ILT Strategic Plan 2013-2015

ILT Strategic Plan 2013-2015

ILT Strategic Plan 2013-2015 This Strategic Plan draws on research and best practice exemplars from across the globe: including, the Horizon Report for K-12 Education; the Assessment and Teaching of 21st- Century Skills (ATC21S); Partnering for 21st Century Skills; the MCEECDYA National Assessment Program ICT Literacy Years 6 & 10 School Assessment Exemplars; the Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians; and ACOT2. A College of the Uniting Church for boarding and day girls from Kindergarten to Year 12. Vision Per Ardua Ad Alta; through striving to the heights Mission Methodist Ladies College provides challenging and holistic educational experiences that inspire individual excellence and global citizenship. To achieve this, we live our Christian Values and are committed to leading learning. The AITSL professional standards for teachers, the ACARA ICT Capability Organising Elements, and the Teaching Teachers for the Future articulate best practice ILT integration in Australian schools. The Strategic Plan incorporates feedback by all stakeholders from both the 2012 MMG Survey, and the 2012 Xcite Logic School ICT Audit. ILT Co-Mission The MLC Information and Learning Technologies (ILT) strategy: Delivers all-encompassing capabilities to connect learners, educators, students, parents, administrators and members of the College community. Delivers a differentiated and rigorous 21st Century Education that allows innovative teachers and learners to collaborate on learning experiences. Integrates technologies to communicate student learning outcomes and it extends interactions with local and global communities.

Our Students 1. To provide ILT that supports differentiated learning 2. To use ILT that supports the care of girls in teaching, co-curricular and residential environments. Our People 4. To develop and manage effective communication systems to connect College and community. 5.To provide proactive service and support that includes coaching and mentoring of staff. 3. Develop a skills framework that enables effective use of ILT resources across all curriculum areas. Community Partnerships and Alliances Learning and Teaching Digital Content 6. To provide a safe and secure learning environment. Our Resources 7. To evaluate and provide appropriate ILT resources to support learning in the 21st Century. 8. To provide anywhere anytime access to information and resources to extend learning beyond the classroom. Hardware Software Connect Collaborate Communicate Administration of Learning Service and Support ILT Strategic Goals Our Community 10.To develop online collaboration and communication networks with learning communities in a global education setting. 11.To refine and strengthen business systems, communication strategies and processes. 9. To use ILT resources to support environmentally sustainable practices. 12.To be recognised locally, nationally and internationally as a leader in education.

ILT Strategic Plan 2013-2015 - Rationale The 2013 ILT Strategic Plan acknowledges the changing demands for education today and outlines an approach to meet these demands, whilst ensuring flexibility for a rapidly changing future in education technology. This Strategic Plan has a two-year horizon and progress will be reported bi-annually. This timeframe reflects the need to meet the constantly evolving challenges and opportunities in education, and to respond rapidly to address MLC s strategic goals. All decisions we make, aspirations we hold and actions we take, are driven by the desire to provide our learners with every opportunity to develop their potential through striving to the heights. The 21st Century learner is a empowered learner living in an increasingly socially-based, untethered and digitally rich world, learning on their own, in or out of school, with or without the support or assistance of their teacher or their school. To empower 21st Century learning at MLC, ILT decisions are supported by: Technology integrated with content and pedagogy to transform learning and teaching opportunities. Great access to educational resources via intuitive digital content management systems. A forward facing service and support culture that supports technology and learning. Learning analytics that inform decisions and connect people with information in the administration of learning. A flexible approach to best of breed hardware/software A community approach to learning that links MLC with learners from across the globe in community partnerships and alliances. Connect + Collaborate + Communicate 21st Century Learning With ILT @ MLC we: Connect learners with information and resources to ensure every student, teacher and parent is a part of the learning team. Collaborate in rich, compelling learning experiences that develop deeper knowledge and skill development especially the problem solving, creativity and critical thinking skills. Communicate both within the MLC learning community on aspects of student achievement and learning goals, and beyond MLC with learners from across the globe.

