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BYO iPad Program

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​​The Ferny Grove State School BYO iPad Program runs from Year 3-6.

It is clear to us that sophisticated integration of Information Communication Technology (ICT) will be critical to students being connected and engaged with the curriculum and their own learning.

Key Documentation

202​4 parent document (PDF, 1001KB)

2024 apps list (PDF, 246KB)

Ferny Grove State School is committed to investigating and implementing models of BYOT. From the research and reports of successful models of BYO 1‐1 programs in schools, we have found that such programs, when implemented effectively, have the potential to:

  • Enable personalisation of student learning through access to rich learning resources.
  • Facilitate the development of knowledge and skills necessary for the 21st century workforce, including digital age literacy, innovative and critical thinking, effective communication and high productivity.
  • Allow continued access to educational materials allowing learning efficiency to happen anywhere, anytime.
  • Provide an engaging, interactive environment for learning.
  • Strengthen links between home and school, giving parents the opportunity to see, every day, what their child is learning at school and have relevant, timely, accurate and quality conversations around student learning and progress.
  • Allow students the opportunity to display prior knowledge of topics and thus be co‐constructive in their own learning journey.

At Ferny Grove, students currently have access to a range of digital devices to support their learning, including many iPads that are shared across the school. The iPads have proven to be a very useful tool to support student learning and are the only platform currently allowed in the Ferny Grove State School BYO Program in 2023.

The advantages of the iPad include:

  • Access knowledge and information through the plethora of content and creation apps to support student learning.
  • Access to a wealth of information on the Internet when they need it through wireless connectivity.
  • Access to rich media including digital stories, images and video.
  • Increased productivity through quick loading of apps and quick response of the iPad.
  • The operating system of the iPad is very reliable, ensuring maximum up‐time.
  • Provides simple yet sophisticated text, audio and video based communication facilities for collaboration with peers, teachers and experts in a local, national or global context.
  • Ability to personalise learning and provide work targeted at the correct level for students.
  • High student engagement both independent and collaborative.

Our Journey

Ferny Grove started with around 10 iPads in 2012, they were purchased primarily for use with our Special Education Program.  Teachers and students experienced great results and enjoyed the flexibility of iPads, our SEP have continued to procure and utilize iPads according to the needs of their students.  In 2013 we decided to trial a class set of iPads in the library.  We invested in a Brettford cart to be able to sync and charge 30 iPads at once.  The class set have had a lot of use in the library and students loved the chance to be able to complete small class projects or create digital content.  In 2014 the school invested in two mobile banks of 15 iPads for use with literacy and numeracy groups for our Prep and Year 1 cohorts.

2016 was a successful trial year for our program. We received well over 160 applications from parents for their students to be part of the 2016 trial. The applicant numbers allowed us to run one iPad class in each cohort, from years 1 through to 6. 

2017-2021 have been successful years and our iPad program has grown. Our teachers have continued using their effective pedagogies while taking full advantage that a 1 to 1 program can offer.

The key differences in an iPad class are:

  • Instantaneous distribution of learning resources
  • Tracked feedback between student and teacher
  • Choices for students when demonstrating their learnings
  • A wide range of learning tools for teachers and students.

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Last reviewed 18 October 2023
Last updated 18 October 2023