Brighton Secondary School

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LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES

The vision for Learning Technologies is the establishment of interactive learning environments to realise the full potential of ICT in the learning/teaching process.

A reflection of the schools commitment in achieving this vision includes;

Web page: We have redesigned the web page making it more comprehensive and informative for all users and improved its overall presentation and functionality. 

Curriculum development: Staff members have continued to provide relevant and challenging curriculum incorporating Learning Technologies. Subject specific software purchased and or integrated in 2007 include the following; Science: Intellecta, Food Webs, Fission Control, Its not just Wind, Give me a Break, Sea Rescue, River currents, Blood typing and Greenhouse. SOSE: GPS interoperability, Encarta, Sim Safari, Map Info, Convict Fleet, Ancient Lands and Sim City. Visual and Performing Arts: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe PageMaker, Adobe elements, Macromedia Studio MX suite, Imovie, Final Cut Pro 3 and Bryce. Design and Technology: Computer Aided Design, ROBO Lab, Iron CAD, Corel Draw, Macromedia Studio MX suite, Frontpage and Swish. LOTE: language specific software, and Japanese for word. Maths: Geometer’s Sketchpad, Office 2003, Graphics Calculators and FX Draw. Heath and Physical Education: Foodworks, AFEA, Aspire, Sports Search and Encarta. English: Office 2003, Encarta and Publisher. Music: Home Studio 2004, Musition, Sibelius, Sonar, Piano Suite, Music Painter, Guitar Tutors, and Sound Forge 6.0. Business Education and EVE: Typing software, Office 2003 and Publisher.

Learning technology resources: We have developed a plan that will ensure both student and staff computers are updated every 3-4 years, ensuring that the school community is at the forefront of new and emerging technologies. A reflection of the schools commitment to improved access to learning technologies is reflected in the following table.

CURRICULUM NETWORK

2002

2007

228 computers

352 computers

ADMINISTRATIVE NETWORK

2002

2007

55 computers

64 computers

Resources include a multimedia computer room, senior school learning technologies centre, computing rooms capacity increased to 30 to allow for large classes, colour printing and scanning facilities. Staff and students are now able to access information and learning resources when and where they need them.

Improvements in 2006/2007 include:

  1. The use of the web page has continued with more emphasis being placed on the secure site. Students and parents are able to access the following information
        • Newsletters
        • Current Events
        • School policies and procedures
        • Assessment plans
        • Curriculum resources
  2. The new Volleyball stadium will incorporate state of the art video recording facilities, which will give instant feedback to students on what they are doing well and how to improve their skills.
  3. There has been a major change to the connection speed of the Internet, which has meant that students can access resources more readily. We were part of a departmental trial in 2006/2007, which has meant an increase in the speed of the Internet and a dramatic reduction in the cost. Students are now given unlimited access to the Internet, as all costs are covered within the IT budget. This has meant that students no longer need to top up their Internet balances and wait for pages to be uploaded.
  4. The Turnitin (anti plagiarism software) purchased late in 2005 has allowed subjects teachers to check the originality of students work. In 2007 all year 11 classes will submit one piece of work using the Turnitin software.
  5. The establishment of the new computing photography lab has been a huge success with many schools wanting to use our model. Students have access to the latest computers, digital imaging software and an industry standard printer
  6. There have been 2 smart boards setup in the school, one in room 26 and the other in the conference room. This is a fantastic classroom tool and we are hoping to expand their use in 2007 and beyond.
  7. 2007 saw the establishment of an e-learning area in the resource centre. This purpose built area has 15 wireless laptops and a smart board. This area is used to teach students Internet searching techniques, what is a credible resource, plagiarism, referencing, and how to effectively use online resources.

The computer to student ratio is 1: 3.9 students (based on 1250 students), which is well below the DECS required 1:5 ratio. The administration network ratio is 1: 1.9 staff (based on 120 staff).

Brighton has a well-resourced multimedia suite with a class set of digital still and video cameras and new Macintosh machines. Learning technology resources that are available to learning areas include portable data views connected to a computer, digital video and still camera, colour printing facilities, classroom computers for LOTE and laptops for staff use.

Learning Technologies Task group: This group was established in 2003 to develop, oversee and coordinate the Learning Technologies Plan. It is representative of the whole school community and has been an integral part of the development of Learning Technologies.

Learning technologies provides us with the opportunity to move students from being passive recipients of knowledge to independent, critical learners having the potential to actively contribute to society.

Joe Brooks
Learning Technologies Coordinator