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Academics » Technology

Technology

In order to provide a rigorous education and qualify our students for personal and professional success, ACS students and faculty use technology in each course. Course material is located online and therefore students have access to online resources quickly at school and at home. Software programs give students the ability to communicate electronically with teachers and other students in an organized workflow. The technology selected by the school for this is the iPad or a laptop computer.

Ambassador Christian School is a Google Apps for Education school. Our teachers post course material on a learning management system and our student’s work primarily through Google Drive and Docs to turn in assignments. Each student receives an ACS email, which will be the primary communication method for teachers and students.

Technology will complement existing classroom instruction by allowing students to do the following:
  • Collaborate on Internet research in class, allowing students to dig deeper into topics
  • Provide real-time feedback to teachers by doing assignments on Google Drive, instant polls and quizzes that track how well students are learning the material
  • Utilize thousands of educational apps that raise student engagement and comprehension
  • Create presentations that can be pushed from a student's iPad or laptop to the entire classroom
  • Learn how to digitally annotate and practice active reading
  • Benefit from digital organization tools, such as access to school and personal calendars.
  • Learn to make high quality films with iMovie as they synthesize content and create their own learning objects and classroom projects
  • Access any open source text on the Internet
  • Benefit from their technology reading material aloud, increasing reading comprehension for some students
  • Record audio or video of lectures for reference at home
  • Take pictures and edit them
  • Keep their calendar of assignment and important dates
  • Access daily announcements and news feeds directly on their devices throughout the day

Increased Student Engagement

  • Research supports that, when done properly, access to technology benefits student learning. One research study that spanned 1:1 iPad programs in six different states showed that teachers and students agreed 1:1 programs increased student engagement. Students reported that it was easier to do school work and that a computing device helped increase their interest in learning[3].
  • According to the U.S. Department of Education and recent studies by the National Training and Simulation Association, technology-based instruction can reduce the time students take to reach a learning objective by 30 to 80 percent[4].

 

Equipping Students for Success in Careers

  • In the professional world, businesses increasingly rely upon online education for training and professional development. Studies report that 94 percent of applicants have a technological infrastructure to support the delivery and management of training.
  • Once on the job, new hires become part of an environment where self-directed learning is the new norm. Training Magazine reports that, “Nearly half of our respondents had downloaded a mobile app to improve their job performance—even though their employer did not require it.”[5] AHS graduates will have the self-confidence and skills needed to excel in today’s digital workforce, able to more positively impact their communities and the world.

 

Equipping Students for Success in College and Universities

  • A form of technological use and know-how is the norm in most colleges and universities. College students need to apply digital skills and exhibit self-discipline when encountering continual access to digital resources in college. Many colleges today give students a device to use and almost every college expects students to bring a device to class. In college applications, some colleges have even been known to pose questions related to self-control with the use of technology.
  • Graduates of ACS will be prepared to thrive in digital environments at their colleges and universities because their experience will include training in submitting homework online, posting meaningful contributions on discussion boards, appropriately using devices in class, and possessing the self-discipline and digital skills needed to succeed in hybrid and online classes.

 

[2]“Mobile Apps and Training.” Training Magazine. 2011. http://www.trainingmag.com/article/mobile-apps-and-training

[3]“Digital Literacies and Learning: Designing a Path Forward. “Friday Institute White Paper Series. March 2011. www.fi.ncsu.edu/whitepapers.

[4]“Digital Textbook Playbook.” The Digital Textbook Collaborative. February 1, 2012. Transition.fcc.gov/files/Digital_Textbook_Playbook.pdf

[5]“Apple in Education.” Apple Inc.