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Digital Education Revolution Year 9 |
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What is the Digital Education
Revolution (DER)?
Laptop Specifications -
Hardware and Software
Healthy habits for using laptops
Learning online: links for parents
Resources
from Information Evening & useful websites
What
is the Digital Education Revolution (DER)?
Through the Digital Education Revolution
initiative, the Australian Government aims to bring substantial and
meaningful change to teaching and learning in Australian schools. It will
prepare students for further education and training, jobs of the future and to
live and work in a digital world.
The Australian Government is committing new
funding of $2.2 billion to provide:
·
through the National Secondary School Computer Fund, schools
are granted funds to assist them to provide for new or upgraded information and
communications technology (ICT) for secondary students in Years 9 to 12, and
·
through the Fibre Connections to Schools initiative, a contribution of
up to $100 million to support the development of fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) broadband connections to Australian schools.
The other elements of the initiative:
·
Prime Minister Rudd promised $32.6 million over two years to supply
students and teachers across Australia with online curriculum tools and
resources to support the national curriculum, and conferencing facilities for
specialist subjects such as languages.
·
Working with States and Territories and the Deans of Education to ensure
that new and continuing teachers have access to training in the use of ICT that
enables them to enrich student learning.
·
The development of online learning and access which will enable parents
to participate in their child’s education.
·
$10 million over three years to develop support mechanisms to provide
vital assistance for schools in the deployment of ICT provided through the
National Secondary School Computer Fund.
Your child's new
laptop has been custom-designed for school use. It's robust, compact and
lightweight, and fits easily into a school bag. But don't be deceived by its
size. It supports a full range of leading software, has plenty of storage and
lots of memory.
The laptops are
wireless enabled, which means they can be used to connect to the internet in
the library, the playground and in the classroom.
Built-in security
means your child can't access unauthorised internet content. Your child can
also use their school laptop to access the web safely from home if you have an internet
connection at home.
The laptops will
be remotely monitored and managed wherever they are. What's more, a stolen
laptop can be disabled and the thieves tracked and prosecuted. These safety
measures protect your child by removing any incentive for theft.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Edge has
been selected in 2011 as the laptop personal computer to be provided to senior
secondary students and teachers in NSW government secondary schools. It
supports a full range of software applications and features high level
computing power, storage and memory. The ThinkPad Edge is an edgy new design
with a full-size, spill-resistant keyboard, Active Protection System™ to
protect hard disk drive and supports the charging of smartphone and mp3 player
devices.
Before students
take their new laptops home, they'll be asked to sign the Laptop User Charter.
This is an agreement that they have read and understood their responsibilities.
The charter must
also be signed by parents or carers. The charter includes a commitment to take
the laptop home each day and bring it back to school the next day fully
charged.
If you don't sign
the charter, your child will be given access to a laptop for class use only.
However, you are encouraged to sign the charter. The laptop represents an
effort to expand learning beyond the boundaries and schedule of school, so it's
important they are used at home. Using the laptop at home will also help to
include your family in your child's education.
The program is
committed to providing the minimum of a full time Technology Support Officer
for every secondary and central school with an enrolment in Years 9 to 12 of
more than 100. Schools with less than 100 students in Year 9 to 12 will be
provided with a part-time Technology Support Officer, the minimum allocation
being two days per week. Sharing of Technology Support Officers will be
coordinated regionally. Technology Support Officers will be based in the school
and report to the principal.
The program is
also committed to providing additional support for Technology Support Officers
at a regional level. Regional Managers along with Regional Technology
Support Officers will provide coordination for the Digital Education Revolution
- NSW program on a regional basis.
What
if we already have a computer at home?
Students will be using their laptops in class each day and are expected to continue
their work at home. They should continue working on their laptops at home using
the same files and software they're using at school.
What
if we don't have internet access at home?
You don't need internet access at home for your child to use their laptop at
home. They can work with files and software already loaded or saved to a memory
stick (USB drive) without connecting to the internet.
My child already has a lot to carry for
sport, music and classwork. How much does the laptop weigh?
The laptops weigh
just over 1 kg and fit easily into a school backpack.
What happens if my child's laptop
breaks?
If the laptop
breaks, you should tell the school as soon as possible. Laptops and batteries
are covered by a manufacturer's warranty. The warranty covers manufacturer's
defects and normal use of the laptop. It does not cover negligence, abuse or
malicious damage.
What happens if the laptop is
accidentally lost or damaged?
If the laptop is
accidentally lost or damaged, you should tell the school as soon as possible.
You will need to complete and sign a Laptop Incident Report and a Statutory
Declaration outlining the facts. The declaration will need to be witnessed by a
Justice of the Peace or a solicitor. Your child will then be issued with a replacement.
