WHAT DOES MS. TRAVIS TEACH IN TECH CLASS?
Technology use at Steward is balanced, intentional, active, and often collaborative. I integrate topics and skills from across other content areas into my Tech lessons. My classroom is a space for exploration and discussion, where students learn how tech works, how to use it responsibly and critically, and how to harness its benefits to support learning.
I love that my Specials class provides the perfect opportunity to teach students HOW to think, not WHAT to think.Â
My class is not a time of day when students passively sit in front of screens. They're not on tablets or computers learning or reviewing content. Instead, the iPad is a tool they use to demonstrate understanding, apply skills, and find and use their voice. In many lessons, students do not use their iPads at all.
My hope is that practicing the following foundational skills in every Tech class will help Lower Schoolers become empowered users, so that they can enter any digital space in the future with confidence and comfort:
Social-Emotional Learning
Tech class is an environment that embraces trying new things, expressing ourselves, and making mistakes. These valuable character traits will be discussed and practiced in every class, in every grade:
Persevering through challenges
Identifying and self-regulating emotions
Asking for help from peers or teachers
Respectfully disagreeing and practicing our core value of Civil Discourse
Working together in groups
Reflecting on our learning
Computational Thinking
This is an approach to solving problems using specific skills that we also find in math, science, and other parts of our daily lives. It will be taught to all grades, through a combination of unplugged and screen-based activities:
Breaking a problem into smaller parts, or "decomposing"
Collecting and representing data and recognizing patterns
Developing a sequence, or "algorithm," to solve a problem
Finding and fixing mistakes, or "debugging"
These skills are taught throughout the year in units that cover the following big topics:
Digital Citizenship
Using devices responsibly
Communicating appropriately and safely online
Protecting personal information
Thinking critically and evaluating online sources
Grades 4 and 5 will have introductory lessons on machine learning and pattern recognition to understand the concepts behind how AI works and discuss its benefits, limitations, and greater impacts. Lower School students do not use generative AI or LLMs at school.
Robotics
Starting in JK and continuing through 2nd grade, students' first touchpoint with coding is hands-on. They learn about hardware and sensors, and have fun building and programming screen-free robots (Code & Go Robot Mice and KIBO).
In 3rd-5th grade, students demonstrate and deepen their learning by coding more complex robots (Finch and Sphero), which continues in Middle School.
Coding
Students explore the fundamentals of age-appropriate block coding programs to practice Computational Thinking and make connections to math, science, art, music, and more.
Students learn about the cyclical Design Thinking Process (Ask, Imagine, Plan, Create/Prototype, and Test) and then move through phases each time they code a program.
Typing and Multimedia Publishing
Students learn how to plan, design, edit, and publish products such as digital books, simple slideshows, and videos! They will engage with stop motion animation, green screens, and more.
4th and 5th grades begin each class with an introductory keyboarding warm-up. They will have short practice sessions on correct touch-typing finger placement, an important life skill that will be developed further in Middle School.