Guy believes in preparing students for work in the real world, and the technology course that he designed and uses in the classroom does just that. The regular use of a data projector and PCs that students can pull apart are just some of the ideas that make Guy's teaching so effective. Guy is also partnering with industry to give students the right start for a technology career.

 

Kingscliff High School was the first in New South Wales to become a Microsoft IT Academy, using Microsoft curriculum to deliver an industry standard qualification in Certificate III Network Administration.

 

Studying the same course content as Australia's technology industry professionals, Guy's students get practical skills to prepare them for a technology career. Past students have gone on to study related courses at university and TAFE. Thanks to the networking qualification they earned at school, they've found themselves sought after in industry.

 

In 2004, Guy led a cross-curricular team at Kingscliff to deliver Indigenous Bytes, an equity program helping Aboriginal students cross the digital divide through providing a home computer, internet connectivity, and access to Kingscliff High School's online learning portal. Partnering with educational groups and industry, Indigenous Bytes is now developing interactive learning environments targeting literacy for low ability indigenous students and boys. Here interactive whiteboards, surround sound, a DVD player, a PC, internet access and a data projector come together in a 21st century classroom where technology is integral to curriculum, transforming learning outcomes.

         

 

Adrian uses ICT to help primary school students experiment, collaborate, communicate, create, solve problems, gain meaning and learn.  He gets a buzz from seeing his students experience the power of solving problems.

 

And he's giving them plenty of opportunity. In his classroom, students are creating web pages in groups, exploring 3D and stop motion animation and movie making, and experiencing a collaborative worldwide adventure through the Science Wow Factory project. Adrian is already using digital music in his teaching, and is now exploring Internet radio through the Ace Kids Podcast.

 

These days Adrian is part of a global professional community exchanging advice and resources online, and this collaboration enriches his practice. In Adrian's digital classroom, students learn with technology, doing things as a class that many can only dream of.

 

 

 

Esther started the Young Apprentice project to advance student literacy and build skills in communicating using technology. The project is a great success, with students having fun while enhancing their learning.

 

In Young Apprentice, students create a product and market it to an audience, developing skills in visual literacy, problem solving and creative thinking. Once they have imagined their product, students develop packaging and labels, a company name and logo, a catch-phrase or song, advertising material and a business card. They then film a short advertisement and present all the information to an audience using Microsoft PowerPoint.

 

It's a great way for students to gain experience of digital cameras, video recorders and web cams. They also use a wide range of software, including Microsoft Word, PhotoDraw, PowerPoint, Movie Maker, Publisher, Sound Recorder, Windows Media Player and Vegas Studio. Not only do they learn to make connections between programs and transfer knowledge, they practice powerful techniques for creating and communicating different forms of information.

 

 

 

Paul teaches in an e-learning environment, and believes technology has brought measurable improvements in the affective gains of student learning.

 

In Paul's classroom, whiteboards, textbooks and paper-based resources come a distant second to e-learning resources. Using tools such as intranet technology, web editing software, the Tablet PC and OneNote, Paul developed a new classroom culture with all the benefits of real-time digital communication.

 

At the college, students from years 9 to 12 have their own laptop computers connected to the school's wireless network. This means Paul can communicate with his students as often as he checks his email. He encourages them to email questions or work at any time, which he corrects electronically and emails back using traditional red pen corrections made on his Tablet PC.

 

Paul's use of these technologies as mainstream teaching tools has not only enhanced his classroom practice, but brought substantial changes in student attitudes, values, engagement and behaviour. Learning in an independent e-learning community means students can progress through a course using a variety of resources anytime, anywhere. As a result student learning outcomes have improved at the school, inspiring others to integrate this new technology into their own classrooms Australia-wide.

 

 

 

A mathematics teacher for 35 years, Frank has always had an eye for the potential of new technology in the classroom. With the growth of handheld computers he saw the chance for his students to leap ahead by putting e-learning in the palms of their hands.

 

Frank's colleagues at the school agreed that cost-effective handheld technology would open up exciting areas for curriculum development and they formed a cross-curricular team to make it happen.

 

First, they had to try the technology out in the classroom. So a test group of senior mathematics, physics and information technology students was selected. The students bought their own IPAQ handheld computers, with the school receiving funding for infrastructure from the Federal Government's Quality Teacher program. 

 

The results were outstanding. Students quickly learned to log data with high quality probes, becoming proficient in tools such as spreadsheets, GPS mapping and web-based calculators and simulators. They discovered the benefits of online research and the college e-portal. And they came up with a few ideas of their own, including making internet telephone calls using Skype, electronically organising timetables and workload and, of course, enjoying digital music and video. Frank says handheld technology is a great approach to integrating ICT into classrooms. And he believes any school that has a well developed and stable network with wireless hubs can benefit, making the concept of anywhere, anytime access to technology a reality.

