Hometown: Philadelphia
College(s)/Degree(s): Bachelors in Science, Penn State University
Contact: mmemmo@episcopalacademy.org; Twitter: @mattmemmo; Blog: learnedu.us/blog.php
How does today's technology shape the student experience at Episcopal?
Incorporating today's technology into the classroom allows for a richer experience for our students. Faculty can provide their entire class online via our Canvas learning management system (LMS). Content, study tools, quiz taking, and grade posting are all available online. All students have Apple laptops, which means they can utilize these tech tools in the classroom as well as at home. In addition, the communication between students, faculty, and parents is more efficient and better than ever before.
Why is it important for students to learn coding, app development, and networking? What lessons do these disciplines teach them and how do they benefit?
Learning computer science (CS) and coding specifically has multiple benefits for our students. First, computational thinking/coding at its core is problem solving. The analysis and the critical thought processes that are programming's foundation are valuable skills for our students to learn. Second, studies have shown that programming can be beneficial to cognitive development. Third, there are many jobs available to coders now and more coming in the future. Fourth, coding is an added tool for your toolbox. Students are starting to use it like they use Powerpoint or Excel. It's a means of explaining data. Finally, at a basic level, programming and CS give students insight and understanding into all the electronic devices around them.
What types of educational technology is available for students and teachers?
There is an incredible amount of technology tools available to students and teachers. I'm a part of a team at Episcopal that examines these tools
and offers workshops to maximize their usefulness.
Our campus technology includes the following:
• Apple laptops for students
• Maker spaces, 3D printers, and Drones for teacher and student use
• Canvas (classroom management tool) and the Google suite of educational tools for teachers. Teachers also make use of tools such as EdPuzzle, Prezi, Kahoot, Quizlet, Skype, Flipgrid, and Nearpod to name a few.
What is the EA community like?
EA is an incredibly supportive community in many ways. Faculty make themselves available for students outside of class time and even provide online office hours in the evenings. The administration is supportive of its faculty by providing top-notch professional development. Faculty are encouraged to travel to workshops and conferences across the country. Both faculty and students are persuaded to push themselves in a safe environment.