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The school currently uses a satellite link operating from 1 studio and 2 in Derby. Each student location has a satellite dish installed by Optus, and a computer from the school. Lessons are daily. They involve voice as in radio, an interactive white board and a chat facility through computer. Documents are also able to be viewed through an application called the SharePoint. Each student has Internet and email facilities. |
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Derby Studio1with double screens, CD player and a keyboard for music. |
Student computer with microphone, speakers and scanner. |
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Satellite Communications replaced the radio in July 2004 Families and Communities are linked to the school via satellite and computer. Air lessons are held daily and are currently 30 minutes long. Teachers have their 30 minute air lesson with their class, and may also hold 1 to 1 air lessons with individual students on a needs basis. Specialist teachers also have lesson times with students. LOTE is brought to students from the Schools of Isolated and Distance Education(SIDE) centre in Perth. Teachers and students now enjoy clear voice reception, an interactive whiteboard, an immediate chat facility, a medium for viewing documents together(SharePoint), internet capabilities and email contact. This school uses 2 studios to deliver air lessons to around 30 sites across the Kimberley. The system has been purpose built by the Western Australian Department of Education and Training to deliver the best possible education for students living in isolation. There are 5 Schools of The Air, and studios at SIDE , sharing bandwidth using the satellite system. |
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How it was! The radio reception was very poor with students and teachers often frustrated by severe static, and misunderstandings of what was being asked. Bad weather and sunspots, interferrence from Indonesian fishing vessels and batteries used to power the radios often going flat or being used in vehicles, made teaching and learning in this environment extremely difficult. At 7.30 am, the Principal made daily radio contact with the school community to pass on information about the week. Morning Messages included birthdays, whereabouts of visiting teachers, and reminders about upcoming events and meetings. KSOTA's teachers generally taught one or two year levels depending on student numbers, and communicated with students during daily radio lessons. Class radio lessons lasted 30 - 40 minutes and were taken by the class teacher in the studio at the same time each day. Lessons could be taken from a home on a teacher visit, or students could have participated from a school studio when visiting the school. There were specialist lessons for music, art, computer, religious instruction and other subject areas which were taken by different teachers with mixed groups at various times during the week. The radio was vital for P&C and ICPA meetings. The P&C held meetings on the radio each month . Fund raising activities and school events were organised via radio.Visiting musicians, writers, politicians and other special guests also used the radio to talk to the school community. Satellite Communications replaced the radio in July 2004 |
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