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Red Oaks Strengthens Focus on Technology Skills
Part of teaching and modeling 21st Century Skills is making sure that our students are literate in the use of technology. In the terminology of the movement, individuals are designated either as "Digital Natives" or "Digital Immigrants." It is our intention that our students be Digital Natives and that the skills they acquire are not haphazard, but part of a well-designed curriculum (as ever) where capabilities build on one another in a logical progression that results in technological literacy. In the Upper El, students will learn keyboarding and attain working fluency in the use of Windows programs like Word and Power Point. They are also being given highly protected email accounts from email service provider "Gaggle." The idea is to teach students to use the internet and email in a manner that is:
- Purposeful
- Ethical
- Safe
- Responsible
The Upper Elementary Gaggle email account will allow students to share work, send files from home to school, write to their friends and teachers, submit class work, participate in online classroom discussions with teachers and classmates, practice keyboarding skills, and keep in touch with their family members! It also comes with monitoring/censorship component and a safety pledge that students, parents, and teachers all must sign. Upper El Science and Technology Teacher Jeff Cohen is looking forward to using this tool to help his students grow. He says, "Familiarity with email and the web can help build their 21st century citizenship skills with activities like emailing congressmen and local officials, taking part in Q & A projects with mentors, and much more."
With this in mind, Red Oaks has committed resources to upgrading our technological profile through:
- The purchase of 15 new laptops for our Upper Elementary class
- Permanent Smartboard installation with links to our teachers' computers
- Current and efficient wireless connections throughout the school
- The development of a deliberate and decisive technology curriculum.
This process of staying current is critical to maintaining the dynamic nature of our curricula in every area of study at Red Oaks. |
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