Computing and digital skills

In our Early Years classes, shared iPads are provided for student use under the guidance of the teachers, building a foundation in collaboration and sharing. We also use computers to enhance core skills such as mouse control, logging in and keyboard recognition.

In Years 1-4, we continue to provide shared iPads, as well as daily access to computers in the classroom and ICT lab. Students use these devices throughout the day to support their learning where appropriate. In Years 5 and 6, we offer a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) program, which is supplemented with school iPads, Mac and Windows computers in the classrooms and regular access to our ICT labs.

Students are issued passwords that allow them access to an immense number of online resources, such as Bug Club, Purple Mash, BrainPop and First News. Our virtual learning environment, Firefly provides links to these, as well as to class pages and tasks assigned by teachers.

Throughout the year, teachers and students are encouraged to find innovative and meaningful links between the use of technology and their PYP Units of Inquiry. For example, our Year 5 students have used our 3D printer to create their own Coral as part of their inquiry into marine conservation; students have used our Virtual Reality (VR) googles to enhance their understanding of different locations and experiences around the world e.g. exploring planets for their Space Unit and experiencing an earthquake during a Natural Disasters Unit; and our Y2 students have used Bluebots to work on their coordinates during their Communities unit. Following the English National Curriculum, as well as using technology as a tool, we provide students with explicit opportunities to learn computing and problem solving skills, such as coding. We are proud that we have a Primary Robotics team that has engineered numerous competed against older students on a regular basis in Bangkok with great success.

The school supports a Bring Your Own Device Policy (BYOD) within both Primary and Secondary with additional technology available if students need it. Teachers integrate technology into their lessons so that students can: communicate more effectively; conduct research and demonstrate their knowledge through a variety of digital medium.

A Computing curriculum is followed (as per the British National Curriculum) for students in years 7 to 9 and covers a range of topics such as: Coding; Graphic Design, How Computers/Networks work; Spreadsheets; Animation and many others.

IGCSE ICT is offered as an option for students in Years 10 and 11 and IB Computer Science is offered at Years 12 and 13.

Through our Activities Program, our Primary students are given further access to develop their technology, innovation and creativity skills. Examples of these include: Coding through Scratch, Minecraft, Spheros, Makey Makeys and LittleBits; iMovie making using a green screen; and Robotics. We also encourage experimentation in our Makerspace where our students have been involved in creating Rube Goldberg Machines, Cane’s Arcade games as well as more complex projects such as Skimboards.

Students in Secondary are provided with extra opportunities to extend their learning through a variety of activities available such as: Developing VR worlds; designing and printing their own 3D models; engineering robots and learning to code or extending their coding abilities.