Academics

Technology

My competence with computers and technology was much stronger than other students at Clemson.
My preparation was so much better.
-- Clayton Wilson, GDS Class of 2016, Clemson University.

For children of all ages, digital media (smartphones, tablets, computers, handheld games, etc.) is an integral part of their lives. On the surface, it appears that these students are technology experts because of their facility with digital media. However, ease of use does not equate with digital literacy. We provide our students with developmentally appropriate opportunities to apply their personal technology abilities in an educational context. In our program, these students become successful digital consumers, creators, and communicators as they become constructive contributors to our world. In addition, we assure that our students understand how to participate responsibly in our digital global society.

We seek academic excellence in all of the spaces in which our students live their lives and the digital space is no different. We recognize that technology is an integral part of teaching and learning. As a community, we cultivate an intentional and developmentally appropriate technology experience that helps us all to be effective and critical consumers in the digital world. We also honor the spaces where teaching and learning happen without the use of technology.

Beyond the walls of GDS, we find that our alumni are significantly more prepared for college and are often viewed as the “experts” on their dorm hallways. We believe that it is important for our students to have an understanding and appreciation for the technology that they use both in and out of school. It is our goal that Greensboro Day School graduates have the flexibility and skills necessary to participate in whatever their future brings.

List of 5 items.

Lower School

Our Early Childhood through third-grade students have iPads in the classrooms. In our Early Childhood Program, students have access to classroom sets of iPads. In the classrooms for grades 1-3, we have 1:1 iPads and each child is given access to a personal iPad. Teachers integrate the iPads into their curriculum and use the iPads for formative assessment of student knowledge, academic skill practice, and collaborative learning. Students also use a computer lab where they are initially introduced to art programs and word processing before maturing into advanced topics such as presentation programs, internet research, and appropriate e-mail use. These skills are reinforced in classroom projects and activities.

Our fourth-graders have 1:1 Chromebook classrooms. Students successfully navigate these laptops, the internet, and the Google Suite for Education. These students are well versed in a number of productivity applications. Fourth-grade students are also provided with lessons in digital citizenship (e.g. cyberbullying).
Middle School

Our 5th-8th classrooms have 1:1 laptops and beginning in 6th grade, these laptops are used both in the classroom and at home. Given the project-oriented nature of Middle School, our students learn very quickly to be comfortable using different programs and tools to create travel pamphlets, online posters, videos, and many other forms of expression. Digital citizenship lessons are imperative in Middle School. This is the age when many children begin the true exploration of social media and its ups and downs. We believe that it is important that our students make social media mistakes while at Greensboro Day School. Here we can catch them and find the “teaching moments” in all cases.
Upper School

Upper School students are our most independent technology users. These students often teach us some of the benefits and pitfalls of using digital media. In the Upper School, our students are balancing the academic and social uses of technological tools. Our faculty works with students to help them develop successful learning habits. Information literacy, the ability to critically analyze, and synthesize information found on the Internet, is an important skill that our Upper School students acquire at Greensboro Day School. We introduce these concepts in Middle School, but as projects become more complex, so does the importance of thinking critically and communicating a clear, well-researched message.
Parents

Technology is integral to functioning in today's society and the Greensboro Day School community is no exception. We are active partners with our parents and provide developmentally appropriate adult education sessions that include, but are not limited to, social media use, phone use, and parents as positive technology role models. In addition, we reach out to the community and invite technology and parenting experts to our campus. These presenters provide parents (and faculty) with multiple perspectives.
Tech at Home

This guide is designed to help students working remotely who may need assistance with their technology. If you need to open a tech help ticket, complete this form.