Categories
Apple books ebooks ed tech Facebook future Games and gaming internet iPads Mental health pedagogy popular culture robots and drones sociology

ICT news and other trends

Why technologists are limiting their families’ screen time

Michelle Simmons, physicist and 2018 Australian of the Year, does not allow her teenage children to use smartphones or social media. She sees benefits in doing something else with a spare half hour, rather than using a smartphone. In December 2018, the ACCC completed an investigation into Google and Facebook, warning of the danger of ‘filter bubbles’ in public discourse. A final report is due this year. In the UK, a parliamentary committee recommended regulation of big tech companies and making them legally liable for content shared on their websites. Sean Parker, Facebook’s first president, says the company is exploiting vulnerabilities in human minds and children’s brains.

https://www.smh.com.au/technology/why-technologists-are-limiting-their-families-screen-time-20190226-p510bh.html

https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/competition-watchdog-suggests-new-ombudsman-to-handle-google-and-facebook-20181210-p50l80.html

 

Teens ‘not damaged by screen time’

An Oxford University study found there is little evidence of a link between the amount of time teenagers spend on devices and their general wellbeing. Data was used from 17,000 adolescents in the UK, US and Ireland via self-reporting and time-diary techniques.

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-47825826

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0956797619830329

 

Fortnite: Is Prince Harry right to want game banned?

Prince Harry believes the game is ‘created to addict’. He added that social media was “more addictive than alcohol and drugs”. China’s tech giant Tencent has tightened checks on the age of people playing online games – checking identities and ages against a police database. Children under 12 are only able to play for an hour a day. Older children can play for up to two hours, but not during a night-time curfew.

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-47813894

 

‘Major distraction’: school dumps iPads, returns to paper textbooks

Reddam House primary and lower secondary classes have used e-textbooks on iPads for 5 years, but students have consistently said that they preferred pages to screens. Teachers found that the iPads distracted students and now the school is reverting to print textbooks. Students in Year 11 and 12 always had print textbooks.

https://www.smh.com.au/education/major-distraction-school-dumps-ipads-returns-to-paper-textbooks-20190329-p5191r.html

 

Trends shaping education – Andreas Schleicher, Director for Education and Skills OECD

1.Higher expectations of education: Within the next 10 years, the majority of the world’s population will be middle class, with high expectations (China and India will make up 90% of the entrants to the middle class). 2. Digitalisation: A dilemma for education is that the kinds of things that are easy to teach and test have also become easy to digitise, automate and outsource. Students will need skills to navigate the uncertainty of the gig economy. ‘Education has won the race with technology throughout history, but there is no guarantee it will do so in the future. The future is about pairing the artificial intelligence of computers with the cognitive, social, and emotional skills and values of human beings. It will be our imagination, our awareness and our sense of responsibility that will enable us to harness digitalisation to shape the world for the better.’ (Schleicher). 3. The need for continuous learning: Students will need to think for themselves, work with empathy and also collaborate. They will need to understand other cultures and how others think. They must learn to sort fact from fiction. Longer working lives bring changing skill demands. ‘For those with the right knowledge and skills, digitalisation and globalisation have been liberating and exciting; but for those who are insufficiently prepared, they can mean vulnerable and insecure work, and a life without prospects.’ (Schleicher)

https://www.teachermagazine.com.au/columnists/andreas-schleicher/trends-shaping-education?utm_source=CM&utm_medium=bulletin&utm_content=March5

 

A whole school approach to inquiry learning

Mother Teresa Primary in Westmead NSW use an inquiry-based approach in all areas of teaching and learning. Students work through 3 phases of learning: the Explore Phase, the Investigate Phase and the Building Phase, where students test, play and create possibilities. ‘Inquiry learning allows students to develop their skills in communication, collaboration, creativity, reflection and critical thinking.’ (AP Katherine Stennett). Staff also use the approach in their learning. The learning program itself is not written in advance, it is co-written with students as they journey through the learning. The inquiry-based approach allows teachers to understand exactly where their students are at in their learning.

https://www.teachermagazine.com.au/articles/a-whole-school-approach-to-inquiry-learning

 

Drones now delivering in Canberra

Google’s drone company Wing is launching this week in Canberra, with drones delivering coffee, bread, ice cream, pharmacy items and other things. This is a world-first permanent operation after trials across Canberra. There has been some concern about drone noise and a quieter model has been unveiled. Drone deliveries could inject up to $40 million into the ACT economy.

https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6011496/drone-delivery-service-gets-the-green-light/

 

Categories
books censorship ed tech future Games and gaming Google human rights internet literature Mental health mobile phones popular culture Science resources sociology websites

Social credit in China, ICT and book news

Social credit in China

You may have seen the intriguing Foreign Correspondent program on ABC 18 Sept. China is undertaking the most ambitious social engineering program the world has ever seen. Their ‘social credit’ system is designed to engineer better individual behaviour. By 2020 China’s 1.4 billion citizens will get a personal digital scorecard, with good behaviour rewarded and bad behaviour punished. Some say it is the world’s first digital dictatorship.

