Country Case Study Australia by Andrea Greer EDTC 645 Summer, 2015

Interview Process Australia. [Image]. Retrieved 20 July 2015 from

Ms. Pearson -Teaches Grade 2 -Eastern Fleurieu School in Southern Australia Citations: Pearson, C. (2015, June 25). Global Case Country Study [ interview]. Strathalbyn map. [Image]. Retrieved 18 July 2015 from strathalbyn/

ICT Integration “As a classroom teacher there is minimal ICT integration due to lack of resources at our site. I program one lesson per week for ‘computing’ which I designate to teaching coding. Following research in the UK, and adoption of coding into the British curriculum, which reveals that coding was not being addressed in the ICT curriculum. It further revealed that if coding is not taught, there will be an industry void in future years.” ICT computer education. [Image]. Retrieved 20 July 2015 from

Teacher Training “Unless a teacher is working as a TRT, they probably do not see a lot of school districts. Unless the topic is researched, most teachers would possibly be speaking from hearsay. It is reasonable to suppose that schools in lower socio-economic areas might have a disadvantage, however it really depends on how individual schools decide to spend their budgets. I worked in a lower socio school which had better ICT facilities than my current school in higher socio area. No hard and fast rules, is my point.” Training. [Image]. Retrieved 20 July 2015 from

Professional Development Yes, Australia has adopted a set of standards for teachers. (AITSL) Yes, the differences between beginning teachers and seasoned teachers is apparent. Seasoned teachers are not given time or resources to undertake training in the area of ICT my site. Beginning teachers (often younger) are often ‘digital natives’ and undertake immersion in ICT in university. No system to get current teachers up to speed. Professional development. [Image]. Retrieved 20 July 2015 from development/

Conclusion Check mark. [Image]. retrieved 22 July from

Text from the Formal Interview Briefly introduce yourself, share what province you live/work in, and describe your job and how you incorporate technology into your classroom or school. Carol Pearson – Year 2 (second grade) teacher and technology teacher at Eastern Fleurieu School in Strathalbyn, South Australia. As classroom teacher there is minimal ICT integration due to lack of resources at our site. I program one lesson per week for ‘computing’ which I designate to teaching coding. Following research in the UK, and adoption of coding into the British curriculum, which reveals that coding was not being addressed in the ICT curriculum. It further revealed that if coding is not taught, there will be an industry void in future years. 2. I have read that Australia is streamlining their standards. Is this the case? Has Australia adopted technology standards? Please explain. Australia have introduced a nationalised curriculum. (I think I already sent you a lot of information regarding this. Did you access it?) 3. Do you see a disparity with technological resources in various districts/areas? Please explain. Unless a teacher is working as a TRT, they probably do not see a lot of school districts. Unless the topic is researched, most teachers would possibly be speaking from hearsay. It is reasonable to suppose that schools in lower socio-economic areas might have a disadvantage, however it really depends on how individual schools decide to spend their budgets. I worked in a lower socio school which had better ICT facilities than my current school in higher socio area. No hard and fast rules, is my point. ;-) 4. What, if any, experience do you have with the Indigenous communities? What is the difference between the rural and urban school communities in regards to technology in the schools? I cannot speak to the differences between regional and urban schools as I have not had experiences in both areas. Again, unless there is recent and direct experience in both sectors, teachers would be speaking from hearsay. 5. How do typical schools in your region embrace mobile technology? Is there a push for BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)? Each school has different standards for BYOD within the Govt. and private school systems in our state. It is my understanding through interviewing a high school for a research project on technology, that the school must undertake a risk assessment process before adopting a BYOD policy. My child attends a BYOD high school which is almost all entirely digital, yet I work and have worked in schools where devices must be handed in at the office at the beginning of the day and collected as student leave. There is no such thing as a typical school. ;-)

Text from the Formal Interview 6. What sort of Professional Development for integrating technology is offered in your district/region? What is the expectation for teachers to incorporate technology standards into daily lessons? Unfortunately, there is not much PD for technology integration at my current school. There is a technology manager who will offer tid-bits of advice at the occasional staff meeting, however nothing substantial toward ICT integration. Teachers in Australia are mostly tasked with sourcing and maintaining records of their own PD. Much PD is offered through school sites, however technology is not high on the list from my observations. 7. I have read that Australia has revamped their teacher education program to ensure new teachers are more technology aware. Do you notice a difference between newly trained teachers and seasoned teachers? What do you notice? Is there a system in place to get the current teachers up to the new standards? Yes, Australia has adopted a set of standards for teachers. (AITSL) Yes, the differences between beginning teachers and seasoned teachers is apparent. Seasoned teachers are not given time or resources to undertake training in the area of ICT my site. Beginning teachers (often younger) are often ‘digital natives’ and undertake immersion in ICT in university. No system to get current teachers up to speed. 8. If you have been involved in a global project, please share what you and your students learned. No involvement. 9. Do you feel that Australia is ahead of the curve when it comes to technology integration in the world? Why or why not? A recent research project I undertook looked at teacher confidence to integrate ICT in the curriculum. The results of this research mirrored the literature which points to resources, time, training, and teacher efficacy as inhibitors to ICT integration. Having worked in schools in Loudoun County, VA, I believe they are ahead of the Australian system with the adoption of ICT teachers/coaches in schools. These teachers are available to consult with teachers to support them in ICT integration. I have not experienced that level of support in Australia. I also know that no two school systems in the US are the same. So this question becomes rather difficult to address, as it is too general. ** Again it would be remiss of any teacher to address this question without appropriate research or experience.