Technology

Beginning School

For our youngest learners, there is an intentional decision to limit digital device use in the Beehive. Our focus is on developing the whole child including character, creativity, intellect, physical skills, and ability to contribute as a community member. The relationships and experiences that are needed to develop these areas cannot be replaced digitally or in a virtual environment.

We do use digital technology to expand and document the students' experiences and thinking. Teachers use, present, and encourage discussion about digital content where developmentally appropriate. There will be many, many opportunities for your child to develop and engage in digital content and skills throughout his or her Catlin Gabel journey.

Lower School

Lower School students are gradually introduced to technology in age- and developmentally appropriate lesson plans. Lower School student are each assigned an iPad for in-school use. The Lower School uses Seesaw to display student work in one place and share with families.

1st & 2nd Grades

In 1st and 2nd grades, technology use primarily takes the form of student self-assessment as they demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of their own learning through the creation of videos and digital portfolios. Discussion of good digital citizenship principles including applying our own Lower School rules of "Be Safe and Be Kind" online are discussed and practiced frequently.

3rd Grade

In 3rd grade, in addition to self-assessments, students begin skill-based learning. This includes keyboarding with iPads using Typing Pal. Using iPads allows students to explore and record their learning both on campus and off. Students are also introduced to Google Apps for Education for writing and classroom projects.

4th Grade

In the 4th grade, students receive their Catlin Gabel email account. They also begin to access the learning management Google Classroom for daily coursework and homework assignments. Developing digital literacy and digital citizenship continues in full force as students begin to more deeply explore the online world. 

5th Grade

By 5th grade, students are fully immersed in using technology for many aspects of their coursework. Students blog, manage research projects, tell stories with a variety of digital tools, and curate portfolio content. Critical assessment and selection of digital resources and online content, along with appropriate copyright use, are emphasized.

Laptop Requirements

Students are not required to purchase a laptop in the Lower School. By the 3rd grade it may be necessary for a student to have access to a computer to reinforce keyboarding and math skills.

In 4th and 5th grades, access to a computer for homework completion is required. The school does not purchase hardware for Lower School students.

In the Middle School, emphasis is placed on guiding students through the intricacies of what it means to create a digital footprint. Digital citizenship and digital literacy skills are repeatedly practiced in a wide variety of environments.

An iPad and stylus is provided to every Middle School student for content creation, research, and digital exploration. Middle School students use applications like Google Classroom, Procreate, and Notability to further enhance their classroom experience and grow skills in digital creation. Teachers may also assign additional software as needed to enhance the learning experience of the classroom.

Students are not expected to purchase their own iPads, but will be treated as owners of the technology hardware they’re assigned. This will involve keeping track of and maintaining the hardware to teach them responsible tech ownership skills.

All Upper School students are required to have a laptop that they bring to school each day. This can be a laptop you already have available or a new purchase. Most students bring a Mac laptop, and small percentage choose to bring a PC laptop.

Laptops are used throughout the curriculum for research projects, writing, working on complex math problems, design, media arts, modern language acquisition, and collaboration in a wide variety of ways.

Laptops should be brought to school daily in good working order and fully charged. If your child is having hardware or software difficulties he or she should stop by the technology office in the Vollum building for technology support.

Students are expected to check their school-provided email account regularly throughout the day for the most up-to-date information.

Laptop Models

The recommended models for the Upper School laptop program are either Apple or Microsoft Surface Laptops.

Apple: Most students use an Apple laptop. We recommend the 13-inch MacBook Air with an M2 processor, 16GB RAM and at least a 256GB Solid State Drive. Please note the default RAM offered by Apple is less than our recommendation, and that the 256GB drive may require some careful storage management over time.

Windows: If you or your student prefer a Windows computer, we recommend a Dell XPS 13 with an Intel i7 processor, 16GB RAM and a 512GB Solid State Drive. 

The school does not purchase hardware for students, however laptop financial assistance is available. For more information, please contact the enrollment office at enrollment@catlin.edu.