Tailem Bend Primary School leads the way
TBPS has become a Google for Education reference school, and a leader among primary schools across Australia in its use of technology.
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Congratulations are due to the staff and students at Tailem Bend Primary School.
The school is now the most Google certified primary school in Australia, and has also been selected as a Google for Education reference school.
As reported by Murray Bridge News at the time, Tailem Bend last year became the only school in South Australia to integrate technology into every part of its school curriculum, and just the second in the nation selected for the $500,000 Datacom Beacon School Project.
Guests at a school assembly on Friday including Google for Education’s Darren Macolino and Claire Furlong, one of the creators of the Datacom Beacon School Project, presented numerous Google for Education awards to both students and teachers.
“It’s a true privilege to be here today to attest to the development of 21st-century skills,” Mr Macolino said.
“All credit must go to the students and their teachers for their outstanding outcomes, and a special shout out to the team at Datacom for creating the Beacon School Project – without them none of this would be possible.
“Google for Education is delighted by the progress of the Tailem Bend Primary School.”
Darren Macolino presents a token of Tailem Bend Primary School's achievement to Travis Schenke. Photo: Glenn Power.
School principal Travis Schenke was pleased to see his 2023 forecast, that the project would be a game-changer in providing next-generation learning environments for teachers and students, come to fruition.
“The students and their teachers have discovered so much, and in such a short time, and the integration of technology into their lessons has been wonderful to witness,” Mr Schenke said.
“It has helped activate their creativity, deepen their understanding of the world, and powered their ambitions for the future.”
Every student in the school was provided with a Chromebook computer and, over the months, benefited from excursions and visits from experts.
Staff continued their professional development with collaboration opportunities from educators around the world.
The school’s students have also been part of a world-first study with Curtin University in Western Australia, which has been measuring their growing ability to collaborate, communicate, create, think critically, develop digital literacy, innovate, learn, organise, and solve problems.
