Animals

ACMA supports National Child Protection Week with national Cybersmart activities
The Australian Communications and Media Authority, through its Cybersmart program, is marking National Child Protection Week by hosting Cybersmart Detectives in schools across Australia. ACMA, 7 September 2010.

Pre-service teacher education program accreditation: Draft proposal paper available for consultation
The Ministerial Council for Education, Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs (MCEEDYA) has agreed to establish a national system for the accreditation of pre-service teacher education programs. The draft consultation paper is available for consultation until 24 September 2010. AITSL, September 2010.

Scottish school becomes first in world where all lessons take place using computers
A school in Scotland has become the world's first iSchool, where pen and paper have been pushed aside in favour of all lessons being taken using iPads. Daily Record, 31 August 2010.

Girls 'believe they are better than boys from age four'
Girls believe they are cleverer, better behaved and try harder than boys from as early as the age of four, UK research suggests. BBC News, 1 September 2010.

Two classrooms, one world - from Broady to Shanghai
Victorian students more than 8000 kilometres apart today chatted live to celebrate the opening of the Connections 2010 classroom exhibit at the World Expo in Shanghai, China. The students were working at the ideaslab in Broadmeadows using interactive whiteboards, mini-computers and touch screen computers. Premier of Victoria, 27 August 2010.

Sick kids struggle at school
Children who have special health care needs in early childhood may encounter learning and social difficulties in their first years of school, a Queensland University of Technology (QUT) researcher has found. QUT News, 31 August 2010.

Music.Count Us In - One song. One day. Your school. More music.
The program links primary and secondary schools, from the Kimberleys to Campbelltown, in Australia's biggest music gig! Why? To create a nationwide celebration of the value of music education for ALL students. The culminating performance date this year is Thursday, 2nd September, 11.30 am AEST. There will be live webstreams from Perth, Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra.

NSW offers new teacher scholarships
The NSW government is offering teacher scholarships to students who agree to teach in the state's hard to staff schools. Applications are now open for the $7 million program, which requires students to commit to schools for three years. The Age, 31 August 2010.

Tweens get savvy with gadgets
Today's six to twelve year olds are more technologically savvy and count the internet as a source of happiness, research shows. Sydney Morning Herald, 29 August 2010.

Hector's World and Google work together to promote digital citizenship for kids
Google has joined with Hector's World to support the development of a new online resource, the Hector's World 'Tech Cave', which provides tools for kids to teach themselves and their communities about how technology works - from the internet to mobile phones and GPS systems, providing kids with the tools they need to use technology effectively and safely. Google, 29 August 2010.