Whānau Survey 2018

Kaurilands Board of Trustees Update: Whānau Survey 2018

Thank you to all those who took the time to complete our whānau survey.  We very much appreciate and value your feedback and suggestions.

The number of respondents increased again this year, and the results were very positive overall demonstrating a high level of satisfaction across all areas at Kaurilands School.

There were two key themes that emerged from this year’s survey. These were the need to provide better understanding around our Graduate Learner Dispositions (GLDs), and the use of digital technology in the classroom.

In relation to the GLDs, the staff have begun a reflection process on how best to increase  understanding for students, staff and whānau of what the Kaurilands GLDs represent and their purpose.

The feedback regarding the use of digital technology has shown a need for further communication to address the concerns raised.  Please take the time to read the following clarification on the use of digital technology at Kaurilands School:

At Kaurilands School, we use technology as a tool for learning.  We recognise that digital technology has opened up radically new opportunities and also rapidly changed the world that our children are living in.  As such, we see it as hugely important that students have the skills and knowledge to be a digital citizen; a person who knows how to navigate digital waters and use digital technology to their advantage. Despite the fact that our children are born “digital natives” we know that the skills required to use technology for learning are not innate, they need to be taught.  We are also mindful of the digital skills required at intermediates and high schools and so as students move up the year levels they are given a wider variety of digital options and are taught the knowledge and skills necessary to be digital citizens.

This includes:

• Skills and strategies needed to access technology and use it to communicate, connect, collaborate and create.
• Attitudes, underpinned by our school values which support personal integrity and positive connection with others.
• Knowledge of the digital environments and contexts in which they are working, and how the online world and offline world integrate and affect each other.

Throughout a school day this may look like a child:

• Making a post on Seesaw
• Creating a presentation or product to showcase their learning
• Practising or developing a skill
• Giving or receiving feedback
• Researching or learning about a topic
• Collaborating on a task with friends
• Writing a story

It does not look like:

• Independent access to YouTube and google.
• Device time as a reward for good behaviour.
• Unlimited device time. There are always periods of time during the day when devices are not an option.
• Children only receiving feedback digitally from their teachers.
• Watching TV. TV screens are used for news in the morning and similar to the way whiteboards are used, as a teaching or sharing tool. Occasionally they are used to show video clips or footage that tie to classroom learning.

As a school we are committed to teaching the whole curriculum including Reading, Writing and Maths.  Digital technology has not and will not replace books in these subjects.

All our internet traffic is filtered by Network for Learning, a Ministry of Education provided service for internet management and online safety. We also use SSL certificates to add an extra layer of filtering and Hapara which is a tool to make children’s google accounts visible to teachers.