It's been an exciting couple of days here in the Middle School as several new initiatives related to Educational Technology have all launched simultaneously.
First, we've deployed three Chromebook carts in the Middle school which, along with our Computer Lab and MacBook and iPad carts, make it now possible for six different classes to all be working with computing devices at the same time. When you couple that with the fact that we've also launched a 1:1 Chromebook program in Grade 7, it means that virtually every student in the Middle School can have access to a computer during each of their classes.
One of the guiding principles of our technology program here at Yeshivat Noam is that we use technology everywhere it helps learning and, when it doesn't help, we put it away. It is up to our faculty, all masters of their own content areas, to determine precisely when it is appropriate to use these tools and when the lesson is better served by more traditional methodologies.
In addition to providing our students with new learning tools, we also recently began this year's formal program of faculty professional development, which will focus on moving the entire Middle School team further along toward mastery of technology integration and 21st century learning. Using a differentiated approach, we have divided the faculty into three Professional Learning Communities which will each focus on development in a different skill set. One group will study technology tools in depth, familiarizing themselves with the many software tools now available for classroom use. A second group, comprising teachers with more EdTech experience, will work together with an industry expert to develop technology-rich lessons and activities for their students. The third cohort, made up of the technology leaders on our team, will work together with me on researching and developing a comprehensive vision for what a 21st Century Curriculum looks like at Yeshivat Noam. Each of these faculty PLCs will serve as models of effective learning communities for our students, using the same tools for collaboration, blended-learning and creative problem solving that we we have begun to put into place in our classes.
There is a lot going on with Middle School technology and it is easy to miss some of the news... which is why a Parent Information Night is being planned; you'll hear more about that in the coming weeks. In the meantime, I welcome your suggestions, comments and suggestions; please get in touch.