 

 

Margaret has a passion for learning. She believes in creating a positive learning environment where ICT tools are used for collaboration, to enhance thinking skills, engage students and help those with special needs to learn.

Margaret uses constructivist pedagogies to teach through game development and other real-world applications that appeal to students. She relies on extensive web-based resources that she develops herself, as well as student mentoring programs, a learning management system and collaborative tools such as email, messaging, forums, blogs and SharePoint technologies. Margaret pioneers new ways of doing things, such as holding one of her classes entirely online, or setting up virtual staff meetings. She started a computer recycling program to help all students get home access to resources. And the secure school blogging environment she helped develop is now available to staff and students in government schools across Tasmania. 

Margaret's innovative use of technology goes beyond her own classroom. She collaborates with other teachers locally, nationally and internationally and shares her expertise in school management.
Margaret is now undertaking action research in the use of game programming to improve educational outcomes for students suffering Asperger's syndrome.

 

 

 

Tim believes that parents, school administration and peers have meaningful, positive contributions to make to student learning yet are traditionally distanced from the learning journey. That's why he's using ICT to take learning beyond the school gate, making it accessible 'anytime, anywhere' to stakeholders outside the classroom.

Tim uses blogging software, class web pages and web forums to enhance the home-school relationship. Parents can join this virtual classroom and see what their child is doing at school, even giving instant online feedback on a great result, effort or idea. Being able to engage more with their child's learning means they can offer more relevant support and encouragement, while students feel their work is valued.

Tim invites parents of his primary school students to ICT information nights, and also hosts discussion forums where parents and students get together to talk about barriers and limitations to further use of ICT, issues relating to their child's use of ICT as well as providing hands-on sessions to improve parents' navigation skills.

Tim finds using a combination of ICT tools enables more transparency in his teaching and learning programs, including in the crucial areas of assessment and evaluation. Increasingly his students meet online to explore, compete, collaborate, reinforce and challenge, all the while taking increased responsibility for their own learning. Through Tim's work, they can also take the people they value with them on their learning journey.

 

 

 

In her ?bush classrooms', Melia brings ICT-rich learning to the lives of indigenous students from different homelands and language groups.
Melia visits remote communities living in outstations surrounding Maningrida Community to deliver schooling. Here, there is limited experience of technology. But Melia believes it can counteract the isolation of these students and enable better educational opportunities. So she uses a range of integrated ICT tools, BRACs community radio and contextual resources she developed herself, such as digital reports and talking books, to capture community voices and create a two-way flow of knowledge between home and school.

And students are hooked. While the technology captures their curiosity, the content is relevant to their own experience and culture, keeping them engaged. As students develop skills in technology and English, they become more confident and independent, inspired to create their own meaning and tell their own stories.

Melia's high school class has the highest average attendance among similar schools in the region, with retention rates rising as students choose to keep up their studies. Enrolments are up, as students who dropped out return to school, and often parents sit in on classes. It seems the word is spreading about Melia's use of technology to revitalise outback learning.

 

 

 

Shane relies on ICT to connect with students and offer them meaningful and diverse learning experiences. In recent work he used ICT techniques to break down barriers and counteract racism by sending students on a quest to understand the history and experience of the Stolen Generation.

When Shane realised that students in his boys' primary school class had difficulty empathising with the Stolen Generation he decided they needed help to question their own values. So he developed an online learning quest on the Stolen Generation and invited his students to take part. The quest challenged students to compare government and indigenous perspectives on this controversial issue and overcome racist attitudes existing in their local area. The culminating task asked students to take what they learned and apply it through developing a reconciliation learning experience for a younger class.

Shane designed the quest to engage all styles of learner, particularly indigenous students. Students could complete the quest online from school or home. In doing so, they took ownership of their learning, navigating multiple pathways to learning outcomes. The results were mesmerising - as students progressed through the quest they began to challenge social expectations and beliefs, developing greater empathy and awareness.

 

 

Ian's work to take the classroom beyond the school gates has put Marist College at the forefront of technology in education.

 
In 2003 Ian started laying the foundation for a quantum leap in e-learning at the college by setting up a stable up-to-date network. The next step was to install ?smart rooms' with full multimedia capacity and interactive whiteboards. Teachers and students can now access resources via a Citrix thin-client solution both internally and remotely via the web, opening up new opportunities to collaborate with each other and other school communities.

Thanks to a new online learning management system students can access interactive content, educational resources and information around the clock. Connecting to this virtual classroom from school or home, students submit work and receive feedback electronically, enabling them to learn ?anywhere, anytime'.

