Frequently Asked Questions
What is SuperClubsPLUS Australia?
SuperClubsPLUS Australia is an online social networking site for children aged 6-12. It provides a rich learning experience centred on ICT, literacy and citizenship and allows students to chat and collaborate in a protected online environment.
Teachers can use SuperClubsPLUS Australia to create engaging and purposeful learning experiences in an online environment. They can monitor students’ work online, create school pages, collaborate and link up with other schools in Australia or overseas.
What activities are available on SuperClubsPLUS Australia?
Students can upload media, publish articles, build personalised web pages, run their own clubs, complete projects, join discussion forums, chat with friends, achieve their ICT 'Star Awards', and participate in 'Hot Seats'. The list of learning activities is extensive and growing daily.
How do I know SuperClubsPLUS Australia is a protected environment?
Fully trained mediators, who are qualified teachers with a current Working with Children check, actively mediate all students’ activities.
In addition, many of the activities in SuperClubsPLUS Australia are specifically designed to engage children in practicing strategies to keep themselves safe online - including working to achieve their 'Safe Online' Star Awards.
Who else is using SuperClubsPLUS Australia?
In the UK SuperClubsPLUS is accessed by up to 130 00 children and 14 000 primary teachers. It is supported by UK governments, including the Department for Children, Schools and Families (http://www.dfes.gov.uk).
How much will it cost?
The Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development will provide free membership for all Victorian Years 3 and 4 students who participate in the SuperClubsPLUS Australia trial. The free 12 months membership offer will expire December 2010 or when 100,000 students are registered, whichever comes first. Register now for membership in 2009 and register by December 2009 for 2010 membership.
When can students access SuperClubsPLUS Australia?
Moderated access will be available from 8 am to 8 pm. Students may access SuperClubsPLUS Australia at school and at home where internet access and a computer or mobile internet device is available.
Do teachers need to be trained to use SuperClubsPLUS?
Teachers already using SuperClubsPLUS Australia say the best way to start is to get online and explore the site. Teachers can learn alongside the students as they work through their Star Awards. Professional learning will be available for teachers in 2009. Information will be sent directly to registered schools.
We are not sure of the teachers who will be in Year 3 and Year 4 next year, what do we do?
Provide the contact details as they currently stand. Once you have determined the class teacher for 2009 records can be updated.
If only some students in a class sign up, does that limit the usefulness of SuperClubsPLUS Australia?
How the SuperClubsPLUS program might be used in class is a school decision. It can be used as a whole class activity, but if the whole class is not participating, it is ideal for personalised, self paced learning.
Can students from other grade levels join SuperClubsPLUS Australia?
Yes, but you will need to contact SuperClubsPLUS Australia directly for these students. SuperClubsPLUS Australia is open to children aged 6-12 but only those in Grades 3 &4 can be registered for free through the DEECD trial. The Department is trialing SuperClubsPLUS Australia with these grade levels to evaluate the program’s impact on learning.
How much does it cost once the free 12 months registration runs out?
At this stage we do not know what the cost might be following this period of free registration.
Why is the Department trialing SuperClubsPLUS Australia?
The twenty-first century is increasingly complex, global and networked. Schools must structure learning and teaching activities which will assist students to develop the knowledge, skills and learning strategies they need to deal with the vast amounts of information and range of technologies now available to them. The Department will trial SuperClubsPLUS Australia with Grades 3 and 4 students as a learning and teaching tool and will evaluate the program’s impact on learning. Teachers of students participating in the trial will be given an evaluation tool to complete.
How is the trial of SuperClubsPLUS Australia being evaluated?
Teachers participating in the trial will be asked to complete a simple evaluation tool at the beginning, in the middle and at the end of their free 12 months registration period. This will provide data on the impact of the trial on student learning.