AAMT e-news

for the Australian mathematics education community

20 June 2016

International Mathematical Modelling Challenge

IM2C is an international mathematical modelling competition for teams of up to four students from secondary schools. The problem set for the 2016 Challenge asked students to investigate how the organisers of an athletics competition could minimise their financial risk as they consider offering incentives to attract top-level competitors.

Australia’s best two solutions, by teams from Perth Modern School and Trinity College, also in Perth, received Meritorious Awards, the second highest award category, in the international component of the competition against solutions from a pool of 40 teams from 23 participating countries.

Other award-winning school teams in the national phase of the IM2C were from Canberra Grammar School; Coomera Anglican College, Qld; Glen Waverley Secondary College, Melbourne; Manea Senior College, Bunbury, WA; Mildura Senior College, Vic; Ormiston College, Brisbane; Somerville House, Brisbane; and St Ursula’s College, Toowoomba, Qld.

Registrations for the 2017 IM2C are now open. For more information, go to www.immchallenge.org.au.

STEM Cup

Collingwood Football Club in collaboration with AAMT have launched a dynamic new national maths competition called the STEM Cup. This online digital challenge allows students to leverage their maths and analytical skills to choose the ultimate 2017 Collingwood squad while staying beneath the AFL salary cap. The competition officially opens on 17 July and runs through 20 August with winners being announced on August 27.

Entry is free. To register, go to http://dayofstem.com.au/STEM-Cup.html?oId=1588.

Aboriginal Summer School(s) for Excellence in Technology and Science (ASSETS)

Applications for the 2016/17 Aboriginal Summer School for Excellence in Technology and Science (ASSETS) are now open (closing 31 July 2016). More than 100 students from all over Australia will come together at one of three summer schools to be held in Adelaide, Newcastle and Townsville over 9 days in December 2016/January 2017.

ASSETS is for Year 10 students who are interested in STEM and who identify with their Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander culture and heritage. The summer school program combines interactive science inquiry activities with engaging cultural experiences. There is no cost to attend. Airfares, meals and accommodation are provided.

For more information and to apply, go to www.csiro.au/indigenous-assets/apply.

ACER Research Conference

Improving STEM learning: What will it take?

7–9 August 2016, Brisbane

Research Conference 2016 will showcase research that aims to equip, empower and assist our educational system to address these challenges at all levels, from classroom practice to governance and policy. AAMT members can get a 20% discount on the price of full conference registration by using the code ‘STEMASSOCIATION’ along with your AAMT membership number when registering.

For more information and to register, go to https://acer.ac/rc2016.

14th International Conference of the Mathematics Education for the Future Project

The conference "Mathematics Education for the next Decade" will be held 10–15 September 2017 at Balatonfüred, Balaton lake, Hungary.
For more information, contact Alan Rogerson: alan@cdnalma.poznan.pl.

[featured resource] The STEM Shift: A Guide for School Leaders

Ann Myers, Jill Berkowicz

Society, employers and schools are seeing STEM as a way of equipping students with the 21st century skills needed to succeed in further education and the workplace. Illustrated with case-studies, this volume guides educational leaders through understanding, creating and leading the STEM change process in order to transform existing school programs.

#ECA018 $65.00 * AAMT members: $52.00 *

www.aamt.edu.au/Webshop/Entire-catalogue/The-STEM-shift-A-guide-for-school-leaders