Today is a very exciting day for our Year 3 children as they have been allocated their own school iPad. This is a key moment of growth for our children that recognises their growing maturity and capabilities and another milestone in their levels of responsibility and our expectations of them. 

At St Paul, we recognise the benefits technology can have for learning, for connection and for enhancing inclusivity and access to learning. But we also recognise the need for clear expectations and structures to be in place to ensure children are successful in their responsible use of technology. Rest assured that our teachers are active in children’s learning and continue to design learning experiences that prioritise play and inquiry, even when technology is involved. 

Some of the beneficial ways our children will be using technology at school are: 

• Using voice to text to record their ideas
• Using the camera and video camera to document and share their learning with others
• Researching information using the internet
• And sharing their learning with you through Seesaw

There are some strategies we encourage you to use at home with your child and technology, whether it’s a school issued device or your own personal ones:

• Discuss with your child what you are comfortable with them doing on technology;
• Create spaces to charge and use technology in shared areas so that you can see, hear and discuss with your child what they are using technology for; 
• Talk to your child about what they should do if they see or hear something inappropriate on their device while they are using it; and
• Celebrate the great ways that technology can help us and share how you use technology so that they learn to see it as more than just a toy.

Thank you for your support in this exciting but sometimes confusing area.

If you have any questions about technology at St Paul, please reach out to me at gbuxton@stpaulba.sa.edu.au.