Issue 68 – Term 4, December 2015

INTERFACE 68 is available for just $4.60, plus P&P, for orders in New Zealand. (Overseas rates available on request.)

Interface awards 2015
Find out who won this year’s
three prestigious awards
Interface News and Views• Merry christmas and best wishes for 2016!
• InterfaceXpo Registrations open 12 February
• Meet our magnificent Minecraft creators
• Best activity using digital technology
• Congratulations to our competition winnersNoticeboard
• All the latest e-learning news
• eTV is rich in te reo Maori content
• Made Awards 2015
Magnificent Minecrafting
Once again, there were some amazing constructions, both in terms of the creativity of the idea and the execution of the building. Here are just some of the entries.How are you keeping your students safe online?
The growing trend for secure websites could mean your school’s web filtering set-up may no longer be meeting your needs and providing a safe online environment for your students.

Choosing to install SSL Certificates
Mt Aspiring College was one the first schools to adopt N4L’s Secure Website Inspection service.

Bringing devices into the classroom
Many schools are implementing 1:1 programmes for student devices. Here we talk to three about their ‘Bring Your Own Device’ (BYOD) plans and experiences.

Protecting students and staff: The Fortinet way
Cyber-security is one of the most challenging issues confronting school administrators. Fortinet has a range of security solutions.

Pakuranga College wins a ‘Tonne of Technology’
What would you do if you won $10,000 worth of technology for your school?

The benefits of ‘outcome-based’ e-learning
Winning the ‘Tonne of Technology’ competition validates the work Pakuranga College is doing with its students.

Students to sit ‘driving licence’ for drones
The ‘Focus’ of education is shifting at Te Puke High School. Among new learning options for next year, it’s decided to offer students a course to learn about flying a drone.

Teacher Ambassador to help schools with Microsoft solutions
Microsoft has launched a new ‘Teacher Ambassador’ programme to help integrate its products and services effectively into the classroom. The first in the role is Nicki Gemmell.

Posting, presenting and PLD with Padlet

From posting notes to presenting information to collaborating on ideas, Padlet is proving not only easy to use but also a highly effective tool for the classroom.

Being Bike Wise 101: Cycling inspiration for you
The Bike Wise team understands being a teacher is a busy job, so a menu of resources and links are available to help you inspire your students to find out more about cycling.

Twenty years of BYOD
Twenty years ago, Saint Kentigern College launched the first student one-to-one programme in a New Zealand school.

Learning to save and spend with spreadsheets
Financial literacy is an important skill every student should learn and simple data spreadsheets are a great way to achieve this.

Fileshare – eight pages of online resources
• Cool Gizmos
• Mobile Apps
• One-minute guide: Tinkercad
• Audiobooks
• TED Lessons
• 16 cool apps for 2016
• Student Reviews

Book reviews
• Learn to Program with Minecraft
• The Dark Net: Inside the Digital Underworld

Competitions
Some great prizes to be won!

From the back of the class
In October, around 1,800 educators attended the ULearn 2015 conference at Sky City in Auckland. Among them was Stacey Thomas – experiencing this popular event for the very first time.

Events diary