We
found that the kids could adapt to the technology and
they were able to get themselves into the situation where
they could talk to other kids, some of them relatives.
We link with Hayward, Horsham North and Warrnambool East
and a lot of them have relatives there who they can talk
to.
At first there was the initial technology
scariness, where they were shy and didn't like the camera
but after a few lessons and a few training sessions they got
over that. Immediately we saw a change in their attitude to
speaking out and not being shy. Once they got used to the
technology it really assisted them. Whereas in the classroom
situation they might sit in the background, when you put them
in a videoconference there are changes and then those changes
gradually go back into the classroom, where they become more
outgoing. That's really positive.
And they've found the whiteboard technology
great for sharing drawings and creating shared work as well.
There are no miracles, but I'll tell
you about a particular kid. He's been involved in some videoconferences
and the new cross age tutoring program which we've started
with the Koorie kids. In the videoconferencing, they've
been reading books like The Barkindji Boy to each
other. Before, he'd never have done it, he'd have stayed
in the background. But this time he did it and the videoconferencing
brought him out of his shell. And when I showed his reading
teacher that video she was just astounded because he was
reading out in a group at a higher level than he had done
before. He's gone from being a kid who gives everyone a
lot of trouble to a confident, self-controlled person. The
difference is unbelievable. There are probably lots of factors
in the change, but I'm sure the videoconferencing was one
of them.