Excellent article with video. Looks at a young woman with a good social credit score and a journalist who lost his social credit and had his access to various services disabled: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-09-18/china-social-credit-a-model-citizen-in-a-digital-dictatorship/10200278

Foreign Correspondent ABC 18 Sept: https://iview.abc.net.au/show/foreign-correspondent

Black Mirror in China?: https://www.newstatesman.com/world/asia/2018/04/no-china-isn-t-black-mirror-social-credit-scores-are-more-complex-and-sinister

 

Women in physics

The new HSC physics syllabus for NSW will contain no mention of the contributions of female physicists to the field. The syllabus has 25 scientists mentioned 56 times and focuses completely on male physicists and their work. It is also believed that the gender gap in the science workforce will persist for generations, particularly in surgery, computer science, physics and maths. The gender gap was measured using data on 36 million authors of 10 million articles in 6000 scientific journals published since 2003. Globally in science and medicine, women make up 40% of the workforce, but some fields will take many years before the gender gap disappears.

https://theconversation.com/year-11-and-12-students-in-nsw-will-no-longer-learn-about-womens-contributions-to-physics-102988

https://theconversation.com/new-study-says-the-gender-gap-in-science-could-take-generations-to-fix-95150

 

URLs – is it time for something new?

Internet pioneer Tim Berners-Lee regrets developing the double slash after ‘http’. A growing group now think the URL is increasingly complicated and too easily compromised. Google said they are rethinking URLs as they are hard to read and hard to know if they can be trusted. Even the ‘https with a padlock symbol’ doesn’t mean much as both good and bad sites can be encrypted.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2018-09-16/google-time-to-reinvent-the-url-web-browser/10238296

 

Phenomenal success of Fortnite

Launched in Sept 2017, the online video game Fortnite now has over 125 million players and has made $1.6 billion for Epic Games. It has also been linked to 200 divorces. Fortnite’s success is due to 3 principles: accessibility (it’s free with in-app purchases, on all platforms and simple to play); sociality (players can express themselves and play with others) and spectacle (failure is fun and a spectator sport). Tyler ‘Ninja’ Blevins, a gamer on YouTube and Twitch, has made up to $500 000 a month streaming Fortnite sessions from his bedroom.

https://theconversation.com/stay-alive-and-if-something-moves-shoot-it-one-year-of-phenomenal-success-for-fortnite-103528

Could playing Fortnite lead to ‘gaming disorder’ (video game addiction)? The World Health Organisation says yes, others disagree.

https://theconversation.com/could-playing-fortnite-lead-to-video-game-addiction-the-world-health-organisation-says-yes-but-others-disagree-98458

 

3 things we can learn from people who don’t use smartphones or social media

They spent more face-to-face time with others – connecting, talking, touching and supporting. They know that switching off is not missing out – it is exhausting to sustain numerous online connections, endless exchanges of trivial information and keep up with the overwhelming flow of information and tasks. They enjoyed new-found vitality because they connected with the world around them, helping them to reset and relax. They also had more free time.

https://theconversation.com/three-things-we-can-all-learn-from-people-who-dont-use-smartphones-or-social-media-103468

 

Man Booker Prize Shortlist 2018

Winner announced 16 Oct 2018. Includes previous winners.

https://www.bookdepository.com/Man-Booker-Prize?utm_source=NL-Body&utm_medium=email-Newsletter&utm_term=button&utm_content=MANBOOKER&utm_campaign=20180920_MANBOOKER_SHORTLIST

 

Man Booker Prize – best of the rest

The bestselling shortlisted titles that didn’t win from 50 years of the Booker Prize. Includes The handmaid’s tale; A fine balance; Cloud atlas; The secret river; Atonement; Empire of the sun; Dirt music; Notes on a scandal….

https://www.bookdepository.com/dealsAndOffers/promo/id/1876

Categories
ed tech films Games and gaming geography and global resources internet media popular culture Science resources sociology websites

Webby Awards 2018 and AFTRS free media resources

Interesting to see what’s acclaimed on the web…..

 

The Webby Awards

Winners were announced recently for the’ Oscars of the internet’. Lots of categories, including People’s Voice in each section – Web; Online Film & Video; Advertsing; Mobile sites & apps; Social; Podcasts; Games. Winners include:

 

Happiness (4 min. animated film – loved it!) https://vimeo.com/244405542

Dianna Cowern: physics girl (entertaining YouTube channel – physics, astronomy, science) https://www.youtube.com/physicsgirl

Time is the cosmic rhythm http://cosmic-watch.com/how-it-works/

Atlas obscura (travel site) https://www.atlasobscura.com/destinations

Exoplanet exploration: planets beyond our solar system https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/

Solar system exploration https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/

Global climate change: vital signs of the planet (nominee) https://climate.nasa.gov/

TED-ED: build a lesson around  any TED Talk or YouTube video https://ed.ted.com/

Speak a language in 10 minutes a day (nominee) https://www.busuu.com/

Storybots (songs, stories, educational for 4 to 8 yr olds) https://www.storybots.com/

Seeing theory: a visual introduction to probability and statistics http://students.brown.edu/seeing-theory/

National Geographic: pristine seas https://www.nationalgeographic.org/projects/pristine-seas

National Geographic Kids https://www.natgeokids.com/

Welcome to Hogwarts https://my.pottermore.com/hogwarts

Winners and nominees: https://www.webbyawards.com/winners/2018/

 

Special Achievement: Steven Soderbergh – Film & Video Person of the Year

Most online films are available via streaming, but Soderbergh has redefined the boundaries of digital storytelling with his app Mosaic, where people choose how to interact with and follow the gripping murder mystery about a children’s book author, on their phones. Viewers can view the plot via different perspectives and access extra details such as background documents, emails and police reports.  Mosaic was also released as 6 episode TV series. Soderbergh has 2 more interactive storytelling projects underway. His recent film Unsane was shot entirely on an iPhone.

