Technology

IMAGE_AB23CE13-8913-431E-A6B9-5072625E38DDSage embraces the instruction of 21st-century skills using authentic, real-world tasks and tools. Specifically, we focus on the following overarching areas:

  • Ways of thinking. Creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving, decision-making, and learning
  • Ways of working. Communication and collaboration
  • Tools for working. Information and communications technology (ICT) and information literacy
  • Skills for living in the world. Citizenship, life and career, and personal and social responsibility

Key to our program is teaching our students to choose technology tools that are most appropriate for the task at hand and are also developmentally appropriate for their age. We strive to make the technology ubiquitous for all by using cloud-based applications like Google Apps for schools. Our “just in time” training philosophy means that instruction about spreadsheets will not be done in isolation; rather, we will integrate spreadsheet usage into content like survey development and analysis. In addition to meeting the needs of 21st-century learners, Sage teachers use technology to expand opportunities for learning beyond the school walls.

Each level of the school reflects the use of different technology tools to meet this goal. In the Prime Division, students use iPads for learning. A very good article on the philosophy of iPad usage can be found in this article: Why iPads.

The Junior Division uses Chromebooks for class work. Students may use the Internet for research reports, create presentations, or use videos to learn a new concept. All this is done under the direction and close supervision of their teachers.

IMG_4079In the Middle School, technology plays an important role in daily life. Each student brings his or her own device from home. They are taught time-management and organizational skills through the use of Google Calendar and Google Tasks. Instruction on common software programs is integrated into content areas and they seamlessly use the same tools adults use for task completion. It is inspiring to see the ways in which middle level students use technology creatively and responsibly. They are often aware of the new tools that become available and teach one another how to use them in meaningful ways. For example, a student who is home sick may Skype into class to participate in a discussion or a science lab. They collaborate on assignments in real time using Google Docs. They email their teachers and peers with questions, comments, or ideas about class work. For our Middle School students, the technology tools they use are part of everyday life, which is exactly our goal.