Determined to educate girls for a technological future, the teaching staff at East Hills Girls Technology High School have embraced iPads, online learning and interactive textbooks in the classroom and at home.
‘‘We’re the only public girls’ technology high school in New South Wales,’’ says Annette Brunt, one of two deputy principals at East Hills Girls Technology High School, who teaches Visual Arts, Photography and Digital Media.
‘‘We developed ‘‘The Project of Tomorrow’’ to enhance teaching and learning in the classroom through technology. In 2011, our Year 7 and 8 students did not have 1:1 access to technology, so we decided to introduce a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy. Strong parental support meant we were able to work together with our community and provide professional learning for our staff so that iPads were being used in the classroom with confidence.’’ For the second year, the school has been recognised as an Apple Distinguished Program School, acknowledged for its innovation, leadership, educational excellence and demonstration of an exemplary learning environment.
‘‘We use technology in so many different areas and ways across the school, from connecting in our connected classroom (where we meet with colleagues from other schools and conduct virtual excursions), through to printing 3D models in the Technology Centre,’’ Brunt says.
Brunt’s favourite teaching tool is iTunes U, an online creation tool that delivers resources to students’ iPads via an app they can access anywhere, anytime. ‘‘iTunes U helps students be more prepared for class, and learn at their own pace, which allows more time for discussion in the classroom with their peers and the teacher,’’ Brunt says. ‘‘It means that students are always up to date with their work, and it’s quick and easy for teachers to update learning resources.’’ Brunt says iPads and tablets have changed the way teachers impart knowledge.
‘‘They are powerful tools for creation and have allowed teachers to create new tasks that were previously inconceivable,’’ she says. ‘‘For example, our music students used to write about what type of music they would put to a movie trailer. Now, they can compose and create the music they want using the Garageband app, then put it into a trailer using iMovie.’’ The technology also allows students to be more creative when responding to set tasks, which can then be submitted online via uploads to either Moodle, Showbie or Edmodo. ‘‘Teachers know what time each student completed their work, and can also provide feedback to students online,’’ Brunt says.
If this all sounds future-forward, Brunt says it's a necessity of modern life. ‘‘Our students will need to be equipped with different skills for life in the 21st century as we prepare them for jobs that don’t even exist yet,’’ she says. ‘‘Connecting, collaborating and being creative are all skills that are highly valued beyond the classroom.’'
And while it is important for all educators to engage with technological advances, Brunt urges them to remember that the technology doesn’t do the teaching and learning. ‘‘Great teaching is about engaging students; integrating technology into effective teaching practice is one way to do this,’’ she says. ‘‘I would encourage all schools and teachers to explore the exciting learning opportunities that technology can offer.’’
