Educational Technology

Educational technology is an integral part of the teaching and learning process at University School of Milwaukee. The school recognizes the need for developmentally appropriate technology to fully empower learning, while ensuring that interactions between students and teachers remain a foundational component of education.

Allowing students and faculty to connect, collaborate, and communicate—both within the classroom and with the global community—is critical to today’s educational environment. Technology has the potential to transform the learning experience, allowing students to go beyond the role of consumers of information to being producers of digital content created from many different ideas and subject areas that can be shared with anyone, anywhere.

Having access to and familiarity with the latest technology offers our students a broad range of learning opportunities. In our World Languages classes, for example, students take virtual trips via Skype and other technologies to counties around the world, providing them with opportunities to acquire language skills and global awareness in authentic and engaging ways.

Knowing how to access, analyze, and evaluate the ever-growing amount of information available via technology is also an essential skill for today’s modern students. At USM, we prepare students to be a part of today’s increasingly interconnected world. Students in all divisions are exposed to the tools they will need to become 21st century learners, leaders, and citizens.

Additionally, because of the proliferation of technology both in school and at home, USM stresses the importance of internet safety and digital citizenship by engaging students and parents in educational sessions throughout the year.

USM's technology-rich environment includes:

  • 1:1 Program for all Lower School, Middle School, and Upper School students
  • Faculty laptops 
  • Interactive whiteboard technology 
  • Campus-wide wireless internet access

1:1 Program

Launched in 2012, the 1:1 Program reflects USM’s commitment to prepare students for the 21st century. Its implementation evolved directly from USM’s mission to embrace the challenges and opportunities of the future in an equitable, student-centered, and forward-thinking learning community.

Through our 1:1 Program, all Lower School, Middle School, and Upper School students use a dedicated personal computing device throughout the school day and beyond.

  • Students in kindergarten through 5th grade use school-owned iPads.
  • Students in 6th through 12th grades bring their own personal devices.

To ensure students’ online safety, USM has installed firewalls to block inappropriate content along with correlating software to monitor device traffic. Students and parents must also sign acceptable use policies to ensure the tools are used in an appropriate manner.

How Does the 1:1 Program Benefit Students?

Research indicates that when students use their own personal devices, the potential to improve and extend learning exists by:

  • Offering a classroom environment where collaboration and creation are paramount   
  • Allowing for different teaching paradigms 
  • Providing students opportunities to participate in lessons off campus or review lessons multiple times afterward to reinforce the material 
  • Empowering students with access to resources, people, and content, extending learning beyond the walls of the classroom 
  • Increasing opportunities for teachers to assess students informally during class 
  • Helping students organize their learning materials—including electronic textbooks and binders, notes, video, audio, and graphics—on one device
  • Preparing students to be skilled technology users

Why a 1:1 Program?

The 1:1 Program goals support USM’s academic technology philosophy and helps to provide students with ACCESS, which is defined as:

Autonomy to 

  • Create  
  • Collaborate  
  • Explore  
  • Support all learners  
  • Share with the global community 

ACCESS will continue to frame how technology will support learning at USM.