ILT Learning and Teaching Approach Differentiated Curriculum Teachers will utilise technology tools such as ibooks Author and itunesu to effectively differentiate the curriculum to individual student needs. Course work will be presented in multimodal ways allowing students to interact with text, multimedia, audio visual and multi touch curriculum materials. Students and teachers will be able to work together in the co-construction of learning materials and build resources to reinforce concept attainment. At MLC current research in ILT integration is used to guide and evaluate the learning and teaching program and technology integration. Blended and Online Learning Students at MLC will have ready access to information and resources that are created nationally and internationally to augment the learning experiences provided on campus. As customizable educational content is increasingly made available for free over the Internet, students are learning not only the material, but also skills related to finding, evaluating, interpreting and repurposing the resources they are studying in partnership with their teachers. At MLC teachers and students will be able to access learning resources from Universities, publishers and education providers. The TPACK and SAMR models represent best practice models in education technology integration and curriculum design. Learn Everywhere By providing campus wide WiFi, all College spaces will become learning spaces. Utilizing the mobility of their personal devices, students will work in partnership with their parents and teachers to learn everywhere. The ipad will empowers students to engage with learning materials wherever and whenever required. At MLC students, teachers and parent will work together to ensure mobile technology is utilized appropriately to augment learning opportunities. TPACK At the heart of the TPACK framework, is the complex interplay of three primary forms of knowledge: Content (CK), Pedagogy (PK), and Technology (TK). The TPACK approach goes beyond seeing these three knowledge bases in isolation. TPACK goes further by emphasizing the new kinds of knowledge that lie at the intersections between them, representing four more knowledge bases teachers applicable to teaching with technology: Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK), Technological Content Knowledge (TCK), Technological Pedagogical Knowledge (TPK), and the intersection of all three circles, Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK). Effective technology integration for pedagogy around specific subject matter requires developing sensitivity to the dynamic, transactional relationship between these components of knowledge situated in unique contexts. At MLC TPACK will be used to assist teachers in developing curricula materials that effectively integrate each domain. In doing so, teachers and students at MLC can engage in a rich and dynamic learning experience that effectively prepares students for life beyond school. SAMR The SAMR model provides teachers with a common language to talk about how successful technology integration impacts on the student experience. As teachers develop their to integrate technology into task design, not only does the complexity of the task change, but also the potential for student achievement can increase in working on higher order thinking skills. The SAMR model enables teachers to gauge how technology is utilized in classrooms. The ratings are influenced by task design and what can be done with technology. Technology integration can be considered on a continuum - moving from substitution to redefinition of classroom activity. For MLC the SAMR model provides a framework for creating and developing rich assessment tasks that allow students to demonstrate their understanding at a deep level by leveraging the capabilities of learning technologies.

