Technology in the Classroom Then & Now

Story appeared in the 2014 issue of QMS Connections Magazine.

BY LEANNE SCHULTZ, OPERATIONS & HR MANAGER

QMS was one of the first schools in the Cowichan Valley to have classroom computers.

Circa 1980, students would gather around Commodore PET-4000 computers with their 12 inch screens, saving their work on floppy disks. In the interim years, technology has changed the classroom landscape. Now, in 2014, technology has become ubiquitous in the classroom.

From Kindergarten to Grade 12, technology is integrated into QMS students’ learning.

Students in Grades 7, 8, and in the Senior School bring their own laptops and use them to complete and submit assignments, projects, online quizzes and tests. They can collaborate with their peers online, access online texts, and develop online safety and netiquette skills. In the Primary classrooms, students use iPads to fine tune their grammar skills, solve math problems, create stories, take pictures, and explore the World Wide Web in a safe environment.

Technology is a key tool for students in BC’s new Education Plan. Moving for-ward, teachers and students at QMS will continue to use technology to push the boundaries of what can be accomplished with respect to student learning.