Near North Montessori expects that our graduates will be familiar with modern learning technologies and able to harness their power to problem-solve and pursue knowledge throughout their lives. Users of the Internet have created an incredibly powerful learning network that continues to get richer every day. Students at the 9 – 12 and 12 – 14 levels are provided opportunities to use computers, digital devices and the Internet as part of the Montessori curriculum. Computers and other technological resources are tools that can enhance student learning, problem solving and communication.
While technology was not part of Dr. Montessori’s curriculum, in our goal to educate the human potential we feel it is our duty to explore this network with our students. We encourage the most productive, and pedagogically sound uses of this network while promoting safe habits among our users and ensuring the safety of our connected community.
Students begin the NNM technology curriculum when they enter 9 – 12 by attending lessons in the Technology Lab. That lab houses 14 Mac stations, scanners, projectors, digital cameras, audio equipment and a color laser printer. Students take lessons in keyboarding, digital literacy, programming, robotics, flash animation and photo, audio and video production.
In 12 – 14, technology lessons continue in the homerooms and science classrooms. Junior high students have started using Google Apps to communicate with each other, share ideas and present their work. Each student also has a blog that they use as a learning portfolio. A Smart board and six laptops are available in each junior high classroom along with laptops in the Technology Lab and library. Those laptops coupled, with the laptops many students bring from home, enables each classroom to function as a 1-to-1 laptop learning environment. Each classroom and the Sandwich Shop also have blogs that teachers use to communicate with students and parents.