SMART Technology Making Numbers FUN in the Middle School!

Middle school math students enjoy highly interactive classes thanks to SMART technology. Dion Lehman (pictured here with students) reports that "While each day begins with a SMART lesson ready to be presented and for students to take notes from the board, I am constantly adding and editing the material and notes to match the questions and input from the students.  It’s attractive and dynamic and the students really enjoy it."

Design (Thinking) Day in the Lower Schoo

Following the success of Design Day last spring, once again students and faculty in the Lower School employed the Design Thinking process developed at Stanford's D.school to the prompt, “Imagine you could create…”  Each grade level took on a different challenge, following the problem solving process of Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test:

    •    PreK – “Playhouses”
    •    Kindergarten – Transportation
    •    1st Grade – Tree House
    •    2nd Grade – Beautiful decorations for Thanksgiving
    •    3rd Grade – Design Your Own Game
    •    4th Grade - Secret Hiding Places
    •    5th Grade – Messages of Hope
    •   

Head of Lower School Sue Szczepkowski commented on the success of the day and the importance of the process in education, “Design Day is aimed at fully engaging students in design thinking processes in order to actualize their response to a need they see or a problem they want to solve,” said  “It is a highly active, creative experience for students and faculty.”