What happens if the laptop is stolen or
vandalised?
If the laptop is
stolen or vandalised, you should tell the police and the school as soon as
possible. If out of school hours, you should notify the school the next school
day.
The police will give
you an official number. You'll need this number before a replacement laptop can
be provided. You will need to complete and sign a Laptop Incident Report. Your
child will then be issued with a replacement.
If the laptop is lost, damaged or
stolen, what will happen to my child's schoolwork?
It is your
child's responsibility to regularly save a copy of their schoolwork, also known
as 'backing up' their work.
How should my child back up their work?
Regularly backing
up work is your child's responsibility. This should be done at the end of each
session of study. They should save their work to their laptop and then save a
copy to their online storage area called 'My Locker'. Schoolwork saved here
will be able to be retrieved by them.
If your child
doesn't have access to My Locker, they can back up using a memory stick (USB
drive) or by emailing files to their own email address.
Are there any health risks using
laptops?
Students will be
taught how to use their laptops safely. This includes information on safe
charging, posture and eye fatigue.
What's to stop an unscrupulous student
selling their laptop and then claiming it has been stolen?
All laptops have
extensive hardware and software security measures. These security measures will
disable stolen laptops and will help to track and prosecute thieves. As soon as
any laptop is stolen or lost, the school will lock it down. No one will be able
to log in to the laptop. If the laptop is connected to the internet, even with
a new operating system, it will report its location.
Under what circumstances can my child
lose the right to a laptop?
Your principal
can decide to withdraw access to a laptop or the permission to take a laptop
home. Circumstances might include your child:
· repeatedly not bringing the laptop to school for lessons
· repeatedly abusing the use of the laptop, for example using the laptop
to engage in cyberbullying
·
not caring for the laptop responsibly
·
having too many incidents of loss or damage.
A student in
these circumstances will still-in most cases-have access to a laptop at school
but will not be allowed to take a laptop home.
Is my child protected when using the
internet at school? What about at home?
Your child is
protected when using their laptop at school and at home by filters that block
inappropriate internet material.
Can my child personalise their laptop?
Yes! The stick-on
skin supplied with the laptop can be drawn and written on.
Will my child be taught how to care for
their laptop?
Your child will
receive guidance on good laptop care, including safe use and charging. For
advice see.
Won't my child's handwriting suffer from
using a keyboard all day long?
School will
provide plenty of opportunities for handwriting, including under test
conditions.
However,
effective use of a computer is a skill they will need in their post-school
lives.
Will my child be safe carrying an
expensive laptop to school?
Your child will
be encouraged to keep their laptop in their school bag when travelling to and
from school. Anti-theft measures remove the incentive to steal the laptop,
helping to protect your child.
Won't students be able to cheat by using
a spellchecker?
A spellchecker is
an online editing tool. Students need to develop skills in the use of this
tool, as well as the online dictionary, thesaurus and other editing tools, to
become effective users of technology.
Can my child charge their laptop at
school?
There will be
very limited access for charging at school. In most cases, a student whose
laptop is not charged will be unable to use it.
What happens if my child forgets to
bring their laptop to school?
Forgetting the
laptop will be the same as leaving textbooks at home. They can participate in
the lesson but perhaps not as fully as otherwise. Repeatedly leaving a laptop
at home or bringing it uncharged could lead to a warning or losing the right to
take the laptop home.
Can my child access the internet
anywhere with their school laptop?
Your child can
access the internet at school. School networks are wireless, which means within
a certain geographical boundary (usually classrooms, the library and the school
grounds), students are able to use their laptop to login to the school portal without
needing to plug in any cables.
If you have the
internet connected at home, your child can also access it there. If you don't
have access to the internet at home, your child can still use the software on
their laptop to work on their schoolwork.
