Tech’s Role in Today’s Classroom
Many of our faculty participated in professional development opportunities this summer to bring new ideas and best practices to their classrooms this year. Lower School Technology Coach, Dr. Alexandra Baird, was both participant and presenter at the “Building Learning Communities Education Conference” in Boston.
Alexandra selected this conference, “Because I admire Alan November, who leads the conference and is a respected speaker, writer, and researcher in education. I had heard about this conference from other educators...and I had met Alan November when I presented at EdTechTeacher Innovation Summit in 2016.” In addition, Alexandra appreciated that the conference focused on building communities within education by drawing knowledge from other educators around the world.
Alexandra decided to present about the skills developed from digital portfolios because, “I feel strongly that digital tools are not just an add-on. They can be used to develop a plethora of skills—including reflection and oracy—that students need to be successful as learners and citizens.”
As a conference participant, Alexandra found discussions on technology and social-emotional learning particularly inspiring and relevant to the St. Andrew’s community. She explains:
"What was really inspiring to me was the emphasis on how important it is to make education human-centered, especially as digital tools and the rise of artificial intelligence change how we teach, assess, and interact. There are many benefits from employing new technologies that will improve academics, but it's the relationships and attention to social-emotional learning that foster citizens who will be happy, caring, successful, and more involved in social justice. I would definitely recommend this conference to anyone in education."
Alexandra brings her knowledge to the Lower School classrooms by collaborating with teachers on instruction methods and tools to provide students an enriched experience that fosters digital literacy. Last year, she helped launch the digital portfolio Seesaw at the Lower School. As an interactive tool, Seesaw helps teachers assess individual student comprehension, makes student thinking visible, and connects parents to their child’s learning.
Curious what other faculty/staff explored this summer? Ask them! Look up a faculty/staff member on our Faculty page here or via the Directory tab in mySAS.
