News

We have a fresh series of free online webinars and forums to support your professional learning and development, and build your e-capability. 

Find out and share what's on with your colleagues

• Term 4 Enabling e-Learning calendar of events
• Download the Term 4 flyer  to print for staff rooms
• Add events to your own calendar and share with your colleagues!

Our latest newsletter is out now. Check out what's new on the website and the free PLD available to you this term.

Find out more in the latest newsletter »

To sign up for our newsletters:

1. Go to the Newsletters  page
2. Look for the heading Keep Informed – enter your email, and click on the yellow subscribe button.

Consultation on new digital technologies content for the New Zealand Curriculum and Te Marautanga o Aotearoa, the Māori-medium Curriculum, was launched today by Education Minister Nikki Kaye.

“The new curriculum content is about ensuring that students across all year levels have access to rich learning aimed at building their digital skills and fluency, to prepare them for this world," said Minister Kaye.

More information »

• Read about the new curriculum content for consultation – Strengthening Digital Technologies Hangarau Matihiko in the curriculum – consultation .

• Complete the online survey  seeking feedback on the proposed Digital Technologies | Hangarau Matihiko curriculum content.

• Attend a consultation workshop – Digital Technologies| Hangarau Matihiko Curriculum content consultation workshops .

Education Minister Nikki Kaye today announced an investment package of around $40 million over three years to enhance the digital fluency of our young people.

“This investment will help integrate new digital technologies content, released this morning for consultation, into the New Zealand Curriculum and Te Marautanga o Aotearoa, our Māori-medium Curriculum,” says Ms Kaye.

$40 million digital fluency package at a glance

More information

• Read the full press release »

• Digital Technologies and the national curriculum – what’s it all about?

Our latest newsletter is out now. Check out what's new on the website and the free PLD available to you this term.

Find out more in the latest newsletter »

To sign up for our newsletters:

1. Go to the Newsletters  page
2. Look for the heading Keep Informed – enter your email, and click on the yellow subscribe button.

This new online survey tool is designed to provide useful information for school inquiry, review, and development. It can provide your school with important insights about its teaching practices, processes, and leadership.

The design of the survey ensures that:

• the items are based on robust research and are consistent with the New Zealand Curriculum, ERO's School Evaluation Indicators, and the draft Standards for the Teaching Profession
• it's completely confidential, NZCER developed and hosts the surveys and safeguards the data
• the principal gets sent a set of reports immediately after they close off the survey in their school so they can decide how best to use them.

Free to schools in Terms 2 and 3 each year.

NZCER will provide a national report at the end of the year.

Access the Teaching and school practices survey tool »

The 20/20 Trust's latest report, Digital technologies in schools, published April 2017, presents findings and information from the Digital Technologies in Schools survey. The survey objective was to ascertain how New Zealand schools manage access to, and the use of, digital technologies as a medium for curriculum delivery and student learning.

Specific areas of focus include:

• strategic planning and digital technologies
• digital tools for learning and personal digital tools
• internet safety and students
• te reo Māori resources
• the impact of digital technologies on learning
• barriers to the use of digital technologies in schools
• use of digital technologies to communicate with the wider community
• future-focused learning and stages of adoption of digital technologies by teachers.

The summary and full report are downloadable from the 20/20 Trust website .

The weekend media reported on a virus called WannaCry that is targeting computers of public organisations and private companies around the world.
 
Some schools may have been affected by this virus and we are writing to let you know what you should do and what we are doing to protect schools.

What is WannaCry?

WannaCry is malicious software that is taking control of computer systems by blocking access to a device, then demanding a ransom to unblock it. The virus, a type of ransomware, is largely being spread through emails when users click on links or attachments. Once a device is infected, the virus can quickly spread to all devices using your organisation’s network.
 
You can read more about WannaCry in New Zealand from CERT (Computer Emergency Response Team), the lead government agency monitoring the situation and providing advice on cyber security threats.

How can you protect your school?

