INTRODUCTION

Welcome to the exciting world of Digital Learning at Hillsmeade Primary School. As educators, we constantly seek innovative ways to enrich our teaching practices and enhance student engagement. Digital learning stands at the forefront of this educational evolution, offering dynamic and interactive approaches to learning that resonate with the digitally native generation of today.

Hardev Singh – Learning Specialist Digital Learning

Email:  hardev.singh@education.vic.gov.au Mob: 0407 313 683

EDUSTAR

Edustar is a tailored IT program designed specifically for schools, including Hillsmeade Primary School. It serves several key functions to support the educational and administrative needs of the school community. Here’s a brief overview of its purpose and how teachers can connect to the school’s wireless network:

  1. Purpose of Edustar:
    • Standardised IT Infrastructure: Edustar provides a standardised suite of educational and administrative software, ensuring that all computers and devices within the school are equipped with necessary and consistent tools for teaching and learning.
    • Network Security and Management: It includes robust network management and security protocols to safeguard the school’s digital environment. This is crucial for protecting sensitive information and ensuring a safe online experience for students and staff.
    • Resource Accessibility: Edustar facilitates easy access to various digital resources, including educational apps, software, and online learning platforms. This enhances the variety and quality of educational materials available to teachers and students.
    • Technical Support and Updates: The program offers ongoing technical support and regular updates to software and systems for teacher laptops. This ensures that these devices remain up-to-date and functional, minimising disruptions to teaching and learning.
  2. Connecting to the School’s Wireless Network:
    • Wi-Fi Access: Teachers must select the network from their device’s Wi-Fi settings to connect to the school’s wireless network. The network is specifically named to identify it as part of the school’s system (EduStar).
    • Secure Login: Teachers will be prompted to enter login credentials upon selecting the network. This is your email email address and password. These credentials must be kept secure and not shared with students or unauthorised persons. 
    • IT Support: If teachers encounter any issues connecting to the wireless network, they should seek assistance from the school’s IT support team. This team is responsible for managing the Edustar program and can provide guidance on proper connection procedures and troubleshoot any problems.

COMPASS

Compass is a comprehensive education management system widely used in schools, including Hillsmeade Primary School. Its purpose is multifaceted, serving as a one-stop platform for various educational and administrative functions. Key features and purposes of Compass include:

  1. Attendance Management: Compass simplifies tracking student attendance, allowing teachers to mark attendance quickly and providing a clear record for parents and administrators.
  2. Academic Reporting: The platform enables teachers to create and share academic reports, giving insights into student performance and progress. This feature helps maintain transparent communication between teachers, students, and parents.
  3. Parent Communication: Compass is a vital link between the school and parents. It facilitates accessible communication, allowing parents to receive updates, access their child’s academic reports, and view attendance records. 
  4. Event Management: The system can be used for organising and managing school events, excursions, and other activities, including permissions and payments, streamlining the planning and execution of school events.

MICROSOFT 365 SUITE

The Microsoft 365 Suite, including Teams, is a powerful collection of tools widely used in educational settings like Hillsmeade Primary School. These tools serve a range of purposes to facilitate communication, collaboration, and efficient management of educational content. Here’s a brief overview:

  1. Microsoft Teams: This is a central hub for teamwork and communication. In a school setting, it allows teachers and students to engage in real-time conversations, video calls, and meetings. Teams can be used for conducting virtual classes, sharing resources, and collaborative learning. It also integrates with other Microsoft 365 tools for a seamless experience.
  2. Word, Excel, and PowerPoint: These classic Microsoft applications are used for creating and editing documents (Word), spreadsheets (Excel), and presentations (PowerPoint). They are essential for both teaching and administrative tasks, allowing for the creation of lesson plans, student performance tracking, and educational materials.
  3. OneNote: This digital notebook is ideal for organising notes, lessons, and other educational content. Teachers can create individual notebooks for each class or subject, making it easier to distribute materials and assignments to students.
  4. SharePoint: SharePoint acts as a collaborative platform where teachers and students can store, share, and manage documents. It’s particularly useful for storing larger files and resources that can be accessed by the entire school community.
  5. Outlook: Microsoft Outlook is used for email communication, but it also includes features like calendar management, which is helpful for scheduling classes, meetings, and school events.

