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National AEDI e-newsletter No.4 (July 2009)

National AEDI data collection ends soon! We are now into the last weeks of data collection. Schools have until 31 July to complete data collection for children in their first year of full-time school. Teachers can access the data entry site from the AEDI website's For Schools page.

National data collection update

As the data collection period draws to a close, the AEDI National Support Centre is excited to announce we are well on the way to having data collected on almost every Australian child in their first year of full-time school. 

 AEDI kids paint hands

So far:

  • Data have been collected on more than 85 per cent of children (over 225,000 checklists completed)
  • 81 per cent of schools have either finished, or are undertaking data collection
  • More than 12,000 teachers have completed checklists
  • 97 per cent of teachers reported the AEDI data entry system as easy to use
  • 75 per cent of teachers reported their involvement in the AEDI will assist their community to better understand the health, development and wellbeing of children in their area

 

News story: principal training in NSW's Western Region

Before AEDI data collection began, local AEDI coordinators in the NSW Western Region organised an information session for principals. But, as is the case in many geographically vast regions of Australia, it's often a logistical challenge for principals to meet in the one place at the one time...

The Western Region of NSW is a huge geographic area with the large rural cities of Dubbo, Wagga Wagga and Bathurst surrounded by small towns, even smaller villages and isolated schools serving as rural community hubs. Into this complex mix are large station properties serviced by School of the Air and other Distance Education Sites.

Undaunted by the challenge of coordinating AEDI training for local principals, the Western Region AEDI Coordinator, Jim Wilton and the Broken Hill District Teaching and Learning Coordinator, Scott Sanford set up a series of  video conferences where principals could view, on their computers in real-time, the AEDI training materials.

Conference times arranged and venues booked: everything was set. Until it rained! The small schools at the end of dirt roads became isolated and blocked off from the video conferencing centres and the session looked like it might not go ahead. But, not letting a little rain get in the way, Scott arranged a teleconference link-in and problem solved!

Local principals were able to share their new knowledge of the AEDI with their kinder teachers, and to date, 151 schools (of 162) have completed AEDI data entry for NSW's Western Region kinder children.

Does your school or community have a good news story from the AEDI?  Let us know.

Updated mapping technology for the AEDI

AEDI interactive community maps will be faster, more detailed and user-friendly for the first release of AEDI results at the end of this year.

The latest version of internet mapping software InstantAtlas will be used to create AEDI maps with 2009/10 data.

Instant Atlas logo

 

AEDI mock map_bw

The AEDI's Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Officer, Megan Harper, has recently travelled to Edinburgh, Scotland after she was awarded a scholarship to receive one-on-one training with InstantAtlas' producers, GeoWise. Megan will bring the latest developments to the AEDI National Support Centre to be used for AEDI mapping.

This latest version will present maps in a similar way to Google Maps, allowing users to search for local communities and create custom-made maps. Other improvements include:

  • Better response time for zooming and panning
  • The inclusion of roads, railways, council and other boundaries
  • The ability to pan, zoom, create images and add symbols and text to individual reports

 

 

More about the AEDI...

 

Last Updated 17-Jul-2009. Authorised by: June McLoughlin. Enquiries: Mary Sayers.
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