Google Science Fair – 2015

Google BlogThursday 19th February 2015

From now, through to May 18, students around the world ages 13-18 can participate in the Google Science Fair by submitting projects online across all scientific fields, from biology to computer science to anthropology and everything in between.

Prizes include $100,000 in scholarships and classroom grants from Scientific American and Google, a National Geographic Expedition to the Galapagos, an opportunity to visit LEGO designers at their Denmark headquarters, and the chance to tour Virgin Galactic’s new spaceship at their Mojave Air and Spaceport.

This year Google is also introducing an award to recognise an Inspiring Educator, as well as a Community Impact Award honouring a project that addresses an environmental or health challenge.

http://youtu.be/YAVIkr7HRMk

Google Classroom Quickstart

Google ClassroomWednesday 17th February 2015

Have you begun exploring the possibilities offered by Google Classroom?

Released in 2014, the Classroom platform continues to improve and regularly sees new features and updates.

Classroom provides an ideal online classroom environment for schools using Google Apps for Education.

NAPLAN 2015 – change to writing test

NAPLANFriday 13th February 2015

The writing component of this year’s NAPLAN test will be split for the first time between primary and high school students as a result of a controversial question last year.

The old model of a single prompt across all age brackets will be replaced with one for year 3 and 5 students, and a separate one for year 7 and 9 students in the May exams, the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) confirmed.

Last year’s question – “Which law or rule would you make better in your view?” – was criticised for being too wordy for younger students and for contributing directly to poor results overall in the writing section.

Where is your school on the ICT planning continuum?

ICT TransitionWednesday 11th February 2015

Rather than spending limited school funds on computers and software licenses, both of which need to be renewed every few years, clever schools are now transitioning their technology budgets to focus on the deployment of longer-lasting infrastructure that can support student- and teacher-owned devices, leaving the cost of device renewal and software licensing to the owners of the devices.

Where does your school’s technology infrastructure sit on the transition continuum?

Are you moving from a model where school-owned technologies are locked in remote computer rooms, to the integrated use of personal devices supporting learning activities in classrooms?

2014’s worst passwords revealed

Worst passwordsFriday 6th February 2014

Despite all the warnings, people persist in choosing easy-to-break passwords to protect their precious online data.

For all the high-tech security threats lurking in the shadows, weak passwords are the easiest to fix, yet apparently the most ignored. It’s not that difficult to come up with complicated yet easy-to-remember passwords, it’s just that some people still aren’t prepared to make the effort.

Every year web security specialist SplashData trawls through several million leaked passwords in search of our favourites. The results are in for 2014….

Upcoming Professional Learning Opportunities

Think3Wednesday 4th February 2015

Think3 offers professional learning courses focussing on the use of modern technologies in K-12 schools.

Below is a list of upcoming courses…

  • Managing iPads
    In this hands-on workshop, you will be guided step-by-step in how to use Apple Configurator to install the latest iOS, and a selection of free and paid apps.  You will also learn how to make and install Profiles.
    Local venue: Kangaroo Valley PS – Wednesday 4th March

  • iPads in Action: Digital Literacy (BOSTES registered)
    A range of lesson ideas will be shared as participants explore how they can easily create multimedia stories, poems, plays and news reports.
    Local venue: Berry PS – Wednesday 25th February

  • Design a Digital Unit (BOSTES registered)
    In this practical, hands on workshop, participants will be asked to select an upcoming topic for a Year group at their school. They will then be guided and supported as they design and develop a cloud based interactive, multimodal unit of work to take back to share with their staff and students. (2 days – ideal for BYOT schools)
    Local Venue: Kiama Golf Club – 18th & 19th March

Full workshop details, other venues, and registration details are available by following the links to each workshop above.

Prowise Presenter for LCD Screens

ProwiseTuesday 3rd February 2015

Are you looking for replacement software for Smart Notebook, to use with your new LCD interactive touch screen?

Or maybe your old IWB software is no longer compatible with your latest OS?

Give the cloud-based Prowise a try with your interactive display.

Prowise imports PDF, MS Office and Smart Notebook files.

SAMR – ICT in your classroom

SAMRWednesday 28th January 2015

As we commence the new school year (in Australia) there will be much discussion about the use of new tech devices by students in the classroom.

Is technology redefining learning opportunities in your school? Or just dishing up more of the same with a new interface?

Google signs student data privacy pledge

Privacy ForumFriday 23rd January 2015

Google has joined Apple, Microsoft, and 90 other education-technology companies to sign the Student Data Privacy Pledge, according to an announcement on Monday from the Future of Privacy Forum, a non-profit group which created the pledge last year.

Google Apps v Office 365 – For your school

GAFE v 365The expectation by teachers and students of ‘anytime, anywhere, any device’ access to online services has resulted a rethink of software and file-server provisioning in schools.

