INTERFACE Magazine, Issue 118, May 2023

Building up STEAM capabilities in your teaching

Finding ways to encourage students’ creativity, curiosity and critical thinking.

Pages 16-18

23 23

Meet the best in the ed tech business!

Pages 2 and 3

Introducing Spark AWS, Amazon’s new education resource for schools.

Page 7

Ministry’s working on many fronts to keep schools cyber safe.

Pages 8 and 9

It’s on! Get your blocks ready for this year’s INTERFACE Minecraft Student Competition, ‘Build a Big Blue Future’. We’ve teamed up with the Marine Stewardship Council and your challenge is to design and build a new exhibit for the National Aquarium of New Zealand.

THREE age categories. WIN great prizes. Entries close end of TERM 3.

Find out more on page 6. For full details go to interfaceonline.co.nz/Minecraft2023.

Meet our fabulous sponsors for

Amazon Web Services (AWS)

AWS provides on-demand cloud computing platforms on a pay-as-you-go basis. The AWS Education team offers a range of programmes to help learners of all abilities prepare for careers in the cloud, from STEM units and activities for primary and secondary classrooms, to cloud-focused post-secondary courses, as well as individual self-paced learning options. aws.amazon.com/training/

Google for Education

Google is working to support education through its products, programmes, and philanthropy. Google Cloud, Chromebooks and Google Workspace for Education are transforming how educators and students learn, work, and innovate together with free, secure tools. edu.google.com/intl/ALL_nz/

Ministry of Education/Te Ta-huhu o te Ma-tauranga

The Ministry of Education shapes the New Zealand education system, providing direction for sector agencies and providers. It develops strategic policy for and delivers services to the education sector, undertakes education research and analysis, and monitors education sector capability and viability. education.govt.nz

ETV

ETV connects students with content by recording and distributing programmes and videos from broadcast television and internet channels. It offers educators more than 150,000 searchable, on-demand videos, with additional annotation (EVA) and management (ELINK) tools. etv.nz

impactED

Network for Learning (N4L)

N4L is a Crown-owned technology company that connects schools and kura across the country to fast, safe and reliable internet. One of the largest networks of its kind in the world, its aim is to support all kaiako and a - konga to teach and learn safely online.

n4l.co.nz

impactED offers in-school and off-site workshops in professional learning and development training to support kaiako in their professional growth and development. Programmes reflect the national priorities for PLD guidelines and cover Local curriculum, Assessment for learning, Digital Fluency, and Digital Technologies. impacted.co.nz

MacGear

MacGear is a technology wholesale business that specialises in the distribution of advanced visual interactive displays and educational STEAM equipment and robotics to schools throughout New Zealand. With 15+ years’ experience, it understands the need for digital technologies in classrooms. macgear.co.nz

MOTAT

Auckland’s Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT) provides hands-on education experiences on-site or at your place of learning, as well as online learning programmes and workshops. There are exhibitions and activities run at the museum and STEAM Cell trailers for hire containing specialised equipment and teaching resources motat.nz/learning

Gold Silver Plus Silver

Supporting

Using Technology Better

Using Technology Better is a Google Cloud Partner, Google for Education Partner, Apple Learning Specialist, and Microsoft Training Partner that specialises in working with education clients. Its trainers all come from education backgrounds and have extensive facilitation experience. usingtechnologybetter.com

Science Alive!

Science Alive is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to inspiring interest in science and technology. It offers a suite of activities to help achieve this, including outreach programmes, educator support and online learning platform Science Alive Matauranga. sciencealive.co.nz

Norrcom

Norrcom provides full-service education IT services to education institutes across New Zealand, from Cloud and Connectivity, to Managed Services and Procurement. A skilled team of field engineers and friendly support staff means you can trust that your school’s needs are in good hands. norrcom.com

Grok Academy

Grok Academy is your home for Digital Technologies education offering classroom-ready online and unplugged resources. With decades of experience in teaching digital technologies, the company provides support through teaching resources, professional learning, and curriculum guidance. groklearning.com

Lenovo

Lenovo EDU’s hardware, software and services provide a comprehensive learning environment. Its specially developed portfolio allows students and teachers to connect, collaborate and engage from anywhere.

techtoday.lenovo.com/nz/en/solutions/education

OfficeMax

As well as office supplies, furniture and technology products, OfficeMax offers a wide range of educational supplies, for the new Digital Technologies curriculum, implementing STEAM or creating a makerspace. officemax.co.nz/Digital-Technologies-STEAM

AccessIT

Created here in NZ – and now used in 40+ countries – Accessit is a library management system designed to support your school, streamlining workflows and helping to build a connected learning community. accessitlibrary.com

ActiveVision

ActiveVision supplies schools with interactive teaching tools, including panels and software that deliver immersive learning experiences. It will design, deploy and support the best audio-visual classroom solutions. activevision.co.nz

Code Avengers

Code Avengers is an online learning platform offering engaging interactive lessons that teach problem-solving and computer science, with Junior (ages 5 to 14 years) and Pro 12 to 18+) courses. codeavengers.com

The Wonder Project

The Wonder Project is Engineering New Zealand’s free, hands-on programme for schools, designed to get young Kiwis (Years 5–13) excited about science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM). wonderproject.nz

CommScope Ruckus

CommScope Ruckus designs, builds and delivers purpose-driven networks. Together with partners, its hardware and software empower schools and educators to deliver exceptional experiences to students. commscope.com/ruckus/

Support IT

Support IT provides a range of IT services, with the aim of creating a long-term partnership with schools that add value through cost-effective, professional and reliable IT Infrastructure and support. support-it.co.nz

10

11 INTERFACEXpo 2023: Delegate Guide

• Welcome to the Workshops

• Thanks to our Sponsors

15 AccessIT: When was the last time you asked your librarian for help?

Building up STEAM capabilities in your STEAM education is more than just developing students’ critical thinking and problem-solving skills, it’s also about bridging the gap between the classroom and real life. It all starts with building a learning environment to encourage creativity and curiosity, through an innovative mix of resources, challenges and teaching style.

