Curriculum Topics

List of 4 items.

  • Engineering & Design

    How does it work? Why did they build it like that? What happens if I do this....?

    Harnessing and developing children's natural curiousity is one of our main goals, and the engineering and design aspects of the technology curriculum are essential components.  In the early childhood years, this means taking apart computers in PreK with real tools to see how they work, learning to create circuits and simple sound machines in Kindergarten to create custom electronics, and lighting up entire model cities with LED "street lights" to represent turn of the century technology.

    In the elementary years, the engineering and design challenges focus more on solving real world problems using more sophisticated tools.  We begin to introduce 3D printing and design in our studies of assistive technology, crafting architectural models for civil engineering exercises, and designing novel human/computer interface devices. By the upper elementary and middle school years, students become their own project leads, choosing for themselves what challenges to take on and learning to use new tools independently.
  • Multimedia Production

    Human beings are story tellers - the digital tools that students learn in multimedia production are always first and foremost taught in service of developing a better story, a more persuasive message, or a stronger emotional connection.  We introduce and develop skills across a wide spectrum of media; students learn digital photography, image manipulation, video editing and green screen production, digital music, and animation techniques.  Initially taught as individual tools and techniques, by the end of each year students are combining all they have learned into class plays, movies, music videos, and original works of art.
  • Programming & Robotics

    Programming and robotics lessons are integrated into classroom math and science actvities, and taught as stand-alone topics in technology classes.  We begin as early as PreK, where the focus is on physical movement, directionality, and learning to sequence a set of insructions.  Children will "program" their teachers and classmates to move around a room, program simple robots to move through block mazes constructed by their classmates, and learn to "debug" simple sequences.

    As children advance in grade levels, we begin to incorporate concepts such as variables, loops, and function calls to write more complex code.  In the elementary grades this means constructing and programming Lego Mindstorm robots to solve engineering challenges, and creating programs in Scratch to solve mathematic equations.  By the middle school years, students are writing much more complex code and building robots with basic AI routines in simulation scenarios such as search and rescue operations, agriculture, and environmental cleanup.
  • Publishing (desktop & web)

    Who is my intended audience? What is my message? How can I best convey it?

    These questions are our constant guide in teaching students the tools and techniques of destop and web publishing.  From basic skills such as keyboarding and word processing to more advanced blogging and website creation, our goal is to give students a wide array of tools and experiences in communicating their thoughts and ideas.  We also cover topics such as social media and online portfolios, focusing not just on how to use these tools, but when and why to use them, and how to protect your privacy.

Meet the Technology Team

List of 2 members.

  • Photo of Steven Trust

    Steve Trust 

    Director of Academic Technology
  • Photo of Harrison Simon

    Harrison Simon 

    Educational Technologist

Multimedia Production: Green Screen

Charles River School is a PreKindergarten through Grade 8 independent school that honors the pursuit of academic excellence and the joy of childhood. We nurture each child by igniting curiosity, encouraging creativity, and cultivating intellectual engagement. Our graduates know themselves, understand others, and shape the future of our diverse world with confidence and compassion.

Charles River School admits students of any race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin in administration of its educational or admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.