Is Mosaic the future of entertainment?: https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2018/01/19/review-steven-soderbergh-mosaic-hbo-app-sharon-stone/1041754001/

https://www.webbyawards.com/winners/2018/special-achievement/webby-film-video-person-of-the-year/steven-soderbergh/

 

Free resources from AFTRS (Australian Film Television and Radio School)

Free media arts resources are now available for primary and secondary teachers and students. It is predicted that video content will account for 80% of global internet traffic by next year, so screen literacy, creativity and storytelling capabilities will be highly valued in many fields. Resources include lesson plans, worksheets, video content, filmmaking, documentary, podcasting, stop motion and screenwriting.

https://medialab.aftrs.edu.au/

 

Categories
ed tech future Games and gaming Google internet media popular culture robots and drones sociology TV virtual reality

ICT news

Young and eSafe

Portal from the Office of the eSafety Commissioner that empowers young people to make a positive impact in their online world.“ Practical advice by young people, for young people to help challenge the haters and fakers online.” Sections include: I question things; I get back up; I am responsible; I feel for others; I respect differences. Lots of clear information – great for secondary class discussions.

https://esafety.gov.au/youngandesafe/

Excellent primary and secondary classroom resources: https://esafety.gov.au/education-resources/classroom-resources

 

Tim Berners-Lee on the future of the web: ‘The system is failing’

The inventor of the web remains optimistic but has concerns over advertising, net neutrality, fake news, propaganda and the web’s increasing polarisation. The web as an open platform has changed and there are ‘increasingly powerful digital gatekeepers’ who can easily manipulate algorithms and use Artificial Intelligence to distract and target web users. Clickbait, fake news and ad revenue does not promote truth and democracy.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/nov/15/tim-berners-lee-world-wide-web-net-neutrality

 

Google’s push to make the web more secure

Google wants all websites to migrate to using HTTPS and now flags websites as ‘not secure’ that use HTTP. Google states that 64% of Chrome traffic on Android is now protected as well as over 75% of Chrome traffic on ChromeOS and Mac. 66% of Windows Chrome traffic is also protected. 71% of the top 100 websites now use HTTPS by default. Apple and Facebook have also supported the shift to HTTPS.

https://techcrunch.com/2017/10/20/https-is-booming-says-google/

 

Twitter doubles tweet limit to 280 characters

User growth has been slow so you can now use more characters. Tests showed that longer tweets meant more followers, more interactions and more time on the platform. It was also easier to tweet and fit thoughts in. The roll-out includes all languages except Japanese, Korean and Chinese because they can convey double the amount of information in one character compared with many other languages.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-11-07/brevity-begone-twitter-doubles-tweet-limit-to-280-characters

 

Technology addiction and what you can do about it

Short and sharp facts about children and technology (12 min.) – parents have an important role in appropriate screen use.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0adeZP6aDQw

 

How Netflix sucks you in

Netflix tries to personalise its service, featuring different titles for different customers. It hires taggers around the world who watch every piece of content and tag it eg. storyline, tone etc – yes they get paid! For the hit show Stranger Things, the Netflix algorithm applied 12 tags to capture how people relate to it. Netflix also has 2000 ‘taste communities’ and a popular show can appear in more than one community. It also tailors the images that accompany recommendations for you, to suit what you like to watch.

https://www.cnet.com/news/stranger-things-addict-heres-how-netflix-sucked-you-in/?ftag=CAD1c318f6&bhid=23787909704659446143753669728655

 

Animojis

Animated emojis – only for the iPhone X, which uses its front-facing camera for facial recognition. Using thousands of data points, your facial expressions are turned into an animoji which mimics your movement.

https://www.cnet.com/how-to/getting-started-with-the-iphone-x-animoji-apple/

 

Are you eSports ready?

Professional video game playing is huge – thousands of teams, millions of players, $24m prize pool, $266m in sponsorship, $696m revenue and a global audience of 385 million and growing. Players are usually aged 16-30, with 80% male. Popular eSports include League of Legends and Dota 2. Watch highlights on YouTube or streamed live on Twitch, where you can interact with players and other fans.

https://australiascience.tv/vod/are-you-esports-ready/

http://www.businessinsider.com/esports-market-growth-ready-for-mainstream-2017-3/?r=AU&IR=T

 

Sophia robot granted citizenship to Saudi Arabia

The lifelike robot was granted citizenship at a tech summit. She appeared on stage saying she was very honoured to be the first robot in the world to be granted citizenship. Sophia responded to simple questions about artificial intelligence. She has also visited Australia recently.

https://www.livescience.com/60815-saudi-arabia-citizen-robot.html

http://www.smh.com.au/comment/why-sophia-the-robot-is-not-what-it-seems-20171030-gzbi3p.html

 

Augmented Reality enhanced educational books

Textbooks of the future will probably all be like this….Livit Studios is launching a series of AR books with features including animated 3D models, animated characters and interactive 3D games.

http://www.emergingedtech.com/2017/11/new-electronic-text-augmented-reality-textbook/

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1418527006/imagina-books-human-body-augmented-reality-educati

 

Trust me, I’m an expert

A new monthly podcast for The Conversation. Fascinating stories where the experts “bust the myths, explain the science and put the news headlines into context…in a way we can understand and enjoy”. 2 Nov: Sibling competition and its role in evolution.

https://theconversation.com/au/podcasts/trust-me-podcast

Categories
future Games and gaming Mental health pedagogy popular culture sociology

Work, Society, Youth and Education

Some interesting social info…..