• Keep your software up to date – Ensure all devices connecting to your school’s network are patched with the latest software updates. The virus is affecting devices using older versions of Microsoft Windows software (XP through to 2008 R2) by exploiting flaws in Microsoft Windows SMB Server. Turn automatic updates on wherever possible.

• Be cautious of email attachments and links and remind your staff and students to do the same – Everyone should apply a duty of care when clicking on links and opening email attachments. Note: these could be sent by people you know including students or staff who are unaware their devices have been infected.

• Check CERT for updates – Visit CERT’s advisory page, which provides updates and guidance on cyber security threats: https://www.cert.govt.nz/it-specialists/advisories

• Don’t become complacent and make sure back up files are kept off site

If your school has been infected, please report the incident to CERT immediately via its website: https://www.cert.govt.nz/businesses-and-individuals/report-an-issue/ and do not pay the ransom.

What is being done about it

N4L has blocked all traffic on the Managed Network that is attempting to connect to malicious IP addresses known to be associated with this virus. They are also actively monitoring the Managed Network to spot traffic patterns that may indicate suspicious activity from connected devices.

Web safety and cyber security requires continuous vigilance, education and duty of care around how devices are used. This virus may evolve and we will continue to work closely with our technology partner, Spark, and government agencies such as Ministry of Education, CERT and Netsafe to help schools keep their online environments safe for teaching and learning.

EduCampNZ is focused on digital learning, education, sharing ideas and learning from each other. Everyone is invited to participate.

EduCampNZ Dates and Venues for 2017

• EducampHB Saturday 13th May, Mahora School

• EducampTheTron Saturday 20th May, Maeroa Intermediate

• EducampPalmy Saturday 10th June, College Street School

• EducampNCant Saturday 10th June,Cheviot Area School

• EducampAKL Saturday 29th July, Papakura High School

Our latest newsletter is out now. Find out about, and register for, the great free webinars we have planned this term!

Check out what's new on our re-organised the website:

• Take a look around the Connected Learning Advisory, a new section on the site, find out what they can do for your school and contact them. 
• The resources for kura kaupapa Māori are now integrated across each section of the site.
• Take a look at the new content to support students who are deaf or hard of hearing, check out what you can do for NZ Sign Language week.
• Use the resources we have put together so you can plan for Samoa language week.

Find out more in the latest newsletter »

To sign up for our newsletters:

1. Go to the Newsletters  page
2. Look for the heading Keep Informed – enter your email, and click on the yellow subscribe button.

Nikki Kaye addressed the Secondary Principals' Association Annual Conference today. She talked about the role of digital technology and school infrastructure in the modernisation of the education system. She explained the importance of teacher supply, and how greater collaboration through Communities of Learning will help schools navigate a more successful path into the future. Key points from her speech relating to e-learning and digital technologies are outlined below.

Developing digital fluency

"Digital fluency is one of the five priority areas in teachers’ professional learning and development."

"The Ministry has set up a $1 million contestable fund, to support innovative learning projects that capture students’ imagination, and help them become skilled in using and developing digital technologies."

More information »

• Teacher-led Innovation Fund
• Grass Roots Initiative

Communities of Online Learning

"Communities of Online Learning are about supplementing and complementing learning in the classroom, not replacing it. The Virtual Learning Network is seeing schools across New Zealand come together as one online community, or a 'classroom without walls'. Communities of Online Learning will give students access to a wider range of subjects and teaching expertise."

Strengthening digital technologies within the curriculum

Equipping students with the right skills to participate in a 21st Century economy means equipping them to be creators, and not just users, of digital technology.

To support the new curriculum content, the Ministry is developing learning progressions for the design of digital technologies. This will help teachers deliver the rich, meaningful learning opportunities that will make a difference for all learners.

"The new curriculum content and the progressions will underpin the development of the NCEA Achievement Standards, meaning clearer learning pathways for digital technologies across the whole of the students’ schooling."

