Content
USC helps teachers boost computer literacy
Teacher training provided by the University of the Sunshine Coast is helping boost the computer literacy of young school students in remote areas from Doomadgee to Indonesian Papua.
USC Lecturer John Hunt said the program, hailed a success last year, would continue in 2011 with another round of professional development for teachers at Doomadgee State School during Semester 1.
Bryn Dolan, the Head of Doomadgee State School’s Information Communication and Technology Department, visited the University’s Sippy Downs campus recently to discuss the benefits of the school’s relationship with USC.
“John’s training is helping our teachers integrate technology into the classrooms,” he said. “We also have four USC graduate teachers starting work at Doomadgee in 2011.”
Mr Dolan and his wife Sarah, a curriculum coach at the school also attended by their daughter Jessica, found a lift in attendance and achievements in 2010 as Indigenous students embraced the use of new laptops.
The 300 laptops were donated to Doomadgee by the Australian arm of the global not-for-profit organisation One Laptop Per Child.
Mr Dolan said one student received a national prize for a video he made on the special green laptops, designed for use in remote communities.
Mr Hunt, who developed the ICT certificate program originally for the Queensland Department of Education and Training, said there was a growing level of awareness among remote teachers about how technology could enhance classroom learning.
“The kids can talk to each other wirelessly and collaborate on pieces of music or writing stories,” he said. “They want a lot of visual stimulus.”
“The learning models we’ve developed are taught to USC Education students as part of their degrees so our pre-service teachers are more workplace-ready.”
USC Head of School of Science and Education, Professor Noel Meyers said Mr Hunt also would train teachers in Papua from February 7 to 11, armed with 90 new computers under the One Laptop Per Child program.
In the last two years, the University also trained 85 Papuan teachers to enrich their use of information technology as part of their AusAID-funded scholarships.
— Julie Gatehouse