Dust Counter group, and working on stereo images of Pluto with the Geology, Geophysics and Imaging (GGI) team. (NASA/Joel Kowsky) ............................................................................................................ Teaching Science So It Sticks -  By Dan Berrett | Chronicle of Higher Education http://chronicle.com/article/Teaching-Science-So-It-Sticks/229881/  BOOK:"Herding Cats" by Geoff Garrett and  Graeme Davies - Being Advice to Aspiring Academic and Research Leaders Paperback (March 15, 2011) Interview with Geoff Garrett: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=360cxB2ylD0  Science learning and teaching academic standards statement Authors: Susan Jones, Brian Yates & Jo Kelder. Australian Learning and Teaching Council (2011) - Science learning and teaching academic standards statement  Mathematics TLOs (thresold learning outcomes) The Australian Council of Deans of Science The ACDS commissions and supports studies of particular importance to leadership in science and maths education - www.acds.edu.au/ Recent ACDS publications at www.acds.edu.au/tlcentre/links-publications include:  The preparation of Mathematics Teachers in Australia Staffing university science in the twenty-first century A Background in Science Tertiary Science in the 21st century Sustaining Science - University Science in the Twenty-First Century Network of Australasian Tertiary Association (NATA) booklet: Leading Educational Networks in Australasian Tertiary Education - Authors: Mike Keppell, Gordon Suddaby and Natasha Hard. Published by NATA and available as free PDF [350kb] - download at: http://ascilite.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/NATA-booklet-Connecting-and-Collaborating-Leading-Educational-Networks-in-Australasian-Tertiary-Education.pdf  The 13 page booklet is titled “Connecting and Collaborating - Leading Educational Networks in Australasian Tertiary Education: Lessons from the Network of Australasian Tertiary Association”. Handbook for Executive Leadership of Learning and Teaching in Higher Education Authors: Craig McInnis and Paul Ramsden (PhillipsKPA) and Don Maconachie (University Sunshine Coast) http://www.phillipskpa.com.au/news.php?id=127  Hard copies of the handbook have been distributed to executive leaders in all Australian and New Zealand universities. Limited additional copies are available on request or an eBook version can be downloaded.