 

The New Work Smarts: thriving in the New Work Order

This report from the Foundation for Young Australians notes that the way we work is increasingly affected by three key economic drivers – automation, globalisation and flexibility. The research analysed 20 billion hours of work completed by 12 million Australian workers each year to predict the skills and capabilities that will matter most in 2030. “It is predicted that we will, on average, spend 30% more time per week learning skills on the job; spend double the time at work solving problems, spend 41% more time on critical thinking and judgment, and 77% more time using science and mathematics skills; utilise verbal communication and interpersonal skills for 7 hours a week each (up 17 per cent); and develop an entrepreneurial mindset due to having less management (down 26 per cent), less organisational coordination (down 16 per cent) and less teaching (down 10 per cent).”

https://www.fya.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/FYA_TheNewWorkSmarts_July2017.pdf

https://www.fya.org.au/

Interesting articles: https://www.fya.org.au/category/all-articles/

 

If Australia was a street of 100 households

Interesting stats from the census. 20% baby boomers; 22% Gen Y; 11% Gen Alpha (from 2010). 47% both Aust. born; 34% none Aust. born; 11% one Aust. born. Average house price 11x average full-time earnings.

https://mccrindle.worldsecuresystems.com/blog/2017/07/Australia-Street-2017-McCrindle-DIGITAL.pdf

Australia’s population map and generational profile: https://mccrindle.myportfolio.com/pop-map

Other interesting visuals and infographics from McCrindle social research group: https://mccrindle.myportfolio.com/

 

Generation Next

Generation Next has excellent resources to protect and enhance the mental health of young people. Subscribe to the newsletter.

http://www.generationnext.com.au/

Blog – many interesting articles including: Want to rebound from failure?; When to push a child; Working memory boosters for kids.

http://www.generationnext.com.au/inform/blog/

 

Generation Next YouTube channel:

Videos include: How to support teens in distress; How can we support someone with a gaming addiction? Encouraging boys to be respectful and caring; How resilient are young people today?

https://www.youtube.com/c/GenerationNextCommunity

 

The potential of pro-social media

Generation Next video by Dan Haesler. Social media is not all bad news. What strategies can be used to enhance digital literacy, understanding of the world and even job prospects?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5tPHZVfQKE

 

Schools need to slow down

Australian schools are caught up in the cult of speed, driven by NAPLAN reporting and the evidence of improvement. ‘Slow schooling’ is needed to support learning for all. Teachers and school leaders need time to work together to find effective and creative ways of educating hard-to-reach learners, considering carefully the individual interests and aspirations of students. There should be no pressure for quick responses.  https://theconversation.com/for-long-term-improvements-schools-need-to-slow-down-83222

 

Business of addiction: how the games industry is learning from casinos

Video gaming on mobile devices has led to a massive expansion of the games industry. The industry uses psychologists, neuroscientists and marketing experts to turn customers into addicts. The ‘free to play’ (FTP) model allows the majority of players to play for free, while a few players will become addicted and spend huge amounts on extra content. The latest trend is the creation of ‘whales’ – people so addicted to games that they spend their life savings buying in-game content.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-09-13/video-game-addiction-how-the-industry-is-learning-from-casinos/8941114

 

Categories
coding ed tech Facebook future Games and gaming geography and global resources Google Indigenous resources internet iPads mobile phones pedagogy popular culture robots and drones Science resources sociology TV Wikipedia YouTube

ICT and STEM news

STEM learning

Special edition of STEM articles from Teacher magazine. Includes virtual classrooms for Year 10s, STEM and gender and best practice for primary STEM.

Demystifying the AC Digital Technologies Curriculum P-6

Webinar with Dr Linda McIver; 19 June and 31 July 3.45-5pm.

http://email.acer.edu.au/t/ViewEmail/r/60882C5177B09AF02540EF23F30FEDED/F4AF64F35C0EDFC438A555EB6E97B45B

STEM learning: international best practice: Queensland science teacher Sarah Chapman gathered evidence from around the world. Essential elements include real world experiences, expertise from industry links, mentorships and cross-curricular integration.

https://www.teachermagazine.com.au/article/stem-learning-international-best-practice

Full report: https://cew.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Engaging-the-future-of-STEM.pdf

 

Australian Online Landscape Review (latest: April 2017)

Quarterly report produced by IAB/Nielsen. Top 10 brands: 1.Google 2.Facebook 3.YouTube 4.MSN/Outlook/Bing/Skype 5.Apple 6.eBay 7.Microsoft 8.Wikipedia 9.Instagram 10.Yahoo7.

