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IGLULIK - Students at Ataguttaaluk Elementary School are stepping into the digital age with new technologies to capture their interest and imagination.

This fall, the school’s computer lab was refurbished with 25 state-of-the-art iMac computers and its classrooms with five SMART Board interactive whiteboards.

Joey Iqqaqsaq plays with Photo Booth on one of Ataguttaaluk Elementary School's brand new iMac computers. - photo courtesy of Stephen Ambruzs - Foxfire Photography

From creating storyboards to composing pieces of music with a digital orchestra at their fingertips, the students now have a whole new element to learning that is fun, visual and interactive.

“Last year, we did little comic books,” said Grade 7 student Drayton Alger. “Mine was Drayton Alger versus Evil Marcus.

“We choose photos and put them in the squares and make speech bubbles for them.”

In computer class, the youth learn word processing skills and how to use photo-editing software. They search Google maps, watch videos of their community and even play a few educational games.

“Computer class, from what I’ve seen, is the most exciting and anticipated class,” said IT teacher Stephen Ambruzs. “They’re very eager to learn and excited.

“We have a computer club that meets after school once a week as well.”

He said SMART Boards are a great way of introducing multimedia into the classroom and inspiring students to explore digital technology.

“It’s a way to demonstrate hands-on how to use computers,” Ambruzs said. “Instead of trying to instruct someone with pen and papers or a blackboard, you can show them step by step the functionality of computers.”

As a special project this year, he is hoping to enlist the help of the computer club and older students to develop a website for the school.

“Ideally, we’d have the students go and take pictures with the cameras and use the software … to make pages for the different classes or for the school,” said Ambruzs.

In this day and age, many of the students already know a lot about the technology and those who don’t pick up new skills in a heartbeat, he added.

“The ones that aren’t, it takes probably one time to show it to them,” said Ambruzs.