Digital Content @ MLC Digital Texts There are a number of publishing houses that are beginning to provide texts that are media rich and provide a learning experience beyond the traditional textbook. What makes electronic books a potentially transformative technology is the new kinds of reading experiences that they make possible. The 2009 PISA Online Studies have shown that student outcomes improve when engaging with digital texts over paper texts. At MLC digital texts created by MLC teachers and students, digital textbooks will be accessed via our College e-library, the College intranet and external publishers to augment the learning resources provided by the College. Learning Objects Learning Objects are digital resources that can be used by teachers to aid with concept attainment, inquiry based learning and remediation. These resources are easily selected and can be annotated with teachers comments and descriptions. This flexibility helps teachers meet the individual learning needs of each student. Teachers can browse the Australian Curriculum at the content descriptions and elaborations level. The matching digital resources are quality assured and include activities for students, teacher support materials and interactive assessment resources. There are one or more digital resources to support all content for the published Australian Curriculum for English, Mathematics, Science and History. Resources are being progressively released to support the Australian Curriculum for Geography, The Arts and Languages. At MLC teachers will use Learning Objects to create personalized learning paths for their students containing digital curriculum resources organized into a learning sequence targeted to individual needs. Content creation Teachers at MLC will use ILT to create rich and relevant digital content for their students. Utilizing the resources available on ibooks Author and itunes U, Teachers at MLC can create differentiated and engaging content for their students based on group and individual needs. The SAMR ladder provides a framework for teachers to assess curriculum materials, and to engage in task design that encourages students to demonstrate their understanding with higher order thinking skills. At MLC teachers will create engaging and relevant digital content for their students. Access to educational content Students and their teachers at MLC will engage with open content from itunes U, the Kahn Academy, TED-ED, and where appropriate subscribe to education content providers such as Twig-IT, Clickview and The Learning Federation. In doing so, MLC provides a range of education resources catering for different learning styles, age and stage of learning and ability groups. Housed on MLC s Intranet or accessed via class websites in Coneqt, all members of the MLC community have ready access to relevant education content. At MLC an online portal will personalize the learning journey for students and their parents by presenting all resources in one centralized location. Web resources, SAAS, Apps Increasingly what once required specialized software, can be achieved via an interactive web site or app or free and open source online content. Software As A Service will allow allowing MLC teachers and students to engage with rich education demonstrations, content and services accessed via our web portal. The portability of mobile devices and the ios ecosystem, ensures students have the potential to harness the creative power of apps to demonstrate their understanding, and use productivity apps to mange learning tasks and achieve specific content objectives. At MLC digital content will augment the learning experiences in class, allowing students to access and engage with relevant curriculum materials anywhere anytime.

Service and Support Assumptions Help Desk The Helpdesk system HDS is the primary interface between teachers, students, parents and support. HDS needs to encompasses triaged support, knowledge-base, onsite/offsite access, reporting metrics and be platform independent covering BYOD and mobile devices to ensure all community members receive timely support and advice. At MLC all community members will have access to support mechanisms, from simple break fix, through to in class support, curriculum design incorporating digital pedagogy, guidance and advice. At MLC, the focus of the HDS is to empower all members of the MLC community to effectively utilize learning technology in their work life home life by drawing on the collective knowledge and skills of the ILT team. Docking Station At MLC a forward facing, customer focussed approach to service and support will be required to support innovation and the changing nature of technology integration. The Docking Station (TDS) is a technical and application support area, with a clear purpose to provide help and support for all members of the MLC community for all information and learning technologies. The Docking Station will provide support and guidance on effective use of learning technology, 1st level break fix for all devices on campus and training and ongoing PLD support for all members of the MLC community. Information and Learning Technology Coaches that include teachers and students will be specially trained and certified at The Docking Station. At MLC all software and hardware repairs of will be carried out by a TDS genius in house. Service Level Agreement The MLC ILT Team need to work in partnership with teachers, operations staff, students and parents to enable positive education outcomes utilising learning technology. All ILT decisions and strategic initiatives are designed to support the changing needs of teachers and students. At MLC, teachers, students and parents will be regularly consulted on ILT directions, and remain informed on progress of all ILT works and service. Feedback and accountability measures In order to ensure MLC stays at the forefront of best practice ILT integration, the ILT will request regular feedback from all community members and external organisations on all aspects of ILT integration and standards. In addition, the ILT team will also employ internal metrics on customer service satisfaction, quality of service on support and infrastructure and engages external audit measures to continuously improve and drive KPIs. At MLC feedback and reflective practice drives continual improvement. Coaching and Mentoring An ILT professional learning programme for all MLC Community members will be delivered in context and just in time to teachers, parent sand students at MLC. Training and development programs will operate within the school to maximize efficacy with ILT and learning technology pedagogy supported by research and best practice exemplars. At MLC, TDS Alumni coaches will work with students and teachers supporting their technology use and enabling all learners to be effective users of learning technology. ILT Curriculum Mentors, who are members of the academic staff, will support learning and teaching by bringing best practice learning technology integration not only into their own practice, but in coaching and mentoring their peers, and by providing in class support to teachers and guidance on lesson and task design.

