Technology at CAJ

From Elementary School Technology Integrator, Angela Hall:

In elementary we are teaching our youngest learners to be global digital citizens. We talk a lot about internet safety and how to actually use and care for iPads and Chromebooks. 

We use several different apps across different subject areas. We like to engage the students in healthy competition by practicing skills on Kahoot! We are able to cater to individual student needs through differentiated work on our math app Matific. We are able to give families a glimpse into our classrooms with Seesaw, where students can share their learning in many different ways. We are building the foundation for student to be leaders in technology.

From Middle School Technology Integrator, Alecia May:

Middle schoolers are a fun age group. They are generally enthusiastic, curious, and willing to try new things—all wonderful traits when it comes to learning how to use new technology. Yet these same traits can also make them a particularly vulnerable bunch. Enthusiasm without self-discipline can lead to gaming or internet addictions. Curiosity without healthy boundaries can lead students to dangerous places on the web. And simple inexperience along with a tendency to not think through consequences can mean that students make mistakes online that stay with them for a very long time.

As the technology integrator in middle school, part of my role is to help students develop more awareness of the very real dangers online and to also help them use digital platforms responsibly. I visit middle school homerooms and cover topics such as cyber-bullying, online scams, protecting personal data, digital life balance, and the pros and cons of social media. I don’t want middle schoolers to lose their natural enthusiasm, curiosity, or boldness when using technology, but I hope I can play a role in helping them develop both wisdom and compassion when exploring and interacting online.

From High School Technology Integrator, Ryan Smith:

High school students have grown up in an age where technology has been integrated into nearly every part of their lives.  To be effective world citizens in this age, it is necessary for our students to be skilled and effective communicators with all forms of technology.  To this end, we use technology in a variety of different aspects to develop a wide skill base for our students.

To this end, we use various learning platforms to communicate grades, lessons, class materials and future events to the students.  The students also are able to communicate and collaborate with schools overseas and work together to gather data and work on projects.  They create websites, compose music, design yearbooks, and create digital artwork.

Even outside of the classroom they are involved with groups like E-Nable, where the students are involved with creating prosthetics for children who would not be able to afford them otherwise, and TASSEL where the students teach English courses online to children living in Cambodia.  

It is our goal as technology integrators to help the students use the technology available to them to learn, serve, and experience the world in ways that would not be possible without this technology.  We want our students to be effective users of these mediums in this digital age.