COMPUTER LAB

Classes are conducted in our purpose-built computer lab, where every student from Prep to Grade 6 receives a weekly ICT lesson. The ICT program is designed to not only extend the skills of children in word processing, presentations and educational games, but provide opportunities to explore web building, animation and movie making. The underlying focus across the school is on cyber safety and the correct and appropriate use of the internet, thereby creating responsible digital citizens.

The early years start with developing basic computer and mouse skills while using the program Reading Eggs, coinciding with their work in the classroom. Other programs are introduced throughout the year to enhance their digital literacy.

In Grade 1 the focus is on cyber safety where students learn through the animated resource Hector’s World.  Keyboard and typing skills are introduced through the online program Typetastic.

Having developed their keyboard skills in the previous year, Grade 2 students start using the Microsoft programs Publisher and Word, working on a range of projects ranging from cyber safety posters to documents complete with a range of text boxes, fonts and graphics.

Grade 3 students obtain their digital licence by conducting a self-guided Cyber Safety project, exploring the resources on the esafety.gov.au website. Students complete a series of questions, tasks and videos based around being a good digital citizen and staying safe on the internet.

Cyberbullying is an unfortunate consequence of certain online behaviours and is not tolerated here at Templeton. As such, cyberbullying is approached at all year levels in an age-appropriate manner and is taken up in more detail by our Grade 4 students. Over a number of weeks students learn to identify cyberbullying, what to do if they are a victim of cyberbullying and what they can do to help someone who is being cyberbullied.

Grade 5 students begin with more cyber safety and further enhancement of their keyboard skills. They create a budget in Excel and make a presentation using PowerPoint. They also look into programming with Scratch, where they start to learn the fundamentals of coding.

As the culmination of their ICT learning here at Templeton, Grade 6 students build on their coding skills learnt in the previous year and create an animated game. Students learn about digital photography and 3D printing, where they get to design and print their own three-dimensional object. They also learn to type coding languages like JavaScript, Python, HTML and Coffee Script, as well as learning the fundamentals of computer science.