Schools
St. Joan of Arc Becomes STEM School
The Archdiocese of Baltimore has named St. Joan of Arc a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) school, marking it as one of the best schools in the diocese for science and technology education.
Google Earth, laptops and Think Board are on the daily lesson plan at the St. Joan of Arc School.
The Archdiocese of Baltimore has named St. Joan of Arc a S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) school, marking it as one of the best schools for science and technology education in the state.
“I think it's very exciting that we get to celebrate technology,” said Honey Brown, a fourth-grade tech enthusiast. Brown's class, taught by David Brothers, learned about the Woodland Indians through an Internet class similar to "SimCity."
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“It's really fun to use everything we have available,” said Allison Piercy, one of the school's student ambassadors.
For students at the Aberdeen Catholic school, new technology often banishes boredom from lessons.
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The Promethean Board, a device that allows students to use a wireless connection for “voting” on class answers, quickly became the favored learning tool among students such as Kristen Flanigan, who likes using it to solve math problems.
The teachers displayed computer expertise on par with IT professionals while teaching their classes, and the staff credits Principal Jane Towery for the school's successful scientific curriculum.
“We didn't even have email when Dr. Towery came 10 years ago,” said Karen Sampson, technology integration specialist at St. Joan of Arc.
The school also uses “Moodle,” described by Sampson as a “private informational network through which students view videos, respond to discussion questions, take online quizzes and write blogs.”
“We've moved from teaching students how to use software to using various technology tools to enhance the learning environment and to increase student engagement,” Sampson said.
“I think we have a good start,” Towery said. “We're looking at technology as part of God's creation.”
The students assembled for a “Litany of Praise to God for Creation” last month to conclude a two-hour "Tech Day" celebration.
“Close your eyes, and ask God to bless all of the people who make technology possible,” Towery advised the gathered children.
The kindergarten and first-grade chorus sang “Music of the World” to close out the brief service and Tech Day.
“The more people that go to our schools and see this, the more ideas that they can get for their own schools,” said Julie Rogers, a visitor from the archdiocese.