Editure

Carwatha College P-12: on an online learning journey with Editure

It may look like just another school, but Carwatha College P-12, a government-funded college in the outer south-eastern Melbourne suburb of Noble Park North, is quietly undergoing an exciting transformation into an always-on, cyberspace-based online learning institution.  Whilst the journey has had its challenges and remains ongoing, it has already brought the first of many rewards for students, teachers and administrators.

Carwatha College P-12, led by Principal Bronwyn Hamilton, has not just grasped the significant educational benefits of well-judged technology tools, they have acted on them.

“Technology has the potential to make a huge difference, both in terms of streamlining administrative processes and, of course, in helping students to learn” said Mrs Hamilton.

“Whilst we had a plan to improve in this area, we knew that we lacked the expertise to drive the changes we wanted.

The Editure Solution

“We looked to the market, but eventually discovered much of the solution on our doorstep. It turned out that Melbourne-based Editure, who was already providing our Internet access, had the skills we required, and we entered into an agreement encompassing our ICT program, including infrastructure, networks and online learning tools.”

The easy part was setting up the systems.  Today, all students have access to Editure’s mysuite - myclasses, mydesktop and mymail – from any Internet-enabled computer anywhere. From one starting point, simply by using a web browser on their computer a student has access to the web, email, lesson plans and school intranet. No downloads of special software are required.

Underlying the student-teacher facing software is an administrative layer called SINA, which is managed by trained staff at the school. Anthony Paine, e-Learning Leader at the school, is delighted with the set-up. “All the major systems are now run on one offsite server. And the beauty of the system is that the costs are predictable, even when, with a thousand children at our school, our usage isn’t.”

Embracing the Technology

The greater challenge was ensuring teachers and students fully utilised the functionality of the service.  Editure also develops and delivers professional development programs for teachers. In the case of Carwatha College P-12, this has meant that one or more Editure Professional Development staff has been present at the school one day a week for several months. The professional development includes facilitating sessions where teachers develop and deliver lessons, post homework and monitor student usage.

“I initially thought everyone would jump at this opportunity. But we discovered that the take-up varied from teacher to teacher and their classroom circumstances” said Mr. Paine.

“Some teachers who have ready access to computers in their classroom all of the time have moved quickly to managing their classes in an online environment. Class calendars and assignments are online and homework is submitted likewise.  I myself now routinely provide my class sheets online, so a student of mine knows that there will be an online equivalent” added Mr. Paine.

“But we discovered that some teachers needed something more to embrace the technology.  I’ve found that if we can show a teacher its value, then they take it up.  One teacher, who previously was a bit disinterested in the project, stumbled across some useful features, and is now an advocate, and is even developing pages for other teachers” said Mr. Paine.

Bronwyn Hamilton stressed that progress depended on leadership and commitment.  “In a school there are so many competing priorities for teachers, pressures from parents and new initiatives coming out of governments. For instance, at the moment we are implementing the Victorian Essential Learning Standards and introducing the New Reports, no small feat.”

“So we have had to be focused and steadfast about achieving this technological transformation. It’s about providing the infrastructure to teachers, senior teacher input, and the message that this matters.”

Mrs Hamilton applauds Editure’s professional development team. “All credit to Editure. Their PD program is fantastic.  They’ve taught us a great deal, but have also listened and acted on our ‘at the blackboard’ insights. We haven’t always been able to go at the pace we’d all like, but the team has been patient, and we have made enormous strides.”

Use of the system has grown rapidly in recent months.  A newly opened Inquiry Learning Centre in the school can house several computer-based classes at the same time, and is used by students in Years 7 and 8 for much of their learning time. Students and teachers enjoy the convenience of being able to access homework and class resources from anywhere at anytime.  Contributions to school forums are flourishing. “A kind of ‘safe chatting’ and ‘safe myspacing’” as Mr. Paine puts it.  

Other initiatives to encourage take up, such as a weekly online Year 7 quiz-with-prize, have helped. “Uptake jumps as the prize get bigger” chuckles Mr. Paine. “But most importantly, a critical mass has been reached and teachers and students are becoming more familiar with the system and recognise new ways to use it to assist learning.”

Priority on Student Safety

Student safety and wellbeing online has been integral to the project. The set-up gives the school a great deal of control, with a number of checks and processes in place – some technological, some instructional.

Editure’s service enables the blocking of unsuitable websites as specified by the school and the Department of Education.  The filtering is sophisticated, and can be done at user or year level, as what is inappropriate for primary school students might be useful and appropriate for Year 12 students. And much of the time, the students do not need to access the web to benefit from the richness of myclasses, with teachers creating tools for collaboration and self-directed learning.

Issues such as cyber bullying are addressed head on.  Year 7 students attend a cyber bullying session, then a follow-up session and are required to undertake an assignment on the issue (handed in online of course).  A similar course is planned for Year 8 students.

“In many ways we have better safeguards online than off” said Mr. Paine. “Online, each student has a unique identifier, so we are alerted if they are trying to access inappropriate sites, wasting time playing online games or posting malicious gossip. If only patrolling the playground was so easy.”