Administration of Learning Managed Services The identity management system at MLC will drive managed print services, cashless café, security and attendance solutions. These managed services and associated identity management software, will provide metrics and usage patterns for all MLC managed services which will be used to inform and educate users on their usage patters on campus. Each of these services will need to be invisible to the end user, as teachers and students work on campus, their swipe card provides access to printing services, cafe ordering and access to specific areas of the campus enabling tracking of movement on campus. At MLC identity management software and the MiFare/HID cards will track and streamline the productivity for all users. Intranet/Portal MLC s public facing web site remains the primary marketing and showcase service for new and prospective parents. MLC community members; parents, students and teachers, will have password access to the community intranet/portal. Using identity management software, the portal will be personalised and tailored to each individual users needs. For parents the focus will be on know my daughter, support her learning program, involve me in her academic and pastoral life at school, connect me to information and resources to help make informed decisions. For students the focus will be on connect me to my teachers and peers, help me access curriculum materials, support me in preparing for and learning from my assessment tasks, empower me to work anywhere anytime, engage me with personalised differentiated resources. For teachers the focus will be on know my students, provide me the learning analytics to effectively target their needs, connect me to my peers and learning resources in developing my lessons and assessment tasks, enable me to work anywhere anytime. At MLC, the intranet/portal will provide a centralised service to access education content, information and resources and collaborate online. Cloud based collaboration services Cloud based collaboration services extend learning beyond the classroom walls and provide systems that allow students to collaborate with their peers and their teachers both in real time and asynchronously. Online submission of assessment tasks will allow teachers to mark up digital work, and students and their parents to access assessment results and teacher feedback. MLC users will have personalised access to their hard drive in the cloud, email and document services ensuring that information and content follows students wherever they learn. At MLC, students and teachers will access education resources, collaboration services and learning objectives from any device and in any location. Learning Analytics Data systems employed at MLC will provide dashboard learning analytics for teachers to make informed decisions about student progress and accurately cater for individual student needs. The pastoral needs of students will be shared with key stakeholders in different formats enabling pastoral leaders to gain a snapshot of student academic and social standing, and to drill down to work with students on individual issues or concerns. Parents will be provided a summary view of academic and social progress via the intranet/portal, providing access to information in supporting their daughters learning journey. At MLC all stakeholders are involved in the partnership of supporting student learning. Reporting student achievement With their access to MLC online services, parents will receive access to feedback on student assessment tasks and overall achievement. Academic reporting will be live and available to parents and students ensuring currency and immediacy of all academic information. Access to historical summative reporting data will allow parents, teachers, students and administration staff to track and map academic progress. At MLC assessment data will be available in a timely and in a format to appropriate to their child s stage of development.

Hardware/Software Apple Ecosystem Teachers will be provided an Apple Laptop and an ipad to facilitate their learning program. All teachers will have access to subject/context specific training to support their integration of technology into the classroom experience and to create engaging digital content to extend learning beyond the classroom environment. Software such as ibooks Author and itunes U will be utilised by teaching staff to create and coconstruct digital content in collaboration with their students. At MLC teachers will be supported in their curricular delivery by software services that streamline and support administrative tasks. Teachers will have mobile access to cloud based services that support curriculum delivery, assessment, marks book, pastoral care and learning analytics. BYOD In order to support access to learning materials and the mobility of students, bring their own ipad to school from Year 5. This personalized approach to technology integrates with teacher created content, and affords ready access to education resources and information. Student devices are reviewed bi annually to ensure access to current software and support. Student provided ipads seamlessly integrate with cloud storage, email, network drives and managed printing services. At MLC partnerships with parents and students support the use of mobile technology and girls in managing their device. Training and support is provided to students and parents on all aspects of technology integration, from application and hardware support, to managing devices in the home and usage expectations, in order to maximize the learning opportunities for all students. College provided devices MLC will supply specialised hardware and software to support high demand courses such as Media, Music, and Applied Information Technology. Computer pods will be strategically located throughout the College to enable all students to collaborate on multi-media projects, collaborative tasks and group projects. In Junior Years classrooms from Kindergarten to Year 4, 1/2 class sets of ipads will be utilised by teachers in developing literacy, numeracy, gross motor skills and the aims of the Early Learning Years Framework. At MLC access to College provided technology tools extends the BOYD approach. Infrastructure MLC will employ best of breed back end infrastructure to ensure learners and community members to integrate learning technology seamlessly into the learning and teaching experience. At MLC our infrastructure is invisible to the end user enabling positive education outcomes for our community, and a seamless transition between school and home. Self Service To support an agile learning environment, MLC teachers and student will access software on an as needs basis regardless of their device. Once students download software on their personal device via the MLC software vault, they will assume lifetime ownership of all apps. At MLC, the focus is on providing a curated view of Apps to ensure baseline understandings of how the software supports classroom pedagogy and concept attainment.

