Computing is not about computers any more. It is about living.

NICHOLAS NEGROPONTE, FOUNDER AND CHAIRMAN EMERITUS OF MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY’S MEDIA LAB.

Our modern world relies on the use of computers in all areas of our lives:  from super computers in CERN collecting enormous amounts data, to sensors in a toaster that knows if the bread is frozen. Access to the web has made authors and critics of us all. We can contribute, collaborate, create, criticise and innovate with just a few clicks of a mouse.

At The Dixie, students become critical users of ICT. They learn to judge where there is bias, what is plausible and what we can trust. Students evaluate their own work and the work of others. They explore a whole range of uses of ICT including:

  • Creation of a range of documents, both electronic and printed, for a range of purposes and audiences
  • Searching and selecting information through searching the web and large datasets
  • Numerical modelling using spreadsheet software
  • Developing programming skills using programs such as: Logo, HTML, Python and Visual Basic.
  • Judging whether information they are manipulating is accurate, relevant, plausible or biased

Through our Computer Gaming Club, Scratch Club and a Digital Leaders Programme, students have the chance to develop their skills, build competence and confidence.