Education Technology Solutions Issue #77

FOR PRINCIPALS | EDUCATORS | NETWORK ADMINISTRATORS

Issue 77

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CONTENTS

77

026

Cover Story

Digital Divas Club‌ A New Revolution Despite the proliferation of information technology (IT) in our lives, girls are still significantly under-represented in IT courses and careers. In 2001, over 5,000 female students completed the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) IT subject Information Processing and Management. By 2015, that number was less than 400. If girls are not studying IT in school it is unlikely they will go on to further IT studies or careers, continuing the underrepresentation of women in IT. How can schools address this inbalance?

018

Feature

The Launch Of The WorldSTEM Challenge In early 2016, a small group of teachers came together to discuss what the serious roadblocks were to enabling the quality teaching and learning of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

What they came up with was World STEM Challenge.

032

Feature

Network Leadership Cameron Paterson of Shore School in Sydney looks at the transition occurring in education away from hierarchical structures to decentralised networks and the role of leadership within these networks.

002 EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS

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EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS 03

CONTENTS 014

Interactive Learning

Mal Lee and Roger Broadie look at some strategies to help schools cut through the hype around technology to maximise effectiveness and minimise the waste within schools.

022

77 036

Plugged In

According to Nick Stanley of Tribal Group, Facebook as a virtual classroom may be closer than we think.

036

Office Space

Will flaws in the current education system result in an economic crisis?

040

Next Step

What new skills will students need to survive in a changing future?

044

052

Let’s Talk Pedagogy

What is Wolfram Alpha and why is it one of the best resources your school will ever find?

048

Professional Development

Gary Bass looks at some great astronomy tools and exercises you can use in your classroom.

052 Inside View On Interactive Technologies In The Classroom Over the last couple of decades, there have been significant changes in the use of different levels of technologies, implemented throughout schools to ultimately enhance everyday teaching in the classroom and assist with back office administrative functions.

Tony Church looks at the growth of interactive boards in schools.

056

Teaching Tools

We present the latest instalment in a series by Jon Bergmann on flipped learning and how you can more effectively flip your classroom.

060

Get Connected

006

Letter from the Editor

008

Cyber Chat

010

Calendar of Events

064

Tech Stuff

066

Product Showcases

Emily MacLean looks at the power of film making in the classroom.

070 Noticeboards

004 EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS

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EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS 05

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EDITOR’S LETTER EDITOR’S LETTER www.educationtechnologysolutions.com.au EDITORIAL Editor John Bigelow Email: john@interactivemediasolutions.com.au Subeditors Helen Sist, Ged McMahon CONTRIBUTORS Julie Fisher, Brett Salakas, Cameron Patterson, Tony Church, Mal Lee, Nick Stanley, Frank Lucisano, Gary Bass, Shelley Kinash, Ron Kordyban, Rober Broadie, Jon Bergmann, Emily MacLean ADVERTISING Phone: 1300 300 552 Email: keith@interactivemediasolutions.com.au Keith Rozairo DESIGN AND PRODUCTION Phone: 1300 300 552 Email: graphics@interactivemediasolutions.com.au Graphic Designer Jamieson Gross MARKETING AND SUBSCRIPTIONS Phone: 1300 300 552 Email: admin@interactivemediasolutions.com.au $57 AUD per annum inside Australia ACCOUNTS Phone: 1300 300 552 Email: accounts@interactivemediasolutions.com.au PUBLISHER

ABN 56 606 919463 Level 1, 34 Joseph St, Blackburn, Victoria 3130 Phone: 1300 300 552 Fax: 03 8609 1973 Email: enquiries@interactivemediasolutions.com.au Website: www.educationtechnologysolutions.com.au Disclaimer: The publisher takes due care in the preparation of this magazine and takes all reasonable precautions and makes all reasonable effort to ensure the accuracy of material contained in this publication, but is not liable for any mistake, misprint or omission. The publisher does not assume any responsibility or liability for any loss or damage which may result from any inaccuracy or omission in this publication, or from the use of information contained herein. The publisher makes no warranty, express or implied with respect to any of the material contained herein.

The contents of this magazine may not be reproduced in ANY form in whole OR in part without WRITTEN permission from the publisher.

Reproduction includes copying, photocopying, translation or reduced to any electronic medium or machine-readable form.

Written Correspondence To: Level 1, 34 Joseph St, Blackburn, Victoria 3130 Phone: 1300 300 552 Fax: 03 8609 1973 Email: enquiries@interactivemediasolutions.com.au

Supported by

06 EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS

I find the pace of modern technological development to be at the same time both terrifying and exhilarating – terrifying in so far as just how fast cutting edge technology becomes redundant and exhilarating from the point of view of seeing what comes next.

Looking back at the first issue of the Education Technology Solutions magazine, launched in 2004 under the title Education Technology Guide, it is astounding to see how much of the technology featured in that issue is not just old by today’s standards but completely obsolete. Things like ZIP disks, Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) displays, overhead projectors and the like are all now considered to be useless junk. Conversely, imagine if in 2004 we had run an article talking about the fact that in the next decade, students would be using smartphones and tablet computers to wirelessly access curriculum and entertainment from virtually anywhere at any time, or that we would be able to store 128Gigabytes of data on a single postage stamp sized SD card and that CD drives in computers would be a thing of the past. Readers could have been forgiven for thinking that we had lost our minds. In reality, just a decade on, these developments are not only reality, they are old-hat, which begs the question, what might the next 10 years look like?

According to IBM, the classroom of the future will learn about each individual student over the course of their education, helping them master the skills that match their goals. The rapid digitisation of educational institutions will allow unprecedented instrumentation of the learning process. Cognitive computing, or

learning technologies, will help us calculate everything we can about how each student learns and thrives, then create flexibility in the system to continually adapt and fine-tune what is delivered to that student and how this supports teachers.

If this sort of technology is just five years away, then what might students entering school today be doing in their senior school years. In all probability, they will be learning in ways and using technologies that we cannot even begin to guess at today. The one thing we do know is that there seems to be a significant disconnect between the number of male versus female students pursuing IT and STEM studies.

Technology is playing an increasingly important role in our future, and as more and more traditional roles give way to techbased jobs, we need to find ways to encourage young women to pursue fields like coding, robotics, automation and science.

This issue’s cover story by Dr Julie Fisher of Monash University in Melbourne looks at some great new research being done into ways to get girls into and excited about IT and offers some interesting insights into how the current under-representation of female students in tech-based subjects might be addressed. I strongly encourage you to take a look and welcome your feedback on the subject.

Regards,

JOHN BIGELOW Editor-in-Chief

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shaping tomorrow with you EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS 07

REGULAR

C Y

CYBER CHAT

Apple Teacher Lands In Aus

| By Emily MacLean | Each and every day, teachers facilitate learning for their students, working to provide them the optimal conditions for learning. It is equally important to ensure teachers take the time and allow themselves the same opportunities for learning. With the many responsibilities as a teacher, it can be hard to always attend professional development opportunities in person, making websites such as Coursera and edX more viable options for educators where and when it works best for their lifestyle. One of the new online learning opportunities for educators is the new Apple Teacher program.

Originally launching in the US, the Apple Teacher program has been available for Australian educators since earlier in 2017. The Apple Teacher program provides free online professional learning about Apple products in an educational context.

Educators can dive deeper into their learning about the various Apple products, with a focus on either the iPad or MacBook as their device of choice as they work towards completing the eight badges.

Through the online Apple Teacher Learning Center, the multi-touch starter guides allow teachers to work at a pace comfortable for their individual needs as they continue to develop their skills, no matter where they are in their learning. These guides offer lesson ideas, samples and step-by-step learning

to create projects. Once teachers feel confident in their knowledge and skills, they can take the online quiz consisting of five questions per product or theme. Upon successful completion of the quiz, educators are awarded a badge for recognition. When all eight badges have been earned for either the iPad or MacBook, the educator has successfully become an Apple Teacher.

The products and themes explored through the Apple Teacher program include Keynote, GarageBand, Pages, iMovie and Numbers, as well as learning how to use these productsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; creativity and to support productivity within the walls of the classroom.

Coding helps students unpack stepby-step instructions while developing their problem-solving and creativity skills. Through the Apple Teacher program, teachers can begin to explore coding and Swift Playgrounds through an additional four badges available to be earned. Beginning with coding concepts and working towards understanding how coding might be used in the classroom and curriculum, educators can explore Swift code and the Swift coding app.

Professional development is often more effective when learners have someone to discuss their learning with.

Teachers could ask a colleague to work through the program with them to develop their own support system to stay motivated or work with learning leaders to build time in professional development days or meetings to support teacher growth on the products

008 EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS

they use every day in their classrooms.

By working with their administration to create the time for their own learning, students and the school community also reap the benefits.

The Apple Teacher program supports teachers not only on the technical aspects of the products but also provides inspiration, lesson ideas, resources, tips and stories of how to meaningfully integrate technology into lessons, shifting the focus on student learning and not always the technology. While a badge might be earned in a short period of time, the resources available through the Apple Teacher Learning Center provide an ongoing source of inspiration and ideas.

For more information about the Apple Teacher program, visit http://www. apple.com/education/apple-teacher/ or go to the Apple Teacher Learning Center at https://appleteacher.com to begin your Apple Teacher journey by enrolling with an Apple ID. ETS Emily MacLean is an international educator working at Chatsworth International School in Singapore as the Education Technology Coach. She is an Apple Distinguished Educator (Class of 2015), Apple Teacher, Google for Educator Certified Innovator and Trainer. She enthusiastically supports teachers across the primary school to effectively integrate education technology into the classroom. She holds a Masters of Education (Information Technologies) and currently is working towards a Master of Education (Educational Leadership) from Charles Sturt University.

Friday 20 and Saturday 21 October 2017 | Inaburra School, Sydney

Jon Bergmann is considered one of the pioneers in the Flipped Class movement after successfully flipping his own classroom and sharing the teaching model with other educators. Jon will be one of the keynote speakers at the conference.

Break-out sessions will focus on: • A beginner stream • Making flipped resources • Pedagogy and best practice • Subject specific • Experienced Flippers Stream • Assessment • Scaling up • Research • Flip a lesson • What happens at home The Masterclass Program includes the full conference program PLUS another 6 hours dedicated to specially designed Masterclass sessions. Masterclass sessions target mastery level and offer you an extended conference experience.

Keynote 1: Jon Bergmann IT’S TIME: Flip or Flop - 3 forces turning schools upside down, whether we’re ready or not Despite the pervasive fear of academic Armageddon, we are living in the most exciting times in the history of education. There are big changes on the road ahead for teachers, administrators and education leaders.

Keynote 2: Joel Speranza From Talkies to YouTube, The Power of the Moving Image Finally Realised Since the first “Talkie” premiered in movie theatres 90 years ago, there has been a promise that moving pictures would revolutionise education. While Carl Sagan and David Attenborough have inspired millions with their documentaries, this promise has gone unfulfilled

Keynote 3: Errol St.Clair Smith What’s Next?

We close this conference with a light hearted message on how to navigate the journey from being the lone flipped learning nut at your school, to being a respected, innovator, thought leader and change agent. Join us as we talk about how to introduce new ideas without losing your mind, your credibility or your job.

Attending FlipCon Australia will contribute 10.25 hours (16.25 hours if you attend the Masterclass) of QTC Registered PD addressing 2.6.2; 3.3.2; 6.2.2 from the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers towards maintaining Proficient Teacher Accreditation in NSW.

If you would like to attend FlipCon NZ 2017 “across the ditch” Find out more @ ereg.me/FlipConNZ

PRESENTED BY: Contact Us: flipconaus@iwb.net.au Register Now: ereg.me/FlipConAUS EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS 09

REGULAR

EVENTS CALENDAR

EduTECH 2017 8–9 June 2017 Sydney Convention Centre EduTECH is Australasia’s largest annual education technology conference and exhibition. In 2017, EduTECH will host eight conferences, eight masterclasses, 8,000+ attendees, an official event dinner for 800 guests, 250+ exhibitors and free seminars for exhibition visitors.

EduTECH is the only event that brings together the entire education and training sector (primary, secondary, tertiary and workplace learning) plus libraries, government, suppliers and world-renowned speakers all under one roof.

As a delegate, you can choose from one of eight conferences designed for your role, ensuring you get the most out of your professional development investment. Furthermore, EduTECH works with industry to subsidise registration costs to make the conference an affordable and accessible investment in your learning.

• Access the very best speakers from Australia and around the world.

• Share ideas, successes and challenges.

• Discuss, debate and take away implementable outcomes.

• This is a second-to-none networking opportunity.

• Tailor-make your own experience and choose from eight large congresses, with multiple streams, plus focused breakout sessions, masterclasses and

interactive exhibition seminars and displays (not to mention hours of networking functions).

• See what is on offer and save time by meeting with suppliers in one place, at one time.

▪ For more information, please visit www.edutech.net.au

If you have reached or would like to reach Mastery level you can select the Masterclass option, an extended conference experience.

Further information about FlipCon NZ can be found at www.ereg.me/ FlipConNZ

ISTE 2017 FlipCon NZ 2017 with Jon Bergmann 23–24 June 2017 Samuel Marsden Collegiate School, Wellington NZ FlipCon NZ 2017 is an international conference embracing Flipped Learning. Emerging and established flipped educators will want to attend this concentrated, high touch, handson conference.

If you have no prior experience in flipping a class or school the beginner track could be for you. However you will still get a great deal out of any other concurrent session, so don’t be afraid to choose from there too.

If you have been flipping your class you can choose from a range of tracks including Flip a Lesson, Making Flipped Resources, Assessment, What happens at home, Pedagogy and Best Practices, Scaling, Research or one of the Spotlight sessions.

010 EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS

25–28 June 2017 San Antonio, USA Differentiate your learning Unbelievable things happen at the ISTE Conference & Expo. Groundbreaking ideas are shared, new learning technologies are unveiled and collaborations form that will impact classrooms everywhere. Claim your seat at the table among education’s most innovative change agents. You’ll have more than 1,000 opportunities to create the learning path that works best for you and covers what’s important to you. Want to learn by doing? Check out a BYOD. Want to ask questions of the presenters? Attend an interactive lecture. Need to get really hands on?

Join us in a playground!

For more information visit https://conference.iste.org/2017/

Freedom to focus on teaching Our solutions and services enable you to concentrate on what you do best.

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Call 1800 789 389 to talk to our Education experts, or visit konicaminolta.com.au/education EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS 011

REGULAR

EVENTS CALENDAR

Leading A Digital School Conference 2017 17–19 August 2017 QT Hotel, Gold Coast The Leading a Digital School Conference 2017 is about driving and growing the inspirational and sound educational use of digital technology in your school to give students a competitive advantage. The conference will appeal to school leaders, leadership teams and classroom teachers who lead.

Program Overview Day 1: Leading from the top The focus of this day is on what school leaders do to drive digital technology and learning in their schools.

Day 2: The beautiful synergy (combining somewhere in the middle) The focus of this day is on the synergy that is created when school leaders, leadership teams and classroom teachers combine to drive the agenda for digital teaching and learning.

Day 3: Leading from the grassroots The focus of this day is on how classroom teachers use digital technology to improve educational outcomes for their students and how they influence their school’s vision and direction for teaching and learning with digital technology.

Visit www.ereg.me/digital17 for more information.

The Education Show 1–2 September 2017 Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre The Education Show is a key event of The National Education Summit which draws principals, school leaders, business managers and educators from K–12.

For more information on the National Education Summit please visit nationaleducationsummit.com.au

FlipCon Australia 2017 with Jon Bergmann 20–21 October 2017 Inaburra School, Sydney FlipCon Australia 2017 is a national conference embracing Flipped Learning. Emerging and established flipped educators will want to attend this concentrated, high touch, hands-on conference.

If you have no prior experience in flipping a class or school the beginner track could be for you. However you will still get a great deal out of any other concurrent session so don’t be afraid to choose from there too.

If you have been flipping your class for a while now you can choose from a wide range of tracks and Spotlight sessions, many choices to suit every level.

