Long-awaited laptops for Year 9 students have arrived in the Eurobodalla and should be rolled out in coming weeks.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
For more local news and photos grab a copy of the Bay Post or Moruya Examiner.
Both Moruya and Batemans Bay High Schools have received the laptops that will be given to each Year 9 student who plans to complete Year 12 under the Federal Government scheme, Digital Education Revolution.
Moruya High Information Technology head Greg McDonald said the rollout at Moruya High would begin shortly with the current Year 9 group of 130 students set to receive their laptops before the end of the year.
Students have been eagerly anticipating the arrival of the machines since the middle of the year.
Mr McDonald said the delay has been primarily due to the size and scope of the program, along with the Government’s determination to make sure the students were adequately supported.
“Teacher training has been ongoing and a technician has been appointed to the school to manage the new hardware,” he said.
Mr McDonald said teachers were already devising units of work that make the most of the new device.
“It’s more than just an electronic encyclopaedia or notebook,” he said.
“Students can access lessons online or produce multimedia-rich work. They can then take the classroom home with them.
“Each laptop is locked so that only its owner can use it.
“The level of security is quite surprising and there are things students can’t do at school that they can do at home.”
Every aspect of the computer has been tailored to classroom use, from the selection of software installed to the way it seamlessly integrates with the school’s new wireless network. Under a licence agreement with Microsoft and Adobe, the laptops come with the latest Windows 7 operating system and a suite of applications including Photoshop (image editing), Premiere (video production) and Dreamweaver (web design).
The software alone is worth several times the cost of the laptop. In addition, wireless Internet access will be available in every classroom in the school utilising its fast fibre optic connection to the rest of the world.