OneDrive: This cloud storage service is part of Microsoft 365, offering a secure way to store and share files and documents. Teachers and students can access their files from anywhere, facilitating remote learning and collaboration.

CANVA

 Canva is a versatile graphic design tool that has become increasingly popular in educational settings like Hillsmeade Primary School. It serves several vital purposes for teachers in enhancing student learning and planning and creating resources. Here’s a brief overview:

  1. Creating Engaging Educational Resources: Teachers can use Canva to design visually appealing and engaging educational materials such as worksheets, posters, infographics, and presentations. The tool’s ease of use and vast library of templates make it simple to create professional-quality materials without needing advanced design skills.
  2. Enhancing Visual Learning: By creating visually rich content, teachers can cater to visual learners and make complex concepts more accessible and easier to understand. Canva’s ability to combine text, images, and graphics helps break down information into digestible and attractive formats.
  3. Encouraging Student Creativity: Canva can be used as a tool in classroom projects, allowing students to express their creativity. Students can explore their artistic side while learning essential design principles, whether it’s for creating presentations, project covers, or digital art.
  4. Promoting Digital Literacy: Incorporating Canva into classroom activities helps develop students’ digital literacy skills. As they learn to navigate and use this digital tool, they gain valuable experience handling technology increasingly relevant in today’s digital world.
  5. Facilitating Collaborative Work: Canva allows for collaborative projects where multiple users can work on the same design simultaneously. This feature is helpful for group assignments and collaborative classroom activities, fostering teamwork and cooperative learning.
  6. Planning and Organisation: Teachers can also use Canva for personal planning and organisational tasks, such as creating planners, calendars, and schedules, helping them stay organised and manage their teaching responsibilities more effectively.

EDUMAIL

Edumail is a specialised email system designed for all government schools in Victoria. Its primary purpose is to facilitate effective communication among teachers, school administration, parents, and students. Here’s a brief overview of its purpose and the platforms through which it can be accessed:

  1. Purpose for Communicating with Others:
    • Internal Communication: Edumail is essential for teachers to communicate with colleagues and school administrators. It allows for the sharing of information, coordination of activities, and collaboration on school-related projects.
    • Parent Engagement: Teachers can use Edumail to communicate with parents, keeping them informed about school events, student progress, and other relevant information. It’s a key tool for maintaining an open line of communication between the school and the home.
    • Professional Correspondence: Edumail also serves as a formal channel for professional correspondence with external entities, such as educational authorities, suppliers, and other schools.
  2. Platforms for Accessing Emails:
    • Web Browsers: Teachers can access Edumail through any standard web browser (e.g., Chrome, Firefox, Safari) by visiting the email system’s web portal and logging in with their credentials.
    • Email Clients: Edumail can typically be configured to work with popular email clients like Microsoft Outlook, Apple Mail, or Mozilla Thunderbird. This allows teachers to manage their emails directly from these applications.
    • Mobile Devices: Edumail can be accessed on smartphones and tablets through email apps available on iOS and Android platforms. This mobile accessibility ensures that teachers can stay connected even when they are away from their computers.

Note:  Edumail passwords are required to be reset every three months. This task is completed by using this page. If you fail to do this is a timely fashion you will need to receive a reset password from Stewart Johnson (Business Manager).

