Digital Education
In a recent article from NAIS (National Association of Independent Schools) the author, Chris Panell, made the following statement:
“To be digitally literate means that you are able to craft the words that express your ideas and then connect those words to other texts through a variety of media. To be digitally literate means that you are able to set out the words and symbols that reflect your thoughts and then make them act in ways that you wish. The presentation of the words is imbued with meaning, as are the ways that the user interacts with the text.”
Digital literacy is fast becoming as important as other traditional forms of literacy, and supports key skills that allow students to be successful in school and in life. At Thalun our students, with the guidance of their classroom and specialist teachers, start working with technology in the classroom at Kindergarten level and continue to do so until they graduate. We encourage home-school communication and learning through the use of Google Classroom and Google Apps, as well as Rediker Plusportals (which provides information on attendance, class content and grades).
We believe that:
- integrating technology contributes to student learning.
- it supports the curriculum, provides tools for future success, as well as opportunities for communication to broaden awareness of our global society.
- appropriate technology can be used by teachers to support learning, provide alternative assessment, communicate with families, and manage classroom record keeping.
- teachers and students need access to current technology and professional/personal development opportunities.
- it is crucial that students realize that respect, tolerance, and honesty must also be part of their use of technology. This is reflected in our Responsible Use Policy.
The Thalun Personal Devices Toolkit provides some guidance and resources for parents on how to approach the effective and safe use of devices to support learning.
It also outlines some of the initiatives we as a school have put in place to develop digital literacy and citizenship. Have a look, and see how you can use it.