Bullis School has implemented Internet safety curriculum called iSafe, a Congressionally funded program designed to educate faculty, students, administrators and parents about the potential risks involved in using the Internet, and how to stay smart and safe when online. The goal of the iSafe curriculum is to provide students with the awareness and knowledge they need in order to recognize and avoid dangerous, destructive or unlawful behavior and to respond appropriately. i-Safe is devoted to empowering students to take control of their Internet experiences by giving them vital knowledge that will enable them to act safely and responsibly.
Starting new in the 2013-2014 school year, all Lower School students will have one-to-one access to school-provided iPads to “Record, Reflect and Celebrate.” In addition to traditional activities such as writing and research, students will use iPads to reflect on work, record their reflections and celebrate their work sharing with classmates, parents and the entire community. This process of sharing is known to help with retention and reinforcement of the learning process, and the ease, mobility and tools that the iPad offers will allow students to communicate, collaborate, compare and collect information, and archive work in a wide variety of formats.
All Middle School technology classes are based on the study of media literacy. Media is analyzed and created using the wide array of technologies available to students at Bullis. These technologies include digital imaging, video production and multimedia presentations. Other technologies available to the students include concept mapping, astronomy, keyboarding, spreadsheet and word processing software.
Sixth grade English students use Inspiration to create concept maps of books they have read. In science, they learn about astronomy using a program called Star Gazer, while in Latin they use several computer-based vocabulary exercises.
Seventh grade science classes use the laptops for webquests on the classification of living things. Microsoft Excel is used in the science labs for the collection and graphing of data, while geography students utilize the library database resources to conduct research, explore webquests and create presentations.
Eighth grade math students use the Internet for interactive problem solving and the TI graphing calculator to solve functions. In science, students use laptop computers and PASCO sensors in their interactive labs. The students use PowerPoint when giving their oral multimedia presentations.
The Upper School faculty provide their students with many opportunities to use technology in their classes. The six computer labs in the Upper School are used on a daily basis by students.
The English department utilizes the many advanced features of Microsoft Word, specifically reviewing functions, to implement peer reviewing and editing. This allows teachers to dynamically add comments and suggestions to a student’s work. Students can track changes to a document to see where corrections have been made. On any given day, you will find the English faculty and students using the English lab, the library lab or a mobile laptop lab for a wide variety of writing projects.
Many technology classes are available to Upper School students. These classes include AP Computer Science, Web Design, Programming, Digital Art, Digital Music and Digital Imaging.
The Foreign Language and Social Studies departments have found Microsoft PowerPoint to be a useful tool for giving research-based multimedia presentations, both by teachers and by students. Presentations given through PowerPoint often include audio components as well as links to websites that can provide additional information on the subject.
The science faculty provides students with the opportunity to develop their spreadsheet skills as students gather and analyze data in chemistry, physics and biology using Microsoft Excel on the science laptops.