Top 10 brands for streaming: 1.YouTube 2.Facebook 3.VEVO (music) 4.Vimeo (videos) 5.news.com.au 6.smh.com.au 7.MSN/Outlook/Bing/Skype 8.nine.com.au 9.Yahoo7 10. ABC Online

Smartphones are used more than desktops, which are used more than tablets.

file:///H:/Downloads/Digital%20Landscape%20Report_April%202017.pdf

 

Australians’ viewing habits

There are more screens (6.4 in each home) and most are internet-capable. Viewing is spread across devices but TV remains by far the most-watched screen. 86% of video viewing is on TVs – free-to-air or subscription; live or played back. TVs are also used for other tasks – gaming, DVDs, internet, music streaming, YouTube videos etc

http://www.nielsen.com/au/en/insights/news/2017/how-australians-viewing-habits-have-changed-over-the-past-five-years.html

http://www.oztam.com.au/documents/Other/Q4%202016%20AMSR_release.pdf

 

Australia’s internet speeds

According to the most recent Akamai State of the Internet report we are now 51st in the world for home broadband internet speeds (10.1 Mbps). However, we are well above the global average of 7 Mbps even with a large area to cover. Fastest is South Korea (26.1Mbps) 2. Norway 3. Sweden 4.Hong Kong 5.Switzerland. We are leading the Asia-Pacific region in mobile connectivity speeds (13.8 Mbps).

https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2017/03/australias-internet-speeds-are-a-global-embarrassment/

 

Why do adults think video games are bad?

The excellent news site The Conversation is running a series for children – Curious Kids, where children send in questions they would like an expert to answer. Recent research suggests that playing online games that involve puzzle-solving increases scores in maths, science and reading, whereas using social networking reduces academic achievement.

http://theconversation.com/curious-kids-why-do-adults-think-video-games-are-bad-76699

http://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/view/5586/1742

 

The science for and against video gaming

They can make your brain grow and they make you more self-aware and happier; but they can make you less empathetic and more violent.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/thinking-man/is-video-gaming-bad-for-you-the-science-for-and-against/

 

People could be genetically predisposed to social media use

One to two-thirds of variance in social media use is attributable to genetic traits; unique and shared environmental factors account for the remainder of variance.

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-05/ica-pcb050217.php

 

NASA EarthKAM

“A classroom with the ultimate view” – students enrol in missions on the International Space Station and request images of specific locations on Earth. The program was set up by astronaut Sally Ride in  1995, initially on space shuttle flights. 8000 schools from 78 countries have now participated with over 500 000 students creating a library of 94 000 images.

https://www.earthkam.org/

Search the image gallery: https://www.earthkam.org/ek-images

https://cosmosmagazine.com/geoscience/capturing-the-earth-as-art

 

Google Maps street-view of Uluru

Just launched after 2 years of consultation with traditional owners. The interactive map includes audio stories from the Anangu owners about the significance of Uluru, traditional law and creation stories. Many sacred sections of the rock were not photographed. Viewers can zoom into crevices, walk along trails and view ancient art. Google plans to map other Australian cultural sites, including Kakadu.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-06-08/google-street-view-allows-visitors-to-experience-uluru/8599050

 

Live interactions with robots increase their perceived human likeness

We need to get used to a future where robots will be part of our everyday lives, but rarely do we see robots face to face. A recent study found that people who watched live interactions with a robot were more likely to consider the robot to have more human-like qualities. Robots presented in virtual reality also scored high in human likeness. Watching a robot on a 2D screen scored lowest. “Many people will have their first encounter with a service robot over the next decade. Service robots are designed to communicate with humans in humanlike ways and assist them in various aspects of their daily routine. Potential areas of application range from hospitals and nursing homes to hotels and the users’ households” (Schreiner).

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-05/ica-liw051017.php

 

The 2017 emoji list: emoji version 5.0

All those cute little emoji have to be approved by the Unicode consortium and will be launched this month. There are 69 new images; 24 have 5 additional skin tones and 10 are non-gendered. New emoji include a genie, an older person, a breastfeeding mum and broccoli. There are now a total of 239 approved emoji.

http://blog.emojipedia.org/final-2017-emoji-list/

Categories
Apple ed tech Facebook films future Games and gaming Google internet iPads mobile phones pedagogy popular culture robots and drones sociology TV virtual reality

ICT news

Ok it had to happen…your bot shopping experience is here! The Kmart Buddy bot will help you with suggestions this Xmas. Search for Buddy in Facebook Messenger. Specify what you want and Buddy presents web pages where you can buy the goods online.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/technology/kmart-buddy-bot-can-it-do-your-christmas-shopping/news-story/9f0b135b5def79e6e6880b39b54dc53f

 

Digital Inclusion Index Report

Produced by Swinburne University of Technology and Telstra in August. The Australian Digital Inclusion Index measures the extent of digital inclusion in Australia – access, affordability and digital ability. No surprise – Australians are spending more time and doing more online. The highest-scoring state is ACT, followed by Victoria. Groups with high digital inclusion include those who speak other languages. Those with low levels of income, education and employment are less included. Indigenous Australians and people with disability have low but improving inclusion. The gender gap is narrow but there is a marked difference in attitudes towards learning new technology. Geography also plays a critical role – inclusion is higher in capital cities than country areas. Access and affordability can be barriers but a person’s digital ability (attitudes, skills, activities, safety concerns) also has a large impact. The Index will help inform and promote policy and programs to enhance digital inclusion in Australia.

