Federal government releases Skilling Australia discussion paper. The Federal Government has issued a discussion paper about their increased investment in training to bring about a reduction in skills shortages across Australia. Issues include: a shift to a demand-driven training system; a projected increase in the number of Australians with higher level skills; an explanation of the Productivity Places Program; the…
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New OECD programme to test adult skills. Following its successful PISA programme for testing the educational attainments of 15-year old high-school students, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is launching a challenging new project to assess the knowledge and skills of adults. The OECD Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) will assess the level and…
Global Temperature Trends for Google Earth. A couple of programmers from Columbia University developed a Google Earth visualization of a large database of global temperature data. They took data from NASA and other sources and mapped placemarks for cities all over the world. Download their global data file here (it may take a few seconds to load the thousands of…
Wilkins Ice Shelf, Sea Ice Extent Animation. A few days ago, the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) released dramatic imagery showing a huge portion of the Wilkins Ice Shelf in Antarctica, 13,680 sq. km in size, which broke off and began disintegrating a few days ago at the end of the Antarctic summer. This is another dramatic instance…
COAG agrees to new schools reform plan. The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) has agreed to develop a new schools reform plan for the 21st century, targeting disadvantaged school communities, improved teacher quality, greater accountabilities and boosting parental engagement. [School Education Headlines]
Preschool Kids Do Better When They Talk To Themselves, Research Shows. Parents should not worry when their pre-schoolers talk to themselves; in fact, they should encourage it, says a new study. The study shows that children do better on motor tasks when they talk to themselves out loud than when they are silent. Researchers also looked for the first time…
Funding model to end school inequality. The Deputy Prime Minister wants to extend the model of funding private schools on a socio-economic basis to public schools in a move to confront disadvantage across both sectors. The proposal, expected to be addressed at the next Council of Australian Governments meeting, would involve extending the contentious SES funding model designed by the…
Buy a Tree for the Rainforest - Get a KML. This is a really great concept! The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) offers you the opportunity to buy a tree which will be planted in a rainforest in Sebangau National Forest in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. In return, they not only plant the tree, but give you a Google Earth KML file…