Digital Learning

St Louis High School is committed to fostering a culture where digital learning enhances the learning opportunities for all. Digital learning technologies have transformed our classrooms in recent years. Our school has invested significantly in infrastructure to ensure our students and teachers can incorporate digital technologies to maximise learning potential.

Our school operates a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device Policy). Students may bring their own laptop, tablet or iPad to school on the condition that this device is for school related activities only. The school also operates a device rental scheme. Further information in relation to our device rental scheme is available from the school office. St Louis High School also works with the technology service provider, Wriggle. Parents/guardians have the option to purchase a new device for their child at any time during their education journey. Wriggle offer a five-step ordering system and there is a flexible payment plan available.

The integration of digital technologies is actively promoted and ubiquitous across the school. Subject departments are encouraged to reflect on digital technology integration at subject department planning meetings. Continuous Professional Development is actively promoted and encouraged amongst staff and all staff have engaged with the Wriggle Connect CPD initiative.

St Louis High School, in our pursuit of excellence in fostering a digital learning environment, also actively promotes the integration of education apps and software to support teaching learning and assessment. Education apps such as Kahoot, Quixlet, Flexiquiz and Minecraft are examples of some of the apps used regularly in our classrooms. Digital technology enhances the learning experience for students and inculcates a school learning culture where students can achieve their full potential.

In March 2020, when the school was forced to close due to Covid-19, we were in the fortunate position as a school to have Microsoft Office 365 already installed since 2017. However, its adoption as a Teaching, Learning and Assessment tool was only in its infancy. From March 2020, MS Teams became the Teaching, Learning, Assessment and Communication tool for school management, teachers, students and parents. The learning curve for all was significant and set the foundation for the digital learning landscape in our school today.

Since returning to school in August 2020, St Louis High School has retained Microsoft Office 365 as the main Teaching, Learning, Assessment and Communication platform. Teachers and students are using MS Teams and OneNote actively for Teaching, Learning, Assessment and Communication. Management and staff are also using Office 365 as the main online communication tool.

As educators, the school’s objective is to create a learning culture where students benefit from the learning afforded by technology. However, it is also essential that students understand that in this ever-changing world, young people have responsibilities to become kind, inclusive, ethical and reflective digital citizens. These values are underpinned in our SPHE, IT and Self-Management and Wellbeing programmes.

Our Vision for Digital Learning

Students

• Accept ownership of their learning – involving the ability to become self-directed learners.
• Achieve personal learning goals and succeed in various learning activities.
• Develop new forms of learning and collaboration to support different ways of learning.
• Actively engage in learning – both in and out of school.
• Use digital technology critically and ethically.

Teachers

• Take a more facilitative role, providing learner–centred guidance and feedback, and engaging more frequently in exploratory and team-building activities with the learners.
• Support an enquiry-based process and enable learners to work on solving complex real-world problems by engaging in collaborative project-based learning activities that go beyond the classroom.
• Support students to create and innovate so that they are engaged in managing their own learning goals.
• Accept ownership of their own professional learning and where possible, participate in learning communities that make extensive use of technology such as Edchatie and TeachMeets.

School

• Develop policies and practices for the safe and ethical use of digital technologies by all members of the school community.
• Support inclusion and the individual learning needs of all students.
• Support the existing vision for learning, teaching and assessment practices within the school.
• Strengthen its existing relationships with the wider community, both local and global, and in particular, connecting more with parents/guardians and students in their homes through the use of digital technology.