• Finding engaging ways to bring learning to life

• Transforming the way students create, explore, invent, and learn

• Connecting and relating to a future in science and technology

20 File Share: Two pages of free online resources.

22 Competitions: Heaps of great prizes to be won!

Are you receiving your FREE DIGITAL COPY of INTERFACE Magazine?

We’re now fully digital and every educator in New Zealand can access and enjoy their very own copy of INTERFACE, not only for free but also when and where they choose.

If you’d like a copy and aren’t receiving the link, please let us know at mydigitalcopy@interfacemagazine.co.nz

We’ll add you to the list – or work with you to ensure our email isn’t being blocked by your school.

Make sure you and your school continue to receive the latest and best news, views, insights, and information about digital technology in education.

Mrs Priestley ICT

J o r d a n P r i e s t l e y , t h e f o u n d e r o f M r s P r i e s t l e y I C T , p r o v i d e s t e a c h e r s a c r o s s N e w Z e a l a n d w i t h c o m p r e h e n s i v e , h a n d s o n , d e t a i l e d a n d s t u d e n t f o c u s e d r e s o u r c e s H e r p a s s i o n f o r f i n d i n g h a c k s , s h a r i n g t i p s a n d s t r e a m l i n i n g c l a s s r o o m p r a c t i c e i s w h a t c r e a t e d a n d c o n t i n u e s t o d r i v e M r s P r i e s t l e y I C T C h e c k o u t s o m e o f t h e r e s o u r c e s a v a i l a b l e o n l i n e

D i g i t a l s l i d e s a n d t e m p l a t e s t h a t c a n b e u s e d i n a l l c u r r i c u l u m a r e a s .

A w i d e r a n g e o f S e e s a w t e m p l a t e s t h a t b e u s e d i n y o u r c l a s s r o o m a c t i v i t i e s t o p r o m o t e c r e a t i v i t y a n d s h a r e i n s i g h t i n t o y o u r c l a s s r o o m p r a c t i c e

F i n d i n g w a y s t o w o r k s m a r t e r , w i t h G o o g l e a p p h a c k s t o b r i n g d i g i t a l t o o l s i n t o y o u r c l a s s r o o m l e a r n i n g a c t i v i t i e s

O n l i n e c o u r s e s , g u i d e s a n d m i n ic o u r s e s t h a t h e l p t e a c h e r s b u i l d c o n f i d e n c e i n a w i d e r a n g e o f p r o f e s s i o n a l a r e a s

Meet the team

EDITOR

Greg Adams

027 255 1301

Greg.Adams@interfacemagazine.co.nz

ADVERTISING

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A dvertising@interfacemagazine.co.nz

DISTRIBUTION MANAGER

Michelle Durbin 09 575 2454

Michelle.Durbin@interfacemagazine.co.nz

DESIGN

Design@interfacemagazine.co.nz

EVENT MANAGER INTERFACE Xpo

Paul Colgrave

Paul.Colgrave@interfacexpo.co.nz

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NEW ZEALAND INTERFACE™

(ISSN 1177-973X) is published six times a year by G MEDIA PUBLISHING LIMITED

© G MEDIA PUBLISHING LIMITED 2023. Editorial opinions are not necessarily those of the publisher. We do not endorse or accept responsibility for any third party featured in this publication, unless stated otherwise. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of information in this magazine, the publisher does not accept liability for inaccuracies, omissions or misinterpretations that may occur, and urges readers to always check online resources before using them in class.

THERE’S A MARINE THEME TO THIS YEAR’S MINECRAFT COMPETITION

It’s on! Get your blocks ready for the INTERFACE Minecraft Student Competition 2023, ‘Build a Big Blue Future’. We’ve teamed up with the Marine Stewardship Council and your challenge is to create a new exhibit for the National Aquarium of New Zealand.

You choose the type of environment for the exhibit, which will help visitors to the National Aquarium to better understand marine life in and around our oceans. It could be an enclosure for penguins, a refuge for an endangered species or a sea creature from the deep, a hands-on encounter for aquarium visitors, a display area for viewing … or whatever you

choose. But you will need to make sure the animal’s needs can be met through your design!

Once you have a plan, you need to create it in Minecraft. To enter you will need to write a short explanation of your exhibit and how it meets the requirements, and provide a short video tour.

There are three age categories to choose from: Primary (Years 1-6); Intermediate (Years 7-8) and Secondary (Years 9+). And some great prizes to be won.

Entries close end of Term 3. For full details, judging criteria and entry form go to interfaceonline.co.nz/Minecraft2023

TELL

US YOUR

THOUGHTS AND EXPERIENCES ON GAMIFICATION

Got a story to share about bringing game play elements into your teaching? From competitions to point scoring, fun moments to more serious pursuits, we want to know what you’re doing. Please contact INTERFACE Editor Greg Adams at greg.adams@interfacemagazine.co.nz

MEET OUR LATEST COMPETITION WINNERS

Thanks to everyone who entered our latest competitions The winner of the Adjustable Laptop and Tablet Stand is Amy Ash, Sandspit Road School, Waiuku.

The two USB Warming Coasters went to Emma McClutchie, Plimmerton School, Porirua, and Sharlene Gillespie, St Bernadette’s School, Dunedin. And keeping everything in its place with Cable Tidy Clips will be Julie Mees, Tarawera High School, Bay of Plenty, and Karena Johnson, St Peter’s School, Christchurch.

If you missed out this time, check out our new competitions on page 22.

UPDATES AND NEW PRODUCT RELEASES FROM GOOGLE FOR EDUCATION

At BETT 2023, Google for Education announced a range of updates and new product releases. Education Country Manager Steve Smith has recorded a recap session for kiako that can be viewed at bit.ly/stevebettrecap.

