News

The School Student Broadband Initiative is an Australian Government program that offers free home internet to families and carers who look after school age children and are struggling to pay the bills.

Do you know someone who may be interested?  

With less than 6 months to go for families and carers to redeem their vouchers, VINE are doing what we can to share this offer.

Flyers to help advertise in your school community are available via this link: nbn® Digital Asset Portal (nbnco.com.au)

To qualify for this offer:  

• You must be caring for a school age student at your home.  
• The household must not have an active nbn connection now or in the past 14 days (Having a mobile internet service does not affect eligibility).  
• Must live in premises that can access the nbn network through a standard connection.      
• Apply for the offer by 31 December 2024 to get free home internet until the end of December 2025  

Contact the National Referral Centre to apply on 1800 954 610 Monday - Friday, 10am - 6pm (AEDT) or visit https://www.anglicarevic.org.au/student-internet/  

What’s included in the offer?  

• Free home internet until December 2025  
• Free WI-FI router (you can keep it)  
• Unlimited data  
• 50 / 20 plan (this is a typical household plan)  
• No lock in contracts  
• Choice of participating internet providers  
• Ongoing support from the National Referral Centre to apply – callback, webchat, and interpreting services available  

Have further questions or want to know more? 

Visit the FAQs on the National Referral Centre website: https://www.anglicarevic.org.au/student-internet/ 

or  

Contact: ssbi_engagement@nbnco.com.au 

It's with great pleasure that we announce the sponsors for the Victorian ICT Network for Education (VINE) for the 2024/2025 financial year. We're looking forward to embracing a number of new sponsors while also sustaining our partnerships with ongoing supporters.

This year, our Platinum Sponsor is Cisco and we are excited by the array of opportunities this new collaboration affords.

Additionally, our collaboration with Centorrino Technologiesis expanding, as they will not only sustain our Women in IT initiative but will also back our security-themed events and materials.

We also welcome new annual Streaming Sponsor Xuno, who will assist us with streaming our events and providing an archive of video resources.

Theme Sponsors

2024/2025 has seen introduction of sub-committees who lead the development of event agendas and the creation of resources in our various themes. We are pleased to introduce our new Themed Gold Partners and Themed Partner Sponsors:

• Data Gold Partner – Atturra
• Data Partner – Compass Education
  
  
• Security Gold Partner – Centorrino Technologies
• Security Partner – HPE Aruba Networking
  
  
• Strategy & Leadership Gold Partner – Compnow
• Strategy & Leadership Partner – Novo3
  
  
• Teaching & Learning Gold Partner – Sentral
• Teaching & Learning Partner – Pixevety
  
  
• Tech Ops Gold Partner – Edunet
• Tech Ops Partner – Fortinet
• Tech Ops Partner - Honeylight

VINE’s continued success is made possible by the incredible support of all our sponsors. We extend our heartfelt thanks to them on behalf of VINE members and look forward to a productive year Sharing, Learning and Growing!

The 2023 VINE/ASBA ICT Benchmarking Survey has been released and holds a wealth of information about the current state of technology use and management in K-12 schools.

60 schools (75% metropolitan and 25% inner and outer regional) across Independent (67%), Catholic (25%) and State/Public (8%) sectors took part in the comprehensive survey which covered areas including:

•  ICT Resourcing and Responsibilities
•  Connectivity
• User Devices
• Software and Services - Operations
• Software and Services - Teaching and Learning
• Software and Services - Communications
• Software and Services - Systems Administration
• Network Devices
• Suppliers and Vendors
• Policy, Risk and Governance
• Safety and Security

The general report and individual school reports were compiled by independent consulting firm Votar Partners. The survey platform was provided in partnership with Independent Schools Queensland.

While any school could participate in the survey and receive the general report, VINE Member schools were provided with a unique code to place their school within the overall dataset. The unique code was used to obfuscate school identity while facilitating furnishing the owner of each code with a targeted report about their school in the context of all participating schools.

While there were many interesting aspects of the report, a few key findings were:

• ICT resourcing within schools is not excessive with investment levels as a percentage of overall school budgets being between 3-5% for most respondents.
• ICT staffing levels and seats at the leadership table were also low despite the broad and complex responsibilities ICT teams are accountable for.
• The security posture of most responding schools represents a material risk with a lack of policies, plans and operational controls.

There are other summary findings in the report along with far more detail about each of the areas listed above – members can access the general report on the VINE website. (VINE Members Only)

VINE and ASBA anticipate undertaking this survey again in the years ahead to help inform and support the maturation of ICT use and management with K-12 schools.

