Page 24 - Mini-Module 4

There are many popular new technology systems available to schools
for media-space communications. Consider the following examples of
systems in place in many schools:

1. SMS messages - At Casuarina Senior College, student attendance
each lesson is scanned by the teacher or tutor and if the student is
absent, the media system automatically generates an SMS mobile
phone (cell phone) message that is sent to the student and at the
same time to the student’s parents or guardians.

2. Portal – Maris Stella Boys School, has an online ‘portal’, which all
students can access through their computer from anywhere in the
world. This portal site includes; homework assignments, teacher’s
lesson notes, daily student notices, individual student messages,
and a ‘drop-box’ for students to deposit their assignments. The
school also has a ‘parent only’ portal which is pass-word protected
to ensure confidential interactive communications with parents.

3. Global Messaging and Interactive Websites – The Australian
School in a particular county has an email messaging system
through which the school’s weekly news update is automatically
sent to all parents. This email also provides ‘links’ and actively
promotes the school’s website which contains ‘interest group’
sites which are highly interactive (e.g. An interest group site for
parents of Gifted and Talented Students, another for the parents
of Secondary 2 students, another for Boys Education, etc, these
sites are monitored and ‘managed’ by school staff each day).

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