Issue 96 - Term 2 Week 3

Our ever-expanding list of stem.T4L equipment has a new addition with the release of the Insta360 Pro 2. The Insta360 Pro 2 is a 360-degree camera designed for use across many applications, including professional photo and video production in 8K resolution, VR content creation and live streaming in 4K resolution. The Insta360 Pro 2 we are offering, is for a single user to create a specific product at a commercial quality - such as a school tour, a teaching resource, an artwork or film. You can borrow the Insta360 Pro 2 for four weeks only, to create your own professional-grade 360-degree media. We have a limited quantity of cameras, so please only borrow this kit if you have specific purpose for it. Find out more and book the Insta360 Pro 2!

In April 2022, the department changed the default browser on all managed computers from Internet Explorer to Google Chrome. This became the new standard and could not be changed by users. Shortly after, Microsoft released its Edge browser which runs on the Chromium engine. Globally, Edge is becoming very popular due to its added unique features and how it performs better with Office 365 and OneDrive. Many users and schools logged tickets to request the default browser be changed to Edge for them. As a result, on 12 April, a change was applied and the default browser setting is no longer forced. The default can now be changed individually on a per user, per device basis. Freshly built devices will have Edge as default, as that is the Microsoft default - then it can be changed.

You may have missed a Staff Noticeboard article published on 4 April about a big change that will affect ALL schools. ALL users of EBS in the department will change the way they access EBS during May 2023. Currently, access is via Citrix, but going forward, it will be via Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD). Please ensure the above link is passed on to ALL staff at your school that use EBS.

Come on an adventure with T4L's Virtual Staffroom crew as they explore all things technology and ecology with the game-changing team from Brewongle Environmental Education Centre! Nestled on Sydney's Hawkesbury River, we talk 360-degree tours, remote trail cameras and so much more! We hear how technology is supercharging the way that visiting students learn at the EEC, providing them with the tools to take positive and meaningful action about their environment. Listen to the Virtual Staffroom now!

If your teachers or entire school were considering implementing more of the Microsoft 365 platform in 2023, take advantage of the Microsoft Educator Workshops and School Transformation Program! Microsoft are offering a range of free, short teacher workshops in Term 2, before launching into their amazing School Transformation Program in Terms 3 and 4. Explore the variety of workshops and register yourself for any or all of these online sessions. Remember to also share the link with your colleagues! They present a great opportunity for staff not only build their own technology skills, but larn how to effectively apply them in their work at school. Then, the 2023 Microsoft School Transformation Program is a free professional learning program that supports schools to digitally transform using Microsoft technologies. A school that signs up to the program commits to school-wide change, sending leaders, teachers and IT technical staff to attend online workshops to develop a strategy, implementation plan, professional learning experiences, and an achievable horizon plan.

There are two exciting new Minecraft Education lessons for students to experience that cater for a variety of key learning areas! Blast off to the moon with Artemis Missions worlds, created in partnership with NASA. It gives learners a chance to design and launch a moon rocket—then use block coding or Python to navigate the Orion space capsule. These aligned lessons are easy to teach and fun to learn for all ages. So, strap on your spacesuit and get ready for the blockiest space adventure yet! Next, jump over and protect your polar bear cubs, hunt as a killer whale, and gather nectar as a bumblebee. Discover the frozen parts of our planet in five Minecraft worlds inspired by Frozen Planet II, the BBC Studios series. Experience life through the eyes of astounding animals and learn about the effects of climate change. Play as eight different animals and learn what it takes to survive and thrive in the harsh conditions of the global cryosphere!

The department is a high-value target for cyber-criminals due to the personal and sensitive data we store. It is up to all of us to keep this data and information safe. The increasing reports of cyber security breaches serve as an important reminder: have you completed your mandatory cyber security training? You'll find some great advice and guidelines on the Mandatory Cyber Security training webpage, which also covers the level of training that each role in the department needs to complete:

• All staff are expected to complete Essentials training once
• ICT Coordinators and TSO’s must also complete the Essentials Plus training
• Staff who previously completed the Essentials course more than a year ago can complete a 15 min Refresher training course to ensure their knowledge is up to date.

Every new Apple iPad or Mac purchased via EdBuy, or supplied through a department allocation or rollout, includes a 4 year Jamf Pro licence. This commenced from Term 3, 2019. As the four year licences for those older devices near expiry, a notification icon will appear in your Jamf Pro console. If older Apple devices are still viable and useful, schools should purchase new Jamf Pro licences to allocate to these devices, to ensure local management continues. But rather than buying and paying for another four year licence, a new single year licence can now be purchased for iPads, in packs of five. The product code to search for in EdBuy is HPT12X/A. Once ordered, new licences will appear in your school's Jamf console and can be allocated to devices, as their old licences expire. A similar one year licence will soon be on EdBuy for managed Apple Macs as their original licences expire.

If your school received Windows notebooks on the T4L Rollout from the last two years, most of those devices did not include a built-in ethernet port and were supplied with a separate USB to ethernet adapter. The adapter is required for the initial F12 build. As a result, most schools now have a variety of adapters lying around doing nothing. But the next time you need to F12 rebuild any of these devices, will you be able to quickly find the correct USB Ethernet adapter needed for the device? You'll quickly find that most of them are not interchangeable. You need the right adapter for the right device type. This handy tip will save you time! It won't take long to collect and sort all the different adapters you have, into storage containers that you can label. It will be so much easier the next time you need to F12 rebuild any given Windows notebook that you have in the school.

magazine.T4L continues to be an amazing publication designed specifically with teachers in mind. The back catalogue is a fabulous repository of resources you can apply, and in each issue you will find an easy snapshot of tech solutions for your classroom, as well as links to boost your own digital knowledge. Issue 23 of magazine.T4L focusses on assessment and feedback and provides valuable information and resources to support you throughout Term 2. Get creative with your forms of assessment and explore some of the latest features and boost your skills with the tech platforms you know and love - Google Forms, Apple Classroom, Microsoft OneNote, Forms and Teams. Supported by a suite of practical videos, including how to organise online bookings with colleagues or parents using Google Calendar and using Microsoft Outlook to help you streamline your time. The latest magazine.T4L is an issue not to be missed!

• Adobe Student Creativity Challenges - Live and on-demand lessons on making the most of Adobe Express for students aged 10 to 14. Tuesday 23 May - 9:30-10:15am.
• Adobe Pro Tips for Students - Live and on-demand lessons on Adobe’s professional tools for students aged 15+. Series 1 on Photoshop. Thursday 25 May - 9:30-10:15am.
• Dr Tim Kitchen from Adobe will deliver two in-person opportunities on Enhancing digital creativity & engagement throughout the curriculum at Adobe's office in Sydney on May 15. The first session is for school leaders and the second session is for any educator.
• Finally, check out and share the new amazing teaching resources from Adobe that are linked to the NSW Curriculum.

Information Technology Directorate publishes three issues of news.T4L each term. Remember - share each issue with your staff! And if you aren't receiving an email notification as soon as a new issue of news.T4L drops, then you're missing out! So why not subscribe?