Educational Technology at Wooster School

Why incorporate technology in a Wooster education?

To function effectively in a world that has become increasingly reliant on technology, individuals must be technology literate.  Nearly every aspect of American life has been transformed by information technology.  Every major U.S. industry relies heavily on technology to do its work.  In the future, the majority of our nation’s workers will be employed by organizations that either produce or intensely use technology products and services.  It has increased our productivity and broken the barriers of place and time.  

In order for Wooster students to be prepared for the high-tech jobs of tomorrow, they must be technology literate.  Not only is this literacy vital to our student’s own financial survival, it is critical to the economic success of our nation in a highly-competitive global marketplace. 

While technology literacy offers our students a wealth of benefits when they enter the “real world,” Wooster students do not need to wait until after graduation to begin reaping the benefits of educational technology.  Once thought of as a self-contained subject to be taught in isolation from a school’s core curriculum, we now know that technology can transform every aspect of education. 

Research shows that using technology in the classroom can significantly increase student achievement and motivation.  When properly used, technology can also improve school management and administration, families’ involvement in their children’s education, and a teacher’s effectiveness in the classroom.  Technology can make learning more efficient and effective for every student, teacher, and subject.

How does Wooster teach students to be technology literate?

The answer to this question can be summed up in one world: integration.  Instead of teaching isolated technology skills, current research shows that technology must be fully integrated into regular classroom instruction and must directly support the core curriculum in order to increase student achievement. 

At, Wooster, this is exactly what we do.  Through Technology Integrated Units (TIUs), teachers effectively combine both their curriculum area standards and technology standards.  When teaching a specific concept, Wooster faculty integrate technology tools where appropriate. When students need instruction on how to use a technology tool, Wooster teachers use the curriculum context to teach the needed technology skills, and then return to curriculum instruction using the technology as a tool to enhance the learning. In this way, both the content-area standards and the technology standards are addressed within the context of the same learning activity.

The key here is that we focus technology use on the discipline-specific, content-area curriculum using technology as a tool to foster higher level outcomes.  Technology is just a tool and technology literacy cannot be accomplished devoid of content. 

The following Mission, Philosophy, and Vision from Wooster’s Strategic Technology Plan articulate our commitment to educational technology at Wooster.

Adam Van Auken

Director of Technology

Wooster School Technology Mission Statement:

Wooster School will develop and support the personnel, curriculum, and technological infrastructure needed to prepare the Wooster Community to effectively use technology

to communicate, obtain information, and solve problems, as necessary

to further the overall mission of the school.

Philosophy of Educational Technology at Wooster School

  We believe that:

• the purpose of educational technology at Wooster should be to improve student learning of Wooster’s core curriculum and to achieve technology literacy in every student, faculty, and staff member.
• to function effectively in a world that has become increasingly reliant on technology, students, faculty, and staff at Wooster School must be technology literate.
• using technology in the classroom can significantly increase student achievement and motivation. 
• when properly used, technology can improve school management and administration, families’ involvement in their children’s education, and a teacher’s effectiveness in the classroom. 
• technology can make learning more efficient and effective for every student, teacher, and subject.
• technology must be fully integrated into regular classroom instruction and must directly support the core curriculum in order to increase student achievement. 
• the Wooster core curriculum should determine the appropriate use of technology in the classroom.
• content-area standards and the technology standards can and should be addressed within the context of the same learning activity. 

Vision of Educational Technology at Wooster School

Wooster School will become a place where technology is fully integrated into the teaching and learning of our curriculum to improve student learning and ensure all students and faculty achieve technology literacy.