Two leading UK primary school teachers are in Australia in May to promote the importance of ICT in education.
Supported by UK Trade & Investment (UKTI), teachers Dr John Ingram and Kay Hanson will promote the UK's Digital Excellence program in Australian Next Practice schools.
These are schools in Victoria with a reputation for ICT excellence, supported by Victoria's Department of Education and Early Childhood. One is Glen Iris Primary School, where the Digital Excellence program is co-ordinated by Robyn Floyd, Assistant Principal and Australian ICT Teacher of the Year 2008.
Both ex-head teachers have received the UK Best Practice in Primary ICT award for their work in education, and come to Australia extolling the virtues of the UK's Digital Excellence program.
The program began life in the UK when the British Government began to encourage schools to develop distinct, practical strategies for personalised learning, student self-assessment and higher-order thinking skills, to prepare students for life in the 21st century.
Statistics show that both private and public schools using the Digital Excellence approach raise student digital literacy and achievement standards well above national targets.
The Digital Excellence program involves students working towards 'Excellence Awards'. They become 'Digital Experts', creating collaborative partners in learning with their 'Digital Buddies'. Now a web-based programme, pupils have 24-hour access to their personalised digital literacy portfolio, with many families using it for both homework and family based learning. Teachers and senior management teams have 24-hour access to assessment data, cross curricular planning and teaching and learning targets.
For more information contact Jim Thompson, Trade Development Manager for UK Trade & Investment at the British Consulate-General in Melbourne, on Tel: +61 (0)3 9652 1604 or email jim.thompson@fco.gov.uk
