Many systems and schools are aware of research that indicates significant improvements in student learning when IT is combined with appropriate teaching and learning methods to produce information literate students. The same systems and schools are under continual parental and community pressure to incorporate the new technologies into their school programs, especially given that IT is now a basic tool within most work environments. As a consequence, schools and systems are now developing technology policies and programs to meet these demands. This is to be welcomed, as in general, the planned introduction of IT into schools to this point has been fragmented and, in some cases, under resourced.

Information Technology is expensive. Schools and systems are beginning to recognise that IT is not a one-off cost, but an ongoing high demand budget item for hardware, technical support, and for training and professional development. As such, the issue of equity of access to IT for all students and teachers, in all types of school systems becomes of grave concern. Implementation and Professional Development

The literature of academics and IT experts reflects the following view:
Computers may multiply the teacher's effectiveness, but they do not replace him/her. Computers serve learning best when they link teacher, student and information in new, more effective ways instead of simply supplanting teachers to textbooks. (Wilson and Davis (1994), Redesigning Education p.88)

However the introduction of IT in schools has been characterised by a shameful neglect of training, professional development, technical support and occupational health and safety information, leaving teachers and support staff with feelings of frustration.

All too often there has been competition for scarce resources within a school, and a haphazard approach to whole school IT development. A typical approach has been to leave complicated and technical decisions to staff who are interested and self taught, but who may have limited experience.

The consequences of this history are increased stress levels and workloads for support and teaching staff.

Through discussion with teachers and support staff at branch meetings, on school visits, at forums and conference, the QIEU has become aware of a growing concern about the issues relating to Information Technology and its implementation in schools. There is particular demand for development of a planned whole school approach, which will maximise the use of resources available and contribute most to learning. A planned approach should develop strategies for implementation of IT in terms of an ongoing process built into the infrastructure of the school, with appropriate recurrent funding to meet present needs and future directions and innovations.

QIEU supports the definitions identified by the Technology Federation of Australia (TEFA) and, in an attempt to eliminate confusion of terminology in relation to relevant terms, offers the following definitions.

(i) Technology
Technology is often used as a generic term for all the technologies people develop and use. It involves the purposeful application of knowledge, experience and resources to create products and processes to meet human need.

(ii) Technology Learning
In secondary schools, the Technology Learning area encompasses a wide range of school subjects including those within Home Economics, Industrial Arts, Media, Agriculture, Design, Technology Studies, Textiles and Design, Computing Studies and Information Technology (IT).

(iii) Information Technology
Information Technology is part of the curriculum of Technology Education ie. a type of technology. Students learn Information Technology and Computing Studies as subjects in their own right. In addition Information Technology is also used across the curriculum to enhance teaching and learning as do other educational technologies.

Your Union has identified the following key issues:

Professional Issues

• the provision of appropriate and timely training including pre-service training;
• the need for funded professional development programs within school time.

Industrial Issues

• appropriate staffing and release time for both management and technical support;
• proper remuneration;
• occupational health and safety - rights and responsibilities of workers and responsibilities of employers;
• equity in relationship to access for students and staff;
• responsibility of the employer to maintain equipment to ensure the above equity of access
• class size ratios;
• accountability in relation to debatable communication which puts students at risk.

Curriculum Issues

• the integration of IT into current teaching and learning programs;
• the development of Australian software;
• the promotion of Information Literacy through development of information skills programs in all curriculum areas.

The issue of appropriate resource provision impacts across every area.
This should be seen and budgeted for as an additional resource and not a diminution of existing budgets to finance technology. 

To ensure that Information Technology is introduced into schools to enhance teaching and learning, employers should develop policy and procedures which provide a systems level infrastructure for IT implementation with guidelines for a process of planned school level IT development over time.

At Systems Level

QIEU believes the policy and procedures should:

• ensure proper ongoing resourcing;
• plan to provide budgetary, technical (hardware and software), OHS and curriculum advice (especially through including the use of) specialist consultants.
• plan for staffing;
• plan for technical support;
• outline reasonable timelines for implementation;
• plan to ensure equity of access for all groups (female and male students, teachers, support staff, special needs students, etc);
• provide for ongoing training and professional development programs in regard to the integration and incorporation of IT into the curriculum;
• set standards including those for Occupational Health and Safety;
• provide for a K-12 approach;
• promote a balanced view (ie don't allow IT to drive the curriculum of the school/system).