Practice Sets, an AI-powered learning tool that Google for Education unveiled late last year, has now been globally released ( bit.ly/43Gyo81). Also, you can find out about big changes to security and data controls that are important to schools at bit.ly/3UIEgJT.

The latest releases are always available at bit.ly/3A6TWx6 But if you really want to keep up to date with Google for Education make sure to register for its ANZ monthly webinars at rsvp.withgoogle.com/events/learn-withgoogle. Steve will explain these in more depth in his workshops at INTERFACEXpo

FREE LINK TV SET TOP BOX FROM ETV

ETV has a special offer for all INTERFACEXpo delegates –stream live TV channels and ETV content in your reception area, classroom, or library with a free Link TV box. No other equipment is needed, no computer, no Chromecast and no Apple TV.

“We wanted to make using ETV easier for teachers, since not everyone wants to watch ETV content on a PC’s small screen or to have to bother with connecting a PC to a large screen, “ said General Manager. Martin Drew. “The LINK TV Set Top Box is a new way for teachers to access ETV. It does not require daily logins, live channels can be run continuously and there is no ‘time out’.”

Visit the ETV team on their stand and mention the offer for a free Link TV box for your school. And while you’re there, why not ask them about a free three-month trial of ETV. Or more at etv.nz

MOTAT SUPPORTS SOLVE FOR TOMORROW COMPETITION

Lunching this month, Solve for Tomorrow is a competition challenging New Zealand’s next generation of innovators to unleash their creativity and use STEAM to help improve their communities. Delivered in partnership with MOTAT, it’s open to students in Years 5-10 and MOTAT is offering free webinars to support teachers and students with their entries.

For more details go to motat.nz/solvefortomorrow

INSPIRE YOUNG LEARNERS WITH AWS SPARK

New educational programme AWS Spark provides secondary schools and educators with content designed to inspire students aged 13-18 to explore future cloud careers.

“Units help educators integrate in-demand cloud skills into their curricula, expanding the breadth and depth of their students’ cloud knowledge while exploring interesting topics such as conservation, sustainability, genomics, and sports data,” said AWS Spark. “Units include written content, videos, interactive activities, simulations, knowledge checks, and summative assessments.”

• Units range from 20 to 90 minutes and can be easily divided to align with classroom time periods;

• Content is designed to be integrated into existing curriculum, virtually or in-person;

• Low teacher preparation; designed to be ‘ready-to-teach’;

• Aligned to The New Zealand Curriculum; and

• No-cost to students, educators, or schools.

In each unit, students learn how professionals in various industries are using the cloud to solve real-world problems. Student units currently available are: Sustainability in the Cloud; Chatbots for Accessibility; Sports Data Analytics; Cancer Hunters in the Cloud; Cloud Rescue! Koalas; and Exploring Exoplanets.

To participate in the AWS Spark public preview, apply at aws.amazon.com/education/aws-spark/. Or for advice and support, reach out to aws-spark-support@amazon.com

STRENGTHEN YOUR DEFENCE AGAINST EMAIL THREATS

Last year, N4L launched Email Protection, to help protect schools from the increasing number of email-based cyber threats. More than 1,450 have now signed up. Fully funded for eligible schools and kura by the Ministry of Education, the service offers:

• An additional layer of email security – emails will be blocked when N4L’s security filters detect a security risk;

• Proactive blocking of email compromise scams, phishing attacks, ransomware and advanced malware before it reaches a school’s inbox; and

• Prompt expert support from the N4L team should an email-related incident arise.

Email Protection not only provides an enhanced level of email security but also complements schools’ existing Microsoft or Google email services. For further information contact the Customer Support team on 0800 LEARNING or support@n4l.co.nz

Is it STEM, STEAM, STREAM or maybe SMET?

Find out on pages 16-18.

New services and support for your school

kura

Keeping your school cyber

Cyber attacks on the education sector are becoming increasingly common and more sophisticated, making it more important that the IT setups in schools and kura are secure. They should prioritise taking preventative cyber security actions to avoid facing the prospect of disruption to learning by being locked out of systems and devices, losing their students’ sensitive information, and financial loss.

The Ministry of Education has established the Cyber Security and Digital Support (CSDS) Programme to support schools with these challenges. The programme aims to:

• improve the safety and security of the digital learning environment;

• reduce the burden on schools and kura to manage digital systems to enable more time for you to focus on the core activity of teaching and learning; and

• provide equitable access to quality digital services and support to kura and schools.

Here we outline the services and support on offer to schools now, as well as what’s in the pipeline as the CSDS Programme continues to build on its service offerings over the next few years.

SchoolDNS (available now)

Your school or kura’s online identity is important. While it’s never a school’s intention to let their domain name or web presence fall by the wayside, renewing Domain Name System (DNS) registration and hosting for the year is one of those annual tasks that’s easy to forget. Figuring out which staff member is responsible for the domain can be problematic, and this process can be made more complicated if that staff member no longer works at the school.

The new SchoolDNS service offers free DNS registration and hosting for schools. By centralising the registration and renewal process of domain names for busy schools and kura, the Ministry aims to increase the level of security and control that schools have over their domain name(s).

With digital technology becoming an ever more integral part of learning for rangatahi, it’s vital to protect education networks and systems. The Ministry of Education’s Cyber Security and Digital Support Programme is working on multiple ways to help to keep everyone safe, sound and secure.

or

cyber safe on many fronts

For those who opt in, this service will reduce instances where DNS registrations expire or are exposed to malicious activity. Schools retain ownership and control of their domain name through access to the DNS portal. Through this portal, they can easily make account changes, such as updating key admin staff and contact details.

