Lee King is the Computer Specialist/Coordinator and her role includes the teaching of basic computer skills to students from Year 1 to Year 6. Prep students have a one hour session in the Lab each week and are taught by their class teachers.
We currently have 175 networked computers with a ratio of 1 computer for every 4 students. (This is above the Ed Dept target for Primary Schools). Our Computer Lab has been refurbished and contains 30 new ACER desktops. In addition to this, we have a ‘pod’ of 12 computers in the library to allow the students access to internet research.
In Term 2, 2009 we leased 15 Macbooks. Initially, the Year 6 students will be using them for their major 'Claymation' project. This will involve using applications such as Garage Band, iMovie, iPhoto and Photobooth.
The students engage in a variety of activities and use the facilities which include data projectors, scanners, printers and digital cameras. All computers are networked and have high-speed connections to the Internet.
ICT is integrated across the range of the primary school curriculum where skills are developed within the curriculum and not taught in isolation. This means, for example, if the students are studying Water Conservation in Integrated Studies, the students may use the Internet for researching the topic and then PowerPoint to present their findings. We strongly believe that students benefit by using software that they control and not computer programs to which they merely respond. Children work with Publisher, Word, PowerPoint, Kahootz, Photostory, Excel, KidPix, concept mapping software, Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player. These applications are used to support the development of learning outcomes across the curriculum and to engage the students in collaborative, co-operative and problem solving activities. Multimedia is particularly beneficial in the development of high order thinking skills and in allowing for different learning styles.
Major projects for 2009 include:
Digital Storytelling - Level 3
SuperclubsPLUS - Level 3 and Year 5. SuperClubsPLUS Australia (http://www.superclubsplus.com.au) is a social networking site for primary school age children and it is extremely safe. It is a ground breaking initiative, providing engaging and stimulating learning experiences centred on ICT, literacy and citizenship. Students have their own personal online space where they can complete activities to earn their Cybersafety badge, design and build their own home pages, participate in clubs, join discussion forums and achieve their ICT 'Star Awards’. They are expected to reach a certain level of awareness of cybersafety issues before they can participate in other parts of the site.
Blogging - Year 6. Blogs (abbreviated from web logs) are personal journals made up of chronological entries, not unlike a paper diary. They provide an online venue giving students an excellent medium to achieve some great literacy outcomes and advance their ICT skills.
Lee King
Blog address: http://china.globalteacher.org.au (‘ICT@Mt Waverley’)