Many schools are now enabling student and teacher access to collaborative cloud apps and file storage services, which are accessible from school and home, on shared school computers and personal laptops and tablet devices.

 

Google Classroom v Moodle

Moodle v Google ClassroomFor many years schools have explored various options for providing an online component to regular classes. This need for an online environment has recently become more focussed with the move to BYO technologies in schools.

Over the years Moodle has become a popular, though clunky option as an LMS (Learning Management System) platform in schools.

Now Google has entered the market with the release of Classroom.

Back to School – 2015

Tuesday 20th January 2015

As we begin to organise ourselves for the new school year (here in Australia), what should we be thinking about from an ICT perspective?…

Continuum Where is your school on the ICT Continuum?
Wireless report Is your school ready for mobile technologies?
BYOT

Are you ready for BYO?
Google Drive Treat yourself to some free PL – get a Drive account

  • Are you ready for the anytime-anywhere era?
  • Gone are the days when you stored your files on a server that is accessible only at school.
  • Google Apps for Education (GAFE) provides unlimited file storage capacity, and your documents are available anytime, anywhere, from any device.
  • If your school doesn’t already have GAFE…..
  • Explore the possibilities with your own Google Drive account (Free) >>>
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Google Classroom Online classes are easy with Google Classroom 

  • Forget Moodle and other complicated ‘learning management systems’.
  • Google Classroom is free for schools using GAFE, and is accessible from anywhere, at anytime, on any device.
  • You don’t need to setup a server or employ a technician to make it happen.
  • Check out this introductory video about Classroom >>>
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 Smiley Computer Have a great year!

Google Classroom – Mobile App

Google ClassroomThursday 15th January 2015

Google has released native Classroom mobile apps for both Android and iOS to support it’s new Classroom platform.

Also announced are two new Classroom features: a teacher assignments page and the ability to archive classes.

Check out the intro video below…..

Which NBN Provider – 2015 update

NBN OptionsMonday 12th January

Will the National Broadband Network (NBN) soon be available in your street?

Once the network is available you will need to choose a service provider – and there is a huge range of options available.

What are the options that are important? Upload speed? Download speed? Cost? Monthly data limits?

Free – 1TB of Drive storage for new Chromebooks

Google DriveWednesday 17th December 2014

Thinking of exploring the Chromebook option this Christmas?

Google is offering 1TB of free Drive storage for owners of new Chromebooks (for 2 years – redeem before Jan 31st 2015).

Considering that 1TB of storage is valued at around AU $120, that’s great value on a $350 Chromebook – and it is a big storage bump for your 15GB Gmail account!

Visit the Google Goodies page to redeem your free 1TB of Drive space.

Cost of DEC LMBR Program to soar past $573m

LMBR delay

Tuesday 16th December 2014

Agency to plead for more funds to finish troubled rollout.

NSW Education expects to have spent $573 million on its troubled ERP overhaul by the middle of next year, at which point it will have to return to the state government for more funds to finish the mammoth project.

In a report released today, NSW Auditor-General Grant Hehir detailed how the department’s Learning Management and Business Reform (LMBR) project got the better of the state’s education administrators.

Hehir revealed the project will be nearly $100 million past its original $483 million budget by the end of 2014-15, with as many as 2000 NSW schools still waiting to receive the upgraded SAP-based finance, payroll and student management solutions.

Implementing Chromebooks in a K-6 school

Chromebook ClassroomMonday 15th December 2014

At the beginning of the year, Matt’s public school in Sydney purchased thirty-two Chromebooks to be used as shared devices in their school library.

The Chromebooks were purchased to replace ageing desktops that used to make computer time in the library a challenging experience.

When embarking on this journey, Matt was able to read plenty of case studies about schools in the USA using these devices effectively, but none about how they might fit into a NSW DEC school environment.

Regardless, Matt’s school was excited to pioneer the use of Chromebooks, and to learn the do’s and don’t’s when implementing Chromebooks into NSW public schools.

Matt’s blog is designed to share with other teachers and IT coordinators the information he would have found useful when getting started.

School Planning: the ICT infrastructure continuum

ICT Transition

Friday 12th December 2014

As schools here in Australia begin their planning processes for the 2015 school year, now is a good time to consider how new technologies are being leveraged to support curriculum activities.

The broad adoption of mobile electronic devices in the wider community has changed the options for ICT in schools. Schools are moving from remote ‘labs’ to always-available BYO models.

Technology in the curriculum is becoming ‘transparent’.

No more clip art in Microsoft Office

MS Clip artWednesday 10th December 2014

The end of an era….

Microsoft has announced it has done away with the expansive Clip Art library long associated with its Office suite of software, marking the end of an era for fans of the abstract, fuzzy cartoons used in desktop publishing, documents, invitations, greeting cards and presentations since the 90s.