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<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=431470500-30042005><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>Hi Stephen,</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=431470500-30042005><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=431470500-30042005><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>Why don't you get in touch with both:</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=431470500-30042005><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=431470500-30042005><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>a) Daryl for an overview of the future (he was very helpful
when being the "IT AP" at Glen Waverley SC)</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=431470500-30042005><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>b) some of the LTCs at the pilot schools for a
rhetoric-free, coalface view of the progress so far.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=431470500-30042005><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=431470500-30042005><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>Cheers,</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=431470500-30042005><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>Clarky</FONT></SPAN></DIV><BR>
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader lang=en-us dir=ltr align=left>
<HR tabIndex=-1>
<FONT face=Tahoma size=2><B>From:</B> tech-bounces@edulists.com.au
[mailto:tech-bounces@edulists.com.au] <B>On Behalf Of </B>Stephen Digby
DEET<BR><B>Sent:</B> Friday, 29 April 2005 11:31 AM<BR><B>To:</B>
ultranet@edumail.vic.gov.au<BR><B>Cc:</B> Kelly, Mark; BOR; CRK; edulists.com.au
Tech; Gesthuizen,Roland; SAN<BR><B>Subject:</B> [Technical]
Ultranet<BR></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV></DIV><!-- Converted from text/plain format -->
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>How is it going ? Any update ? Have found
......</FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=2><A
href="http://www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/blueprint/fs1/s@c.asp"><FONT
face=Arial>http://www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/blueprint/fs1/s@c.asp</FONT></A><FONT
face=Arial> and</FONT></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2><A
href="http://www.mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au/projects/ultranet/">http://www.mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au/projects/ultranet/</A></FONT></P>
<P><STRONG><FONT face=Arial>Interested conceptually :</FONT></STRONG></P>
<UL>
<LI><STRONG><FONT face=Arial>are you writing applications in all areas
mentioned as a singlke integrated product OR</FONT></STRONG>
<LI><STRONG><FONT face=Arial>are you interfacing existing database
applications (e.g Timetabler, Markbook, First Class etc) within an Oracle
framework</FONT></STRONG></LI></UL>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial>Interested practically</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<UL>
<LI><STRONG><FONT face=Arial>ETA for rollout of "Beta tested" stable
product</FONT></STRONG>
<LI><STRONG><FONT face=Arial>Likely pricing structure/
approach</FONT></STRONG></LI></UL>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial>These questions are very important to many schools
who are researching, experimenting and even developing software in this
area when perhaps they should be leaving this area alone until the ultranet
project bears fruit. </FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial>Duplication of effort and re-invention of the
wheel remain the two most costly budget items in the education. Wherever
we can reduce them, we allow other fruit to ripen.</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<P><STRONG><FONT face=Arial>Thanks</FONT></STRONG></P><FONT size=2>
<DIV align=left><FONT size=2>
<DIV class=Section1>
<P class=MsoAutoSig align=left><STRONG><FONT face=Arial
size=3>==================================<BR>Stephen Digby, Learning Technology
Manager<BR></FONT></STRONG><A
href="mailto:digby.stephen.p@edumail.vic.gov.au"><STRONG><FONT face=Arial
size=3>digby.stephen.p@edumail.vic.gov.au</FONT></STRONG></A><BR><STRONG><FONT
face=Arial size=3>Cheltenham Secondary College<BR></FONT></STRONG><A
href="http://www.cheltsec.vic.edu.au/"><STRONG><FONT face=Arial
size=3>www.cheltsec.vic.edu.au</FONT></STRONG></A><BR><FONT
face=Arial><STRONG><FONT size=3>Ph: 613 955 55 955<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Fx: 9555
8617<BR></FONT></STRONG>==================================<BR><o:p> </o:p></FONT></P></DIV></FONT></FONT><FONT
size=2><FONT face=Arial size=5>Students@Centre Ultranet</FONT></DIV>
<P><A href="http://www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/blueprint/fs1/s@c.asp#background"><FONT
face=Arial>Background</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial> | </FONT><A
href="http://www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/blueprint/fs1/s@c.asp#objectives"><FONT
face=Arial>Objectives</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial> | </FONT><A
