This project was developed at Macquarie ICT Innovations Centre (MacICT). MacICT is located at Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia. It is a collaborative agreement between the NSW Department of Education and Training (DET) and Macquarie University, which provides the opportunity for NSW DET schools access to the use of innovative technologies in teaching and learning. MacICT’s mission statement: to develop, implement, and evaluate innovative ways of enhancing learning through the application of dynamic and emerging information and communication technologies. This projects investigates local ecosystems to identify factors affecting survival of organisms in an ecosystem. Once a shared environemnment is selected, our project teams will work together to collect the relevant data and begin monitoring their ecosystem as a joint collaborative community project

1. Local Ecostudy Project 2010 MacICT

2. I would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of this land we meet on today. I pay my respects to elders past, present and future, for they hold the memories, the traditions, the culture and the hopes of Indigenous Australia. Welcome to country

3. Project Description The Local Ecostudy Project (LEP) supports schools investigating their local ecosystem to identify the factors affecting the biodiversity in the natural environment. Students utilise a variety of technologies including the mobile phone, the NOVA 5000 hand-held touch screen computer and dataloggers to collect data in the field. The design of these field activities incorporates the use of learning management systems such as LAMS as well as geo-spatial applications. This middle-years project involves high school students mentoring their primary school partners. One of the outcomes of this project is the creation of a team wiki site where collaborative data is collated, shared and analysed to support student learning. In 2010 the LEP supports the Year of Learning for Sustainability. Try to place one image this in size box somewhere on this page Project Description

5. develop a process of sustainable ICT skills development for teachers and students and

6. encourage and support students in the creation of a collaborative digital portfolio.Project Outcomes

8. Support collaborative curriculum projects that promote the student-centred use of Connected Classroom equipment.

10. Provide professional learning to support quality teaching and technology.Improve student access and capacity to use information and communication technologies to enhance their learning. Office of Schools Plan

11. NSW Institute of Teachers(Accreditation and Standards) Sample of NSW Institute Elements mapped to LEP Element 6 TEACHERS CONTINUALLY IMPROVE THEIR PROFESSIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICE Aspect Capacity to analyse and reflect on practice 6.2.1 Reflect critically on teaching and learning practice to enhance student learning outcomes. NSW Institute of Teachers

13. Engagement

14. Student direction

15. Knowledge integration

16. ConnectednessNSW Quality Teaching framework

17. Research As part of the Local Ecostudy project we have a partnership with an academic and graduate student from Macquarie University The activities of the LEP will be evaluated by implementing a sequence of assessment strategies at specific times in the project cycle.The research focuses on three main questions:1. Does the technology work or not?2. Does the technology help or hinder learning?3. What were the breakthroughs and breakdowns experiences by the MacICT LEP team? Research

18. Online World at MacICT http://www.macict.edu.au/index.php/projects/menumoblielearning/ml-projects-into.html Local Ecostudy Project at MacICT http://lepstudent.ictcentre.wikispaces.net/Past Local Ecostudy Project participants’ Wiki. http://lep2010.ictcentre.wikispaces.net/Project participants’ Wiki 2010 http://lep.ictcentre.wikispaces.net/Local Ecostudy Project team Wiki Online World at MacICT

21. The school or college shall not sell, hire or otherwise derive revenue from copies of the material, nor distribute copies of the material for any other purpose.

22. The restricted waiver of copyright is not transferable and may be withdrawn in the case of breach of any of these conditions. Thank You