012 EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS

If you have reached or would like to reach Mastery level you can select the Masterclass option, an extended conference experience.

Sessions will focus on: • a beginner stream • making flipped resources • pedagogy and best practice • subject specific • mastery • assessment • scaling up • research • flip a lesson • what happens at home.

Further information about FlipCon Australia 2017 can be found at www.ereg.me/ FlipConAUS17

EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS 013

interactivelearning

Cutting Through The Technology

Hype

e h T g n i s i m i n i M d n A e t s Wa e h T g n i s i m i x a s M s e n e v i t c e f Ef 014 EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS

| By Mal Lee and Roger Broadie | A growing and perpetual challenge schools will face in their digital evolution is that of successfully cutting through the immense and often very sophisticated hype associated with all emerging digital technologies, to acquire the technology needed and to avoid wasting scarce monies, social capital and teachers’ time with the unnecessary and the ineffectual.

This is where the principal’s digital acumen is tested.

While the technology companies have, over the last century, displayed considerable marketing expertise in winning over the school market globally (Lee & Winzenried, 2009), their efforts in recent years have become that much more sophisticated – and in some instances one might say insidious. Most of the companies are simply doing their utmost to sell their product. However, recent studies on a development known as edubusiness indicate a few companies could be using their involvement in educational testing to validate the selling of their instructional technology. The studies by the likes of Hogan (http://researchers.uq.edu.au/ researcher/11666, http://www.aare. edu.au/blog/?tag=anna-hogan) and Lingard (http://www.educationincrisis.net/ blog/item/1243-complementarities-andcontradiction-in-the-pearson-agenda) provide an insight into the techniques some of the multinationals employ to secure and hold the school’s custom. These studies underscore why the head, as the chief school architect and final decision maker, has to be able to cut through the technology hype, and why it is vital the school has a chief digital officer (CDO) who can provide the requisite expert advice (Lee, 2016).

Those studying the evolution of digital technology in schooling have observed the finite hype cycles of all the major instructional technologies over the last 50 plus years, the often still very considerable gap between the technology rhetoric and the reality, and continue to watch schools and governments spend vast monies

on dated and dubious technological ‘solutions’.

Schools, education authorities and indeed governments globally have over the last 40 plus years wasted millions of dollars acquiring inappropriate and unnecessary digital technologies. They continue doing so today. Election after election, globally one sees the ‘in technology’ offered up to the voters. The poor decision making is not only costly, but also wastes teachers’ time and impairs the productive use of the apt technology.

Disturbingly, this has been so with all manner of instructional technologies since the magic lantern (Lee & Winzenried, 2009) and is likely to continue until schools – and principals in particular – exercise the requisite acumen and leadership in shaping the desired totality.

How great that waste of money and time has been no one knows. Suffice it to say anyone who has been associated with digital technology in schools for any time will be aware of the monies that have been and are currently being wasted, the staff’s frustration of being lumbered with inappropriate technology and the damage caused to the digital evolutionary quest when ill-conceived decisions are inflicted on the school. For example, in the recent elections in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) the subsequently successful Labour Party pledged to provide every student with an iPad. This one-size-fits-all approach, that would be controlled by the government’s ICT experts, without regard to each school’s situation was offered to some of the most affluent electorates, in one of the world’s most affluent nations. No thought was seemingly given to the reality that virtually every child in that wealthy city state already had a suite of personally selected digital technologies, that the children from a very early age had already normalised the use of digital 24/7/365 and that the government was both duplicating the home buys and imposing a ‘solution’ that would stymy the digital evolution of its schools.

Sadly, the ACT scenario is being replicated worldwide, probably daily by other governments, education authorities and schools. All are still focusing on the parts and not the creation of the desired tightly integrated digitally-based ecosystem (Lee & Broadie, 2016).

It takes astute decision makers, supported by apt processes, to acquire and secure access to the digital technologies required, to see through the hype and spin, to reject the unwarranted and to minimise the waste and maximise the effectiveness of the technology. It requires them to be very good crap detectors.

Fortuitously, it would appear the first of the schools have attained a digital maturity and an understanding of the desired totality where they can markedly minimise the risk of acquiring unnecessary technologies, while simultaneously ensuring their staff and students have the digital tools and resources required.

That said, it is impossible for schools not to make mistakes. Digital evolution and transformation is by its very nature risky, the way forward uncertain and, while digital technology has improved markedly, there is still often a large gap between the promised and actual performance.

Mistakes, some substantial, were made by all the schools studied. All one can ever do is to minimise the risk.

That risk can be markedly reduced by: 1. Giving schools the power and responsibility for acquiring the digital instructional technologies they require, getting the central-office ICT experts out of the play with the personal technologies (Lee & Levins, 2016) and having the latter focus on providing the bandwidth and, where apt, the network infrastructure. Be willing to say no to undesired technological solutions offered by the ICT experts, be they in or out of house.

2. Ensuring the principal and CDO oversee all major digital technology buys.

All buys should enhance the desired school digital ecosystem and as such one needs a

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interactivelearning

whole-of-school digital technology budget, and most assuredly not the traditional discrete faculty/unit budgets.

3. Moving the school to an increasingly mature digital operational base, distributing the control, empowering the school’s community and having everyone better understand the role that the balanced use of digital and social networking can play in creating the desired culture and digital ecosystem. Having all, rather than a few ‘experts’, understand the desired role of the technology is vital.

4. Pooling the digital technologies of the students’ homes, the school and its community and distributing the risk, particularly with short life cycle technologies. Schools do not have to own the desired personal technologies to acquire them. Indeed, it is far wiser not to buy them, except in special circumstances.

5. Adopting a bring your own technology (BYOT) policy and, in turn, normalising the whole-of-school use of the students’ own suite of evolving digital technologies.

BYOT – and having each student select, acquire, support and upgrade each of his/ her chosen suite of hardware and software – places control in the hands of each user and largely removes all the risk for the school and government associated with most of the short-life personal technologies.

With BYOT, the school basically removes from its remit the near impossible task of continually funding and selecting the desired personal technologies for each child, while at the same time empowering its clients. By all means, offer advice, but the school and government no longer have to worry about all the hype and risk surrounding the plethora of short-term personal technologies.

6. Appreciating that the richness of the educational resources on the Internet and the multimedia digital creation facilities and apps in the students’ hands significantly reduces digitally-based schools having to buy packaged teaching resources – digital or print.

7. Networking or working collaboratively with other ‘educational’ services, distributing or totally removing the risk to the school.

8. Renting apt Cloud or app services.

Many schools have built very extensive and

expensive hosting facilities, the services on which have to be continually updated, with the associated risk and costs. The rental of continually upgraded apps and Cloud-based services removes much of that hosting cost and the many associated risks.

Digital evolution and transformation is by its very nature risky, the way forward uncertain and, while digital technology has improved markedly, there is still often a large gap between the promised and actual performance… All one can ever do is to minimise the risk.

It also helps if the leadership: a. understands the Gartner Hype Cycle (Lee & Winzenried, 2009) (https:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hype_cycle) and those technologies whose life cycle is shortening. While pointed out, it is highly obvious that all instructional technologies will move through a finite life cycle, at the beginning of which is the hype stage.

Appreciate that most of the emerging technologies will have an increasingly shorter life cycle.

about entering into any long-term financial agreements with those technology companies. e. is continually alert to the likely unintended impact and benefits that will flow from the 24/7/365 use of digital and the importance of optimising the desired benifits (Lee & Broadie, 2016).

The ability of the head – with the help of the CDO – to cut through the hype is a critical skill required in digital schools. The failure to do so can at the extreme, as too many schools and education authorities have found, bankrupt the school or at the very least deprive the school for years of scarce resources. That is an unwarranted risk that can be easily avoided if the school’s leadership continually asks if the suggested new technology will enhance the school’s digital ecosystem and pays heed to the advice mentioned above. ETS

For a full list of references, email info@interactivemediasolutions.com.au b. avoids the acquisition or leasing of short life cycle digital technologies. The prevailing perception of most schools and the auditors is that the technology will remain current for years. The fact that it will not and will soon be superseded needs to be understood. c. recognises the total cost of ownership of the technology and the importance financially, operationally and user wise of very high reliability, low maintenance and the ease of being integrated in the school’s digital ecosystem. d. is aware of the moves by the major technology companies globally to ‘own’ the school and its data, their desire to ‘hook’ schools financially into long-term financial commitments and is very wary

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Mal Lee is a former director of schools, secondary college principal, technology company director, and now, author and educational consultant. He has written extensively on the impact of technology and the evolution of schooling.

Roger Broadie has wide experience helping schools get the maximum impact on learning from technology. He is the Naace Lead for the 3rd Millennium Learning Award. In his 30-plus years of working at the forefront of technology in education he has worked with a huge range of leading schools, education organisations and policymakers in the United Kingdom and Europe.

Thursday 17, Friday 18 and Saturday 19 August 2017

Digital Schools

Leading from the top

3 perspectives on leadership over 3 big days

6 Spotlight Sessions Breakout Sessions

QT Hotel

leadership teams combining somewhere in the middle

St Mark’s Primary School and Campbells Creek and Guilford Primary Schools, VIC

Ormiston College, QLD

3 Keynote Teams

The beautiful synergy

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Gold Coast

Leading from the grassroots

St Hilda’s Anglican School for Girls, WA

Key Considerations Catering for difference Digital fluency Equitable access Data driven schools Networked communities Parent participation Computational thinking Design thinking Key trends Significant challenges Important developments Social media Smart pedagogies Scaling innovations

For all States and Territories: This conference addresses the following Australian Professional Standards for Teachers.

2.6.2 – Information and communication technology (ICT) 3.3.2 – Use teaching strategies 6.2.2 – Engage in professional learning and improve practice Ian Jukes and Nicky 2.1.2 – Content and teaching strategies of the teaching area (ICT) 3.4.2 – Select and use resources Mohan Program 4.5.2 – Use ICT safely, responsibly and ethically also available 6.3.2 – Engage with colleagues and improve practice In addition: Attending the Leading a Digital School Conference will contribute 13 hours and 15 minutes of QTC Registered PD addressing 2.6.2; 3.3.2; 6.2.2 from the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers towards maintaining Proficient Teacher Accreditation in NSW.

Find out more about the costs, program options ce d Pri 017 r i B and how to register @ www.ereg.me/digital17 Early 0 June 2 OR Email team@iwb.net.au EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS 017 til 3

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The Launch Of The WorldSTEM Challenge | By Brett Salakas | The WorldSTEM challenge is a grass-roots initiative created by teachers for the benefit of teachers and it is gaining momentum fast!

In early 2016, a small group of teachers came together to discuss what the serious roadblocks were to enabling the quality teaching and learning of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). They came up with three main issues: 1. Affordability.

2. Accessibility.

3. Actionability.

What Goes into a WorldSTEM Challenge Video?

• Videos should showcase pedagogy and practice, not necessarily tech tools.

• Ideas are welcome from kindergarten to year 12.

Teachers are often blocked by the cost of STEM initiatives, knowing where to start with the Australian Digital Technologies Curriculum and being able to clearly link STEM lessons to the curriculum to ensure quality teaching and learning occurs.

WorldSTEM Challenge has been designed to change all of that.

The aim is to ‘crowdsource’ a video bank of quality STEM lessons and ideas for teachers around the world. The idea is simple: ask teachers who are making great STEM lessons to share their ideas in a short video (around two minutes). These videos will then be made accessible via an easy to navigate online bank. Teachers from around the world will be able to visit WorldSTEM.co and be inspired by a range of top-quality lessons.

Why Enter?

There are three reasons why teachers should get involved in the WorldSTEM Challenge: 1. Firstly, the altruistic nature of teaching compels us to help others. It is what we do. By uploading a video in the WorldSTEM Challenge, you are sharing best practice with other teachers.

This not only benefits our colleagues around the world, but has the potential to impact on the learning of thousands of students.

2. A selection panel will critique all entries in July 2017. One video will be selected as the winner. The teacher who submitted that video will be named WorldSTEM Teacher of the Year 2017.

Prizes for your school will accompany the title.

•

•

•

All videos need to be posted to YouTube and details filled out on the online form. Visit WorldStem.co To be eligible, videos must be uploaded and linked to the online form by 30th June, 2017.

All videos should be approximately two minutes in length.

Nothing over four minutes please.

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feature 3. Finally, the innovative story behind the video will be shared globally. It will feature in multiple magazines (from separate countries). It will also appear on selected high-profile blogs globally. This will be great exposure for the teacher, students and especially the innovative school involved.

What should your Video Contain?

• All applications should be submitted using our online form.

Please visit WorldSTEM.com • Include your name and tell us a little bit about the students that you are working with.

• Explain the task clearly so that other teachers can learn from you and use your techniques.

• Remember, these videos are mainly about showcasing practice, not necessarily expensive tools.

• Keep it short but feel free to be as creative as you like (there are no rules on style other than time length).

• Explain how your lesson links to the curriculum.

• Showcase the results of the students’ work. Maybe even share their voice?

More than a Single Challenge!

Education is facing obstacles in implementing STEM equitably, due to a lack of affordability, accessibility and actionability. The aim is to make studentfriendly resources that support teachers in overcoming these challenges.

Affordable WorldSTEM is currently designing simple teacher- and student-friendly STEM kits at a fraction of the commercial price.

Educational technologies in Australia are outpricing many schools, particularly in regional areas. Inexpensive technology resources and kits means more students can get hands-on with project-based learning within STEM. Kits include powerful but relatively inexpensive electronics such as Arduinos, Raspberry Pi, Makey Makeys and accompanying sensors and actuators.

Accessible All digital resources will be available online for the WorldSTEM Challenge and freely available to Australian teachers. The ‘tyranny of distance’ that is Australia’s geographical and educational landscape is circumvented. As a result, WorldSTEM is an equity leveller in the currently uneven context of Australian STEM education.

Actionable The WorldSTEM Challenge creates a cache of lessons and programs that demonstrates ways students apply their knowledge and practical skills and processes when using technologies and other resources to create innovative solutions, independently and collaboratively. WorldSTEM is currently developing a series of activities that are STEM-related and link directly to the Australian Curriculum for Digital Technologies and related key learning areas.

By guiding students through the process of design thinking within the contexts of systems thinking and computational thinking (three key ideas of the Technologies syllabus), we literally take teachers and students through the entire process of STEM teaching and learning.

Potential Plus – The WorldSTEM Movement is Here The real potential of the WorldSTEM project is the size of its scalability. It is literally possible to reach hundreds (if not thousands) of teachers and as a result impact the learning of thousands of Australian (and global) students.

As a teacher, the full scope of the conversation around STEM education is hard to take in all at once, particularly when we are held accountable to our subjects and their syllabus-based outcomes. Couple this with the fact that many STEM initiatives are very expensive and suddenly you end up in the situation

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we are in: one where teachers agree that STEM is of high importance but, because of challenges integrating with the curriculum, a shortage of money and a steep learning curve, no real change can occur.

WorldSTEM’s solution is to modify STEM tasks and challenges so that they directly relate to core curriculum outcomes, and to package simple, teacher-friendly STEM kits at a fraction of the commercial price!

WorldSTEM is an Australian-based initiative with a worldwide ambition.

Created by real teachers who have faced the same problems as other educators when implementing STEM, Rob McTaggart and Brett Salakas have found and are developing workable solutions for students and educators at all levels.

STEM should be about the learning and the possibilities, not about the cost. With WorldSTEM, teachers would not only be investing in standalone kits but also tailormade units of work that are mapped to the Australian Digital Technologies Curriculum. These include practical, authentic integrations with mathematics, science, technology and engineering as the student projects explore concepts within the key learning areas. ETS

Visit worldSTEM.co or Twitter @WorldSTEMedu for more information.

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Facebook

The Classroom Of The 21st Century

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| By Nick Stanley | Facebook, as a virtual classroom, may be closer than we think.