The SchoolDNS service offers the following:

• Set up and running costs for up to two domain names. Including any number of subdomains;

• Yearly registration renewal as a default. This ensures continuity of the domain and reduces the risk of losing access to the domain temporarily or permanently;

• A higher level of reliability and security that meets New Zealand government requirements;

• Two-factor authentication on your login to the portal to protect against unwanted access;

• Ability to delegate a separate login to your IT provider to make changes on your behalf;

• 24/7 support based in New Zealand; and

• Reduced administration risks – the centralised service offers continuity for your domain that won’t be affected by staff turnover at schools and kura.

The service is provided by Liverton Security, who register domains for New Zealand government agencies, including govt.nz, health.nz and parliament.nz domains.

Find out more at education.govt.nz/ schooldns/

Safer Technologies for Schools (in development)

Software and technology play a vital role in the daily operations of schools and kura, as well as improving education outcomes for students. But when selecting software products, it can be hard to know if they come with any security and privacy risks.

The Ministry has joined an initiative called Safer Technologies for Schools (ST4S) to help take some of the guesswork out of choosing technology.

ST4S reports and badges

ST4S provides a catalogue of reports on commonly used school software, which have been assessed against a set of security and privacy standards. The confidential reports identify any risks and advise on how these might be mitigated. Based on the information in the reports, your school or kura can consider any privacy or security implications and make an informed decision with the software you choose.

In addition, software products that are assessed as low or medium risk are eligible for an ST4S badge. Suppliers can display their badge to easily identify and promote that the product has been assessed and meets ST4S minimum standards.

ST4S reports are available to state and state-integrated schools by contacting the Ministry at digital.services@education. govt.nz. Access for private schools can also be arranged. Self-service access to reports is in development and expected to be available later in 2023.

A list of products with an ST4S badge can be viewed on the ST4S website (st4s. edu.au/verify-a-badge/ ). When considering ST4S badged products, please take note of the ‘recognised countries’. Many existing ST4S reports pre-date New Zealand’s participation in the scheme. As such, while they provide a good indication of the privacy and security protections for specific products, they may not fully reflect NZ-specific requirements. The Ministry is working with ST4S and suppliers to address this and the ST4S website will be updated as the work progresses.

Help to identify software products for assessment

The Ministry of Education is seeking help from schools to identify common software products and technology that they use that does not have an ST4S badge. The Ministry is working with edtech suppliers to participate in the ST4S assessment process but needs your help to identify and prioritise products. You can contact the Ministry team at digital.services@education.govt.nz

Or for more information go to education.govt.nz/st4s

Self-assessment tool (in development)

The self-assessment tool provides a platform for schools and kura to answer a set of survey questions related to their school’s IT set up. It covers categories such as IT security, online safety and privacy.

The self-assessment tool will help your school discover which areas it’s strong in and identify where improvements can be made to protect your network and services. Based on the answers provided, schools and kura will receive a tailored action plan that will outline the key steps that they can take for the highest immediate impact to improve their school’s digital security profile.

The recommendations provided will be based on international standards and best-practice, applied to a New Zealand schooling context. This tool is currently in development and is being piloted with a number of schools across Aotearoa.

Article supplied by the Ministry of Education’s Digital Services team.

The Digital Download

To stay informed on new services, products, updates and advice from the CSDS Programme, subscribe to The Digital Download, a regular e-newsletter from the Digital Services team. You can find out more at bit.ly/thedigitaldownload

Spark your students’ imagination by using video in your classroom

Video content provides an effective and innovative way to engage your learners … even the reluctant ones! But where can you source quality content? Well, that’s easy.

ETV provides a vast range of material across all curriculum areas and age groups. Using audio-visual material in learning is certainly not new. What’s improved immeasurably, however, is the technology that brings it into your classroom – and the huge range of video material that’s available to you on demand.

ETV is the largest online video platform

STEM teaching made fun

festival, the range of material available is impressive and wide ranging.

Teachers are also able to order any upcoming programme by using the ‘Request Recording’ button on each page of ETV. Our digital librarians will then capture and upload it, and advise when

colour and movement, inspiring deeper learning, better retention and reinforced motivation.

Video annotation tools also come free with an ETV subscription. Annotations and response-enabled tools can be added to pop up at any point in the video, from

Tuesday 16 May Presentations Workshops Exhibition Networking

Don’t leave your digital education decisions to chance.

Programme for the Afternoon

12 noon Doors open. Delegates sign in Explore the exhibition and enjoy a hot drink

12.20pm – 12.55pm: Welcome from INTERFACE

Short presentations by Google for Education and MOTAT

Presentation by the Ministry of Education

1pm – 1.45pm: Workshops 1-3 MacGear, N4L and ETV

1.45pm – 2.30pm: Workshops 4-5 Google for Education and AWS

2.30pm – 3pm: Afternoon tea

Explore the exhibition and catch up with the digital learning community Enjoy refreshments

3pm – 3.30pm: Short presentation by ETV and Network for Learning (N4L)

Presentation by AWS (Amazon Web Services)

3.30pm – 4.15pm: Workshops 6-8 Using Technology Better, Ministry of Education and Science Alive!

4.15pm – 4.45pm: Short presentation by Grok Academy

Presentation by Google for Education

Wrap-up, prizes, and goodbye

interfacexpo.nz/dunedinprogramme_2023/

Workshops

1-3 1pm

1 ETV Exploring what it means to be a digital citizen capable of navigating through rapid change Select Recruitment Lounge

2 MacGear Premier technology in Education – advanced visual displays and educational STEAM equipment Select Recruitment Lounge

3 Network for Learning (N4L) Getting under the hood of your school’s online learning environment Select Recruitment Lounge

4-5 1.45pm

interfacexpo.nz/workshops2023/

Gold:

Silver Plus:

Silver:

Supporting: Find out more about our sponsors on pages 2 and 3 or visit interfacexpo.nz/sponsors2023/

When was the last time you asked your librarian for help?

