Aug 30 2010
Victorian students more than 8000 kilometres apart today chatted live to celebrate the opening of the Connections 2010 classroom exhibit at the World Expo in Shanghai, China.
Education Minister Bronwyn Pike joined 19 Year 9 students from Hume Central Secondary College at the Hume Global Learning Centre’s ideaslab to connect with the classroom in Shanghai through video-link technology provided by Cisco.
Half-way across the world, 20 Year 9 students from Balwyn High School, Glen Waverley Secondary College and the Blackburn English Language School were at the Connections 2010 classroom ready to say hi and wave back.
Ms Pike said Connections 2010 combined the key elements of a modern Victorian classroom.
“The exhibit features a mini lecture theatre, moveable large and small working areas for tutorials, small study groups and one-on-one teaching and a wet area for experiments,” Ms Pike said.
“The classroom features the latest in sustainable, modern design and demonstrates how Victorian schools are using the latest and greatest in learning technology.
“The students in Shanghai are studying in the classroom and showing why Victorian is a world-class leader in education.
“The Cisco WebEx video-link application gave students at Hume Central Secondary College a chance to speak to the students 8000 kilometres away and learn about what they’re doing in Shanghai.
“The students were working at the ideaslab in Broadmeadows using interactive whiteboards, mini-computers and touch screen computers.
“Visitors to the Expo in Shanghai will see first-hand how Victorian teachers are using this classroom to engage modern students in real-life and relevant learning – such as nanotechnology – to help get them the skills for 21st century jobs in a 21st century world.”
Ms Pike said the Brumby Labor Government had provided the students in Shanghai with equipment to record and document their trip.
“We have provided 27 netbooks and 27 digital video cameras, so our students and teachers in Shanghai can work effectively in the classroom, and share their experiences both while they are away and when they return,” she said.
Source: http://en.expo2010.cn/