New South Wales, Australia:

The Interview

Sharon Berry Brown

EDTC 645

Spring 2015

Dr. Tamara Blesh

Abstract

In many ways, the world is much smaller than it used to be. In terms of how we live,

learn, and communicate, technology has given way to faster and far-reaching methods of

collaboration in education. Educators around the world use technology to glean knowledge

from both familiar and unfamiliar places. Technology facilitates that knowledge and plays

a huge role in how teaching and learning occur. The many uses of technology are explored

in various countries and in a variety of ways. Contrasting and comparing the use of

technology in educational systems of the world gives insight into what is valued, what is

successful, and what needs improvement – overseas and at home. One method of gathering

information is in the form of interviewing experts in the field of technology from various

points around the world. This interview consisted of seven questions relating to

technology in education. The interview took place via e-mail and the questions were

answered by a technology specialist in New South Wales, Australia. Although Australia is a

country in and of itself, it is also a continent, so choosing a particular territory or province

was necessary in that each is different and yields various practices and structure.

Name of Country

New South Wales, Australia

Interviewer

Sharon Berry Brown

Introduction

An interview from “Down Under” was facilitated to investigate the history, present, and

future of technology in the New South Wales school system from Kindergarten through

grade 12. The intent is to explore the level of implementation and professional

development available and in use in the school system. The search for a possible

interviewee was accompanied by the following cover letter and was sent via electronic mail

The Interview Questions:

The cover letter includes the questions presented for the interview. Following the letter

are the questions and the rationale for each:

Dear Sir or Madame,

Greetings from the other side of the world!  

My name is Sharon Berry Brown and I am a Graduate Student currently enrolled in the

Master’s of Education in Instructional Technology at the University of Maryland University

College.  One of the classes I am taking this semester, “Integration of Technology: Global

Perspectives”, is providing the opportunity to find out more about your education system

from grade K-12 and what role technology plays.

I would be most appreciative if you could take the time to answer a few questions

pertaining to technology and the education system of New South Wales:

1. How early in education is technology introduced?

2. How is technology integrated into the classroom?

3. Is there a built-in budget for technology?

4. How and how often are teachers trained through Professional Development in regard to

technology?

5. What percentage of students have access to technology at home?

6. How are the gaps between technology at home and technology at school filled?

7. What steps are made to insure your students possess adequate global collaboration skills

before they graduate?

Please feel in no way obligated to answer every question. I would just appreciate insight

into what role technology plays in the education and teaching of your students.  If you

could reply by March 27, 2015, I would be most appreciative,

Sincerely,

Sharon Berry Brown

Each question was asked for a specific reason:

1. How early in education is technology introduced? The rationale for this

question was to gage how essential technology is considered at the beginning of

student education. In theory the earlier the technology is introduced, the better the

matriculating student will be at digital citizenship.

2. How is technology integrated into the classroom? This question aims to

ascertain how the technology is applied in the classroom setting. This question will

give a practical picture of how technology is used or not used in the curriculum.

This could give a better understanding of what lends itself to technology and how it

can be better incorporated.

3. Is there a built-in budget for technology? In some instances, technology is not a

priority to some school systems around the world. Some receive funding and some

must obtain funds in other ways. It is pertinent that a technology budget meets the

actual needs of the teachers and students.

4. How and how often are teachers trained through Professional Development in

regard to technology? Professional development is essential to the

implementation and success of technology in education. According to Sugar (2014),

effective professional development can provide teachers a ‘new set of experiences,

skills, resources, and knowledge that will support them as they implement the ideas

they have studied in the field’ (Holmes, Signer, & MacLeod, 2010, p. 76). Continual

professional development as opposed to onetime workshops has been deemed

more effective in supporting teachers’ ability to learn about new teaching strategies

and facilitating change in their classrooms teachers implement technology into their

classrooms” (p.54) This goes for new technology as well as present and future

technology.

5. What percentage of students have access to technology at home? Students who

have access to technology at home might or might not be better prepared for the

technology tasks in the classroom. If students have limited technology outside of

school and school requires the knowledge, their performance could be affected.

6. How are the gaps between technology at home and technology filled? Students

with little or no access to technology at their homes can be at a distinct

disadvantage compared to their peers who have technology at home.

7. What steps are made to insure your students possess adequate global

collaboration skills before they graduate? The world is more competitive now

than ever. Students exiting the school system and pursuing college or the workforce

will be expected to possess the skills necessary to be efficient and productive

citizens.

