Language and Culture
At Saint David’s, technology plays a key role in developing global awareness and bridging language learning with cultural exploration. In Omega, we partner with Level Up Village, an educational technology enterprise that facilitates global collaborative learning. Through the Global Artist Exchange, Saint David’s Omega students exchange brief videos with Argentine students describing a typical school day, their favorite activities, sports, and holidays. In Sophrosyne, boys learn to express their thoughts and feelings as they examine ways that their experience is similar to and different from their peers in Latin America. In art class, Omega boys study American artist and sculptor, Alexander Calder, and they create artwork inspired by his designs. They capture what they have learned in videos which they share with their peers in Argentina. In return, the Omega class receives videos from our partner school and has the opportunity to learn about an artist native to Argentina. Through language, art, and technology, the Global Artist Exchange sparks students’ curiosity, builds connections, and broadens their horizons.
In sixth-grade Spanish, as part of their study of Peru, students create videos that document their culinary exploration of Peruvian cuisine. First, they research traditional Peruvian recipes, selecting one to learn about and prepare. Then, they record themselves narrating the process of making the dish in Spanish, using language skills to explain the ingredients, cooking methods, and cultural significance of the recipe. Once the videos are completed, the boys watch and comment on their work in Spanish, providing constructive feedback and practicing their language skills. By integrating technology in this way, students are able to engage more fully with the content, enhancing their ability to communicate and think critically about global food traditions while developing their Spanish language proficiency.
In seventh-grade Spanish, teachers use technology to create an immersive, interactive learning experience that allows students to practice reading in the past tense while reinforcing vocabulary. As part of the Teaching Boys Initiative, one teacher designed an escape room activity that incorporates the digital tools LearningApps and ThingLink to enhance student engagement and foster critical thinking by promoting transitive factors. Using LearningApps, the teacher created interactive questions based on content boys were studying in other subjects. The escape room’s timed, problem-solving structure encourages students to scan text for general understanding, rather than focusing on individual words, which improves boys’ comprehension in context. ThingLink was used to build a dynamic, multimedia-rich environment for the escape room, incorporating images, videos and interactive elements that supported the storyline where students are “trapped” at Saint David’s School and have to use their academic knowledge to escape. Through the integration of these digital tools, boys practice their Spanish language skills in a fun, engaging, and interactive way, transforming a grammar review into a challenging and rewarding adventure.
Robotics and Coding
Beginning in Kindergarten, boys are faced with different robotics challenges where they have to manipulate a physical robot to get it to overcome a challenge. We position these challenges to collaborative teams so boys need to discuss and test their solutions with one another, further developing their communication skills and promoting creativity and problem solving.
In second and third grades, boys are introduced to computer programming with Scratch, the visual programming language developed by MIT. Clicking and dragging blocks to direct an on-screen character, boys learn that computer programs are made of clear, sequential instructions. Programming activities encourage boys to think logically and break down challenges into a series of component tasks. Once the basics are mastered, boys can program their characters to draw geometric shapes, create abstract compositions, and even compose and play music.
Engineering Design Process
Third graders’ math, science, and artistic design skills are put to the test in The Nerdy Derby. This no-rules miniature car building and racing competition rewards creativity, cleverness, and ingenuity. The goal is to engage boys in educational, interactive, and fun design experiences through problem solving and collaborative challenges. Boys participate in a series of hands-on activities to examine the ways that factors like friction, mass, and aerodynamics affect the motion of their cars. Students then work through the engineering cycle to design, build, test, and revise their vehicles. They test different variables and use their results to modify their cars. When Nerdy Derby Race Day arrives, third graders enter their cars in a series of contests celebrating speed, precision, consistency, and design.
