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Issue 51 - 2019 │T3 │W3

 

Link - access past issues in the archive

2019 T4L Rollout is coming News item

All schools can expect to receive their T4L Rollout notification email via the Principal’s and the School Admin email accounts in Week 7 this term!  A two-week window for placing your school's order will then be opened from Monday 9 Sept to Friday 20 Sept. The notification email will include:

  • the school's allocation of T4L units
  • links to the equipment available in this year's rollout
  • how to access the ordering portal and place your order
  • contact details for your school's local T4L representative

Start planning now! Consider your school’s device requirements, and the ways you might enhance your students' access to the school's technology resources. This year, the T4L Rollout includes devices from Acer, Apple, Dell, HP & Microsoft!

T4L Rollout logo

ICT PLUS+ now available! News item

The ICT PLUS+ tool is now open to all school principals! We held a trial with multiple schools in term 2 and their invaluable feedback helped to further shape this important tool. Have you been looking for more data about the tech resources in your school? How many devices? How old are they? When does their warranty expire? ICT PLUS+ (Planning, Leading, Utilisation, Strategy) is here to aid principals and school leaders in making data-informed decisions. Access to ICT PLUS+ is currently open to all School Principals and to Field Operations teams, in their ever-important support role. By the end of term 3, principals will be able to delegate access to other school-based staff to assist them in planning and decision making. Warren Parkes, Principal at Robert Townson High School and Chair, Technology Reference Group - Secondary Principal Council, introduces ICT PLUS+ in this quick video below. ICT PLUS+ is in a cycle of continuous development, with new features to be developed and added. The roadmap includes:

  • a planning dashboard with greater filtering control
  • improved device search/filtering capabilities
  • internet usage insights, such as congestion

Staff logon changes -almost here! News item

The User Logon Experience change is upon us! If you don’t already know about the bigger picture behind the changes, head to the project webpage for the full story and FAQs. In terms of what's involved, the two key steps and dates are:

  • Single Sign-On (SSO) enabled on Monday, 19 August
  • All DoE Staff will need to use their department email address as their username to log on to department devices, apps and services from Monday, 26 August.

SSO reduces the number of logon prompts that users will experience. That's great news! But be mindful that a single logon will now provide access to services like your email and data like your pay details or student records, that previously required the re-entry of your password. The security implications of SSO and the need to log on using the user’s full email address are highlighted in this quick video below. Please share it with all staff at your site so we're ready for this change!

Windows 7: We're below 29,000 News item

We started our drive to remove all Windows 7 devices from NSW public schools and the DoE network, in the middle of term 1. There were more than 74,000 devices on the network at that time. As of last Friday, the count is down to 28,887. Why is it important that we move away from Windows 7? As we move to newer technologies across our environment, this old version won't be able to keep up. And when Microsoft ends support in January, it will also become a security concern. So it's important that all are rebuilt to Windows 10, or removed from the network - as soon as practicable. How is your school's plan to remove these devices going? Locate any and all Windows 7 devices and confirm when exactly each one will be either F12-rebuilt or removed from the DoE network. Say goodbye to Windows 7!

Windows 7 devices. F12 to Windows 10 or Recycle them.

Introducing stem.T4L News item

If you don’t already know, the STEMShare Community project has moved to be part of the T4L program. As part of the move, the project will now be called stem.T4L. Whilst the name has changed, nothing else has. You’ll still be able to access the free Learning Library and all the resources by going to ‘My learning tools’ section in your Staff Portal. Contact details have also changed to stem.T4L@det.nsw.edu.au. Watch our quick video intro below!

Internet Edge starts next week! News item

The highly anticipated Secured Internet Edge project for schools kicks off with deployments happening from next week! The project aims to complete 50 cut overs per week until all 730 of our largest schools are complete. Each school will be contacted prior to deployment and provided their scheduled date as well as support information needed to prepare all staff and students for this change. Secured Internet Edge will provide faster internet to schools, with greater scalability to support evolving IT-enabled learning initiatives. It will also deliver increased network capacity for accessing DoE corporate applications and services. We know this exciting new internet service will bring a seamless, enhanced user experience to students and teaching staff on DoE managed devices.

Secured Internet Edge will speed up internet access for schools

Adobe work-at-home update Info item

The work with Adobe to finalise federated logon for Adobe accounts using DoE credentials continues. Ultimately, this will assist us with making services like Adobe Spark for Education more accessible and allow students and staff to use the Creative Cloud suite with their department ID. ITD would like to deliver a simple, reliable and effective user experience. Further updates will be provided in news.T4L.

