ICT and eLearning at HPSS Vision and Strategic Planning

In the spirit of openness and sharing, here is my first draft (of many I am sure) of our ICT and e-learning strategic plan which is born out of school values and vision.

Our Vision, Values and ICTs

Our Vision

To create a stimulating, inclusive learning environment which empowers learners to contribute confidently and responsibly in our changing world

Our Mission

Innovate, Engage, Inspire

Our Goal

Innovate through personalising learning. Engage through powerful partnerships. Inspire learners to be empowered.

Our Values

Empowered Learners who are resilient, responsive, resourceful

Personalised learning which develops curiosity, passion, excellence

Powerful Partnerships which enables learners to connect, collaborate and contribute

Our Values, ICTs and eLearning

We inspire to develop empowered learners who are:	This means:	What this looks like:
Resilient	persistence, determination, self-motivation, positive thinking, flexible, manawanui, spirited, pono, managing distractions, ‘can-do’ attitude	Open internet access that encourages learners to develop strategies for managing self online. Giving learners choice around tools and platforms for illustrating their learning.
Responsive	responsive, flexible, open-minded, seize opportunities, actively engaged with others, with opportunities, respectful relationships, caring, empathy, honest, fair, integrity, ethical, responsibility, awhinatanga, manaakitanga, whakapiringatanga	Learners develop digital citizenship skills and strategies so as develop respectful and ethical behaviours online. Platforms and tools are flexible and learners have choice to ensure they can be responsive to needs. Learners will have easy access to a range of technology, will be encouraged to bring their own device, to ensure access as and when needed.
Resourceful	enterprising, able to access and use resources around them, problem solving, critical thinking, ingenious, independent, imaginative, creative, capable, purposeful, rauhanga	Being able to locate, critically assess and use resources online according to need. Being proactive and persistent in their use of technology. Being ready, willing and able to learn how to use ICTs in different ways - independently or with others. Using online and offline resources usefully.
We innovate through personalised learning to develop:	This means:	What this looks like:
Curiosity	questioning, playfulness, inquiry, questioning, discovering, exploring, seek, investigation, thirst for knowledge, reflective, thinking	Thinking critically, creatively, reflectively about their use of ICTs. A stimulating culture of inquiry teaching and challenging inquiry based learning. Using evidence to inform choice of ICT tools and platforms to support teaching and learning.
Passion	enthusiastic, excitement, positive, interested, engaged, inspire and be inspired, hunger for learning, absorption, dedication	Learners develop, use and share ICT tools and platforms of their choice. Teachers sharing their passions and encouraging learners to do the same. Learning without boundaries or limits of time and place enabled by effective use of online environments.
Excellence	innovation, risk taking, high expectations, mastery, rigour, challenging , authentic, quality, leadership, pai, agency, metacognition, mana motuhake	We all set high standards for ourselves and expectations of others. We establish a model of high-trust and clear consequences around managing self online. Learners demonstrate mastery in the use of ICT tools and platforms with a clear understanding of best fit for specific learning outcomes.
We engage through powerful partnerships which allow us to:	This means:	This looks like:
Connect	build trust, develop relationships, communicate effectively, whanaungatanga, making links	We develop caring, trusting productive relationships off and online. We communicate effectively. We use ICT tools and platforms effectively to make links in our learning, between people and to the community and wider world.
Collaborate	co-constructing, teamwork, sharing, cooperation, negotiation, planning, kotahitanga	We are ready, willing and able to use a range of ICT tools and platforms to listen to, work with and learn from others. We all add to and draw from the strengths of each other. Working online and offline with others on a local, national and global scale.
Contribute	participate, actively engage with, give back, service (community projects, academic, sporting, cultural, entrepreneurial, co-curricular) koha	We contribute to our own growth and learning, to our community, environment and wider world as responsible digital citizens. We share our learning with others online, through collaborative online platforms such as Google, Moodle and the VLN. Using a range of ICT tools and platforms to participate in and share community projects, academic, sporting, cultural, entrepreneurial and/or co-curricular activities.

Strategic Planning

Infrastructure

As a PPP school much of the infrastructure is set up for us by Hawkins Construction. Torque IP have also been engaged to take on the role of advice and guidance to support with the planning and procurement of any additional ICT infrastructure and services such as copiers, printing and telephony.

Wireless/Internet Access

We would like universal internet access available to all teachers and students on site at Hobsonville Point Schools. We would preferably like a “hot spot” style of internet connection that allowed connection via a webpage requiring username and password.

Security

As we are a secondary school, we feel it is appropriated to have as open internet with as little filtering as possible. Whilst it would be useful to have low level internet filtering and the ability to monitor internet use, it will be important that for the most part learners are trusted to manage themselves appropriately online. Clear parameters around “appropriate use” will need to be established, supported by a “high trust, swift consequences” approach to managing use of the Internet and related resources.

