What is eduSTAR?

EduSTART your Professional Learning on the eduSTAR image

Edsoft Interactive has worked with the DEECD to help teachers become more aware and skilled with these programs. Our presenters are practising teachers or leaders in the education industry. All our content and presenters have either been certified by the publisher or undertaking relevant qualifications to ensure consistency and quality is delivered.

Edsoft is proud to be offering training and professional development for software loaded onto the new Edustar Image. Our dates will be uploaded to this page in January 2012.

Background to Edustar

The eduSTAR program provides schools with standardised models, patterns, management practice and tools in order to deliver an effective mix of educational software and tools to enable teachers and students to access and embrace the Ultranet. There are currently over 80 software applications available on the eduSTAR software list.

The program is available to all department schools across Victoria to help teachers and students to produce digital content, embrace the ultranet and to enhance learning across the curriculum. The software has been grouped under key curriculum areas making it easier for teachers and students to select software relevant to their particular area of interest.
Edustar provides a wide range of software which can be used across curricular. There is a strong focus on multi media and thinking skills.
Edsoft’s presenters are accreditered teachers with many years of teaching experience both in the primary and secondary sectors. They have hands on experience with integrating eLearning into curriculum areas and understand the value in doing so.
The courses Edsoft are making available not only help to bring about awareness of the excellent software available but present real examples of how they can be used in key curriculum areas. Participants will leave the workshops armed with the skills and knowledge that can be used with their students the next day.

There are currently over 80 software applications available on the eduSTAR software list. The broad range of applications cover:

• Animation
• Concept and Mind Mapping
• Digital video and image creation
• Drawing and painting
• Interactive curricular resources
• Logic and problem-solving
• 3D modelling and game-making
• Presentation and multimedia tools
• Sound and music making
• Thinking skills
• Typing tutors
• Web authoring tools
• Writing tools

Download the full list of software available on eduSTAR image here

Courses available

The following overview outlines workshops currently available to schools. Courses can also be tailored to suit a schools needs. All courses can be made available at your school, at one of our six training venues across Melbourne metropolitan area or online. Training held at schools can be organised either during the day or after school hours. (Courses at our training venues have set times) Training sessions cater for lower, middle and upper primary and department groups for secondary teachers. Sessions can also be offered with student involvement.

Bringing about awareness of the excellent Edustar resource available to all Department schools

There are many programs available on the edustar image and this can make it  overwhelming at first glance. This session will give a brief overview of many of the programs that will add value to teaching and learning.

Edustar now provides teachers and students at your school with even more software, resources and practical tutorials to help support teaching and learning.

This session will update teachers on the latest software and the substantial enhancements to existing software that will allow teachers and students at your school to further enhance learning outcomes across the curriculum. This session will also highlight the support resources available to assist teachers using the software.
Samples of how the software can be used in the classroom will be demonstrated and a chance at the end of the session to apply your own context to the programs introduced.
You will leave the session will new knowledge of the latest software and how it applies to key curriculum areas.

Enhancing your organisation and presentation skills

Do you want to manage your files in a more organised way? Do you want to store any file type in the one area to help retrieval efficiency? Do you want to create digital portfolios with your students or allow students to work in teams to work together in a collaborative space to organise information for a research project? Do you want to use a presentation package to present your work in an engaging, professional way? If the answer is yes to any of these questions then come along to this workshop and learn the answers to these questions and many other useful features of Microsoft Onenote and Powerpoint 2010.

Software to support problem solving and visualise thinking

Students and teachers wanting to learn more about building concept maps, webs, mind maps and idea maps to brainstorm, plan, organise, think, outline and present should come along to this session and be involved in a practical session using inspiration software.
Teachers wanting to collect data using surveys and display the information in a table or graph form to analyse, make comparisons, support research or export can do so simply using a program called inspiredata. Inspiredata comes from the same family as inspiration and is an excellent way to present data in a visual form to interpret the information more easily.

Enhancing writing skills through digital story telling

Students that struggle to express themselves in traditional ways can use animation and images to represent their thoughts and help to express their ideas. Participants will be introduced to photostory, a program that allows the user to tell a story through pictures sound and text, moviemaker, a program that allows students to tell a story using movies Monkey jam and pivot, two animating programs allows the user to represent new knowledge, tell a story, using animation.

Telling stories through photos

Students that struggle to express themselves in traditional ways can use animation and images to represent their thoughts and help to express their ideas. Participants will be introduced to photostory, a program that allows the user to tell a story through pictures sound and text.

Improve understanding of mathematical and scientific concepts through simulations and 3D models

There are a number of excellent programs to support maths and science teachers on the edustar image.
Do you want to create 3D mathematical models easily, demonstrate statistics, probability, geometry and coordinates to your class?
Do you want to create virtual science experiments for your students to complete in a safe, accurate virtual world or use design tools to test your electronic projects and create animations using a drag and drop environment?
If this interests you and want to learn more then come along to this session and develop your skills and knowledge in Yenka to start creating the very next day.

Wolfram mathematica is a whole lot more than a visual representation program for mathematical computation. This session will broaden an awareness of the program, introduce the basic features and leave participants with some support resources that they can use back in their classrooms

Collecting data via surveys or manual input and representing this data in graphical form to compare, analyse and interpret data easily are important skills for the students to learn. This session will also introduce a program called inspiredata that allows the user to perform all these tasks

Stimulate student creativity through drawing and design

Student can easily create, modify and share their own 3D models. They develop skills that architects, engineers and designers use in their occupations using a program called Google sketch-up. It is fun, easy to use and models can be of a very high standard

Enhancing writing skills through digital story telling

Students that struggle to express themselves in the more traditional ways can use a program called comic life to create a digital story. It is a great program to teach storyboarding, sequencing, framing, steps in a procedure, adding pictures, color and text to bring a story to life.

Courses Details

Limited places available!

To learn more about our eduSTART training contact us now!