Newman students and the community will be well placed for adapting to an automated work industry with the cutting-edge design and technology skills they have been learning as part of the EducationFutures program.
A Newman Futures initiative, the EducationFutures program is co-designed with educators, industry, Newman schools and leading technology experts to deliver in-school and after school technology courses aligned with the National Curriculum.
The program was launched in April last year and is being delivered by leading STEM educators, STEMSmart, providing students and the Newman community access to the latest digital and robotic technology. From robotic coding, problem solving and programming to becoming professional users of the LEGO robotics system, students are adapting to and embracing new challenges of future technologies.
STEMSmart Managing Director Andrea Conte, said the tutors have been amazed by the ingenuity and problem-solving skills of Newman Senior High School students engaged in the program.
“We have worked closely with Newman Senior High School staff to cater a STEM program for the Year 7-10 digital technology classes and our tutors have been really impressed with way students have adapted to new challenges,” he said.
“We see a promising future of LEGO Robotics at Newman Senior High School and we hope to one day see classes competing in the first LEGO league robotics competition.
”The EducationFutures team have been At Newman Primary school principal Deanne Tuckett said the EducationFutures program has given opportunities to students that would not have otherwise been available.
“The EducationFutures program has been an excellent support in the development of the curriculum with innovative and creative units of work that demonstrate how technologies can be integrated across subject areas,” she said.“The program has allowed us to develop extension and engagement programs that cater for students of high academic achievement, and also for those students who are at risk of not achieving their educational potential.”
Students at South Newman South Primary School are embracing coding and programming in their design and technology classes each week with the EducationFutures team.
“I love that is was so interactive and we got to do a lot of creating with codes,” said Year 4 student Annabelle.
A Year 3 student said Monday is his favourite day of the week because he has Design and Technology on that day, while a student in Year 6 said “It opened up a lot of opportunities learning all the coding.”
The EducationFutures program also delivers regular sessions during the school holidays and after school at the Newman Youth Centre and Newman Library to ensure the Newman community is able to develop digital literacy skills and have access to technology of the future.
At the Newman Youth Centre, sessions have centred around robotic coding, problem solving and programming using the LEGO SPIKE robotics system and BricQ Motion sets.
But Andrea said the sessions are also tailored to the interests of the young adults attending the sessions.
“During one of the visits this year, one of our tutors noticed that an attendee had a passion for YouTube, and so the tutor spent the session with him to help him film, edit and publish his first video, while the others played with the various robots we brought with us,” Andrea said.
The EducationFutures team is also frequently seen at the Newman Futures Wednesday afternoon activities at Train Park in East Newman, with Virtual Reality headsets keeping children and young people mesmerised, as well at the Parnawarri shopping centre during the school holidays.
The EducationFutures program will continue to challenge and inspire Newman students and the community throughout 2022, in preparation for all the opportunities that an automated future workforce will bring.
