Computer science education provides students with lifelong skills that enable them to solve problems and develop critical analysis skills.
Computer science (CS) is more available in classrooms across Australia than ever, thanks to the Digital Technologies curriculum, and so equipping teachers with the everything they need to teach CS and computational thinking has never been more important.
“A lot of students come out of school able to push the right buttons, but don’t know how to approach real-world problem solving. We need to teach students how to tackle problems that seem unsolvable,” says Leanne Cameron, lecturer of educational studies at Australian Catholic University.
 It also helps them prepare for the careers of the future that will certainly involve digital skills and combining computer science with other disciplines like health, science, agriculture, art and more to solve complex challenges and design innovation solutions for the world.
With their CS4HS grant in 2015, Australian Catholic University responded to Australia’s newly introduced Digital Technologies curriculum by creating a compulsory course that will help all pre-service teachers in their Bachelor of Education programs learn how to teach CS and CT.
More than 2,000 pre-service teachers have completed the course to date. This course has also been open-sourced so that other universities can use the content to prepare future teachers in this important skill.
Other CS4HS recipients have delivered hands on practical workshops to teachers all around Australia to equip them with both the knowledge and the skills to engage and excite students in the opportunities that computer science can lead to. And with our free online courses through Adelaide University we’ve seen thousands of teachers inspired and equipped to implement this new curriculum.
Applications are now open for our 2016 CS4HS program in Australia and New Zealand, and will remain open until 19 March 2016.
If you want to know where computer science can take today’s students, check out Careers with Code. In the future, young Australians will use computer science to do great things, and it will all start with a great teacher with a passion for the topic.
Posted by Sally-Ann Williams, Engineering Community & Outreach manager

At Google we often talk about trying to solve the really big problems - connectivity, communication, organising the world’s information. Sometimes we take on ideas so large it could almost seem preposterous - like organising all the information on the internet, or using artificial intelligence to translate languages. Google has engineers in Australia working on all kinds of global problems. We have the largest Google Maps team in the world - no surprise given that Google Maps was born in Sydney; we are working to transform the way businesses operate in a digital world; we’re helping people in emerging economies make the most out of the internet in spite of poor bandwidth. We are also in a unique position to help others solve big problems using technology, and through our philanthropic arm Google.org we donate more than US$100 million and a further US$1 billion in products and resources every year to non-profit partners tackling some of the biggest social issues we face.

Google Australia & New Zealand managing director Jason Pellegrino, Infoxchange chief executive David Spriggs and Google.org director Jacquelline Fuller.

One of those partners is Infoxchange, which is transforming the way society tackles homelessness. It’s hard to believe, but one in 200 people in Australia is homeless. You may also be surprised to know that roughly eight out of ten of those homeless people has a smartphone. For many homeless people their smartphone can play a decisive role in determining their outcome. Infoxchange saw the opportunity to provide people in need with location-based information via their mobile, helping connect them with essential things such as food, counselling, employment services, legal support and a safe place to sleep. Earlier this year it launched Ask Izzy, the world’s first, nationwide mobile website connecting people who are at risk with essential services. Ask Izzy was developed with support from Google, News Corp and REA Group.
It is exactly the kind of problem-solving that motivates people at Google; not only did we fund the development, but a number of Google staff helped develop the technology and assist with user testing. The mobile site was co-designed by those who have experienced homelessness. It’s also free, anonymous, and the data usage costs nothing if you access it via Telstra’s network. The people at Infoxchange have been amazing partners because of their passion for the issue of homelessness, for the partners they’ve been able to bring together to make this project happen, and for their belief in the power of technology to make a real difference in people’s lives. Ask Izzy was launched in January by Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, and has now been used more 250,000 times - many more times than Infoxchange expected.

Launching Ask Izzy in January, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Lucy Turnbull spoke with people who consulted on the design of Ask Izzy.

The next step for Infoxchange and Ask Izzy is to create a national database that understands how people are using essential services so that policymakers can ensure they are available where they are needed most. This Christmas if you wish to donate to Infoxchange go to http://info.westpac.com.au/askizzy so they can put pocket-sized mobile phone chargers into the hands of homeless people - for just $15 you can ensure that when they need that little bit of extra charge for their phone, it’s there for them. A single power card will charge their phone for four hours. An extra phone charge in the pockets of people in need can help them find a bed, a shower, a meal, a friend. Even when we’re seeking to make big changes to society, it’s the small things that often matter the most.
Posted by Alan Noble, Director of Engineering, Google Australia

Aussies searched for Brexit, Bowie and banana bread

More than 30,000 education professionals around the world joined forces online last week for Google’s Education on Air conference: a free, around-the-clock global conference for teachers to share and learn.

Google’s Education on Air brought together leaders in learning, including Google chairman Eric Schmidt; Second Lady of the US, Dr Jill Biden; and the 27th Prime Minister of Australia and Chair of the Global Partnership for Education, Julia Gillard to discuss curriculum and best practices.

Delivering the opening keynote, Ms Gillard said that teachers unlock the world of learning for our children and good teachers never stop learning themselves. She said Education on Air is working to equip teachers with the tools they need to navigate our changing world and that teachers are transforming education with technology in many ways to better engage and enrich their students.



