Microsoft Partners in Learning

aka Connected Schools project

What is this project?

Run jointly by DET schools and MicrosoftFunded by DET and Microsoft

Focus AreasIntegration of ICT into the curriculumEngagement in Middle SchoolQuality Teaching

Microsoft gets• Good publicity The results of some empirical research on how ICT can be used to improve student outcomes

Who gets what out of it?

Schools get• Good publicity• The results of some empirical research on how ICT can be used to improve student outcomes• Support from industry in the form of

• Technical expertise/assistance• Financial assistance with travel, meetings with MS, other schools• Other as yet undefined assistance, but they are willing to listen to proposals• Strengthened community and industry links• Increased contact with other schools

Our students get• a better school and a better education

What schools are involved?

There are ten projects throughout the state• Some projects involve more than one school• All DET schools• A mixture of primary, community/central, high schools, small and large• One from each region• Nominated by SEDs

What people are involved?• All Middle School students, plus• Our Committee of students, some of whom you see here and these grown-ups…• Tim Gorrod (team leader)• Deb Gilbert (middle school co-ordinator)• Bob Brenton (Principal)• Sally Thompson (DP Primary)• Mel Branda (Year 5-6 classroom teacher)• All other teachers of Middle School students Jodie

Plus…• Students, teachers and principals of all our partner schools• Tea Gardens PS• Bungwahl PS• Coolongolook PS• Booral PSThese people are already on board and students are working on their narrative task.

How did we get chosen?

Criteria include• Innovation in Middle School• Integration of ICT• Commitment to principles of QT• Other criteria we’re too modest to mention

What’s the timeframe?

Three year project2006…– Survey of students, teachers, parents to find out how all groups use ICT at school and at home. Conducted by ACER. This includes more than computers, but phones, palmtops, MP3 players and more.

– Interpretation of results, preliminary design of the project

– Meeting with other schools to compare notes, set firm objectives for the project

What’s the timeframe?

2007…– Form a staff and student committee to design the portal and the task.

– Implement a new school web site and portal. This includes space for uploads, downloads and wikis so far.

– Meet with representatives from partner schools to discuss their involvement.

– Implement the first year’s claymation project. This includes purchase and training on relevant hardware and software for all participants in the project.

What’s the timeframe?

2008…– Reflect and evaluate.

– Modify the portal and the tasks to address problems encountered in 2007. Suggestions include using live action movies, other forms of stop-frame animation, 3-d modeling cartoons.

– All students get motivated, engaged and enthusiastic about continuing school.

– All staff get rich and famous because the project has worked so well.

There exists almost no real data about using ICT to improve learning outcomes, so the research needs to be done. Don’t forget, the ACER research has already shown that our students need technology, and are not as good at using it as we think they are.

Why is the whole thing worthwhile?

We are in genuine competition with schools in other sectors to provide the best education for our students. Engagement in the middle years is a very important single area for us to concentrate on. The type of “Social Software” incorporated in this project is what the most switched on students are already using at home, for pleasure.

In a wider context (i.e. other schools), many students have excellent computing skills from primary years and their development is arrested at year 7.

It’s boy friendly.

It should be fun.

It’s girl friendly.

Really brief summary…

What does the project look like?

1. Our middle school students and those of our partner schools have access to a Sharepoint site with the ability to create their own sites, blogs etc within a private, protected environment.

2. An assignment is posted on this site along with its rubric. Students must download these files, read them and produce the narrative specified therein.

3. Students work with staff on revising and perfecting their narratives4. Students upload their finished work to the Sharepoint site.5. Staff access their students’ work, mark it according to the rubric and email

a copy of the rubric with feedback incorporated into it directly to the student.

6. In teams, students convert (some of) their narratives into short claymation scripts and storyboards.

7. In a gala day at school, students make a claymation.8. Students post claymations to the Sharepoint site and vote on each others’

work.

Our students access the portal from our own school internet site.This can be done from school or home.A link can easily be added to any web site. Alternatively you could enter the URL of the portal directly into the address bar of any browser. (Techie talk. Sorry.)

What does the project look like?

Check this out athttp://bulahdelah-c.schools.nsw.edu.auClick Middle SchoolClick PortalClick Main Portal EntryNote: This last link is a private Sharepoint site operating only within NSW DET’s AIBE environment. I have included some screen shots to give an idea.

What’s next?Term 2 we’ve • Set the writing task• Posted it on the portal• Asked students to download the task and its marking rubric. • Asked students to write their stories with the assistance of their teachers.• Had the students upload their story to the portal.

Teachers are now marking the work and emailing results to students individually.

Term 3 and 4 we’re going to• Write scripts, write music, make sets, make storyboards, shoot, edit and save the movies.• Movies are posted to the portal in a public area.• Students assess the final products, using a star rating.• Prizes are awarded.• Partner school students are invited to BCS for a claymation day in term 4.

Thank you for your attention!