Educational Technology at MKA enriches learning, nurtures creativity, and prepares students to thrive in a connected world.
MKA educators tailor students’ experiences with technology to their developmental stages and learning needs, so students are empowered to use digital tools in support of inquiry, communication and collaboration, productivity, and innovation.
Rooted in MKA’s commitment to transformative learning, students’ technology-infused learning experiences help them to become flexible thinkers and ethical leaders who use technology safely and responsibly, with intentionality and integrity.
Whether helping students to amplify, demonstrate, or share their learning, technology enables students to grow as engaged, reflective, lifelong learners—ready to lead lives of noble character, purpose, and distinction in an ever-evolving technological world.
MKA LEARNER & TECHNOLOGY
To enhance their learning as they explore new ideas and develop multiple approaches to problem-solving, students leverage a variety of technology tools from the Google Suite and Canva to 3D printing and virtual reality (VR) goggles. Because MKA’s approach is intentional, students learn to choose technology tools that match their learning tasks.
MKA provides equitable and age-appropriate access to a variety of technology tools that encourage creativity, play, productivity, and innovation. These tools are carefully vetted to ensure student safety, data security, and responsible use.
Since 2008, MKA has provided all students and faculty with standard hardware and software to ensure access to a common platform for instruction. Students in grades 4-12 and all faculty are provided 13-inch MacBook Air laptops, which are replaced every 3 years. Students in fourth grade are introduced to their devices, which remain in school for the year, through a scaffolded approach to increasing responsibility. At the Primary School, students have in-school access to their own iPads.
As students navigate everything from collaborative digital tools to Generative Artificial Intelligence, faculty guide them in developing digital literacy, citizenship, and personal agency. Furthermore, faculty encourage mindful use of technology as they help students build healthy and ethical digital habits.
The Educational Technology and Technology Department Teams provide students and teachers with tremendous support for using the wide variety of technology tools available to them, and Student Ed Tech Leaders provide additional support for peers and teachers at the Middle and Upper Schools. When necessary, members of the Technology Department also make or arrange for repairs and provide a loaner device to ensure the continuity of teaching and learning during the repair process.
MKA’s robust professional development empowers teachers to enhance effective pedagogy with digital tools to create transformative learning experiences for their students. Through both on-site workshops and attendance at local and national conferences, teachers intentionally work to enhance their tech-infused instructional practice and students’ ability to learn most effectively with technology tools.
TECHNOLOGY & THE CURRICULUM
Educational Technology at the Primary School Campus
Teachers plan varied, technology-infused learning activities for individuals, small groups, or the whole class to enhance student learning, curiosity, and creativity. Students use Seesaw, a digital portfolio tool, to capture examples of their work, thinking, and reflections; teachers use this platform to gather data about students’ learning and to enhance assessment and feedback opportunities. This digital collection of student work also provides parents, students, and teachers with a clear representation of students’ progress and growth over time.
Educational Technology at the Middle and Upper School Campuses
Across the curriculum, teachers integrate technology as a learning tool to empower students to actively make meaning from their learning, construct knowledge, and creatively express themselves using various platforms appropriate to their learning goals. To acclimate students to working with their own laptop, fourth- and fifth-grade students receive direct instruction to learn the fundamentals of responsible computer use, digital citizenship, communication, literacy, and security in order to become responsible and productive users of digital technology.
Teachers of grades 6-12 use Veracross as a learning management system to organize their course resources for student access, providing continuity from one class meeting to the next. Along with the Google Workspace for Education suite of tools, a variety of synchronous and asynchronous technology tools provide powerful communication and collaboration opportunities, allowing teachers and students to share ideas, provide and respond to feedback, and build knowledge together.
ON THE NATIONAL STAGE
Long recognized for its successful 1:1 Learning Initiative, MKA remains a center for leadership and educational excellence, with a clear vision for how technology-rich environments support learning goals. As teachers incorporate technology into their lessons, they empower students to lead, learn, and thrive, to discover new opportunities, and to make their world a better place.
First named an Apple Distinguished School in 2013 and every year since, MKA was again recognized as an Apple Distinguished School for 2023-2026. MKA has consistently been selected for this distinction for its commitment to continuous innovation in education and using Apple products to create exemplary learning practices.