Get to know our FlipRbot Product Management Specialist – Kurt Yang
TechTalk
November Edition 2
Prior to Actura, Kurt worked in CBA for 8.5 years in various commercial roles where he gradually developed an enormous passion for technology innovation and product management. That led him to join Cuscal and help successfully implement Android Pay and Apple Pay digital wallet solutions for 30 to 40 domestic banks and credit unions across Australia.
After the successful launch of these two products, Kurt moved onto an exciting new challenge – the development of Actura’s FlipRobot solution. Kurt is determined to make a difference in the STEAM education industry by creating accessible and affordable educational robotic learning solutions with a solid curriculum and teaching implementation support.
Kurt was recently interviewed by STEMIVERSE, a popular local STEAM educational podcast in Australia. Check out his podcast interview through the link below and listen to him discussing educational technology market trends in general as well as our unique Actura STEAM solutions.
FlipRobot Professional Development Now Even More Accessible
TechTalk
November Edition 2
Actura developed FlipRobot to be a comprehensive robotic STEAM learning solution to make robotic and coding learning accessible to all students. Part of this comprehensive solution was the ability to empower teachers to be confident in teaching the FlipRobot curriculum through our 2-day Professional Development program.
The first day of the course was designed to impart technical knowledge of the FlipRobot solution. This involved learning about the coding environments available through FlipRobot and gaining coding knowledge through activities designed to be as engaging as the ones the teachers would themselves utilise in the classroom. Even teachers with no prior coding experience could be involved by learning not only from the trainer but from the other teachers to promote a flipped learning environment.
Building on that theme of collaboration the second day of the course looked at how to implement the solution inside the classroom. This is done by each participant building their own lesson plan and then sharing with the other participants for feedback and improvements. This means teachers who attend our professional development course not only know the physical robot but also have ideas on how to start teaching it.
This course has been rolled out to a wide number of schools across Australia and New Zealand and the feedback has been very positive as shown by some of the testimonials below;
“I was impressed by the professionalism and enthusiasm of all the presenters. They all showed a good degree of empathy to us as learners and were very knowledgeable. There was a good balance of talk and practical and they successfully took us out of our comfort zones to gain knowledge. They had a real “can do” attitude” – Amanda Paterson, Head of Learning – Science from Pymble Ladies College
“The course was very informative and provided a great insight and hands on experience” – Antonina Arcidiacono, Curriculum Administrator from Marist Sisters College
The next step for Actura was to use this course to reach as many teachers as possible, particularly those who wanted to bring robotics and coding to their schools but may not have time for a two-day course or could not get to one of our sessions.
To that end Actura has recently published a series of e-Learning modules which can be accessed anywhere with an internet connection. These e-Learning modules allow teachers, in their own time, to participate in the same activities as the first day of the face-to-face PD to build their technical knowledge and coding competencies. Actura then runs a 1-day face-to-face course to bring teachers together to share ideas on the implementation of the course in their own schools.
By implementing this new PD structure, we can provide support for any schools looking to implement a robotics program and continue our goal of bringing robotic STEAM learning to all students.
In the coming months Actura will be holding training sessions with Channel Partners so this resource can be used to empower more teachers to embrace robotic STEAM learning through FlipRobot. If you are not sure on when a training session has been booked for you, please contact you Actura account manager who will be able to provide details or set up a training session.
FlipCode Improvements to Prepare Students for Script Based Coding
TechTalk
November Edition 2
Actura has made some exciting changes to our FlipCode environment which will further improve the computational thinking skills students learn through our FlipRobot solution. These are the additions of the “Set Up” and “Loop” functions.
Actura has included these two blocks to create a better connection between the Blockly coding used for FlipCode and Arduino Script Based coding students would eventually progress to. Both Set Up and Loop commands are used in Arduino script coding as the basis for any new piece of programming so introducing students to these principles early will allow an easier transition when they are ready to progress to more senior level coding and robotics.
These additions mean that now when you first load FlipCode you will see the Set Up and Loop blocks already on the coding panel as shown in the image below.
These blocks are now required to complete any program in FlipCode. All that needs to be done is to connect either Set Up or Loop to the outside of a constructed program and then it will be ready for use. It is easy to tell if it is ready because if Set Up or Loop are not connected the program will be greyed out but when attached they will be coloured in as shown below.
The difference between Set Up and Loop is how you want your program to run. If you want the program to run only once than you can use the Set Up block and if you want the program to run repeatedly then you can use the Loop function. You can have programs in both Set Up and Loop functions as shown below. What will happen is the program in Set Up will run first followed by the program in Loop. This is the same as how Arduino script programs run when using both Set Up and Loop functionality. You don’t need to have programs in both so long as one of them is being used.
If you have any further questions about this change to FlipCode, please, don’t hesitate to contact your Actura account representative who will be able to assist.
