From the Principal - 26 October 2023

This week, we have the first EOTC Term 4 programmes with the Year 5 and 6 team away at El Rancho in Waikanae. Thank you to everyone who assists with the broad and many requests for assistance we make. We could not run the wonderful programmes without you.

Last week, we had our Honouring the Centenary event, which was spectacular. Hearing a representative from each decade speak about their memories was very special. Thank you to the team of people who put this together and, in particular, to Caroline Woon, our Centenary Chair. Thank you to parent James Mansell for taking the photos for this event. You can view photos from the event here.

Below, we have discussed our current thinking around both our BYOD programme and e-learning.  The Board is interested in your views. Please take the time to share your thoughts in the Board section.

Part One: The intentional reduction in the use of digital technology in school and the removal of BYOD in Years 5 and 6

Casting our minds back to March 2020 and New Zealand’s first lockdown will bring flooding back many emotions. For our school, alongside staff worrying about what was ahead for us all, their own families and personal circumstances, they immediately focused on how we could ‘flip teaching’ and continue student learning from a distance. As a school, we could seamlessly move to distance learning because of the previous investment in staff professional development, technology and infrastructure. Our e-Learning capabilities ensured teaching and learning continued and student achievement did not decline. Even in 2022, we relied heavily on technology, with staff away from school, children sick, and many families having extended time out of New Zealand.

In our October 2022 community survey, we asked you questions about our use of technology and our BYOD programmes. We received lots of feedback, much positive, but also questions about the amount of time technology is used at school and comments on the challenges having BYOD devices in the home brings.

We know technology is a tremendous enabler in schools and not using it would significantly reduce the quality of our programmes (the older the learner, the greater this is the case).  At the same time, we acknowledge the challenges devices bring. Teachers need technology in the curriculum and we consider when and how to use it.

We have reviewed your feedback, had further conversations and listened to the views of the staff. Over 2023, we have intentionally reduced the reliance and time we spend using devices, which will continue in 2024.

As a result of this review and reflection, we will be phasing out the BYOD programme in the Year five and six team. We will continue to use technology in years five and six, but it will be with school devices. For Years five and six in 2024, your child may only bring a BYOD device if you already have one for them. About 50% of our year five learners and 60% of Year six students have brought an iPad to school this year.

In 2024, we will retain the Year seven and eight BYOD programme, but we will closely evaluate this and ask for your feedback.

Phones

• Up to year 6: we ask them to stay home. If they do come to school they must be handed to the teacher.
• In years seven and eight: They must be left off and in their bag. If they are used, they may lose the right to bring their phone to school.
• We do not want Apple Watches / smart watches at school. If a student does, it must be in ‘school mode’. They will be asked not to bring their watch to school if it becomes an issue.

Part Two: In-school e-learning and device use

How much time do we use devices, and what are some of their applications at school.

In principle, the access to and use of technology increases as children move through our school. Below, we have briefly described how and when we use technology.

The SAMR Taxonomy underpins our use of technology. This framework developed by Dr. Ruben Puentedura identifies four degrees of technology integration for instruction. SAMR stands for substitution, augmentation, modification, and redefinition. Learn more about SAMR here.

General Thoughts

We all know how addictive devices and apps can be and how unhealthy it is to spend too much time on them!

• Device-free days - we will always support these and offer alternative home learning options.
• Internet filtering is essential for all devices that children have access to.
• From the beginning, have rules around access and time on devices.
• Our children will model their behaviour on what we do!

Years one and two

• Number of hours within a week - less than one hour a week
• School-related use at home: - none
• Please really limit access and time your children spend on devices.

Our youngest classes intentionally have very little access to technology. We want them to focus on the concrete, not the abstract. Weeks will go by with a student not using a device. In year one, students may use a device for a reading activity, math game, using Book Creator or, another art/drawing app, or similar. They are not surfing the Internet. In Year two, in addition to the above, they may have a reading rotation activity each week for around twenty minutes.

Years three and four

• Number of hours within a week - one hour per day
• School-related use at home: - there is very little required. Steeple Rock Challenges could be one example of use.
• This is the area of the school where we are making the largest percentage reduction since COVID.

Children may have some of their learning tasks presented via the computer (Google Slides), but most of their work is completed in books. Sometimes they will publish work digitally. Some of their maths activities will be digital and some reading rotations may have a digital element.

They will sometimes use specific apps such as Book Creator and may use a selected app for reading or math. They may publish some of their work on the computer. They will be reading from books, not the iPad.

Years five and six

• Number of hours within a week: 1/1.5 hours per day 
• School-related use at home: - there is little required. Steeple Rock Challenges could be one example.

The learning plan is provided digitally. A mixture of photo-copied and sometimes digital worksheets will be used for maths, with most work completed in their book. Maths Whizz is used twice a week for 20 minutes per session. There will be a mixture of writing in a book and on a computer. Students will complete more writing in a book than on a device.

Sometimes, they will use specific apps for animation, music creation and video. This learning will be linked to an assignment/topic.

Children cannot read a book electronically. They must read from paper.

Year seven and eight

• Number of hours within a week: 2 hours per day

Expectations within the home - Home Learning tasks are delivered online, especially Steeple Rock presentations - usually done on Google Slides; however, there is always the option of printed copy. Some individual goals, such as Mathletics or audiobook reading, rely on devices.

The use of devices is quite blended at this time. Children are using the right tool at the right time, whether digital or on paper.

The learning plan is provided digitally. Many worksheets and activities for maths will be provided digitally. Students will complete most maths activities in their maths book.

Children may have a device out and refer to this as they are writing in a book. Student writing will be balanced between devices and books. Specific assistance such as ‘Speak to Text’ or ‘Text to Speak’ are used for those who need them, allowing huge benefits in sharing their thinking and understanding the task.

They will use a variety of apps at different times. These could be art, maths, coding, music, animation, video etc.

In the Board section of this Steeple Rock, we have asked for your feedback on these areas.

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Please share with us any comments or questions you may have.  Add your name if you wish us to respond: Feedback Form

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