Think that you could benefit from a better relationship with your librarian? Ask them for help! In my experience, there are three stand-out ways that Accessit Library can empower librarians to really make a difference for teachers and tamariki, writes Carole Gardiner.

Having made the step from fulltime librarian to working with library software here at Accessit, it’s been amazing to see how different librarians work and how so many across the country are firmly establishing the library as a cornerstone of their school’s learning journey. So, I wanted to inspire you with some of the best practices I’ve seen in action and the features of Accessit Library that make it possible to enhance and improve literacy throughout the school, and clearly demonstrate that a library is about so much more than just books!

Librarians have the skills to be involved in all areas of learning. In fact, we have the power to extend kids’ learning beyond the library walls. We do more than just issue and return books, and I’m inspired by the librarians I see every day who are getting the library involved with a range of topics across the curriculum.

While I’ve used Accessit Library here, take these ideas as inspiration to try something new, or see them as a positive reminder that what you’re doing is great for our tamariki and your colleagues.

Here are three ways a librarian can help you:

1. Content curation

Creating separate Web App dashboards

for curriculum and inquiry topics, bringing together library and other online resources in one easy to find place, and facilitating collaborative resource sharing between library staff and teaching colleagues. The outcomes are:

• Gives students the chance to go beyond books and elevate their learning;

• Brings together all physical and digital resources in one easy-to-use place;

• Builds relationships with teaching colleagues through sharing of resources, generating reading lists, and improving awareness of library resources and services;

• Each Web App dashboard is easily shared with links for online learning spaces, such as Google Classroom; and

• Quick and easy to curate relevant resources, with the ability to copy between dashboards or even import one of our ready-made dashboards.

2. Teaching safe searching

With the quality of content found with a Google search now being more in question than ever, we need to teach smart and safe research skills.

Accessit Library’s One Search helps students find quality information from

trusted sources. The outcomes are:

• Helps students find age appropriate and reliable information;

• Helps promote and make the most of your free EPIC databases; and

• Encourages searching in a safe way beyond the library’s physical resources.

3. Reporting for the better

Reporting goes beyond just finding the most popular books or stocktaking, it can also be a really powerful tool to help you and teachers find out more about how students are using all the resources that the library provides. The outcomes are:

• Lets your colleagues see what their class is reading or interested in;

• Identifies what learners are searching for in the Web App, so you can quickly and easily see what is most popular and to help guide purchasing decisions and collection development; and

• Advocates for the library and the role of the librarian. If you don’t tell and show your stakeholders, they won’t know how well your library is performing!

By Carole Gardiner, BA (Hons) MLIS and Accessit Library legend.

Building up STEAM capabilities in your classroom

STEAM education is more than just developing students’ critical thinking and problem-solving skills, it’s also about bridging the gap between the classroom and real life. It all starts with building a learning environment to encourage creativity and curiosity, through an innovative mix of resources, challenges and teaching style.

From STEM to STEAM or even STREAM … what does it all mean? Essentially, we’re talking about an engaging and practical approach to learning science and related subjects, and specifically promoting modern-day skills, such as creative and critical thinking, problem solving, communication, and collaboration.

The concept actually started life as SMET (Science, Maths, Engineering and Technology), before swapping letters to the more familiar STEM in the early 1990s. As time has gone on, an ‘A’ (for Arts) has started to be added, encouraging an artistic approach –think Leonardo da Vinci, for how science and art can complement each other. Even more recently, an ‘R’ has also appeared, STREAM. What’s interesting here is that you’ll likely find references to both ‘Reading’ and ‘Robotics’ – so take your pick.

Other letters have been added, too, but whatever the acronym, fundamentally it’s all about engaging students with science, through encouraging their curiosity, problem-solving and creativity.

Lesson planning for STEAM subjects

While the prospect of planning a lesson incorporating so many fields might sound daunting, it can actually be fun and interesting for you, too. It’s less about teaching content and more about creating an environment that encourages

So, how can you do

A couple of simple ways to go about it is by involving practical activities, thereby allowing

students to be hands-on, and mimicking real-life scenarios. Practical learning can profoundly affect students as it helps them better understand the concepts and makes material more engaging.

The Wonder Project’s Rocket Challenge (wonderproject.nz/programmes/ rocket-challenge/ ) is a perfect example of putting learning into practice by designing, creating and launching rockets. You’ll also want to add a big dollop of fun, with some creative and inventive approaches, such as:

• Taking a field trip;

• Having a competition;

• Getting messy; and

• Playing games.

But these are not the only ways to liven-up the learning. Other things you could try are:

Switch up your teaching style: Adopt a variety of approaches to reach all students, including using technology, cooperative learning, and problem-based learning.

Make tasks more relatable: Link projects to current events and trends, using popular topic examples that appeal to the kids.

Take advantage of tech: In this digital age, it makes sense to use technology, from online resources and robots, to AI and virtual/augmented reality.

Encourage creativity and critical thinking: Have students work on open-ended projects, asking them to come up with solutions to problems and to think outside the box.

Lastly, an important step is to create an inclusive and welcoming environment, so that everyone feels part of the process. You can achieve this by promoting a range of STEAM role models and heroes, including different genders and ethnicities. Or establish clubs for underrepresented groups, such as a ‘Girls STEAM club’.

Hopefully, this has given you some ideas for building up your STEAM skills and capabilities. Read on to hear from three of our INTERFACE Xpo sponsors about how they approach this type of learning.

LIFT OFF: STUDENTS PARTICIPATING IN THE ROCKET CHALLENGE

Finding engaging ways to bring learning to life

By Natalie Tubman, OfficeMax

For students to thrive as adults in this everchanging, complex world, it’s important that they are ready to use their knowledge and skills to solve problems and make sense of information. STEAM activities teach them to gather and evaluate evidence to make decisions, encourage them to recognise mistakes, then fix them using resilience and tenacity. STEAM is where the acronym for FAIL truly means ‘First Attempt In Learning’. Although we cannot know right now what some of the jobs of the future may look like, it makes sense to educate our children with the skills and capacity to think outside the box to create solutions.