SCHOOL DEVICES 

Nearly every classroom has digital tools to support students and teachers in achieving their educational objectives. Depending on the equipment present, specific or all of the following guidelines will be relevant to your teaching area:

  • iPad Trolley Security: Ensure that iPad trolleys are locked both before school starts and after it ends. The keys for these trolleys should be kept in a safe place, accessible only to fellow teachers.
  • Device Care and Charging: It’s important to responsibly manage the devices by placing them back in their trolleys for charging both during breaks in the school day and after school hours.
  • Supervision of Device Usage: Teachers are expected to supervise students when they are using devices in the classroom, ensuring appropriate and responsible use.
  • Reporting of Device Issues: If you notice any devices that are faulty, damaged, or missing, report these issues immediately to the school technician or the Digital Learning Specialist.
  • Classroom TV and Apple TV Management: At the end of each day, remember to turn off the classroom TV screen and the Apple TV. The remotes for these devices should be securely stored in a designated location.

iPads and Apple TVs can play a significant role in classrooms and learning environments at Hillsmeade Primary School, offering a range of benefits to both teachers and students. These Apple devices bring a level of interactivity, accessibility, and engagement to the learning process that can significantly enhance educational experiences.

Apple TVs can wirelessly connect to iPads or other devices, allowing teachers to display content on a larger screen. This feature is helpful for presentations, educational videos, or demonstrating apps and digital resources. With screen mirroring and AirPlay, students can share their work from their iPads to the Apple TV, fostering a collaborative learning environment where students can showcase projects and learn from each other.

BYOD PROGRAM 

Hillsmeade Primary School’s BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) Program, starting in 2024, requires all students in Years 4 to 6 to bring a compatible device to school daily. This initiative aims to enhance the learning experience and prepare students for the digital age. Key aspects of the program include:

  • Device Types: Students are encouraged to bring laptops, iPads, or Chromebooks. The devices must meet specific requirements for compatibility with the school network and have enough battery life for all-day use.
  • Educational Benefits: The program has observed benefits such as increased individualised learning opportunities, greater access to online educational resources, improved collaboration through digital platforms, enhanced communication, and the ability to tailor lessons to diverse learning styles.
  • Equal Opportunity: The program addresses the challenges of shared device usage in classrooms, advocating for personal device ownership to increase efficiency and personalised learning.
  • Digital Literacy and Future Preparation: It emphasises teaching students to harness technology for learning, equipping them with critical problem-solving skills, digital literacy, and access to various information resources.
  • Device Specifications: Specific device requirements are outlined, including compatible operating systems for Windows laptops, Apple laptops, iPads, and Chromebooks. Specific devices like mini and Android tablets are unsuitable due to compatibility issues.
  • Program Support: The school assists Edunet in sourcing devices. Parents are encouraged to purchase devices that will also be suitable for secondary school.
  • Usage and Safety Guidelines: The program outlines rules for device usage in school, including signing an Acceptable Use Agreement, restrictions on social media access, charging protocols, and instructions for ensuring device safety and security.

The BYOD Program is designed to integrate technology into education, enhancing student engagement and learning outcomes while preparing them for an increasingly digital future. Parents enrol their child using this link – https://tinyurl.com/byod-enrolment

STUDENTS USING MOBILE PHONES

 Students who bring mobile phones to school must have them switched off and securely stored by classroom teachers during school hours.

TECH SUPPORT

 The school has employed the services of a computer technician.

  • Paul Mohacsy attends the school for two days a week and can be contacted using his email or through Teams. He will assist with the following issues:
  • Connecting to the school network for your devices, school-owned and BYOD devices
  • Microsoft 365 usernames and passwords for students
  • Printing services
  • Hardware problems with devices such as school-owned devices and teacher laptops
  • Logging a job for teacher devices under the department’s warranty program
  • Setting up replacement laptops for teachers after their existing leased devices have ended. Paul will also handle the return of end-of-lease devices. 
  • Classroom TVs/projectors
  • Problem-solving wireless connections.

 On the days that Paul Mohacsy isn’t available, Hardev Singh can assist with all of the above tasks except:

  • Printing service
  • Department’s warranty program