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Julia Gillard announces AMSI funding for schools and careers PDF print email
AMSI has received a grant of Two Million dollars from the Australian Government, Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) to extend our work in four key areas:

1 Outreach

Schools in the Illawarra have been working with AMSI with support from BlueScope Steel Ltd. and the University of Wollongong since 2007.  Over a three-year period the schools have been provided with mathematics textbooks and related teaching materials for students from Upper Primary to Year 10, a program of teacher professional development and on-going support for all aspects of the program. The new funding allows AMSI to extend this program into five new regions across the country as identified in conjunction with DEEWR, and to expand our coverage in Wollongong.
We are currently talking to schools, our member universities and potential corporate partners in these areas and clusters of secondary schools and partner primary schools will be formed to establish the new partnerships for the 2010 school year.

2 Modules

- teaching and learning resources to support the implementation of the national mathematics curriculum.

Modules will be written to support teachers in their teaching of mathematics. Teachers in Outreach clusters will work with us to develop the materials. These will provide teachers with a valuable mathematical resource. Towards the end of 2010, the modules will be offered to all teachers across the country electronically via the AMSI website and with one CD containing all modules being provided free to every school.

3 Careers materials

Innovative careers materials will be developed to raise awareness among students, parents, school career advisers and others about the mathematics requirements for different careers. An initial research and review process will establish key directions with a broad range of employer groups and key stakeholders involved in the process. The target is to provide material both electronically and by distribution of material to every primary and secondary school.

4 CSIRO collaboration


Mathematics by Email
CSIRO and AMSI will jointly develop and operate a regular enewsletter, Mathematics by Email (MbE). MbE will be based on the highly successful Science by Email model currently operated by CSIRO. Mathematics by Email is aimed at primary and secondary school teachers, students of age 10+ and families.

Mathematicians in Schools

AMSI will participate in a joint collaboration to support the Mathematicians in Schools program run by CSIRO. AMSI will advertise, through all its current means of communication, to schools and to mathematicians, the benefits of participating in the Mathematicians in Schools program.

 

Message to parents:
There have been recent reports in the media regarding high-pressure techniques used in the marketing and sale of computer based mathematics learning systems. The Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute (AMSI) is not in any way associated, connected or affiliated with companies or organisations involved in these activities, and does not endorse or vouch for such products in any way. Please see Consumer Affairs Victoria newletter, March 2008 "Parents warned about aggressive software sales."