Who we are
The Digital Academy (DA) offers relevant and meaningful Information Technology (IT) & Design courses to all students in Pathlight School. We believe that our students have the natural aptitude towards technology. We run courses in an autism-friendly environment, equipping students with tools and skills positioning them for the future, a life beyond school.
Quality education is of utmost importance to us. Our IT lessons are taught by professional trainers who have distinct experience in both the IT and Creative industries and in education pedagogy.
Traversing through various IT & Design courses, students go through six unique Learning Experiences: Game Zone, Hack Shack, Fab Lab, Digital Media Studio, Hello Technology and Data World. All these learning experiences are designed to maximise students’ learning outcomes.
Vision
To be a next-generation learning community of empowered future technology creators and leaders.
Mission
To provide a nurturing environment that uncovers talent, maximises potential and inspires active learning
Six Learning Experiences
ITDA’s six Learning Experiences aim to:
- Develop students’ ability in ideation and managing projects effectively.
- Expose students to multiple emerging technologies, tools and concepts.
- Spark students’ creativity and promote innovation to use various appropriate Information and Communications Technology (ICT) tools across different creative domains in solving problems and perhaps, creating the future together.
Hello Technology is a core Learning Experience which all Pathlight students go through in their lower primary school years. This Learning Experience aims to expose students to basic technology, devices and tools such as computers, iPads and Lego®, as well as various innovative learning applications and programmes, as we explore emerging ICT tools. It further aims to build students’ understanding in fundamental principles and concepts of various ICT tools.
Hack Shack aims to build students’ understanding of the fundamental principles and concepts in coding. Students will hone computational and critical thinking skills through all the various courses. They will learn to code and are given a wider bandwidth to be creative in their projects.
Fab Lab aims to inculcate core design and making skills in our students through a deliberate and iterative design approach. Students are exposed to a variety of digital tools to (i) collect and curate data to inform ideas, (ii) develop iterative designs through sketching and note-taking and, (iii) construct models and prototypes.
Students will develop and exhibit tolerance and perseverance by working with ambiguity. This Learning Experience will allow students to interact regularly through discussions and presentations, increasing their capacity in communication. Fab Lab projects also aim to build students’ adaptability as they work with open-ended real-world problems.
Digital Media Studio aims to equip students with design, analytical and production coordination skills using multiple creative mediums. Students work in different teams and are exposed to a wide range of creative mediums, such as digital illustration, photography, video production and animation.
Game Zone aims to shape students’ understanding of the core principles and concepts of game development. Through the various courses, students will develop game art, computational and critical thinking skills. They will also learn to code and to be creative in the development of their games.
