Dear Harbor Families,

As a child in the 80s, the “technology” my teachers used consisted of a chalkboard and chalk, paper and pencil, and other classroom materials. But by the time I started teaching in the 90s, “technology class” was a thing. My third grade class had weekly time in the computer lab with a specialized teacher who had the expertise to teach the skills of using a mouse, typing, and “word processing” (I don’t think that’s even a word anymore!) I remember what a big deal it was when the school purchased a LaserDisc; however, my tech tool of choice was my trusty overhead projector.

Fast forward almost thirty years and technology innovations have boomed, allowing educators a vast set of tools to support our teaching and learning goals. As early childhood educators, it is our responsibility to think carefully about how and when we use each tool to facilitate meaningful learning for the ages we serve.

At Harbor, we believe that the integration of technology tools in classroom learning can promote important skills of collaboration, creativity, and problem-solving. Most lessons integrating technology tools are productive, versus receptive, meaning students are using tools to create and apply their learning.  As they grow older, students are also learning valuable lessons in safe use of the internet, determining credible and unreliable sources, and using technology ethically.

Moving through the Harbor program, a student will have the opportunity to use iPads to design materials, conduct research on topics of interest using safe internet sites, create original videos with a green screen, and 3D print, to name a few of the tools that we use. Although we still explicitly teach handwriting with a paper and pencil, students are also learning keyboarding skills in the older grades. 

Along with the languages of English, Spanish, music, and math, students are learning the language of coding as well! This week, we are excited to participate in a national celebration called the Hour of Code, for Computer Science Week. Using coding tools such as Ozobots, the Code and Go Robot Mouse, BeeBot, Hummingbird, Osmo, the Dash Robot, Sphero, and Scratch and Scratch Jr., students in all classes are spending one hour or more exploring the language of coding at their unique developmental level. 

Coding creates opportunities to think critically, practice team building, problem solve, and persevere to build self-confidence. Students are learning new vocabulary such as algorithm, program, sequence, command, and arrays, but when we teach code, we are not only teaching the language of technology, but also teaching new ways to think and bring ideas to life. Ask your child about their experience with coding this week! They will come home with a certificate to show that they participated in "Hour of Code", which will be a good way to prompt discussion!

Warm regards,

Leah Musico
Head of School