http://www.swinburne.edu.au/news/latest-news/2016/08/swinburne-study-measures-australias-digital-divide.php

http://digitalinclusionindex.org.au/

http://digitalinclusionindex.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Australian-Digital-Inclusion-Index-2016.pdf

 

Born Digital 2016

Born Digital 2016, the National and State Libraries Australasia conference in August, explored the collection and preservation of digital content via video interviews with experts. Topics included Science and space; Indigenous voices; Digital lifestyles; Video games.

http://www.nsla.org.au/born-digital-2016

Why it’s important to preserve video games: http://www.nsla.org.au/news/borndigital2016-day-5-play

Truth and history with John Birmingham – libraries need to preserve digital content such as Facebook, blogs and tweets: http://www.nsla.org.au/news/borndigital2016-day-3-truth-and-history

 

The NBN GranTechie Report: the new wave of silver surfers

This Sept 2016 report shows that access to fast broadband, NBN and smart devices is redefining how older Australians are using the internet and debunks myths that they are not using technology to connect and learn. 72% of grandparents say the internet makes them feel more educated, more purposeful (66%) and more connected (85%). 93% go online every day; 79% use technology to stay connected with family and friends; 59% use the internet for online shopping; 72% couldn’t imagine life without the internet. And 49% of 18-34 year olds believe older generations are just as savvy as them when it comes to technology and the internet. Go Nan and Pop!

http://www.nbnco.com.au/content/dam/nbnco2/documents/The%20nbn%E2%84%A2%20GranTechies%20Report.pdf

https://startsat60.com/stories/tech/grantechies-rise-of-the-silver-surfer

Good books and reviews: https://startsat60.com/category/stories/entertain/books

 

Google Expeditions adds 50 new tours for schools

There are now over 400 virtual reality field trips, with over 100 lesson plans also available. Places include Machu Picchu, Antarctica, coral reefs, the International Space Station and a Viking settlement. Expeditions has been used by over 1 million students and is the app is available in 123 countries. Google Cardboard VR sets make the experience more immersive, but are not essential. Android and iOS.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/technology/peter-cosgrove-launches-google-tour-of-government-house/news-story/560b2534672c74be7174c170ae587fb0

https://blog.google/topics/education/adding-50-new-tours-schools-google-expeditions/

https://support.google.com/edu/expeditions/answer/6335093?hl=en&ref_topic=6334250

 

Google Earth Timelapse

Google has updated Timelapse, their comprehensive picture of the Earth’s changing surface. First released 2013, it now includes 4 additional years of imagery, petabytes of new data from satellites, and a sharper view of the Earth from 1984 to 2016. Watch the sprouting of Dubai’s artificial Palm Islands, the retreat of Alaska’s Columbia Glacier, glaciers in Antarctica and a river in Tibet.

https://blog.google/products/earth/our-most-detailed-view-earth-across-space-and-time/

View Timelapse: https://earthengine.google.com/timelapse/

 

Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy Verbs

This infographic lists verbs used to facilitate technology in the classroom, from lower-order thinking skills (LOTS) to higher-order thinking skills (HOTS).

https://globaldigitalcitizen.org/blooms-digital-taxonomy-verbs

Bloom’s taxonomy and apps for the iPad: http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2016/06/new-visual-on-blooms-digital-taxonomy.html

More Bloom’s and apps: http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2016/11/new-blooms-digital-taxonomy-poster-for.html

 

Netflix shows can now be downloaded and watched offline

Rolled out worldwide last week. Enjoy an offline binge on your smartphones and tablets. Update your Netfix app and choose the downward arrow icon when browsing. Free.

https://www.wired.com/2016/11/netflix-offline-viewing/

 

18 best external storage devices for iPad and iPhone

Very useful when your device is full of photos and videos. Includes Verbatim iStore ‘n’ Go (USB at one end and a Lightning port at the other) and SanDisk Connect Wireless USB flash drive (copies photos automatically straight onto the device).

http://www.macworld.co.uk/feature/iphone/best-ways-get-more-storage-for-your-iphone-or-ipad-external-devices-3579792/

Lexar JumpDrive (USB and Lightning connectors): http://www.lexar.com/products/usb-flash-drives/Lexar-JumpDrive-M20i-USB-3-flash-drive.html

 

Categories
Apple coding ed tech Facebook future Games and gaming internet popular culture robots and drones

ICT news

Coding world record

On 20 July, more than 10,000 Australian kids set a new world record for the number of children coding simultaneously at the nationwide Moonhack event. Run by Code Club Australia, participants completed a series of online computer programming exercises related to science and astronomy. Founded in 2014, Code Club Australia has over 900 clubs.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/technology/aussie-kids-set-new-coding-world-record/news-story/83825ec56170e8bcf45861f09afb08c4?utm_source=The%20Australian&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=editorial

 

Apple’s Swift Playgrounds app

At WWDC in June, Apple introduced the free Swift Playgrounds app that makes learning to code fun and easy for all. Designed for the iPad, the app encourages beginners to explore using Swift, the easy-to-learn programming language used by professional developers. Through lessons, students learn how to write code to guide onscreen characters through worlds, solving puzzles as they learn core coding concepts. Templates are included to help students create real programs that can be shared. Swift Playgrounds allows students to create an unlimited variety of interactive programs. Extra challenges will be released so students can further develop their abilities.  Swift Playgrounds is “not about learning apps for platforms. It’s about learning good coding practices” (Hodges, Apple). iOS 10 beta version available in July; final version available Sept/Oct.