FlipRobot Professional Development Now Even More Accessible
The BRIDGE
December 2018 Edition
Actura developed FlipRobot to be a comprehensive robotic STEAM learning solution to make robotic and coding learning accessible to all students. Part of this comprehensive solution was the ability to empower teachers to be confident in teaching the FlipRobot curriculum through our 2-day Professional Development program.
The first day of the course was designed to impart technical knowledge of the FlipRobot solution. This involved learning about the coding environments available through FlipRobot and gaining coding knowledge through activities designed to be as engaging as the ones the teachers would themselves utilise in the classroom. Even teachers with no prior coding experience could still be involved by learning not only from the trainer but from the other teachers to promote a flipped learning environment.
Building on that theme of collaboration the second day of the course looked at how to implement the solution inside the classroom. This is done by each participant building their own lesson plan and then sharing with the other participants for feedback and improvements. This means teachers who attend our professional development course not only know the physical robot but also have ideas on how to start teaching it.
This course has been rolled out to a wide number of schools across Australia and New Zealand and the feedback has been very positive as shown by some of the testimonials below;
“I was impressed by the professionalism and enthusiasm of all the presenters. They all showed a good degree of empathy to us as learners and were very knowledgeable. There was a good balance of talk and practical and they successfully took us out of our comfort zones to gain knowledge. They had a real “can do” attitude” – Amanda Paterson, Head of Learning – Science from Pymble Ladies College
“The course was very informative and provided a great insight and hands on experience” – Antonina Arcidiacono, Curriculum Administrator from Marist Sisters College
The next step for Actura was to use this course to reach as many teachers as possible, particularly those who wanted to bring robotics and coding to their schools but may not have time for a two-day course or could not get to one of our sessions.
To that end Actura has recently published a series of e-Learning modules which can be accessed anywhere with an internet connection. These e-Learning modules allow teachers, in their own time, to participate in the same activities as the first day of the face-to-face PD to build their technical knowledge and coding competencies. Actura then runs a 1-day face-to-face course to bring teachers together to share ideas on the implementation of the course in their own schools.
By implementing this new PD structure, we can provide support for any schools looking to implement a robotics program and continue our goal of bringing robotic STEAM learning to all students.
This December marks the 50th anniversary of Apollo 8’s launch to the Moon and the iconic ‘Earthrise’ photograph captured on that lunar mission. Photo taken aboard Apollo 8 by Bill Anders
In much the same way that astronauts return to Earth with a profoundly changed vision of Earth and humanity, that photograph gave humans their first glimpse of Earth from space and it has had a profound influence on many.
Nicole Stott, astronaut, artist and special advisor to CASE Space School, shares her passions for space and art with children around the world through her Space for Art Foundation. For Nicole, the Earthrise image symbolizes unity, and, through art, she found a unique way to spread a powerful unifying message of hope around the world.
Recently, Space for Art Foundation invited heroic children around the world to participate in their ‘Earthrise ~ Spaceship Earth’ project. This project honours the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 8 Moon mission and the iconic Earthrise image the astronauts took of our home planet rising above the horizon of the Moon on Christmas Eve 1968.
Nicole explained: “’Earthrise ~ Spaceship Earth’ brings together artwork painted by hospitalised children to celebrate the unifying message of the photo – in this one image is the ‘who and where’ we all are. Children create something beautiful and meaningful together with an understanding of the very special place they share with each other here on Spaceship Earth.”
Through Actura, CASE recently hosted two Earthrise events in Sydney on behalf of the Space for Art Foundation. Children at Children’s Hospital Randwick and Bear Cottage in Manly were invited to paint their Earthrise interpretations. Space-themed Party Day at the Children’s Hospital this year was the perfect setting, where around 50 children took the opportunity to paint an Earthrise. Bear Cottage held two Earthrise painting events during the Spring school holidays ensuring patients and their friends and family could take part in the action. ‘Earthrise’ at Children’s Hospital Randwick‘Earthrise’ at Bear Cottage in Manly Their paintings will now be part of the ‘Earthrise Art Show’ launching at Kennedy Space Center, Florida on December 21st and then touring the USA. The art show is part of the Apollo 8 50th Anniversary celebrations hosted by the astronauts Nicole Stott, Leland Melvin, Anousheh Ansari and Ron Garan. “This event will mark the launch of a worldwide movement, motivated by their experience in space, to inspire hope and positive change to ensure our planet is a thriving home for all”.
Chris Luong – Mary Poppins with a Degree in Science
The BRIDGE
December 2018 Edition
Preparing for the December expedition, Chris Luong, Educator at Victorian Space Science Education Centre and Expedition Group Manager at CASE Space School, takes a journey through STEAM education from Melbourne, Victoria, to Houston, Texas.
