Issue 128 - 2025 | Term 4 | Week 9
Update Automatic archiving of online classrooms
At the end of each year teachers are encouraged to archive their online learning spaces, such as Google Classroom and Microsoft Teams Class teams.
When online learning spaces remain active after the school year, they can often be left unsupervised, with comments unmoderated. As a result of this, ITD will now automatically archive all Google Classroom and Microsoft Teams Class teams at the end of Term 4. This will save teachers time and support appropriate duty of care in these environments.
Communication will be sent to all Google and Microsoft online classroom owners prior to the automatic archiving taking place at the end of this term. We are aware there are many online learning spaces that are needed across multiple years. Please see the resources below about the simple method to restoring your online learning spaces. We suggest you do this on the return to school, unless you are actively supervising their use over the school holiday break.
Restore a Google Classroom
Restore a Microsoft Teams Class team
Update End User Device Refresh Program update
The EUDR pilot continues, with a device rollout to six schools on 24 November, and seven more in the first week of December. All pilot schools have completed device audits and received device delivery.
The pilot is establishing new rollout processes, which include audit, logistics, user support and device lifecycle management. The insights gained will shape the wider 2026 rollout, ensuring every eligible teacher receives a modern, reliable device to support teaching and learning. The EUDR program team will continue to work closely with these pilot schools over the coming weeks.
Work is also underway to build a central EUDR website. Watch this space for updates.
We look forward to providing further updates regarding the pilot and a proposed strategy in early 2026.
Tip EDConnect Online - helpful tips
EDConnect Online gives you more ways to get the support you need! All DoE staff are able to log a ticket and there are now multiple ways to get in touch. You can still get help via a phone call on 1300 32 32 32, as well as the EDConnect Online form, but did you know you can Book a call for a time that suits you or use the live chat function?
EDConnect Online has recently updated some of the forms to help get you support faster! These include:
- Print management
- Hardware support
- Warranty repairs
- Network connectivity issues
- Software support
Try to search with key words rather than sentences, for example: group tag, wifi, warranty.
You can also request an update on your ticket by going into the Requests section, finding your ticket and posting a message directly to the support officer who is assigned your ticket.
Keep an eye out for more updates to EDConnect Online in the future.
Info Under-16s social media age restrictions
From 10 December 2025, social media age restrictions will come into effect across Australia. Age-restricted social media platforms will have to take reasonable steps to prevent Australians under 16 from creating or keeping accounts.
NSW DoE students have access to YouTube in Restricted Mode, a safer viewing setting that limits functionality in line with NSW Department of Education policies and safeguards. This is not affected by the new age restrictions. If the content is publicly available and does not require students to login to another platform, they will still be able to watch it.
For more information, please access the Under-16s social media age restriction legislation toolkit regarding the changes that will come into effect. This includes resources for both staff and community.
PL Back to school with Google
To help prepare for 2026, Google is extending an invitation to join your local Google for Education team for their Back to School webinar series.
During these webinars, they will cover essential tips, time-saving features, favourite learning tools, and exciting new updates designed to help teachers foster an engaging, inclusive and technologically empowered classroom environment.
Discover how to maximise the potential of current tools and get a preview of what's on the horizon for Google for Education.
Click here to learn more and book your spot. Feel free to share the invitation with any colleagues who may also be interested in joining.
Update Microsoft Learning Accelerator Updates
Microsoft Learning Accelerators have recently introduced new features that deepen personalised learning for students and provide sharper insights about their progress.
Reading Progress and Reading Coach now support story creation, allowing students to choose characters and settings for personalised reading practice. You can set time-based goals, upload custom passages and track fluency metrics like speed and accuracy. Math Progress provides adaptive practice for maths skills, giving students instant feedback and helping you identify their learning gaps quickly.
Search Coach and Search Progress encourage students to create strong queries and evaluate sources critically, while monitoring their progress in developing information literacy. Speaker Progress supports presentation skills with real-time coaching on pacing, clarity, and confidence, helping students become better communicators.
To learn more about how to apply the specific capabilities of each Learning Accelerator visit: Learning Accelerators for educators - Training | Microsoft Learn
Info Check before you share files
File sharing is a quick way to collaborate with someone else, helping you to work more efficiently. Check out the updated guidelines to securely store and safely share information within the Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace systems.
- Set the right file permissions: make sure link access permissions aren't set too wide. Sharing links set as 'People in the NSW Department of Education' will include the student cohort. The most secure option is ‘People you choose’.
- Set expiry dates on shared links: you can revoke access if required or recall an email if sent by mistake.
- Avoid attaching files to emails: an email containing sensitive information that is sent externally is a data breach and must be reported. Emails sent to external people or organisations cannot be recalled.
What to consider before sending a link?
- Who am I sharing with? Double-check email recipients before you hit send.
- Check who can view vs. edit. Does the recipient need to edit, or can they just view?
- Are the permissions appropriate? Or do you need to limit?
Bookmark, read and share the Securely storing and sharing documents in SharePoint, Teams, OneDrive and Google Workspace guidelines.
Have a look at Issue 127 of news.T4L which outlined the useful steps to share files and folders..
Tip End of year reflection with Adobe Express
2025 is wrapping up and your students have a story to tell.
Try an Adobe Express guided activity:
Students can bring their own creative spark to reflect on the learning journey or use their imagination to project into the future.
If you want access to some great 2026 prep templates and awesome ideas, go to the new ACE Community Hub and stay in the loop.
Update 12 months of Intune and CDM in Schools
Since it’s release in early December 2024, all schools have been able to enrol or migrate their Windows devices to Intune, using the console Cloud Device Management (CDM) to manage their devices.
School based ICT coordinators, TSO’s and Digital Field Services teams have done an amazing job and enrolled over 400,000 devices across NSW DoE schools in that time.
Since May 2024, CDM has had 44 new features released as well as 65 bugs resolved. Most of these features were driven from feedback given by our technical community, both in schools and Digital Field Services.
You can also now find additional device properties published in the CDM console including last boot time, last logged in User with date and time, physical memory amount and more.
Info Apple Girl Geek Academy
Girl Geek Academy is a free, three-day work experience program for high school-aged girls at Apple Training Centre in Sydney, 7-9 January 2026.
This work experience program helps students design and develop solutions on Apple devices and make new friends who are also interested in app design and development.
For more information and how to apply, click here.
Info We want your feedback!
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Info Canva academic year rollover guide
As the school year ends, teachers and students should prepare their Canva account for graduation, changing schools or leaving the Department.
Graduating students should download their designs, individually or in bulk and re-upload them to a personal Canva account, as Canva’s restricted sharing settings for students prevent designs from being shared to non-school addresses. This ensures continued access after their school email is deactivated. Teachers who are departing or moving to a non-DoE school can either download their designs or transfer them to a personal account following Canva’s step-by-step instructions.
For staff and students changing schools (within DoE) in 2026, including Year 6 students moving to high school, Single Sign On processes automatically add users to their new school Canva team when accessed via their staff/student portal, making collaboration with new colleagues and classmates simple. To keep their creative work, users can use the Copy to Another Team feature to move designs or folders from their old school team to their new one.
Please explore this guide for more information and links on steps to take at the end of the academic year with Canva.
Fun ICT thought of the day
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