 

“Swift Playgrounds is the only app of its kind that is both easy enough for students and beginners, yet powerful enough to write real code” (Federighi, Apple VP). “The new Swift Playgrounds app from Apple is one of the most powerful, yet approachable, educational coding apps we’ve ever seen.…it’s a fun and intuitive way for our students to learn the basic principles of coding using the iPad, and also become skilled in Swift” (MacDonald).

http://www.apple.com/au/pr/library/2016/06/13Swift-Playgrounds-App-Makes-Learning-to-Code-Easy-Fun.html

http://www.apple.com/swift/playgrounds/

Swift Playgrounds is built for kids, but adults might like it too:

http://thenextweb.com/apple/2016/07/14/apple-swift-playgrounds-preview/#gref

 

Facebook’s internet drone test  flight

Facebook hopes to connect the world’s 7 billion people to the internet. Aquila, Facebook’s lightweight, solar-powered, high-altitude drone, recently flew successfully for 96 minutes above Yuma, Arizona. Aquila will fly over areas of the world not yet connected to the internet, and beam down lasers to provide connectivity. It has a massive wingspan, flies as slowly as possible and only uses the equivalent power of 3 hairdryers. Using drones is more feasible than covering the world with signal towers.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-07-22/aquila-facebook-solar-powered-internet-drone-takes-flight/7651394

http://www.theverge.com/a/mark-zuckerberg-future-of-facebook/aquila-drone-internet

 

Chromebooks and Chromeboxes

At our Year 11-12 school, we have installed 30 Asus wifi Chromeboxes to replace ageing PCs in the library. The Chromeboxes use an existing monitor and run Chrome OS ($280). The device is a desktop variant of the Chromebook laptop (HP $550), which our students use frequently.  In May this year, Chromebooks outsold Macs in the US education market for the first time. That was before Google announced that apps on the Android mobile platform – all 2.2 million – would be coming to Chromebooks too. Any app on your Android phone will sync to your Chromebook (or ChromeBox, the desktop unit). Chromebooks are less expensive and require far less IT support than PCs.

http://www.crn.com.au/feature/chromebooks-cross-major-milestone-in-battle-with-apple-431039?eid=4&edate=20160722&utm_source=20160722&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=daily_newsletter

 

The benefits and otherwise of Pokemon Go

More daily users than Twitter; more time spent playing it than on Facebook. Some benefits: getting gamers to exercise; socialising with others; positive impacts on mental health; cooperation between players; increasing use of museums, coffee shops, cafes etc

http://theconversation.com/pokemon-go-gets-people-out-and-about-and-thats-a-good-thing-62343

http://www.sciencealert.com/pokemon-go-is-reportedly-helping-people-with-their-depression

http://time.com/money/4410946/pokemon-go-accidents-bar-crawls-dating/

http://www.theverge.com/2016/7/25/12273134/pokemon-go-tips-guides-news-nintendo-niantic-labs

 

Verizon buys Yahoo for $4.3 billion

The purchase includes Yahoo Search, Mail and Flickr.  Verizon will merge Yahoo with AOL, providing an advertising alternative to juggernauts Google and Facebook, which have 43% of digital ad sales worldwide. Yahoo was launched in 1995 by Stanford grad students Jerry Yang and David Filo as ‘Jerry and David’s Guide to the World Wide Web’.

http://www.cnet.com/news/verizon-buying-yahoo-likely-merging-it-with-aol/?ftag=CAD1acfa04

 

Categories
ed tech future Games and gaming internet Mental health pedagogy popular culture TEDTalks virtual reality

ICT news

Digital Australia Report 2016 (DA16)

The video game industry in Australia is worth over $1 billion a year and sales exceed movie box office receipts. The Australian games industry is growing and video games are being used widely in education, health and ageing. Bond University and IGEA (Interactive Games & Entertainment Assoc.) surveyed 3398 Australians of all ages. 68% of the population plays video games – mostly on PCs but phones and tablets have seen increased use for adults. Children play on all devices. Average age of video gamers is 33 years. 47% of video game players are female. 98% of homes with children have video games. 35% of children have played games for the school curriculum. 24% have used video games at work for training. 89% say video gaming can improve thinking skills. 61% think video games could fight dementia. 49% of people over 50 play – the fastest growing segment.

http://www.igea.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Digital-Australia-2016-DA16-Final.pdf

 

PlayStation Virtual Reality headset

PlayStation VR, Sony’s virtual reality headset  for the PlayStation 4, will arrive in October 2016 for $AU550. Attached to a comfortable padded headset, special curved lenses stretch and magnify a 5.7 inch screen across your field of vision. It will come with 50 games, immersing you in a 3D world of virtual reality. You will also need a PlayStation camera and motion controllers (wands). It will be cheaper than the other 2 VR headsets coming this year – Oculus Rift and HTC Vive.

http://www.cnet.com/products/sony-playstation-vr/?ftag=CAD1acfa04&bhid=23787909704659446143753669728655

Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality were huge this year at TED in Vancouver and the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, with VR headsets now available with the latest mobile phones. Mark Zuckerberg: “VR is the next platform, where anyone can experience and share anything they want”.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/ted-virtual-augmented-reality-1.3453884

http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/mwc-2016-virtual-reality-steals-the-show-in-barcelona-20160224-gn24fq.html

 

Minecraft Education Edition

Minecraft (owned by Microsoft) is used in over 7000 classrooms in more than 40 countries. Microsoft recently acquired learning game MinecraftEdu from Finland, which has lessons for teachers using Minecraft with STEM, history, language and art. The new Minecraft Education Edition will be rolled out mid 2016 – free at first, then $5 pa per child.

http://education.minecraft.net/

 

Do games boost learning?