href="http://www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/blueprint/fs1/s@c.asp#benefits"><FONT
face=Arial>Benefits</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial> | </FONT><A
href="http://www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/blueprint/fs1/s@c.asp#functions"><FONT
face=Arial>Functions</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial> | </FONT><A
href="http://www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/blueprint/fs1/s@c.asp#schools"><FONT
face=Arial>Schools in the Project</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial> | </FONT><A
href="http://www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/blueprint/fs1/s@c.asp#updates"><FONT
face=Arial>Project Updates </FONT></A><FONT face=Arial>| </FONT><A
href="http://www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/blueprint/fs1/s@c.asp#contact"><FONT
face=Arial>Contact</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial> </FONT></P>
<H2><A name=background></A><FONT face=Arial>Background </FONT></H2>
<P><FONT face=Arial>The Victorian Department of Education and Training is
undertaking a joint Research and Development Initiative with the Oracle
Corporation to help support a number of the key flagship strategies outlined in
the Minister's Blueprint for Government Schools. Specifically, the Research and
Development Initiative aims to produce the prototype for a student centric
system that supports teaching and learning, curriculum delivery and the
management of knowledge in Victorian schools. The prototype, to be known as the
Ultranet, will be based on Oracle's L360 design and provide the functionality of
the Glen Waverley Secondary College intranet. The Ultranet will be developed and
tested in twelve Primary and Secondary schools (to be known as R&D Schools)
over a 12 month period to provide the information required for the
implementation and evaluation of the prototype solution in a range of school
settings. Phase 1 implementation is scheduled for July 2005 and Phase 2 in
January 2006. </FONT></P>
<UL>
<LI><A
href="http://www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/blueprint/docs/background_paper.doc"><FONT
face=Arial>Background Paper <SPAN class=linktype>(Word -
163Kb)</SPAN></FONT></A><FONT face=Arial> </FONT>
<LI><A
href="http://www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/blueprint/docs/what_is_the_ultranet.ppt"><FONT
face=Arial>What is the Ultranet Powerpoint <SPAN class=linktype>(PPT -
296Kb)</SPAN> </FONT></A></LI></UL><!-- #BeginLibraryItem "/library/back_to_top.lbi" -->
<P class=backToTop><A
href="http://www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/blueprint/fs1/s@c.asp#top"><FONT
face=Arial>Back to Top</FONT></A></P><!-- #EndLibraryItem -->
<H2><A name=objectives></A><FONT face=Arial>Objectives </FONT></H2>
<P><FONT face=Arial>Victoria has been a world leader in the provision of
technology to government schools. Several initiatives undertaken by the
Department of Education and Training have been essential in developing schools'
and teachers' capacity to engage with ICT. The challenge is to now shift the
focus from one of peripheral engagement and supply to holistic intent and
demand; to provide an ICT framework that allows the whole school community to
engage with learning in ways not previously possible; to foster a culture of
collaboration and sharing. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial>The Ultranet provides the fabric upon which organisational
intelligence can be created. One of the ways by which this is accomplished is by
building a rich picture of the student, tracking his/her progress from class to
class, year to year and school to school. The development of this longitudinal
record is an essential part of the Ultranet. </FONT></P><!-- #BeginLibraryItem "/library/back_to_top.lbi" -->
<P class=backToTop><A
href="http://www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/blueprint/fs1/s@c.asp#top"><FONT
face=Arial>Back to Top</FONT></A></P><!-- #EndLibraryItem -->
<H2><A name=benefits></A><FONT face=Arial>Benefits </FONT></H2>
<P><FONT face=Arial>Students can access their classroom activities and resources
from anywhere at anytime. There is greater opportunity for collaboration,
reflection and personal interaction with their teacher. There is a greater
emphasis on their learning and more opportunity to reflect upon their progress.
</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial>Teachers are provided with a better understanding of their
students. They are able to collaborate far more effectively with their
colleagues and there is greater transparency. This fosters an environment where
programmes are continuously improved and extended, where the knowledge base of
teachers is captured, organised, shared and utilized so that it incrementally
builds the organisation's knowledge base. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial>Parents gain a much richer and timely insight into their
children's progress. They do not need to wait until parent-teacher night or for
an end of semester report to receive feedback on how their child is progressing.
