We will be providing articles that will give you some strategies to follow up what is happening at College. Our first article focuses on Technology: are we more connected or disconnected than ever? Mrs Wheeler, the Deputy Junior School who looks after technology across the Junior School, has provided a great article to help parents with navigating through the technology minefield.
Recently, I was travelling by public transport and I noticed the absolute majority of commuters were locked in to their devices, staring at screens which some were for work and others for entertainment. My sister recently moved into an apartment building and has found it difficult to connect with her neighbours as they are usually passing by each other in the hall with earphones plugged in. My father recently purchased a GoPro. It has given us a new and exciting style of content that has captured moments in ways that have been previously inaccessible.
We all recognise that technology has been an inevitable development across society, and education is no exception. Access through technology has paved the way for incredible connection to people, places and knowledge. In the Junior School, we teach that technology is a tool for learning that is to be used safely, ethically and responsibly. We are preparing students to be technologically literate by providing essential learning experiences that facilitate a deep understanding of how we use technology purposefully and wisely.
Our iPad program in P - 2 and Chromebook program in Stage 2 and 3 have brought many exciting and challenging learning experiences that have allowed students to access, share and publish learning in ways that were previously impossible. In an Infants class I recently saw young learners explain their mathematical reasoning through filming a subtraction mathematics ‘story’ using teddy bears and sharing this on the Interactive Whiteboard. We are currently exploring ways we can be sharing these amazing moments of learning with you- watch this space!
As parents, how are you modelling purposeful connection with and disconnection from technology? At College we teach that technology helps us in life and is used for a purpose. Devices have a time and place. What time and place do you they have in your home? Here are a few suggestions for technology use:
- Aim to make all bedrooms technology free zones, including TV and mobile phones.
- Disconnect from all technology at least 30 minutes before going to bed. Turn off the modem when it is getting late.
- Place the charging station for all devices in one central location.
- Set an example. Your children need to see that you have limits around your own technology use. They will notice if you do not walk the talk. Show them that you prioritise face-to-face relationships over screen time.
- The same parenting rules apply to your children’s real and virtual environments.
Technology is a fantastic addition to our classrooms and homes but can be the greatest distraction as well so we need to be on the same page guiding our children to use technology wisely.
Mrs Sandy Wheeler
Deputy Head of Junior School - People & Practice