At School Level

QIEU believes the policy and procedures should:

• require a planned approach to whole school IT development;
• establish a technology committee with responsibility for planning and development;
• budget to provide recurrent funding for all aspects of school IT implementation (eg: hardware, software, infrastructure - furniture, wiring, staffing, technical support training and PD, etc);
• reflect systems level policy where appropriate;
• provide for training appropriate to the needs of all staff;
• plan for ongoing professional development to support the integration of IT into the school's curriculum programs and meet other relevant needs;
• provide strategies for equal access for all groups;
• consider the roles and responsibilities of staff (IT manager, curriculum co-ordinator, teacher-librarian, clerical and support staff, etc) including release time and remuneration;
• provide healthy and safe work spaces for all staff and students;
• address organisational issues including appropriate teacher-student ratios.

QIEU supports the following principles and strategies in implementing the above procedures:

Support Staff

• support staff should be consulted about their professional development needs and adequate training must be provided to meet emerging technology issues and promote multi-skilling;
• the increasing technological skills of support staff should be taken into account when determining appropriate support staff roles, classifications and salary levels;
• there is a need to ensure that the increasing use of technology does not replace human interaction.

Teaching Staff

• schools should be resourced to provide a paid technology management position with provision for appropriate release;
• every teacher should have free access to appropriate training and professional development in relation to hardware, software and classroom management practices and their integration across the curriculum as part of the on-going professional development program within the school;
• Policies should ensure that teachers have access to technology as a tool to facilitate the preparation of teaching materials, programming and assessment and reporting.

General Principles

• enhancing learning is the main focus in the development of information technology in the school environment;
• every student and teacher should have access to current information technology resources including information sources such as the Internet;
• membership of school technology committees should represent the school community and include key learning areas, library, IT, members of the leadership team, (specifically including those responsible for budgeting) and representatives of parents and student bodies.

QIEU believes that the successful implementation of an effective policy requires a commitment to a cross curricular whole school involvement.

A possible starting point could be to develop a whole school plan under the following headings:
(i) technological awareness
(ii) skills
(iii) managing Information Technology across the curriculum

(i) Technological awareness

Technological awareness is the first step in developing Information Technology across the curriculum. It has at least two aspects:

1. a recognition of the impact technology is making and has made on everyday life;
2. a recognition of factors which shape and have shaped the development of technology and specifically information technology.

CONSIDERATIONS FOR TEACHERS

Evidence of Technological awareness could include:

• cross-fertilisation of ideas between different subject areas across the curriculum;
• staff recognising and building on students' knowledge and understanding of technology and specifically information technology from everyday life;
• recognising the curriculum has relevance to the students' life and also to adult life roles (paid and unpaid work contexts);
• transferability of skills to new and innovative situations (futures orientated).

POSSIBLE OUTCOMES

Evidence of Technological awareness could include:

• identification of syllabus content which is either directly technological or which is related to information technological development;
• identification of equipment used by students in different subject areas;
• formulation of assignments/tasks which make cross-curricular links and require the use of technology and specifically information technology;
• support for staff in raising their own awareness of information technology and its implications in their subject area;
• a cross-curricular working group which networks ideas for cross-curricular themes related to subject content, equipment use, values and attitudes etc.

(ii) Technological skills

Skills in handling and researching information, in word processing, in compiling and accessing a database, in using a spreadsheet, in communicating by electronic mail and especially in using integrated technologies - skills such as these can be of significant value across the curriculum.

CONSIDERATIONS FOR TEACHERS

Technology skills are likely to be encouraged when:

• instruction manuals are simplified;
• time spent on teaching basic operating skills is kept to a minimum;
• the prime purpose of using the equipment/ software is quickly achieved (even if only at a rudimentary level);
• operating skills learned in one context are not re-taught in another, but applied and/or developed;
• there is student-centred learning;
• there is support for learners from other students, non-teaching staff and teachers;
• industry and community links underline the usefulness of technological competence in adult life roles;
• access to equipment/software is straightforward.

