Goals and Curriculum

A central theme for technology use at River School is to support student learning - especially regarding content instruction. "The three key areas of focus going forward are to expand the use of technology in higher order thinking tasks, support innovative uses of technology, and enhance assessment for learning...and not just as a replacement for rote tasks like drill and practice or autograding multiple-choice quizzes, but as a tool to allow students to engage in activities that enhance their opportunity for creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, and real-world application[s]" (C.U.S.D. Educational Technology Plan, 2017-2020). Our goal is for students to develop essential skills needed to use today's latest technology and productivity tools in order to create, edit, share, collaborate and publish effectively - and, at the same time, do so in a positive, safe, legal and ethical manner. Towards this goal, the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Technology Standards for Students will provide a framework for guiding instruction at Carmel River Elementary School. ISTE standards cover the following seven (7) core areas:

• Empowered Learner
• Digital Citizen
• Knowledge Constructor
• Innovative Designer
• Computational Thinker
• Creative Communicator
• Global Collaborator

A link to ISTE Standards for Students may be found at the bottom of this page.

 Site Technology

Some of our site technology tools include 1-to-1 Dell Chromebooks in 3rd-5th classrooms. Each K-2 classroom has at least 5 devices for class use, while the computer lab offers 1-to-1 Chromebook availability when k-2 classes are in attendance; stand-alone audio/visual recording equipment for student and teacher projects; Lego WeDo 2.0 robots to help introduce and support coding in the early grades; and classroom audio enhancement systems to meet ADA requirements. River School recently installed a significant upgrade to the projection system in the multipurpose room and this, along with the district decision to transition away from classroom projectors and Smartboards to high definition TVs (HDTV) in all classrooms, will significantly improve the digital video experience for all students at River Elementary School. 

Computer/Technology classes are 40 minutes long once a week for 1st-5th; and while k-2 students come to the Computer Lab for their computer/technology instruction, 3rd-5th grade classes are held in the students' classrooms. Classroom curriculum activities are integrated with technology, enabling students to develop, share, collaborate and publish class projects. The computer lab also helps to bolster intervention/support programs such as Reflex Math, ST Math, Imagine Math, Renaissance Place, and Read Live.