News
Technology at Fintona Junior School begins in Prep when they are introduced to robotics using Bee Bots. Our youngest learners begin to learn the basics of navigation, coding, sequencing and problem solving as part of a sequential scope and sequence across the year levels.
At Fintona, this introduction to robotics reflects the Junior School’s broader vision for technology – a purposeful and balanced integration of digital tools across all areas of learning. This vision fuels innovation while emphasising safe, mindful use, privacy and responsible digital behaviour. Supported by ongoing professional learning, teachers confidently embed technology into their practice, tailoring it to individual needs and providing timely, meaningful feedback. From the first Bee-Bot journey onwards, our students discover that technology is not simply a gadget, but a catalyst for imagination, collaboration and lifelong problem-solving.
Ahead of the Curve on Screen Time
With the Victorian Government set to introduce a maximum 90-minute daily screen time limit for primary school students, Fintona is already well ahead of the curve. Screen use is deliberately kept well below the new benchmark, progressing to three to four hours per week in Years 3 and 4 our senior students in our Junior School. Our approach to screen time is intentional, with technology used to enhance learning rather than dominate it. We prioritise meaningful, curriculum-aligned digital engagement that supports curiosity, creativity, problem-solving and collaboration, ensuring that every minute spent on screen adds genuine value to students’ learning experiences and development opportunities.
Building Digital Thinkers Through Robotics
The buzz of Bee-Bots throughout Prep and Year 1 strengthens students’ sequencing, vocabulary and problem-solving skills. By Year 2, Dash and Dot robots make their classroom debut, opening up fresh opportunities to explore block-based coding. Here, students design more complex sequences, experiment with cause and effect, and apply creative thinking to overcome challenges.
By Years 3 and 4, robotics becomes a springboard to sharpen logical reasoning and persistence, learning to break big problems into smaller steps. Coding is increasingly connected to real-world contexts and cross-curricular projects, building independence and confidence as students tackle challenges with the mindset of innovative problem-solvers.
Digital Tools That Grow With Students
Alongside robotics, other digital tools form an important part of the learning journey at Fintona. In Prep and Year 1, iPads give young learners intuitive, tactile access to technology. With an array of educational apps, students develop foundational skills through interactive play while also experimenting with photography, drawing and multimedia projects. These activities hone fine motor skills while fuelling creative expression.
From Year 2 onwards, students graduate to laptops, unlocking the ability to manage files, type efficiently and work with software such as Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel. These programs are woven into mathematics, music, drama and the humanities, ensuring digital fluency is developed in authentic and practical ways. By steadily moving from tactile exploration on iPads to more sophisticated laptop-based applications, students learn to use technology as a versatile tool – for research, content creation, problem-solving and collaboration.
Stop-Motion Sparks Storytelling
One of Fintona’s most creative technology success stories comes from the world of stop-motion animation. In Years 3 and 4, students have transformed simple ideas into narrative films, learning to plan, script, storyboard and animate their stories frame by frame. This process cultivates technical skills in photography and editing, while also nurturing patience and persistence as students refine their work. Collaboration is central, as teams share ideas, troubleshoot problems and polish their final productions. The exercise not only develops digital literacy but also unlocks storytelling and self-expression in an imaginative, hands-on way. By giving students a new medium to showcase their voices, stop motion proves how technology can powerfully bridge creativity, innovation and communication – inspiring skills that may well shape future aspirations.
Building Cyber-Smart Citizens
In today’s screen-saturated world, Fintona is equally committed to teaching responsibility and wellbeing alongside digital innovation. The Junior School is an active participant in the Inform and Empower Cybersafety and Digital Wellbeing program, which equips students with the knowledge and strategies they need to navigate online environments with confidence and care. Through engaging, age-appropriate lessons, students learn how to protect personal information, identify safe and unsafe behaviours, balance screen time and show kindness in digital interactions. Teachers extend this learning by modelling positive behaviour and embedding digital etiquette into everyday classroom practice. By instilling good habits from the earliest years, Fintona ensures its students grow into resilient, respectful and confident users of technology – ready to thrive in our digital world.
The Future of Technology in Classrooms
Looking ahead, the role of technology in primary education is set to grow in both scope and impact. At Fintona, a structured scope and sequence of digital skills is guiding how students build confidence year by year – from foundational skills on iPads to more advanced applications on laptops. Increasing emphasis will be placed on using Microsoft tools to support learning across subjects, preparing students with the practical skills they’ll need in secondary studies and beyond. Yet the future is not only about hardware and software; it is about making technology a natural partner in creativity, critical thinking and collaboration.
Rather than remaining a standalone subject, digital learning will continue to be woven across the curriculum, providing students with authentic opportunities to design, create and innovate. From Bee-Bots to stop-motion films, the story of technology in Fintona’s Junior School is one of curiosity leading to confidence, guided by a vision where digital tools are used with balance, responsibility and purpose. Robots may provide the starting point, but the true outcome is far bigger – empowered learners who are ready to imagine, solve and shape the world ahead.
Lara Dresser
Junior School Learning Area Leader
