Levart Family STEM Zone
In the minds of today’s students, technology is not a subject to be learned, but rather the means through which they can achieve their curricular goals. Technology at Yavneh Academy is used as a tool to enhance the learning experience. The use of technology as an effective teaching and learning tool is a key curricular and instructional focus that is exciting and engaging to both students and faculty. Technology becomes an organic aspect of learning integrated within the classroom curriculum.
Our students have available to them an extensive array of devices situated throughout the building. Yavneh Academy is a Google School, using Google Apps beginning in grade one. Google Apps is a free suite of hosted email and collaboration applications available exclusively for schools and universities. Each student from grade three and up is provided with his or her own email address. Students in first and second grade can access their personal Google Drive accounts without being exposed to email. Students use Google Drive to create cloud-based documents that can be shared with teachers or fellow students, allowing for collaboration. These documents are accessible wherever there is Internet access, allowing for easier transition between school and home. As the students become more comfortable with Google Apps, they expand their Google portfolios to include documents, spreadsheets, slides, drawings, and even Google Sites, a website creator.
One of the most important skills of the 21st century is digital literacy. At Yavneh Academy, students are taught how to safely and effectively surf the Internet, as well as how to evaluate the veracity of a website. Our digital citizenship curriculum provides students with the scaffolding they need to develop a good online reputation and become good digital citizens, while at the same time, protect themselves online.
Yavneh Academy is a one-to-one device school from grade five and up. In middle school, the students may take the devices home, thereby developing personal responsibility and a familiarity with the device that aids the students in becoming digitally literate.
In Yavneh Academy, use of technology is a dynamic rather than static discipline. As technology evolves, so do the experiences provided to our children.
Some examples are:
- Digital storytelling
- Digital citizenship
- Web-enabled reading and reading-readiness software
- Web-enabled keyboarding tutor
- Green screen technology
- Video editing
- Animated video creation
- Photo editing
- Podcasting
- Collaborative learning with students in Israel
- Distance learning
- Apple collaboration including field trip to Apple Store
- Online presentation tools
- ePortfolios
Professional development is an intricate part of Yavneh Academy’s mission. Our staff members attends workshops, seminars, webinars, and other enhancing opportunities. This ensures that our staff continues to develop vital tools and skills that can be passed on to our students.
Presently, our teachers are involved in several global learning opportunities where one can connect with and learn from educators from around the world. Innovations will be born, our teachers will become co-learners, co-leaders, and co-constructors of knowledge. Together, this community of educators will continue to learn how to meet the needs of the 21st Century learner.