Technology Curriculum Details

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Welcome to the Technology Curriculum Details page at Saint Leo the Great School! Our approach is centered on a holistic, engaging, and dynamic teaching philosophy that prepares students from kindergarten through 8th grade to be responsible digital citizens and proactive learners. Our spiral curriculum covers a variety of age-appropriate topics, such as technology systems, digital citizenship, Internet safety, and the use of digital tools for information organization, problem-solving, and creative innovation.

In our classes, we emphasize higher-order thinking through Bloom’s Taxonomy, encouraging students not only to remember, understand and apply, but also and mainly to analyze, evaluate, create, and innovate. Safety and well-being are paramount, guided by Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs with a focus on the critical aspect of online safety. We also integrate Emotional Intelligence into our curriculum, enhancing self-awareness and interpersonal skills (thinking win/win), with a particular focus on self-motivation, preparing students to face future challenges with resilience.

Students are empowered to take an active role in their education, using technology to drive their learning goals and participating in projects that range from creating digital posters and websites to engaging with 3D design and coding. Assessments such as project rubrics for website design and oral presentations provide feedback on their progress.

Explore further by clicking the links provided on this page for more details about our curriculum, project examples, integration of content areas, assessments, grading criteria, and the enriching opportunities our Makerspace projects offer. Join us in nurturing not just academic skills but also the critical, creative, and technical prowess necessary for lifelong success.

1. Teaching Philosophy: Our teaching philosophy is centered on a holistic, engaging, and dynamic approach that fosters both learning and personal growth. Here are the key elements:

• Spiral Curriculum: We use a progressive curriculum from K-8th grade, focusing on developing responsible digital citizens and reinforcing core concepts for lifelong learning.

• Higher-Order Thinking: Employing Bloom’s Taxonomy, we encourage students to analyze, evaluate, and create, promoting complex and creative thinking.

• Safety and Well-being: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs informs our emphasis on the importance of online safety, which is crucial for secure and effective learning.

• Emotional Intelligence: By integrating emotional intelligence into our teaching, we enhance students' self-awareness and interpersonal skills (thinking win/win), which are vital for effective study habits and teamwork. We particularly emphasize self-motivation, recognizing its importance in fostering an internal drive that inspires students to set and achieve their personal and academic goals independently. This focus on self-motivation not only improves their ability to learn autonomously but also prepares them to face future challenges with resilience and determination.

• Student-Driven Learning: Aligned with the ISTE Standards, our approach empowers students to actively engage in their education, using technology to drive their learning goals.

• Practical Application: We emphasize the practical application of digital tools in problem-solving and collaboration, preparing students for real-world challenges.

This philosophy helps us create a nurturing environment that equips students with necessary technical skills, critical thinking, and global awareness, preparing them for the future.

2. Projects: Students tackle a diverse range of projects that cultivate skills in online safety and digital etiquette, enhance typing proficiency, and allow creativity to flourish using Canva for designing posters, flyers, presentations, and avatars. They delve into website design, explore the possibilities of Tinkercad 3D design, develop programming skills with HTML and Scratch, and learn to conduct surveys with PollEverywhere. Advanced use of Canva and Google Sheets for creating informational graphs and charts, along with AI Literacy Lessons and comprehensive applications in Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides, rounds out their digital toolkit. Explore Students’ Websites HERE.

3. Integration of Content Areas: Our curriculum integrates technology across all subject areas, enhancing presentations with Canva, refining communication skills through oral presentations, and leveraging databases for creating detailed info graphs/charts. Each subject benefits from tailored webpages that display the convergence of technology with traditional learning disciplines.

4. Curriculum: The technology class follows a spiral curriculum to continue developing concepts from K-8th grade. We revisit and expand upon core concepts annually, ensuring students become capable and responsible digital citizens. Essential topics include technology systems, digital citizenship, internet safety, and the strategic use of digital tools for problem-solving, creating, innovating, and enhancing collaborative learning. Click HERE for more details on our comprehensive curriculum for both elementary and middle school levels.

5. Assessments: Our structured assessments provide clear feedback and measure student growth effectively, with specific rubrics developed for projects such as the 'All About Me' project, oral presentations, website design, and Tinkercad 3D designs.

RUBRIC: All About Me Project
RUBRIC: Oral Presentations
RUBRIC: Website Design

Assignment & Rubric: Mission Statement

Assignment & Rubric:  Growth Tracking Project

Assignment & Rubric: Classmate Profile Project

Assignment & Rubric:  Technology Collaboration Project
Tinkercad 3D Designs

6. Grading Criteria & Rules: We maintain transparent grading criteria and classroom rules that support our educational goals, ensuring that students understand the expectations and the importance of online safety. Review our Grading Criteria and Online Safety Pledges for more details.

Grading Criteria: Click HERE

Rules and Online Safety Pledges: Click HERE

7. Makerspace Projects: We offer an exciting array of clubs and summer camps, including robotics, engineering, drones, artificial intelligence, Roblox, and Minecraft, that encourage students to apply their skills in real-world scenarios and further develop their technical prowess.

Robotics, Engineering, Drones, Artificial Intelligence, Roblox, Minecraft, Coding