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LEASING OF AUDIO-VISUAL EQUIPMENT IN SCHOOLS ON THE RISE
Over the last 18 months, there’s been a significant increase in AV related equipment leasing in schools, says Jan Paterson Head of Education at locally based flexicommercial NZ (formerly Equico). “In particular, schools have been rolling out interactive and touch screen technology, hall and performance space upgrades, displays, TVs and video walls and refreshing projectors. The rationale is to support a project-based approach to acquisition across school sites, to get the right technology for the school’s environment and create a budget and replacement plan for managing this important function in our schools. “We’ve also seen an increase in leasing of office and support staff equipment, mobile phones, library, and school loaner ICT resources.
“The benefits to the budget and managing the age and disposal of technology can be significant for schools and kura. Flexicommercial has a range of options available. We are independent to the supply of equipment, schools choose their own preferred supplier or we can offer suggestions. I would be happy to discuss a school’s requirements and outline what we can do, so they can see the benefits they would receive by choosing to lease.” For more information contact Jan Paterson 021 554 001 and jan.paterson@flexicommercial.com or go to flexicommercial.com to learn more.
ONLINE INFORMATION SESSION
Interested in what The Mind Lab has to offer? It’s hosting an online info session on Tuesday 22 February, from 7pm to 8.30pm. Learn more about the programmes being run, scholarships and funding available, and hear from students and graduates on their experience. You can register to attend at themindlab.com/events
ADD YOUR SUPPORT TO COPYRIGHT LICENCES FOR ALL SCHOOLS
New learning options for your busy life
Comprising both self-directed learning and weekly live-online class sessions, our programme schedules recognise the need to balance work and wellbeing.
Check out the NZQA accredited microcredentials available at The Mind Lab:
Digital & Collaborative Teaching & Learning Digital Skills for the Workplace Leading Beyond Sustainability
Do you worry about breaching copyright when accessing resources to use in your teaching? What if copyright licensing was centrally funded by the Government, thus permanently enabling teachers to use any material without the fear of the consequences of copyright infringement? ETV thinks that should be the case and has set up the ‘School Copyright Licensing Initiative’. It’s asking for your help to help convince the Government to take this step by signing its petition. Find out more on pages 14 and 19.
themindlab.com
DOWNLOAD YOUR GUIDE TO ‘STAYING SAFE ONLINE’
KEEP YOUR PASSWORDS TO YOURSELF AND SAFE
Don’t forget to grab BE RESPECTFUL AND POLITE OF OTHERS ON-LINE STAYING STAYING your guide to Staying Safe Online, ONLY VISIT WEBSITES SUITABLE FOR YOUR AGE SAFE ONLINE SAFE ONLINE courtesy of Acer, which comes with simple and TravelMate Spin B3 ASK BEFORE, DOWNLOAD, INSTALL OR BUY ANYTHING effective tips and advice. There’s a copy inserted at the end of this magazine or download the file at
interfaceonline.co.nz/acerstayingsafeonline
TALK TO AN ADULT YOU TRUST IF YOU FEEL WORRIED
ONLY ‘FRIEND’ OR ADD PEOPLE YOU KNOW IN REAL LIFE
DON’T GIVE OUT ANY PERSONAL INFORMATION ASK BEFORE MEETING WITH ONLINE FRIENDS
TravelMate Spin P4
FASCINATING ONLINE EXHIBITION EXPLORES THE HISTORY OF MATHS
What is the Salamis Tablet? When is the earliest use of a symbol to represent zero? Where did the word algebra come from? Find out about these and more at History of Mathematics, an online exhibit developed by the National Museum of Mathematics in New York City and Wolfram Research. Divided into nine ‘galleries’, each with a short timeline and featuring a handful of artefacts, it highlights key maths developments, including counting, arithmetic, algebra (which gets its name from the 8th Century book Al-Jabr), geometry, and prime numbers. More at history-of-mathematics.org
DISPLAY BUNDLE OFFER FROM CANON
If you’re getting interactive screens for your school, Canon has a very special offer you may be interested in. Purchase an Infocus 65-inch Interactive Panel from the company and choose between a free Yealink Room Cast or Denon DHT-S216 Soundbar (valued up to $530). Frances Valintine, CEO & Founder of The Mind Lab Installation and training are included. Don’t delay. The offer ends 30 April, 2022. For more information see page 17 or go to canon.co.nz/ business/interactive-display-bundle. Alternatively, contact a Canon Education Specialist on 0800 222 666.
Learn how Finlayson Park School is finding new ways to communicate through Canon solutions in ‘Inspiring students to engage passionately’ on page 17.
SAY WHAT?
You’ll probably have heard of NFTs, short fornonfungible tokens, which are digital contracts that allow people to prove they own specific online assets. But do you know how to pronounce ‘NFT’? Well, apparently, it should be said as ‘neft’!
SOME POSITIVE RESULTS FROM COVID
The shift to remote and The International Public Policy Observatory hybrid learning forced by COVID Global emergency remote education in secondary schools during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns and disruptions has presented many challenges for teachers and students. However, it’s
A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW brought some benefits, according to a recent report from The International Public Policy Observatory (IPPO). Drawing together the results of 81 studies of secondary schools from Melissa Bond, Nina Bergdahl, Rosa Mendizabal-Espinosa Dylan Kneale, Faye Bolan, Poppy Hull, Fjolla Ramadani _______________ October 2021 38 countries, it has highlighted how complementary these digital learning methods can be to traditional methods of schooling. Among its findings are: • Pupils have found working at their own pace, and without the social pressures of the classroom, beneficial; • Live synchronous lessons with peer and teacher interaction, and teacher-made videos considered particularly engaging; • 21 different types of online assessments strategies were identified, with online quizzes and formative online feedback the most frequently used; and • Live marking or recorded feedback and assessment were found to be particularly beneficial.
On the downside, social isolation was the most frequently reported indicator of disengagement, characterised by “poor attendance in live lessons, a lack of opportunities to seek help with challenges and difficulties facilitating peer collaboration.”
Read the full report at bit.ly/ippocovid
GOOGLE ANNOUNCES CHROMEBOOK REPAIR PROGRAMME FOR SCHOOLS
Google for Education has announced that it’s starting a repairability programme to help schools fix Chromebooks in-house, and turn it into a valuable training opportunity for students interested in Digital Technologies. (Roll-out begins in the US first, then onto other countries.) “Many Chromebooks have been repairable for years, with some repairs already covered under system warranties and managed by authorised service providers,” wrote John Solomon VP, Chrome OS. “But it’s been challenging for school IT administrators to find information about which devices they can repair. As part of the Chromebook repair programme, we’re partnering with companies like Acer and Lenovo to spotlight more Chromebooks that are repairable.” Read more at blog.google/outreach-initiatives/
education/chromebook-repairs/
LICENCE TO USE THE INTERNET
In Australia, the Labor Party has unveiled plans for a national eSmart digital literacy course for primary and high school students if it’s voted into government at the next federal election. Called eSmart Digital Licence, the course is designed to help build digital intelligence through a gamified learning experience where students explore an interactive story-world containing learning materials, relatable scenarios, and guided reflections about personal experiences with technology. Once students complete the milestones in the course, they then receive a Digital Licence. Labor’s promised AU$6 million to fund it, along with an eSmart Media Literacy Lab program for secondary school students aged 12 to 16 to help them engage with news online.
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