Debates and ongoing school-wide bans on social media aside, research has found that students are already turning to networks as an extension to structured learning. Fiftynine percent of students already use social media to discuss education topics online, while 50 percent of those who talk about education topics online talk specifically about schoolwork (Bennett, 2013).

Despite reports that younger Australian users are drifting away towards mobile messaging apps, the popularity and reach of Facebook remains staggering, with over 15 million users in Australia alone (Cowling, 2016).

The advent of social learning is unsurprising, considering the concept and deployment of the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) started decades ago.

VLE is an online system that allows teachers to manage and share educational materials with their students. While VLE has become analogous with distance learning and homework, the benefits of online learning has transcended to effectively allow a more immersive and direct, oneon-one learning experience.

Weighing in on Facebook as a Learning Tool Local educators and parents continue to harbour their own (and valid) apprehensions about the use of Facebook in schools. Some argue that it is a distraction; while others believe Facebook empowers learner procrastination and, left unmanaged, will potentially make the learning process less effective compared to a more structured learning system.

From an administrative point of view, one major issue is rooted in the way that Facebook is insecure and unmoderated, limiting control for the organisation. The lack of structure, boundaries and protocols can not only lead to poor quality content, but also security threats. Organisations would be hard-pressed to maintain standards around corporate applications, including those that manage risks.

However, what remains evident is that the wide accessibility and social nature of Facebook as a platform is ideal for learner engagement. As Facebook’s user base and the frequency of access by Australians continues to grow, educators who dismiss Facebook based on privacy concerns are potentially missing an opportunity to harness social networking to inspire children to learn and share using technology in a transparent manner.

With up to 95 percent of teenagers using Facebook and 25 percent going online constantly (Lenhart, 2015), its potential as a medium to excite and educate students is unquestionable. While Australian school policies may not (yet) support its use, Facebook can and will be used by students to meet, collaborate, share and learn. It is unavoidable that educators must, at some point, develop methods to practically harness this platform.

Tips on how to use Facebook for Effective Social Learning To optimise the positive educational opportunities social media can offer students, as well as control the adverse elements, educators need to understand the platform to use it effectively.

1. Create closed groups – Teachers can create a group and invite pupils to join the group by email, side-stepping the anxiety around teacher-student privacy. A closed group creates a space where students and teachers can collaborate on the platform, without needing to share access to personal profiles.

2. Moderate – Learner engagement is a two-way street. Teachers are more likely to achieve genuine participation and involvement through being proactively engaged themselves. Moderation also allows inappropriate behaviour and conduct to be controlled.

3. Stay active – Active, not passive moderation goes a long way in ensuring students know teachers are there and see the group as a virtual classroom and its purpose for learning. This also reinforces good behaviours and conduct.

4. Look out – As with any physical

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Debates and ongoing school-wide bans on social media aside, research has found that students are already turning to networks as an extension to structured learning. classroom, staying aware and managing individual student behaviour in the group is necessary to establish a positive classroom climate.

5. Filter – Introducing keyword lists will serve to filter out inappropriate language for a learning environment. Profanity filters, however, do not apply to images, so it is critical to moderate external content and intervene as necessary.

6. Feed – Use RSS feeds and subscribe to feeds to receive regular alerts regarding new content.

7. Share – Create a group to share learnings with other teachers.

8. Accept – Whether teachers like it or not, students are probably going to use Facebook as part of their learning experience. Just like advising them on the physical environment they might encounter, teachers can introduce strategies to help them with the virtual environments they navigate daily.

If students and teachers can find a way to productively co-exist and interact on the social network, the Facebook classroom could prove to be a vital tool for teaching and learning in the 21st century, a feat in the modern education experience. ETS For a full list of references, email: info@interactivemediasolutions.com.au Nick Stanley is the Managing Director, Tribal Group APAC.

Education Technology Solution readers SAVE 10% with discount code ‘ETS10’ before 14 April 2017!

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coverstory | By Dr Julie Fisher | Despite the proliferation of information technology (IT) in our lives, girls are still significantly under-represented in IT courses and careers. In 2001, over 5,000 female students completed the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) IT subject Information Processing and Management. By 2015, that number was less than 400. If girls are not studying IT in school it is unlikely they will go on to further IT studies or careers, continuing the underrepresentation of women in IT. There are many and complex reasons why girls are less likely to pursue a career in IT compared with boys. The current curriculum and the ways girls are taught technology in school do not tap into girls’ interests. The media portrays a stereotypical image that IT is geeky, it is about programming and it is not a career for women. Finally, there is a view that boys are better with computers than girls. To address this, our team developed a one-semester teaching curriculum called Digital Divas, designed to excite girls’ interest in technology, improve their confidence and encourage them to study IT further. Our materials encourage girls to work collaboratively and have a creative element, for example, creating a short film busting the myth that girls do not like or cannot do IT. The Digital Divas project was devised by like-minded researchers from three universities, in conjunction with industry partners. It ran for four years in nine Victorian state secondary schools and one NSW independent school. Seven schools were co-educational and three were girls’ only schools. Digital Divas ran as an elective subject for girls 14–16 years of age.

We collected data from the girls through surveys and focus groups, and conducted interviews with the teachers. We also ran focus groups with the girls two years after they had completed the program to find out what they remembered.

To reinforce the idea that IT is a career option for girls, we employed mentors – young women who were studying IT at university – to attend the classes each week. These women, who we called Expert Divas, were only a few years older than the high school students and the girls related well to them. The Expert Divas spoke to the girls about what they were studying, why they liked IT and what an IT career looked like, as well as helping out in the class. We also arranged for each class to be visited by at least one woman who was working in IT. These women spoke about their experience and why an IT career was a great option for girls. The speakers were remembered by the girls and the girls spoke positively about the messages they had been given.

Some results from our research included: • The all-girl classes were a big hit, enjoyed by both girls and the teachers.

The girls said the classroom atmosphere was more conducive to learning because they were not dealing with boys disrupting the class. The girls said they were more willing to ask for help because the boys were not there. The classes were more fun without boys because the girls felt they could talk to other girls about their work and the girls would understand.

• A number of the teachers reflected on how much better and how much easier it was to teach an all-girl class and how this influenced their teaching style and approach. Many modified and extended our materials to suit their classes. The teachers reflected on the fact that they did not have to deal with as many behavioural issues, enabling them to spend more time with the girls and extend their knowledge and skills. The teachers found they could do things differently and they were more selective about what they taught, and could focus more on what engaged the girls.

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If girls are not studying IT in school it is unlikely they will go on to further IT studies or careers, continuing the underrepresentation of women in IT.

™

Friday 1 and Saturday 2 September 2017

Your professional practice?

| Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre

Accessibility?

Digital resources?

Digital Classrooms

Digital environments?

What are the big questions?

Digital literacies?

Digital mentality?

Digital curriculum?

Digital technologies?

Ian Jukes and Nicky Mohan will deliver the keynotes and a 2 day intensive workshop For all States and Territories: This conference addresses the following Australian Professional Standards for Teachers.

2.6.2 – Information and communication technology (ICT) 3.3.2 – Use teaching strategies 6.2.2 – Engage in professional learning and improve practice 2.1.2 – Content and teaching strategies of the teaching area (ICT) 3.4.2 – Select and use resources 4.5.2 – Use ICT safely, responsibly and ethically 6.3.2 – Engage with colleagues and improve practice In addition: Attending the K-12 Digital Classroom Practice Conference will contribute 8.5 hours of QTC Registered PD addressing 2.6.2; 3.3.2; 6.2.2 from the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers towards maintaining Proficient Teacher Accreditation in NSW.

supporting digital classrooms, digital schools

Find out more about the costs, program options comes rior out and how to register @ ereg.me/K12DCP e p u s | actice OR Email team@iwb.net.au best pr EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS 029

coverstory • The girls said their confidence with using computers grew, in part because they were not afraid to try things out. Many mentioned that they were more confident in a range of the software programs they had learned to use. Some of the teachers who were not expert in IT said their confidence improved as they worked through the materials.

• One of the main aims of the Digital Divas program was to challenge myths and stereotypes, particularly gender stereotypes, associated with using computers and working in the IT industry.

Before the girls participated in Digital Divas, our survey indicated that they believed those working in IT worked alone, that boys were better than girls at fixing computers and that girls were more likely to need help when working on a computer.

The post-survey results showed that these attitudes had changed and the girls were far more positive about using computers and working in IT. In general, the girls participating in the Digital Divas program rejected the traditional stereotype of male superiority with computers.

• Prior to Digital Divas, the girls had very little interest in computers or a career in IT. Our research found that at the conclusion of the program, the participants’ interest in IT had increased and their interest in studying IT further had also increased. This increased interest was confirmed in the interviews conducted two years after the girls had completed the program.

• We knew that it was important to design materials that would interest girls if we were to change their views and encourage them to study IT further. To that end, our curriculum was specifically designed around what we understood to be the interests of girls, to encourage group work and, as much as possible, to incorporate creativity. This approach, while still ensuring key skills were included, helped build the girls’ confidence in using computers. The girls’ responses to the curriculum were overwhelmingly positive.

The materials included programming,

Overall, we demonstrated that an exciting curriculum designed around girls’ interests and taught in an allgirl environment can improve girls’ confidence with IT and change their perception of IT. developing a complex spreadsheet using formulas and lookup tables, and designing with various graphics programs.

The teaching materials are available under creative commons licence from our website digitaldivasclub.org Overall, we demonstrated that an exciting curriculum designed around girls’ interests and taught in an allgirl environment can improve girls’ confidence with IT and change their perception of IT. Digital Divas was funded by the Australian Research Council and involved researchers Catherine Lang (La Trobe University), Annemieke Craig (Deakin University) and Helen Forgasz (Monash University). ETS Dr Julie Fisher is an Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of IT at Monash University, Melbourne. With over 25 years experience teaching and researching in the field of information systems, Dr Fisher has developed an international reputation for her work in areas such as gender issues in IT and bridging the digital divide in Indigenous communities.

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SOMETIMES IT IS ALL ABOUT THE DESTINATION It’s a new era for learning. New technologies are disrupting education at every turn, and schools are taking this opportunity to reevaluate everything from the curriculum they offer to the systems used to offer them. It is easy to be become overwealmed by the tools and features. We get so caught up in the journey we forget about the destination.

Top Australian school, Haileybury in Victoria recently changed to Canvas LMS and share their journey.

What if educators could use a system that takes away the complexity? To change the focus from “How do I get there?” to “Where do I want to go?”

THE HAILEYBURY JOURNEY Haileybury has high expectations for its students’ academic achievements. For more than 125 years, Haileybury has catered to the needs of students from kindergarten to year 12.

To support Haileybury’s vision for academic excellence, the school required a real-time cloud-based Learning Management System (LMS) to better connect its programs, technologies, teachers and students, 24/7.

“The key driver to migrate from our previous LMS was to acquire a more mobile and iPad friendly solution,” said Leigh Morrow, Chief Digital Officer at Haileybury. “We needed a solution that would work well on any device and enable students to easily navigate, collaborate and work effectively.” Students in junior school complete a wide variety of work on iPad’s while senior levels bring in their own devices such as MacBook’s and Microsoft Surfaces.

Both staff and students have embraced the new technology which is much more flexible, efficient and effective to use across multiple devices.

“

CANVAS IS THE CORNERSTONE OF MY CLASSROOM. IT ALLOWS MY STUDENTS TO ACCESS RESOURCES AS NEEDED AND MAKES COMMUNICATION SIMPLE NICK KORFIATIS Year 12 Teacher, Haileybury

“

In the classroom today teachers are having to work with a multitude of new technologies. Many schools are embracing BYOD which require educators to think of how they support multiple devices.

Resources now come from a wide range of online sources including Youtube, Khan Academy and many others. On top of that we also find ourselves using cloud ecosystems such as Google and Microsoft. With all this going on it is easy to become focused on the complexity of the journey.

“Approximately 90 percent of staff members are already using Canvas as well as 90 percent of students,” stated Morrow.

Teachers are creating individualised pages within Canvas to provide personalised resources to their class and facilitate collaborative learning. Students are accessing content via their iPad’s and laptops during school hours as well as after hours and during term breaks with their parents.”

T H E D E S T I N AT I O N Canvas has delivered the students and teachers at Haileybury an improved Learning Management System which is more intuitive, flexible and easy to use on multiple devices. The modern cloud-based technology has increased efficiecies, encouraged consistency and fostered valuable collaboration between teachers and students.

“Parents have written letters of thanks for providing the new technology and students have commented that they’ve seen improvements in their marks thanks to the collaborative features of the tools available,” said Morrow.

TRY CANVAS TODAY www.canvaslms.com.au/freetrial CanvasLMS.com.au • 1300 956 763 • team@canvaslms.com EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS 031

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Network Leadership | By Cameron Paterson | The basis of this article is a statement made by Harvard Professor Richard Elmore in 2011. He claimed, “The future of schools lies in networks rather than hierarchies, in lateral rather than vertical organisations. Networks cannot be managed the same way that hierarchies are managed. Social networking is a different way of organising.”

The What and Why of Networks Alcoholics Anonymous is a network, Get Up is a network, the Men’s Shed is a network, ISIS is a network, TeachMeets are a network, even trees have social networks (McGrane, 2016).

Networks are not just about technology, they are about connecting and collaborating.

A paradigm shift is occurring in the way in which people are connected, moving from hierarchically arranged groups to diverse social networks (Wellman, n.d.). As global interconnections and complexities increase, hierarchies are being supplanted by more lateral interactions. Hierarchies require unity and coordination, whereas networks require diversity and autonomy.

Today’s fast and exponentially growing information currents “are like electronic grains of sand, eroding the pillars” of rigid hierarchies and top-down leadership (Husband, n.d.).

New connections distribute information and power, violating organisational borders and confines. Successful organisations of the future are likely to have a more adaptive, teaming network, which depends on the power of peer-to-peer relationships.

While there is still a need for “stability, predictability and order, organisations now also need the flexibility, adaptability and innovative culture to prepare for uncertain and unpredictable futures” (Hasan & Kazlaukas, 2014). More nimble, network-like structures are the key to succeeding in the face of today’s fast-moving, volatile environment and helping schools move on from the linearity of education’s outdated practices and processes. What sort of design is needed to turn schools into more effective networks that can rapidly mobilise, spotlight new learning and bring it to action?

Leading Networks in Education?

• Are educators explicitly teaching people to work in teams?

Teams now proliferate across domains previously dominated by commands. The strongest influence on teacher professional practice is advice from colleagues, and teachers get better by working in teams on teaching issues. However, norms of autonomy and privacy are entrenched among teachers and the isolation of cellular classrooms discourages professional interdependence. Teachers cannot become better teachers in isolation from each other. Deeply embedded structures have to be challenged and teaching must become infused with a genuinely collegial, collaborative ethos.

• Are educators becoming more intentional about informal learning? “Workers learn more in the coffee room than in the classroom. They discover how to do their jobs through informal learning: talking, observing others, trial-and-error, and simply working with people in the know (Cross, 2007). Eighty percent of learning is informal and it is often left to chance. Recognise the degree of dependence on informal networks.

• Are educators designing for flexibility and responsiveness?

Schools were not constructed to be fast and agile, and they were not designed for an environment where change has become the norm. John Kotter advocates introducing a second, more organic, agile, network-like structure that operates in concert with the hierarchy (which is still needed for reliability and efficiency) to create what he calls a “dual operating system. The successful organization of the future will have two organizational structures: a Hierarchy, and a more teaming, egalitarian, and adaptive Network” (Kotter, 2014). This new network structure is dynamic: initiatives merge and disperse as required with contributions from all parts of the organisation, liberating information from silos and the hierarchy.

• Are educators fostering diverse connections? People who link or bridge otherwise distinct groups and those who possess the capacity to initiate and maintain ‘boundary-spanning relationships’ have richer access to information and resources, EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS 033

feature and greater creative capability than those with a more insular network structure. These ‘border crossers’ who can access a diversity of networks are able to introduce new ideas, knowledge and practices that can lead broad-based change. Howard Gardner refers to searchlight intelligence. That is, the capacity to connect dots between people and ideas where others see no conceivable link. The recent US election has made clear the importance of being aware of filter bubbles, the personal, unique universe of information that one lives in online. People need to consciously connect with people whose views they profoundly disagree with.