Community Partnerships and Alliances Connected MLC Community With their unique username and password, Parents will access online services and resources such as parent support group wikis, online calendar, digital content, student assessment data and curriculum materials via Coneqt. Teacher to teacher, student to student and teacher to student collaborative spaces will be managed online to facilitate learning beyond the classroom. Teachers and parents will have access to learning analytics, pastoral information and historical assessment data to bridge the gap from school to home and ensure the best possible environment for parent, teacher, and student partnerships in learning. At MLC a connected learning community for all parents, teachers and students is fostered with personalized access to learning resources and data. Higher Education The move internationally to open source or free content has seen a change in the way students at tertiary level access and consume information and resources. Recognising that tertiary education is the preferred option for MLC students, open source learning content from Australian and international universities will be accessed via MLC networks. The College will form partnerships with leading Universities to bring current research in learning technology integration to the learning and teaching program at MLC. In establishing MLC as a centre for learning and research, curriculum content, pedagogy and learning technology integration can be assessed against international benchmarks and current best practice. At MLC ILT implementation prepares students for their life beyond school. CCGS Collaboration MLC will work in partnership with CCGS to deliver shared services. Shared infrastructure between the two schools will provide disaster recovery, shared Internet, shared data, and where appropriate shared online services such as third party software and curriculum materials. CCGS and MLC will leverage the shared experience and skills set of the ILT teams to support and extend the learning opportunities for students at both schools. Where appropriate software and hardware vendors will be contracted in tandem to develop the synergies and economies of scale available to the two schools. At MLC an outward approach to ILT integration involves conversation and negotiation with like and local schools. GMT +8 Some of the top-performing Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) schools Schools and Colleges share our time zone on GMT +8 Learning technology will be used to collaborate and share resources, curriculum materials, and ideas with teachers and students from this time zone. Teacher and student collaborative teams will allow for virtual field tips, language immersion, cultural exchange and sharing of learning and teaching strategies. At MLC we use ILT to support partnerships with teachers and students across the world to extend the learning opportunities of our students. Ed Technology partnerships MLC will partner with education technology providers to tailor learning resources to the needs of teachers and students at the College. Digital content providers such as Pearson Education and MaraMedia will develop digital textbooks to suit the age and stage of development of MLC students for an Australian Curriculum context. MLC will work in partnership with hardware and software vendors to ensure all learning and administrative resources provided to the MLC community are best of breed and industry standard to achieve the best possible learning outcomes for students. At MLC we will use ILT to tailor the learning experience to the individual needs of students.

Timeline - Strategic Projects Learning and Teaching Digital Content Service and Support Administration of Learning Hardware Software Community Partnerships and Alliances GMT +8 2013 2014 2015 2016 Differentiated curriculum Lesson design with TPACK Task design with SAMR Blended and Online learning Learn Everywhere Content creation Access to educational content Learning Objects Digital Texts Web resources, SAAS, Apps Service Level Agreement The Docking Station Coaching and Mentoring Help Desk Feedback and accountability measures Cloud based collaboration services Learning Analytics Reporting student achievement Managed Services Intranet/Portal Apple Ecosystem BYOD College provided devices Infrastructure Self Service Connected MLC Community CCGS Collaboration Higher Education Ed Technology partnerships