TechKnow Time allows students and staff to explore, create and design through a STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Maths) lens. Each week, classes spend an hour in the TechKnow Time room, tinkering with circuits, robotics, construction challenges and coding. Each zone is designed for students to work individually or collaboratively and allows them to be self-guided in their discoveries.
Each week, new age-appropriate project ideas are presented for students to explore with differentiated opportunities to cater for all learning styles and abilities.
Teachers are able to join in with students and act as facilitators and/or learning partners. Our goal with TechKnow Time is to develop STEM skills as well as looking at how we can use these skills to develop transformative learning.
TechKnow Kids is an opt-in lunchtime activity for Year 3-6 students designed to address our growing digital needs. TechKnow Kids provide support and assistance for both staff and students regarding all things technology. This vital club at ICSS boasts 60+ members with students meeting weekly in the TechKnow Time room. Each week, our junior and senior TKKs learn how to solve tech problems under the guidance of our eLearning team and Year 6 TechKnow Leaders. This year, we are very excited to be expanding our club vision and develop a community project to benefit new students to our school.
iPad program
Ithaca Creek State School has an explicit improvement agenda to implement a whole school approach to the Australian Curriculum: Technologies. Our vision is for Ithaca Creek State School students to be confident and effective thinkers, creators and communicators who make a positive contribution to the world around them. From Prep, we aim to prepare students to become innovators for the future. Teachers become facilitators of learning and students will become problem solvers, developing sustainable solutions through collaborative engagement with their peers.
We have been on our eLearning journey since 2015 and have seen the introduction of the following:
- digital learning in the classroom
- the implementation of Australian Curriculum: Digital Technologies
- an eLearning Coach to assist and mentor staff
- TechKnow Time
- TechKnow Kids.
To support our vision, each Prep to Year 2 class has a set of eight iPads to be used in rotations or consolidated for whole class activities.
In 2019, we implemented the 1:1 iPad program, beginning with our Year 3 cohort and will roll on in subsequent years. This allows greater opportunities to engage and enhance student learning. The Australian Curriculum embeds ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) throughout all learning areas and students are required to develop ICT skills throughout their primary schooling, through to the completion of secondary school.
Our iPad program is school-based, with iPads staying at school. This ensures well-managed devices with school-approved apps and Cybersafe measures in place.
Our learning journey will continue at ICSS and as we aim to utilise digital learning to amplify good pedagogy.