The 1:1 Student Device Program is to provide the Parent/ Carer with a cost-effective means of purchasing a laptop, through providing access to Microsoft Educational laptops purchased at reduced prices through the school’s bulk-purchasing.
Many of the Elite Independent Schools in NSW have deployed a 1:1 device program and the Department has similarly encouraged a similar framework. The concept of technology in the classroom has been evident since the early 2010s and so this measure is merely an advancement by the College to ensure our students have access to the best resources available to flourish at school. With many schools locally and nationally implementing a digital device scheme, the College hopes that the roll-out of these devices will be met with enthusiasm and excitement for the digital transformation that is to come.
Advantages of the Program
Amongst the plethora of advantages that the 1:1 device program will entail includes the scrapping of physical textbooks from the College’s current operation. Textbooks will move to digital, and students will no longer have to carry their textbooks to and from school. The provision of digital textbooks will be accompanied by deep learning initiatives as well as specialised methods of teaching (pedagogies) in which teachers will leverage the use of technology to stimulate more interactive and innovative methods and modes of learning in the classroom. The implementation of technology in the classroom will add to our current learning procedures and will attempt to improve the quality of learning and results in the classrooms whilst catapulting our learning into the next generation. The introduction of interactive flat panels to our classrooms is an example of another step that the College has taken to improve teaching in the classroom with levels of interactivity improved in the classroom and investments in connectivity and capital infrastructure to facilitate digital learning.
Most importantly though, the move to improve the use of technology in the classroom will attempt to prepare our students for their journey in the real world. With universities, tertiary institutions, and the corporate world all revolving around the use of technology, it is pivotal that our students are equipped with the skills necessary to excel beyond the walls of Minarah College. The advent of AI and augmented reality will be a necessary inclusion and our students will experience firsthand, the benefits of technology and artificial intelligence in the classroom. Yet, more importantly, the introduction of technology will contribute to the improvement of the STEAM syllabus and the delivery of course content at the College; providing our students with the best opportunities to succeed both at school and in transitioning to life post-school.
How will the device be used?
Technology is a tool that enhances pedagogy, facilitates the creation and sharing of knowledge and enables differentiation in learning. Our teachers use information and communication technologies in the classroom in an educationally purposeful way to reinforce the curriculum, when appropriate. The device will provide students with the following at their fingertips:
- Access to cloud-based classroom resources on OneDrive, Class Notebook, and other online tools
- Access to online Textbooks
- Access to our Online library resources
- Access to online virtual classrooms
- Subject outlines and unit planners
- Access to expertise from around the world – in real-time
- Industry-standard software for creating, editing, designing, presenting and sharing
- Access to online discussion boards and collaborative learning tools
- Assessment tasks, feedback and results
- Teacher and support network
