Technology
	The Technology Mission of Agnes Irwin School is to use current technology to support the School's primary mission of fostering the intellectual and personal growth of girls and young women. We use the latest electronic tools and techniques for information management and personal productivity because we recognize that mastery of these resources is increasingly important for the informed and effective citizens we want our graduates to be. By bringing our students and faculty to a level of comfort with and control of new technologies, we both ensure the continued transmission of valued cultural traditions and foster the emergence of exciting new cultural possibilities. Technology Highlights: The entire campus is equipped for Wireless access to the School's network. All faculty have laptop computers. Instead of a typical computer lab, we utilize portable networked laptop carts equipped with 20 wireless laptops, which travel to classrooms in the Lower, Middle and Upper Schools. Upper School All 9th grade students are enrolled in the yearlong Media Literacy class, which is a follow-up to the 7th grade quarterly class. Topics include library research and MLA guidelines, personal productivity tools, presentation and multimedia tools, web authoring tools and networking, hardware, and peripherals.   In Upper School science classes, students collect and analyze data and present their results electronically. In history classes, students participate in simulations of historical and current events, while modern language classes use the Internet for virtual field trips and to promote fluency with international media. In math classes, students use technology in Geometry, Algebra and Statistics explorations.   Students may choose to enroll in the Lego Robotics and Web Design course as an elective, or they can participate in the Robotics club that enters the F.I.R.S.T. competition at Drexel University each year. Students have also attended the prestigious Pennsylvania Governor's School for Technology and various workshops such as the ones offered by the Philadelphia Symposium: Women in Science and Technology. Our students gain firsthand knowledge of how technology is used in the world of science and engineering and by the time they graduate, they have learned to apply technology to all aspects of their academic life. Middle School Building on the skills learned in the Lower School, technology is used to support the curriculum in the Middle School. For example, in History classes, students are introduced to the graphic organizer/concept mapping tool Inspiration; from the outline created in Inspiration the students use Microsoft Word to write a short research paper; and finally they use PowerPoint to create a multi-media presentation on their research topic. English classes use Blackboard to hold electronic class discussions both within the grade and in collaboration with students in neighboring schools. All 7th grade students take a quarter of Computer Connections, a class where they are taught advanced library and Web research skills, personal productivity software and specialized curriculum-based software. In this class, students are also introduced to the school network and how it operates. Lower School Technology is integrated into all areas of the Lower School. Skills are taught sequentially and in an age appropriate manner. Projects are designed to enhance the learning that takes place in the subject areas. Beginning in Kindergarten and First Grade, students develop basic computer commands and keyboarding familiarity in weekly half hour lessons. In addition, they use drawing, graphing, and writing programs to complement what they are doing in Language Arts, Math, and Social Studies, Science, and Art.   Students in second, third, and fourth grades use Webquests to enhance units of study on a variety of topics such as The Rainforest, Immigration, The United States, and Mammals. Multimedia projects in these grades are coordinated with a unit of study and incorporate the growing level of skills at each grade level. Basic skills in word processing, using spreadsheets, and file management are introduced in lessons and applied in projects. Students learn to type in third grade, continuing in fourth grade. Our students are comfortable with technology and use it in a variety of ways throughout their Lower School years.