Digital Technologies
At Williamstown North Primary School, Digital technologies will be used meaningfully in all curriculum areas, to encourage collaboration, develop critical and creative thinking skills and to empower all students to realise their educational and social potential.
Digital technologies enhance the teaching and learning in all aspects of the curriculum. At WNPS, we encourage students to work with technologies in a collaborative learning environment, where information is managed, organised and distributed effectively in and beyond the school. Furthermore, learning occurs beyond the classroom environment where students are encouraged and supported to make links with local and global communities. WNPS supports and values our students to act as eLearning leaders and mentors throughout the school. We encourage students, staff and families to become confident, adaptive and discriminating users of ICT.
Digital technologies skills are explicitly taught and utilised across all curriculum areas with learning occurring regularly in the classroom, in specialist areas and in the STEM Lab. Students work towards creating products or presentations using combinations of text, pictures, video and sound. They explore useful visual thinking tools, learn about locating information on the internet and manipulating data.
1:1 Learning
At WNPS, it is acknowledged that the fundamental importance of teaching and learning is to provide effective learning environments for all learners, as we prepare them to become 21st Century learners. A 1:1 Learning environment enhances the levels of achievement, engagement, motivation and understanding within the classroom program. We believe that 1:1 Learning promotes excellence, as we strive towards a more personalised learning approach.
In our 1:1 Learning environment, each learner in Years 4-6 has access to a portable, networked, touch-screen netbook that can connect each learner with their teacher and other learners or experts, with real-world contexts for learning, multimedia resources, software for learning and online tools and applications.
With a connected, mobile netbook, learners can communicate with teachers and peers about learning activities. They can respond to and keep records of feedback, including multimedia records of their learning and assessment. They have anywhere, anytime access to work in progress and evidence of their learning, as well as to personal digital spaces for ongoing reflections on learning.
Learning in a 1:1 environment can open up new possibilities for learning or make it easier to exploit existing learning opportunities. Learning can be more active and student centred. 1:1 digital netbooks connect directly with individual learners as they engage with learning activities and collaborate online within and beyond their school. A learner's individual, connected, digital netbook can be an important part of a blended learning environment because it supports personalised learning and just-in-time integration of ICT into learning activities.
To purchase a device for the 1:1 program for your child. Please access the Learning With Technologies portal below.
Smart, Safe and Responsible use of Technology
Students in Years 3-6 should have read, signed and returned the Acceptable Use Agreement. It is expected that students return this before they are able to have full access to digital technologies and the school’s WiFi network. Parents should discuss the ideas presented in this important document at home with their children.
Keeping students safe online is a key component of our programs at school. Regularly educating students about protecting personal information, online privacy, cyberbullying and eSecurity is crucial in empowering them to be smart, safe and responsible digital citizens for today and tomorrow.
