Technology

Philosophy

At Lawrence Academy, we use technology as a tool to further the academic and community goals of the school. Used correctly, these tools enhance logical thinking skills, encourage group work, enhance collaborative work skills, help develop problem-solving skills, enable students to simulate real-world problems, and enhance communication between the members of our community and beyond.

We have been careful and deliberate in the integration of technology into the classroom and into the daily life of the school. This "go slow" approach has helped us maximize the benefits from using technology in and out of the classroom. We have spent over 16 years thoughtfully integrating technology into the curriculum. During the past 10 years we have implemented a sophisticated Windows XP network throughout the campus, including all dormitory rooms, and we have continued to further the integration of technology into the curriculum by way of the Internet, email, and the use of new educational software.

What we have:

Lawrence Academy has a state-of-the-art Windows Server 2003 network, with the latest in computers, laptops, terminals and computer software, DVD players, scanners, printers, projectors, and a language lab. All academic and dormitory buildings on campus are on our fiber-linked network and they all have wireless access to the network.

 Most classroom computers have been replaced with thin client terminals which are as fast as most modern computers.  These low-profile machines may contain some software but most of the software is accessed from nine high-speed servers.  These terminals help reduce the ever-increasing cost of computing on campus while maintaining excellent quality of service.

Students and faculty have access resources on our network from off campus using a software tool called Citrix Web Interface. This allows our day students to have the same access to our network based resources as our boarding students.     

We use a course management system called Moodle.   Essentially this software creates a virtual learning environment which allows faculty members to easily create their own course web page where assignments, syllabi, etc, can be posted and serves as a place where students can collaborate online.

 Our library has a multitude of online resources that allow students to learn how to do the kind of sophisticated research that is so essential for modern students.

What we do:

With the advent of Web 2.0 technology we are in our next phase of integrating technology into the curriculum.   These web 2.0 tools are used to facilitate the kind of real world collaboration that students will find essential as they move into the world of life after school.   That is why we now have projectors in every classroom, access to web-based tools, as is often used in the science classroom, collaborative software is available such as the wiki capability built into Moodle, our course management system , and hardware that gives students hands-on practice such as the Ti-Navigator system used in the math classroom which enables the students to network their graphing calculators wirelessly to the classroom computer thus enabling a more dynamic interaction between all members of the class while working on real-world problems.  We also have a state-of-the-art language lab which gives language students access to the same kind of experiences that can be found in a college classroom.