Esperance SHS (ESHS) has a large ICT network supporting the administrative and curriculum needs of the school. We employ a full-time Network Administrator and a full-time IT Support Technician to help maintain our ICT network. 

ESHS has long recognized the need to produce capable 21^st Century learners. ICT and eLearning have been important teaching priorities for a number of years. Staff are focused on developing their own ICT skills to help students as well as using ICT in innovative ways to enhance student learning.

Student computer usage is governed by the ICT Code of Conduct, an agreement all parents/carers and students sign to ensure appropriate usage of the system. In addition to this appropriate ICT ethics and use are taught in a variety of classes. ICT ethics education includes cyber bullying and cyber safety.

The school’s comprehensive website has been developed in-house. It provides:

• useful information for parents and students. E.g. Newsletters, calendar of events
• support for learning and teaching programs
• links to in-house systems e.g. Support Tickets for reporting and tracking ICT related issues.

Our ICT network is accessed by Education Support Centre students, Hostel students and the off-site Farm Training Centre.

ESHS has embraced the use of Connect. Connect is used to deliver curriculum content to students as well as providing parents and carers with information about attendance, student achievement results and curriculum programs. See the Connect page here for further details.

All classrooms are equipped with a teacher PC and data projector (there are 70 data projectors in use at last count). The school is also endowed with nine computer laboratories. Two of these are dedicated labs for photography classes, one lab is for Design and Technology (D&T) classes, two labs are in the Trades Training Centre for use by VET students and the other labs are used by all subject areas. Students have access to industry standard software such as the Adobe Suite (e.g. Photoshop), Sibelius for music students and the Autodesk Suite for D&T students.

The school also has also recently invested in over 100 tablets in five tablet trolleys. They are located throughout the school for student use. These hybrid devices act as both a laptop and a tablet. They are Windows based devices and work seamlessly with our existing network, providing a mobile solution for computer access.

Students in Year 7 complete a Digital Technologies Unit where they learn to use to the school’s extensive ICT network. With the introduction of online OLNA testing (for students in year 10, 11 and 12) and online NAPLAN testing (for students in year 7 and 9), it is increasingly important for students to be able to type efficiently. Parents and carers can consolidate student typing skills at home by encouraging their children to continue touch tying practice using any of the free touch typing programs available online.