Tech & Innovation

21st CENTURY SKILLS

Our mission inspires us to provide our students the foundation they need to thrive and adapt in a technologically-infused society. Problem solving and effective use of technology is essential for teaching and learning in a global, digital age. Given that technology tools are continually changing, our focus is on providing students with the fundamental concepts while inspiring curiosity and innovative thinking. At The Potomac School, students are exposed to a wide variety of tools, applications, and platforms, integrated daily into their learning experience.

CONFIDENT PROBLEM SOLVERS

In education, innovation comes in many forms, and at its root is the process of challenging and questioning the status quo. Throughout the school day, you will find Potomac students noodling over problems, testing theories, thinking outside of the box, and looking for varied solutions. Teachers challenge students with meaningful problems and offer time to reflect on skills applied and learned, building students into confident problem solvers willing to take risks to advance their learning.

Teachers and students have access to exciting spaces in each division that offer opportunities for hands-on, open-ended activities. For example, fourth grade students design and 3D print comic hero logos, while eighth grade history students create monuments out of assorted materials in the IS Innovation Hub.

LOWER school

Students build their technology foundation and inventive spirit in the Lower School. As the use of technology transitions from toy to learning tool, students grow comfortable with a wide range of applications and resources. The integration of technology into the curriculum is highly valued throughout the Lower School, with students using various applications to support their learning and communication. The critical areas covered in the Lower School technology and innovation program include information literacy, digital citizenship, keyboarding, coding, robotics, and multimedia creation.

middle SCHOOL

In the Middle School, technology use and instruction is a part of every subject area. Students use technology as a creative tool to help them solve problems in their world and create amazing products. Our program's success stems from the collaboration among our academic technologists, classroom teachers, and librarians. We teach students to be effective users of information and intentional thinkers of how they use technology both in school and out. Students also have exciting opportunities to create videos, music, art, presentations, robots, inventions, and instructional materials with a variety of tech tools.

INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL

Intermediate School students are curious and effective users of technology. Information literacy skills are critical in all of their courses. Seventh and eighth grade students learn and use increasingly more sophisticated word processing, editing, and graphing as they develop their writing techniques and analyze data for their classes. Imagery, video, and audio expand what students can incorporate into projects. Through the advisory program, students discuss different digital citizenship topics to build their awareness of privacy, security, communication, and collaboration in online environments.

UPPER SCHOOL

Technology naturally fits into the lives of Upper School students. They carry their own devices to and from classes, easily communicate online with peers and teachers, and seek out creative solutions and ways to present their learning. Students also have many opportunities to further their knowledge in technology-infused classes, including Computer Science, Engineering, Robotics, Architecture, and Information Literacy.

BUILDING BOTS

Through teamwork, play, and problem solving, robots help students develop key thinking skills in the exciting field of coding and robotics. In K-5 technology classes, all students engage with VEX robotics through building and coding challenges. Students in grades 6-12 have the opportunity to join a competitive robotics team, offering a motivating environment to learn and push STEM skills to new levels.

Potomac senior named a Top 40 Scholar

Potomac senior Ben Choi has been named a Top 40 Scholar in the Regeneron Science Talent Search 2022, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious science and mathematics competition for high school seniors. Chosen from a pool of more than 1,800 highly qualified entrants from across the nation, Choi will participate in the final weeklong competition in Washington, DC, this March.

Eighth grade capstone projects

The eighth grade Capstone Project empowered students to find a story to tell. In this project, students learned about various forms and structures of storytelling. They each produced a 4-7 minute documentary that captured a story of their own or of a family or community member. Through these stories, the students not only learned how to document a story via video but also the power of moving past a “single story” to uncover connections, awareness, and empathy.

Ever Wonder How Movies Make Heroes Fly?

Up, up and away! At the annual Middle School Comic Con, students used green screen magic to leap tall buildings and fly above rooftops.

Real World Problem Solving

Eighth grade students were challenged to think about how to help prevent and contain wildfire that strike in the United States. After learning about efforts in place, they competed with each other to use VEX building materials to build the highest, free-standing fire towers. This design challenge iterated the engineering process and inspired students problem solve.

Devices and Applications

Throughout their time at Potomac School, students use a variety of devices and applications, including design tools, video and photo editing tools, and presentation applications. In the Lower School, carts of iPads and Chromebooks are available to students and teachers. In the Middle and Intermediate Schools, each student is assigned a Chromebook, and in grades 6-8, Chromebooks are issued that travel home with the students for homework completion. In the Upper School, students bring their own devices.

The Potomac School uses Google for Education apps, including Google Drive, and all students have an assigned Google account beginning in kindergarten; students in grades 5-12 have access to email.

Acceptable Use Policy

The school’s Acceptable Use Policies reflect the Core Values, and simply put when using technology tools and applications, students should have respect and concern for the rights, feelings, property, and personal spaces of others. Potomac teachers recognize the value of appropriate use of technology as a means of enhancing teaching and learning.

The Schoolwide Acceptable Use Policy outlines the expected use of technology tools, services, and network for academic purposes. The Middle and Intermediate Schools also have a specific grade-level Acceptable Use Policy reflecting the use of assigned Chromebooks both in and out of school.

Upper School BYOD Policy

The Upper School Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Policy is designed to set a framework for consistent, responsible, and ethical use of technology. The policy outlines the requirements for each student to provide his/her own laptop and use it in an acceptable manner that supports learning. Students are expected to bring their latptops to school each day to engage in research, collaborative writing, organization, and software-specific applications that promote design and problem solving, as well as general classroom learning.

CONTACTS

Sean Moran
Director of Technology & Innovation

Beth Brundage
Academic Technologist, Grade K-4

Jenni Ashley
Academic Technologist, Grade 5-8

Christopher Simon
Academic Technologist, Grade 9-12

Morgan Downing
Academic Technologist, Grade K-5

Loretta Sevier
Director of Web Services

Kelly Laraia
Systems Analyst

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