From the Head of School

This past year has brought us the most significant technological development since the smartphone, and perhaps the most impactful new tech in decades. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and articles about it are everywhere and it is clear that when new technologies become widely available, our lives change.

Some of the technologies that have led to the greatest changes are relatively simple, others are incredibly complicated, but all are created using mathematical and scientific principles – the wheel and pulley, the forge, the printing press, the reaper, the combustion engine, steel, televisions, nuclear reactors, penicillin, plastic, personal computers, cellular phones, software applications. The list of life-changing technology is long and AI is the latest.

These technological innovations have added value to our lives and also created significant problems in both predictable and unforeseen ways that have delighted and confounded leaders and educators for centuries. Educating our children to understand and manage technology, while also empowering them to be the creators of the next generation of innovation, is an important part of a Prairie education.

Fortunately, Prairie has always had a growth mindset and a long tradition of appropriately embracing new technologies balanced with timeless and effective methods of instruction. Our history of improvement and our programmatic emphasis on science, math, and engineering, along with a healthy embrace of technology, began with Mrs. Johnson, whose degree in math from Cornell and her early career as a mathematical engineer informed her creation of our school.

Today, we maintain her emphasis on math, science, and engineering, as well as a legacy of Prairie women excelling in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

Creating students who understand how technology works is a priority for our teachers. We introduce screenless programing in Kindergarten with KIBO robots, add Spheros in 2nd Grade, LEGO Mindstorms EV3s in 3rd Grade, and teach game programming in 5th.

Science labs begin in 1st Grade and continue through our high school Advanced Placement course in every field of study. Our AP Biology students complete and present original research each year; recently they partnered with teacher Sarah Turek to collect data for her Master’s research for Clemson University (you can read more about this great story on page 18). All of our labs are hands-on, not virtual. We take pride in our students being scientists rather than just studying science.

We are fortunate Prairie has a long history of finding the right balance of tried and true pedagogical methods with new and innovative techniques. Technology has been a part of the Prairie experience from the very beginning and it continues today. Our emphasis on a well-rounded education that includes critical thinking and creative problem solving from Early School all the way through Upper – along with our emphasis on collaboration and communication – has shaped alumni who effectively use and create technologies to make their communities stronger, and you will read about many of those women in this STEM-focused issue.

This summer we will continue to embrace technology and improve our pedagogy. A working group of Prairie faculty is researching how to use AI to improve how we teach writing, critical thinking, and problem solving across the curriculum, and I look forward to their work having a positive impact on our students.

We are always looking for ways to connect with our graduates and opportunities for you to share your expertise. If you are working in, or retired from, a STEM career, we encourage you to reach out and share your work with us via email, social media, or in person. Together we can help the next generation of Prairie alumni become the scientists, mathematicians, and builders who will shape our collective future.

Sincerely,

Nathaniel W. Coffman, Ed.D. Head of School & President