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Technology
Overview
Technology facilitates communication and collaboration at Swift and beyond our walls. It plays a pivotal role in accessing information, exercising critical thinking, and exploring innovation. Technology empowers Swift students to become self-reliant, lifelong learners.
New in 2020-21: Students in all grade levels will have one-to-one devices
Swift School provides iPads for 1st to 3rd graders. Fourth grade is a transition year in which the school provides Chromebooks. Students in 5th through 8th grades continue to participate in a bring-your-own Chromebook program.
Grades 1-4
Especially for our youngest students, technology serves to stimulate curiosity, creativity, and confidence. Students engage in interactive lessons designed specifically for their learning profiles. Child-friendly apps present novel opportunities to:
- Advance literacy skills
- Showcase strengths
- Explore new avenues for learning
First to 3rd grade classrooms feature iPads. Fourth graders are introduced to a rich array of more sophisticated productivity tools through the Chromebook.
In the 2020-21 school year, Swift is excited to offer a device for each student to be used in the classroom. For continuity during periods of remote learning, students in 1st to 4th grades will use these devices at home.
Grades 5-8
In 5th to 8th grades, students participate in a bring-your-own Chromebook program. Students expand technology skills and take increased ownership of their learning. They develop a “digital toolkit” to be utilized in a variety of contexts.
Swift students learn proficient use of digital resources including:
- Creativity and productivity tools
- Assistive technology
- Applications to support executive skills
- Science/Technology/Engineering/Arts/Math (STEAM) tools
Chromebooks are ideally suited for the use of Google Apps for Education, a suite of programs designed for productivity and collaboration. Parents, students and teachers alike make a compelling argument for the use of a uniform device to facilitate content delivery and assignment management.
Student-owned devices are optimal for:
- Providing seamless access to schoolwork between school and home environments
- Promoting independence and accountability
- Increasing awareness of individual learning needs and preferences
- Preparing for life beyond Swift
STEAM
STEAM, an exciting blend of Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Math, is a natural fit at Swift. Students eagerly anticipate STEAM activities embedded in the classroom and grade-level STEAM events.
STEAM:
- Stimulates curiosity and the desire to learn more.
- Builds resilience as students try - and try again.
- Cultivates a culture of teamwork.
- Fosters leadership among peers and across age groups.
- Advances transferable knowledge.
Through STEAM activities, Swift students employ the Engineering Design Cycle: Ask, Imagine, Plan, Create, Improve. This iterative process steers away from a single “right answer” and acknowledges creative possibilities.