• Are educators devolving decision making? Teachers need to be released from Stockholm syndrome. The military now uses the term Strategic Corporal, which is the notion that leadership in complex, rapidly evolving environments devolves lower and lower down the chain of command to more effectively incorporate the latest on-the-ground data into decision making. Too much education reform remains top-down, imposed on schools without drawing on or supporting the development of capacities within the system. It is necessary to shift the narrative and reform from the bottom up. Jelmer Evers and Renee Kneyber (2016) argue that flipping the system places teachers where they need to be – at the steering wheel of educational systems worldwide. Leaders enable teacher voices to be heard, rather than drowned out by outsider ‘experts’ or government rhetoric. Leaders galvanise and embolden those in the profession to be active agents in their own contexts and the wider education landscape.

• Are educators embracing complexity?

Unpredictability is incompatible with reductionist administrative models.

Many of today’s biggest challenges come from complex ‘wicked problems’ that are ill-defined and sometimes impossible to solve.

Complicated problems require a hierarchy, whereas complex problems need a more networked response. For example, when a fire

The future of learning lies in networks, and networks require a new form of leadership, prioritising peer-to-peer relationships to build creative capacity.

crew arrives at a house fire and they are faced with a standard fire, they use standard good practice. When they arrive at a house fire and face a fire behaving unpredictably, in a manner they have not witnessed before, a more networked response is required.

Complicated problems are solved with good practice, complex problems are solved with emergent practices (Wilson, 2016). While businesses are learning to balance short-term profitability with long-term sustainability, educators are still coming to terms with the fact that implementation and best practice is something done when one knows what to do; learning is what is done when one does not know what to do.

• Are educators crafting a narrative, a compelling case for change? Educators have much to learn from the principles of successful social organising. Leading is not done by sitting in front of a computer and leadership cannot be tweeted into existence. Movements begin with a narrative; humans are hard-wired to tell stories.

Conclusion Richard Elmore now warns that people’s conceptions of what is possible are inhibited by their beliefs about what is practical in an antiquated institution that pays disproportionate attention to practices entrenched in an industrial, colonialist society. As he so eloquently states, “Learned helplessness in the face of this dysfunction is the disease of a dying institution” (Elmore, 2016).

Education is moving from a narrow pipeline metaphor to an incredibly

034 EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS

diverse web of outside networks and knowledge is becoming literally inseparable from the network that enables it. Reminiscent of Ivan Illich’s (1971) learning webs, knowledge is now distributed across networks of connections, and learning consists of immersing oneself in networks by creating and sharing.

The change is less about new technology than it is about internal architecture and culture, and somehow these hard-to-control networks contain the seeds of a dynamic solution. The future of learning lies in networks, and networks require a new form of leadership, prioritising peer-to-peer relationships to build creative capacity.

What it means to be educated, and the role schools play in this, is rapidly changing. It is a wonderful time to be an educator. ETS

For a full list of references, email info@ interactivemediasolutions.com.au Cameron Paterson is responsible for the strategic leadership of learning and teaching, innovation and promoting excellence in teaching practice at Shore School in Sydney, Australia.

He has taught high school History for more than two decades. Cameron is a faculty member at Harvard’s Project Zero Classroom and an online coach for Project Zero courses. In 2015, he was a top 50 nominee for the Global Teacher Prize and in 2016, he received the 21st Century International Global Innovation Award for Teaching.

www.ultimate3d.com.au

3D4Ed Our Education packages are endorsed by the Australian 3D Manufacturing Association

EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS 035

officespace 036 EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS

Will Flaws In The Current Education System Result In An Economic Crisis?

EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS 037

officespace | By Frank Lucisano | Digital displacement to see 47 percent of jobs at high risk of being redundant due to the probability of computerisation and more than 90 percent of Australian jobs to require digital literacy in the next two to five years.

It is an undeniable fact that the world is facing many significant changes politically, socially and culturally, bringing new challenges across the globe. It is at a time like this people can often lose sight of the problem right in front of them here and now. The reality is that Australia is possibly facing a bleak economic future, with some startling projections that may be realised in only a few short years.

Australia faces difficult, global challenges such as climate change, with many factors requiring complex solutions and a timeframe that is unknown. Australia’s technological skills shortage, however, is imminent, certain and it is something that can be solved more easily if it is tackled now.

So, what is the problem? Is it real and does it have significant effects on everyday ordinary Australian families?

The problem (or challenge for the optimists) is that there is a looming shortfall in the technological skills of the Australian workforce.

A recent projection states that up to 47 percent of jobs may be up for displacement (Frey & Osborne, 2013). This is not merely a prediction; this is already underway, with the demand for digital literacy jobs increasing by 212 percent, as observed in early career job ads over the past three years. An Australian study confirms this, with even more alarming numbers, stating that future jobs tipped to request digital literacy exceed current demands by more than 600 percent (Foundation of Young Australians [FYA], 2016).

Students are not equipped with the knowledge or abilities to be employed in the roles available in the future as technology displacement rapidly increases. Close to a third (27 percent) of Australian 15-yearolds have low proficiency in digital literacy, as found in international testing by the Programme for International Assessment

(PISA, 2012). The startling nature of this situation is that it is not just factory line or manufacturing jobs that are in the firing line, as is often assumed. If this is even partially realised, it is worrying due to the sheer enormity of jobs that will not be able to be fulfilled by Australian students. Australian students and children, the next generation of Australia, deserve to be prepared for the massive change coming to the employment landscape.

What is Digital Literacy?

Digital literacy is not about every child knowing how to code or be computer programmers. It is not about having a generation of computer hackers. It is about students understanding and being fluent, or literate, in the digital language that will become necessary for future communication. Digital technology training is about mastering computers and learning the necessary skills to communicate in the workplace of the future. Think about the rapid escalation of technology in everyday jobs already. Many workplaces expect email, intranet, app interaction and online chat capabilities as a very basic skill for day-to-day work.

Some may presume that their children are just fine with technology: “My kids are whizzes on their iPad, computer, game console, phone… in fact I cannot get them off it.” However, just because children can consume entertainment on technology, they are not necessarily masters of technology.

Their tech consumption skills certainly do not

038 EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS

guarantee that they will possess the required skills for the workforce. Even more concerning is the lack of awareness of the problem. The Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has found that “Australian students have a significantly less positive attitude towards computers than on average across the OECD” (Miller, 2017).

Further exacerbating these problems is the socio-economic divide here, with “Low socio-economic and Indigenous students also reporting lower levels of belief in the importance of working with computers, signalling weaker understanding of the workforce of the future” (Miller, 2017).

This is a problem for all Australians and will have grave consequences for Australian society as a whole if left unattended. Forwardthinking companies are proactively facing these challenges, while others are oblivious to the problem or hoping it magically solves itself (Miller, 2017). Highlighting this issue is that wages are higher for young job seekers with digital literacy skills – paying $8,648 more per annum (FYA, 2016). So either a company finds someone local or, as is often the case, looks offshore. This is neither favourable for the company, for Australian residents or for the local economy.

The FYA notes, “Amid these changes, Australia’s 4.3 million young people are our greatest resource. It is the next generation who will inherit the outcomes of the decisions we make today and will have to navigate a future we can’t yet even describe. As our population ages, the ability of our growing

The problem (or challenge for the optimists) is that there is a looming shortfall in the technological skills of the Australian workforce.

the end of 2018.” Only one in three computer and technology teachers are qualified to teach this new curriculum, according to recent Australian Centre for Educational Research data (Jacks, 2017).

This exemplifies the problem at hand.

Digital literacy is not about every child knowing how to code or be computer programmers…

It is about students understanding and being fluent, or literate, in the digital language that will become necessary for future communication.

youth population to participate in, contribute to and shape our economy will be crucial in delivering a quality of life for all of us.”

How is Australia tackling this problem? The current education system is inadequately prepared to put an effective solution in place. To be fair, it is a monumental task. Most schools do not have teachers capable of delivering effective ICT lessons. This capability can be built through training, though this takes time, resources and intent from schools.

A greater barrier though is the expense of the hardware required. A few iPads here and there does not constitute an ICT curriculum. Is the Government able (and willing) to increase education budgets by significant amounts?

Does the Government have the timeliness and efficiency to tackle this? Leaving it to the Government to fix the problem may

mean that the solution does not come fast enough. With computers being mainstream for nearly 20 years now, the education system is only now (and in some states still not for a few years) introducing a mandatory digital curriculum. Leaving the future of students to a ‘let’s worry about that later’ mentality is simply negligent. Time for talk is over.

Politicians are becoming aware of this issue, with Victorian State Education Minister James Merlino recently commenting, “Seventyfive percent of new jobs require science and maths, and the new curriculum would help teach these skills.” A spokesman from the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority stated, “Victoria follows the Northern Territory, Queensland and South Australia in adopting the national technology curriculum, with other states to follow by

Solutions The solution requires a multifaceted approach. Of course, Government plays a large role, but corporate Australia needs to be involved. It is time everyone realised that the education system needs assistance; the required resources are just too large. ScopeIT Education, while not the entire solution to the country’s education crisis, can be a school’s entire solution to its ICT problem. Schools are, in many cases, inadequately resourced and ScopeIT helps meet these challenges.

By providing digital technologies trainers, the necessary hardware (such as a mobile computer lab, 3D printers and software) and tailored ICT curriculum courses with fully developed lesson plans, ScopeIT provides an in-school education solution.

Facing the problem is the first step. For schools that require it, now is the time to take action and seek help. With the world full of so many challenging problems, I hope we can all face up to and start solving this problem together, as education is everyone’s concern. ETS For a full list of references, email info@interactivemediasolutions.com.au Frank Lucisano is the CEO of ScopeIT Education, an Australian education body which was founded by combining his passions of technology, computer science and education. ScopeIT Education is now the world leader in providing curriculumbased school courses and lessons directly to primary and early adolescent students across Australia. With the vision of every student, every school, ScopeIT provides the courses, computers and even the instructors so that no child misses out. Visit www.scopeITEducation. com.au for more information.

EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS 039

Nextstep 040 EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS

Modern Skills For The Modern Student | By Ron Kordyban & Shelley Kinash | Today is a new technological frontier â&#x20AC;&#x201C; an exciting world of mass digitalisation and a place where technology has revolutionised peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lives in terms of communication, education, networking and career development.

Alongside the digital revolution, there are new opportunities and freedoms because traditional boundaries such as geography, time and money are no longer the obstacles they once were.

For example, worldwide, students can now learn online for free on a wide spectrum of topics through a host of providers, ranging from top tier university massive online open courses (MOOCs) to private YouTube videos. It is a telling sign of how education has changed when the children of Bill Gates study using Khan Academy â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a free online learning service available to all. Job hunters are now able to access, research and apply for jobs anywhere in the world from their own device, and may even be video interviewed online.

In order to best take advantage of these new opportunities and the everchanging landscape, students of today need modern new skills to set them up for success. If educational systems continue to evolve so that they meet the needs, interests and motivations of 21st century students, then students will need to update their skill set for learning.

Here are an indispensable few of these student skill sets:

1. Online Networking About the skill:

Long gone are the days of a tight and limited social circle based solely on old friendships, close family and geography.

The modern student needs to be able to expand and extend their networks based on shared interests and skills, on an open and accessible international stage.

Why it matters:

This skill will help in finding relevant employment opportunities, allow engagement in meaningful online discussion and sharing, as well as solidify critical professional networks.

How to obtain it:

Keep active and regular on social media such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. Join groups and conversations on these social media platforms and try to exchange ideas, ask and answer questions, provide endorsements and engage in general networking. Attend relevant webinars and online presentations that relate to your professional and personal interests. Follow industry leaders on social media and delve into their followers to find like-minded individuals with whom to communicate.

2. Coding About the skill:

The ability to program can be seen as an essential modern language in a world where every industry from agriculture to banking continues to see an increasing involvement of computers and technology. Most experts agree that the ability to read and write code is well worth the modest effort it takes to acquire.

Why it matters:

In addition to a host of jobs which directly relate to computer programing, the act of coding focuses thinking skills and allows one to better appreciate and understand the growing role of computers and how they work.

How to obtain it:

With coding in such high demand, there are a host of options with respect to both where and how to learn this skill. Many schools and professional training centres offer programing courses and there are a number of free and paid online courses and programs, including MOOCs.

EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS 041

Nextstep

3. Online Content Curation About the skill:

In the age of the information superhighway, being able to find, sort and store high-quality content is essential.

Why it matters:

This skill is valuable as it increases efficiency and can be a tremendous time saver. An effective online content curator can help mitigate some of the downsides of Web 2.0, such as the amount of questionable and incorrect information as well as the sheer volume of data available. Accessing relevant and existing sources quickly helps to save time and avoids reinventing the wheel.

How to obtain it:

Be aware of online bookmarking and content curation tools and use them. Develop your working knowledge of timesaving apps and programs which help to take the pain out of source referencing. Use your social media feeds to narrow your information flow to high-quality and relevant sources.

Make use of RSS feeds and other new aggregators to keep receiving new material from good sources automatically.

4. Image and Sound Editing About the skill:

Education has becoming increasingly multimedia by nature.

Videos, podcasts and infographics are increasingly taking over from textbooks and PowerPoint presentations for content delivery in both online and face-to-face modes. Interactive eBooks and new web-based presentation options such as Prezi are also being transformed into media-rich formats.

Skills with software such as Photoshop as well as video and sound editing software are now seen as required rather than optional for students and future employees.

Why it matters:

Considering the sheer volume of information on the Internet today, an online voice needs to stand out. Adding various multimedia elements will help studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; voices be heard (and seen). Increasingly, studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; assessments are becoming more image, sound and video-based, mirroring the industry context. Being able to excel at digital editing will allow students to rise above those without such skills.

How to obtain it:

The best way to acquire these skills is a combination of study and practice. In addition to the traditional face-to-face training options available, there are a number of online courses and MOOCs on various software such as the Adobe Creative Suite, Garage Band, Camtasia, Audacity and similar offerings.

5. Personal Online Branding

About the skill:

Students are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of their digital footprint, both in terms of projecting a positive and professional online image as well as minimising any potentially embarrassing web-based liabilities. This entails identifying, defining, refining and promoting an online identity to ensure that one stands out.

Why it matters:

Establishing online credentials, professional memberships and associations, and creating/maintaining a positive trail of web activities is a great way to set a strong career foundation.

How to obtain it:

Using professionally focused social media such as LinkedIn is a great way to start. Keeping all online activities from blog entries to public chats positive and professional is critical.

Watch spelling and grammar! Be aware of the increase in affordable options for getting personalised logos, CVs, and digital footprint consultancy through crowdsourcing sites such as Fiverr.

042 EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS

A big part of this digital skills revolution will involve ongoing learning and continuous selfimprovement in a world which demands innovation, creativity and the ability to identify new opportunities and then adapt to take advantage of them.

6. Social Media Management About the skill:

The ability to grow and manage social media is an essential skill for modern students. Being able to monitor and influence targeted traffic while at the same time increasing their sitesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; search engine optimisation rating is a double win.

Why it matters:

Managing social media leads to the building of authentic relationships, communities and networks, as well as helping students stay informed and connected. In addition, managing social media can drastically increase site traffic and direct viewers where students would like them most.

How to obtain it:

Read, browse and learn as much as you can about the growing field of social media management, including data analytics. Various training courses and instructional videos are readily available. Use and become proficient with one of the many available social media management tools such as HootSuite. If you have not signed up for the main social media outlets, consider expanding your horizons by doing so.

7. Online Entrepreneurialism About the skill:

The Internet has made global markets accessible to nearly everyone. More apps, programs and tools are making e-commerce easier, user-friendly and widely accepted by the public. Goods and services are now easier to buy, sell and exchange. The growing trend of crowdsourcing can be seen in examples such as Fiverr, Uber and Airtasker. The question of gaining the necessary start-up capital has also been addressed by crowdfunding services such as Kickstarter or Indiegogo.

