IT and technology are a natural part of today’s education. We integrate the use of technology within subject lessons and units of inquiry, so that it’s a tool to achieve our educational goals, rather than a separate lesson. Our school provides a personal laptop for every student from grades 5 to 9. They use these laptops for their lesson work and, when needed, are allowed to borrow them for doing school projects at home. Students from grades 1 to 4 have common laptops for in-school use.
Tartu International School has a ‘No personal devices policy’. Students hand in their phones (and/or other personal digital devices) at the start of their first lesson and get them back at the end of their last lesson. The only exception is if a teacher assigns a task that requires a personal device. Using digital devices for anything other than schoolwork is strictly forbidden during school hours. Instead, breaks are meant for resting, playing, eating, getting fresh air, and talking with friends.
Every student gets their own Google Account with our school’s domain that they can use for educational purposes. We use an e-diary called Stuudium (is.ope.ee) for information regarding studies, e.g. grades, homework, the overview of lesson work, events and other information. Every student and parent is kindly asked to follow the information provided there.
Our school has a qualified educational technologist, Elo-Kai Kurel. She is constantly finding innovative solutions for our school and ensures that all students and teachers have the ICT skills that they need.
For students who are particularly interested in information technology, we offer robotics and programming as an extracurricular club.
