Day 2 - Department of Children's Services

The next blog is about what i found out today about ICT education in South Australia, you might want to skip past this part!

The day started with an introduction to the state education system by the Director - Marilyn Sleath.

Gawain Duncan, the Program Manager for New Media and Virtual Environments, then talked us through how ICT fits into the curriculum and how it assists teaching and learning throughout schools.

- Hub and Spokes method for networking. Predominantly Windows, but a healthy relationship with Apple, particularly with recent developments in hand held technologies. Whilst majority of devices (65%) are still desk top PC's, this is reducing at a steady rate.

- Y9 to 12 will have their own personal devices (one to one policy). Infrastructure needs to allow for this - wireless has been greatly increased. All schools have the same, state wide wireless Internet provision for students to use. Currently, most devices are state funded, but these will gradually become funded by parents - make use of devices that students own anyway. system is robust enough to handle a range of different devices and manufacturers.

Moodle provides the main learning management system. Content Management provided by Scootle.

Looking towards Microsoft Sky Drive (similar to Google Docs) when it become available.

Schools tend to have technicians on site, but most have relationships with external companies to help with maintenance. Students are expected to take responsibility for their own data!!!! Whilst a device can be 're-imaged' quickly, it is the responsibility of the student to have their data to return to the device. Students are issued with a USB to help with this.

ICT is not delivered discretely at the equivalent to KS3, instead it is carefully embedded into every other subject. As expected, it works OK in some classes (with some teachers!) and not so well in others. Planning to put ICT Mentors in every school to support learning, these would be on site to advise and assist with the delivery of ICT within subject ares. It becomes a desecrate, optional, subject from Y11 where students work towards qualifications, in IT Studies, IT Systems and IT (vocational).

In the new curriculum, ICT will continue to be delivered within other subjects, but may also be taught discretely again to cover the new framework as there is a feeling that some of it is too specialist to be taught within other subject areas.

eStategy Framework - http://secs.sa.gov.au/learningtechnologies/pages/leaders/30742


Next we met Don Priest, Project Officer, Digital Education Revolution. Main responsibility was to over see the implementation of the 1:1 computing environment for year 9 to 11 students.

Schools were given 1000dolars per student to spend on a digital divide for each student, they could then spend the left over as they wish to develop their IT further.

Used Becta guidance as a starting point for developing schools strategic plans.