POSSIBLE OUTCOMES

Evidence of technological skills development could include:

• operating skills/instruction manuals agreed by different subject areas so that students don't have to un-learn and re-learn skills;
• short and simple teaching packages which introduce good practice in basic operating skills;
• identification of types/levels of technological skills which are useful in course work in subjects across the curriculum;
• a cross-curricular technology working group which maps the types and levels of technological skills being developed so that subject teachers can promote continuity and progression;
• in the senior school work experience placements which make use of students' technological and other skills;
• the opportunity for students and teachers to interact with local, national and global communities be recognised;
• professional development which develops teachers' technological skills.

(iii) Managing information technology across the curriculum

CONSIDERATIONS FOR TEACHERS
Technology across the curriculum is likely to develop more easily when:

• responsibility for it is widely shared, even if its co-ordination is in the hands of one person;
• technology is defined broadly enough so it is easily recognised as being integral and applicable to all subject areas;
• staff recognise the part technology can play in their own subject area, both in content and in enhanced delivery;
• staff recognise the relevance of information technology as a part of everyday life for students;
• there is a comprehensive range of technological equipment;
• developments in new technology in home, community and industry are reflected in education;
• opportunities are explored for short-term collaborative projects across two or more subject areas;
• subject development and collaborative projects have clear targets for raising awareness/using technological process/developing technological skills;
• there is co-ordination of information technology across the curriculum to promote coherence for students and staff;
• expectations are realistic and agreed.

POSSIBLE OUTCOMES
Evidence of a managed approach to Technology across the curriculum could include:

• clear targets in school/college/cluster development plans;
• a system for co-ordinating developments in all subject areas eg: a matrix showing agreed awareness/process/skills developments across the curriculum which offer coherence for students and staff;
• a means of sharing interesting practice across departments, across institutions in a cluster, across clusters;
• a means of supporting and steering existing or new developments eg: support from staff on part time secondment(s);
• a means of promoting developments where staff do not readily see potential eg: in-service professional development time for detailed discussion of subject syllabus etc;
• a staff development programme which enables staff to keep abreast of new technological developments;
• awareness raising of the probability that curriculum materials of the future will be cyber;
• opportunities for membership of online communities;
• the ability to bring online expertise into the classroom at will;
• an audit of how often equipment is a) used; b) used by students; ie. by gender and year group;
• co-ordination of resources to maximise use of equipment by students;
• open access facilities with a facility manager;
• contingency planning for repair and planned replacement of equipment.

Copyright

(i) It is important that copyright is acknowledged and that appropriate licences are obtained for commercial software.

(ii) Where a teacher/employee develops software in their own time and on their own equipment it is incumbent on the school to recognise that the intellectual property rights reside with the employee.

(iii) Where development of appropriate software is part of the role description of the employee and appropriate time and resources are provided the intellectual property rights reside with the employer.

Privacy/Security

Responsibility for the privacy and mechanisms to create security for student/school/employee data files is part of the organisational structure set up by the employer as part of a managed approach to technology across the curriculum.

Accountability

Access protocols and signed permission slips from both parents and students need to be established to protect teachers/employers from possible consequences of students accessing debatable communication via the Internet or Email or about students disclosing personal details about themselves or their families when using school based technology.

Induction

It is incumbent upon the administration to ensure that the induction process for new staff has a discrete component which identifies the school technology policy and processes and provides appropriate professional development were needed/requested.

QIEU has identified the following Health and Safety issues from Workplace Health and Safety and DTIR documentation.

Introduction
A well designed workstation can eliminate health hazards in your school. Elements of good design to consider include your chair, lighting and noise, position of the screen, and the keyboard and document.

By using ergonomics to suit the workstation, tasks and environment to the individual, potential problems can be minimised which ensures your work environment is healthy and safe.

