Educational Technology
Digital Technology
Digital technology plays a key role in supporting our Mission to provide all students with exceptional learning experiences, whether it be online or face-to-face, beginning on campus with our high-speed fibre connection to the internet and gigabit network.
In the Elementary School, students are introduced to coding, robotics and multimedia tools coupled with Design Thinking protocols to ideate, innovate and empathize in their problem-solving. This learning continues in the Middle and High School with the offering of elective classes that delve deeper into electrical engineering, robotics, computer science and multimedia design.
Additionally, AISL provides students in the Early Childhood - Grade 3 with a mix of Chromebooks and iPads to support in-class learning. In Grades 4-12, AISL supports a 1:1, Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) program that allows for family choice in bringing a device that meets our minimum specifications as outlined in the table below:
| Operating System (OS) | OS Version | Device Type | Processor | Memory | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Windows |
10 or higher |
Laptop or Tablet* |
Intel i5 or equivalent |
256GB SSD | 8 GB RAM |
5 years old or less |
|
Apple |
10.14 or higher |
Laptop* or iPad (with keyboard) |
M1, Intel i5 or equivalent |
256GB SSD | 8 GB RAM |
|
|
Chrome |
101.0.4951.41 or Higher |
Chromebook** |
Intel Celeron or equivalent |
64GB eMMC | 4GB |
|
|
(Ed)Ubuntu |
(14.04) 20.04 or higher |
Laptop* |
Intel i5 or equivalent |
256GB SSD | 8 GB RAM |
*Laptops are recommended for students above Grade 5 that would like to focus on topics in Computer Science, robotics, engineering and the Arts.
**not recommended for students above Grade 5 as it cannot run some of the advanced programs and software needed for advanced studies in Computer Science, robotics, engineering or the Arts.
All devices should have the ability to have video calls and capture class-related activities.
Important Note: Please take note of the minimum specifications above if your child is particularly interested in pursuing studies in these fields as their device will need to meet them in order to maximize the learning in these courses. Reach out to our IT Department here.
Digital Citizenship
Realizing that a healthy student is one that is balanced in their habits, AISL approaches the use of digital technologies at school through the lens of a Digital Philosophy - currently in development, but based upon our Core Values and the 3 pillars below:
Respect (Kindness) - Respect, Empathy, Courage
- Have I thought about how my actions will affect others?
- Am I using digital technology in a responsible and ethical manner?
Protect (Safety) - Responsibility, Integrity, Courage
- Am I making appropriate choices with the information that I am sharing and consuming?
- Am I keeping myself and others safe?
Connect (Helpful) Empathy, Responsibility, Respect
- Am I using digital technology in a way that promotes positive, inclusive attitudes?
- Am I using digital technology to enhance my learning?
Members of the AISL community are expected to apply these three principles in their interactions with digital technology. Our Appropriate User Policy (AUP) for digital technology is something we ask all students and staff to review and sign-off with their digital signature. The goal is for children and adults to have a definitive “yes” as an answer to these questions, and have deeper conversations when the answer is anything else (maybe, sort-of, no, etc.). In this way, we can grow in our understanding and interaction with technology in ways that we determine, rather than letting the technology lead us. Our goal is to provide our community with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes they need to learn and live responsibly in an increasingly digital world.
Furthermore, we encourage parents to set up digital technology agreements at home to help build our home-school partnership. You can use this one as a template to get you started, and there will be more workshops about this throughout the year.