Digital Media

Our Primary School follows the Bavarian curriculum. In addition, elements of the Cambridge International Primary Programme are incorporated, in particular within the English language programme.

Goals of Digital Teaching

The goals we pursue with the use of digital media in teaching are to ensure a healthy, appropriate, and responsible use of digital media starting in Year 1. Building competence takes time and is nurtured gradually through short, regular sessions. Access to digital platforms and apps is controlled and monitored by our teaching staff. Children use iPads and laptops only at designated times during lessons.

Media curriculum of the primary school

The media curriculum defines key skills that are mandatory for our primary school children. It specifies the skills to be developed for each year group and aligns them with the respective subjects. The framework for media education competencies in Bavarian schools, issued by the State Institute for School Quality and Educational Research (ISB), serves as the foundation for our school's media curriculum as it describes the essential qualifications for handling information and communication technologies.

Media education competence framework for Bavarian schools

  1. Basic competences (handling, functionality, etc...)
  2. Searching and processing
  3. Communicating and cooperating
  4. Producing and presenting (including personal rights, copyright)
  5. Analysing and reflecting (including potentials and risks of digitalisation and media use)

(see ISB: Media concepts in Bavarian schools)

Teachers and staff have access to iPads and laptops, which they use informally throughout the school year in mathematics, science, German, and English lessons, as well as in subject-specific classes. Pupils use the internet to conduct research while learning about internet safety and developing word processing and presentation skills. Websites and apps are used to reinforce and automate learning aspects of the curriculum. In German lessons, the reading programme Antolin has already been successfully implemented to encourage children to read, while Oxford Reading Buddy is used in English lessons. Pupils learn to use hardware and software safely, familiarising themselves with the computer keyboard and digital tools such as the Apple Pencil.

Students' own iPads

To ensure flexible use in lessons, we introduced a 1:1 iPad programme for Year 1 starting in the 2023/24 school year, which will gradually extend to Year 4 in subsequent years. This allows the targeted use of mobile devices for specific lesson phases and activities.
The iPad serves two main purposes: firstly, as an additional tool in subject-specific lessons to expand the range of methods available for achieving educational goals. For this purpose, we have access to a wide variety of specialised learning applications. Secondly, digital media and their responsible use form an independent area of focus.