Electronic gifted and talented students' program

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Electronic Gifted and Talented Students Program
About this Item
Speakers - Torbay Mr Richard; Whan Mr Steve
Business - Private Members Statements, PRIV
ELECTRONIC GIFTED AND TALENTED STUDENTS PROGRAM
Page: 12526
Mr RICHARD TORBAY (Northern Tablelands—Speaker) [5.41 p.m.]: My Northern Tablelands electorate includes the largest number of small and remote schools in the State. While this can confer many benefits on staff and students, as I frequently find in my visits to these schools, it also imposes some hardships. This particularly applies to gifted and talented students who find it difficult to access the extra learning stimuli they need within their local areas. Today I bring to the attention of the House an e-program generated from Drummond Memorial School in Armidale, which engages 35 of these gifted and talented primary school students from 11 schools in the region. The program is called eGATS—electronic gifted and talented students—and involves Armidale City, Newling, Tamworth South, Wytaliba, Walcha Central, Nowendoc, Attunga, Mallawa, Burren Junction, Uralla Central and Drummond schools.

The program was devised in-house at Drummond Memorial School following the success of an earlier interactive e-program, Partners in Learning. This linked 70 Aboriginal and isolated rural students from three other primary schools—Niangila, Yarrawich and Rocky River—to Drummond students. The program was a joint initiative between Microsoft and the Department of Education and Training. Michael Wilson, who teaches at Drummond, used the school's Microsoft SharePoint 2.0 to deliver the program and has adjusted it for eGATS. The school is fortunate to have his services, which were recognised when he took out this year's Excellence in the Integration of ICT Award and the Microsoft Scholarship for 2009.

The initiative to reach out to the region through telecommunications came from the school's principal, Phil Roberts, and assistant principal, Jennifer Andrews. They see Drummond as a leader in e-learning. Through their innovative programs they have developed both the skills and the technology to break down geographical barriers to include any number of students or special groups within schools. Gifted and talented students can have a tough time at school. They seek challenges, they want to move ahead quickly, they want to acquire skills and knowledge, and they have the capacity to work beyond the set curriculum. If they are bored or lack self-esteem because of peer pressure they can become very difficult for schools and parents to deal with.

Reports from students, teachers and parents involved in the eGATS program are all positive. Some students find it so absorbing they ask for more work. Students enter the program after an assessment by their schools and are usually from the highest IQ percentile. In May this year participants met each other and their teachers and mentors in maths, English and science for the first time at Drummond Memorial School. They learned to negotiate Microsoft SharePoint 2.0 and got to know each other—an essential part of the program. Back in their schools they are set a weekly assignment by their mentors and complete it at school, at home or a combination of both, which is most common. All participants have access to each other's work and they interact through video, audio, podcasting, blogs, voice thread or email. They also work together on some projects.

The projects are specifically designed to challenge and stimulate the children's thinking while providing a forum for like-minded peers. It is estimated that the work takes around five hours a week. Teachers and mentors stress that the emphasis of the program is to develop critical thinking and analytic skills rather than accelerating the students too far beyond their year's curriculum. Recently the students met again with their mentors at a three-day camp near Armidale. It was clear that they have developed strong friendships as well as academic collaboration. Those involved in the eGATS project believe it could be offered across the New South Wales education system from which it originally evolved. Initial discussions took place with the region's School Education Director, Jim White, local high schools and key regional personnel and mentors.

The mentors are high school teachers including Andrew Beaton, Armidale High School; Howard Grant, Armidale district office; Sandra Cotton, Duval High School; and Joseph Bell. They received training as part of the program with the State Regional e-GATS manager, Angela Chessman, consultant Julie Rees and University of New England staff. e-GATS is jointly resourced by Drummond Memorial School, Armidale High School and the local Department of Education and Training office. I invite the Minister for Education and Training to visit Armidale to see this program in operation and speak to the excellent staff who devised it and have made such a profound difference to the learning outcomes for some of the State's most gifted students.

Mr STEVE WHAN (Monaro—Parliamentary Secretary) [5.46 p.m.]: I thank the member for Northern Tablelands for bringing this important initiative from small schools in his region to the attention of the House. As well as undertaking his onerous duties as Speaker, he is still an excellent representative of his community. Like the member for Northern Tablelands, I too represent a number of small schools. It was interesting to hear about this e-learning initiative, something I am sure has potential and is well worth the Minister looking at. I was pleased also to learn recently that the Government has extended selective programs to many rural schools, including some in the Northern Tablelands electorate, and has provided the interesting initiative of enabling people to undertake selective classes via distance education. This is an important initiative for gifted and talented students around New South Wales. It is important that distance does not prevent students from being challenged in their schoolwork. I agree with the comments of the member for the Northern Tablelands that it is important to keep gifted students challenged, interested and excited at school so that they reach their full potential.