A robot that can speak with students, act out book characters’ dialogue and set tasks in the classroom has been rolled out at a special needs school in Victoria. La Trobe University teamed up with Waratah Special Developmental School to ...
More »Professor urges schools to ditch VET/uni dichotomy
A Murdoch University professor has criticised schools for encouraging students to choose between a VET or university pathway. Barry Down, a VET and student engagement specialist, says this dichotomy has become unrealistic. "The reality is that society requires smart workers and citizens with ...
More »Out-of-field maths teaching by the numbers
Just how many students are learning maths from those teaching out of field? More than three quarters in years 7 to 10, if data released by the Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute (AMSI) is to go by. Co-author and AMSI director Professor Geoff ...
More »English grammar – how can teachers upskill?
In recent years, there has been ongoing discussion about whether mainstream primary and high school teachers are sufficiently prepared to fully implement the language components of the Australian Curriculum. Over the past decades, educators have successfully delivered the functional genre ...
More »Collaborating out of clouded disconnection: the effects of social media on learning and a pedagogical way forward
The context to any contemporary discussion on student learning and pedagogy is the exponential growth in the influence of the internet over the past 40 years. Subsequently, we must note “the importance of an intentional approach to using the internet ...
More »Chlamydia warning for schoolies period
Catch a wave, not chlamydia. That’s the advice Queensland Health is giving young adults during this year’s schoolies season. Chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young said while it is an exciting time of year for young Australians, the only thing ...
More »Health experts welcome student dental van plan
The Victorian Labor government will fund free dental care for primary and secondary students at government schools if it wins the next election – a move welcomed by health groups. Premier Daniel Andrews said his party would roll out 250 ...
More »Inflated suspension powers failing students: academic
The expanded disciplinary powers Queensland principals were recently granted are harmful and failing against their intended aim, an expert has argued. Professor Linda Graham, a researcher in inclusive education at the Queensland University of Technology, critiqued the 2014 decision by ...
More »Buyer beware: dearth of evidence around boosting non-cognitive skills
Teachers looking to lift the non-cognitive skills of students need to be informed “buyers” of interventions making strong claims about effectiveness, researchers have warned. That’s because their review of the literature on effects of non-cognitive skills in children aged 12 ...
More »Gillard launches aid to help with ‘constant worry’ of mental health
Teachers concerned about the mental health of students now have a new place to turn. Former Prime Minister Julia Gillard today launched Be You, a free resource that aims to better equip teachers and principals to nurture the mental health ...
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