To continue our reflection of the year that was, this week we hear from our Public Programs team, Jacina Leong and Elise Wilkinson, with some more of The Cube’s highlights from 2015.
- In May we welcomed educators, curriculum writers, pre-service teachers, and a group of enthusiastic school students from Kelvin Grove State College to Creative Lab: 21st century learning, our partnership program with the Queensland Museum. Participants were introduced to a diverse range of ways to connect students with STEAM using new technologies and systems (games) thinking. Relive the program by watching the Creative Lab video
- With the support of our QUT Engagement and Innovation Grant, we developed and implemented two outreach programs: Off the shelf: creative coding with littleBits and Off the shelf: creative coding with wearable technology. These programs involved key collaborations with Design Minds (State Library of Queensland), Brisbane City Council Libraries, and Watson Road State School. We’re particularly grateful to Watson Road for allowing our staff to work with a group of their students over a 6-week period. Check out these videos of the programs Off the shelf: Wearable Technology Video and Off the shelf: Reimagining libraries with littleBits Video
- We continued to welcome the great work of Tech Girls Are Superheroes to The Cube, hosting holiday workshops, as well as the 2015 Search for the Next Tech Girl Superhero. Take a look at the pitch video of the winning team
- Who could forget Robotronica? The annual QUT event attracted 15,000+ people to the Science and Engineering Centre, introducing some of the world’s most spectacular robots and interactive design. The Cube team did their part by hosting a series of LEGO Education robotics workshops for kids (aged 8 – 12), and providing an opportunity for younger kids to get hands-on with Buildacode. Kids weren’t the only ones having fun, though. Jacina also got the chance the geek out when introducing Ian Bernstein, Founder and CTO of Sphero (!), and chairing the panel discussion Education or Learning? Consumer or participant? Mind the gap. Here are a couple of news articles about the festival ABC Online story: How Sphero technology brought Star Wars’ newest lovable droid to life and ABC Online story: Thousands glimpse into robot future at QUT
- And, in keeping with our love for all things robotics, last but not least, is FIRST LEGO League! Last year’s challenge saw teams of students developing solutions for a sustainable, greener future. We also welcomed the Hon Leeanne Enoch, Minister for Innovation, Science and the Digital Economy and Minister for Small Business, to the event to hear what students had developed. Find out more in this First Lego League blog post
So, what do we have in store for 2016? Plenty. This year, we look forward to:
- Introducing a new set of weekly workshops for Grades 5 – 10 in Terms 2 – 4. View the 2016 Education Program on our website
- Welcoming Brian O’Connell, from the Centre for Engineering Education and Outreach, Tufts University, Boston, to facilitate some of our holiday programs
- Building on our collaboration with Brisbane City Council Library Services through a train-the-trainer model. Stay tuned for more details coming soon
- Hosting the official Australian launch of the LEGO Education WeDo 2.0
But most of all, we look forward to deepening our connection with the community, welcoming new visitors to The Cube, and continuing to provide inspiring, thought-provoking and engaging STEAM learning experiences for everyone.
Thank you for your continued support and commitment to our programs. You’re all superstars!
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