Why it matters:

From buying used textbooks to selling a new idea, online commerce continues to grow. This trend shows no sign of changing. It is hard to think of any industry that is not involved.

Online entrepreneurialism is an especially important skill for students who are interested in running their own business and/or working in an international business or multinational corporation.

How to obtain it:

Be aware of existing ways to finance, advertise and distribute goods and services through leveraging the power of the Internet. Look at existing businesses or areas which have been slow to adapt and consider competing with those. Leverage affordable outsourced online services to reduce costs. Think of new opportunities enabled by disruptive innovations and changes.

In the growing knowledge economy, students need to continuously develop the modern skills which will help them succeed in school and university, participate and contribute, stay up to date, get jobs, create their own jobs and, in general, thrive professionally. A big part of this digital skills revolution will involve ongoing learning and continuous self-improvement in a world which demands innovation, creativity and the ability to identify new opportunities and then adapt to take advantage of

If educational systems continue to evolve so that they meet the needs, interests and motivations of 21st century students, then students will need to update their skill set for learning.

them. In addition to developing the skills described in this article, the 21st century learner needs to be able to identify trends, and constantly appraise and re-evaluate what skills are moving in and out of demand as change not only continues, but accelerates. ETS

Dr Shelley Kinash is the Director of Learning and Teaching at Bond University. She can be contacted via email at skinash@bond.edu.au

Ron Kordyban is the Blending Learning Coordinator & Blended Learning Designer at Bond University.

EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS 043

Let’sTalkPedagogy

Wolfram|Alpha: Worth Investigating | By Gary Bass | How many of these names* do you recognise? HAL-9000, Majel Barrett, C-3PO, Sonny, Deep Thought, Wall-E, Gerty 3000, Samantha, TARS. A telling moment in computer technologies is when a science fiction future becomes readily available now. While an all-knowing computer from many sci-fi movies can rarely be matched by off-screen devices, recent improvements in Wolfram|Alpha, a computational knowledge engine, suggests otherwise. It may be worth mentioning that the source of the iPhone information assistant SIRI is Wolfram|Alpha, which is indicated at the bottom of screen.

While a Google search may yield several million ‘hits’, Wolfram|Alpha will provide a referenced answer with supporting details. Wolfram|Alpha has many diverse functions – simple lookup, basic calculations and involved computation are all equally available. It is readily available through any browser or by using the dedicated app.

Computational thinking has been increasingly mentioned as a desirable skill for both teachers and their students. The challenge has always been how to achieve it. Wolfram|Alpha allows enquiries to form the basis of further enquiries. Each answer can be used as a starting point for a further enquiry.

Some Examples When asked about ‘pythagoras’, Google responds with 6,590,000 hits. Wikipedia is first, followed by several promoted advertising websites. Wolfram|Alpha responds with one result and a summary – it has interpreted the request as being about the person, rather than about the equation. Details of the triangle rule are included in the summary.

044 EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS

Figure 1: Wolfram|Alpha PRO for Educators is a resource for all teachers and students in every subject

If asked about ‘1066’, Google replies with 116 million hits, which are a mixture of number facts and history about the Battle of Hastings. Wolfram|Alpha responds with number facts about 1066. Adjusting the query to ‘1066 battle of hastings’, yields 387,000 hits from Google, whereas Wolfram|Alpha offers a one-page summary, which includes a map of the battlefield, details about William the Conqueror and a paragraph from Wikipedia.

Basic mathematics is well covered by Wolfram|Alpha. For teachers, pre-loaded questions or instructions can be saved as a developmental sequence of explorations. The output can be inserted into their learning management system or content management system, Dropbox, Evernote or Google Docs. Step-by-step instructions to achieve the solution can also be given.

For example, with fractions, type the question in words or numbers (use the extended keyboard input for special characters). The answer will be given with the option of seeing step-by-step development of the answer.

however, the fine motor skills may impede the development of analysis skills.

Computational thinking encourages ‘what if’ exploration. Experimentation by changing parameters for linear, quadratic and higher orders will rarely be attempted if the graph takes 15 minutes to construct. Compilation times of 15 seconds, however, provide plenty of options to explore, analyse and report on findings.

Figure 2: Addition of fractions result

Figure 5: Result for x+2

By choosing the open code option (access to which is free), any parameters can be modified.

be manipulated into a more meaningful format.

Wolfram|Alpha is the simplest and most accessible of the Wolfram suite of tools. Mathematica, SystemModeler, Wolfram Learning Lab and the Wolfram Cloud combine to support teaching and learning by providing massive computational power to collect, sort and manipulate every type of data into information and patterns. The ability to visualise data is unmatched by any other technology. Representing collected data has often been an issue for many teachers and students.

Mathematica provides easy access to interactive 3D modelling tools, which can be displayed on screen or exported to a 3D printer. Every Raspberry Pi has the Wolfram language pre-installed so that collecting data can be even simpler, and analysing data is readily available.

Learning the Python language is not necessary. Mathematica also ‘talks to’ Arduino. 3D graphs can be constructed in a few lines of instructions (code).

Figure 3: Step-by-step solution

Unusual questions can also be asked, with a creative output such as a word cloud, table or graph.

Figure 6: Open Cloud coding

A change can be typed directly into the browser and the result calculated immediately. In this case, change the domain (x value) from -4<x<4 to 0<x<10.

Figure 8: Mathematica 3D plot

Animated manipulatives can also be constructed to place the mathematics into context.

Figure 4: Various Wolfram|Alpha queries

In mathematics, a function can be represented in an algebraic format, or in a graphical format. Comparison of linear equations becomes a trivial exercise as getting the graphic takes seconds – the analysis of the resultant graphical representation is where the understanding can be demonstrated.

Using paper and pencil to generate a line graph may be a desirable skill;

Figure 9: Mathematica simulation and animation Simulation of wind turbine showing speed at different blade radii – slowest speed at the centre, fastest speed at the blade tip Figure 7: Open Cloud graphing

The overriding belief that everyone can code is built in to every aspect of the Wolfram language. Every result can

Wolfram|Alpha can also plot collected data. Simply drop any data file into the input box or select the data from other sources, such as Dropbox,

EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS 045

Let’sTalkPedagogy

Google Docs, Evernote, Open Cloud and Wolfram Cloud.

Computational thinking has been increasingly mentioned as a desirable skill for both teachers and their students. The challenge has always been how to achieve it.

Figure 10: Data entry

The areas for investigation by Wolfram|Alpha are limited only by imagination and the available time.

Some more examples of Wolfram|Alpha investigations can be found at http:// www.wolframalpha.com/examples/ Stephen Wolfram has been working towards accessibility for many years – Mathematica 1.0 was first released in 1988. Many insights may be gained by visiting the Stephen Wolfram blog (http://blog.stephenwolfram. c o m/2 016/0 9/ h ow -to -te a c h computational-thinking/). It contains many examples of how these powerful tools may be employed within schools and other learning institutions.

Computers can be powerful tools to aid analysis and improve understanding. If many of the blockers to understanding can be removed, then the lesson may be all that more achievable. The drudge of finding and manipulating data can be assisted by the Wolfram suite of tools.

Figure 11: Wolfram|Alpha examples

In Victoria, the entire Wolfram suite has been made available at no cost to every teacher and every student in any school on any device. The Victorian Government, through the Department of Education and Training (DET-V), has established access initially for three years. The Wolfram suite consists of Wolfram|Alpha PRO, Mathematica, Wolfram SystemModeler, Mathematica online and Wolfram Programming Lab. Visit http://www.education.vic.gov.au/ about/programs/learningdev/vicstem/ Pages/wolframsoftware.aspx for more information. ETS * HAL-9000 (2001: A Space Odyssey 1968) Majel Barrett (Star Trek computer 1994) C–3PO (Star Wars 1978–2016) Sonny (I, Robot 2004) Deep Thought (Hitchhiker’s Guide 2005) Wall-E (2008) Gerty 3000 (Moon 2009) Samantha (Her 2013) TARS (Interstellar 2014)

046 EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS

Awarded Victorian IT Leader of the year 2016, Gary Bass has presented at numerous Science, IT and mathematics conferences including, most recently, Unreal science VR/AR, Beyond real science: Simulations of collected data using Wolfram Mathematica and SystemModeler, Big Data needs Huge Analysis:Data Visualisation for schools using Tableau and Mathematica.

In addition to being an Apple Distinguished Educator, Gary is currently President Mag-Net: Magnificent network: Online STEM Educators Association 2016-17 and a teacher of VCE Informatics at Distance Education Centre Victoria.

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EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS 047

professionaldevelopment 048 EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS

There Is Nothing New Under The Sun: Astronomy For All â&#x20AC;&#x201C; More Accessible Than Ever!

EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS 049

professionaldevelopment

| By Gary Bass | Astronomy may be the simplest science of all. Just look up at any time of day and you are sure to observe changes in a cloudless sky. Very little hardware or computer technology is needed, though online resources assist with gaining a better understanding of our place in space.

Many people will make the comment that the sun moves. However, with a little analysis, the true situation is revealed that the Earth is moving (around). With a little more observation, the length of day (light) also changes over time.

Printed onto an A4 sheet, the two triangles become the gnomon (shadow stick) after cutting and folding.

Obviously east and west will only be useful for about half a day, and a wall at an angle may have slightly longer utility.

The wall is located by using Google maps and informs a calculator, which calculates the angle to north and precise latitude and longitude. An added feature allows a switch, which creates a window version that can be mounted on the inside of a window, permitting the sun shining through to indicate accurate ‘local time’.

Time Zones ‘Clock time’ zones are a political decision after consideration of longitude and often do not reflect local time.

City or town

Longitude

Figure 1: The sun appears to move (ATSE–STELR Solar

Wall-mounted Sundial The calculated sundial can be mounted onto a north-, east- or west-facing wall.

Figure 2: Wall sundial designed for north-facing wall at Giralang

com/Pages/OtherPhenomenon/OtherPhenomenon. html#)

Time zone longitude

Longitude difference (˚)

Average local noon correction (mins)

AEST

Energy investigations)

While we call these changes seasons, the key dates are linked to positions around the sun and are known as solstice and equinox, rather than the first of the month.

The Bureau of Meteorology prefers to use the first of the month for change of season, which has become widely accepted in the UK, Australia, Denmark and Ireland; most other countries continue with the traditional season dates on solstice and equinox.

Evidence for changes can easily be observed and measured using a sundial.

Every sundial will be different depending on where it is located on the surface of the Earth. Sundials can be horizontal or vertical.

Figure 3: Standard time zones (http://www.analemma.

Brisbane

153.02

GMT+10:00

3.02

12.08

Canberra

149.11

150°

-0.89

-3.56

Hobart

147.33

-2.67

-10.68

Melbourne

144.98

-5.02

-20.08

Mildura

142.14

-7.86

-31.44

Mount Isa

139.49

-10.51

-42.04

Lord Howe Island

159.08

9.08

36.32

Sydney

151.22

1.22

4.88

Adelaide

138.6

GMT+9:30

-3.9

-15.6

Alice Springs

133.88

142.5°

-8.62

-34.48

Ceduna

133.67

-8.83

-35.32

Broken Hill

141.48

-1.02

-4.08

Darwin

130.84

-11.66

-46.64

Mount Gambier

140.78

-1.72

-6.88

Renmark

140.77

-1.73

-6.92

ACST

AWST Albany

117.88

GMT+8:00

-2.12

-8.48

Broome

122.24

120°

2.24

8.96

Kalgoorlie

121.49

1.49

5.96

Kununurra

128.74

8.74

34.96

Perth

115.85

-4.15

-16.6

Port Hedland

118.58

-1.42

-5.68

0.73

2.92

ACWST Mundrabilla

Primary School 050 EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS

128.23

GMT+8:30 127.5°

It is possible to construct an analemmatic sundial which always provides correct time. In this sundial, you become the gnomon (shadow stick), where each month of the year has a different location to stand.

Local time for Australian major capital cities varies from four minutes for Sydney to 46 minutes for Darwin. The late sunset twilight has nothing to do with the tropics and everything to do with the imposed time zone. There is an ‘unofficial’ time zone around Mundrabilla, which is part way between Adelaide and Perth. The conversion factor is 1˚ equals approximately four minutes.

Figure 5: Typical analemma shape. Note: the large loop

These notes were presented at Cosmic Stars conference, held at Giralang Primary School, Canberra, on the 4th of March, 2017.

Further details of class notes are available from ATSE–STELR Solar Energy Investigations (www.stelr.org.au). The Academy of Technology, Science and Engineering (ATSE) STELR project is an educational outreach program which provides learning materials in wind energy, solar energy and

indicates the southern summer

sustainable housing.

Figure 4: (Oposite page) Local time compared with clock

This figure is an example of an analemma as seen

time

from the Earth’s northern hemisphere. It is a plot of the

(AEST – Australian Eastern Standard Time; ACST –

position of the sun at 12:00 noon at Royal Observatory,

Australian Central Standard Time; GMT – Greenwich

Greenwich, England (latitude 51.48°N, longitude

Mean Time; AWST – Australian Western Standard Time;

0.0015°W) during the year 2006. (Wikipedia-analemma)

ACWST – Australian Central West Standard Time)

Of particular interest is clock time for Adelaide, which matches local time for Mildura!

This is not as extreme as the situation in China, where there is one clock time for the entire country, which covers five local time zones.

Observing the Equation of Time or Analemma The easiest method of getting local time is to use a horizontal sundial, or shadow stick. This method of timekeeping will vary during the year due to the Earth’s movement around the sun; this is also known as the equation of time.

Note: The first ever analemma photograph recorded was by Dennis di Cicco in 1979. The photo, taken between 1978 and 1979, can be viewed online at The World At Night website (http://twanight. org/newTWAN/photos.asp?ID=3001422).

The subsequent analemma showed the variation of the sun’s position at the same time each day over the entire year. The figure of eight shape is characteristic of the change in Earth’s orbit about the sun.

It is possible to construct an analemmatic sundial which always provides correct time.

In this sundial, you become the gnomon (shadow stick), where each month of the year has a different location to stand. By standing with arms stretched upwards, the sun shadow indicates the time. The online calculator allows the sundial to be scaled to fit the space available. This calculator can create complete plans and instructions for a small one-metre desktop version, or a huge 10-metre playground version.

ETS

Awarded Victorian IT Leader of the year 2016, Gary Bass has presented at numerous science, IT and mathematics conferences including, most recently, Unreal science VR/AR, Beyond real science: Simulations of collected data using Wolfram Mathematica and SystemModeler, Big Data needs Huge Analysis:Data Visualisation for schools using Tableau and Mathematica.

In addition to being an Apple Distinguished Educator Gary is currently President Mag-Net: Magnificent network: Online STEM Educators Association 201617 and a teacher of VCE Informatics at Distance Education Centre Victoria.

Figure 6: Online analemmatic sundial calculator (http://analemmatic. sourceforge.net/cgi-bin/sundial.pl)

EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS 051

feature

Inside View On Interactive Technologies In The Classroom

052 EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS

| By Tony Church | Over the last couple of decades, there have been significant changes in the use of different levels of technologies implemented throughout schools to ultimately enhance everyday teaching in the classroom and assist with back office administrative functions, writes Tony Church.

It all started with computer labs in schools, providing students, and even some teachers, access to computers for the first time in their lives. Today, computers and the use of technology have become an integral part of people’s everyday lives, with pre-school learners being exposed to technology even before they master the basic skills of reading, writing and arithmetic.

The introduction of the interactive whiteboard in the classroom has since resulted in an era in which the use of technology was literally moved to the front and centre of the learning environment, with many teachers and educators grasping the opportunity to enhance teaching by effectively using it as an interactive, real-time projection device, resulting in higher levels of student participation and concentration.

