Technology

Our 1:1 iPad program equips each student and teacher with an iPad for use in each of his or her classes. The 1:1 iPad Program harnesses the immense power of digital media to explore, connect, create, and learn.  We hope to empower students to think critically, behave safely, and participate responsibly in our digital world.

How are iPads distributed?

• Students will be issued a device in Grade K and utilize the same device through grade 4.

• Grade 5 students receive a new iPad and travel with it to Middle School.

Where can I find the District Tech Agreement?

Parents are asked to complete the District Tech Agreement at the start of each school year. The district has consolidated the technology-related agreements that we ask parents to acknowledge each year into one survey. It is available for you in the Infinite Campus Parent Portal. You will be asked to complete this survey once for each child you have enrolled in the district. Directions to access the Agreement in the Parent Portal can be found here.

What happens if a student's iPad is damaged?

• We ask that students tell their teacher right away. Even the tiniest crack should be reported to minimize further damage.

• Damaged iPads are sent out for repair, and a student is issued a loaner.

• We remind you that families are responsible for a portion of the price of repairs. Families are notified of the cost after the repair is completed.

More information can be found in the District Issued Portable Electronic Devices Policy 8332.

Students at Baker have a variety of opportunities to engage in programming through hands-on experiences. Students learn coding and computational problem solving strategies while programming robots.  In addition, students are introduced to software programs that help kids refine their design, logic, and problem-solving abilities.  

Code-and-Go:  Students build mazes and then use coding cards to create step-by-step paths for Colby, the Programmable Robot Mouse. Students learn terms such as sequence, algorithm, and debug.

Dash Robots: Students use Dash robots to learn fundamental coding concepts while completing programming challenges through the app Blockly. Students create block programming stacks and learn coding concepts such as loops, parameters, variables, and conditionals.

Finch Robots: Students use BirdBrain Technologies' Finch robot designed to grow with students. The Finch is a small robot designed to engage students in computational thinking and computer science from kindergarten to college. The Finch has support for a wide range of programming environments, including icon-, block-, and text-based options. Icon-based coding works well for pre-readers in grades K-2. 

Lego Robotics (SPIKE Essential & SPIKE Prime):  All students have the opportunity to use our Lego Robotics kits to complete a variety of building and programming challenges.  Students work in teams to follow specific instructions to complete Lego models, or they may be asked to create their own model that fits a set of criteria.  They then code those models to accomplish specific tasks. This experience promotes STEAM learning and design thinking.

Marty the Robot: A humanoid robot, Marty can walk, dance and more using color command cards & sensors or through an app that introduces drag-and-drop programming.

Ozobots: Ozobots are small robots that can can follow a path, change colors, and change movements based on color codes. Students use the Ozobots to create mazes that reinforce other academic concepts.

 

 

Digital citizenship is the responsible use of technology to learn, create, and participate.

Guided by the ISTE standards, Digital Citizenship is taught consistently to all students in grades K through 5. Below are the key competencies. 

• Students cultivate and manage their digital identity and reputation and are aware of the permanence of their actions in the digital world.

• Students engage in positive, safe, legal and ethical behavior when using technology, including social interactions online or when using networked devices.

• Students demonstrate an understanding of and respect for the rights and obligations of using and sharing intellectual property.

• Students manage their personal data to maintain digital privacy and security and are aware of data-collection technology used to track their navigation online.

Great Neck's technology curriculum includes an intensive keyboarding instructional unit in the third grade, followed by reinforcement throughout fourth and fifth grades. The timing of this instruction is supported by educational research which indicates that third graders have developed the necessary fine motor coordination to learn this skill. Keyboarding has taken on added significance in recent years because iPads are used heavily across the curriculum. Keyboarding proficiency is not only a lifelong skill but benefits students as they move through the elementary grades and into middle school, where written assignments become lengthier, more time-consuming and more complex.

All students in grades 3 through 5 are issued a keyboard for classroom use.

STEAM integrates the arts with science and mathematics, infusing relevant and meaningful technology into instruction. STEAM activities take place throughout the building. In our Innovation Lab and Room 21, Baker's dedicated technology spaces, all students at Baker K-5 participate in STEAM activities.

Our STEAM activities foster collaboration, encouraging students to keep an open-minded approach as they collaborate with other learners in the group, and consider other perspectives. Students think critically, collaborate with peers, and communicate their solutions.

STEAM activities at Baker foster resiliency as students engage in problem-solving activities requiring trial and error to improve solutions through iterative processes. Students are taught design processes for generating ideas, testing theories, and creating prototypes as they solve authentic problems.

Creativity and imagination are at the core of STEAM's hands-on activities. As students design, construct, and evaluate solutions to given problems, students are encouraged to think outside the box, while generating solutions. 

These hands-on learning experiences encourage students to experiment, persevere, and work through the creative process.