Digital Learning
Building 21st Century Skills
Digital competency is one of Bayfield's cornerstone areas described under 'Connect Tuhono' in our Charter. Within this area our strategic goal is to prepare our students to become global, digital citizens for the 21st Century.
Digital literacy or the ability to understand and fully participate in the digital world is fundamental to digital citizenship. It is the combination of technical and social skills that enable a person to be successful and safe in the information age. Similar to that of literacy and numeracy initiatives which provide students with the skills to participate in the work force, digital literacy has become an essential skill to be a confident, connected, and actively involved life long learner.
Throughout 2020 teachers at Bayfield received professional development from Kirstin Hensman, an expert teacher and digital specialist in ways to incorporate digital technology into their programmes across all areas of the curriculum in order to meet the goals set out in the Digital Curriculum. The goal for teachers is to integrate technology using the SAMR model so that where possible student learning is transformed at the modification or redefinition zone of integration.
The Technology learning area of the New Zealand Curriculum has recently been revised to strengthen the positioning of digital technologies.
The goal of the new curriculum is for children to learn computational thinking skills that will enable them to become creators rather than just users of technology. It means being able to design quality, fit for purpose digital solutions. As they move through their school career, the context will continually change as new technologies and new problems emerge.