Information Technology Update – August 31, 2017

eLearning Strategic Plan Review Update

The eLearning Strategic plan review, which has been ongoing for most of 2017, seeks to find the best technology solutions and processes to best support our students in staff in teaching and learning. The 21^st Century classroom clearly sees technology as an integral part of the modern school’s teaching and learning and the new Victorian Digital Technologies is designed to enable students to become confident and creative developers of digital solutions through the application of information systems and specific ways of thinking about problem solving.

The eLearning Strategic Plan Review is being carried out by the College ICT Executive committee and has been gathering information on effective 21^st Century technologies from a variety of academic sources and papers to help form the vision of the what the effective use of ICT in supporting teaching and learning in the classroom explicitly looks like. – To assist with this formation of the vision, the committee is also gathering feedback from the College community. Focus Groups with students from a variety of year levels were held at the start of Term 3. These Focus Groups were facilitated by respected educators external to the College who have provided the committee with reports that summarise their findings. As well as the Focus Groups, the committee will be inviting all members of the College community to participate in a survey which will allow participants to voice their views on how ICT can be most effective in teaching and learning. The students are currently in the process of participating in this survey and parents and staff will also be given the opportunity to participate in the near future when the College will notify you with the appropriate information and links.

Viewing your son’s App4 Online diary

The App4 for Students eDiary app is installed on all student iPads and is accessible through a browser on the Senior School notebooks. The eDiary allows students to check their timetable, homework, assignments and any notes that may have been sent to them by their teacher. The eDiary also allows the boys to have quick access to official school documents such as various agreements the boys have signed off on. The -‘Info’ tab provides the boys with access to a variety of information previously found in the -‘hard copy’ diary on a variety of topics such as College uniform, Homework policy and bell times. Parents can access all of this information three different ways:

• through the App4 for Students app on your son’s iPad

• through the App4 for Parents app on your own iPad

• through the App4 Parent portal ( http://stpats.app4.ws/parent/index.php )

You can download a Quick Start Guide which covers the main features of App4 from http://ipads.stpats.vic.edu.au/app4.html There is also more information for parents at the App4 website at http://www.app4software.com.au/app4parents.php

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Creating an App4 Parent Access Code/Password

To access your son’s homework using the App4 for Parents app on your own iPad you will first need to create a Parent Access Code/password. This can be created a couple of ways. One way is by using the App4 app on your son’s iPad. Simply open App 4 and click on the -‘About Me’ link on the home page and access the -‘Parent’ tab where you can create the parent access code. It is important that the parent access code you create is complex and difficult to guess. Once the parent access code is created you will be able check and even sign-off on your son’s homework. Instructions on how to create the parent access code/password and setting up the App4 for Parents app on your own iPad can be found on http://ipads.stpats.vic.edu.au/app4.html

Alternatively, you can go to the App4 Parent login page http://stpats.app4.ws/parent/index.php and create a new parent login code. You will need to ask your son to enter their student username and password and you will be able to create your own password to login.

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Checking your son’s Homework on App4

Accessing and checking your son’s homework using the App4 app is quite easy to do. Again, you can do it using the App4 app on your son’s iPad, the App4 for Parents app on your iPad or the App4 Parent Portal. When working on their homework, your son is able to click -‘Start’ when each piece of homework is commenced. Once the homework is completed they can click the -‘Completed’ button. This helps organise their homework into -‘Current’ and -‘Completed’ categories. Once you access the app, you can check your son’s current, completed and signed-off homework. To sign-off on your son’s homework you will be asked to enter your parent access code which is discussed above. Instructions on accessing your son’s homework through App4 can be downloaded from http://ipads.stpats.vic.edu.au/app4.html

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App4 available through Web Portal

Parents can also access their son’s App4 iPad eDiary though a web portal on any device that has a browser by going to this URL http://stpats.app4.ws/parent/index.php

However, it is recommended that you do not use the Internet Explorer browser as there are some issues accessing the site with this browser. To access the App4 parent web portal you will need to have setup your Parent Access Code/password first. Instructions on how to do this can be found at http://ipads.stpats.vic.edu.au/app4.html or you can create a login at http://stpats.app4.ws/parent

For instructions on using the App4 parent web portal go to http://ipads.stpats.vic.edu.au/app4.html

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App4 Login Details

To login to App4 you will need to supply three things:

School Identifier: stpats

Username: Student ID Number

Password: Parent Access Code/Password

You will need to know the ID of your son which is the username for their App4 eDiary. The school identifier is always -‘stpats’ for all students and parents.

Switching App4 for multiple Sons

You are able to use App4 to check on all of your children at the College. You will need to create a Parent Access Code/password for each son so that you can switch between your son’s diaries. It is a good idea to perhaps use the same Parent Access Code/password for each son for ease of switching. You will also need to know the College ID for each of your sons to enter at the login screen.

Mark Holland

Director of ICT