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 In order to tailor a solution for St Francis Xavier, HP had to consider not only the classroom environment, but also the extreme environmental factors of the Northern Territory. For example, the Northern Territory is famous for its fabulous storms. As awe-inspiring as they are to witness, the practicalities that come with these storms are not as inspiring, which is why we had to protect all the equipment with power surge protectors. We also needed to protect the new equipment from the floods experienced by the community during the wet season.
An old classroom has been converted into the new Technology Centre. Decked out with new desks and chairs, the room has been arranged to enhance collaboration, as well as allow the teacher to be able to closely monitor what each student is working on. This is especially important when you consider the internet, and the children's safety and security. Bright posters all over the walls give the room a cheerful effect.
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Equipment for the Children:
HP Compaq dc7800 ultra-slim desktop PC. This was chosen for:
 - Its technical superiority
- 80PLUS power supply - making it more environmentally friendly as well as more power efficient
- It can be securely locked to the back of a monitor, keeping it above the potential flood waters, and protected from little fingers.
HP LP1965 Flat Panel monitor. This stylish 19-inch monitor offers premier image quality, flexibility and ergonomic features.
Integrated Work Centre Stands allow you to secure the dc7800 ultra-slim desktop PC to the back of the monitor.
HP Compaq Business PC Security Lock for additional PC security.
Equipment for the Teacher:
HP Compaq xw4600 Workstation. Powerful and flexible, this workstation is ideal for teachers demonstrating to the class, because it can be connected to the 30" monitor at the front of the classroom.
HP LP3065 Flat Panel Monitor. This 30" monitor can be positioned at the front of the classroom, not unlike a blackboard, to allow the children to follow along with the teacher as he/she demonstrates to the class.
HP LP1965 Flat Panel 19" monitor. This allows the teacher to work on their own projects without projecting to the class.
Additional equipment for the classroom:
A Color LaserJet 2840 multi-function printer. Gives the teacher and the students the ability to scan their work, email it to friends, or post it on their own websites. Also gives them the ability to proudly print out their work and take it home to Mum and Dad.
An HP ProCurve Port Switch 2610-48, 48 Ports. Provides 48 ports of 10/100 connectivity.
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The remoteness of St Francis Xavier School poses unique challenges for the provision of servicing of the equipment. Daly River is only 224kms from Darwin, however during the wet season it is often impossible to access this community via roads.
HP are working closely with their trusted partner - CSG - in overcoming these challenges.
 CSG is an HP servicing partner, based in Darwin, NT. Founded in Darwin in 1988, CSG have expertise in the design, implementation and delivery of integrated technology solutions. They are providers of services to the Northern Territory Government, and are familiar with the schools environment through their work with the NT Department of Education. They also have a large team of technicians and a fleet of planes, which gives them access to the most isolated communities. CSG were instrumental in the implementation of the equipment, and will maintain the equipment on behalf of HP throughout the duration of this project.
More information on CSG is available from www.csg.com.au
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The provision of training is an essential component for ensuring that the teachers and students are able to gain maximum benefit from the deployment of this new education technology solution.
To assist with training, we enlisted the assistance of SchoolKiT, a leading provider of technology integration curriculum software and professional development services. Together, we designed a training package for the teachers of St Francis Xavier. This package included licences to edClass, a package of classroom-ready technology integration activities, and 12 month subscriptions to pdPoint, which is an online teacher professional learning programme focused on technology integration skills and best practices. In addition to these resources Stephen Bose from SchoolKiT provided a days training at the school to ensure the teachers are able to use these new resources.
More information about SchoolKiT is available from schoolkit.com.au
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