View report (VINE Members Only)

At the VINE Teaching with Technology day, hosted at Camberwell Grammar School, we had the pleasure of launching the VINE Generative AI Guidelines to member schools. The guidelines have been distributed as an open access document to VINE members and non-members, and are available on the VINE website here. During the session, we held an “AI round table” with some very rich discussions about what these technologies mean for the future of education.

The Guidelines were developed over a period of two terms in consultation with VINE member schools, reflecting on the draft National Framework and the UNESCO Guidelines for Generative AI in Education and Research, as well as my own PhD studies and work with other schools and universities. Further consultation with a number of VINE member schools during the process helped fine tune drafts and make sure that the Guidelines were as practical as possible.

The Guidelines are broken into three core areas: Teaching and Learning; Privacy, Security and Safety; and Fairness, Accessibility and Equity.

Teaching and Learning

In discussions with VINE, we decided that these guidelines should focus first on Teaching and Learning. Although many schools have leaned on ICT and Digital Technologies staff for support with Generative AI, it’s clear that the technology will impact all levels of teaching and learning, and all disciplines. The guidelines begin with a discussion of academic integrity and assessment. Most schools’ academic integrity policies will not need to be significantly updated to account for AI: at the end of the day, honesty is still honesty. What will need to change, however, are some of our approaches to assessment. We know that students can access generative AI technologies through a range of platforms, and we cannot detect or otherwise identify generated content. Schools need to commit to professional learning to support their staff in navigating these changes.

Privacy, Security, and Safety

One of the key areas of the Guidelines identifies the need to be aware of, and deal with, the potential security issues with generative AI. Your school will already have data breach and sensitive information policies, many of which can remain as-is. You will need to be aware of where data goes, how it is stored, and how it is used by different developers. You’ll also need to be aware of the safety issues with generative AI, including the potential for “deepfakes” or other inappropriate uses of the technology. Again, most of these are covered by existing regulations and laws, but your staff and students need to know what to do in case of abuse. The Guidelines include advice on how to act in these situations, such as reporting to the eSafety Commissioner.

Fairness, Accessibility and Equity

All Artificial Intelligence, including Generative AI, is prone to bias. This is due to how datasets are collected, the communities those datasets do and don’t represent, and the representations of individuals and groups. Understanding bias and marginalisation in AI should form a core part of your staff and student education. Similarly, transparent, and fair use of these technologies should be a high priority. This means that staff and students should acknowledge when they have used AI. For example, if a school uses AI in any stages of reporting, assessment, or communications with the community that should be transparent. Finally, the Guidelines offer advice on personalised learning through generative AI, including some areas to be cautious.

Practical Strategies

Each area of the Guidelines is accompanied by practical strategies which are intended to help school leadership teams implement the advice. These include academic integrity modules for students, registers of secure apps and services, and professional learning calendars. In the appendices for the Guidelines we have also included a fully articulated academic integrity policy, an example of the apps register, a list of current (as of November 2023) recommended apps for teachers, and a version of the Guidelines which can be adapted to your school context.

The intention for these Guidelines is to provide a starting point for school leadership teams and staff to discuss generative AI, including the potential benefits and challenges. They highlight areas where you may need to make minor adjustments to existing policies, and also help to guide the creation of new policies for these new technologies.

If you have any questions about the Guidelines or how to use them in your school, please reach out directly or through VINE.

The VINE Guidelines for Generative Artificial Intelligence can be accessed on the VINE website here. 

Leon Furze

https://leonfurze.com

VINE are collaborating with RMIT University in a research study, “Creative and effective integration of technologies into learning and teaching” led by Dr Thembi Mason. The aim of the study is to increase teacher knowledge and skills in the use of technologies for learning and teaching in the classroom. Through participating, you will have the opportunity to contribute to the advancement of educational practices and gain valuable insights into effective pedagogical approaches with technology integration. You will contribute to the development of a framework or model for teacher capacity-building in the use of technologies for learning and teaching and inform a targeted teacher professional learning program. This information not only benefits your school but will also benefit pre-service teacher programs at RMIT University and beyond.
The study involves the following key components:

Questionnaire: You will be asked to complete a brief 10-minute online survey to provide baseline information about your teaching experience, current technology use, and perceptions of technology in the classroom. Complete the survey now - or forward to colleagues at your school for them to complete.
The survey is open until 10/11/2023

Opt-in Interviews: In addition, for those who agree by indicating their participation, Dr Mason will conduct interviews (approx. 45 minutes) with participating teachers to gain in-depth insights into their experiences, challenges, and successes with integrating technology into their teaching.

