Tools for Learning and Collaborating

What technology tools are available to Mound students? Mound students benefit from many technology tools from kindergarten to fifth grade. Besides a central lab for learning basic computer skills, all classes have a set of iPad minis for student use. On any given day, you may find Mound students using iPad minis to record changes in the butterfly garden, research weather patterns online, or narrate slideshows of student-created stories. In addition, fourth graders compose essays and presentations on a class set of laptops while fifth graders use Chromebooks for interactive math lessons and computer programming. The science lab is stocked with technology tools as well, including a 3-D printer and digital microscopes.

How do these technology tools support the theme of Science and Global Citizenship? Being a Global Citizen means being aware of the wider world and understanding our roles in it. Thanks to the internet, the world is more accessible than ever. Mound third graders learn how drought affects different parts of our state during a virtual field trip through the California parks' PORTS program. Fifth graders might use a computer program to design and print three-dimensional parts as they create water filters that could alleviate clean water issues in rural India. Technology tools are also used as a platform for student collaboration within the classroom. Global Citizens need to be able to work with others, valuing diverse perspectives and respecting each other's ideas.