In fifth grade, boys consider What makes a machine a machine? Students dig into this question as they build, test, and revise simple and compound machines using motorized Tinkering Labs Electric Motors Catalyst Kits.™ Working in small, collaborative groups, students use the engineering design process to build solutions to a series of challenges. As they design and build, they gain a deeper understanding of the ways simple machines leverage distance to provide a mechanical advantage. They practice quantifying this principle by applying the equation: work = force x distance. Challenges require boys to combine simple machines into compound machines, and explore the ways machines transform energy as they design and build vehicles that can move and perform a variety of tasks. Boys work together to design prototypes for each challenge, which they test and redesign until success is achieved. The unit is designed to inspire boys to think critically, take risks, and enjoy the process of creative problem solving through the iterative design process in which attention is paid to planning, testing, and the effective interaction of both.
Access to State-of-the-Art Technology Through Educational Partnerships
To deepen their understanding of astronomy, sixth graders use Alienware laptops and OpenSpace software, the front-end software that interfaces with the Digital Universe Atlas: a vast aggregation of real-time astronomical data captured through advanced telescopes by dozens of organizations across the globe and represented in virtual 3D. OpenSpace software was developed by a team at the American Museum of Natural History along with NASA and is used by astrophysicists around the world to better understand the universe and generate planetary shows. Boys translate their research findings into a gripping narrative that aligns with their storyboard, combining previously learned narrative storytelling techniques with the data generated in their research. Then they bring their storyboards to life using the OpenSpace software. Breathtaking, high-definition images captured by the world’s most powerful telescopes replace their sketches of moons and planets. The unit culminates in a celebration in the Rose Center’s Hayden Planetarium, during which boys introduce their shows live for their families, teachers, and classmates using the same sophisticated tools used by astronomers.
When studying Algebra, boys use Desmos, an interactive platform that allows them to visualize equations and functions. As boys examine how patterns and structure can be used to understand mathematical relationships, they use Desmos to manipulate the equations to change the graphs, allowing them to learn from trial and error. This powerful visual tool gets students thinking and making predictions, and they can test them out. To understand the relationship among the variables in the equation y=mx+b, students can move the sliders to see what happens to the y-intercept. This application deepens boys’ understanding and allows them to access the power and beauty of math.
In the fall, eighth graders participate in the Nightingale-Bamford Lectures competition. Each eighth grader researches a notable work by a renowned artist, and then prepares a lecture and Google Slides presentation on the work that includes in-depth analysis of such components as the impact of the artist, historical setting, gesture, color, iconography, and balance, among others. By applying graphic design principles—contrast, composition, and consistency–students are encouraged to make deliberate design choices that enhance the presentation of these elements. This process pushes students to engage with the artwork on a deeper level, encouraging them to think critically about how each element contributes to the overall meaning and impact of the piece. In addition to fostering technical skills with digital presentation tools, this project encourages students to reflect on the relationship between form and content, ultimately promoting a more thoughtful, analytical approach to art analysis and design.
Teaching boys to use technology ethically and responsibly is always at the forefront of our work. In Sophrosyne classes, students learn about the importance of safe, healthy, and balanced digital habits. They reflect on the long-term consequences of quick decisions online, develop self-awareness about the addictive potential of digital media, and explore how to be an upstander in challenging situations, such as harmful behavior or misinformation. Through discussions and the examination of case studies, boys come to understand that actions that seem harmless in the real world–like sharing posts or jokes–can have serious, long-lasting effects online. The program also encourages students to model respect and empathy in the digital realm.
With the prevalence of artificial intelligence, our faculty is working closely with the boys to help them navigate this new space. In curriculum committees, we are exploring the question: How can AI and other technologies be used to advance students’ problem solving and critical thinking skills? Whether it’s preparation for Socratic seminars, debates, or research, our aim is to help boys learn to do so in a responsible and ethical manner.
In conclusion, technology at Saint David’s is much more than a tool—it is a catalyst for developing the critical thinkers and problem solvers of tomorrow. By leveraging digital tools and innovative partnerships, we create opportunities for boys to engage with real world challenges, collaborate globally, and think deeply about their studies across disciplines. Most importantly, we emphasize the responsible and ethical use of technology, guiding boys to be thoughtful digital citizens who can navigate the complexities of the digital world.