Page 900 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 9 April 2014

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single sign-on access to a range of online learning applications and digital content for staff and students.

This new backpack provides safe, secure and easy access to the Australian curriculum digital resources via the Scootle digital content library as well as a range of safe and secure ICT tools that enable online learning 24 hours a day, seven days a week regardless of whether the student is at school, home or even on the smartphone or iPad.

The use of Scootle is also directly affecting student outcomes as a teacher resource. This resource enables ACT teachers to incorporate high-quality digital resources into teaching and learning and links our teachers with the Scootle community, a social media hub devoted to teaching and learning in Australia, as well as Improve, a diagnostic testing resource that links Scootle resources together.

As we are all aware, portable devices are now an integral part of our lives, and the school is no exception. ACT schools have taken to these new devices in a myriad of ways, with Alfred Deakin High School trialling a program where students begin with their own devices such as iPads, laptops and Google Chrome books and connect to the school’s wireless network. I am proud to say my three children all come out of Alfred Deakin high and are all very efficient in IT. Student engagement has increased as they are able to use the device of their choice. Over in Harrison school, students use iPads in class to access learning resources, online learning, video conferencing, novels and subject information. Students can also use their iPads before school in addition to during class time.

ACT students are taking these new opportunities and embracing them, and in doing so they are learning important job-specific skills for the future. A prime example of this would be Hawker College student Josh Luongo. He designed and created the Hawker College iPhone app, which contains the latest college news, timetable information, study guides, and it also connects to our ETD learning management system, connected learning communities. The app is free for download via the iTunes store.

Earlier we heard from Ms Berry in regard to NICTA and the eHealth Living Laboratory, and I want to go into a little bit more detail about the living lab. I quote from their information:

The National eHealth Living Laboratory (NELL) will provide infrastructure, research and engineering and business-development for novel Information Informatics Research solutions in health care.

The National eHealth Living Laboratory is a user-driven open innovation system based on a partnership between industry, citizens, health professionals and government. It enables users to take an active part in the research, development and innovation process to leverage best practice from across Australia to improve national health outcomes through broadband-enabled sites. The living lab will combine preventative care and ambulatory (outpatient) care with access to sub-acute care; promoting, innovating and delivering the future of health-care connected to “smart” homes.


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