Frequently
Asked Questions - Connectivity
Frequently
Asked Questions - Laptops
Frequently
Asked Questions - Security
Laptop Specifications
- Hardware and Software
|
Model |
IdeaPad S10e |
ThinkPad X100e |
ThinkPad Edge |
|
Click on a model to
see |
|
|
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|
Manufacturer |
Lenovo |
Lenovo |
Lenovo |
|
Processor |
Intel Atom N270 Single Core
(1.6GHz 512KB) |
Intel Atom processor N450 (1.66GHz, 512KB) |
Intel® Celeron ULV Processor U3400, Dual Core 1.06GHz, 2MB L2 Cache |
|
RAM |
2GB PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM
667MHz |
2GB DDR-2 667MHz Memory |
2GB DDR-3 1333MHz Memory |
|
Hard Disk |
160GB 5400RPM HDD |
160GB 5400rpm HDD |
160GB 5400rpm HDD |
|
Video card |
Intel Graphics Media
Accelerator 950 |
Intel® NM10 Express Chipset 200MHz graphics |
Intel Mobile QM57 Express |
|
Screen |
10.1 WAVGA, 1024x576 Matte
TFT |
10.1" WSXGA (1280 x 720) Anti-glare LED Backlight Display |
11.6” HD (1366 x 768) Anti-glare LED Backlight Display |
|
Camera |
Integrated 1.3MP camera
(CMOS) |
Integrated 0.3MP camera (high sensitivity) |
640 x 480 (0.3MP) pixels integrated CCD with enhanced low light performance |
|
Battery |
6 Cell Lithium-Ion 2800mAh |
6-cell high-capacity battery (2.9Ah) |
6 Cell Li-Ion battery (2.8Ah) |
|
Keyboard |
ISO Full-size spill proof
keyboard |
84 Key |
84 Key |
|
Pointing device |
2 button trackpad with
scroll area |
Multi-gesture touchpad and trackpoint |
Multi-gesture touchpad and trackpoint |
|
Colours |
T1 Matte black external,
black fascia, S1 Matte grey or red external, black fascia |
Blue |
Rainforest Green |
|
Networking |
10/100Mbps RJ45 port |
Gigabit Ethernet |
Gigabit Ethernet |
|
Wirelesss |
Intel 802.11a/b/g/n LAN & WAN |
Intel WiFi Link 5100 802.11 a/b/g/n,supporting 5GHz/MIMO |
Broadcom 802.11 a/b/g/n supporting 5Ghz spectrum |
|
Bluetooth |
Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR |
Integrated Bluetooth version 2.1 |
Bluetooth Version 3.0 + HS |
|
USB ports |
2x USB2.0 |
3 USB ports (1 powered) |
3 x USB (inc. 1 powered) |
|
Video ports |
15pin VGA port |
VGA port |
VGA Port, HDMI Port |
|
Audio ports |
3.5mm Audio in, 3.5mm Audio
out |
HD audio, Stereo Speakers, built-in mic, combo headphone/mic-in |
HD audio, Stereo Speakers, built-in mic, combo headphone/mic-in |
|
Card reader |
4-in-1 Multicard reader |
4-in-1 Multicard reader |
4-in-1 Multicard reader |
|
Weight |
1.3kg with 6-cell battery |
1.5kg with 6-cell battery |
1.5kg with 6-cell battery |
|
Dimensions |
250mm x 196mm x 22-36mm |
282mm x 209mm x 15-29.5mm |
280mm x 188mm x 127mm |
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Installed OS |
Windows 7 Enterprise
Edition |
Windows 7 Enterprise Edition |
Windows 7 Enterprise Edition |
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Software: the full list |
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Operating system · Windows 7 Adobe software · Photoshop Elements · Premiere Elements · Acrobat Professional Extended · Flash Professional · Dreamweaver · Fireworks · Contribute · Captivate Microsoft software · Word · Excel · Publisher · PowerPoint · OneNote · Access · Internet Explorer 8 Audio editing · Audacity Plug-ins · Java Interactive whiteboard applications · Smart Recorder · Smart Video Player |
Encyclopaedia and dictionary · Microsoft Student with Encarta Premium 2009 Maths applications · GeoGebra · WinKMT Chess Science applications Music applications Art and design applications Other learning tools: · Multilanguage add-in · Mind Mapping: Freemind · Group polling and response: Student Response Network · Flowchart diagrams: Dia · QR code reader: QuickMark Barcode Multimedia
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For more details
on Adobe software, see: http://www.adobe.com
For more details
on Microsoft software, see http://www.microsoft.com
Adobe offer free
seminars on their website. Seminars in the beginner's stream last for about 60
minutes each. You can register for a live seminar at http://adobeeseminars.com.au/ or
do on-demand seminars at a time of your choosing at http://adobeeseminars.com.au/ondemand/. You
can also learn at the TV Adobe site at http://tv.adobe.com/#
There is also a
design centre for teachers and students at http://www.adobe.com/designcenter/ with
online galleries and video tutorials, see http://www.adobe.com/designcenter/video_workshop
Content
filtering
Strong, hack resistant network locking
or policy based network filtering is included.
System identification
The IdeaPad S10e
includes radio frequency identification and electronic call-home.
Theft protection and deterrence
The Lenovo
IdeaPad S10e features hack-resistant hardware level technologies to track and
render stolen notebooks useless.
