Rationale:

The development of information and communication skills is fundamental to work and daily life in the 21^st century. Students need to learn how to appropriately access, manage, manipulate and evaluate information accessed and distributed through information and communication technologies (ICT).

Definitions:

ICT: Information and communication technology is the catch-all phrase used to describe a range of technologies for gathering, storing, retrieving, processing, analysing and transmitting information.

Aims:

1. The school will

• provide high quality ICT resources to support the teaching and learning program across the curriculum

• provide support for ICT infrastructure and software used across the school

• ensure equitable access to computers and other ICT resources across the curriculum

• provide opportunities to experience and use new developments in
  ICTs

• ensure all staff and students adhere to the expectations encapsulated in the Department of Education - Acceptable Use Guidelines

2. The teaching staff will

• establish curricula that incorporates and promotes the use of ICT’s appropriate to subject areas

• develop subject content that supports the building of ICT skills

• encourage and model the safe, responsible and ethical use of ICTs

• monitor and manage student ICT use across the curriculum

• build skills through participation in ongoing professional learning

3. The students will 

• be provided with the opportunity to develop high level ICT knowledge and skills throughout Grades 7-10

• be provided with the opportunity to enhance educational opportunities across the curriculum (in their subjects) through the use of ICTs

• be provided with the opportunity to develop skills for use in a future workplace

• be encouraged to make safe, responsible and ethical use of ICTs

• be encouraged to apply (transfer) ICT skills intuitively across a range of contexts

Implementation:

The School currently undertakes the following to ensure the successful implementation of the ICT policy.

• An ICT management team meets regularly to oversee the implementation of the policy

• An ICT budget and plan is a separate element in the School’s budgeting process.

• The School employs an IT trainee to support ICT within the school.

• A student to computer ratio not greater than 5:1 has been established.

• A broad range of software appropriate to subjects has been purchased.

• The timetable incorporates ICT classes for all Grade 7 and 8 students with a common curriculum for all students.

• The timetable allows the opportunity for Grade 9 and 10 students to continue building ICT skills.

• Computers are located in classroom for use within subjects.

• Computer laboratories have been established for use by classes across all subject areas.

• A computer laboratory ‘booking system’ has been established to allow equitable use of computer resources across all subjects.

• A central resource of portable technologies (Eg: digital cameras, projectors, etc) has been established for use across the curriculum.

• Smart Board and digital projectors have been located in key learning areas to support teaching and learning.