D 8/9 is online

D 8/9 has been making pages on the web. As a group the class works out what they want to say and publishes their class pages and student pages from the classroom. Students can go home and look at what they have done from the comfort of their own home.
They are a special education class on the world wide web!

Halinda D 8/9

Opting for a Special School environment

In this interview an SSP student talks about his schooling history and what makes the difference in the Special School environment.

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Halinda SSP as a Learning Community

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Halinda School for Special Purposes aims to be a learning community.

Halinda SSP teachers recently attended the 2007 PSP SSP Conference held at the Rydges Rosehill NSW. Based on what we learnt we came up with this little podcast at our workgroup.

More Thanks

More thanks to Ken O'Brien whom has been an exemplary Technical Advisor for the school over the last few months and who came out to configure our wireless data system and set up an Apple lab for us on Wednesday.

Two Boards per Grade by the End of the Year !

Halinda is one of the best equipped SSPs in the Western Sydney Region. It has been a long technological journey from the old school site to the new school venue.

The process of funding, ordering and commissioning new technologies such as the interactive whiteboards has been in planning since before we arrived at our new site. We now have three fixed boards in use and two mobile boards in use in the school.

Plans are underway to order a third mobile board. This will make 2 per grade by the end of the year. A great boon to the technological literacy of the student population.

Getting the Wobbles

The low slung projector installation is too enticing for the Primary Case Study Group. So much so, the projector now swings from side to side rather too freely ! Such are the teething troubles of whiteboards in schools full of active students.

Our students learn by exploration and the temptation to learn about head hieght whiteboard projectors is a tactile challenge.

Processes are in train to raise the height of the projector.

WSR - Whiteboard Project - Dates to Remember

Click on 'Look for More.." several times for more



Click on 'Look for Earlier.." several times for more

Contacts and Subscriptions to WS-Whiteboard Action Research Group

If you are interested in knowing more about the project involving

Mount Druitt Office

Dawson PS

Halinda SSP

Mt Druitt PS

Kingswood Park PS

Telopea PS

St Marys PS

Use the form below to contact the group,

Subscribe to WSR WhiteBoard PSP

Email:

Visit this group

Western Sydney - .....with a Silver Bullet

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WSR WhiteBoard PSP

Visit this group

Halinda SSP belongs to a
Western Sydney -
Whiteboard Action Research Group

Here is a link to the proposed Group News Board.

Thanks to the ICT Team

A big team is needed to get a school off the technological launch pad. Halinda SSP would like to thank the Tech Services and Support team that helped get us up and running on our whole school server, reimaged our harware and provided tailoring to our needs as matters arose. Thanks to Adrian, Michael, Antonio and Ken all of whom did a fine job with the magic smoke that is technology. A good IT team is a boon for educators. We thank and appreciate you.

TALE

TALE is an education portal offering quality resources for teachers, parents and the community. As a participant in the Western Sydney Region Action Research project into Whiteboards Halinda played host to a talk by Jane Hunter covering the use of technology in teaching and learning, research findings and the joys of TALE.

http://www.tale.edu.au/tale

If you are a teacher, parent or interested member of the community (or all three)the site is worth a look !

Accessesing Technology

Interactive whiteboards can be lowered and made accessible for students with a wide range of needs. Bradley can reach the board and use the stylus from his wheelchair easily.

"Watch this!" he says.

Class is In !

Pick a box

Issaac can find and show who is in class using his visual class roll. He chooses his image and answers the question
'Who is here today ?' by placing his photo in the YES box.

Using the Gallery Search

Mosiah can use the software to find the picture he wants with a search function.

Infants Study Transport

Mosiah can use the Smartboard keyboard to type out train and bus.

Copying the Days of the Week

Matching Days of the Week

Visual Matching

Matching the word to the part on a giant penguin, part of Primary's Antarctica Unit.

Making Choices

An excellent resource for SSP specific media can be found at the Priory Woods School site. They have an excellent series of downloadable animations and interactive media for choice making activities. These downloads can be used with touch switches, touchscreens or whiteboards. They are one of the most relevant sites available to SSPs looking for switch media.

Darren can be seen here making a choice from a selection of ABBA songs !

On Task !

Joyful interaction with Whiteboard technology is an engaging thing to watch !

Reaching the board

Teachers in SSPs are in a demanding job where extra support for students is a daily need. To enable equitable access to whiteboard media, support, direction and prompted movement is neccessary. Helpers have to be physically able and competent practitioners.

Eyes on Task

Classes are engaged by exciting media.

Own Pace

Students can use individual PC consoles to orient themselves to tasks with fewer distractions when given the benefit of their own equipment. Something as simple as individual headphones can make the difference between unfocused behaviour and taking a greater interest in curriculum based skills.

Using your swordhand !

Students can gain a better sense of shadow management in a projected media environment when their shoulder is kept out of play. After some prompting and guidance students often gain skills to manage their shadow.

Nic at the Whiteboard

Nic enjoyed using the mobile whiteboard. He solved the problem of shadows cast by a low tabletop projector after prompting. Nic held the stylus well and was engaged with the workspace.

Music Rocks !

Students enjoy being Tech Savy. Age appropriate leisure activities increase the positive rewards available to students in class.

Engaged

Term 2 at a fresh Halinda ! We have a new school! This site is plumbed and wired to spec. This gives educationalists wide scope for incorporating technology into the curriculum across the school community.

The old Halinda tech

Karangi Rd Halinda has brought us many fun memories but a school site with limited cabling;
the Admin. block, the Library demountable and one Secondary classroom demountable, left exposure to technological resources limited for most of the school population. Nevertheless it was here that many of the 1st lessons of working with technology began.

Dylan can be seen here working with an online keyboard to create his own tune with the computer.