Physical security
Physical security
of the device is supported by tamper-proof screws and a Kensington lock slot on
the device enables the option of security cables to secure the entire device.
Secure passwords
BIOS passwords
help protect the system from changes which could impair the security of the
device.
Encourage your
child to look after their laptop. After all, it's about the most important tool
they'll have in high school. Here are some tips:
Moving around
·
Treat the laptop like you would your wallet. Don't
leave it lying around. Avoid leaving it in the car, or if you must, lock it in
the boot.
·
Carry the laptop inside your school bag when
travelling to and from school. To help prevent theft or damage, avoid using it
in public.
·
Be sure nothing is stacked or thrown on top of the
laptop.
·
Tell the school immediately if the laptop needs
repairs, or is stolen, lost or damaged.
Using your laptop
·
Don't drop the laptop, get it wet, or leave it
outdoors. Avoid using it with food or drink.
·
Put the laptop on a solid surface if you are using it
for a long time. Resting it on a pillow or other soft material might block the
airflow vents and cause it to overheat.
·
Use a soft cotton cloth, like a handkerchief, to clean
the screen.
·
Take care not to leave anything, like a pen, between
the screen and the keyboard when closing the laptop.
Remember: recharge!
·
Recharge the battery each night. While charging, place
it on a hard surface like the dining table or kitchen bench. Don't charge it
near water.
·
When using or charging the laptop, it's normal for the
bottom of the case to get warm.
·
Take care with the charger. Don't step on or yank the
cord.
·
Unplug the laptop if there's an electrical storm.
Healthy habits
for using laptops
1.
Sit on a chair at a desk. This is especially important if using a laptop for longer than 30
minutes.
2.
Keep a good posture. Adjust the chair and laptop for a "neutral" posture. This
means ankles, knees, hips and elbows are at about 90-degree angles and hands
are in line with wrists.
3.
Relax arms, neck and shoulders. Most muscle strain centres on arms, neck and shoulders so try to keep
these relaxed. Typing and using the mouse should be light, and hands and arms
rested when not typing.
4.
Don't sit too close to the screen. Sit about arm's length from the screen, depending on individual eye
conditions.
5.
Take regular breaks. Take five minutes out of every 30 minutes to rest both eyes and
muscles. Stand and walk or change position to do other things like reading.
Look at an object about 10 metres away for 20 seconds.
6.
Make sure there's enough light. Work where lighting is sufficient and makes sure your screen is free
from glare.
Learning online: links for parents
As a parent it
can be daunting keeping up with new technologies, but help is at hand.
Click, our
technology guide for parents, is available online: http://www.schools.nsw.edu.au/click
For parents who
want to develop their computer skills, TAFE NSW offers a range of short
courses, for beginners through to advanced users. Courses are also run through
Community Colleges NSW and the Centre for Continuing Education. Visit the
following links for more details:
https://www.tafensw.edu.au/
http://www.communitycolleges.nsw.edu.au/
http://www.cce.usyd.edu.au/
Your child is
about to embark on a revolutionary journey, armed with a shiny new laptop to
take home every night.
The Digital
Education Revolution will bring a new level of engagement to classrooms, where
today's students will experience education like no other generation has.
Trevor Fletcher,
Deputy Director-General, Schools, says it's an exciting time for teachers as
well as students.
"We now have
a wonderful opportunity to bring together the three most important aspects of
education in our schools. Our dedicated professional teachers and the excellent
curriculum will now be complemented by engaging new technology in NSW
classrooms," Mr Fletcher says.
Laptops
turn the tables
Julie Haeusler, a science teacher for
more than 10 years, has been helping integrate student laptops and other new
technologies into Year 9 classrooms. As a curriculum expert, she has also
looked at research from around the world on how technology changes students'
experience of school and says the findings are amazing.
"The one
thing that is common across all the research into interactive whiteboards and laptops
for individual students is how engaged, motivated and interested in the school
work most kids become," Ms Haeusler says. "And they're more likely to
stay focused on the task, and more likely to do homework after school."
Making
connections
Laptops, wireless connectivity and a
wealth of teaching resources being created by the education department can
bring learning alive for all students, even in subjects they've previously
found difficult.
Ms Haeusler says
there have always been challenging concepts that students find difficult to
understand, but thanks to technology these concepts are now within their grasp.
For example, students frequently confuse the concept of "dissolving"
with "melting", which is an important concept in chemistry.
"The reason
for the confusion is that kids have real difficulties in going from what they
can see (like blue copper sulfate dissolving in water) to a written equation
that represents what they can't see - what's happening down at an atomic
level," Ms Haeusler says.