 

 

Jenny is working with primary school students to preserve for future generations the priceless memories of the Rats of Tobruk and make their experiences available via the school website.

When local World War II veterans became too old to continue their regular Anzac Day visits to Giralang Primary School, Jenny and a group of seven students decided this oral history was too important to lose. They began recording the veterans' accounts of their wartime experiences on DVD and film. Working with students from the Canberra Institute of Technology they captured more than three hours of raw footage, which they will give to the Australian War Memorial to enrich existing records. Later this year Jenny's students will create their own edited DVD using archival footage of Tobruk to further develop the veterans' story. The result will be a valuable resource for study and ANZAC Day ceremonies. Thanks to Jenny's students, future generations will be able to hear firsthand what it was like in the siege of Tobruk.

In other work at Giralang, Jenny sourced new Internet literacy support resources from around the world, sharing this information with colleagues and getting great results helping students learn to read. She shared this approach in workshops with teachers across the ACT. Jenny is also Vice President of Asian Education Teachers Association of Australia and maintains their website.

 

 

 

Eddie brings a new way of thinking to classroom practice. He seamlessly integrates technologies into an ICT-rich learning environment. Here, Internet and software applications are used wherever they can enhance student experience and understanding. And Eddie finds students learn quicker this way.

Eddie's techniques include digital movie making, website design and interactive smartboards. New approaches, such as using video capture and editing software for analysing the motion of falling objects and Microsoft Excel for trigonometry, connect students to key concepts. And it doesn't stop there - Eddie's students also use technology to demonstrate what they have learned; for example, creating their own web pages using Wiki server software to show understanding of energy.

As professional learning coordinator, Eddie supports teachers across South Australia. In this role and in lectures to undergraduate and post-graduate education students, he shares his practical experience of the value and excitement ICT can add to learning.

Eddie's vision is that in the schools of the future ICT tools will be as widely used and fundamental to teaching and learning as the pen is today.

 

 

 

Matt believes you don't need to give students ideas - they have plenty of those - you just need to give them a chance. So when he asked students to design and make their own robot vehicles he expected them to really take off.

 

And so they did. After identifying a design challenge for their unique robot vehicles to satisfy, the year 10 Systems and Control Products students set about creating their vehicles with gusto. Part of the brief was to integrate diverse technologies throughout the designing and making process. This saw students developing their designs using vector-based applications, building printed circuit boards, programming microcontrollers and using computer-aided manufacture (CAM). Throughout the process, they documented their ideas using desktop publishing.

 

This student-centric activity enables students of all abilities to get in the driver's seat. From initial concept to the moment their robot vehicles hit the road, the students develop skills and knowledge, grappling with the challenge of creating a usable product and coming out with flying colours. In Matt's classroom practice, students are using technology for a truly ?student-driven' learning experience.

 

 

Robin blends interactive and technology-infused learning activities with more traditional approaches to create a pathway to 21st century literacy. Every day, her students experience the ?wow factor' of technology through Robin's CD-ROM, Visual Eyes.

Visual Eyes is a collection of tried and tested resources that Robin developed to support her interactive literacy classroom. Using Microsoft Office, simple software packages, digital cameras, scanners and a broadband Internet connection, Robin designed activities based on visual texts such as picture books, comics, art and film. She backed these up with web links, teacher tools and a digital portal with additional multimedia resources. The result is an amazing resource for multi-literacy.

With Visual Eyes, students decode and evaluate stereotypes, read images and look for important visual clues to develop skills in the ?new literacies' - technological, informational and critical - as well as traditional literacy. They use technology to complete rich tasks, developing higher order thinking skills along the way.

Robin's students are engaged, attentive and enthusiastic when using Visual Eyes. And the resource has sparked interest from colleagues, opening up opportunities for further professional challenge and collaboration. In her classroom, Robin's tailored use of technology is bridging the gap between old and new to create multi-literacy learning experiences, where students learn to decode the complex world around them.

 

 

 

For Yvonne, ICT is a natural way to work with students and colleagues. Bringing technology more widely into her classroom has changed the way she teaches and the way her students learn.

 

These days Yvonne's students work alone and in groups using digital cameras, video, web page design, animation and graphics software. They create web pages conveying their understandings of the world and connect with people across the globe via email. Online exchanges make students feel their contributions are valued in the world outside the schoolyard. And they thrive on the immediacy of ICT technologies - getting fast feedback on their performances makes setting goals for further learning more exciting.

 

Yvonne gathers broad evidence of student learning and her students' ICT work gives her rich information about what they know or are able to do. In her literacy teaching, she uses the power of technology to engage the most reluctant learners to strive for improvement.
As a teacher professional Yvonne is constantly learning through technology, sharing her insights with colleagues using presentation, digital video and still imaging software.