2001 ICT News and Ideas

Last updated 2/11/2001

Notebooks

New Round

New Tender sees IBM replace ACER. Apple Notebooks still available. First Round recipients group to receive Notebooks November 2001. Buy back cost will be $990. Expressions of interest by October 5. See recent EduMail and link to Macquarie for details.

Recipients able to purchase, lease or salary package an additional notebook for family member at same price. Applications to have DVD drive instead of CD ROM close by October 26 - cost is an extra $3.30 per fortnight. *See EduMail for exact details.

New notebook in school before return of older notebook. TSI technicians coordinate transfer of data. Older notebook to be returned within two weeks.

Notebooks Initiative

• All notebooks distributed by end of Semester 1 2001
• Notebook for Teachers to be continued 2001-2003
• In general use the percentage of users rated as competent increased from 66% to 86%
• Routine computer use at school by participants increased from 52% to 77% of users, with a similar increase in use at home

Regular use in classrooms increased from 36% to 50% of participants

DEET Initiatives

• DEET@work (Departmental Intranet expanded to schools and staff) - http://www.eduweb.vic.gov.au
• Curriculum @ work - 20,000 pages of CSFII teacher support materials on CD and online
• Ed Channel - Major Website for the discovery of online educational content. Focused access to educational content for schools, teachers, students and parents
• PRISM Online interactive student resources and courses for Middle Years Science

EduConf and NetMeeting

• Installation of USB Camera - $110
• Camera can be used for still and video capture
• MS NetMeeting Configuration (once only)
• Headphones - $15
• http://www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/lt/telemat/index. htm

EdChannel

Education Channel Follow the link on our home page to browse this fantastic resource - http://www.education.vic.gov.au

ICT Initiatives Funding Relief - Bridging the Digital Divide

As announced by Minister for Education, the Hon Mary Delahunty, there will be some joy from current State Budget to support schools in the upgrade and maintenance of ICT hardware - Bridging the Digital Divide

• New computers delivered free to schools in Term 1 2002. Tender still to be closed.
• Networking assistance delivered over next 3 years by ITD
• Continuing IT Grants - schools must use these as designated

SOFNet

• Educational television programs via satellite to schools
• All Government and Catholic schools have access
• Includes access to Discovery, National Geographic, CNN and Weather21 through partnership with Austar to country secondary colleges
• Negotiating for country primary schools

VicOne

Upgrades

Schools can apply for an upgrade from 64K to 512K for the additional cost of only $3557. Normally this would be the cost of upgrading to only 128K. It is a recognition that as both the Administration and Curriculum networks share the same ISDN line that it cannot cope with the demands of CASES 21 and particularly HRMS which can take up to 2/3 of 64K bandwidth.

Note well that the 512K upgrade will not be available in the Wimmera until the end of 2001 when AAPT completes its broadband rollout - maximum currently 128K. Schools should be being notified early Term 4.

EduMail

Outlook - EduMail and EduLibrary video. A school copy of how to use Outlook and EduMail and EduLibrary should be in your school. This goes for 12 minutes and is worth watching by everyone.

EduMail Please check this at least a couple of times a week. There is a DEET campaign within the Region and across the state to increase use of EduMail. Check it daily is a great idea

EduNet

• Education Selection Cache - over 18,000 quality education sites
• Teacher and Student Resource
• Safe Area for primary students
• Major means of reducing costs
• Blocks 12.5 million pornography, extremist and bomb sites

Term upgrade

EduNet's current plan is to upgrade during the Term holidays - a few features at a time

My Internet

My Internet Features Check out:

• Dingo Mail - web mail
• Internet Projects
• Education Resources
• Opportunity to alter color schemes and add or delete features

Noticeboards

We use 3 Noticeboards

• School - staff information
• Student - student information
• Learning Technologies - updates and information specific to ICT

Dingo Mail

Direct link on homepage. All Year 5 and 6 students have individual logons

Hardware

Mattel PC Microscope

Used in Science/Technology - needs Windows 98, USB connection, allows 10X, 60X and 200X magnification, about $170, available ToyWorld and KMart, takes digital snaps, time lapse and video.

HP Printers

Tender available through Computelec. Excellent prices

Software

• Virus scanners - New Tender sees Norton replace McAfee from Term 4 2001
• Microsoft products now available through Ipex (New Tender) - $10 - $18
• Software Rolling Fund - ordered through EdSoft - pay upfront
• Other Retailers

Computelec	EdSoft	Ipex	New Horizons	Software Time
http://www.computelec.com.au	http://www.edsoft.com.au	http://www.ipex.com.au	http://www.nh.com.au/	http://www.softwaretime.com.au/