"Now we have
really easy access to animations and simulations online that show them what's
actually happening in incredible detail. It really helps them make that
connection."
The
sky's the limit
Teachers talk about "teachable
moments" - spontaneous discussions that happen in class, when children are
excited about a topic and a well-prepared teacher can use that enthusiasm to
explore the subject deeply.
Typically this
could happen when the class has seen a great television show the night before,
Ms Haeusler says.
"They come
to school excited about it - for example, they've discovered that an octopus
has blue blood. In the past you'd talk about it for a while and then get back
to your scheduled class."
With laptops, the
internet and interactive resources, the teacher can now take advantage of more
"teachable moments" and ignite children's interest further.
The teacher may
say to them, "Our blood is red because it has iron in it. Why might the
octopus blood be blue?
"Then we'd
look at an online periodic table to determine what elements are blue. It could
be related to copper, nickel or cobalt. Using the children's online research
skills we'd find videos from internet sites like Discovery Channel or National
Geographic and they'd discover that, yes, octopus blood is rich in copper,
which makes it blue," Ms Haeusler says. The class could even go further to
look at other elements, and learn that sea squirts' blood is rich in vanadium,
making it green. (Yes, it really is.) The opportunities to learn are literally
endless.
Real-time
learning
At Bathurst High School, Year 9
students have already seen how their classrooms can be transformed.
Deputy Principal
Jenny Stirling says the student laptop test-drive earlier this year showed how
easily the technology expanded learning possibilities in every subject area.
"In science,
our students were using real-time data from the internet to track volcanic
activity in North America. They were also graphing data, videoing their own
experiments and measuring reaction times - all using new technology."
While textbooks
will never be able to offer consistently current data, students with their own
laptop and internet connectivity have up-to-date information at their
fingertips whenever they need it.
The Bathurst
students discovered the laptops could enrich any subject. In Japanese studies,
for example, they downloaded a kanji (Chinese characters used in modern
Japanese) writing tool and were "actually writing with Japanese symbols in
their Word documents and recording and critiquing their own speeches in
Japanese".
"It gave
them that opportunity to be in a different world," Ms Stirling says.
At Cherrybrook
Technology High School, students conducted a biology experiment and recorded it
with the webcams on their laptops.
They also took
digital photographs and transferred them to their computers via Bluetooth.
Their experimental reports were created on their laptops, enabling them to
embed photographs and video into their work, to give their reports greater
depth. Combining new technology and the online resources into a practical and
meaningful lesson means the teacher's role is more critical than ever.
Julie Haeusler
says teachers and students are now able to go beyond the traditional texts and
resources to discover more about any given topic, and how it relates to the
bigger subject area.
She says the
opportunities to connect with students, teachers and experts around the world
and draw on their experiences will enrich children's learning.
"Now you can
turn an assignment into a blog and instantly you have a worldwide audience with
feedback on what you've written. You broaden your knowledge when you connect
with the global community. You start hearing different viewpoints and your
learning opportunities expand."
The global schoolroom
Imagine this scenario: a Year 9
science class is studying food. They're using the school's vegetable garden and
tracking soil types, rainfall, mulches and yields over time.
Our Year 9 kids are from a
wheat belt town in New South Wales and they're in touch with a class in a
farming town in Idaho in the United States. They have decided they'll work
together on the food project, compare their findings and publish their results.
The students attend a typical
New South Wales public school and some of them don't have the internet at home.
So how do they collaborate?
The answer is by using the
software they have on their new laptops and interacting online through the
school portal.
So how will our Year 9 students
build their food project? They'll create a database in Access to collect and
sort their raw data. They'll edit pictures of their research in Photoshop and
report their findings with Publisher. They'll shoot a video to share with Idaho
on YouTube.
They'll even create their own
website using Dreamweaver and both the Australian and American students will
make changes to the site using Contribute. And they will share their stories in
a project blog. Using PowerPoint and Flash, they'll build and animate an
end-of-year presentation.
Edit and publish a video.
Animate a presentation. Collaborate online with a class in another country. It
may seem incredible to parents that these are today's school projects. But
students with access to technology can do just that.
All
Bulletins and updates are in pdf format and are updated regularly
·
Parent and Community Fact Sheet - Brief overview
·
Parent
and Community Fact Sheet - information on connecting your DER-DET laptop to
an external network e.g. home Internet
Resources
from Information Evening & Useful Websites
Information
Evening Resources
- Parent
Handout - pdf
- DER Video
- Useful
Websites
- "Click" - NSW DET technology guide for parents.
Includes A-Z of technology, Using technology and Cyber-safety
- NSW Department of Education Training DER website
- Federal DER website
- My Laptop Rules - from CLI