Technology

Here at TIS our students are fortunate to have access to some powerful digital tools for learning.

Digital technologies have been fully integrated into teaching and learning at TIS. Our secondary students participate in the “Think Digital” laptop program and they use their personal laptop to access course materials, create content and collaborate with others. Primary students have access to laptop carts and iPads so that they can utilize G-Suite apps (Docs, Slides, Drive and Sites) as well as apps such as iMovie and DoInk (Green screen technology). Teachers use interactive whiteboards, Google Classroom, Google Sites and online platforms such as Kahoot! and Quizlet (to name a few) to make learning more interactive and engaging for students.

Parents have access to a number of platforms that allow them to keep track of their child’s progress at school. Gibbon is our Student Information System and parents can use it to access academic results (grade 7-12) and register their child for teams and after-school activities (all grades). Parents can choose to receive weekly summaries from Google Classroom (grade 4-12) so that they can be aware of what is happening in their child’s classes. Seesaw (Kindergarten to grade 3) is a mobile app that allows parents to receive updates about what is happening in their child’s class.

With access to technology comes a level of responsibility so one of our goals is to help our students be socially responsible, digitally literate life-long learners. Being digitally literate means that our students will have the knowledge and ability to use technology competently and safely to connect and collaborate with others, to produce and share original content and to use the Internet and technology to achieve both academic and personal goals.

TIS has two technology coordinators dedicated exclusively to technology integration: Brian Avery (Elementary) and Mel Varga (Secondary).

desktop computers   172

laptops   252

iPads   102

computer labs   3

smartboards   21

interactive projectors   72

We work on many digital projects in the classroom. Here is a quick snapshot of some of the things we have been doing in the elementary grades as we integrate technology into our lessons:

Video as a Tool for Learning – Using the iPads we can capture a moment of learning – from a science experiment, to a read aloud, to a classroom visitor or a field trip – we capture the moment on video, revisit it again and again, extend the learning and reflect on our learning experiences.

Google Earth in Social Studies – Using Google Earth has allowed us to give our students the opportunity to visit far away places from the comfort of the classroom. It is a wonderful tool for research and it is full of useful data. Using Google Earth we can see the natural landscape and human infrastructure in the countries that surround Macao. Google Earth has also allowed us to create and display a tour full of our own data and research findings.

Recording our Thinking – There are several apps on the iPads that we can use to record student thinking and voice. While recording as they think aloud, our students are given the opportunity to more fully explain ideas, to think about their own thinking and to clarify their understanding for themselves.

In all classrooms the use of technology allows our students to demonstrate their understanding in multiple ways. Technology also allows us to engage our students more deeply and thoughtfully which in turn makes the great things we do every day even better!

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