A concept that was and is unfortunately overlooked is that the technology (hardware) is, ultimately, merely a means to an end. External school funding projects allowed schools to implement interactive whiteboard solutions in many classrooms and, due to the focus placed on the acquisition of the tangible items, the concept of such devices simply being a means to an end was overlooked by many. This resulted in a significant number of interactive whiteboards either being used as projection surfaces only, or not used at all.

Apart from the lack of basic and ongoing professional development, the technology has been regarded as finicky and problematic, often requiring constant recalibration, the use of external light sources which impact viewing quality, issues around incorrect software drivers and more. Many of these issues arose as the result of:

1. Poor service from unqualified installers.

2. Insufficient brightness on projectors used.

3. Incorrect matching of technologies, for example using a 4:3 aspect ratio projector on 16:9 whiteboards.

4. Lack of training and support, both internally and externally.

5. Lack of relevant content and access to resources.

Furthermore, in the wake of increased demand placed on teachers to deliver the curriculum to their classes over a limited period of time, it is not surprising that many teachers have given up on the technology, as they simply do not have the time to waste on technical issues.

The single biggest ‘game changer’ in the use of information and communications technologies (ICT) in the classroom was probably the introduction of tablets – more specifically iPads – into the classroom, which, to a certain extent, coincided with a mass take-up and subscription to social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and more.

Re-adjusting Settings on Interactive Displays It is important to recognise the link between the use of technology in everyday social life, across virtually all socio-economic backgrounds, and the use of technology in the classroom.

Firstly, and probably most importantly, teachers have become more confident with the use of technology, with tablets, smartphones and computers now being used as tools to access information and to stay connected to others, whether it be at a social level or work-related level.

Secondly, students now have access to these technologies from an early age.

Simple touch technologies, including a basic feature such as gesturing (which is used on handheld devices such as tablets and smartphones), is one of the reasons why interactive LED panels have been so

successful in classrooms, with even preschoolers being able to use the technology without training or instruction.

Most of the current range of interactive panels do not require drivers for either Mac or Windows and they auto-calibrate, allowing teachers to simply ‘plug and play’.

These interactive panels are ultimately large, external screens connected to a computer, allowing the teacher to operate and control any program installed on that computer via the interactive panel, using either their finger or stylus, rather than a mouse or track-pad.

On-screen keyboards also allow for typing, and character recognition is also becoming ubiquitous in many operating systems.

Total cost of ownership for interactive panels is also significantly lower when compared to conventional interactive whiteboards with projector solutions. The expected lifespan on an A-grade LED panel ranges between 30,000 and 50,000-plus hours. To put this in context, if a panel is used for an average of six hours per school day, one could conceivably achieve a lifespan in excess of 25 years out of one panel.

Obviously, newer and different technologies will emerge in years to come. However, the use of LED panels is not encumbered by the kinds of ongoing expenses that might typically be incurred when using data projectors such as bulb and filter replacements.

Features for the Future of Education In the years and months to come, it is expected that more emphasis will be placed on developing greater interconnectivity between devices and panels, which currently occurs via an HDMI or USB C port.

Improved connectivity will enable more effective wireless streaming and interaction to the panels from teacher and student devices, irrespective of the platform they are using.

An example of the trend toward expanding connectivity can be seen in existing devices such as a recently released interactive display that allows up to 64 devices to be

EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS 053

feature simultaneously connected, thereby allowing any of the device screens to be displayed on the panel and even wirelessly controlled from the screen. Teachers can interact with students without having to go to the students’ desks, thereby keeping all students included and focused on the lesson.

Such technology also allows educators to display up to four device screens via the panel simultaneously, which is ideal for a cooperative group setup, such as four groups of students doing a math quiz on four different devices, or presenting their group projects simultaneously.

Another important consideration for interactive panels is their size, and selecting the correct size for a classroom is critical.

Interactive LED panels are widescreen devices – generally with an aspect ratio of 16:9, whereas most interactive whiteboards installed at schools are 4:3. The width of a 65-inch panel is very similar to the width of an 85-inch interactive whiteboard and, in addition, the clarity of a full-HD LED panel is significantly better than that of projectors.

Compare/Contrast Wireless connectivity is fast becoming the most desired feature amongst interactive classroom solutions. It can also be one of the greatest areas of disappointment due to issues around lack of response and lag. Problems with connectivity are often caused by an already taxed Wi-Fi network.

Alternatively, they may simply be the result of inadequate Wi-Fi connections built into some panels.

As an alternative to a wireless connection, some users may consider connecting and displaying an iPad screen directly to the display. However, this may enable displayonly functionality, meaning the iPad cannot be controlled through the screen. The main reason for this is that the interactivity on panels is driven through USB, and therefore the control of devices from the panel is limited to compatible devices with USB ports, as effectively a wireless USB bridge is created from the device to the panel.

Ultimately, the decision for many educators will come down to an understanding of the differences between the new generation of interactive LEDs, when compared with standard LED TVs, which are used as projection surfaces only.

A concept that was and is unfortunately overlooked is that the technology (hardware) is, ultimately, merely a means to an end.

This is an area that requires careful consideration; some of the major differences are summarised below. Anyone considering the next generation of displays for use in classrooms should take extra precautions in understanding these pointers and accounting for them against their school’s needs and budgetary expectations: • LED TVs do not have anti-glare screens, which makes viewing in many classrooms problematic due to reflection caused by external light sources.

• LED TVs purchased from mass retailers are not generally commercial-grade panels and therefore are not intended for extended hours of use and only intended for use in-home. It would be wise to carefully read the warranty disclaimer on any TV. • Interactive LED panels, or at least the more mainstream brands, are designed for use within the classroom and are therefore more robust and durable.

• Interactive LED panels enhance classroom teaching and their interactive capabilities ensure more engagement with the class.

• Interactive LED panels provide greater flexibility due to their connectivity and built-in operating systems.

• Important factors to bear in mind when considering interactive LED panels include: o budget – over the last 12 months, the most popular size for classrooms has been 65”. o size – current popular sizes available are 55”, 65”, 70”, 75”, 84” and 98”. o warranty – onsite service or back-to-base? This is an important consideration as freight costs are high. o mounting options – fixed wall mount, fixed wall mount on swivel bracket or height-adjustable wall mount, manual or automated? o mobility – mobile with manual height adjustability, mobile with automated height adjustability,

054 EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS

mobile with automated height adjustability and automated tilting (interactive table), fixed height mobile and a laptop arm or bracket? o built-in PC or use own laptops/ notebooks? o operating platform – built-in systems like Android allow usage of the panel’s basic features without having to have a PC connected. Basic features include writing, connecting to the Internet, storing and opening files including MP4, PowerPoint presentations, spreadsheets, Word documents and more. o connectivity – wireless connectivity or connectivity via Ethernet cable? o glare and scratch resistance – look for anti-glare and anti-friction toughened (MOHS 7) glass. o LED quality – A-grade panels will have no dead or light pixels. o support – this may include relevant content pre-installed, training manuals and clear levels of additional support outlined. o future firmware support – the reason most panels do not require drivers for Mac and Windows computers is that the drivers are included in the operating systems. Future updates to operating systems are therefore not necessarily covered and will require an update to the firmware on the touch overlay to ensure proper operability. ETS

Tony Church is the CEO of IG3 Education, a small Gold Coast company focusing on Maths, English and Phonics solutions in Australia. Tony began working in IT in 1986 and started focusing on ICT in education in 1994.

He was the Divisional Director Education for Mustek Ltd in South Africa, where he was directly involved in the planning and rollout of computer systems, software solutions and training in more than 1,800 schools on the African continent, before relocating to Australia in 2006.

EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS 055

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Scaling Flipped Learning:

Parent Buy-In

| By Jon Bergmann | Sometimes students do not always communicate accurate information to their parents about what is happening in school. If a child is struggling in class, they often look for something/someone to blame. Flipped learning can often be cited as a cause for those students. Some students will tell their parents, “My teacher is not teaching anymore.” Others will say, “I cannot learn in that system.” In addition to this is the reality that for most parents, the idea of flipped learning is new and many can be skeptical.

Thus, it is imperative to communicate to parents why the school is embracing the flipped model.

Creative Communication Strategies Flip your Back to School Night Have teachers flip back to school night (curriculum night) by creating short videos for parents to watch before the event. Then during the back to school night, have a discussion about the benefits and implementation of the model.

Host a Traditional Meeting I worked with a school which embraced flipped learning and they set up a series of meetings with parents. During the meeting, they explained what flipped learning is, why they chose to implement it and their next steps.

Flip Community-School Meetings School leaders often meet with parents and community leaders.

Instead of making content presentation the focus of the meeting, flip the meeting. I will explain more about how to flip a meeting in my next article.

Letters/Email/Newsletters Home The key is to find ways to inform parents about the new model and, as they become aware and informed, they will become your strongest supporters. This is no different than if a school changes the bell schedule or the bus routes. Get the larger community behind you. Many schools and teachers have used my post Five Reasons Parents Should Be Thrilled Their Child is in a Flipped Classroom available from jonbergmann.com

What Message Should You Send in these Communications?

Now that you have a communication strategy, what should be the message you send about flipped learning?

Greater Interaction Tell parents that teachers will spend less class time giving information and more time helping students with difficult concepts. Their kids will have more one-on-one time with their teacher.

Active Learning Parents all remember being in ‘that class’ – the one where they either could not follow the teacher or were bored out of their minds.

Let them know that flipped classrooms are different. They are active places of learning and students will be more engaged in class.

Other Considerations Make sure you also address the following foundational questions: • How will students access the content?

• What expectations are there for families regarding technology?

• How long will the videos be?

• How many flipped videos do they anticipate students watching per week?

• Why is the school embracing the flipped model?

In short, communicate, communicate, communicate. You can never communicate enough. Be clear, be consistent and be relentless.

Teacher Buy-In Getting teachers convinced that they should embrace flipped learning is the most important step. If teachers are not sold on the model, the roll-out will most likely stall. This is not that different from other systemic changes in schools. I have seen some teachers even sabotage flipped learning by a variety of means. In one school I worked with, approximately a dozen teachers were flipping their class with good results, and a small group of teachers started rallying students against flipped learning. These teachers feared change and saw the flipped class as a threat that needed to be squelched. So, how do you prevent your whole program from going up in flames?

EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS 057

teachingtools

Start with a Few It is not wise to launch a whole-school flipped initiative all at the same time. Not every teacher is ready to flip right away.

Begin with a small group of dedicated teachers who are ready for change.

Who Should be in the Initial Group?

I worked with a school who got their initial cadre of flipped teachers together for me to train. When the principal introduced them to me, I turned to the principal and told him we had a problem – all of the teachers were young twenty-something teachers who were good with technology.

I told the principal that we needed a few teachers with gray hair. It is imperative that your initial cadre of flipped teachers include somebody who is an older teacher and is well respected by the whole staff.

Ideally, this older teacher will also be a bit hesitant with technology. Because if this older, tech-phobic teacher can flip, the rest of the staff will conclude, “If he/she can do it, I can do it!”

What Subjects Should the Cadre Teach?

I am often asked if a school should focus on a specific content area first. Though this may seem like a good strategy, I think it is more important to start with the ‘right’ teachers; ones that will successfully implement the program. Every time I share with a leadership team I ask them to identify the right teachers, and they can always come up with the list. However, if there is one department which is more ready for change, it is sometimes smart to get flipped focused there. The fear I have with this approach though is that the teachers in the other departments might see flipped as something just done in a specific content area and not see it applying to their subject area.

The Best Way to Spread the Flipped Class Since you want to spread the flipped model beyond your initial cadre, the best way to do this is to have the initial cadre flip well.

Give them the tools and support for them to successfully implement the model. Over the past two years, I have worked with a group

Getting teachers convinced that they should embrace flipped learning is the most important step.

If teachers are not sold on the model, the roll-out will most likely stall. of 30 teachers from one school and helped them flip well. In my most recent visit, I had a chance to visit classrooms and share with teachers who were not in the cadre. I was pleasantly surprised that flipped has spread beyond the initial group and now most teachers are at least partially flipping their class.

How to Influence Teachers In 2007, Dr John Diamond, an education professor at Harvard University, did a study of what influences teachers to change. He concluded that teachers’ primary reason for change was listening to other teachers.

Second was internal motivation and third was students. Maybe the secret to change is to get teachers to think the flipped class is their idea and then let it spread.

Make Sure Teachers Understand the Model I have met so many teachers who learn that I am a pioneer in flipped learning and immediately tell me why flipped learning will not work in their situation. They mention access, student lack of homework completion, technology hurdles and so on. But what is almost always clear is the teachers have an incomplete idea of the flipped class model. I have found that once the model is explained well and presented in such a way that is not overwhelming, most are quick to embrace it.

058 EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS

Flipped Learning is not that Radical For those who fear giving up control of content and curriculum, I share that student-centered learning is only half-right.

Flipped learning is a balanced approach to learning in which the teacher can still hold onto content, while at the same time having more choice and a more student-centered class. The idea of simply recording a teacher’s lectures does not seem like that big of a step. I encourage you to either read or re-read this series (available at www.jonbergmann.com), on why I feel student-centered education is only half-right.

Change is Hard There is no magic formula for convincing teachers, but this step must be done!

I probably should have made this the first article because if teachers are not convinced, then the program will fail. So, get your initial group together, provide support and before you know it you will be a fully flipped school. ETS

It is imperative to communicate to parents why the school is embracing the flipped model.

Jon Bergmann is one of the pioneers of the Flipped Class Movement. Jon is leading the worldwide adoption of flipped learning by working with governments, schools, corporations and education non-profits. He is the author of seven books, including the bestselling book Flip Your Classroom, which has been translated into 10 languages.

He is the founder of the global FlipCon conferences, which are dynamic engaging events that inspire educators to transform their practice through flipped learning.

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getconnected 060 EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS

And The Oscar Goes Toâ&#x20AC;¦ EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS 061

getconnected | By Emily MacLean | Teachers encourage their students to be creative learners and share their experiences in new ways. Film-making can provide students with an opportunity for creative expression to captivate an audience and share stories. Films allow students’ stories to come alive off the paper so viewers may immerse themselves in a world other than their reality.

However, many teachers are often puzzled when the final products lack the polished presentation they had hoped for, even when the story behind it has been thoroughly developed. Students are often excited by the idea of making films, but have not been taught the technical aspects of film-making from start to finish, leaving their stories to fall short in truly captivating their audiences.

Students cannot build the skills they do not have knowledge of, nor can educators build their students’ confidence of film-making if they lack the confidence and knowledge themselves. Teachers often have not had the opportunity to learn these same film skills students require and, therefore, they cannot impart their expertise to help enhance the quality of their students’ films.

Storyboarding the Professional Development Idea This need to increase the quality of student film-making seems to be a common thread amongst many classes and subjects in schools. To improve planning, filming and editing, these skills must be broken down into manageable chunks and explicitly taught; teachers must not assume students absorb them without exposure. Therefore, to increase the quality of films by students, teachers must increase the quality of their own film-making skills and knowledge.

To increase staff’s confidence in creating films, the education technology department at Chatsworth International School decided to run an intensive film-making course over five weeks, with each session being three hours in length. While this was a serious time commitment for the teaching staff who

chose to stay late each week to dive into the world of film, it was felt a short afterschool drop-in professional development session at the end of the day was not going to allow for the desired learning outcomes.

Participants needed to have enough time each session to learn the history and theory of film, develop new skills through hands-on activities and also work towards a culminating project.

It was unknown how many people would be interested in this model of professional development at the school. However, a group of dedicated staff enrolled in the course.

Production Prep The course began by allowing the staff to gain general knowledge on the history of film. As the staff watched clips from notable films throughout time, conversations and questions began to flow, with a sense of community quickly building within the room.

Staff were introduced to methods of planning for success as they learnt how to storyboard their ideas to make the time spent filming more efficient. As a challenge to promote planning, while also a way to assess current skill levels, the staff were asked to storyboard and film a short one-minute film to share with the class within an hour. The collaborative approach allowed staff with different areas of expertise to be highlighted, while also providing a safe environment to explore the film-making as beginners. In the end, the films brought laughter to the room with a sense of enthusiasm at the end of the first three hours that weaved itself into the following weeks of sessions and into the hallways of the school.

