Northland School Board of Trustees
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Policy
Rationale:
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) are an essential part of everyday life for all people. At Northland School ICT will be used to enhance teaching and learning opportunities, to provide access to a wide range of changing and developing information sources, to connect our school with the world and to enable students to focus on the development of inquiry, problem solving, synthesis and other higher order thinking skills.
Purposes:
• To encourage the use of ICT as a learning tool
• To promote the development of information literacy skills and the skills needed for 21st century learners
• To provide on-going professional development opportunities for all staff
• To provide access for staff to up-to-date and appropriate resources
• To meet administrative and assessment requirements
• To facilitate communication with the community
Guidelines:
• All students will have access and opportunities to use the school’s ICT resources.
• ICT tools will be part of a learning environment where children learn through social interaction both locally and globally, and where they learn to negotiate, help each other and communicate purposefully
• ICT experiences will be planned, purposeful and reflect sound learning theory and practice.
• All users of ICT will be required to sign a Cybersafety Use Agreement. Users include students, staff, trainee teachers and visitors to the school. The Use Agreement will be updated and signed every two years.
• Staff will have access to ICT resources that support effective teaching and learning and be provided with planned ongoing and regular professional development.
• The Board of Trustees will support ICT development at Northland School through the annual allocation of funds for infrastructure, staff development and the provision of competent technical support
• The ICT Strategic Plan will be updated annually and reviewed completely on a two-yearly basis
• The ICT Committee will oversee the budget, equipment maintenance and purchasing
• Systems for monitoring access to the Internet will be in place to ensure the cybersafety of children.
• The school website will provide up-to-date school information for parents and for people seeking to enrol their children at the school.
Approved: 19 June 2008
Review Date: 2011