Doug Loader
Closing the ATAR gap with predictive analytics

How data can inform staff and influence student achievement.

Closing the ATAR gap with predictive analytics
Doug Loader
Western Australian School NAPLAN Performance ...

How did your school perform against the national NAPLAN average?

Western Australian School NAPLAN Performance 2011 - 2019
Apple Education
Doug Loader
iPad workshop: Resources and thoughts

This week I presented to about 30 parents, to help them and their children use an iPad for learning. We covered many topics including Apple IDs, Family Sharing and apps for learning.

iPad workshop: Resources and thoughts
education
Doug Loader
An iPad workshop to empower parents

This school holiday period I will be running an iPad workshop for parents. The 2 hour workshop will address issues surrounding better management of the iPad at home, and some techniques that can be used to promote positive learning outcomes while at school.

An iPad workshop to empower parents
Apple Education, education
Doug Loader
Confessions of an IT manager

It is clear that our students are moving into a workforce that is both unpredictable and precarious. With constant reminders that computers and automation will replace many professions in the future, it is recommended that we “teach differently”. Schools are being challenged to create young minds that are rich in interpersonal skills, ones that are creative, collaborative, and above all, resilient.

Confessions of an IT manager

OSX anti-virus

Do I need anti-virus protection for my Mac?

Personally speaking I have never run any form of anti-virus protection on my Mac for home use. But then I never run 'dubious' software (such as bit torrent clients or cracked software) on my machine.Also I consider myself to wise to the ways of 'phishing'. If you keep your software up to date and back up your important data I see no reason for an average sensible home user to run anti-virus protection. Often you will find that these virus protection programs can be 'system hogs' and they will capitalise on a lot of your systems valuable CPU. However, if you are a business user or your Mac may be an attractive target for hacking or phishing then I would recommend that you err on the side of caution.

Any free anti-virus tools I can use?

The most popular free tool appears to be ClamXav. If you are running a large network for business I would recommend something more comprehensive from either Mcafee or Norton.