ICT Excursion: EduTech 2024
On Tuesday, August 13th, the sun glistened down on the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC), a group of driven young individuals, consisting of VCE Software Development students and Mac.Rob’s very own ICT Committee members, attended the “LARGEST festival of education” in the southern hemisphere… EduTech.
Featuring some of the greatest companies and leading innovators in the IT Industry (Google, Grok Academy, Lenovo, Padlet), it was a day filled with dancing robots, VR simulations and cool gadgets… not to mention all the freebies! The atmosphere was electrifying and buzzed with excitement from both the attendees and the exhibitors, which persisted for the entirety of the day.
Sal Khan from Khan Academy, was there too(!) and delivered his keynote speech on ‘Brave new words: How AI will revolutionize education’, although we did not get the chance to meet the legend himself.
The speakers were incredibly knowledgeable about their craft and super eager to share their innovations with like-minded peers. For example, we were exposed to how various tech companies integrate AI into education platforms to assist teachers. This reduces the time taken to complete mundane tasks, such that efficiency can be maximised. For instance, the learning platform ‘Quizziz’ has recently introduced their AI function, ‘QuizzizAI’, that incorporates an image tool that helps you automatically generate questions for a quiz by just taking a photo from a textbook page!
We also discovered an app designed to teach young kids how to 3-D model. However, the highlight of the day was being able to play with robotic life-like pet dogs, cats and pandas from Elephant Robotics. Such robots not only attracted us because of their overflowing cuteness but gave us a chance to learn about programming and algorithms – a step closer to a world where imagination and creativity serve as powerful tools in solving the world’s most pressing problems.
Specific to VCE Software Development students, we heard from Grok Academy about how they create courses that target different year levels for Cyber Security Learning. Interestingly, we found out that the content they make for years 5 and 6 could still be relevant and challenging for VCE students undertaking a computing subject.
Speaking of Grok Academy, we also caught hold of the CEO of Grok Academy and were able to engage in meaningful discussions about the future of education in the realm of technology!
It was definitely a must-do for students (of any year level) and educators alike, so for next year, we encourage everyone to attend and gain some insight into the industry. No doubt this experience has broadened the world of possibilities technology has to offer but more notably it has encouraged us to be the next industry leaders.
Ones who are driven by innovation and curiosity.
Technology and education are no longer two parallel lines. They intersect and intersect at a point where remarkable changes are bound to take place. As a school, we, too, should aim to implement the many technologies that have entered the market and enhance the ICT experience of all Mac.Robbians.
Amna and Grace | ICT Captains
“My highlight of the event was definitely meeting all the company representatives and gaining insight into how technology and AI is integrating itself into education platforms! It was a great opportunity to connect with new people and gain exposure to the tech workforce. The free merch was also a great bonus.” - Arushi P (10F)
“My highlight of the event was exploring how technology has evolved to be able to aid education on all levels! I loved talking with people in the workforce and understanding how tech would affect the future.” - Kimberly T (9J)
“It was so much fun to experience with friends for the first time! I learned a lot about careers in this field and what it might look like in the future.” - Babette D (12I)
“My highlight of the day was seeing all the different types of fields that I could go into if I decide to pursue a career in tech, particularly tech education. I learned so much about how technology and AI is being incorporated into education, and all the different tools/resources that can be used. And of course, the freebies were an added bonus.” - Srishti P (9D)
“My highlight of the day was interacting and hearing from all the company representatives about their fields. Their openness to share their experiences and teach us something about technology was something I really appreciated!” - Ihaana B (10L)
“I really enjoyed speaking to different people and exploring different companies who combine education with technology as a representation of the modern world!” - Riya S (10E)