Digital learning

Technology, the internet and research from neuroscience have changed the way in which students learn, gather information, interact with data and each other and how they think. As a consequence, it is our responsibility to ensure that we are constantly reviewing our strategies, teaching and environment so that we can effectively prepare our students for life beyond school.

A connected school

The whole school works through digital platforms including Microsoft TEAMS, Tapestry , SeeSaw and many more. These platforms are designed for student, teacher and parent access which helps keep everyone in our community informed.

As a result, all students can access their school work and feedback on any device, wherever they are. Asides from improving efficiency and organisation, it gives them the important experience of working in a digital environment which is more akin to what they will face at university and in the workplace once they leave ICS.

As part of this approach all Primary School students use 1:1 Apple iPad tablet. In the Secondary, in Years 7-9, students continue to use iPad technology. From Year 10, students are required to use a PC (details of which are updated yearly).

Our Cloud-based platforms and resources, provide teacher-curated content, accessible to students 24/7, including:

• Course outlines (MYP and DP);
• Homework and links to handouts, multimedia, audio resources, etc;
• Assessed work;
• Grades as they develop by criteria;
• Extension work;
• Digital textbooks;
• Tests that can be taken and automatically marked;
• Portfolios of work (MYP and DP);
• Online library resources including EBSCO.

Student work is saved in the Cloud, which means a piece of work can be picked back up easily from home. It also makes sharing files and folders simple, so groups of students can collaborate and work remotely.

Digital technologies help to improve teaching and learning by:

• Supporting authentic, creative and collaborative learning;
• Enabling a wide range of assessment approaches;
• Complementing face-to-face contact;
• Encouraging productive learning outside the classroom.

Beyond the classroom, teachers use Microsoft TEAMS to distribute materials to students and to provide personalised comments, feedback and support, direct to each student.