19 Feb 2015
In mid 2014, Ms Felton and I met and discussed our vision to increase the use of technology within our curriculum. Our ideas culminated, in late term 4, with the opening of the Multimedia Room. Previously the Careers Room, this new facility features 1:1 teacher : student devices, in the form of 30 chromebooks.
The room also features improved wireless connectivity, an interactive whiteboard, video conferencing equipment, whiteboards and modular furniture to make this a truly inviting learning space.
The 30 chromebooks have facilitated a ‘teaching in the cloud' environment due to the creation of our own ‘Google Apps for Education' account. All students have been registered with a Google Apps account and, over time, will access this room for creative and interactive lessons.
The Multimedia room was recently visited by our Director of Public Schools, where we demonstrated collaborative learning over Google Drive. Students displayed their skills collaborating on presentations, mind maps, documents and movie making. The Google Apps environment has also allowed the rollout of Google Classroom, allowing class networking and teacher contact after hours. Our Google Apps account continues to grow as we discover new and exciting Apps and online resources.
I'm very pleased with the new technology skills acquired by our teaching staff, who are attending Google Apps training every Thursday morning. Hosting my own PE classes in the Multimedia room is very exciting and continues to develop my skills, which I then pass to other staff. The move to a paperless classroom has been a highly enriching experience and one I look forward to offering all HHHS students. The feedback from my classes has been very positive and their level of engagement impressive.
As the school moves towards formalising our BYOD program, I'd like to encourage all students to access their DEC Portal, click ‘learning tools' on the left menu and experiment with their Google Apps account. I'd also like to remind them about the FREE SOFTWARE available to all students on this same tab. Our students are entitled to free copies of software such as Adobe Pro, Microsoft Office and Windows 8.1 + more.
Please visit our website picture gallery to see the multimedia room or visit on Open Day.
Also, remember to keep up-to-date with school events by visiting our website and following us on twitter @HuntersHillHS