03 Feb 2021
As Dubbo College students return to school this week they will be the first to benefit from record breaking investments in regional digital education.
The upgrade is among the first rollout of the NSW Governments $365.8 million Rural Access Gap investment, providing rural and regional schools access to the future of digital technology.
The campuses were a hive of activity during the school holidays to ensure the panels and devices were ready to be utilised from day one of the school term.
This investment involved the installation of interactive panels, laptops for teaching staff and additional student devices.
Dubbo College Executive Principal Mr. Charles Gauci said the involvement of Dubbo College in the pilot phase of the program has provided students and teachers with an invaluable opportunity to be at the cutting edge of 21st Century teaching and learning.
“Importantly the program goes beyond the rollout of state-of-the-art technology in the form of interactive smart panels in every learning space and laptops for teachers and students.
“It also concentrates resources on the upskilling of teachers to fully utilise the technology in their teaching practice” Mr. Gauci said.
“The technology provided through the program is truly amazing and will allow teachers to look towards new and innovative approaches to engage their students in the learning that occurs every day in our classrooms” he said.
Dubbo South Campus Principal, Ms. Linda Macleod said that this influx of additional and improved technology will enhance the learning experience for all students.
“The introduction of this improved technology into every classroom will assist with our future focus learning. It has equipped our teachers with the tools to enhance the learning experience for all students” Ms. Macleod said.
‘Digital Classroom Officers’ for each campus have been instated. These officers will receive specialist training with digital technologies in the classroom and will lead and coach their fellow teachers to help deliver an innovative curriculum to students.
Delroy Campus Principal Mrs. Debbie Head is delighted to be included in the rollout acknowledging how important access to modern technology is in assisting the learning process.
“We’re so thrilled to be included in the initial rollout of the project. It means all of our classroom spaces now have new interactive panels to bring modern learning techniques to the forefront of our teaching – allowing us to really make an impact on the educational outcomes of our students” Mrs. Head said.
Senior Campus reliving Principal Miss Marisha Blanco said that the College runs a number of advanced programs for its Year 11 and 12 students and this influx of technology into the classrooms will further elevate their learning.
“We’re proud to provide the best curriculum offering and state of the art classrooms for our stage 6 students, preparing them for the HSC and into the future.” Miss Blanco said.