At Sommerville we recognize that Technology enhances student centred education and its use in schools has become the single largest innovation in education. Investing in mediative technology means investing in the appropriate tools for enriching the educational experience of all students at all grade and ability levels.
Sommerville Manor’s approach to the use of computer and information technology is to emphasize its role as an educational tool and resource appliance with broad applications across all content areas and in all grade levels. As such the computer skills and information technology programme has been designed to support and enhance the specific needs of all subjects through integration.
An important connection is made between Technology Skills and Information Literacy. While the programme at Sommerville is designed to develop an extremely solid skill set of computer application competencies, it does so only as a means to support overall literacy in terms of information and technology. Information literacy is built upon through the development of realistic competencies in the key areas of organization, communication, research and problem-solving.
It is our aim to provide the following advantages as part of the Sommerville programme:
- Current tools for teachers to employ and enhance current teaching methods
- Increased engagement and interactive learning for students within each classroom.
- Increased individual student knowledge building, including all abilities and grades.
- The ability to maintain enrichment programmes for enhancing the learning experience.
- The ability to keep current with technological advances
Education is all about progress; and progress brings new standards and change. We are confident that by implementing this level of technology in the school we are raising the standards for education at Sommerville and our ability to effectively maintain this new direction for progress.
Some examples of ways in which technology is implemented at Sommerville are:
- Interactive whiteboards and digital projectors
- Laptop Cart system
- Interactive student response system
- Digital and Social Media
- Sommerville On-line Academics
In grade 7 and 8 the students participate in a laptop programme in which they use relevant technology in each of their academic classes. The philosophy behind this programme is to incorporate the numerous benefits of today’s technology into the classroom in as many subject areas as is appropriate. Students may choose to use their own laptop or they have the option of renting a school laptop; personal laptops must be equipped with the same parameters and software as the school laptops.
We are very excited about the avenues of discovery that technology provides for our students and feel confident that, through this medium we are enhancing not only their learning but also their enthusiasm.
