ICT PARENT MEETING
2 SPETMEBER 2015
MINUTES
Present: Stephen Temby, Paul Simmonds, Andrew Crawford, Jacinta Thompson, Melissa &
Scott Feilding, Lisa Honschooten, Brendan Fallon, Tamara Gray, Marg Killigrew, Mary-Anne
Taraborrelli, Justin Oee, Camilla Shack, Marion Gismondi, Jacquie Carter, Beata Adamczyk,
Shelley Edwards, Patience Sakonda, Jonnine Lamborne, Julie Southwell, Andy DiCarlantonio,
Renae King, Luke Vine, Rikki Brunovs, Mary McLure
Agenda:
Vision Statement: Links, 21st century learning skills & media literacy.
What is a Chromebook?
New, similar to a laptop, runs only with Google Chrome, web browser as an operating
system. (Video 1, Introducing the Chromebook)
Why a Chromebook?
(Video 2, Why a Chromebook?) Easy to use, keyboard so students are learning to type, quick
to start up, works well in conjunction with google aps, inbuilt wireless protection, cheaper
than other devices.
Curriculum Demands:
Australian Curriculum, underpins all other learning areas. Explanation of the ‘Investigating
with ICT & Communicating with ICT’ levels and how the skill set progresses from year to
year. Classification of who students will communicate with, local intranets, teacher set up
wikis.
Parent Question: How are you planning to manage email correspondence between
children/wider public? Administrators can filter email to be locked only to the teacher and
teachers receive a copy of each email.
Parent Question: Children are curious, how can you get them to not go on to sites instead of
just telling them? The curriculum is set to build on this understanding. We will tool them up
about etiquette on the internet. Emails, the children cannot access other emails, they are
filtered. Google mail is not an email it is an email address but it accesses their Google Docs,
classes and server/cloud.
Teaching students how to post on bulletin boards, ours are done in our own secure
environment, not public forums.
Parent Question: Why can the curriculum not be met through a class set of computers in the
library? Limits that technology can only be taught in one place. Growth in technology is vast
and accessible therefore, a just education that readies them for this world needs to be
integrated in all facets of learning/curriculum.
Classroom application: Knight Shields
Art, looked at examples on the TV, ‘Google Classroom’ activity articulated in the doc,
students created and displayed work formatting it into their own document. The
collaboration and teaching of skills to others. Transferrable skills: 21st century
learning skills other than a certain fixed means of simply communicating their ideas on
paper.
Not a replacement tool, a complementary tool. Engagement and collaboration are key.
Parent Question: Does the school had an idea of the amount of screentime each class will
have? A Scope and Sequence is in the development stage. As we have not undertaken a 1:1
program before we cannot speculate an exact duration; however, guidelines will be put in
place articulating expectations of use.
Parent Question: Anxiety and depression peaks at 7 - 8 years, will the utilisation of a 1:1
device impact on this? Collaboration/discussion is key to a computer’s use. Notice boards
can allow those who do not regularly share a voice that they would not usually use in a
classroom. There is also portability of finished pieces allowing for immediate feddback from
teachers, the class and parents.
SAMR Model - Example Natascia: Skype with a province in Italy. Students use their language
skills in context to communicate with the children in Italy.
Google classroom (introduction/demonstration), blog/class/noticeboard - Chance for
reluctant speakers to voice their comments/feelings.
Part 2 meeting next term.
Parent Question: When will parents be expected to purchase the Chromebook? Board
meeting next week where options will be explored in best option of purchase.
Parent Question: Is the school equipped to supply enough bandwidth to cater for 30
computers at once? Ou wifi was recently upgraded and is the strongest possible.
Parent Question: How robust is a Chromebook? They were selected as the most robust of
the devices explored. They have an outer case, meaning screens are protected. A class
Chromebook was passed around.
Google docs can be viewed by parents. Posing homework can be done through google
classroom.
Parent Question: Insurance, is the school taking on insurance? - The device is the property of
the family and will need to be insured by families. If Chromebooks are damaged we will have
a bank of them at school that can be used while they are on repair.
Meeting closed 7:15pm