After participating in a panel discussion and leading a breakout session, Anthony Speranza, ICT Learning and Teaching Leader at St Mark’s Primary school in Melbourne said Education On Air used technology to deliver innovative Professional Development for the educational community and highlighted best practices for today's students and schools.
If you missed the event, or you want to share it with an educator who might be interested, you can find it here.

Posted by Fiona Coles, Google for Education, Google Australia

Last year was a bright one for music—after several tough years of declining revenues, the industry started growing again, spurred in large part by the growth of music streaming subscriptions. This year, the industry has even more reasons to be optimistic. Even as music subscriptions have been growing faster than any other subscription type, advertising is another powerful driver of revenue. In fact, in the last 12 months, YouTube has paid out over $1 billion to the music industry from advertising alone, demonstrating that multiple experiences and models are succeeding alongside each other.

And this is just the beginning. As more advertising dollars shift from TV, radio and print to online services, the music industry will generate even more revenue from ads. In the future, the music business has an opportunity to look a lot like television, where subscriptions and advertising contribute roughly equal amounts of revenue, bolstered by digital and physical sales. To achieve this, there is a lot of work that must be done by YouTube and the industry as a whole, but we are excited to see the momentum.

At a time when there’s never been more competition for attention, fans can’t get enough good music. It is clear that this creative industry has two strong engines of growth -- subscriptions and advertising -- and we are honored to be a part of it.

Robert Kyncl, Chief Business Officer, recently watched "The Hamilton Mixtape Performance Live Stream." 

Aussies went crazy for Sia, stormtroopers and Superwog in 2016.

1. Adele Carpool Karaoke
2. HUGE EGGS SURPRISE TOYS CHALLENGE Inflatable water slide Disney Cars Toys Paw Patrol Spiderman
3. Jennifer Lopez Carpool Karaoke
4. Sia Carpool Karaoke
5. Ice Cube, Kevin Hart And Conan Help A Student Driver - CONAN on TBS
6. Parent Teacher Interviews
7. Boogie Storm make Simon’s dream come true! | Auditions Week 5 | Britain’s Got Talent 2016
8. Halsey covers Justin Bieber's 'Love Yourself' for triple j's Like A Version
9. First Lady Michelle Obama Carpool Karaoke
10. Does Elsa Eat Too Much? Play-Doh Disney Frozen Movie Clips Best Stop-Motion videos

Australia's Top Music Videos 

1. The Chainsmokers - Closer (Lyric) ft. Halsey
2. Fifth Harmony - Work from Home ft. Ty Dolla $ign
3. Calvin Harris - This Is What You Came For (Official Video) ft. Rihanna
4. ZAYN - PILLOWTALK
5. Twenty one pilots: Heathens (from Suicide Squad: The Album) [OFFICIAL VIDEO]
6. Major Lazer - Cold Water (feat. Justin Bieber & MØ) (Official Lyric Video)
7. Mike Posner - I Took A Pill In Ibiza (Seeb Remix) (Explicit)
8. Ariana Grande - Side To Side ft. Nicki Minaj
9. The Chainsmokers - Don't Let Me Down ft. Daya
10. Rihanna - Work (Explicit) ft. Drake

Australia is such a diverse country—but are we inclusive? Do we have a 'casual racism' problem? Are we a nation tolerant of hate?
These are confronting questions, but it’s important that we ask them. So YouTube has joined up with Vice and the Foundation for Young Australians to launch sharesomegood.org, a campaign aimed at helping people to understand what hate speech is, to know what to do when they see it, and how to counter it with positive messages.
Our first task was to understand what people think, and so Vice traveled around Australia asking young people whether they think Australia is inclusive.
Not everyone uses the internet with positive intent. And with Australians spending more time using the Internet to connect, communicate and consume content, there is greater potential for negative messages to spread quickly.
Such online threats, degrading comments, and digital harassment — when based on a person’s race, nationality, sexual orientation/gender identity, gender, or religion — are forms of hate speech, and are unfortunately becoming a large part of our online experience.
There is no universally accepted definition of hate speech. It can differ by country, online platform or organisation with some applying a broad catch-all definition, while others apply a narrower definition; here’s how YouTube defines it.
It’s easy to spread hate speech online because people don’t have to reveal their true identity. But even out in the open some people see the internet as a place where usual social norms no longer apply - a place where insulting and offensive comments can go unchecked and do no harm in the real world.
But those messages are harmful, and they hurt real people.
So, what can you do? Plenty! Go to sharesomegood.org to learn how to drown out the hate by amplifying your voice and create videos and stories that show what you are for, not what you are against.
Share stories that promote and celebrate diversity and inclusion, educate people about minority groups or hate speech targets, and present minority groups in a positive way and challenge stereotypes. Start by using the resources available to educate yourself, think of a creative way of telling your story and then get producing! There’s a useful toolkit that will help you along the way.
Good luck creating your videos, telling your positive stories sharing some good - and don’t forget to use the hashtag #ShareSomeGood on YouTube so we can see and celebrate your great work!
Posted by Samantha Yorke, Public Policy and Government Relations Counsel, Google Australia and New Zealand