They can log on to follow the activities and the interactions with teacher and
peers that their child is undertaking at school. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial>Schools have the capacity to readily identify students in an
at risk situation and design appropriate interventions as the Ultranet
integrates data from a range of sources. Schools have access to real-time and
longitudinal data that enables them to effectively monitor, measure and evaluate
the impact of their programmes. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial>The School System will also have accurate and real-time data
on: student attendance and achievement; time spent in key learning areas;
courses and activities undertaken in schools; extent of teacher engagement with
professional development and the use of digital resources. This data will
facilitate strategic planning allowing for more informed allocation of resources
to support system wide objectives. </FONT></P><!-- #BeginLibraryItem "/library/back_to_top.lbi" -->
<P class=backToTop><A
href="http://www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/blueprint/fs1/s@c.asp#top"><FONT
face=Arial>Back to Top</FONT></A></P><!-- #EndLibraryItem -->
<H2><A name=functions></A><FONT face=Arial>Functions </FONT></H2>
<P><FONT face=Arial>The Ultranet will build organisational intelligence and
assume the central focus for how all 'business' is conducted in schools. It is
not about 'online learning' or 'content management'. It will integrate the key
processes involved in the day to day running of a school and a classroom. It
will redefine the nature and purpose of all interactions between members of the
school community. It will support teaching and learning, particularly Flagship
Strategy 1 - Student Learning. It will provide functionality in areas of
classroom and school administration, exploiting the synergy between the two.
Specifically the Ultranet will provide functionality in the following areas:
</FONT></P>
<UL>
<LI><FONT face=Arial>Professional Development </FONT>
<LI><FONT face=Arial>Attendance and Roll Marking / Excursions </FONT>
<LI><FONT face=Arial>Timetabling / Daily Organisation </FONT>
<LI><FONT face=Arial>Bookings and Lists </FONT>
<LI><FONT face=Arial>Notifications / Messaging </FONT>
<LI><FONT face=Arial>Course and Lesson Planning </FONT>
<LI><FONT face=Arial>Assessment and Feedback </FONT></LI></UL><!-- #BeginLibraryItem "/library/back_to_top.lbi" -->
<P class=backToTop><A
href="http://www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/blueprint/fs1/s@c.asp#top"><FONT
face=Arial>Back to Top</FONT></A></P><!-- #EndLibraryItem -->
<H2><A name=schools></A><FONT face=Arial>Schools in the Project </FONT></H2>
<H3><FONT face=Arial>S@C Research and Development Schools </A></FONT></H3>
<UL>
<LI><FONT face=Arial>Ringwood Secondary College </FONT>
<LI><FONT face=Arial>Koonung Secondary College </FONT>
<LI><FONT face=Arial>Balwyn High School </FONT>
<LI><FONT face=Arial>St Albans Meadows Primary School </FONT>
<LI><FONT face=Arial>Debney Park Secondary College </FONT>
<LI><FONT face=Arial>Fitzroy North Primary School </FONT>
<LI><FONT face=Arial>Noble Park Special Developmental School </FONT>
<LI><FONT face=Arial>McKinnon Secondary College </FONT>
<LI><FONT face=Arial>Ormond Primary School </FONT>
<LI><FONT face=Arial>McKinnon Primary School </FONT>
<LI><FONT face=Arial>Murrumbeena Primary School </FONT>
<LI><FONT face=Arial>Valkstone Primary School </FONT></LI></UL>
<H2><A name=updates></A><FONT face=Arial>Project Updates</FONT></H2>
<H3><FONT face=Arial>28 February 2005 </A></FONT></H3>
<P><FONT face=Arial>The project is well underway with Oracle in the process of
developing software for a staged implementation of Ultranet functions into the
12 pilot schools. DE&T has initiated a professional learning program for the
pilot schools and a privacy impact statement for the project has commenced.
