Welcome to Park's Middle School Technology Department!

The mission of the Middle School Technology department is to help students become proficient in computer and technology skills that will support their work in other Middle School classes as well as to prepare them for continued growth as competent computer/technology users after Middle School.  This is done primarily through two required courses:

 

6th Grade Technology is a year-long course that meets an average of 2.5 times each week.  We cover the following topics:  using the school's network, using student Gmail accounts and Google Apps, multimedia presentations (PowerPoint and iMovie), graphics (drawing with Adobe Illustrator, digital photography and scanning), and a unit on the history of computers and how computers work.  We also spend time thinking about current topics such as online safety, the ethical use of technology in our lives and in society at large, and emerging technology.

 

7th Grade Computers is a semester-long course that meets two times a week. The main focus of the course is learning programming through physical computing using Arduino microcontrollers. Students work in pairs to build circuits and then modify and write programs to control the behavior of the circuit components.

 

In addition to these two courses, computer technology skills are used in many other Middle School classes.  There are five complete classroom sets of MacBook laptops as well several Chromebook sets available for Middle School teachers to use with their classes. All MS classrooms are equipped with ceiling-mounted projectors and most rooms have interactive whiteboards.  In addition, the Middle School computer lab is equipped with nineteen iMac computers, three scanners, a ceiling-mounted projector, and a wide variety of software applications.  All departments in the Middle School have digital cameras (and several have digital video cameras) for students to use in class.  Students use the Middle School's computers for writing, Internet research, multimedia presentations for class projects, French and Spanish language practice, recording audio files, data analysis, and creating artwork.  The Park School Arts Center is also equipped with a digital imaging lab and a digital (piano) keyboard lab, and Middle School students have the opportunity to use these resources in their art and music classes.  Sometimes the use of technology is initiated by the teachers, but often, students bring their own ideas and suggestions.

 

Students who enter Park after the 6th or 7th grade are usually well-equipped to use technology in their 8th grade classes, but there is individual help available from the Middle School Technology Coordinator for any new students who need it.

 

Need Software?

 

If you need to purchase student copies of Microsoft Office products for use on your home computer, check out our new discount service located at http://parkschool.onthehub.com.  Prices for full Microsoft Office suites, not the stripped-down Student version available in stores and on Amazon, are offered at a deep discount.  You can buy the disks, or download, but you need a special authorization code from the school.  Adobe products are also for sale.  Please note that this is a service offered through an outside company.  You deal directly with them, and all sales are final.

 

To get your authorization code, e-mail Tech Support:  techsupport@parkschool.net.

 

For more information, please contact Samira Saliba Phillips, Middle School Technology Coordinator.