The Cardinal - Spring 2015

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VOL. 7 • SPRING 2015

the

CARDINAL Classroom Technology Gets a Boost By Dr. Michael Pratt, Head of School

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he faculty and I are deeply grateful for our parents’ generosity at our fabulous Gala. The Parent Gift this year was devoted to classroom technology, and our parents donated over $64,000 to fund iPads, laptops, and SMART tables for our students. A special thank you is in order to Susan Cervantes, who made the case for the impact that these tools will have on teaching and learning.

At the risk of betraying my age, I entered the teaching profession at the point of transition from the mimeograph machine to the copier. There were no laptops, iPads, smartphones, electronic boards — nothing of the sort. Universities had mainframe computers using punch cards, but computing played little role in pre-collegiate education. Some years later, I had the privilege of working on a task force that wrote

the funding guidelines for the National Endowment for the Humanities initial teaching with technology initiative. This was at a time when we were first imagining how technology could impact the classroom experience.

Fast forward twenty years, it is now hard to imagine teaching and learning without access to technology. From virtual tours of every museum in the world, to links to archival collections on every

IT’S SUMMER CAMP SEASON! By Fr. John Taylor

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erving campers in both Los Angeles and San Diego counties, Camp Stevens is located in Julian, California in the beautiful mountains of San Diego County. This year there is a special Epic two-week adventure for older and teen campers. Camp Stevens has many programs for adults as well as for families. Adult programs include Adult and Family Eastern Sierra Basecamp Backpacking (July), a young women’s backpacking weekend (August), and a Baja trek (October). Family programs include Sequoia Family Camp (July), “Hoes Down” family harvest weekend (October), and Thanksgiving Family Camp (November). Be sure to pick up a brochure in the church entryway or visit www.campstevens.org to explore all the offerings. In addition, you can learn more about Camp Stevens on You Tube! Go to youtube.com/campstevens and see a week of summer camp in action. n

imaginable topic, to computer aided design, to self-paced review and testing, technology is transforming the ways that our students learn. As our STEAM initiative evolves, fresh technology will become increasingly important. Your support ensures that St. John’s students and teachers will have the tools they need to expand the boundaries of learning.

When word first emerged of the success of the Parent Gift, several parents who were not able to attend the Gala asked if they could still participate in the gift. The answer is a resounding Yes! Simply visit the Gala website at www.stjohns-es.org/gala. Every gift to fund technology will enable the School to continue to innovate. Again, I thank you for your support in helping our school offer the strongest program possible. n


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