www.atlantajewishtimes.com
EDUCATION
Davis Delves Into Education for the Future
to experiment with programming and
invention using tools such as Lego Robotics, Sphero Balls and laptops.
Although #MakerMonday is offered during recess, many students opt
to participate because it allows them
to pursue their creative passions while
guiding their learning with the help of
the latest educational technology.
Top left: Davis Academy Lower School students shoot video
against the green screen in the Idea Lab.
Top right: Rising fifth-graders Jack Anderson and Carson Wolf took home first place
for their robotics project at the North Atlanta Jewish Technology Fair in January.
Guest Column
By Drew Frank
Brown reports that students are
so excited by all the possibilities of programming and invention. Some come
up with complex robotic projects.
The Davis Academy also provides
students with innovative learning
spaces. The Lower and Middle School
Idea Labs, for example, are equipped
with green-screen walls for video and
broadcasting projects and erasable surfaces for writing and brainstorming.
Other environments, such as the
new Nature Sanctuary, are not high
tech at all. The sanctuary is a garden
and amphitheater that promotes a quieter imaginative process, spirituality
and appreciation of the natural world.
Davis teachers are continually
immersed in continuing education.
Professional development includes not
only traditional curriculum topics, but
also best practices from one another
and other experts around the world.
Teachers build personal learning networks through Twitter, RSS feeds and
professional conferences. In the past
year, 15 percent of Davis faculty presented at local and national conferences on topics such as storytelling, feedback, and visualizing and verbalizing.
Ultimately, the Davis Academy’s
vision is guided by our goal for our students: to enable them to become confident individuals who have a strong
sense of identity and community, are
excited about learning and discovery,
and aren’t afraid to think differently. ■
Drew Frank is the Davis Academy’s
associate head of school and principal.
SAINT FRANCIS SCHOOL
Providing an exceptional college preparatory program
SCHEDULE YOUR TOUR TODAY!
ROSWELL CAMPUS
Grades K-8
Ellen Brown
[email protected]
(770) 641-8257 x51
MILTON CAMPUS
Grades 9-12
Brandon Bryan
[email protected]
(678) 339-9989 x33
FEATURES:
▪
▪
▪
▪
S.A.I.S. / S.A.C.S. Accredited
▪
▪
▪
▪
Small Class Size Small Student/Teacher Ratio
SB 10 Eligible No Religious Affiliation
College Preparatory Curriculum
AP / Honors, Traditional and Academic Enhancement
Classes
Study and Organization Skills Program
Cornell Note-taking System
Electronic Textbooks and Laptops
▪ After School Homework Hour
▪ GHSA Sports Program, Including Equestrian (Gr. 9-12)
▪ Full Sports Program, Including Football and
Equestrian (Gr. 6-8)
▪ Wilson Reading System
▪ Computer Based Reading and Writing Programs
Transportation offered From Buckhead, Sandy Springs, Dunwoody, Duluth,
Johns Creek, Milton, and South Forsyth
Saint Francis Elementary and Middle School | 9375 Willeo Road | Roswell, GA 30075
Saint Francis High School | 13440 Cogburn Road | Milton, GA 30004
www.saintfrancisschools.com
JULY 31 ▪ 2015
T
wenty-first-century
learning,
technology integration, blended
learning, virtual classrooms, distance learning and mobile classrooms
have been buzzwords in education for
a decade. All of these terms recognize
the growing roles of technology and
connectedness in the world today’s students are growing in, as well as in the
world of their future.
Schools must harness
the opportunities technology can provide when such
tools open doors to deeper
learning, enable avenues for
creativity and content creation, and connect students
with the global network of
learners and teachers. It is equally important that the technology not be the
goal of the learning but rather the tool
that enhances and magnifies it.
This learning-focused integration
is the basis for the educational approach at the Davis Academy, which is
empowering students to become active
learners, problem solvers and contributors to a global knowledge base.
Convertible tablets and laptops,
iPads, Hummingbirds, Lego EV3s, Lego
NXTs and Spheros are among the tools
Davis is investing in while working to
enhance learning. The use of social
media to connect our classrooms with
primary source learning and our participation with a global audience have
become integrated into the curriculum
and culture of the school.
Davis is the largest Reform Jewish
day school in the country.
Whether our kindergartners are
engaged in math problem-solving challenges with students in New Zealand,
our third-graders are sharing in daily
grammar learning with a class in Manitoba, our fifth-grade entrepreneurs
are connecting with industry leaders as research for their own business
plans, or our eighth-graders are livestreaming