At Hamlin, students use their iPads to reinforce the basic, formative skills taught through direct instruction.
Technology & Innovation
Hamlin classrooms weave a variety of technological tools to support the teaching and learning cycle. We approach the use of technology with a pedagogical lens where we act with intention and use a rigorous decision-making process to select the tools that we incorporate into our program. We believe that technology cultivates curiosity, independent exploration, analysis, and unique creativity, while rooting the educational experience and shaping the lives of today’s digital citizens.
Innovation with technology is core to the Hamlin program. We offer K-8 programming while supporting a growing robotics program, ensuring that our students are not only savvy consumers of technology, but more importantly, are creators. As a community, we are moving beyond simply using substitution technology (i.e., digital textbooks) and are working towards redefining teaching and learning with the aid of technology (i.e., student-driven learning).
Apple Distinguished School
Throughout Grades K-8, the iPad is used to reinforce the basic, formative skills already taught through direct instruction. The girls work individually, with partners, and in small groups to explore educational apps. They regularly create multimedia content using apps such as Photos, iMovie, GarageBand, Pages, Keynote, and iBooks Author in order to communicate what they have learned. Students also enjoy publishing their work. The iPad not only increases engagement in the classroom, but also generates a learning environment that is expanded, individualized, and inherently collaborative. During regularly scheduled iPad classes, Lower School and Middle School students explore the meaning of the Hamlin Creed through a digital lens.
In 2017, Hamlin was selected as an Apple Distinguished School. You can download our Multitouch Book (iBook) to learn more about our program.
Apple Distinguished Schools are centers of leadership and educational excellence that demonstrate Apple’s vision for learning with technology — and we believe they are some of the most innovative schools in the world.
Apple Distinguished School leaders, faculty, and the extended community have a clear vision for how their technology-rich environments support learning goals. School leaders have established elements for continuous innovation that include culture, team, capacity, community, finance, and measurement. Supporting their school’s vision is an ongoing process that requires thoughtful planning, practice, and improvement along the way. They use iPad and Mac products to inspire student creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking. And they cultivate environments in which students are excited and curious about learning.
Digital Citizenship
Hamlin’s Digital Citizenship curriculum is a thoughtful and intentional program that begins in Kindergarten and goes through graduation. Digital literacy and citizenship are interwoven throughout the Hamlin curriculum, highlighting our belief that living an ethical digital life complements creativity and creation. We have been recognized by Common Sense Media as a “Digital Citizenship Certified School”, and actively work with our parent community to ensure our students receive a consistent message to encompass a digital world that remains active outside of the school day.
We use Common Sense Media’s Scope and Sequence tool as our primary teaching guide while working with students to develop competency for online behavior both at school and at home. Digital literacy and citizenship are continually addressed with a focus on privacy, online safety, communication, digital footprints, proper citation practices, and research skills. Our belief is that every Hamlin teacher is a digital citizenship teacher and our support for staff members in becoming Digital Citizenship Certified Teachers has allowed our school to be recognized as a Digital Citizenship Certified School.
Tech Advisory Council
The goal of the Technology Advisory Council is to provide the Head of School, the Director of Program Innovation, and the Director of Technology with a panel of industry experts to advise and support the school’s technology programs. This group will leverage its experience and expertise to help the school understand current trends in technology; advise school administrators on efficient and cost-effective methods to maintain our technology infrastructure; enlist the help of corporate partners, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders to enhance the educational technology programs; and work enthusiastically to advocate for gender equity in the STEM fields. Cultivating relationships with Bay Area and Silicon Valley technology professionals as well as leading strategic conversations on the future of technology at Hamlin will be essential tasks for the Technology Advisory Council.
STEM the Gender Gap
Although Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) careers are one of the fastest growing and highest paid fields, a significant “STEM gender gap” persists worldwide: only 28% of STEM jobs are filled by women, with only 5% filled by women of color. At Hamlin we are passionate about closing the gender gap, and in 2014 we established an annual STEM The Gender Gap Day. Like so many things in the 2020-21 school year, we re-envisioned STEM the Gender Gap Day as a virtual event in combination with Women’s History month; we were excited to welcome an amazing lineup of speakers via Zoom.This year, we will have a blend of in-person and virtual experiences in March. We believe that introducing our girls to STEM companies/organizations and the women who work there early opens their minds to broader career paths to consider, thereby starting to close the gender gap in STEM fields. This event would not happen without an incredible partnership with the Tech Advisory Council. We are deeply grateful for the flexibility of teachers, administrators, students, and the entire community.
Read more on our STEM the Gender Gap page.
Tech Team
Lastly, Hamlin has a passionate and responsive technology team that serves our student, faculty, staff, and parent community.