Chris Luong in his space suit uniform
Chris loves everything about his job, especially the dress code – an astronaut flight suit that he occasionally dons while guiding students in scenario-based STEM education at Victorian Space Science Education Centre. The passion and skills for teaching shows. He has recently been complimented by HRH Prince Andrew, Duke of York during his visit to the Centre on what a great teacher he is.
I wonder if he always wanted to be a scientist working with kids. “I always wanted to be around aeroplanes, was fascinated by everything, take-off, landing, airports … so I wanted to be a flight attendant. It would be perfect because they fly all the time.” That changed a little over the years and he wanted to become a pilot. But he realised that this is perhaps too much responsibility. Still, he was always good at Maths and Science and went to study Aerospace Engineering at Monash University.
He is till fascinated by airports; so much so that he openly admits: “My hobby is visiting airports. I’m fascinated by how efficiently they run, how they are designed, the architecture, the way everything functions, how people go about their days following rules and procedure …”
Might that be the reason he enjoys his twice-yearly gig as an expedition group manager at CASE space school – following procedure and making sure everything runs? “Yes,” he agrees without hesitation. And, because he loves space school and is passionate about STEAM education. “I want to inspire people, awaken their curiosity,” he says. “Lots of people are afraid of the concept of STEAM. It is a part of my job to understand that fear and make it interesting in the context of space; basically, using space as a hook.”
“And what a hook that is!” he continues. “That is why I came on board as an expedition group manager in the first place. Other expedition managers from the Space Centre talked about it and I wanted in – because CASE space school meant I got to do everything I love brought into one.”
He had a group of boys at CASE Junior Space School from Trinity Grammar School in July 2018. This December he will lead a co-ed group of seniors. “Junior Space School is mostly about exposure to STEAM whereas Senior Space School focuses more on what students want to do in life and how to achieve that. These are hard decisions to make … although it wasn’t difficult for me. I always knew what I wanted.” His greatest worry in July was he would lose a student. “And I did,” he laughs. “One of the students went through different security gates at the airport. Luckily his colleagues saw that, and they met the student on the other side.” As scary as this is and as much as all of us worry about these things, Chris’s attitude is realistic: “These things can happen, but it was comforting to know that I had a great support network of other GMs and Actura staff. Not just at that moment at the airport but throughout the expedition.”
“It is a fact that this is a learning experience – not just learning about STEAM but also the seven survival skills and additional CASE components – that’s where I saw the students grow as a group and a team. I could see amazing change in students albeit it was only two weeks. There was a student, for example, who didn’t want to participate in the Energy Zone in the morning because he felt dancing was for losers. And to be honest, there were a few who were reluctant to do it. And yet in week 2 they were all doing it and wanted to do it more often. It was amazing how the experience affected and influenced every single one of my students. They were more aware of themselves, they understood how the team works.
Even though students were far away from home and probably pushed to the edge of their comfort zone and had to work through lots of everyday issues without their usual support network, they flourished. “I always say that CASE Space School is a camp in America where groups live and experience things together. Group manager is like an educated babysitter – Mary Poppins with a knack for science,” he says cracking another smile. He believes that the ‘recipe’ for success as a group manager is to “stick to the plan but immerse yourself in the program. In Houston I was like a kid in a candy store. Trying to build up that rapport with the students and spark their curiosity is an opportunity you might never have again.”
Chris hopes that students learnt a few things from him too. Perhaps his most valuable contribution to his group of students was that “Sometimes things happen. Life can be hard. Move on though, there are things you can’t control in life.” And after a pause he adds: That’s probably what I’ve been trying to work on myself as well. In December I will make sure I share the workload with other group managers and Actura staff more. I need to be in control all the time. And that is good as well as bad, so this December I expect I will have to loosen the reins a little bit.”
Chris believes the value of STEAM is much broader than traditionally described: “I firmly believe that STEAM is not just a fad, I believe that the goal and purpose of science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics is to make the world better. Contributing to the society will keep STEAM going because people will see it helps improve society, it’s useful, it makes the world a better place.”
The kid who always knew what he wanted is ready for another step in his career. He’s getting ready for take-off to Houston in a few weeks and then returning to a new challenge: In the end of this year he is finishing his role at the Science Centre. He has landed a graduate role at Virgin Australia, so he will be working for an airline, which is his childhood dream.
Best of luck, I say and hope to catch up again for another conversation.
Do you remember your local Sheldon while growing up? That quirky kid who had the brain of a genius and the ability to annoy all generations equally with his or her unhealthy interest in knowledge, obsession with schoolwork or simply the ability to quote countless passages from everything from Complete Works of William Shakespeare to A Brief History of Time? Your local variety of a know-it-all. Smarty-pants. A cross between Hermione Granger on steroids and sober Sherlock Holmes.
Perhaps it was even worse, and you had a Howard … that distant cousin of the Weasley twins who constantly experiments but lacks the confidence of Fred and George?