Some of our recent good purchases

Application	Suitable	Comments	Application	Application	Comments
JumpStart Kindergarten			JumpStart Grade One
Smart Start Italian			Kid Pix Studio Deluxe 3
Websters History of Australia			HyperStudio 4
First Fleet Journey			Textease
Goldfields			Math's Circus
Math's Made Easy 1			Phonics Alive #3
Cloze Wizard			Let's Go Shopping
PM Storybooks Red and Orange			Maths Goes Mental
Crossword Wizard			Maths Wizard
Australian Teachers Workshop

Collaborative Projects

Check out the Federation links and Education Channel on SOFWeb for information

Sources

Follow Learning Technologies and ICT support link and download PDF file on our home page for sources of finding projects

Support

Contact Global Classroom Project Mentors or WimmeraNet

Global Classroom Project

New Design

• Updated design for this valuable Victorian teacher designed web site of collaborative projects for schools.
• Select projects by CSFII level, KLA, involvement or topic to find them

Local Projects

Several excellent GC Projects developed in CHW.

Funding

Funding is available each December for developing projects normally in $1000 - $3000 range - use for time release, software, attending PD, materials required

Assessment

Reports

What are schools using?

• Word,. including mail merge
• FileMaker Pro
• Locally created programs - using Visual Basic, C+++, etc.
• Report Wizard
• MarkBook

File Maker Pro

A really useful database application for creating student profiles in Early and Middle Years as well as whole school Report Formats.

Australian Teachers Workshop

Excellent program that uses FileMaker Pro to create teacher classroom resources

ICT and Professional Development

Check the WimmeraNet PD calendar. CHW LT Conference May 31(evening) and June 1 -. see CHW web site for program and options Learning with the Internet CD and some Self Paced Learning CDs all at the library. Numerous books in the teacher reference section of the library and a range of publications I have created and collected -> see Ian C Several staff at this school have excellent skills. Check people in your unit

• Victoian Information Technology Teachers Association (VITTA) - http://www.vitta.org.au
• Tammy's Technology Tips for Teachers (US) http://www.essdack.org/tips/index.html

CAPC	CASC	CEGV	Global Classroom Projects
http://www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/capc	http://www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/casc	http://www.cegv.vic.edu.au	http://www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/gc
LWTI	Navigator Schools	Notebook Academy	SoundHouse
http://www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/loti/index.htm	http://www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/navigator	http://www.serct.vic.edu.au/notebook/index.htm	http://www.soundhouse.com.au

Class Ideas

Digital Portfolios

Each student has their own individual folder on the Curriculum Network Server. When Students logon they have access to the S drive which has folders for Year level, Class Group and individual students - they contain student files, photos and some work samples

CSFII Ideas

Can't think of anything else to do besides word processing. I have attempted to collate some ideas for you to use in your classroom with your children.

See ICT support including 6 of the Best and ICT Scope and Sequence or try the Leading Idea Bank on SOFWeb

Headsets

Combination microphone and earphones. $15 through State Supply

Classroom Organisation

• Stick rigidly to your timetable. 15 minutes every week with some occasional extra time is better than 1/2 an hour once a month
• Plan to have 1-2 hours free each day where you have time for catching up kids or doing a different activity.
• Select 3-4 programs that you know well
• e.g. MS Office or Claris Office, Kid Pix Studio Deluxe, Encarta, Textease, HyperStudio, email/WWW and plan the majority of your class programs around those.

Learning Technologies Taskgroup

• At Horsham 298 we created this key reference group to provide support and input into Learning Technologies at Horsham Primary School.
• I believe that being a member of this group is a great benefit to members and the resultant work of major significance to Horsham 298. 

Our 2001 priorities

• access@schools program at 298 including specially developed IT sessions for Community and teachers
• Upgrade ISDN link
• Update our Code of Conduct for school, staff and students to follow.
• Revise Learning Technology Plan for the future direction of Horsham 298.
• Staff Computer Survey. to ascertain staff skills and PD requirements.
• Created a document titled School PD which I have used with schools, 298 staff and reprinted sections for the District Information Technology PD
• Continue to collate and collect ideas for a Primary School Information and Communication Technology curriculum document.
• RAS developed for staff
• PD for reluctant staff
• Scope and Sequence broadened
• Quality peripherals - including LaserJet printers
• Video conferencing - across school
• ICT teacher support for ICT leaders

What's Coming Up

Budgets spending to be finalised. Don't forget to order disks, printer cartridges, paper and other consumables to get you through until end of year.

Learning Technologies and Students

• We need to recognise that we are working with a new media
• Projects need to accommodate needs of teachers who are unsure of expectations and students who feel more comfortable in digital environment
• Many Projects work on Big Bang Theory - Launch It + Announce It = Success will follow

Student Mindset - according to Frand

• Computers are not technology
• The Internet is better than TV
• Reality is no longer real
• Doing is more important than knowing
• Experimentation (Nintendo:- trial and error) is preferable to Logic
• Multitasking is a way of life
• Typing is preferable to handwriting
• Staying connected is essential
• There is zero tolerance for delays
• The lines between consumer and creator are blurring

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