When determining a good candidate to interview, I considered a few sources. Sites

explored included www.australianexplorer.com, www.dec.nsw.gov.au, and

www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au. These websites featured information about the

education system in New South Wales. The Board of Studies was the source of the

contact information determined appropriate for the interview. According to their

website, BOSTES was created by the NSW government in 2014 to sustain and improve

the already high standards of achievement in New South Wales schools (2015) which

made it ideal to answer pertaining to technology in their school system. The interview

questions were received by Agatha Locantro, the Curriculum Support Officer for the

Curriculum and Assessment Standards Board of Studies, Teaching, and Educational

Standards for New South Wales, Australia.

Agatha forwarded the questions to Peter Thompson, Inspector, Technology Education

Board of Studies, Teaching and Educational Standards for New South Wales, Australia,

who was gracious enough to answer all of the questions completely and thoroughly.

Essay:

New South Wales is home to Sydney in eastern Australia. It is also home to a

progressive and impressive school system. Education from K-12 is valued in a society

that encourages and supports Digital Citizenship in its students. While a world apart,

both the U.S. and Australia place value in technology integration in their educational

systems. This interview was designed to highlight what works in the New South Wales

system and how technology is supported.

First contact for the interview was Agatha the support for the Board of Studies. She

then referred the interview to her colleague, Peter Thompson, who serves as the

Inspector of Technology Education on the Board of Studies for Teaching and

Educational Standards. Mr. Thompson was forthcoming with information but initially

wanted to add clarify the meaning and use of the word “technology”. In the context of

answering the interview questions, Mr. Thompson differentiated that technology is a

more generic interpretation than only the implementation of computer technology.

Technology in the NSW system is collectively called Information and Communication

Technology, or ICT. According to Purnell (2008), ICT literacy is becoming a major

learning objective because the reach of print media is gradually diminishing while

digital media are on the rise. It is therefore highly probable that ICT will gain

considerably in importance in the years and decades to come (p.8)

The New South Wales education system puts emphasis on technology use beginning

in Kindergarten. Each level identifies with a Science and technology syllabus to which

all of the schools must adhere. Included in the curriculum is a statement that all

students should be fluent in ICT. To insure that students are prepared with adequate

global collaboration skills before they graduate, the curriculum and Education Act work

to that end. Mr. Thompson’s duties as Inspector include visiting schools to make sure

these policies are in place and being successfully practiced.

All of the schools in NSW have access to ICT equipment and libabry hubs with which

to connect. The home to school gap is not widely known in NSW – it varies much like in

Prince George’s County – but at least at school, the students have a level playing field.

In NSW it is more likely that the gap would be defined by limited access to computers,

with more widespread use of smart phones. Even with home computers, some parts of

NSW do not have dependable Internet, which is an issue that is being taken up by the

federal government. This was not an issue that was considered when evaluating Prince

George’s County.

Computers are routinely replaced in the public NSW school system. There is built-in

budget for technology that comes from the state government, federal government, or

their parent community who pays fees. Each school determines where the monies go,

but ICT tools and professional development have to be considered and paid for out of

those funds. P.G. County works similarly. Each school Principal is responsible for the

distribution of the technology funds, technical support, and professional learning of the

teachers and staff. The NSW school system offers courses in Professional Development

and teachers are required to have at least 20 hours a year. This budget is significant in

NSW schools, which suggests Professional Development is an important part of ICT.

New South Wales Public Schools boast a very robust and intensive technology

integration and support. The interview with the Inspector yielded a better

understanding in what plays a role in the success of technology in grades K-12. NSW

and P.G. County both follow technology guidelines that lead to global collaboration and

digital citizenship for their students. NSW is rigorously and frequently monitored for

successful implementation and support. Interviewing the Inspector himself gave great

and useful documentation of the workings of the NSW school system. Mr. Thompson

was gracious and concluded our interview with the possibility of meeting up at the

International Technology and Engineering Educators Association conference next year

in Washington, D.C.

In addition to answering the interview questions, Mr. Thompson provided additional links

for more information and discovery: iteea.org, iiate.asn.au, and ictensw.org.au.

References

Board of Studies, New South Wales. Retrieved on April 2015 from

www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au

Purnell, K., & Hutchinson, N. (2008). Geography Takes Centre Stage: Australia's New

National Curriculum. Geographical Education, 218-14.

Sugar, W., & Tryon, P. (2014). Development of a Virtual Technology Coach to Support

Technology Integration for K-12 Educators.Techtrends: Linking Research & Practice To

Improve Learning, 58(3), 54-62. doi:10.1007/s11528-014-0752-7

Syllabuses for the Australian Curriculum. Retrieved April 2015 from

http://syllabus.bos.nsw.edu.au/