</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial>Consultants engaged from Melbourne University are in the
planning stages of an extensive evaluation of the pilot, which will inform
DE&T as to whether there is a compelling enough case to secure resources for
a public tender to deploy the Ultranet in all schools.</FONT></P>
<H2><A name=contact></A><FONT face=Arial>Contact</FONT></H2>
<P><FONT face=Arial>For further information email </FONT><A
href="mailto:ultranet@edumail.vic.gov.au "><FONT
face=Arial>ultranet@edumail.vic.gov.au </FONT></A></P><!-- #BeginLibraryItem "/library/back_to_top.lbi" -->
<P class=backToTop><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </P>
<P class=backToTop><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </P>
<P class=backToTop>
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width="75%" align=center border=0>
<TBODY>
<TR>
<TD>
<DIV align=center>
<P><A name=top></A><A href="http://www.mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au/index.htm"
target=_top><FONT face=Arial>McKinnon Secondary
College</FONT></A></P></DIV></TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD bgColor=#99ccff>
<DIV align=center>
<H1><FONT face=Arial>Ultranet</FONT></H1></DIV></TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD>
<CENTER>
<P align=left><FONT face=Arial>In 2004, McKinnon Secondary College and its
cluster schools were chosen to trial the Ultranet project. Involving
wireless ICT and new intranet software, the project is led by Darrell
Fraser, Assistant Secretary to Schools in Victoria.</FONT></P>
<P align=left><FONT face=Arial>McKinnon Secondary College and its partner
Primary Schools have been selected to trial this new government initiative
which will streamline many administrative practices and greatly improve
the use of IT in classroom teaching and learning. McKinnon Secondary
College will have a wireless network, with teachers and students having
access to the internet and our IT network everywhere in the college.
</FONT></P>
<P align=left><FONT face=Arial>The trial will begin in earnest in semester
two, and we will be attending regular briefings over<BR>the first half of
the year. We hope to devote our cluster conference day in May to
preparation for this exciting initiative.</FONT></P>
<P align=left><FONT face=Arial>More details of the project will be given
when they are known. The project is due to commence in June
2005.</FONT></P>
<P align=left><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </P></CENTER></TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD>
<P><STRONG><FONT face=Arial>Ultranet innovation for teaching and learning
(From <EM>The Education News</EM>) </FONT></STRONG></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial>Twelve Victorian government primary and secondary
schools will be involved in a major research and development </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial>(R&D) initiative that aims to produce the
prototype for a student-centric system that supports teaching and
learning, curriculum delivery and the management of knowledge in Victorian
schools. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial>The Department of Education & Training (DE&T)
and software company the Oracle Corporation have been working together to
produce a prototype - to be known as the Ultranet - that will combine
features of a school Intranet, learning management system and student
administration system. It will also link to other information systems such
as school timetabling software and DE&Ts CASES21 system. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial>The Ultranet will integrate many administrative tasks,
online roll marking, course and lesson planning, assessment and feedback,
and enable access to students, parents and teachers. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial>DE&T Deputy Secretary of the Office of School
Education (OSE) Darrell Fraser said a number of schools, including
McKinnon Secondary College, Ormond, Valkstone, and McKinnon primary
schools, Debney Park Secondary College and Noble Park Special Development
School would be involved in the pilot. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial>"Many schools are experimenting with their own [ICT]
frameworks and have done some very impressive work in utilising technology
to inform learning," he said.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial>"However, this project aims to build a product that
provides an ICT framework that allows the whole school community to engage
with learning in ways not previously possible." </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial>Mr Fraser this week joined principals from the R&D
schools to detail the initiative and the potential benefits for the
Victorian government school system. He said the benefits of such an
initiative were varied. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial>"The Ultranet has the capacity to revolutionise how we
work in schools. It aims to simplify many administrative tasks as well as
enhance cooperation and collaboration between teachers, students and
parents. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial>"Over time, a picture of individual students is
developed, which maintained as students move fit class to class, between
year levels and from school to school. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial>"This means that schools, clusters, regions and the
Department will have much richer longitudinal information.” </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial>The prototype testing, development and evaluation with
the pilot schools will take place over 18 months and will inform possible
system-wide roll out.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </P></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></P></FONT>
<P></P>
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