As the sessions continued, the staff had the opportunity to hear about the technical skills while watching examples of the skills in practice from well-known films and then experience hands-on learning.

From dragons attacking the staff using green screen effects to understanding how types of shots convey different meaning

062 EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS

Students cannot build the skills they do not have knowledge of, nor can educators build their students’ confidence of film-making if they lack the confidence and knowledge themselves.

and understanding the rule of thirds when composing shots, trial and error through exploration was the underlying commonality for the teachers.

Lights, Camera, Action Once staff became more confident in the planning and the components of filmmaking, they began to embark upon their own short films while implementing their many new skills. It was interesting to watch as each teacher created their own twist on their projects, showcasing different elements of film that were important for their storyline while filming.

The course was designed to have a oneweek break in the middle, which coincided with a school holiday, to allow for staff to have enough time to film their footage outside of the course context, which also allowed them the time and space to experiment with their projects. Elements of lighting, sound and shot composition were all taken into consideration as the footage began to take shape.

Piecing the Puzzle Together With interview footage and a variety of film clips, the teachers came back from the break excited about beginning to edit their films together. The range of editing experience was vast, leading to the need to individualise the support. Building on their basic editing skills, the teachers learnt about effects, filters, overdubbing, ducking and playing with time as ways to modify their films. As they moved further into the editing process, it became evident that the teachers simply wanted time with their films to edit and enhance. This allowed the role of the facilitator to transition more into the expert, with questions and answers as they became relevant to the current needs of the staff. Emotions also started to become involved in the process as frustrations sometimes rose when things did not work out quite right and time was dwindling down before the final reveal. Yet, at the end of each session, everyone left laughing and excited to continue to move forward.

The greatest successes were not the films, but the change in thinking by the teachers about the film-making process.

Film Festival In the final week of the course, a film festival was held to showcase the work of the teachers. Staff from the school and the family of the participants were invited to join, with popcorn of course. The teachers showcased their short films with pride and enthusiasm. Each participant had taken their films in different directions from documentaries to film art to suspense and comedy. It was a true celebration of all that the teachers had accomplished in such a short time, their final films and the process that led them there.

The After Party Throughout the course, and even more so after the films were debuted, the teachers who participated often stop us in the hallways to share how they were now using films in their classes. Some are using their new skill set to support students who are focusing on creating films for personal projects, while another wants to start his own YouTube film channel. These teachers are coming in and out of the technology office grabbing tripods and other equipment for their various filming projects in their classrooms with their students. The learning should not stop after a professional development session is over; rather, it should be continuously put into practice.

The greatest successes were not the films, but the change in thinking by the teachers about the film-making process. The product really is only as great as the process that creates it; collaboration supports creativity and creating each component with thought, creativity and purpose. The teachers had a growth mindset at all times and really immersed themselves in the tasks to reap the benefits of the course. This model of professional development was a positive experience for the teachers involved, who felt the time invested was worth the many outcomes. It modelled how to introduce and enhance film-making in their own classrooms and bring out their studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; inner Spielberg. ETS Emily MacLean is an international educator working at Chatsworth International School in Singapore as the Education Technology Coach. She is an Apple Distinguished Educator (Class of 2015), Apple Teacher, Google for Educator Certified Innovator and Trainer. She enthusiastically supports teachers across the primary school to effectively integrate education technology into the classroom. She holds a Masters of Education (Information Technologies) and currently is working towards a Master of Education (Educational Leadership) from Charles Sturt University.

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TECH STUFF

066 PRODUCTS Epson WorkForce Pro Printers iCOMPEL Fujitsu ScanSnap SV600 iKlip Grip Multifunctional Video Stand and Microphone DataLink DL3000 School Stream Sphero Ollie UBTECH Jimu Explorer Robot

070 NOTICEBOARDS K-12 Digital Classroom Practice Conference Epson 2000-Series Projectors FlipCon 2017 Leading a Digital School Conference Space Camp USA Tour Ulitmate3D

064 EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @EdTechMagazine EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS 065

showcases Epson WorkForce Pro RIPS Printers Introducing an entirely new way for small- to medium-sized schools to cut costs and improve efficiencies when it comes to colour printing. Utlising the revolutionary Replaceable Ink Pack System (RIPS) technology, Epson’s new WorkForce Pro R5000 and R8000 Series printers can deliver up to 75,000 printed pages (based on Epson testing on WF-R8590) in both black and colour before the ink needs replenishing.

Epson’s new WorkForce Pro R5000 and R8000 Series printers not only reduce downtime spent managing and disposing of supplies, walking to central printers, waiting around for prints and locating lost or stolen documents, they can also reduce the IT support burden caused by fixing user errors, such as incorrectly installed supplies. What’s more, these printers significantly lower the environmental burden of logistics and recycling to help you meet your school’s environmental targets while using less energy than competitive colour lasers.

Epson WorkForce Pro RIPS printers are certified for use with PaperCut print and copy output management software, which makes them ideal for use in schools, universities and other educational institutions. Most importantly, these cutting edge printing solutions are available through CompNow on competitive education and commercial finance arrangements to keep your overheads low.

The CompNow education finance program gives your school several lease options. Flexible terms make it easy to upgrade and finance multiple products at the same time. Manage a master lease on behalf of your parent community.

CompNow can arrange finance for your school on Epson RIPS from just $5.60 per day, including first set of inks, or from $168 per month, including first set of inks. These great, low prices equate to less than 4 cents per page, for full colour with 20% coverage.

Approved customers only. Terms and Conditions apply. Pricing ex GST. Visit www.compnow.com.au or call 1300 COMPNOW

iCOMPEL iCOMPEL from Blackbox is an award-winning digital signage system

send content, or players can

designed to help your school create, distribute and manage

store content and present it as

content in a simple and dependable way. The iCOMPEL Content

scheduled.

Commander (iCC) balances ease-of-use for novices with access

iCOMPEL provides a number

to more powerful features for experts. This comprehensive platform

of layout templates and makes

helps users achieve such goals as brand engagement, increased

signage design simple and intuitive with its publishing tools. Literally

revenue, increased efficiencies, awareness, cost reduction, student

drag and drop content into the appropriate areas and signs. The

satisfaction – or any combination of those. Imagine being able to

system even offers wireless connectivity for networked publishers

run a large outdoor screen at the front of your school to advertise

and subscribers, as well as for standalone kiosk players being that

upcoming events and exhibitions while simultaneously using

content can be distributed and updated at a moment’s notice

screens around the school to post student messages, room and

from virtually anywhere onsite without the need for setting up

schedule changes, reminders about upcoming trips and so on. Well

expensive cabled networks.

now you can because using iCOMPEL™ digital signage players,

iCOMPEL is a complete hardware and software solution. Each

schools can set up multiple zones for content. Play recorded video,

iCOMPEL appliance ships to a user with all the software installed.

live video (with HD capture option), RSS feeds, data, and more to

You can even use iCOMPEL to capture and display live events

inform, educate, or notify your students. You can even schedule

occurring around your school.

content to communicate specific messages at specific times such as school events, impromptu assemblies and so on. Publishers can

066 EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS

For more information visit www.blackbox.com or call 1300 734 455

Unless otherwise expressly stated, the review of the product or products appearing in this section represent the opinions of the Editor or relevant editorial staff member assigned to this publication and do not represent the views or opinions of Interactive Media Solutions or the advertisers or other contributors to this publication.

Fujitsu ScanSnap SV600 – A New Perspective on Scanning The Fujitsu ScanSnap SV600 is changing the landscape of printing.

Capable of high quality scanning of large documents up to A3 size in a compact unit, the SV600 uses new Versatile Imaging (VI) Technology to provide high quality image capture while ensuring user-friendly operation.

Imagine the cost saving to schools if instead of having to constantly replace lost books in school libraries, students are able to simply, quickly and easily scan the necessary pages, then convert those files into searchable PDFs delivered directly to their chosen device. Not only could students save time by easily searching a scanned document for exactly what he or she needs, but any other student who might also need that same text will no longer have their studies effected by lost, borrowed or missing books.

The SV600 can directly scan large documents (up to A3 size) as well as bound books to document quality. The SV600 not only maintains the ScanSnap series’ reputation for sharp scanned data images, it also continues the iconic “One Touch” feature from the ScanSnap Series. Unique features of the SV600 include in-built

multiple photos and/or business cards by scattering them

“Book Image Correction” (ability to remove distortion caused by

within the scanning area. The SV600 is a great addition to

the curve of an open book) feature and “Page Turning Detection”

any school library or classroom looking for fast and simple

feature, which initiates the scanning operation via the detection of

document digitisation to PDF.

page turning movements.

Its compact design and overhead scanning operation reduces the scanner’s desktop footprint and even allows capture of

For more information contact Proscan (Toll Free 1300 132 001) or visit www.proscan.com.au/brands/fujitsu

iKlip Grip Multifunctional Video Stand and Microphone Recording video or audio content for class use has never been

of a smartphone is as simple as

easier. Use a mobile phone or iPod with iKlip Grip Multifunctional

expanding the brackets to release

Video Stand to capture class presentations, record teaching

the phone, then re-securing it. The

content for the class e-library and much more.

iKlip Grip holding bracket features

iKlip Grip is a versatile stand with Bluetooth shutter control for smartphones, compact video cameras, audio field recorders and more. It really is four accessories in one: desktop tripod, grip handler, monopod and tripod adapter. Securely hold any

standard 1/4″-20 tripod screw threads so it can be mounted to any standard tripod as a mobile device adapter.

smartphone with or without a case with screen sizes from 3.5″ to 6.

Pair it with an iRig microphone to

iKlip Grip also features a standard mounting system for connecting

achieve great sound. Choose from

small mobile video cameras like GoPro®, compact digital cameras and stand-mount audio field recorders.

The secret to iKlip Grip lies in its ingenious expandable and secure holding bracket that allows you to precisely position any

several types of microphones depending on your needs, from close recording to group work or a handheld mic.

smartphone at any angle for capturing photos, video and audio. iKlip Grip features an expandable spring-loaded soft-touch rubber

Contact Maximise Technology 1300 769 374 or visit

bracket that provides secure superior holding power. Repositioning

www.maximisetechnology.com.au

EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS 067

showcases DataLink DL3000 Whether the goal is to enhance emotional learning or meet common core testing objectives, curriculum directors, principals, department heads, and classroom teachers rely on the DataLink 3000 Test Scanner for fast and efficient grading. The ultimate in teacher supplies and classroom tools, Apperson’s DataLink 3000 Test Scanner allows educators to focus on developing curriculum, facilitating learning, and helping students grow professionally, intellectually and emotionally. This Test Scanner is the definition of versatility with a wide range of scoring capabilities – from small quizzes to district-wide assessments.

Not only is this cutting-edge scanner the ideal tool for preparing students for NAPLAN testing, it enables educators to focus on classroom goals rather than scoring common core and other assessments. The wide range of features including a large-capacity automatic feeder, touchpad controls, and ink cartridges make grading a simple task.

The DataLink DL3000 is extremely easy to load. Score up to 300 assessments at a time with this high-capacity test scanner that

proficiency, non-proficient students by group or standard, and

enables school districts to digitally score and report. What’s more,

several more. Thanks to the DL3000’s incredible flexibility, users can

the DataLink DL3000 can score up to 65 tests per minute with as

also define sub-groups and sub-tests for reports, or assign weighted

many as 150 questions graded on standard forms. Effortlessly score

scores by test question, for even more advanced reporting.

entire schools and thousands of student assessments.

Transfer results to a wide variety of popular gradebooks, student

The scanner includes a barcode reader for pre-marked

information and learning management systems or programs such

assessments and 10-digit student ID fields – the most accurate way

as Microsoft Excel for further analysis. Teachers can even save time

to score exams. Scan your data directly into DataLink Connect, the

by creating electronic answer keys for future download to scanners

free assessment management solution to get better exam scoring,

and to share with other teachers and classes.

reporting and analysis. Users can instantly view appropriate reports such as item analysis, class roster, student proficiency, class

For more information visit www.omrsolutions.com.au or call 03 8820 6036

School Stream Celebrating its fourth year serving schools across Australia and New Zealand with their popular school-to-parent communication platform, School Stream is an essential tool for every school.

Whether you already use Student Management System, Learning Management System, parent portal, school interview software, online canteen, or none of the above, School Stream is what you need to ensure your parents receive the exact message you want,

piece of content can also be sent by the school in the form of

at the exact time you want.

a push notification so the school’s content is never missed, ever

The secret to the success of the School Stream software, as

again!

evidenced by the fact that tens of thousands of parents are

According to the team at School Stream, they have even more

actively using the app every day, rests in its simplicity. With its

exciting new developments in the works for this year that will

structured category layout, which is fully customisable by the

enhance the school communication platform even further.

school, parents can quickly and easily find the content they need.

Whether it’s absent notes, newsletters, calendar events or their

Contact School Stream 02 8074 5633 or visit

child’s class photo gallery, it can all be seen in an instant. Each

www.schoolstream.com.au

068 EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS

Unless otherwise expressly stated, the review of the product or products appearing in this section represent the opinions of the Editor or relevant editorial staff member assigned to this publication and do not represent the views or opinions of Interactive Media Solutions or the advertisers or other contributors to this publication.

Sphero Ollie Sphero Ollie is an app-enabled device with an electric motor that can capture the thrill of speed, while teaching about programming, science and more.

Launch the app, then touch your Bluetooth Smart enabled device to your Ollie. Follow the on-screen tutorials and learn the basics of how to aim and drive your Ollie. This app gives you the power to control everything about Ollie – speed, acceleration, turn radius, and glowing LED colours. Driving like a pro takes a little patience, but so does anything else worth doing.

Sphero built Ollie for those who would rather lead than follow, as Ollie can go faster than you can run, topping out at 20kms/hr. Ollie is super tough – go out and tackle the toughest terrain with total confidence. Ollie’s polycarbonate shell protects the electric motor, while the cutting-edge design repels water. This rough-and-tumble robot is built to take on anything that stands in the way.

Equip Ollie with grip tires for off-road traction or remove them to drift on smooth surfaces.

Ready for a full and busy class, Ollie is powered by Bluetooth Smart, and features a 30-metre range and over an hour of drivetime on a single charge.

Easy to use, challenging to master – you can program Ollie using the Sphero MacroLab app. Swipe, tap or hold the gesture pad to make Ollie perform different tricks. With hundreds of trick combos to discover and master, you’ll constantly be challenged to push your skills. Ollie’s onboard intelligence gives you real-time feedback on tricks. But watch out – if you leave this robot idle for too long, it may get a mind of its own!

Contact Maximise Technology 1300 769 374 or visit www.maximisetechnology.com.au

UBTECH Jimu Explorer Robot Kit UBTECH Jimu Explorer Robot Kit is an interactive building block robotics kit that empowers children and teenagers to create and program their own robots. Along the way, they engage in powerful hands-on learning in STEM and gain 21st-century skills and mindsets.

The kit includes dynamic 3D instruction, as the built-in Jimu App gives step-by-step illustrations of every part and how to make a project. The Jimu App gives you all the control and programming capability you need with Bluetooth connectivity and support for

manage in the classroom. Jimu also features high-torque robotic

Android and iOS tablets or phones to program and control Jimu’s

servos to create fluid movements for a satisfying robotic project,

movements.

while using environmentally friendly materials that are durable as

Jimu has been developed as open source, and includes a sharing platform so Jimu community users are able to share their

well as safe. Having great fun in the classroom doesn’t have to come at the expense of the environment.

creations, as well as see and download what others have made.

Jimu uses snap-in design, so the pieces snap together by hand.