Hardware

As we are planning to be a BYOD school we will be moving away from the traditional computer labs. Specialised learning areas will be equipped with desktops according to need, e.g. Macs for graphic design, Music, Media etc. A number of desktops will be available to students in each learning area. A number of laptops, tablets, digital cameras and accessories will be available for students (and staff) through the library issuing system.

Staff laptops (and tablets)

Staff will be issued with a base model TELA laptop of their choice. Staff are invited to bring their own tablet to use at school. If they do not own a tablet and would like access one, they may choose to use a school tablet in school or if if they wish to purchase one HPSS will broker a hire purchase agreement with Cyclone Computers which would allow for staff to own a tablet for a small weekly payment.

BYOD

HPSS will be a ‘bring your own device’ school, which means students will be invited to bring their own device(s) for learning. Recommended specifications will be provided for students and parents. Equity devices (Most likely netbooks) will be available on loan through the library system to those students that need them. HPSS will also establish a hire purchase agreement with Cyclone Computers on the parents behalf, which would allow learners to own a device for a small weekly payment. A number of desktop computers will also be available to all students in the learning commons and classrooms around the school.

LMSs

One of our challenges will be maintaining the balance between learners having choice and the need to provide a single “front door” for learners, family and whanau. I would like to suggest that an integrated platform using Moodle as the first point of contact will meet this need. I would like to suggest the integration of the following online platforms:

• Moodle
• Google Apps (Can we have Google+ open for the secondary school and closed for the primary?)
• MyPortfolio
• eTV (this may be available for the secondary only, due to access to mature content?)
• plus our library system (Oliver, Koha, AccessIT?)

Decisions will need to made as to how many of these platforms will run across both schools.

Teachers and learners will be encouraged to use Moodle as the first point of access and information for all Specialised Learning Modules. They will also be free to integrate any other tools and platforms that meet the specific needs and demands of learning outcomes.

SMS

Kamar has already been installed as the Hobsonville Point Primary School student management system. It would be useful to maintain a single SMS across the two schools. This may however present issues in terms of how we would each like to use it and/or have it structured. It would also be useful to have the Kamar parent and student portal available via the Moodle front door.

Student Email

All students will be required to have a Google (gmail) account set up for them on enrollment. This should be within the same domain as the primary school and school staff so as to allow ease of communication and sharing within the Google Apps for Educators environment.

Single Sign-On

Single sign on will be needed across the LMS and SMS platforms to enable seamless integration and to allow students to access all school platforms with a single long in. It would be preferable if this was integrated with wireless hotspot login as well.

Provisioning

It would be useful if all students were provisioned into the outlined LMSs on enrollment. Provision and organisation into class groups will need to determined. Alternatively it may useful to run Moodle in self-enrolment mode to enable learners to enrol into courses and groups as needed.

Digital Citizenship

As HPSS will be operating a high trust model approach to e-learning and ICT use it will be paramount that all learners complete course of study that addresses positive Digital Citizenship in its broadest sense. Netsafe provides the following definition.

A digital citizen:

• is a confident and capable user of ICT

• uses technologies to participate in educational, cultural, and economic activities

• uses and develops critical thinking skills in cyberspace

• is literate in the language, symbols, and texts of digital technologies

• is aware of ICT challenges and can manage them effectively

• uses ICT to relate to others in positive, meaningful ways

• demonstrates honesty and integrity and ethical behaviour in their use of ICT

• respects the concepts of privacy and freedom of speech in a digital world

• contributes and actively promotes the values of digital citizenship

An online resources has been developed to support staff here:

https://sites.google.com/a/hobsonvillepoint.school.nz/hobsonville-point-schools-digital-citizenship-guidelines-for-teachers/

Creative Commons

A creative commons policy has been established as part of our wider school policies. The Creative Commons will become the default copyright status of all documentation produced in school, unless specified otherwise.

HarbourNet/FarNet

As a new school, it will be difficult to provide a full range of subjects that meet the needs of all learners. One way that we would like to address this is through establishing a formal relationship with HabourNet and FarNet as a a way of providing distance learning for subjects we are able to offer in house. This will require a dedicated space with Video Conferencing set up. It will also cost the equivalent of 0.2 of one teacher and the establishment of an e-Dean.

ICT support

Norrcom have been engaged to provide implementation and management of ICT services at Hobsonville Point Schools. At present their support is primarily remote with part-time onsite support. This may be an appropriate level of support for the short term, but will need to be reconsidered long term. Particularly as the secondary school with a BYOD school.