Technology

Access

Children today are growing up in an age where computer skills and the use of electronic data is as necessary as reading and writing skills. At Tambelin Independent school there is a strong focus on Communication and Information Technology Education.

The school has a dedicated Information Technology room (Computopia), where Tambelin children have been taught by Specialist computer teacher David Edworthy for over 8 years. David engages small groups of students in focussed sessions, one day per week. All students from Kindergarten to Year 6 receive computer based lessons with a focus on Information Literacy.

Students have access to up-to-date computer, data storage, audio/visual capture and presentation systems with generous technology to student ratio. Our wireless network is secure, enabling flexible access and configuration of notebook-based learning opportunities both during Information Technology lessons and during research/class projects.

Confidence

Our students are taught from Kindergarten to use the correct terminology and to take a holistic view of computers. Instead of focusing on a particular application, they are exposed to how the whole system operates and not just how to use singular programs.

Media such as music and photos as well as an increasingly large proportion of students’ work are stored and accessed as computer files. Our students are taught effective ways to protect and save their information. We focus on confidence in data creation and retrieval - the students are instructed in the importance of knowing not only how to save their work, but how to move it from one device to another and retrieve their data.

Students are instructed in the safe use of the internet early in our program, including a strict course covering the advantages and dangers of the World Wide Web. Internet access is conducted under strict supervision, and the school has procedures in place to encourage safe practices when students access the Internet.

Computer tuition is conducted to not only follow the required curriculum but extend the students to achieve beyond the standard proficiency requirements. Some of the areas covered during the students computer lessons include;

• File Structure: working with files and folders, pathing;
• Data Awareness: saving files, backup, file retrieval;
• File Manipulation: creation, naming, re-naming, duplication;
• File Awareness: understanding differing file types, eg: .jpg (Image Files), mp3 (Music Files), .pdf, .pub, .txt, .doc, etc;
• Digital Imaging: digital photography, digital image creation and editing, animation;
• Word Processing: document creation with a strong focus on creation and formatting of text (font types, styles and sizes, text alignment, page layouts);
• Spreadsheets and charts: Data;
• Computer based research: searching techniques and skills integrating local and online information sources;
• Website design and creation.