We live in a world of digitalisation and schools have begun to move into this new normal. Communication between teachers and students have shifted to this trend as well. To all new Y1s: If your teachers mention they will post your homework on a website or application, which name you have forgotten, fret not. This article will be the perfect guide for you.
Microsoft Teams
Some of you may be familiar with using Zoom to communicate online with teachers and friends in primary school, and we have a similar platform in RI known as Microsoft Teams. At first glance, Microsoft Teams may seem quite tedious. On a positive note, the app’s instant messaging feature is commendable because it is a quick and easy way to notify your teachers of anything. This is much faster than sending an email on Microsoft Outlook. Microsoft Teams is a form of communication where we get to meet teachers ‘face to face’ as well. For example, if you miss a lesson, you can notify the teachers through email or MS Teams and request that the teacher set up an online lesson. You can then observe the progress of the lesson without having to worry about missing out.
Microsoft Outlook
How can RI push out mass messages without a school email network? That is why we have Outlook, which connects all students and staff. Outlook is not only used for pushing out these email blasts. It is mainly used by students to contact teachers, such as asking questions about assignments, and by teachers to send out updates or explain their instructions. Moreover, when students are unable to come to school for various reasons, they always use their RI email to inform their respective teachers of their absence and reasons. If you have forgotten your email IDs, here is a short summary of how your email IDs will look like:
Assuming that my full name is Abc Defg Hijklmnop, my birth certificate number is T1234567G and that I will complete Year 6 in 2027:
Whenever you need to sign up for any website or app that you need in class, always use your RI email ID unless stated otherwise.
Your iCon email ID is the one that MOE has assigned to you. This is not used as much as the RI email, but it is still quite useful in certain situations.
Canvas
Now, let’s take a look at the platform that we use for receiving notifications and announcements, and submitting assignments. You guessed it – Canvas (also known as Ivy). When we access the dashboard, we get to see all the subjects we are taking. Once a subject is selected, there will be various aspects of that subject like files, announcements, discussions and collaborations. Canvas/IVY helps keep track of announcements for different subjects and includes a page to check for submission deadlines so that we will not miss out on anything.
Stamford
In order to login to Ivy, we need to login to Stamford (unless of course you have the Canvas application). It is a platform named after Sir Stamford Raffles. Stamford is the platform on which we receive our CCA allocation and non-academic announcements regarding student development etc. There are 2 logins for Stamford; one for parents and one for students.
Parents Gateway
In the transition from primary to secondary school, there are also some modes of communication that will not have changed. It is (as its name suggests) a way for teachers to keep parents informed of the goings-on at school. Parents will receive notifications regarding the important events that take place and if there are consent forms, parents can access them here.
SLS
Sounds familiar? Student Learning Space is the website you’ve been using throughout your 6 years in primary school. SLS is a website which most schools use to give online assignments to students. Some subjects also use SLS for assignments besides IVY/Canvas.
Conclusion
These are the platforms of digital communication between students, parents and teachers that are used by RI. Don’t worry if they seem confusing at first. As you acclimatise to your new school, you will get a better hang of these applications!.
