Online Challenge For New Zealand School Students

Online Challenge For New Zealand School Students

New Zealand school students are being challenged to make the most of their technological skills in a competition being held as part of the Planet 2010 Communications and Technology Conference in Auckland next month.

The National Schools Challenge, which starts on February 8, features five online challenges that involve using a range of technologies, such as 3D design software, YouTube, digital cameras and cell phones.
School-aged children can take part in challenges such as designing an ideal lunchbox or the next Auckland Harbour Bridge, writing and recording an original song and posting it on YouTube, and posting daily photographs that illustrate the key competencies in the New Zealand curriculum.
The National Schools Challenge also includes a short story competition, and a Maths Challenge which will be held live at the Planet 2010 conference on March 13. The Maths Challenge will feature the New Zealand winners of World Maths Day, an international, online maths competition being held on March 3. The overall winner of the challenge will be named New Zealand’s national maths champion.
Each of the challenges is open to three different age groups – Years 0 to 6, Years 7 to 8, and Years 9 to 13. Prizes will be awarded to the top three entries in each age group for each challenge. Prizes include Sony Ericsson W705 Walkman phones, Casio watches, digital cameras and calculators. The top three place-getters in the story challenge will receive an astronomical telescope for their school.
The National Schools Challenge is being run by the Telecommunications Industry Group (TIG) in association with Virtual Education Networks (VEN).
TIG was set up in 2009 to act as the voice for the telecommunications industry in New Zealand. VEN is responsible for making sure that New Zealand schools have manageable, safe and secure online environments.
TIG chief executive officer Rob Spray says the National Schools Challenge is a fun way of engaging and challenging the technology users of the future. He says the challenges were developed after TIG asked students to submit ideas last year.
“I’m very proud to support the TIG National Schools Challenge, and I know that New Zealand students will come up with some amazing results. I’m really looking forward to seeing what they can produce.”
VEN director Peter Hills says the National Schools Challenge is a great opportunity for schools to get involved in creative and collaborative online activities.

“We’re committed to helping New Zealand students and their teachers become creative problem solvers. The National Schools Challenge is a fun way for them to develop their problem-solving skills.”

TIG is also organising the Planet 2010 Communications and Technology Conference being held in Auckland on March 12 and 13. Planet2010 will see the telecommunications industry come together for the first time to showcase the future and value of communications technology to New Zealand. The keynote speaker at the conference is former American astronaut – and the second man to walk on the moon – Buzz Aldrin.
For more information about the National Schools Challenge, visit www.tig.org.nz/nsc

ENDS