No tools are required, making this kit extremely easy to use and

Contact Maximise Technology 1300 769 374 or visit www. maximisetechnology.com.au

EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS 069

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Getting down to the nitty gritty

If you are involved in education in this day and age, you cannot get away from a discussion about digital technology and its place in teaching and learning, nor should you.

Using digital technology is no longer an option for a teacher.

It is an imperative as reflected in the Australian Curriculum: Digital Technologies.

Of course as a teacher you are no doubt using some digital technology in your classroom for the benefit of your students. But on a scale of 1 to 10 where do you sit? How far do you still have to challenge yourself to be the best teacher you can be, using digital technology in effective ways that improve your teaching and your students’ learning?

Time to get down to the nitty gritty to become an accomplished digital practitioner in your classroom!

The K-12 Digital Classroom Practice Conference will help you do that.

It explores best digital classroom practice to achieve superior teaching and learning outcomes. This exciting event, now in its second year, is part of the National Education Summit.

What does a digital classroom practitioner need?

Any serious consideration of what a digital practitioner needs to grow and shape a digital classroom, must include: • ideas about how to achieve a strong digital mindset in yourself and your students

• an appreciation of the digital literacies worth cultivating • how to ensure that critical technologies are accessible by your students • a sound knowledge of the digital curriculum and what it has to offer • a willingness to experiment with different digital environments • the ability to select digital resources that meet the needs of your students • a commitment to paying enough attention to your own professional practice.

Immerse yourself in all of the above at the K-12 Digital Classroom Practice Conference.

Keynotes and a special feature Day 1: Welcome to the Digital Revolution: Education in the Age of Disrupted Learning – by Ian Jukes world renowned and inspiring, passionate keynote speaker, writer and international consultant.

Day 2: Reinventing Learning for the Always-on Generation: Strategies That Work – by Nicky Mohan dynamic classroom teacher, school and university administrator, instructional designer, business sector manager and trainer.

You can also choose to engage in seven workshop sessions presented by Ian and Nicky. This experience will give you all the inspiration you need to get ahead with your own professional practice.

070 EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS

Learn from your colleagues! Join us on Friday 1 and Saturday 2 September 2017 at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre (MCEC) to see the amazing ways digital technology can be used in your classroom to deliver the curriculum to your students and to unlock their learning potential.

Further information can be found at www.iwb.net.au/classroompractice

™

Friday 1 and Saturday

2 September 2017

Your professional practice?

| Melbourne Convention

Accessibility?

& Exhibition Centre

Digital resources?

ooms Digital Clabigssr questions?

Digital environments?

What are the

Digital literacies?

Digital mentality?

Digital curriculum?

Digital technologies?

n will deliver the Ian Jukes and Nicky Moha ive workshop keynotes and a 2 day intens s: s for Teachers.

For all States and Territorie n Professional Standard s the following Australia This conference addresse gy (ICT) communication technolo 2.6.2 – Information and s practice 3.3.2 – Use teaching strategie nal learning and improve 6.2.2 – Engage in professio strategies of the teaching area (ICT) 2.1.2 – Content and teaching s resource 3.4.2 – Select and use responsibly and ethically 4.5.2 – Use ICT safely, es and improve practice 6.3.2 – Engage with colleagu In addition:

of QTC Registered ce will contribute 8.5 hours s for Teachers towards Classroom Practice Conferen Attending the K-12 Digital 6.2.2 from the Australian Professional Standard 3.3.2; PD addressing 2.6.2; in NSW. Teacher Accreditation maintaining Proficient

digital schools supporting digital classrooms,

tcom costs, program options rior ou Find out more about the | supe ereg.me/K12DCP actice and how to register @ best pr au OR Email team@iwb.net.

es

Unless otherwise expressly stated, the information appearing in this section represents the opinions of the relevant advertiser and does not represent the views or opinions of Interactive Media Solutions or the other advertisers or contributors to this publication.

Epson Launches New 2000-Series Business Projectors With Exceptional Image Quality, HDMI Connectivity and Enterprise-Level Wireless Security

Epson has launched its new 2000-Series business projectors. The series features six projectors that are ideal for business meetings, large boardrooms, lecture halls, classrooms and houses of worship. Designed for ease-of-use, the 2000-Series produces up to 5,500 lumens of both colour and white brightness, and features full HD 1080p support, built-in enterprise level Wi-Fi security, and a full interface for multiple connections and installation flexibility.

General Manager, Business Division, Epson Australia, Craig Heckenberg said, “The 2000-Series offers an unbeatable combination of brightness, a rich feature set and a portable design, making it ideal for nearly any room. The series delivers a wide range of options, from resolution and brightness to connectivity options, so customers can find the solution that best suits their installation needs.”

The 2000-Series leverages HDMI connectivity to easily project digital content, including video and audio, from the latest laptops, Bluray Discs®, DVDs, and other media players. Leveraging a wireless LAN module, the 2000-Series projectors also offer security features such as WEP, WPA-PSK, WPA-EAP, WPA2-EAP wireless encryption to help prevent information leakage in an enterprise environment. In addition, the DICOM Simulation Mode (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine) provides the ability to reproduce images with an advanced grayscale

level that simulates DICOM Part 14, ideal for viewing grayscale medical images, such as X-rays, for training and educational environments.

The flagship models – EB-2265U and EB-2165W – feature wireless screen mirroring with Miracast® that allows 2000-Series users to stream Full HD movies, videos, photos and music from a smartphone, tablet, laptop or PC directly to the projector. Miracast® wirelessly mirrors and streams content from Android™ mobile devices or Windows® PCs to the projector.

These models also include innovative HDBaseT connectivity for easy installation.

The new 2000-series supports MultiPC projection, which allows up to four individual PC screens to be displayed simultaneously over the network with up to 50 connected to the same projector. The projectors also include Screen Fit, an auto-sensing feature that adjusts the image size to fit within a frame, whether it’s a screen or a board, with the push of a button. The entire range of projectors can also be used with the Epson iProjection™ App to display content from iOS® or Android™ mobile devices with wireless or network capabilities.

Additional Features on the new 2000-Series The new Epson 2000-Series projectors deliver a range of colour brightness and white brightness and features to meet a variety of small- to mediumsized business needs:

• Versatile, Compact Design – Includes multiple connectivity options; ideal for taking from room to room, or installing in small to medium-sized spaces.

• Enterprise-Level Wireless Security – The wireless LAN module2 (sold separately on EB-2250U) supports robust wireless security network protocols that help keep information safe.

• Wireless Screen Mirroring with Miracast® – Stream Full HD 1080p content and mirror wireless Android device screens.

• Remote Management and Control Tools – Included software allows for remote monitoring and control of Epson networked projectors; also compatible with Crestron®Room View®.

• Long-Lasting Lamp Life – Up to 10,000 hours in ECO Mode.

Epson projectors offer 3x higher colour brightness than competitive 1-chip DLP models to ensure vivid colourful images. All Epson projectors feature the latest 3-chip 3LCD technology to deliver amazing, trueto-life colour and detail for powerful presentations.

Availability and support The 2000-Series is available now through national resellers and direct on epson.com.au. The projectors are also available through pro audio/visual dealers, mail order, and distribution. Epson projectors come with a three-year limited warranty and 12 months lamp warranty.

EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS 071

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New Global Program to Protect Flipped Learning from Bad Technology Choices Flipped Learning Global Initiative offers education technology support to educators worldwide

The Flipped Learning Global Initiative (FLGI), a worldwide coalition of educators, researchers, technologists, professional development providers and education leaders, recently announced the first pillar of a new program created to help Flipped Learning teachers, administrators, and IT staff make sound technology choices. The program begins with education, and launched with a free training course called, How to Avoid the 17 Deadly Sins of Flipped Learning Technology Selection. The course covers the vital considerations that should be part of making any technology purchase for flipped learning. Whether the school is in the United States, the United Kingdom, China, Australia, Spain, India, Argentina or Dubai, the program is relevant and essential. The free online course is available to the worldwide flipped learning community at http:// learn.FLGlobal.org and covers a pivotal checklist including: • Initial Cost • Infrastructure Requirements • Customisation Cost • Technology Compatibility and Integration • Scaleability • Learning Curve • Training Options • Student Safety • Hidden Cost

• Cultural Compatibility • Technology Life Cycle and Obsolescence • Switching Cost.

The course is based on the best insights drawn from FLGI’s global cohort of flipped learning researchers, flipped master teachers and flipped learning technologists. The 19-unit condensed course is the critical first piece of a larger initiative set to launch at the end of January.

“Nothing can kill a flipped learning program more quickly than the selection of expensive, complex technology that is poorly suited to flipped learning. The education technology graveyards are littered with the remains of tools, programs, and gizmos that teachers couldn’t or wouldn’t use,” said Jon Bergmann, one of the pioneers of the flipped learning movement. “I’ve seen too many Flipped Learning efforts fail because of massively misguided technology choices.”

There are two great opportunities to meet Jon Bergmann in 2017 and discuss technology options with him: • FlipCon Australia, Friday 20 and Saturday 21 October – Inaburra School, Sydney • FlipCon NZ, Friday 23 and Saturday 24 June – Samuel Marsden Collegiate School, Wellington.

072 EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS

Find out more about these two conferences where Jon will be a keynote speaker: • @ereg.me/flipconaus • @ereg.me/flipconnz

For further information about FlipCon Australia 2017 go to: www.ereg.me/FlipConAUS17

Unless otherwise expressly stated, the information appearing in this section represents the opinions of the relevant advertiser and does not represent the views or opinions of Interactive Media Solutions or the other advertisers or contributors to this publication.

No ordinary digital technology conference

As you would expect in a climate where the use of digital technology is gaining traction in all of our schools, digital technology conferences and other digital technology professional learning flourish. The choice for school leaders and teachers is huge.

When it comes to embracing what it takes to lead a digital school, two critical ingredients must be readily accessible to the leader: • an understanding of and experience in leading staff to achieve superior digital technology outcomes for themselves and their students • an understanding of the crowded digital technology product space and the ways digital technology can best be employed to advance teaching and learning.

The Leading a Digital School Conference addresses both of these critical ingredients ensuring that it rightfully takes its place as “no ordinary digital technology conference”.

The Leadership Attend the conference to immerse yourself in contemporary leadership issues and environments. Hear from your colleagues who are successfully grappling with the contemporary challenges that school leadership must address. Reflect on the models of leadership that can position your school as a leading digital school striving to provide that competitive advantage for your teachers and

students. Network with and learn from schools that are leading digital programs from the top, through synergistic team leadership and through powerful grassroots influence.

The Technology One of the biggest challenges a school leader faces is keeping up with the rapidly evolving technology available to them so that the digital programs they lead are cutting edge and relevant with high educational value.

Attend this conference to take the opportunity to explore, among other things, how global networks and emergent connective technologies empower learning communities; appreciate the power of iPads as a learning tool; explore practical strategies of how to share innovative practice across a school and scale projects for a global audience; discover the various programs, networks and agencies that can assist with protecting your students’ online presence and identity; see how simple robots can create deeper connections across your curriculum, support developmental play, inspire deep learning and thinking and enhance and extend problem solving; discuss how to use social media to interact with students, engage parents and promote your school to the world; ask questions about data and the educational value of data collection; consider the positive effects of disruptive technologies, and much more.

Special Feature – Jukes and Mohan Program A special feature of the conference in 2017 is the Jukes and Mohan program, a three-day program included within the Leading a Digital School Conference. It will provide a very attractive choice for many delegates.

Three workshops (Leadershift: Renewing Schools for Modern Times; Disruptive Innovation in Education; and Creating Significant Learning Environments) presented by Ian Jukes and Nicky Mohan have been developed in partnership with Lamar University (USA). Participants can choose to attend purely for professional development to enhance their own practice; or they can utilise attendance at this PD to begin the process of completing the course requirements for a Masters of Education. This model, which is a perfect fit for busy educators, has been carefully designed so that it seamlessly integrates into your daily practice.

Learn more If you wish to learn more about what it takes to lead in a digital school in today’s challenging educational climate, why not attend the Leading a Digital School Conference to be held at the QT Hotel, Gold Coast on 17, 18 and 19 August 2017? For more information and to register go to: www.ereg.me/digital17

EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS 073

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Space Camp USA Tour – The trip of a lifetime!

27th September – 8th October, 2017

Space Camp® is the ultimate unique camp experience where children work as a team and confront mission scenarios that require dynamic problem solving and critical thinking skills. Throughout the week, camp trainees encounter artifacts as they learn about space hardware and the history and future of space exploration.

One Giant Leap Australia offers a unique experience to students of all ages. A Space Camp trip like no other! Unlike other providers, students travelling with One Giant Leap do not have to wait until Year 9 to be in the program. Australians from ages 10 and over are welcome to enrol. Yes – that means BIG KIDS too! Parents who wish to share the experience with their child!

Join in the adventure to attend the ORIGINAL Space Camp USA. This low cost tour includes everything EXCEPT passport, visa, insurance and spending money.

Food, transfers, tips, airfares, transport, accommodation, entry fees, taxes and Space Camp registration

are all included. Tour merchandise is also provided as part of the cost.

With more than 10 years’ experience, One Giant Leap Australia offers an 11-day tour that is the best value for money.

• Train like an astronaut on the 1/6th Gravity Chair, the Five Degrees of Freedom simulator and the Multi- Axis Trainer!

• Construct and launch your own model rocket!

• Learn what it’s like to live onboard the International Space Station.

• Discover the newest rocket that will carry NASA astronauts to Mars.

• Use technology to design and construct a futuristic Martian colony!

• Launch on simulated missions to the International Space Station and beyond!

Camp I did things that I would never had even dreamt of in my life. It was like it was a whole new me.

Student: I felt good because I did my best for the first time.

Teacher: Space Camp a unique experience. Our school community coming together in a partnership of shared experience. An opportunity to learn and share, forging bonds, that strengthen our ability to prepare our children for the future. You cannot measure the privilege of sharing the dreams of children.

Student: The thing that I gained was my confidence. When I was in Space

If you would like to know more – email info@onegiantleapaustralia.com

074 EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS

Unless otherwise expressly stated, the information appearing in this section represents the opinions of the relevant advertiser and does not represent the views or opinions of Interactive Media Solutions or the other advertisers or contributors to this publication.

Why have most efforts to introduce 3D printing into the classroom faltered?

The Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) found that 44% of Australian jobs will vanish due to automation and technology.

The Australian 3D Manufacturing Association (A3DMA) wants Australians to make the most of the opportunities offered by this latest industrial revolution. Ensuring that our students are equipped to perform the jobs of the future is key to achieving this.

“Australia and the world is on the cusp of a new but very different industrial revolution and it is important that we are planning now to ensure our economy does not get left behind” Professor the Hon. Stephen Martin Chief Executive Committee for Economic Development of Australia

S50

3D printing fits well within the curriculum as it encompasses the use of technology to design and fabricate items, and “hands on” operation of machines and the post finishing of products. This caters well for varying ranges of abilities of students. It also allows for the sharing of examples that teachers can add to their armoury of strategies to better engage all students. The production of items provides efficient and fair assessment of student learning and the provision of feedback to students that is tangible and demonstrable.

However, when the Australian 3D Manufacturing Association examined the teaching of 3D printing, they found that most printers purchased by schools were no longer in use.

Inadequate equipment, insufficient training for teachers and lack of sufficient support arrangements were found to be the main causes. All these issues have been addressed in our education offerings. This means that once you commence teaching 3D printing and design you can be assured that you will be able to complete the lessons.

Our education packages provide equipment that has been assessed as suitable by the A3DMA and training developed and endorsed by them.

We provide on-site and phone support.

www.ultimate3d.com.au

Mobile iPad Charging Station

The iPad Charging Station is designed for education environments that organize large numbers of iPads and require support tools necessary for efficiency. They provide a practical, functional storage solution.

Holds up to 30 iPads

Sync & charge

simultaneously

AUSTRALIAN MADE MAKES AUSTRALIA

VIC (03) 9801 1044 / sales@mfb.com.au

NSW (02) 9749 1922 / sydney@mfb.com.au

www.mfb.com.au

EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS 075

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