In this edition we are looking at:

Case studies and milestone reports
Interview with Envision Presentations
MOTIS project one day seminar
ITAS name change

Milestone reports released

Case studies and reports are out for several of the projects including the MOBLAP, DISE, CHaOS, Digital Bridges, Kopu, and MOTIS projects.

Milestone and case studies are essential tools in assessing and monitoring projects to ensure they are on target to achieving their goals and objectives, and also to enable everyone to learn from the findings of the projects to enhance the overall benefit from ICT in schools.
Nine of case study reports are now available online.

They include four reports from the WestNet and Trident Cluster involved in the recently finished, Mobile Laptops (MOBLAP) project.

COWs of Karamea– was aiming for “the enhancement of learning opportunities for students by the innovative use of ICT,” and their milestone and case study explain how the school successfully integrated the laptops across the school’s curriculum.

John Paul II High School – In an effort to make religious instruction more relevant and engaging to a Year 10 class, the School’s English, IT and Religious Education departments joined forces, and used the mobile laptops to let the students create their own animated parables. The case study shows the importance of inter-departmental cooperation around the integration of ICT in the classroom.

Edgecumbe College – For Edgecumbe College, the purpose of being involved in MOBLAP was to give students and staff greater access to ICT, and “improve the learning opportunities” of students. The case study outlines the mobile laptops use in English and Physics classes, and how the College achieved their project aims.

Opotiki College - The mobile laptops were incorporated into the College’s adult learning, special needs, and mainstream classes. One case study outlines a teacher’s effort to introduce computer-based learning to his History, Geography and Social Studies classes by using the mobile laptops. Another case study show how the laptops were used by special needs students to produce PowerPoint presentations to illustrate the legend of Maui.

Project DISE

Blomfield Special School and Resource Centre. Through the use of digital imaging and other digital technologies, Project DISE aims to improve learning opportunities for students with special needs. The case studies look at the use and results of the school’s successful first trial of digital video technologies to support desensitisation and socialisation. The report also looks the school’s creation of digital diaries to monitor and report on student progress.

Digital Bridges

Two Hamilton schools are working together to help improve the literacy standards and learning opportunities of students with English as a second language. The case studies show how mobile phones and email have been used to help the students’ literacy. The technology has also been used to encourage communication between the school and the project participants’ families.

Kopu Project

One aim of the Kopu Project is to give students a “life long love of learning, supported and enhanced through the use of ICT.” The milestone and case study look at the setting up of pilot classrooms with interactive whiteboards and other communications technology and its early use, in three Coromandel/Thames schools.

CHaOS Project

Wellington’s Brooklyn School is exploring ways in which Tablet and Pocket PCs can be used to support the school’s model for learning through ICT (The CHaOS Learning model). The project’s case studies look at the trial of Tablet PCs with five Year 8 students; how Tablet PCs supported the numeracy for a Year 3 and 4 class; the creation of multimedia presentations in a Year 3 and 4 class, and a Year 6’s use of Pocket PCs to gather and store information.

Motis Project

Four Wellington high schools are trialling hand-held technologies with the aim of encouraging and retaining students in mathematics and the sciences. Their case studies show how they are using the tecnology to do this.

Interview with Murray Thoms – Envision Presentations

Murray Thoms, director of Envision Presentations and supplier of the Promethean ACTIVboard interactive whiteboards, is involved with two Digital Opportunities initiatives – Project ACTIVate and the Kopu Project.

With most research into IWBs coming out of the UK and US, Murray was keen to see the development of New Zealand-based research into the effectiveness of IWBs. After spying a Ministry of Education advertisement, Murray realised that DigiOps was an ideal research vehicle, and Project ACTIVate was born.

“I approached Dr Ken Ryba of Massey University College of Education, who was very supportive, and with his involvement we of course would have the academic rigour so necessary if the project was going to have any credibility,” says Murray.

Using an action research model, teachers from 14 schools in Auckland and Invercargill are collecting and analysing data on how IWBs can be best used to create better learning conditions for students.

The smaller Kopu Project is looking at collaborative learning between rural schools in Coromandel/Thames region. The currently participating schools have an ACTIVboard each.

The ACTIVboard is described as complete “collaborative teaching system,” and to ensure schools get the most from the high-spec equipment, Envision has offered extensive professional development.

“We hope that all the schools involved in the projects benefit from the professional development,”…… and they all achieve improved teaching and learning outcomes for their students and teachers.”

Recently, Murray completed a deal with the Invercargill Licensing Trust (ILT), which will see every school in Invercargill receive between two and 18 ACTIVboards, meaning Project ACTIVate’s Southland schools will benefit from a further 25 IWBs.

While the majority of schools are not the recipients of such generosity, Murray still says that within five years every school in New Zealand will have at least one IWB.

“Most teachers I talk to say “’if you took my IWB away, I’d give up teaching!”’ The writing is on the wall (or board) - schools wishing to attract talented teachers need to embrace IWB technology,” says Murray.

MOTIS Project HHT Science Day

A one day seminar on hand-held-technology (HHT) in science is being hosted by MOTIS participant school, Wainuiomata High School, on Monday 10 April. All science teachers are welcome and encouraged to attend.

Guest presenter is science teacher and HHT specialist, Greg Pitt. Greg has 31 years teaching experience and is currently the head of science at Sydney’s Hurlstone Agricultural School. He has extensive experience in the use of data logging equipment and hopes the day will provide science teachers with several “tried and tested” ideas for the use of HHTs in the classroom.
Time will also be spent on graphic calculators and various sensors.

The day is an invaluable professional development opportunity for all science teachers using HHT. The cost, which includes catering, is $100 per school for one teacher, and an additional $20 per extra teacher.

For further information on the day, contact science teacher, Roseeta Prasad at roseetap@wainuiomatahigh.school.nz or 04 938-3224.

ITAS Renaissance to RED

DigiOps technology partner, ITAS, has changed its name to RED (Renaissance Education Division), and combines ITAS, Apple Education Direct and Renaissance. RED specialises in the ICT in schools and the early childhood sector, and supports four DigiOps projects (Community Technicians, Digital Bridges, Project DISE, and MOBLAP).

Thanks and I hope you enjoy this edition of the Digiops newsletter - Jane Thomson, editor.

The Digital Opportunities (DigiOps) projects joint partnerships between schools, organisations involved in ICT Ministry of Education. The aim is to improve learning through the innovative use of leading edge technologies.