The effective use of technology has the potential to enable teachers and students to engage in tasks and opportunities that would otherwise be impossible or inconceivable, such as tasks requiring communication and collaboration between students on different sides of the world.

(IBO 2015: Approaches to teaching).

We recognize technology and media as integral for all teaching and learning processes because of their potentials to enhance international-mindedness, open-mindedness and critical thinking as well as providing an education tailored to individual needs of learners.

We know that our students have a vast experience in using technology. It is important to include this previous knowledge into learning processes and to provide opportunities for further experiences. Our goal is to encourage and support our students to become digital citizens who use technology responsibly in all its forms; that means in an ethical manner, respectful of themselves, other people and intellectual property.

Furthermore, we want to support each learner in developing a well-grounded
technological literacy and in becoming a technologically literate person. This includes an advanced knowledge about the nature of technology, critical thinking as well as decision making and capabilities like using various kinds of technology (computers, mobile phones) properly or solving occurring technical problems.

The National Academic Press (2006): Dimensions of technological literacy.

Therefore we offer our learners a broad range of technology-based activities and learning processes, such as communicating with students from all over the world, participating in blogs, reflecting their own use and understanding of technology and respecting academic honesty when using online resources (see Academic Honesty policy).

In addition, methods like the „flipped classroom“ or „flat classroom“ support the inclusion of the internet as well as multiple forms of media in the classroom.

Besides the technological point of view, we also want to support our students in developing a distinct media literacy, which qualifies them to participate actively and responsibly in a media-based communicative world. On the one hand, this includes a reflective and critical attitude towards media and a well-informed knowledge about their functions and complex structures. On the other hand, media literacy enables our students to use media receptively, interactively and responsibly and to (re)design them in creative and innovative ways.
(See: Tulodziecki, et.al. p. 173-177)

Therefore our media education is based on the two dimensions of learning with media and learning about media.

We expect teachers to keep up with technological progress in order to use technology and media to their full potentials in class. Therefore we will offer courses of instruction and training as well as opportunities for mentoring and assistance.

We are aware of the fact that new technologies do not simply substitute existing teaching materials in class and are not generally “better” than old ones. They offer new chances for a differentiated, future-oriented and learner-oriented education and should only be used for their potentials and as a support to achieve the defined learning targets.

A balanced and professional approach to technology and media is essential for inquiry, reflection, communication, critical thinking, acquisition of knowledge and taking risks while dealing with unfamiliar situations (see chapter: Media/Technology and the IB philosophy).

Equipment

Hardware

In our school we provide free WI-FI for every student and teacher.

We expect our students to bring their own mobile phones, tablets and laptops (Bring your own device – BYOD) to school and use them for their learning processes and media projects whenever possible. This enables them to use the device they are familiar with, thus, they do not need to switch between separate devices in different classes or subjects.

Furthermore, there are projectors, projection screens, remote controls, audio systems and at least one computer in every classroom. In our library our students are able to use laptops together with printing facilities (see Library policy). Moreover, we have a video camera, a camera tripod and a microphone for the numerous media projects.

In addition to that, we offer two computer labs equipped with 24 computers each as well as printing facilities.

Besides, there are in-house data servers for content management purposes.

All these devices are installed and maintained by our IT support.

As regards school culture, mobile phones and laptops are only used at teacher´s permission in order to use them effectively, minimize disruptions and thereby apply a principled approach according to the IB learner profile.

Software

To incorporate technology seamlessly into our schools curricula, we work with educational frameworks and subject-related software. To make teaching and counseling more effective, a technological framework will be accessible for teaching staff, such as „TPACK” (the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge Framework, see http://www.tpack.org) and “TIM” (the Technology Integration Matrix, see http://fcit.usf.edu/matrix/faq.php).

These frameworks support teachers in thinking systematically about the use of technology; encouraging them to reflect not only on how, but also why they are using technology in the classroom.

For recording CAS activities and managing Extended Essay counseling we will implement ManageBac to ensure effective communication between teachers and students.

