Technology Integration

An Important Education Tool

At City Springs, we strive to integrate technology into the daily instructional life of the school. We do not want technology to be a resource class that students take once a week. Instead, our vision is for teachers and students to routinely use technology as an educational tool in their school day.

In order to realize this vision, City Springs has worked with external partners to purchase lots of student technology for the school, including iPads and laptops. In fact, most of our early learning classrooms and all of our 2nd through 8th grade classrooms have a student technology cart assigned to them with enough devices for each student to use when one is needed. Teachers integrate these devices into their classrooms as students access a range of educational programs. Here is a list of programs that students in our school currently access on a weekly basis:

	Istation Istation offers comprehensive online reading and math coaching, and it has greatly enhanced our 2nd through 8th grade curriculum. Each month, Istation assigns students an assessment called the ISIP (Istation’s Indicators of Progress) which measures strengths and weaknesses in core reading and math areas. Once the ISIP is completed, Istation assigns each student individualized lessons which coach them through activities that address areas requiring improvement. Best of all, Istation engages students with entertaining and interactive animated characters that coach them through the process, making for a fun and educational experience.
	G Suite for Education Google offers schools a free online platform where students can use applications like Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides to complete classwork digitally. Students log in with a school-based user ID and work on a variety of teacher-directed assignments and projects. Since all of their work is stored “in the cloud,” they can’t misplace papers or lose their work!
	Google Classroom Google Classroom integrates with G Suite for Education and gives teachers a virtual classroom where assignments, assessments, and digital teaching materials can be easily stored and shared with a classroom of students. Students log in via their classroom device and easily access work assigned by their teacher.
	Edulastic Edulastic offers teachers free assessments that are aligned to our state’s academic standards. Teachers can choose from a host of Common Core-aligned activities that instantly assess who’s on track and who needs help, so teachers can take action and see growth. Additionally, Edulastic integrates with Google Apps for Education.
	Duolingo Duolingo is one of the most popular ways to learn a foreign language. Built around the concept of “gamification,” Duolingo looks and feels like an interactive video game, offering fun activities that teach students basic reading and speaking skills in Spanish, Arabic, and over 20 other languages.
	Epic! Epic! is the leading digital library for kids 12 & under. It is free for teachers, and it allows their students to instantly access 35,000 of the world’s best children’s books and learning videos. Students with basic reading skills can read books at their own pace on a variety of topics, while beginning readers can improve their comprehension through audiobooks that are read to them.
	iPad Learning Apps City Springs has purchased a host of learning apps for students in grades Pre-K through 5th. Students access these to firm up math skills, practice sight words, or play brain-training logic games.