Technology Use at SPS

An educational infographic featuring three instructional pillars in the foreground against a dark blue background with stylized mountains and the text %22Technology with Intention.%22

TECHNOLOGY IN THE PRIMARY YEARS

Frequency & Screen Time Across Grade Levels

Grade Level	Average Weekly Student Device Time	Primary Use & Focus
PreK	None	Teacher-led media only (interactive movement videos, educational provocations).
Kindergarten	~30 minutes/week	Targeted phonics practice (e.g., Lexia) during short center rotations.
Grades 1–2	~1–1.5 hours/week (~15–20 mins/day)	Differentiated reading and math center rotations, foundational research.
Grade 3	~2 hours/week	Keyboarding skills, guided research, and foundational digital presentations.
Grades 4–5	1–5 hours/week (Project-dependent)	Publishing written work, multi-step research, PYP Exhibition prep, slides.
Design	0–1 hour/month	Design Lab tools (3D design/coding), teacher-led visual demonstrations.

Educational Purposes & Core Platforms

PURPOSE AND PLATFORMS

1. Differentiated & Personalized Skill Building

Devices allow teachers to tailor instruction to each child’s unique learning pace. During literacy and math center rotations, students engage with adaptive software that reinforces phonics, reading comprehension, and mathematical concepts:

Lexia & Raz-Kids: Differentiated reading and phonics practice.
IXL: Targeted math skill reinforcement, extension tasks, and skill retrieval.

2. Inquiry, Research & Publishing

In alignment with the Primary Years Programme (PYP), technology serves as a gateway for student inquiry and expression:

Guided Research: Older students (Grades 3–5) use kid-friendly search engines to conduct research for unit projects, literary analysis, and the 5th-grade PYP Exhibition.
Digital Publishing & Keyboarding: Students learn touch-typing (Keyboarding Without Tears) and publish original writing using Google Docs and Google Slides.

3. Hands-On Design & STEM Integration

In specialized environments like PYP Design and Performing Arts, technology is used to spark creativity and real-world problem-solving:

Digital Design & CAD: Grades 3–5 utilize Tinkercad for 3D printing and Cricut Design Space for hands-on design projects.
Interactive Learning: Interactive quizzes (Kahoot!) and basic coding applications foster critical thinking and collaborative problem-solving.
Teacher Projections: Physical Education, Social-Emotional Learning (SEL), and Music utilize smartboards and screens for visual demonstrations, cultural connections, and music analysis, ensuring students remain physically active and engaged.

Assessment & Progress Tracking

ASSESSMENT

Technology assists educators in measuring academic growth and tailoring individual learning goals without overwhelming students with screens:

Diagnostic Benchmark Assessments: Tools such as NWEA MAP testing and IXL diagnostics are administered 2–3 times per year to build individualized learning plans.
Summative & Performance Assessments: Upper elementary students create digital presentations, research slide decks, and design lab prototypes to demonstrate their understanding.

Digital Citizenship & Ethical AI Use

Digital Citizenship & Cybersafety

Digital citizenship is woven directly into the classroom environment through whole-group discussions, monitored usage, and explicit lessons:

Online Safety & Integrity: Students are taught online safety, responsible device care, and respectful communication.
Academic Integrity: Beginning in Grade 3, students practice foundational citation skills, learning how to ethically credit sources during research projects.

Approach to Artificial Intelligence (AI)

PreK–Grade 4: Artificial Intelligence is not utilized by students.
Grade 5: AI is thoughtfully introduced as an assistive learning tool—specifically for guiding research strategy, brainstorming, and understanding citation ethics—rather than as a substitute for original student thought and critical reasoning.

Technology Use in the Middle School

Students wearing headphones focus on their computer screens in a classroom with colorful posters on the wall.

Several students wearing headphones sit at computers in a classroom with blinds covering the windows and posters on the wall.

In the foreground, two boys are acting out a scene, while in the background, a group of children watch from chairs in a classroom.

Frequency & Balance

Computer use varies by subject and unit, but on average, middle school students use laptops for about 2 hours per day.

Hands-on First: Many classes—including Science, Math, Language and Literature, and Individuals and Societies—rely heavily on hard copy materials, paper assessments, and collaborative discussion before or alongside digital work. Some classes, such as Visual Arts, Math, and Performing Arts, use technology rarely or episodically.
Project-Based Spikes: During specific research, writing, or design units, laptop use briefly increases to assist students in project completion.

Primary Uses & Learning Platforms

When students open their laptops, it is strictly to accomplish clear educational goals:

Research & Writing: Conducting deep, reliable research using library databases (such as Gale and ProQuest) and drafting written work in Google Suite or Toddle.
Data & Presentation: Creating spreadsheets, analyzing data, and designing visual presentations using tools like Google Slides, Coggle, and Canva.
Skill Practice & Review: Utilizing targeted practice tools like IXL, Khan Academy, and occasional whole-class review games like Kahoot! and Gimkit.
Design Tools: Utilizing design programs, such as Tinkercad, to facilitate design projects.

Digital Citizenship & Responsibility

We take an active, guided approach to helping middle schoolers navigate the digital world safely and ethically:

Real-World Digital Skills: Students explicitly practice file organization (Google Drive management), professional email etiquette, and evaluating online source credibility.
Ethical Tech & AI Literacy: Teachers guide students on the responsible use of AI, teaching them when it is appropriate to use digital tools as a learning aid versus relying on their own critical thinking.
Active Monitoring & Safety: Seven Peaks uses real-time monitoring software (GoGuardian) alongside direct teacher mentorship to ensure students stay on task, protect their digital footprints, and build healthy tech habits.

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