Evaluate the environment

When thinking about bringing STEAM to life in the classroom, we need to carefully evaluate the environment and the way in which we resource this space. If we want our students to be connected collaborators, then we need to provide spaces that:

• Offer flexibility for large and small group work;

• Quiet places for cognition and emotional regulation; and

• Active design and creation areas that allow for investigation, exploration and communication.

Each one of these spaces needs to be thoughtfully resourced with equipment that is visible, easily acce ssible and relevant to the learning and/or current urges (interests) of the students in your class. Learning environments need not be limited to the classroom itself. A school is an absolute hive of learning spaces that are often underutilised. Staff should observe their students engaging in different areas of the school and use these observations to cleverly plan and weave them into learning experiences. Digital environments also play a crucial part in today’s learning. Students need access to digital environments that encourage collaboration and creation.

Virtual environments should pertain to creating content, sharing learning, accessing and critically assessing information and provide platforms for providing specific and thoughtful feedback.

How has OfficeMax helped Auckland’s Baverstock Oaks School to implement a STEAM programme? Find out at bit.ly/officemax_bos

Transforming the way students create, explore, invent, and learn

By Vance Stone, MacGear

With more than 15 years’ experience providing digital technologies like interactive displays and robots in classrooms, MacGear recognises that STEAM activities transform the way students learn, create and invent through computer science.

Lessons that are more dynamic for students, improve learning retention. We know that engaged minds learn better and, by investing in interactive technology, this helps students develop essential skills for the future while providing educators with a versatile range of effective teaching resources.

Hands-on learning

The Sphero eco-system (sphero.com), for example, brings STEAM, computer science, and robotics to life with tangible tools and expert-designed lessons for hands-on learning.

With the help of educators around the world, Sphero is empowering learners of all backgrounds and abilities to discover

their interests and passions, while equipping them with the skills they need to be the future changemakers. and abilities to discover their interests and passions, while equipping them with the skills they need to be the world’s future changemakers.

Sphero is a fantastic story of how to introduce small but powerful robots into your classroom. Beginning with the Sphero BOLT, this looks like a simple round ball but the technology inside is incredible. BOLT has an 8x8 LED Matrix that animates and displays real-time data. You can create and customise games and learn to code by drawing on your screen, using Scratch blocks, or writing JavaScript text programs.

The Sphero Code Mat is the perfect ‘add-on’ giving a purposeful way to use your BOLT. It also comes with activity

cards, so your lesson is sorted right out of the box.

Hackable platform

For the younger learner there’s the Sphero indi, designed to introduce early learners to computational thinking and encourage imaginative play-based learning. It comes with an on-board colour sensor or students can use the more advanced coding options in the free Sphero Edu Jr App.

The RVR+ is Sphero’s take on the programmable robot – and driving it is

ON THE MOVE: SPHERO INDI

… Continued from page 17.

just the beginning. RVR’s extremely hackable platform, featuring a four-pin UART and an onboard power source, allows you to connect and run third-party hardware like a Raspberry Pi, micro:bit, or Arduino. Build the robot, then program it with the Sphero Edu app. Chances are, if you can hack it, RVR+ can do it.

We constantly look at new brands and emerging technologies to see how they fit into the New Zealand STEAM Curriculum, so we continue to provide digital tools for all students, enabling them to increase their digital knowledge in a meaningful way.

Learn more at macgear.co.nz

Plan STEAM lessons using the ‘Engineering Design Process’

This is a series of steps students can take to tackle a project that should encourage open-ended designs, creativity and practical solutions.

Ask – Get your students’ minds running by asking what they want to create. What is it for? How will they design it?

Research – Take time to research the subject, so students can find out what similar products or solutions already exist, and how they can do better.

Imagine – Create a no-judgement zone and brainstorm as many ideas as possible, perhaps out loud or as mind maps. This should be a collaborative process where everyone’s voice is heard.

Plan – It’s time to pick a solution and plan how to bring it to life. Consider all options and get ideas recorded, digitally or on paper.

Create – Build a prototype using the plans they have just created.

Test – Here, students will discover whether their solutions meet the original brief and are functional. Peer reviewing is also a great way to encourage deep thinking and collaboration.

Improve – Discuss how solutions can be improved, then redesign and amend as required.

Connecting and relating to a future in science and technology

By Lauren Pugh,

Science Alive!

Many young people have doubts about pursuing science and technology careers due to a lack of visibility of STEAMrelated roles and a sense of disconnection from these fields. To address this issue, Science Alive Ma - tauranga, a collaboration between New Zealand charitable trust Science Alive and Education Perfect, has developed free content for learners aged 9-13 to promote STEAM learning in the classroom.

What is Science Alive Ma-tauranga?

It’s a free educational resource that provides content designed to engage students in STEAM learning through a unique Kiwi perspective.

One of the many modules, ‘Antarctic Adventures’, focuses on science, human impact, and environmental change, and contains 20 lessons developed in collaboration with the International Antarctic Centre. Another module, ‘Gamechangers: In our Footsteps’ features an interactive pick-a-path journey and video series showcasing inspirational New Zealanders working across STEAM fields. Content is continuously being developed with more than 170 lessons, projects and investigations that can be used free of charge in schools across New Zealand. How does it enhance STEAM teaching and learning?

Representation and visibility: Showcasing role models across science, technology and innovative industries,

from aerospace engineers to inventors and architects, the content aims to address the lack of visibility of STEAM roles within Aotearoa. The content includes concepts and knowledge that students can relate to, unpacking ideas, introducing experts and making 21st century pathways more accessible and relatable for them.

