Teachers plan for purposeful, meaningful and relevant use of technology to enhance learning across all curriculum areas. Technology can also provide “hands-on” engagement in technically complex activities, such as:

• probes connected to computers to measure changes in temperature, oxygen concentration and motion in Science classes
• polar monitors to investigate heart rate changes during exercises in Physical Education
• on-site use of laptops in Geography fieldwork allows immediate recording of data.

• Students in ELC to Year 4 have access to iPads and laptop computers in the classroom, and access to a computer laboratory
• Students in Years 5 to 6 use iPads as part of their regular learning under a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) scheme
• Students in Years 8 to 9 use laptops as part of their regular learning under a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) scheme
• Students in Years 10 to 12 access learning materials via the School’s wireless network and the BYOD scheme.

To ensure that the quality of the learning and teaching program we provide to our students remains high, the School has made the decision to progressively move students to a designated device starting in 2023 with the incoming Year 7 cohort. The decision on which designated device students will use has been informed by educational research undertaken by members of our learning and teaching team. That research demonstrates that restricting students to under-performing technology can seriously undermine their thinking and performance and limit their preparedness for work life beyond School. It was clear from the research that to nurture inquiring minds, unleash deep learning and inspire creativity, students should have proficiency in a combination of interfaces including, at a minimum, touch screens, a digital pen/stylus for annotation and a keyboard.

The latest digital pens make writing, erasing and sketching on a touch sensitive screen feel as natural as writing with a traditional pen on paper thus maintaining the fine motor skills used for completing VCE examinations. More importantly though, Princeton University researchers Pam Mueller and Daniel Oppenheimer discovered that students who hand-write notes in class (rather than type them on a laptop) have significantly better knowledge retention rates and conceptual understanding of ideas and do better on tests. Handwriting with a digital pen also allows for personal expression, the use of non-linguistic characters and annotation on digitised texts.

A staged rollout of a new designated device commenced at the start of the 2023 school year with all Year 7 students being required to use the same school-designated device. The program will also be extended to the incoming Year 7 groups in each of the following years so that by the start of the 2025 school year, all students in Years 7 to 9 will be using the same digital pen and touch sensitive screen device. At that point, a planned review will be conducted of the designated device program.

Our ICT infrastructure is flexible, expandable and accessible to all students. We offer access to:

• a wireless and cabled network across the School
• wireless screen mirroring through VIVI in all classrooms
  
• six dedicated computer laboratories
• scanners, cameras and printers
• Windows and Mac Operating System devices
• interactive whiteboards (IWBs)
• our School Intranet, hive.

Our Cyber Positive Education Program

 Our Cyber Positive Education Program has three strands:

• Cyber Positive – how to use technology positively and avoid traps and pitfalls
• Cyber Savvy – applying technology to advantage
• Cyber Citizenship – the rights, respect and responsibilities involved with using technology.

Cybersafety

The Ivanhoe Girls’ Cybersafety Policy manages the risks of ICT being used inappropriately at School while maximising the benefits of ICT for students. Students, parents and staff sign a Cybersafety Use Agreement, which outlines specific expectations regarding the School’s ICT facilities.