A proactive investment in wireless and ultrafast broadband is paying dividends for Hamilton Girls’ High School by giving students and teachers virtual on-line classroom access at any time and information at their fingertips.

Hamilton Girls’ High School Associate Principal Kathy Paterson is embracing the information and communication technology (ICT) revolution, which she says is rapidly changing the dynamics of learning.

“ICT and wireless, high speed internet have become a vital part of learning, not just for the students but for teachers, staff and parents. Integrating ICT fits well with our curriculum aim to make confident, connected, lifelong learners of us all,” Kathy said.

Ultrafast broadband was installed at Hamilton Girls’ High School through a local fibre network provider in February 2010 and wireless broadband became available this year bringing some of the biggest technology changes in Kathy’s three-decade teaching career.

“A lot of our classroom learning now is done online, through Moodle, YouTube, eTV and internet sites. This means students have access to the most up-to-date information. Our Social Sciences learning area spend very little money on textbooks now. When I was at school a calculator was the big investment,” she said.

Along with Hamilton’s Hillcrest High School, HGHS is completing a three year Ministry of Education ICTPD contract to improve teacher ICT competency and classroom integration of information and communication technology.

“Overall the schools have had $360,000 to spend on professional development for our teaching staff. We have achieved our cluster goal of having a learning management system (Moodle) in place for students and staff by the end of the three-year contract,” Kathy said.

Ultrafast broadband has allowed Hamilton Girls’ High School to use Moodle, an internet-based system for delivering e-learning programmes.

“We’d certainly like to develop the use of Moodle further. It means the classroom is virtually open around the clock and students can access teachers’ notes at any time. It’s a way for students to interact with teachers on-line during and after school,” she said.

HGHS and Hillcrest high students were recently surveyed about ICT. When asked what device they owned that can access the internet   59 per cent of respondents owned an internet –capable phone, 39 per cent owned a laptop and 33 per cent owned an iPod Touch.

“This technology is already part of their lives so it’s a natural progression to use it more as part of their education,” Kathy said.

Hamilton Girls’ High School is in “desperate need” of a Ministry School Network Upgrade Project (SNUP), according to Kathy.

The government pays 80 per cent of the upgrade for the infrastructure within the school network through the SNUP project.

“Hamilton Girls’ has the fibre into the school but UFB will not be fully effective until the internal infrastructure has been upgraded to maximise the benefits of the fibre.”

Opportunity Hamilton digital strategy manager Nicola Browne congratulated Hamilton Girls’ High School and Hillcrest High School for investing in technology infrastructure.

“They are leading the way with this technology and they provide an evolving, working example of all the possibilities that come through having the right infrastructure in place,” Nicola said.

UFB is being deployed in Hamilton under the Government’s $1.3 billion UFB initiative.

Business, health and education sectors are top of the rollout priority list.

“Advantages of this sort of technology in education include better engagement from students, improved learning outcomes and more opportunities to create, collaborate and connect on-line,” Nicola said.