A Student Summit featuring Chromebooks and Google for Education - The Alfred Deakin High School Model

Engaging leadership was the driver in bringing to life a concept that established itself as a fundamental model in compounding opportunities provided by the Better Schools for Our Kids - Technology Enabled Learning initiative.

Technology Enabled Learning (TEL)

The TEL initiative launched in February 2018 provided each Year 7 to 11 student in ACT Public Schools access to a Chromebook device to enhance their learning, irrespective of family circumstances. The initiative's second issue of TEL devices will be distributed to Year 7 and new Year 8-12 students in February 2019. This will provide every secondary student in ACT Public Schools access to a device, so that they can learn wherever they are and use technology whenever they need it. With this access comes the responsibility of becoming a literate and knowledgeable digital citizen and it is this responsibility that leadership at Alfred Deakin High School want instilled in their learners and staff from the onset.

Alfred Deakin High School (ADHS) is an early adopter, supporting the introduction  of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) in 2013 and Google Apps for Education in 2014. Jenny Feltham, Executive Teacher for Maths and ICT at ADHS, took the opportunity to develop an induction program for staff, students and parents that incorporates digital citizenship, G Suite (Google Apps) training and school procedures in time for the arrival of the TEL Chromebooks.

Jenny Feltham

Expectations and Skills

In 2012 ADHS developed a robust ICT Strategic Plan, which established advanced ICT infrastructure with an ongoing commitment to professional learning, including parent forums to specifically build their expertise in ICT use in G Suite.

A team of dedicated staff developed a student program intended to run as soon as possible after the start of the new academic calendar year. The program is designed for the whole school to spend an enjoyable day of  discovery - exploring features and functions of TEL Chromebooks and BYODs and at the same time learn more about themselves, their classmates and teachers.

The program aims to

• Instill student responsibilities in terms of device access
• Develop organisational skills
• Provide an opportunity to explore devices and G Suite in a safe and purposeful environment
• Explore classroom management strategies for teachers.

Google Life @ ADHS

The program model is aptly titled Google Life @ ADHS. The program content covers

• The Internet Code of Awesome 
• Introduction to the G Suite 
• ADHS Assessment Procedures 
• Positive Behaviour for Learning principles.

Program delivery identifies as a 'student summit' with a mix of whole of school assembly, address by a guest keynote speaker and in-class micro-workshops.

Staff at ADHS can be contacted on info@adhs.act.edu.au to share the school's experience. The model lends itself to modification to suit any school's unique environment.

Alfred Deakin High School would like to acknowledge content from G-Suite Learning Center and the Google Be Internet Awesome site.