Federated Adobe ID is not yet ready

ICT Thought of the day Fun item

ICT Thought - They're usually great at keeping new products a secret, but the new Apple Airpods have leeked.

A conference not to miss! News item

Why not start your school's journey with tech at the CIO’s Technology in Schools Conference on Friday 16 August? We've brought together the 2019 Technology 4 Learning (T4L) Award winners, so you’ll learn from real teachers about their real initiatives and experiences. In addition, there will be a special keynote speaker from the Foundation for Young Australians and other key industry representatives, all there to assist, inspire, guide and nurture your year with tech. The CIO's Technology in Schools event that was held last year in the Telstra Customer Insight Centre was amazing, and this year will be even better! Secure a place for you and your team by registering now at the CIO Conference website!

Click here to register for the CIO's Technology in Schools Conference

Manage iPads & Macs with Jamf! News item

Schools are now able to separately order Jamf Pro licences for mobile device management (MDM) services for iPad, Mac and Apple TV devices. Each licence covers device management for four years, rather than being annual, and is fully transferable if an older device is retired. Schools are now able to establish their own Jamf Pro instance and start managing their fleet more effectively. We've updated our Jamf Pro fact sheet with details on how to order Jamf Pro licences and get started with better, supported Apple fleet management. Stay tuned for updates about this exciting new development!

Jamf Pro is now the DoE standard MDM for Apple devices!

EdBuy goes live on 26 August! News item

The department’s orange and purple online catalogues are end of life and will be replaced by EdBuy from Monday, 26 August. This provides a simple and intuitive experience for purchasing contracted catalogue products. With a few clicks, you can compare product prices from the department’s entire range of internal and external contracted catalogue suppliers. As we transition suppliers to EdBuy, there is a short freeze on adding new products to the current catalogue, which means products like Jamf Pro licences and the range of Dell desktop, laptop and tablet devices will be added when EdBuy goes live.

DoE Digital Learning Selector News item

At the end of term 1, the department's Learning Systems team launched the new version of the Learning Tools Selector. This web application supports you to make informed decisions about particular programs, apps or online tools to use with your students. The new Digital Learning Selector lets you discover teaching and learning activities that embed ICT directly into your lessons. You can filter through a library of categorised activity pages and find information to support using the activity in your class. Adapt one of the available templates and you're ready to go! Then create your own favourites list to easily find those activities that worked well for you. Finally, you can share learning activities and tools with your colleagues. Watch this quick video below to find out more and get started today!

Click to wtach this quick video

Track Google Sites with Analytics Info item

Many schools and students are using Google Sites extensively to publish web-based content. Interested in knowing where your site's traffic is coming from or how people navigate around your site? You can now add Google Analytics to your site to help monitor its traffic. Once you've added a simple tracking ID to your site, all of the data collection happens automatically in the background. Google Analytics provides your school and students with a great series of dashboards showing valuable data about your audience. It's a great way to introduce real-world, meaningful statistical information around content you've produced. Check the analytics for this newsletter over the past semester - click for a larger view.

Click for a larger view

Are you a whiz with G Suite? PL item

If you're an educator who knows how to use Google tools in the classroom, why not get recognised? These certifications prove your proficiency.

  • Google Certified Educator Level 1
  • Google Certified Educator Level 2
  • Google Certified Trainer

Earning any of these certifications is a great way to acknowledge your existing skills, or provide an incentive to learn new ones. Teachers who earn one of these recognised certifications from Google, stand out as educational leaders who know how to effectively use technology in the classroom. Visit the Google Teacher Centre for more details.

Parent's guide to Online Safety Link item

Here's information about a resource worth publishing in your school news to parents. Many parents and caregivers feel out of their depth when it comes to understanding their children's use of devices and the internet. The Office of the eSafety Commissioner has published new resources aimed specifically to help them, with tips and advice on ensuring safe and enjoyable experiences online. The resource is available for access via a browser and downloads are available in multiple languages. In addition, for parents unfamiliar with using computers, a free hardcopy can be ordered, again in different languages. The resource is highly recommended.

Online safety guide for parents and carers

More news.T4L in Week 6!

Information Technology Directorate publishes news.T4L three times each term. Remember - share each issue with your staff!

Share your story in news.T4L - just email us at T4Lnews@det.nsw.edu.au

NSW DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION - INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DIRECTORATE