More information »

• Digital technologies in the curriculum »

Read Nikki Kaye's full speech to Secondary Principals’ Association of New Zealand Annual Conference »

The toolkit, developed by The Ministry of Education, contains information about the tools, resources, and services available to support Communities of Learning | Kāhui Ako to meet their achievement challenges and deliver personalised learning pathways for all ākonga.

The tools are arranged into six domains. Each Kāhui Ako will be at different stages of development in key areas within these six domains. The Development Map is designed to help each Kāhui Ako identify potential future development areas under each domain.

Go to the Community of Learning | Kāhui Ako toolkit »

We have developed some useful new pages on the Enabling e-Learning website and are providing some excellent free professional learning opportunities in our online community. 

The Enabling e-Learning website is now responsive, so you can view it easily on your phone!

Check out the latest newsletter to find out what's new!

Go to the Newsletters  page to:

• sign up for the newsletter – look for the heading Keep Informed, enter your email, and click on the yellow subscribe button. 
• view archived newsletters.

Netsafe’s Education Team has started work on the first update to the Netsafe Kit for Schools in five years. NetSafe worked closely with CORE Education and a team of researchers to develop the draft tool.

The pilot process

The team are piloting sections of the kit with schools and kura using a "test and learn" approach.

The first pilot involves a tool to help schools review the strategies, processes and resourcing they have in place to support digital citizenship and student wellbeing. 

There are already over 50 schools participating in the pilot which is now underway and runs through March/April.

Join the pilot »

If your school would like to join the pilot, email Karen Spencer  Director of Education at NetSafe.

The Schools' Cloud Transformation Project (SCTP) is an initiative by the Ministry of Education to assist Communities of Learning | Kāhui Ako, schools and kura in moving to cloud-based products and services in a smart, safe way.

Initial Trial – Lessons Learned  – A summary of the lessons learned from the initial trial, which may be useful to schools, kura and kāhui ako who are thinking about moving to the cloud.

Sign up to be part of the pilot  – If you would like to be considered as part of the Schools' Cloud Transformation Pilot, please complete the online form.

Heads in the cloud: moving school systems online  – Education Gazette article, March 2017, summarising the findings of the initial trial.

Lightning Lab Electric is inviting every coder, inventor, tinkerer, engineer, or ideas person to enter an Innovation Challenge, with ideas pushing boundaries in how consumers and businesses use, manage, distribute, transmit, and generate power.

Entries are open to ideas, prototypes and products with the potential to improve the use of electricity as we know it – hardware, smart gadgets, software, dynamic consumption models, and more.

Entries for the Innovation Challenge are open from 1 February to 20 March, 2017.

More information »

This online statistics project is open to all English and Māori-medium schools. Year 5 to 13 students use digital devices to answer 35 online questions in English or te reo Māori about their lives and opinions. CensusAtSchool gives teachers relevant, real-life data to help students tell stories about themselves and their peers

Teachers can register their classes and take part in CensusAtSchool at any time before it finishes on 7 July.

Registration information »

We have been busy over the summer break developing new content for the Enabling e-Learning website and planning a new series of free webinars and discussions in our online community.

Check out the latest newsletter to find out what's new!

Go to the Newsletters  page to:

• sign up for the newsletter – look for the heading Keep Informed, enter your email, and click on the yellow subscribe button. 
• view archived newsletters.

Each year Netsafe coordinates Safer Internet Day in NZ on behalf of the UK Safer Internet Centre. On 7 February, people across the world will promote the safe and positive use of technology in fun and interesting ways. 

With the theme "Be the change: Unite for a better internet", Netsafe is working with individuals, organisations and schools across the country including Google, Trade Me, and Twitter to spread the message.

What can you do?

• Register now for the free webinar: Safer Internet Day: Updates from Netsafe with Karen Spencer »  
• Find out how you can participate in Safer Internet Day now »

This new resource on the Educational Leaders website promotes the leadership of collaborative, evidence-informed inquiry in ways that keep learners’ progress at the centre.

It provides field-tested tools and ideas to support leaders and teachers to apply spirals of inquiry, learning and action with their learners.

Go to Spiral of inquiry: Leaders leading learning »