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Technology

Mulgrave offers students a stimulating, relevant, academic environment where technology is an accelerator of learning. Technology enhances inquiry, research, and creativity. It inspires critical thinking that connects to real-world problem solving and responsible action. Technology enables dynamic, individualised, and collaborative learning that is not bound by classroom walls, supporting our students as they make great progress in a rapidly changing, culturally diverse, and interdependent world.
 
Senior School Robotics Team

 

Learning Technology

We aim to empower students to move beyond mere technology consumption into problem-solving, creation, and innovation. We know that technology can have a very positive impact on learning and achievement when it:

  • engages students in learning

  • supports higher cognitive activity

  • personalises their learning experience

  • extends learning beyond the classroom

Below is a snapshot of how technology enhances learning in the IB Diploma Programme in Grades 11 and 12 at Mulgrave.

Technology and the MYP Programme (Grade 10)

To support and extend learning in Grades 6 to 12, students are required to have a personal device as an always-available choice. As they transition to the MYP, they are supported by teachers to make increasingly smart choices as to when it is appropriate to use technology, and about the opportunities available to them to enhance learning with digital tools. Teachers incorporate technology into lessons only when it adds considerable value to the learning experience.
The first week of classes in Grade 10 is devoted to the Digital Literacy and Citizenship (DLC) Bootcamp. During this week, course teachers focus on developing students’ digital skills to set them up for success in their specific courses. Communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking skills are taught within the context of a subject: online research skills through Social Studies, analysing and interpreting data in Science, computational thinking skills for problem solving in Mathematics, and writing for online audiences in English. Students build from this foundation, developing a digital toolkit that enhances and extends learning throughout their MYP years. 
Throughout the year, our Learning Technology Integrationist works closely with teachers to integrate technology into lessons to make learning more engaging, authentic, and personalised. Examples of this include bringing a novel to life using Virtual Reality, interacting with AI chatbots, or designing a class project using CAD software and 3D printing it. 
Technology is a gateway for students to research, plan, analyse and make connections, putting Digital Literacy and Citizenship (DLC) skills, in addition to approaches to learning (AtL) skills into a global, real-world context.    

Technology and the Diploma Programme (Grades 11 and 12)

In Grades 11 and 12, Mulgrave students consolidate their technology literacy skills, routinely making strategic use of digital tools to enhance understanding, reasoning, and to find evidence from a broad cross-section of sources that add interest to curriculum content. Supported by teachers who encourage choice in how students access information and demonstrate knowledge, students use technology to learn from and with each other, and from experts. By this stage of their Mulgrave learning journey, students are encouraged to evaluate the best technology tools for the task at hand and for their preferred learning style. 

In science, math and other courses, students use annotation and note-taking software of their choice to personalise their learning for assessment and exam preparation. Students may also choose to record audio or video, or access teacher-recorded lessons and curated digital resources to consolidate their understanding. Videoconferencing enables students to connect with teachers, peers and outside experts from within and beyond the classroom setting. 

Technology in Grades 11 and 12 supports creativity, collaboration and communication, such as the variety of apps that languages students use to communicate in the target language. In visual arts courses students have opportunities to demonstrate their creativity with digital media, using virtual reality, 3D printing, laser cutting, CAD and digital design tools, often combined with traditional mediums. 

Students learn about and have hands-on experience with technology used in professional environments, such as a 'Technology in Music' unit in music, data loggers in science courses, data analysis tools in economics, and graphing visualisers in math.   

Students develop not only practical skills but also strategies to research, critically analyse, make decisions, and compile information to solve problems. Along the way, they are learning and practising digital literacy and citizenship concepts and developing a professional digital profile that will serve them well in their futures beyond Mulgrave.

Our Mobile Device-Free Campus

As part of our ongoing commitment to fostering wellbeing and empowering our students to thrive, we implemented a No Mobile Devices on Campus Policy for all students on April 2024. This means that during school hours, students are not allowed mobile devices (both cell phones and smart watches). Rest assured, they have access to landlines throughout the school should they need to contact family members.
In the instances that families send their children with mobile devices for after school communication, specialised tech lockers are available at the Middle and Senior School reception areas, where students can securely store their mobile devices upon arrival and retrieve them at the end of the school day. Mobile device usage is not permitted anywhere on campus (including outdoor areas) between 7:30am and 4:00pm. 

This decision was based on clear evidence from other schools and regions that have already implemented similar policies. The evidence shows improvements in student learning and well-being, along with the creation of an even stronger sense of community. This supports our mission of creating a healthy and focussed learning environment for all our students.