Connecting indigenous knowledge: Science Alive Ma - tauranga incorporates Ma - tauranga Ma - ori, embedded in our taiao (environment) and connectedness, into its content. This approach acknowledges New Zealand’s indigenous heritage and integrates Ma - ori perspectives into STEAM concepts, the content acts as a foundation that can be adapted to suit your local rohe and local curriculum through the editing tools of Education Perfect.

The next module to be released brings yet another perspective, that of our whanau across the Pacific Islands. There are 20 lessons being released focusing on tagata Pasifika who have forged pathways in STEAM here in Aotearoa highlighting culture as their superpower.

Making STEAM accessible: Recognising that science teaching at the primary level is often under-resourced, the content is designed to be easily implemented into teaching practices without requiring extensive resources. This makes it accessible for kaiako to incorporate STEAM learning into their classrooms amongst a busy curriculum. Lessons incorporate hands on activities, reading comprehension

and multimedia to engage learners no matter their entry point.

Incorporating this content will inspire your learners, dig deeper into concepts unique to Aotearoa and highlight real-world examples of STEAM careers. Whether that is through our community innovation experiences in ‘Te Ara Ako’ or designing solutions for ‘client briefs’ in the ‘World of Engineering’ Module. Authentic contexts can help students see the relevance and applications of STEAM in their lives and communities.

To enhance your programme and implement these free resources, you can sign up for a free Education Perfect teacher account. Scan the QR code to get started! Or join the Science Alive Ma - tauranga’s Facebook community (bit.ly/facebook_ sam) to share ideas, access webinars, and book free PD.

ART SCIENCE

Ptable (ptable.com) is an interactive periodic table. View each element’s properties, electron structure and isotopes. Show them in chemical groups or combine into compounds. Use the time machine slider to explore when elements were discovered. Print out info and learn with free lesson plans.

ACTIVITY AND FITNESS

UNICEF Kid Power (gokidpower.org) offers ‘kid power ups’ — fun and engaging videos that will get your kids up and moving. From dance routines to sports drills, there’s something for every child to enjoy. Plus, while getting active, students will unlock food packets for kids in need around the world.

Explore the art collections of 91 museums from Austria, Bavaria, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia with Digital Curator (digitalcurator.art) The database currently contains 196,116 works. Search for artworks by theme, subject, object or motif, and combine results to analyse cultural, historical and social patterns.

Hosted by Amsterdam’s NEMO Science Museum, Explore the World Around You (nemosciencemuseum.nl/en/ explore/) offers fun activities and experiments using everyday items. From creating your own clouds to making a tiny Dead Sea, it’s divided into sections – ‘Did you know?’, ‘Do it yourself’ and ‘Test yourself’.

When it comes to sport and recreation, the needs of young women are unique, and factors like time pressure and lack of confidence mean they gradually participate less and drop out of structured activity. #itsmymove (itsmymove.org.nz) has resources to support them in leading heathy, active lives.

From Google Creative Labs, AutoDraw (autodraw.com) matches your doodling with actual images. Start drawing and as you progress, the tool’s algorithms offer possible matches. Click on any of the images to replace your doodle with a completed drawing. Add text, shapes, outline and fill colours, as required. Save and share.

Feed your students’ curiosity and learn about our planet at Earth School (ed.ted.com/earth-school). From TED Ed, this is a 30-day nature-focused series of lessons designed to build an understanding of how our planet works. Each includes a video along with a quiz and additional discussion and focus activities.

How do people become infected with germs? BAM! Body and Mind (cdc.gov/healthyschools/bam/teachers. htm) contains classroom resources for teachers to use to help students make healthier lifestyle choices, including sections on nutrition, injuries and diseases, and an ‘Ask the Scientist’ comic book series.

Learn about Aminah Robinson at Animah’s World (aminahsworld.org), who created art by combining traditional materials with everyday ones, like buttons, cloth, leather, twigs, and shells. Resources include bio and timeline, lesson plans, a database of her work, and downloadable images.

COOL GIZMOS

Need an avatar for an online profile, account, forum or blog? Create one with browser-based Avatar Maker (avatarmaker.com). Choose the overall look, then customise facial shape, eye size and shape, eye colour, hair style and colour, and glasses, as well as clothing and background. When you’re done, download as a PNG or SVG file.

GAMES

Learn about ancient Mesoamerican cultures in Central and South America with The Descent of the Serpent (bit.ly/serpentgame). The game involves retrieving the lost objects and returning them to Chichen Itza in time for the solar equinox. Players face mythological figures who’ll test the knowledge the collect as they play.

Want to help students use technology thoughtfully? Common Sense Education (youtube.com/@ CommonSenseEducation) offers videos on internet safety, cyberbullying, online privacy, copyright, and more. Plus, there are reviews and tips for how to use digital tools in creative and engaging ways.

If you want to share the content of a tweet, you can make an attractive screenshot of it to easily share with Tweets Beauty (tweets.beauty). Enter the weblink to the tweet. Then customise the colour and the theme, and the size and shape. You can also choose whether to hide likes and re-tweets.

Teach critical thinking with Cranky Uncle (crankyuncle.com). From fake experts to logical fallacies, players learn various common strategies that can be used to manipulate consumers of news. It’s available as an app (iOS and Android) or web game, and comes with a Teachers’ Guide and a class code option.

Learn about maths and science with UMIGO (youtube.com/c/umigo) –standing for ‘yoU Make It GO’. Using songs, animations and the Bajillionaires kids, the videos tackle all sorts of maths and science topics that will help students to learn, and encourage them to think creatively and work collaboratively.

Free 3D Icons (free3dicon.com) offers a collection of free, trending 3D icons, that you can use for classroom projects, lesson plans, blogs and social media. Select either single icons or packs, then search by keyword. Browse the results and click to download as a png file. (There’s also a premium version with more options.)

