Technology Program
Students
at SPBS attend computer classes in our state-of-the-art computer
lab. Our school's computer lab and technology curriculum are
coordinated and taught by a full-time instructor. The computer
lab, and the school's technology system, have recently been
remodeled and upgraded. Our students now have access to 22
high-powered e-MAC computers utilizing the latest Office software
in the lab. In addition, SPBS students have access to 22 Dell
Latitude wireless notebooks, which are used not only
in the computer lab, but are also available for classroom use
in our wireless cart. Access to two different types of computer
operating systems allows our students to become proficient
in different technologies. The SPBS computer/technology curriculum
is based on National Education Technology Standards, and it
is designed in collaboration with our faculty. It is integrated
with each grade's various classroom and academic programs/projects
throughout the school year.
Kindergarten
students have classes in the computer lab, to ensure they
become familiar with parts of the computer, and their multiple
basic functions. In addition, our Kindergarten students' emerging
math and reading skills are strengthened by our computer lab
curriculum, which is specifically designed for their grade
level. Students in grades first through third visit the
lab on a regular basis, in order to increase their general
computer skills, and to reinforce their reading, writing, and
language arts skills.
Students in Fourth and Fifth Grades use the lab, with its high-speed Internet access, for researching class projects. They also are taught keyboarding, word processing and are introduced to different forms of multi-media through technology. Junior High students are taught additional software programs such as Excel and Power Point. They use these new skills to produce class projects and reinforce their math and science curriculum. At the end of the school year, a video is produced by the Eighth Grade students using iMovie . Each Eighth Grade student receives a copy as a graduation “memento” from the school.
SPBS students are also able to take individual Star Reading tests in the computer lab, on the wireless laptops, or on the library computers as a part of our Reading Renaissance program. Our computer lab, wireless laptop computers, and student-use computers in the school library are all networked and provide restricted Internet access for our students. Each student has their own “log in” name and password, and each student's personal virtual “file” can be accessed from any of the student-use computers.
We believe that our fantastic computer technology program will help provide an ever-expanding world of information and increased skills to our SPBS students. This guided access will in turn help to broaden our students' abilities, horizons and understanding.
