Investments in technology and an increase in faculty professional development are having a big impact on the classroom at St. Anne’s Episcopal School this fall.
Through a grant from the Longwood Foundation, the school is enhancing teaching strategies and outcomes. The school is adding new curriculum. With the help of a technology fund raiser last spring, St. Anne’s students now have 1:1 Chromebooks in the Fourth through Eighth grades as well as laptops in the library and the lower school STEM Lab and internet connectivity in the outdoor classroom. Students are developing their digital portfolios and expanding their use of Google Classrooms beginning in Fourth Grade.
“Our faculty is committed to bringing new ideas to their classrooms, to expanding our curriculum and resources, and to supporting the different learning styles of children,” says Head of School Peter Thayer. “They are constantly asking, ‘How can I make my class better?’ We sent six faculty to three different courses related to technology this summer. It is exciting for all of us to share in what they’ve learned. Since we are an independent school, we have the freedom to revise what and how we teach based on the hours our faculty spend in courses, webinars, research, networking, and reflection.”
St. Anne’s is introducing a new computer science curriculum in Middle School this year in place of technology class. “The students are showing us that they are very interested in learning Computer Science,” says Amy Sherman, Instructional Technology Coordinator. “A foundation in understanding computers is critical to their preparation for the future. In the students’ other classes, teachers are creating dynamic and engaging lessons that incorporate technology into their coursework. Technology is as widely used as a pencil in the classroom now.”
For example, Middle School Language Arts teacher Cristina Bromley says that the Google Chromebooks have transformed the writing process for her students and allowed her to better individualize her writing instruction. In developing their writing skills, students have the opportunity to get immediate feedback from their peers and their teacher and collaborate on group projects, thanks to Google Classroom.
After attending the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) conference and participating in the SimpleK12 webinars last year, fourth grade teacher Jocelyn Sanders’ classroom has less of a paper trail and more of a digital footprint. “Digital projects are now another form of assessment,” explains Sanders, “Students are adept at submitting their homework digitally and using Google Slides as an alternative to essays and multiple choice tests. This year, Ms. Sanders and new fourth grade teacher Josh Kite will expand their use of digital products to support Social Studies, Geography, Virtual Field Trips, and book reports, and try new game-based teaching programs. Elementary school teachers will also expand cross curricular collaboration with the engineering units studied in STEM class.
Librarian Amy Shepherd said of the Constructing Modern Knowledge training she attended this summer, “Our training reinforced what we already know: that we need to encourage our students to take risks and not be afraid to fail. We learn more from failing than from getting the answer right the first time, or from memorizing “the answer.” I am encouraging students to try something new; it is incredible how many “right answers” and ways to solve a problem there are!”
St. Anne’s Episcopal School is a co-ed independent day school for children Pre-school (age 3) through 8th grade (https://www.stannesde.org). Founded by visionary educators from St. Andrew’s School in 2002, St. Anne’s academic program is geared to prepare students for a rigorous high school experience and provides a student/teacher ratio of 7:1. St. Anne’s is located on 125 scenic acres in Middletown, Delaware, and is committed to the development of the whole child through intellectual, spiritual, physical, social, and artistic growth.
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