Kaponga Primary's digital class is now in full swing following the installation of 20 recycled desktop computers in teacher Teresa Jones' classroom, one for each of her Year 2 to 3 students.
Principal Shane Downs does not know of any other ``digital classes'' for junior children, so this is very exciting for the school.
This follows a trial last year, prompted by Teresa, sharing laptops between the juniors to familiarise the students with using computers. The outstanding results cemented the programme and the school invested in 28 recycled computers, bought for $200 each, with those not installed in the classroom to be used where needed.
Shane says he did not need convincing.
``She came to me with the idea. I said, `brilliant'. If you teach the juniors the basics, they will be able to mentor the little ones when they become seniors.''
He says the computers are just one tool in the teacher's tool box and they use a mix of IT and traditional teaching. Practice work that would normally be done on worksheets and through games, the students now do on the computer.