Apparently, Invercargill in New Zealand had both in one: the kid who wanted to build rockets when he grew up, and the kid who strapped a rocket engine to his bike when he was 18. He is now the CEO of Rocket Lab, the California-based company famous for its vision to make space more accessible via its Electron rocket.
The “It’s Business Time” launch in November represents Rocket Lab’s key first commercial launch and is another step on the way toward launching at a weekly rate with another launch scheduled for December and 16 launches planned for 2019.
There is no doubt that this is a person who is admired, well-respected in the industry and a space force to be reckoned with. Whether he is still a Sheldon or not … It depends. Of course, if you subscribe to “I Hate Big Bang Theory” group, you will disagree. Because Peter Beck is likeable. He is the public face of a satellite launching company that employs 200 people. He is no longer mocked for his vision but is instead congratulated by dignitaries and politicians. Image: Rocket Lab founder Peter Beck with ‘Humanity Star’, New Zealand’s first satellite. Photo: Supplied And yet this is exactly what makes him ‘Sheldonesque’ at his core: the passion, following the vision, and enviable work ethics (setting any dislike of the TV series character Sheldon aside). And it is that devotion, commitment and pathos that make him a role-model. The BBT Sheldon would scoff at the fact that Peter Beck never received formal university education. Space industry doesn’t. Peter Beck learnt what he needed to learn on the job. He believes that “with engineering, whether you apply it to a rocket or anything else, it’s all kind of the same”.
No formal training perhaps, but what he has always had (besides Sheldon’s passion for science and drive) is entrepreneurial spirit. He was incredibly curious and imaginative as a child. And he still is. He embodies critical thinking and problem-solving. If not himself, he actively recruits people who do. He believes in collaboration and actively promotes it in his own company. The company, as it is expected of a start-up, lives and breathes agility.
Peter Beck, in short, is a walking example of a scientist-entrepreneur of the 21st century. A textbook of Seven Survival Skills. A live advertisement of skills that bridge the gap between traditional education and the much-needed tools to dream big and succeed in an increasingly competitive global future. A role model for the young, a cool Sheldon of space science and an inspiration for the world of STEAM-related education and skills.
We had our own FlipRobot stand to showcase our FlipRobot products and solution to many WA catholic schools within CEWA network. We also discussed collaboration opportunities with CEWA management executives.
International Boarding Conference – FlipRobot speed sessions
02/10/2018 – hosted by ABSA in Melbourne
Our FlipRobot staff talked to each of the participating school representatives in turn in a speed dating session. Each session lasted approximately 10 minutes. We talked to several boarding school reps about local and international boarding schools’ STEAM needs, trying to find out how our FlipRobot solution would best fit their needs.
NSW DoE Startup showcase day
28/09/2018 – Hosted by NSW DoE T4L and STEMShare teams in Sydney
Actura was invited to participate at this event as one of the upcoming edtech startup businesses that is on NSW DoE’s radar to showcase our FlipRobot solution to a large number of NSW DoE teams (especially T4L and STEMShare teams since they are the ones that drive a lot of innovative STEM initiatives within DoE).
When walking in a crowded place, humans typically aren’t thinking about how we avoid bumping into one another. We are built to use a gamut of complex skill sets required to execute these types of seemingly simple motions.
Now, thanks to researchers in the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin, robots may soon be able to experience similar functionality. Luis Sentis, associate professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, and his team in the Human Centered Robotics Laboratory have successfully demonstrated a novel approach to human-like balance in a biped robot.
Their approach has implications for robots that are used in everything from emergency response to defence to entertainment. The team will present their work this week at the 2018 International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS2018), the flagship conference in the field of robotics.
By translating a key human physical dynamic skill — maintaining whole-body balance — into a mathematical equation, the team was able to use the numerical formula to program their robot Mercury, which was built and tested over the course of six years.
This is just an example of where the work with our new STEAM Ability Topic 2 extension kits can lead to.
Welcome to the Team – Monique Caldwell and Anja Bizjak Johnson
TechTalk
November Edition
Monique Caldwell
We are pleased to introduce you to the newest member of the Actura team, Monique Caldwell. Monique will be joining our sales team looking after channel partners and schools in Victoria and South Australia.
Monique comes from a teaching background and has held several account management roles before joining the Actura team.
Monique is a keen trivia player, competing in a team every Tuesday night so feel free to test her knowledge at some stage.
Anja Bizjak Johnson
We are pleased to introduce you to the latest member of the Marketing Communications team, Anja Bizjak Johnson.
Anja’s background is a mixture of education, marketing, the arts and technology. She has held different marketing roles in the corporate as well as start-up worlds before joining the Actura team.
She is a keen theatre-goer and rarely says no to an invitation to a good concert or a bush walk.
