Student access to technology
Throughout their educational journey, students will be required to use technology in various ways, both at school and at home. Below are some examples of how students at KIST access technology.
K1–Grade 5
Each homeroom in the Elementary School has at least two permanent laptop computers available for students to use for research and other activities. Movable laptop carts equipped with around 75 shared laptops are also provided in the Elementary School for students to use when the use of technology supports learning objectives. In addition, our Elementary ICT classroom has a dedicated set of laptops for use during ICT classes.
Grades 6–8
Our Secondary Design classroom has a dedicated set of laptops for use during Design classes. In addition, there are over 50 laptops available for students in Grade 6 to 8 to borrow on a temporary basis when the use of technology supports learning objectives.
Grades 9–12
Students in Grades 9 to 12 are expected to bring their own fully charged laptop to school every day. The laptops must meet certain hardware and software requirements.
Homework
There will be occasions when teachers may expect students to complete a piece of work at home, so students in Grades 2 and above require access to a networked device at home. Students may also need to print off materials from time to time outside of school.
Windows, Office 365 and Adobe
At KIST, we use Dell laptop computers combined with Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office 365, for all our student and staff laptops. Students, families and staff are provided with an Office 365 account in order to use e-mail and other applications such as Word and Excel. The range of apps available within Office 365 provides many great tools for our students and teachers. We also believe it enables students to get a good working knowledge of the apps they are likely to use after graduation. Microsoft’s Windows and Office apps are still the world’s most used business software, and we believe that students will have an advantage in their future life as a result of the skills they build during their time at KIST.
Similarly, we have been providing all our Secondary students with an Adobe Creative Cloud license since 2018. This gives students the opportunity to use an extensive range of apps used for movie and image editing, website building, publishing, animation and more. In fact, there are over 20 different apps available. As well as providing world-class tools to use in their studies, experience with these apps could be a building block for students interested in further education or a career in the creative industries.
All Grade 9 to 12 students are required to install Windows, Office 365, Adobe Creative Cloud, and several other apps on their personal laptops. Having the same software environment as the teachers and other students ensures smooth operation of classes and minimal disruption.
Online learning environment
KIST uses PowerSchool Learning (PSL) as its digital learning platform. PSL allows us to keep families up to date with news from the classroom and to post details of resources, homework tasks, assignments and other projects for students and parents to view from home.
In the Elementary school, students use Raz-Kids and Pearson’s ActiveLearn to support their English and mathematics studies at school and home.
There are many other popular online learning tools that students may use while at KIST. XtraMath, Britannica, Quizlet, Padlet, Kahoot!, Khan Academy, BrainPop, Kidblog, and The Financial Times are just a few of the apps teachers may utilize.
Connecting the KIST community
All members of the school community—students, staff and parents—are issued with individual Office 365 e-mail accounts to enable smooth communication across the community. E-mail is the preferred method of communication when contacting staff and other community members about issues relating to school matters. During school hours, parents can contact teachers via e-mail as teachers are unable to take telephone calls during lessons.
Families can view important school information in PowerSchool Learning, on the MyKist Family Page, and the school’s intranet system, KISTnet.
Our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages keep the school community updated with stories on student experiences and successes, recent school events, interschool sporting tournaments and other activities, and also allow us to share an insight into daily life at KIST with the wider community.
Wi-Fi
A wireless network is in place throughout the school to enable mobility for students and staff using laptop computers, and also for parents and visitors to access personal devices while on campus. For students in Grades 9 to 12 who are required to bring their own laptops to school, registration to access the student network must be arranged through the office before students are allowed to use their laptops at school.
