Grymes Memorial School Technology Education Description
Here is a document we put together for the school's 2015 VAIS accreditation. It describes the school's Technology Education program and philosophy.
The goal of technology is to enhance the overall learning experience and to give all students the foundation they need to thrive and adapt in a technologically-driven society. Students will have the tools to explore a STEM career if they choose. The technology landscape is continually changing so the focus is on teaching students fundamental concepts and skills rather than mastering a specific tool. Students are exposed to a wide variety of applications and platforms and are empowered by the knowledge, experience and skills to independently use the appropriate tools to communicate effectively and work more efficiently. They become active learners who are able to independently recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use information responsibly. They become lifelong learners who are able to use technology to support independent learning. They develop the ability to create their own content, to work collaboratively and to be good digital citizens.
In kindergarten through fifth grade, students are exposed to many different applications, each selected to highlight the strength of the tool. In the upper school, students select their own tools based on the needs of their project and what they are trying to convey. They learn technical terminology and concepts through experience. As a fifth grader creates a personal website, he/she learns terms like URL, hyperlink, html and through this experience, also learns how the Internet works. The technology curriculum is designed to integrate with the lessons taught by the grade level teachers and is only introduced if it increases students understanding of the topic or their engagement. The tool is selected based on the needs of the lesson. Strong research skills are taught and students build skills, incrementally, to search, evaluate, and use information responsibly.
At Grymes, technology is tailored to meet the unique needs of each grade. Students in jr. kindergarten are introduced to computers by the classroom teachers and use the computers in their classroom. Students in kindergarten and first grade have computer class once a week. A computer teacher sets up a center and students rotate to the centers in small groups where they are able to get individual and immediate attention. Students in second grade go to the computer room and have computer class half a period each week and are taught by a computer teacher. Students in third through fifth grade go to the computer room and have computer class a full period each week, taught by a computer teacher.
Having mastered basic computer skills by the end of fifth grade, sixth through eighth grade students use technology as an integral part of the classroom environment. At this level, teachers integrate technology directly into their classes as a teaching tool and as a requirement for student work. Students learn how to use technology to communicate more effectively, work more efficiently, and learn more comprehensively .
In addition to formal computer classes, students also use technology in the classroom. There are two computer labs and the school provides desktop computers in some classrooms, as well as laptop carts. All sixth graders have iPads and there are also iPads in some lower school classrooms. Seventh and eighth grade students each have the use of Chromebooks, video equipment, and more.
Since the VAIS interim accreditation in 2008, Grymes Memorial School has been developing its own technology curriculum and continues to research ways to improve the program through conferences, observing industry trends, exploring what other schools are doing, viewing other teacher lesson plans, and evaluating new tools and resources. This curriculum is structured to measure success, yet is flexible enough to adapt to grade level, interest, and need. A systems approach is used to identify the skills students should learn and when. A skill matrix is maintained indicating when a skill is introduced, extended, or mastered. The goal is to provide instruction that is challenging, yet fun.
Strengths
Weaknesses
Technology Education Committee: Evelyn Chaleki, Teresa Huelskoetter, Laurie Neale, Jill Solek-Giles
Last updated: 9Jan15
In kindergarten through fifth grade, students are exposed to many different applications, each selected to highlight the strength of the tool. In the upper school, students select their own tools based on the needs of their project and what they are trying to convey. They learn technical terminology and concepts through experience. As a fifth grader creates a personal website, he/she learns terms like URL, hyperlink, html and through this experience, also learns how the Internet works. The technology curriculum is designed to integrate with the lessons taught by the grade level teachers and is only introduced if it increases students understanding of the topic or their engagement. The tool is selected based on the needs of the lesson. Strong research skills are taught and students build skills, incrementally, to search, evaluate, and use information responsibly.
At Grymes, technology is tailored to meet the unique needs of each grade. Students in jr. kindergarten are introduced to computers by the classroom teachers and use the computers in their classroom. Students in kindergarten and first grade have computer class once a week. A computer teacher sets up a center and students rotate to the centers in small groups where they are able to get individual and immediate attention. Students in second grade go to the computer room and have computer class half a period each week and are taught by a computer teacher. Students in third through fifth grade go to the computer room and have computer class a full period each week, taught by a computer teacher.
Having mastered basic computer skills by the end of fifth grade, sixth through eighth grade students use technology as an integral part of the classroom environment. At this level, teachers integrate technology directly into their classes as a teaching tool and as a requirement for student work. Students learn how to use technology to communicate more effectively, work more efficiently, and learn more comprehensively .
In addition to formal computer classes, students also use technology in the classroom. There are two computer labs and the school provides desktop computers in some classrooms, as well as laptop carts. All sixth graders have iPads and there are also iPads in some lower school classrooms. Seventh and eighth grade students each have the use of Chromebooks, video equipment, and more.
Since the VAIS interim accreditation in 2008, Grymes Memorial School has been developing its own technology curriculum and continues to research ways to improve the program through conferences, observing industry trends, exploring what other schools are doing, viewing other teacher lesson plans, and evaluating new tools and resources. This curriculum is structured to measure success, yet is flexible enough to adapt to grade level, interest, and need. A systems approach is used to identify the skills students should learn and when. A skill matrix is maintained indicating when a skill is introduced, extended, or mastered. The goal is to provide instruction that is challenging, yet fun.
Strengths
- The curriculum is documented and developed which makes it easy to improve.
- The well developed technology website allows any technology teacher to adapt.
- The curriculum is structured, yet flexible.
- A library of well tested lesson plans coordinates with core classroom topics.
- A library of curated materials is available to teachers on the school website.
- Teachers collaborate well with technology instructors and understand their role in collaborative projects.
- The technology goals are well defined and help guide the school.
- There are expanded opportunities for students to use technology including Lego Robotics, Computer Club, and Homework Club.
Weaknesses
- The Digital Citizenship curriculum is not fully integrated.
- Collaboration skills (both inside and outside the school) could be further addressed.
- There is a need to incorporate more critical thinking and problem solving into lessons.
- The upper school technology goals and plans are not well-defined.
- There is manual tracking of learned skills.
- There is no common, agreed-upon framework for teaching research skills.
- Some lower school technology projects lose effectiveness when students move from the computer lab to the classroom.
- Further analyze, document and fully integrate Digital Citizenship curriculum across grade levels
- Build collaboration skills by developing relationships with outside resources such as other schools or experts in the field. Look at new programs such as virtual field trips through Google+. Expand the number of collaborative projects we do within the school. Use tools such as video conferencing and google apps.
- Integrate computer programming into the curriculum and look for other ways to build critical thinking and problem solving into the lesson plans.
- Document what is being done in the upper school around integrating technology into the classroom. Assess what projects could benefit from adding technology and align it with the required upper school technology skills. Analyze the required upper school technology skills and determine ways to teach them.
- Simplify how to track learned technology skills.
- Further refine the Information Literacy curriculum by consolidating the strengths of research education into one common agreed-upon framework. This will reduce redundancy and ensure that all important elements are covered. The common process, terminology, and tools will strengthen students' understanding and reduce confusion.
- Explore the idea of moving some lower school technology projects from the computer room to the classroom. Lessons that extend classroom learning through the use of technology would be more effective if they were taught by both the grade-level and the computer teacher.
Technology Education Committee: Evelyn Chaleki, Teresa Huelskoetter, Laurie Neale, Jill Solek-Giles
Last updated: 9Jan15