Media/Technology and the IB Philosophy

The responsible and well-educated use of technology and media is essential for our IB philosophy and helps develop internationally-minded students based on the IB learner profile. Furthermore, they allow us to integrate the IB approaches to teaching and learning.

Inquirers

Technological sources and instruments offer numerous possibilities for research and inquiry in class and for self-directed learning processes. A well-grounded technological literacy combined with a distinct media literacy enable our students to make inquiries individually or as a team member, to use the adequate medium, to find new information and to evaluate different sources. These research skills and competences are the basis of a lifelong learning.

Knowledgeable

Through our focus on technological literacy and media literacy we want to develop an expertise and a broad conceptual knowledge about technology and media, their backgrounds and how they affect and shape our communications, our lives and our world. As they will be used in various subjects and activities, technology and media play a significant role in exploring all fields of knowledge.

Thinkers

We do not only use technology and media for learning processes, we also make them a subject of discussion. By analyzing their functions and structures, we want to support our students in developing critical and creative thinking skills when using technology and media and to make grounded and ethical decisions.

Communicators

Technologies and media are means of communication. By teaching our students their functions and structures we enable them to use the existing technologies for communicative purposes and foster their communication skills. As technologies allow us to expand our ranges of communication, we also support our students’ communication with students from all over the world and their participation in global discussions.
Besides, communication theory is an essential part of media literacy and helps our students to analyze communication processes and understand the importance of listening to others, different opinions and new perspectives.

Principled

A responsible use of technology and media is based on various important values. We want to teach our students the importance of an honest, fair and respectful interaction with media and technology as well as with any other involved person. In addition, our students learn how to use media according to legal rights (e.g. see Academic Honesty) and ethical values and take responsibility for their actions and work.

Open-Minded

Technologies and media open the door to a global view of the world. They help our students reflect on their own cultures and traditions and enable them to share opinions and values with students from all over the world. Thereby they become familiar with our world’s plurality and get the chance to evaluate their own lives, philosophies and values. This open-minded attitude is also a key competence for lifelong learning processes and to becoming an internationally-minded person.

Caring

We do not only want to teach our students to use technology and media for their own learning processes and their individual projects. It is our goal to offer media projects like creating learning videos or websites for others, to share our knowledge, to show empathy and respect in forms of service and assistance and to develop our learners’ social skills. Media and technology can connect people from all over the world and help us open our eyes for the situations and needs of others.

Risk-Takers

During the numerous media projects and the use of technologies in general, our students will face a wide range of challenges and potential stumbling blocks. We encourage them to believe in themselves, to approach these difficulties with forethought and determination and to be creative problem solvers.

Balanced

Media and technology create links between multiple aspects of life. They challenge us on an intellectual level and affect our physique (e.g. using instruments) and emotions (e.g. music in films). Our students learn to understand these links, reflect on them and to balance them adequately for their own lives and the lives of others. As technology and media also enable them to look at the world from different perspectives and to get into contact with students from all over the world, our students also recognize their interdependence with other people and the world they live in.

Reflective

We want to support our students in developing a reflective use of technology and media, in order to give them opportunities to grow from their experiences, failures and successes. This will also be achieved by the various media projects in which they can develop their self-management skills, get feedback from fellow students and teachers, learn about their strengths and weaknesses.

Considering these guidelines and targets, the use of media and technology in our educational processes help develop internationally-minded students who communicate with people from all over the world, share opinions, ideas and values, think globally, take responsibility for each other and collaborate to connect the world.

As our world is shaped and often also controlled by technology and media, our students learn to reflect on existing structures and to find intelligent ways to face them.

Bibliography

Heidelberg Private School Center (2016): Academic honesty policy.
Heidelberg Private School Center (2016): Library policy.
International Baccalaureate Organization (2013): Learner profile.
International Baccalaureate Organization (2015): Approaches to teaching: Using technology effectively.
International Baccalaureate Organization (2015): Teaching and learning with technology.
The National Academic Press (2006): Tech Tally: Approaches to Assessing Technological Literacy.
Tulodziecki, et.al. (2010): Medienbildung in Schule und Unterricht.