iPads: Enhancing Curriculum at Stuart
Stuart’s iPad Program began last year
as a pilot program with a review of iPad benefits and applications at all grade
levels, K-12.
We are excited that this year we
launched our iPad Program using iPads in ALL grades, Kindergarten through grade
12. Lower School (K-5) students access iPads through class carts (as they do
laptops), and all girls in grades 6-12 have been given an iPad2 for one-to-one
computing.
iPad Boot Camp - This summer every student in grades
6-12 went through an intensive iPad Boot Camp where they learned the operating
basics, discussed how to be responsible while using technology, and learned how
to use applications such as email, notes and sharing documents through Google
Docs. The school year has started, and as teachers begin to integrate the use of iPads into their curriculum, girls are using this very exciting technology tool every day in nearly
every class.
High Speed Internet Access Campus-Wide - We have made considerable investment in
our school facilities here at Stuart to ensure that faculty and students can
take full advantage of the iPads. This summer our campus was completely
re-wired for upgraded high speed wireless Internet which extends outside the
building out to our turf field and down to the stream behind the school for
real-time science applications. Our faculty development budget has been doubled
this year, and considerable resources are being spent so teachers can take full advantage of the technology to advance their curriculum.
The iPad is a powerful new tool. It's
one of many emerging technologies available to educators and students at
Stuart. Our girls use technology in so many ways – they create videos for their
classes (now with their iPads!), they take online courses through the Online
School for Girls, and also specially designed courses by Stuart faculty. We use
an online math program to individualize instruction to augment classroom work;
in Spanish they Skype with professors in Argentina and our Kindergarteners talk
with classes all over the world on Twitter through #Kinderchat.
The iPad is also helping Stuart to be a
greener campus - we are going as paperless as possible by using online options
for communication between teachers and students; Our girls use Moodle, Google
Docs, Dropbox, and Turn It On. In addition, the technology will be used to encourage
dialogue between the students as teachers are setting up blogs as a way for students
to share ideas amongst themselves.
Rich with Sacred Heart tradition and heritage, Stuart is emerging as a leading innovator in the use of technology in education to equip our young women with the 21st century skills they will need to think globally, lead with innovation and change the world.