Data Analysis and Findings: The collected data will be analysed, and the findings will be used to identify best practices, potential challenges, and recommendations for enhancing learning and teaching using technologies. The results of the study will be shared with you, and your anonymity and confidentiality will be strictly maintained.

Please note that participation in this research study is entirely voluntary. If you choose to participate, your commitment of time and effort would be highly appreciated. This is a great opportunity to shape professional learning in this space and to give feedback into what is working and what is not working in effective technology integration in learning and teaching.

If you are interested in participating or have any further questions about the study, please feel free to contact Dr Mason at thembi.mason@rmit.edu.au or 03 9925 7729. More detailed information is outlined in the plain language statement at the beginning of the survey.

Thank you for considering this invitation and we look forward to the possibility of collaborating with you on this exciting endeavour.

Sentral is proud to partner with the Victorian ICT Network once again in 2022 / 2023 as a VINE partner.

Click here to learn more about our locally based Victorian team who would be delighted to meet with you in person to explain why Sentral is Australia's most comprehensive cloud-based school management system,  trusted by more than 2,500 schools across Australia!

We look forward to hearing from you,

The Sentral Victorian Team,

Anthony Aspiridis, Sales Executive (anthony.aspiridis@sentral.com.au) | Christine Wood, Sales Executive (christine.wood@sentral.com.au) | Amanda Cannatella, Customer Success Manager (amanda.cannatella@sentral.com.au)

In the spirit of sharing, learning and growing, VINE is happy to announce a partnership with Prodigy learning and Microsoft which will see discounted training available to members schools.

This offer enables school’s technical staff to undertake self-paced learning and optionally certify in any of the technical streams offered by Prodigy Learning at a vastly reduced cost. Certification enables your technical team to demonstrate their technical know-how and that they are committed to continuing their professional learning to remain current in a world that is always changing.

The second component of this offer is to boost the skills of school’s teaching and professional staff. VINE encourages teaching and professional staff to close out the training cycle by attempting the optional certification exams. The purpose of this offer is to boost core IT skills of our member schools’ teaching and professional staff to make the most of the tools at their disposal.

VINE Member Rebate Bonus 

In addition to discounted pricing, VINE member schools can claim a $50 rebate for each of the first 10 courses and exams that they purchase for their school each annual membership cycle, The maximum rebate is capped at $500 per school. To collect your rebate, your school will be required to submit a tax invoice to VINE. 

The rebate is not available to VINE Individual Members or VINE Digital Members however the VINE Offer Code may be used to access the discounted pricing.

Read more and access the offer code.

You must be logged in to access.

With so much going on it’s easy to miss something which is why VINE has launched the VINE Community Calendar. Schools, vendors and anyone running events focussed on technology use at K-12 schools can post meetings and events to the calendar. Whether free or paid, invitation only or for thousands of people, provided you have your school or company’s permission to post, you’re welcome to advertise your event on the VINE Community Calendar.

To add an event:

• 1.    Go to https://calendar.vine.vic.edu.au/ (or click events above)
• 2.    Click “Add Event”
• 3.    Sign in (or register)
• 4.    Complete the form and submit your event for approval

All events are checked for appropriateness and relevance to K-12 Schools before publication. Event details remain the responsibility of the event author.

Another amazing year of growth and connection despite the challenging and sometimes rocky return schools have had to face-to-face learning. The situation we find ourselves in continues to underscore the need for schools to connect regularly and this happens best with the support of sponsors. Sponsors not only help fund our work and provide venues where we can meet, but also add a different and valued perspective to the dialogue which helps the industry mature in a positive and productive way.

45 companies applied for the eight annual sponsorship spots offered for the 2022-2023 financial year and of those accepted, six of the eight were returning sponsors. I mention this as these companies (Microsoft, CompNow, Centorrino Technologies, Somerville, Sentral and Pixevety) demonstrate an ongoing commitment to the work VINE does and this is highly valued by member schools.

I would also like to highlight two new sponsors: Lenovo (VINE Partner) and EdSmart (VINE Partner). Both companies are well known in Victoria and have contributed to the growth and success of VINE over time – it is fantastic to have them as annual sponsors for 2022-2023.

VINE is a professional association committed to nurturing the effective and innovative use of ICT in all areas of K-12 schools. Our tagline: "share, learn & grow"​ sums up our reason for being and our sponsors help ensure we continue to thrive.

Rob Flavell

VINE President

We are pleased to let you know we will be organising a collaborative meeting with ASBA (BUsiness Managers) and VINE focussed on Strategy and Leadership.

Thanks to the team at Scotch College for hosting us on 

Friday 26 August

We are looking forward to sending out details in the coming weeks.