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The key success factor for technology programs relies more on the engagement, support, and preparedness of teachers within a broader pedagogical change than on the device itself.

The iPad enables students, among a range of many other opportunities, to:

Create: Songs, music, animations, comics, movies, augmented reality, and technical expressions.
Collaborate: Work with peers and share ideas, activities, documents, and thoughts.
Consume: Access information anytime, anywhere, including class notes, interactive textbooks via iBooks, and other sources.
Consolidate: Utilise numerous educational apps and teacher-produced lessons and activity books.
The iPad keyboard is a fundamental tool for honing typing proficiency. This aligns with growing academic demands and digital literacy expectations, empowering students to efficiently engage with digital learning resources, complete assignments, and develop essential computer skills.

At Guildford Grammar School, the use of technology is not just about learning in the classroom—it’s also about helping students develop the everyday skills they need to use devices safely, responsibly, and effectively at home. The Australian Curriculum’s ICT General Capabilities highlight that children build these skills through real-world practice both at school and at home.

For our younger students, this means recognising the difference between school and home rules, learning to ask permission before sharing information, building routines around charging and packing their device, and beginning to use programs like OneDrive, Sketches School and Clips. These foundations are best developed when school and home work together.

As they move into the upper primary years, students begin to investigate information more critically, create their own projects using a wider range of tools, and engage in discussions about online safety and digital routines with their families. To make this possible, devices need to go home so students can practise these skills in authentic settings with your support.

In short, taking devices home in Years 3 and 4 is not about extra screen time—it’s about developing the social, ethical, creative, and practical habits that prepare students for the digital world ahead.

Specifc examples of this are 

1. Applying Social and Ethical Protocols and Practices

In younger years this looks like:

• Recognising the differences between school and home rules about using digital information
• Understanding the different ways devices may be used at home to at school
• Understanding they need to get consent to take photos or videos of people
• Asking for parental permission to share information with other people

In older years this also looks like:

• Discussing use of devices at home to create an appropriate family use policy
• Setting up a routine to complete digital home learning tasks
• Understanding how extensive use limited social interaction with some family and friends or provide connection to others

2. Investigating with ICT

In younger years this looks like:

• Understanding that they should not copy home learning activities from the internet
• Explaining where images and information were found
• Finding and recording real world examples of learning tasks

In older years this also looks like:

• Listing sources of information and the URLs the information was found in
• Discussing with family members to clarify if information they have found is true
• Using appropriate apps to record information they have found

3. Creating with ICT

In younger years this also looks like:

• Saving work in their OneDrive using their school login and password
• Using creative programs like Sketches School, FreeForm and Clips to create based on their areas of interest.
• Appropriately edit photographs or videos they have taken using simple programs

In older years, this also looks like:

• Watching online tutorials to further develop their skills in areas of interest
• Choosing appropriate apps to complete their creative projects
• Seeking permission to share their projects with a wider audience

4. Communicating with ICT

In younger years this looks like:

• Only messaging people they know with permission from their family
• Only sharing personal photographs on SeeSaw if required for home learning and the photos approved by parents
• Understanding how to use polite and appropriate language when communicating online

In older years, this also looks like:

• Having family discussions about what online safety looks like
• Discussing how to recognise and report cyberbullying
• Asking for permission from the original sender to forward information
• Contributing to discussions in certain platforms, like SeeSaw

5. Managing and Operating ICT

In younger years this looks like:

• Creating a home routine about charging and cleaning devices
• Creating a home routine to remember to pack devices
• Knowing how to type their email and password to log in to a program
• Understanding that they should not share their password or use someone else’s password, including siblings

In older years this also looks like:

• Checking security settings to see who can access their information
• Checking their Passwords app to make sure they are using safe passwords
• Troubleshooting common IT problems for themselves independently