TECHNOLOGY

We believe that:

• Students need to be able to use a wide variety of technological tools to enhance their future success as students and workers.
• It is imperative for all students to have access to information via technology as a basis for lifelong learning.
• It is essential for all learners, including educators, to process and manage information through the skillful use of technology.
• Skillful use of technology supports the development of process skills such as flexibility, adaptability, critical thinking, problem solving and collaboration, which are essential to success in our rapidly changing information age.
• Technology allows us to better serve the diverse learning styles of our students and educate them for a wider range of intelligences (verbal/linguistic, musical, logical, mathematical, visual/spatial, bodily/kinesthetic, interpersonal, interpersonal).
• Our schools must prepare students for today's workplace and the workplace of the future.

St. Mary School was introduced to The Future of Technology in Education through an Apple Presentation.  In Spring of 2006, our School Committee developed a concept and vision in which we have labeled Technology Forward.  This initiative is a vision that seeks to transform the traditional classroom environment into a state-of-the-art, interactive learning environment.  Our ultimate goal is to energize the digital classroom 1-to-many and engage our digital students 1-to-1.  Through generous donations and grants, St. Mary is fortunate to have installed 11 SMARTBoards ovre the past year, which are located in 1st through 8th grade classrooms, in the music room and in the science lab.  K5 classes have utilized a Mimio Interative Mobile Station this school year.

Students access the computer lab twice each week while grades K5 through 3 use it once during the week.  Each classroom has an IBM compatible computer in order to practice skills learned.  On-line services are available in the computer lab as well as several educational software tools.