Practise investing risk-free with fake money and real-time stock data with Bloom Stock Market Game (game. joinbloom.co/). Invite friends and students to compete and learn how to invest by simulating trades in 4000+ stocks on this fake stock trading platform.

WHAT IS THIS?

Learn Bright (youtube.com/c/ LearnBright) provides fun and engaging videos for young students (Years 1-5). From Dinosaurs and Adjectives, to Simple Machines and WWI, there’s a wide range of topics to explore. Each comes with additional information and lesson plans, as well as related videos and links.

Wherever you see this symbol it means there’s a video to watch on the resource. Simply click and view. Or visit our YouTube channel.

We have some awesome prizes up for grabs this issue.

PULUZ PHOTO STUDIO LIGHT BOX

Take your photo shoots to a new level with a PULUZ Photo Studio Light Box. Designed for small photography projects, this photo tent lets you quickly, easily and clearly photograph small items. The built-in, USB-powered LED light provides even lighting, and prevents shadow and reflection. There are six changeable colour backgrounds. The folding design makes it portable and easy to assemble.

If you can picture one of these in your classroom, enter your details on our website.

Entries close Tuesday 13 June.

1to WIN!

ROBI MINI WIRELESS SPEAKER

It might be small in stature but its sounds sure are big. This Robi Mini Wireless Speaker packs quite an audible punch. The small size – 4.8cm height by 4.5cm diameter – makes it perfect for carrying around. It comes with a USB charger cable and a handy wriststrap. The Bluetooth connection means it’s simple to link to your smartphone or device (up to 10 metres). The rechargeable battery offers 2-3 hours’ usage. We have two up for grabs – one white, the other blue. If this sounds like your sort of prize, submit your entry and colour preference.

Entries close Tuesday 13 June.

2to WIN!

HACKER: CYBERSECURITY LOGIC GAME

1to WIN!

Can you outsmart cybercriminals? Hacker tasks you with defending the world from cybercrime by joining the white hat hacker team ‘Oblivion’. Play the role of a coder, hacker and security engineer in 40 beginner to expert challenges. Program your agents to collect data chips while avoiding viruses and alarms. As you discover how a hacker can damage your programs, you will learn how to secure them from future attacks. Each challenge includes three phases of play for a total of 120 coding puzzles. Full instructions are provided. Age 10 and above.

We’re giving away one Hacker game set. Enter online to be in to

Entries close Tuesday 13 June.

SANDISK ULTRA 128GB SDXC CARD

SanDisk Ultra SDXC cards offer fast downloads (up to 30MB/s), and high capacity and performance to capture and store 128GB of images and video – that’s about 8,000 photos or 160 mins of HD full HD video. Compatible with SDHC and SDXC digital devices, SanDisk cards are shockproof, temperature-proof, waterproof, X-ray-proof, so you can enjoy your adventures without worrying about the durability of the memory card.

We have two cards to give away. Go to our website to enter.

2to WIN!

Entries close Tuesday 13 June.

To enter any of the competitions just go to our website.

T R

T R Y E D U C A T I O N T V

Y E D U C A T I O N T V THREE MONTHS FOR FREE

THREE MONTHS FOR FREE

ETV PLD IS AVAILABLE FOR FREE

ETV PLD IS AVAILABLE FOR FREE

W H O A R E W E ?

W H O A R E W E ?

We are a not-for-profit charitable trust, approved by the Minister of Education as an Education Resource Supplier

We are a not-for-profit charitable trust, approved by the Minister of Education as an Education Resource Supplier

W H A T D O E S E T V D O ?

W H A T D O E S E T V

D O ?

ETV is the largest online video platform in New Zealand with over 150,000 videos searchable by your staff and students. We capture a vast range of content with a focus on providing videos relevant to schools in Aotearoa This includes historical and current affairs content, and events such as Te Matatini, along with other TV programmes and movies. We have been providing this service for all age levels and curriculum areas for over 13 years.

ETV is the largest online video platform in New Zealand with over 150,000 videos searchable by your staff and students. We capture a vast range of content with a focus on providing videos relevant to schools in Aotearoa This includes historical and current affairs content, and events such as Te Matatini, along with other TV programmes and movies. We have been providing this service for all age levels and curriculum areas for over 13 years.

COME

AND SEE US AT OUR

INTERFACE XPO STAND OR CALL 0800 438 388

COME AND SEE US AT OUR INTERFACE XPO STAND OR CALL 0800 438 388

E T V

E T V

Content captured daily from freeview, Sky and international channels as well as online sources such as YouTube Teachers can request uploads

Content captured daily from freeview, Sky and international channels as well as online sources such as YouTube Teachers can request uploads

E L I N K

E L I N K

Create personal and shared workspaces, control who can see it, and connect your learning resources with colleagues and students.

Create personal and shared workspaces, control who can see it, and connect your learning resources with colleagues and students.

E V A

E V A

Our Enhanced Video Annotation tool, turns any video into an enriched interactive experience.

Our Enhanced Video Annotation tool, turns any video into an enriched interactive experience.

R E S O U R C E S

R E S O U R C E S

ETV's teaching resources support our curriculum and enhances the content available on ETV.

ETV's teaching resources support our curriculum and enhances the content available on ETV.

WITH

A more focused Start experience

Transforming the way that Teachers educate with Lenovo 13w with Aotearoa Bi Lingual Keyboard

13w Yoga

The Lenovo 13w Gen 2 is designed with the tools to enhance future generations and respecting our indigenous identity with the new Te Reo Māori keyboard. This versatile, portable device is powered by AMD and includes features such as a Full HD Touch display, World Facing Camera, Active Garaged Stylus and a 360 degree hinge to provide a fully interactive teaching device. techtoday.lenovo.com/education

Lenovo Aotearoa New Zealand bilingual keyboard