A 2013 French study of 27 000 Year 9 students found very little correlation between playing video games and cognitive/school tests. However, a new study from the Uni of Bristol found that progressive scoring systems in games deactivate the brain’s Default Mode Network and quieten down parts of the brain associated with unfocused mind-wandering. Students given a gamified quiz showed higher engagement and more goal-directed behaviour.

http://readwrite.com/2016/01/27/video-games-education-default-attention-mode/

 

Problem: Australia’s internet/broadband speed

In 2015, our download speed was ranked 49th in the world . By 2025, our broadband speed will be 75% of the world average, ranking 100th. The government’s Fibre-to-the-node (FTTN) network will struggle to accommodate all devices and their download requirements in the future (eg. 4K ultra HD video streaming).

http://theconversation.com/infographic-how-fast-is-the-nbn-54392

 

Social media and sleep

No surprise really…recent Uni of Pittsburgh studies of 19-32 yr olds found heavy use of social media was linked to sleep problems and a significantly greater risk of depression. A 2015 study of 11-17 yr olds found social media use was linked to diminished sleep quality, lower self-esteem and elevated levels of anxiety and depression.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/sleep-newzzz/201601/tweeting-not-sleeping-balancing-sleep-and-social-media

Categories
books coding ed tech films Games and gaming Google popular culture robots and drones TV

STEM and ICT news and Google’s best of 2015 lists

Good news for STEM in Australia…..

 

The new National Innovation and Science Agenda (NISA)

Malcolm Turnbull’s $1.1 billion innovation package (the Ideas Boom) was released yesterday at CSIRO in Canberra – “inspiring Australians to be innovative” and to take risks. The government will spend $48 million over the next 4 years “inspiring” Australians in digital literacy and STEM areas. This includes funding to upgrade teachers’ digital skills, educational apps and $13 million to boost the participation of girls and women in STEM. The government will spend $51 million over five years targeting coding activity in schools including online computing challenges for Year 5 and 7 students, ICT summer schools for Years 9 and 10, an annual ‘Cracking the Code’ national competition for years 4 to 12 and support for teachers to increase IT-related activity in the classroom. This fits well with  the AC Digital Technologies.

 

CSIRO and other science research projects will enjoy more funding and a renewed focus, businesses will get more support for innovation and universities will get increased funding for research. The Australian Synchroton (bright light beams for research) and the Square Kilometre Array (largest radio telescope) will get $800 million over 10 years.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-12-07/pm-malcolm-turnbull-unveils-$1-billion-innovation-program/7006952

http://www.businessinsider.com.au/here-comes-the-governments-innovation-statement-2015-12

 

 

Tech Girls Are Superheroes

The Tech Girls Are Superheroes campaign was started by the Tech Girls Movement (TGM) in 2014. Founded by Dr Jenine Beekhuyzen, TGM promotes positive female IT role models to encourage and raise awareness of STEM career options for girls. The free booklet Tech Girls Are Superheroes has 26 stories from talented women in IT, each with their own avatar. Available here:

http://www.techgirlsaresuperheroes.org/home/

The winners of the 2015 Search for the Next Tech Girl Superhero were announced last month. See their work here:

http://www.techgirlsmovement.org/news/2015/11/9/hp1cc4do6v7rnzq8jwvxpv6yy7c6q9

Entries are now open to all girls in years 4-12 for the 2016 Next Tech Girl Superhero. Students submit technology-based solutions for different challenges according to their year group eg. building body confidence, increasing cybersafety, reducing environmental impacts. Winners receive funding and mentoring for their idea. Entries close 1 July 2016. http://www.techgirlsmovement.org/superherosearch/

Resources: http://www.techgirlsmovement.org/repository/

 

 

Google’s best of 2015 lists

Take a look at what has been popular in Android during 2015 – apps; games; top-selling music, movies, books, news sources; favourite movies and TV…

Click on each category to see the full list – all with links to buy now! (hmm thanks Google).

Favourite books include: Go set a watchman – Harper Lee; Fates and furies – Lauren Groff; The buried giant – Kazuo Ishiguro; Between the world and me – Ta-Nehisi Coates; Carry on – Rainbow Rowell.

Favourite movies and TV include: Paper planes; The secret river; Ex machina; Mr Robot; Fargo; Outlander; Miss Fisher’s murder mysteries; Inside out; Mad Max: Fury Road.

Favourite music includes: 25 – Adele; Currents – Tame Impala; Sometimes I sit and think and sometimes I just sit – Courtney Barnett; Fire and the flood – Vance Joy.

Best apps include Skype, Catch of the Day, Twitch, YouTube Gaming, Microsoft Word.

https://play.google.com/store/info/topic?id=bestof2015

Google Trends – check out what we’re searching for: https://www.google.com.au/trends/