Mount Vernon has implemented a school-wide strategy to provide age-appropriate access to technology in the classroom, where our goal is to help students learn how to engage with online resources, build new content, and utilize technology effectively.
Lower School
In the Lower School we strive to build our learners' educational foundations through whole- and small-group instruction directly facilitated by our teachers. Teachers direct learners as they engage with apps and resources in small workgroups and individually, as they encounter individualized skills practice. We carefully monitor the use of technology during formative years as we work hard to build foundational knowledge, skills, and dispositions as well as students’ curiosities and passions.
Kindergarten, Grade 1, and Grade 2 are outfitted with a classroom set of iPads, which learners use to view and create content, practice foundational skills, and extend their learning with non-fiction resources and research.
Beginning in Grade 3, the School has a 1:1 Device Program, where each student has an individual iPad to access the internet, utilize digital course materials and textbooks, post artifacts to their ePortfolios, use the Google Suite for Education, and interact with various educational applications to reinforce skills taught in the classroom. All school-owned devices remain at school.
In Grade 4 we introduce 1:1 Chromebooks, allowing students to start learning the fundamentals of keyboarding and shifting focus from apps to websites and other online tools. All school-owned devices remain at school.
Middle School
In Middle School our learners rely upon internet-based resources as a fundamental part of their educational experience. They use devices more independently to communicate, collaborate, create, and publish their work. Chromebooks offer students all the tools necessary to enhance their learning experience while minimizing the distractions that other devices might carry. Using this technology, students are able to wander beyond the walls of the School, connect with experts in the field, and access a variety of resources to expand their understanding of the larger world.
In Grades 5-8, students are assigned a school-owned Chromebook and earn take-home privileges. The Chromebook’s durability, lightweight, ability to start up in seconds, and built-in virus protection make it a great choice for the Middle School learner. Plus, with Chrome OS, the Chromebook provides easy access to the collaborative tools of Google Suite, access to thousands of Chrome apps, and the ability to automatically back up students’ work to the cloud.
Upper School
In the Upper School students use their devices independently as they rely heavily on the educational platforms and applications used by the School. Learners regularly access the internet for research, use Google Suite apps for assignments and collaboration with peers and teachers, and interact with cloud-based learning tools.
In Grades 9-12, the "Bring Your Own" laptop program allows families to choose a laptop that is the right fit for their student. Providing more flexibility for our students and families, this individualized approach to computing also empowers students to select the laptop that best suits his or her needs in and out of the School. This purchase can be made from any store or manufacturer.
Upper School families should consult these guidelines when purchasing a laptop for use at school.