The Right Chair
Chairs are one of the most important pieces of school equipment. Specific to Information Technology the following features of ergonomically designed chairs should be noted:

• back rest, easily adjustable in height and angle
• adjustable back rest depth
• preferably cloth covered seat and back
• curved edge
• height adjustable
• five-star castor base for stability

Students come in all shapes and sizes. An adjustable chair is an essential piece of equipment.

The Right Position
The students should adjust the seat height so their feet rest firmly on the floor and take their weight through their feet.

Things should be fully supported except for a two-finger width space behind the knee. Adjust the backrest depth (on chairs where depth is adjustable) to achieve this.

Maintain a relaxed posture where:

• shoulders are relaxed
• elbows are by the students' side
• forearms and hands are parallel to the ground (approximately 90° angle at the elbow)
• wrists are not bent or cocked when using the keyboard
• the student is seated at a comfortable distance from the keys (the length of their forearm away).

The Best Screen Position
Ideally, the top of the screen should be at approximately eye level and about 60-70 cm from the student's eyes. Their neck should be at rest or relaxed.

The Best Keyboard Position

• Students should be able to maintain the recommended seating position when using the keyboard.
• An adjustable keyboard surface can be lowered to obtain the recommended posture with feet flat on the floor and a 90° angle at the elbow.
• A fixed keyboard surface, which is too high, will require students to raise the seat height to attain the correct position. A suitable footrest should be used to support the students' feet.
• The keyboard should be placed 6-7 cm from the edge of the keyboard surface to allow the forearm/wrist to rest when the student is not keying.

The Best Document Position
The document and the screen should be the same distance from the students' eyes. Use a document holder which allows you to place the documents in the most convenient position.

The documents should be placed:

• in a level position beside the screen when the keyboards in a central position; or
• directly below the screen, just above the keyboard.

Where most of the students' time is spent looking at the screen or document, place either one directly in front of your keyboard.

Avoid Glare and Reflection
Altering the angle of the screen may overcome problems with glare and reflection, however the screen should only tilt 5° upwards.

Generally, the best position for the screen is at right angles (side on) to the windows. Where this is not possible, blinds, curtains or screens can control reflection and glare. Screens should ideally be placed parallel to overhead fluorescent lights to avoid rebound reflection.

The contract of text and background on the screen should be adjusted to a moderate level. It is also desirable to have an outlook on which the student may rest their eyes occasionally. The workplace could have for example, windows, wall posters or pictures.

Breaks while keying
When keying, take short breaks of 30-60 seconds to proofread etc.

Students should relax their hands in their lap or on the desk. After extended periods of keying, a change of activity will relieve fatigue. It is important to stand or walk during breaks away from keying. Perform other work, as varying tasks will give the student a break from keying which is required to rest tired muscles.

Avoid activities such as writing during breaks. Don't remain seated at the work station for prolonged periods. Vary posture as much as possible.

Health Problems
Discomfort and strain in arms, neck, hands or back may be the result of unsatisfactory work practices or conditions.

Complete recovery is usually dependent upon reporting symptoms early and correcting the cause of the problem.

Students should ask their teacher to observe their position and work method and act upon advice given.

Noise
The work area should be relatively quiet. (Standards Association of Australia recommends a maximum level of 45-55dBA)

Distracting noises should be removed or controlled. For example, acoustic hoods should be placed over printers and fax machines or they should be removed from the immediate work area.

Noise from air conditioning, power supply and keyboards should be minimal.

If equipment develops a noise problem, contact maintenance staff immediately.

Radiation
Research has shown radiation does not pose a significant health risk to operators, as measurable levels of x-rays are not emitted from computer equipment. Electromagnetic radiation is emitted from all electrical equipment at extremely low levels however it is not considered to be a risk to health.

Eye Problems
Any eye problem which students may experience will be temporary. There will be no long-term damage to your sight.

Temperature
Computers and associated equipment emit heat. Adequate ventilation and air conditioning systems will avoid excessive localised heating of the environment and operator.

Cost effectiveness
The organisational structure should be mindful of best practice and cost effectiveness in identifying employee expectation. Eg. Data entry as opposed to curriculum needs or student support should be seen as a clerical support function rather than a teacher function.