1000 Schools In Victoria, Australia Get Ultranet, Connected Learning Experience, Demoed At Connections 2010

Connected Learning Experience With Cisco http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
The State of Victoria Department of Early Education and Child Development (DEECD) has decided to standardise on Cisco® wired and wireless networking to bring together and provide service from and to 1,000 primary and secondary schools across Victoria. The network will support demands like one-to-one computing, mobility for flexible learning spaces, HD video, digital content and the Ultranet, a secure online learning system, connections 2010.
Oracle, IBM, Cisco and many others partnered with DEECD to bring this effort to being.
The Ultranet is a statewide, secure site that students, parents and teachers can access via the internet. It will provide a new learning space and more opportunities for information sharing across the Victorian government school system.
According to a press release by the Ministry of Education, the system has been put to use by students and a school 8000KMs apart.  The students at both the ends chatted live to celebrate the opening of the Connections 2010 classroom exhibit at the World Expo in Shanghai, China. Education Minister Bronwyn Pike joined Year 9 students from Hume Central Secondary College at the Hume Global Learning Centre's ideaslab to connect with the classroom in Shanghai via Cisco WebExTM.

"The Ultranet brings to mind the concept of a ‘classroom without walls’ – a space that students, parents and teachers can connect to anywhere, anytime. It will build a dynamic profile of every learner as they move from class to class, year to year and school to school. This is why having one online system for every Victorian government school is so important" said the Minister of Education, Hon Bronwyn Pike, speaking about the Ultranet.

DEECD's initiative for schools will help create media-rich and highly engaging online curricula across the Victoria state. The new experience created with Cisco is centered around video and collaboration, automate administrative processes, security, and enhance the learning process for students and teachers in many a ways. With the mobility provided by Cisco wireless, students and teachers are not confined to the classroom, they will be connected either they are in the playground or anywhere within the reach of wireless network and of course a device with wireless capacity. The concept of wall-less classrooms should be the theme of education every where.

"To ensure Victorian Government school students remain at the forefront of a rapidly changing digital world, the State Government is investing more than $120 million this year on information and communication technologies. In the classroom this means students will have access to more computers which are linked to high-speed broadband provided through the VicSmart initiative. The Ultranet – a 21st century online learning platform that will connect students, teachers and parents in every Victorian government school is now up and running. Cisco has been integral to this Government's ICT investment that will help strengthen our education system to build the workforce of the future." said Jeff Rosewarne, deputy secretary, Office for Resources and Infrastructure of DEECD.

"It is the combination of technology coupled with innovative teaching and learning approaches that makes this deployment so exciting for Cisco. By bringing innovative wired and wireless networking solutions to 1,000 Victorian schools, we are providing a connected learning experience that prepares students for the demands of a fast-paced, global world." echoed Les Williamson, vice president Cisco Australia and New Zealand.

The Minister for Education, Victoria Press release;
Cisco Press release