Redwood Day views the use of technology as integral to teaching and learning, and sharing what we have learned. Our goal is to provide our students with a portable set of skills, and to guide them to understand the essence of a variety of technology tools. Throughout our curriculum they are exposed to different applications that can be used for the same purpose, such as different kinds of word processors and presentation tools. We provide many avenues for students to document and share their learning, including text, audio, video, and multimedia. We believe that publishing student work to an audience of their peers cements and consolidates learning.
Media literacy and critical thinking are necessary skills in our digital age; we provide an environment that is safe and monitored, yet challenging for students as they explore the online universe. Mistakes are an opportunity for the application of critical thinking skills and sparking intellectual growth; we provide access to the internet with moderate censorship. While our Internet filters are set to filter out many inappropriate categories of sites, some of the information available is controversial and may sometimes be offensive to some individuals. Our staff will make good faith efforts to monitor student use and create projects that minimize this risk, and teach kids to avoid suspect sites and quickly close windows with content that make them feel uncomfortable or may be inappropriate.
The Library and Technology departments are using Common Sense Media online as the source of our curriculum about Digital Citizenship. The site is a wealth of information for both teachers and families.
This link takes you to family tip sheets about the language we are using in our lesson plans. Feel free to explore the whole site about the many issues we will cover with the students. Developing Internet etiquette is a long-term process that we visit continuously in core classrooms, the computer lab, and the library. It is a constant work in progress, rather than a discrete lesson unit. Thank you for your partnership in developing the next generation of responsible digital citizens.
Redwood Day recommends that student access to the Internet be limited to a common room in the home, such as the kitchen or the living room, rather than a student's bedroom. This may mean setting up a place for your student to do their homework in the common space.