Connecting the dots

FEBRUARY 2009
By Larissa Bilyard

Rockhampton teacher Wayne Real, who recently retired from Frenchville State School, remembers introducing technology into his classroom three decades ago.

'Until 1978 I knew nothing about computers - those were the days when you had to write letters or phone people if you wanted to share information,' Mr Real recalled.

Wayne Real introducing technology into classrooms

'After meeting people who were into computers, I learnt basic computer programming and coding over a period of three years, but in the early 1980s I really got stuck in.'

In 1984 he organised a computer to be donated to Glenmore State School where he was then teaching and began working with his class to enter an interactive story competition.

'We won and my students felt very special - not only had they won a national competition, but the prize was an Atari 800XL for our classroom.'

People soon started to sit up and take notice of the potential computers had for the classroom, Mr Real said. 'Here we were, just a little primary school but we had two computers and were doing great things for the time.' Mr Real said even in those early days, he considered technology to be a useful tool to support his teaching.

'I saw it as a way to encourage the kids even further, and it was easy to do because they were engaged.

'I'm a firm believer that ICT should be integrated into every subject.

'But you can't just park kids in front of a computer and expect them to learn. You've got to create the learning opportunities.'

In 1995 Mr Real began teaching his students how to write HTML code, the language used to create documents for the worldwide web. He set up a class website where students were involved in creating and editing webpages.

Wide Bay Region providing children with the opportunity to learn computer skills in the 1980s

'As far as I know no other teachers were doing this. Some schools had websites, but they were pretty basic. I'm pretty sure ours was the first class website.'

About five or six years ago Mr Real began to notice students' technological know-how improving dramatically. 'My students started getting better computers at home. Suddenly, they were showing me things and were pushing to learn more.

'Some teachers feel insecure because the kids know more than them about technology. But they are a resource to harness for the rest of the class.'

Mr Real retired from full-time teaching at the end of 2008 but said his colleagues were working in an exciting period.

'People I've mentored along the way are now gaining their ICT certificate and ICT Pedagogical Licence and that's great.

'They might not all be early adopters of technology but they're applying it in the classroom and engaging their kids - and that's what it's all about.'