At SPARK Academy, we believe that technology gives our students the opportunity to connect with the world. Whether through an app, a robot, a website, or a video chat, our students are able to make deeper connections with their learning through the use of technology.

Technology is an integral part of teaching and learning at SPARK Academy. Each student has a dedicated iPad for use during the school day. Along with age-appropriate gaming and design apps, our students use Seesaw to share their learning with their families and their peers. Teachers are able to use Seesaw for individual student performance assessments, allowing students to record their responses independently and teachers are able to view the responses at a later time. Seesaw provides a record of student learning over time, in many different formats.

All students at SPARK Academy learn the basics of coding, with robots like Robot Mouse, Bee Bot, Dash, and WeDo. Students also use resources like Code.org, Do Ink, and Scratch Jr. to create their own animations.

Our students have access to 3D printers in the SPARK Lab. This fall, our third graders used the app Morphi to create a personal badge that incorporated four symbols that represented things that were important in their lives. Students then shared the symbolism meaning on Seesaw.

Our students learn how to create green screen videos using the Do Ink app. Our media specialist teaches the students how to create the videos and then classroom teachers are able to apply those skills in their individual classrooms. Our art teacher used this technology to put students into their art creations. Our kindergarten students created habitats during their integrated unit on animals and then put themselves into their habitats using green screen technology.

It is very difficult in the younger grades for students to conduct their own research using the internet. Therefore, many of our teachers post QR codes in their classrooms for students to scan, assuring that our students would only go to age-appropriate, vetted websites. During their integrated unit on animals, our kindergarten students were able to conduct age appropriate research on animals and their habitats through the use of QR codes.

When focusing on technology, our strength as a faculty is access. All students have access to a dedicated iPad. All classrooms have at least one robot available for student use and teachers are able to use the materials from both the Learning Lab Media Center and the SPARK Lab when additional resources are needed for a project. Our media specialist is available to facilitate and/or assist teachers in their classrooms or in the Learning Lab when classes need to create videos or film in front of one of our green screens. Our green screens are also portable, so teachers are able to take them to their classrooms when needed. Our SPARK Lab specialist and Instructional Partner also works with teachers in integrating robotics, coding projects, and other technologies into our existing curriculum.

As always, the biggest challenge is to keep current with technologies and providing funding to continually update the materials and apps we already have. Many of our purchases have come from grant awards, so many members of our faculty look for grant opportunities. We use our instructional technology and Title I monies from the state to supplement as well. We also have a very active parent organization and partnership with one of the local churches who both provide STEM materials for individual teachers and classrooms.