Technology in Upper School

The Upper School curriculum has become suffused with technology in an aspect that both enhances and protects traditional pedagogy approaches at MCDS. With an exploratory and inquisitive nature, new technology is brought on campus by the technology department with the aid of the MCDS faculty.

The technology is explored at the classroom level to ascertain its viability and possible future implementation. Each year new technologies come and go, but some of the technologies have found permanent residence in much of the curricula. Currently, more than 120 Mac and PC laptops, and an additional 25 specialized computers are available to the students.

In addition to a high speed wireless network, classroom web portals, a myriad of audio visual media tools, and specialized scientific instruments, MCDS’s use of educational technology specialists in the classroom allows the program to excel. With three specialists dedicated to supporting the success of technology in the classroom the program continues to enhance the learning experience for the students at MCDS.

Instruction in the Upper School classroom, with regard to technology and the new tools students receive, is integrated into the curriculum via project-based learning.

For example:

• In the sixth grade “Confucianism-Taoism-Buddhism” project the students use the mobile labs to research, analyze and present their data by using brainstorming, word processing and presentation software tools.
• In seventh grade students, use special stereoscopic microscopes attached to an LCD projector to learn about plants.
• In eighth grade, students use the mobile computer labs in their “Decades” project where they research, write and present about the decade in history they are interested to learn more about.

Upon entering Upper School, students are given network accounts and their own MCDS email address. While these new accounts and email addresses open up new areas of learning and ways to communicate and collaborate, they also usher in a new world to explore new levels of responsibility. They become active “tech” members of the community and can participate in online discussions, file sharing, blogs, discussion groups and more.

While there is not a “computer class” that students attend, all classrooms in Upper School are tech enabled to include equipment and a specialist that assists and explores technology with the regular classroom instructor. In this way, each student is ensured to receive a minimum set of technology skills in preparation for their next phase of education and to become global community members and contributors.