St Helena students benefit from a comprehensive Digital Learning program that supports the whole school environment. We are committed to preparing students for the world of life and work in the digital age. This includes a technology-enriched curriculum designed to increase engagement, foster communication and collaboration, and support creativity and critical thinking. This is underpinned by our 1:1 Laptop Program that commenced in 2012 with the vision of giving all students immediate access to technology that is essential for life and learning.
As an eSmart School, St Helena aims to provide every student with age-appropriate education on not only using technology for learning, but also the role of technology in our lives. We prioritise teaching students safe and secure ways to navigate the internet and social media and how to seek support if the need arises.
Our approach to Digital Learning begins at Year 7 with a technology-specific subject, ‘DigiSkills’. From years 8-12, students are upskilled via the Strive program and their various subjects.
Teams, OneNote, and Office 365
At St Helena, we utilise Teams and OneNote as part of our hybrid learning approach, enabling seamless interaction between students and teachers in a collaborative digital environment. These tools foster meaningful engagement, allowing students to work together on projects and share ideas in real time.
To support our educational framework, we have chosen the Office 365 suite for its efficiency in managing and delivering our curriculum. This user-friendly platform streamlines communication and minimises duplication, ensuring that both students and teachers can easily access the resources they need.
Students can access Office 365 on a variety of devices, including smartphones. At the beginning of Year 7, all students are provided with login information and guidance on how to download the necessary applications.
Compass
Compass serves as our comprehensive online administrative portal for students, families, and teachers. Through Compass, students can:
- View daily class and co-curricular schedules
- Access information about excursions and school events
- Receive important school announcements
- Communicate with teachers via email
- Review academic reports, including semester grades, NAPLAN results, and Learning Behaviour Reports (GPAs)
- Book student-teacher-parent conferences
Digital Learning Support
Transitioning to a digital learning environment can be a significant adjustment for Year 7 students and their families. To assist in this process, we conduct an informative session for families regarding laptop purchases, setup requirements, and home management.
Ongoing support is available to students in all year levels via the IT HelpDesk, Learning Specialist for Instructional Practice and Digital Learning (Andrew Moller – amr@sthelena.vic.edu.au) and Digital Learning Coach (David Dang – ddg@sthelena.vic.edu.au).
Digital Textbooks and Software
Students access digital textbooks for certain subjects, enabling them to engage with their learning materials in a flexible and interactive manner. For more information, please refer to our Booklists.
In addition, students benefit from free access to school-licensed and government-provided software, ensuring they have the necessary tools for their studies.
Acceptable Use Policy
To ensure a safe and respectful digital learning environment, we have established an Acceptable Use Agreement. This document outlines the expectations for students when using devices and accessing the school network. At the beginning of each school year, both students and their parents or guardians must read, understand, and sign this agreement.
Year 7 DigiSkills
Year 7 DigiSkills has been designed specifically for students transitioning into the Secondary College environment and strikes a balance between need-to-know and exploring exciting new possibilities.
Term 1 focuses on Orientation.
- This includes learning to navigate and use various programs and platforms for learning, password and file management, using collaborative tools, how technology can support public speaking
Term 2 shifts priority to Digital Safety.
- Students learn about digital footprints, how to be a responsible online citizen, how to recognise and report potentially harmful behaviours, and what ‘cybersafety’ looks like
Term 3 is about creativity!
- Students learn how to use Adobe design software to design a keyring that will be cut and engraved by the College’s laser cutters, giving them something amazing and tangible to take home
Term 4 is time to get technical.
- Students learn about functions and features of Microsoft Excel, building an interactive times-tables test and a fictional budget based on purchasing their dream home. They also explore the world of coding through Minecraft
Virtual Reality
In partnership with the North East Community Fund, St Helena has been able to build a Virtual Reality room. This space can be booked by teachers to bring curriculum to life by enabling students to immerse themselves in virtual worlds, complete otherwise impossible tasks such as open-heart surgery or travelling back in time and explore their creativity in 3D environments.
At Year 9, students participate in Careers-tasters and are also able to nominate the Virtual Reality Design elective. Facilitated through the Strive program, students are able to sample a variety of potential career pathways and reflect on the skills and learning-pathways required for these professions. In the semester-long VR Design subject, students undertake various collaborative projects to design content to be experienced in Virtual Reality.
1:1 Laptop Program
Goals of the 1:1 Laptop Program
- Laptops will be used to facilitate learning by allowing students to:
- access, use, create and publish digital and online information
- develop knowledge, understanding and skills through creativity, critical thinking and problem solving
- collaborate with others, and
- communicate, in a variety of ways, their knowledge and learning experiences.
- Students use the laptops as a tool to manage their work and learning.
- Students will develop age-appropriate ICT skills and understandings, including the responsibilities of online citizenship.
- Students will accept responsibility for:
- their personal actions when using ICT, and
- the care and functionality of their laptop.
Stylus-activation
- Research underlining the power of the pen in learning influenced the decision to utilise digital stylus/pens at St Helena. Researchers have found that the physical movement of the pen promotes neural activity that governs all higher levels of cognitive processing and learning. Stylus technology therefore brings together the use of digital devices that foster creative, social and organisational capabilities and the sensorimotor benefits of handwriting.
- Having developed the habit of using this interface and experienced the associated advantages first hand, our students are well placed to make full use of their device going forward.
- Handwriting is still an important tool. The Hybrid Tablet’s stylus facilitates digitised handwriting that will better prepare them for effective learning.
- Notetaking is a critical learning skill. Whilst many students can touch type, drawing and labelling diagrams is much easier on Tablet computer.
Why have we selected the Hybrid Tablet PC as the 1-to-1 device option?
- The Hybrid Tablet PC is an innovative form of ICT that is particularly well suited to learning environments. It was chosen for the following benefits:
- Compact size, ease of transport and design means it can be used in almost any learning situation,
- the long battery life will allow it to be used all day at school without recharging,
- a device that could be a replacement for paper textbooks and alleviate the need for so many textbooks to be carried around in student bags,
- a common tool for each student that would meet most of their day-to-day technology needs and that would help engage students in learning 24/7,
- a device that would be easy to use and easy to support,
- a device that will be effective over the next 5 years (given that it is well cared for), and supports Windows 11,
- the level of interactivity and highly diverse modes of use will support innovative learning opportunities not possible with other forms of ICT, and a touch screen device.
- In essence, the Hybrid Tablet PC is the ideal device for anywhere, anytime learning.