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"VIDEO games have become one of the most notable features of our culture, yet the industry receives relatively scant attention in mainstream media. This is not only curious, it is unfortunate; because many parents and carers and educators remain unnecessarily wary of this crucible of creativity. The reach of these games is expanding with the take-up of smartphones and tablet computers. A recent study by the head of media communications and technology at Bond University, Jeffrey Brand, found that about 95 per cent of Australian children under 15 play video games."

A multimodal online resource for investigating aspects of copyright and film and TV piracy in Australian secondary classrooms

The Australian Government will build its own $43 billion National Broadband Network, in a move that returns Australia's telecommunications economy to an era of part-public, part-private ownership.

UNIVERSITIES that fail to embrace new technology will lose students and die, former federal finance minister Lindsay Tanner has warned. Mr Tanner, now a vice-chancellor's fellow at Victoria University, told a Melbourne audience last night that while Australian universities were using the internet to deliver study materials, they were not yet fully exploiting the potential technology offered for new ways of learning.

Personal computer systems are most productively used when they become an extension of the user. C Paul Newhouse - An evaluation of the past 20 years covering access, reluctance, issues and options.

An interesting look at ICT in Australian education and the influence of professional development and conferences.

This is a really interesting annotated list of apps links from Greg O'Connor of Spectronics focused on literacy support. The apps come from the Australian app store.

"National data released this week confirms an ongoing trend that now sees nearly half of Australian secondary school students failing to meet minimum digital literacy standards. Current data underpinning decision-making and the new digital technologies curriculum isn't working for ICT in schools for these four reasons:"

"This post looks at seven startups which look to either fill in some gaps, or improve on old habits across the whole spectrum of education"

"Bebras is an international student challenge whose goal is to promote computational thinking for teachers and students (ages 8-17 / school years 3-12). Bebras is aligned with and supports information and communication technology curricula across Australia. Bebras Australia is run by NICTA under the Digital Careers program, funded by the Australian Government. It's a great way to get students interested and participating in information and communication technology (ICT) which could lead to an interest in pursuing a career in the exciting ICT industry!"

DERN is the Digital Education Research Network. DERN is managed by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) in Melbourne, Australia. DERN is a network for, leaders, researchers and educators interested in the use of digital technologies for learning. Users of DERN may have an interest in ICT, media, pedagogy, emerging technologies and related areas and are probably well briefed in the area of elearning research, as well as scholars seeking details about what research has been done, possibly for their own research purposes.

"NBN chief Mike Quigley wants an open debate on future options for the NBN. Recent developments in wireless technology mean there is a great deal more to be discussed about how the NBN connects to individual homes and businesses, writes Alan Kohler."

"There are few similarities: it appears that the Coalition's plans for Fixed Wireless technology and Satellite technology in rural areas may be similar (there's an near-total lack of detail in the Coalition's plans and much information is gathered through 'reading between the lines') but there are big questions regarding the differences in funding. Ultimately, the only obvious similarity is that people should be able to download web pages and videos a bit faster. Here follows each facet listed in detail. In the spirit of crowdsourcing, and with the phenomenal success of it in terms of NBN research, if you can add any more information one way or the other, please contact us or leave the details in the comments."

"Welcome to this multipurpose website that is a key part of a research project that looks at the impact that the National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is having on school communities. The problem is that no-one has ever really asked what benefit high-stakes testing has for school communities."

"IT'S been over a year now since I removed an interactive whiteboard (IWB) from a classroom wall for the first time. Yes, you read that right: removed. And not to put another one up. In fact, what went in its place was a good old-fashioned non-interactive whiteboard - the same sort we tore down just two years earlier."

Education system is 'stifling young innovators' an interesting read and some thought provoking comments. What do you think?

Nice to know where we stand in the world

The twelve units of work in Global Words have been produced by World Vision Australia and the Primary English Teaching Association Australia (PETAA) to integrate the teaching and learning of English and global citizenship education. At the centre of both global citizenship education and the study of English is the aim of supporting students to become ethical, thoughtful and informed citizens, predisposed to take action for change. These units, and the supporting resources of Global Words, aim to build the essential knowledge, skills and values young people need to participate actively, critically and creatively as global citizens.

Children given iPads to use at school are more focused on learning and less likely to misbehave, research has found. University of WA education researchers have been investigating the use of iPads and other mobile devices in 12 independent schools during the past 10 months. UWA's Grace Oakley said teachers found that students were more likely to finish their homework and do a better job.