Educational Technology

Heritage Christian Academy makes strategic and careful use of technology to enhance learning and equip students for vocation and citizenship in the world they inhabit today as well as the world they will inherit tomorrow. There are two primary motivations behind this commitment:

• The development and use of 21st century skills is consistent with our role as image-bearers of God as we demonstrate creativity, critical thinking, collaboration and communication.
• The 21st century workplace demands that we train our students to be excellent in these skills as we develop their expertise in the content areas.

Technology is the creative activity of using tools to transform God’s creation for practical purposes.

How We Use Technology in the Classroom

In general, our approach is to increase exposure to and reliance upon digital technology as students advance through the grade levels. The following is an overview of how digital technology is used at each school level.

Middle School (Grades 6–8)

Students in grades 6–8 have a Chromebook cart available for use on campus to enhance their educational experience. They may also bring their own device if they choose, but they are not required to do so. When middle school teachers assign work utilizing a digital device, they will include a hard copy option for students who wish to complete and submit the work physically.

High School (Grades 9–12)

For grades 9–12, HCA employs a 1-1 BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) model. Each high school student is required to bring his or her own laptop to school each day. The BYOD approach in conjunction with a robust learning management system (LMS) allows teachers to employ 21st century skills in a more effective and efficient manner.

How We Promote Online Safety

HCA utilizes robust content filtering technologies on student networks at all times to protect students from harmful content while on campus. In addition, students are introduced to digital citizenship concepts.

• View our Acceptable Use Policy for students.

Support

For questions regarding educational technology, please contact our IT Director to submit a support request.

Digital Citizenship Resources

Technology is a powerful tool that can be both empowering and destructive, depending on how it is used. Stewarding it well requires vigilance and wisdom. We periodically share resources on our blog to help equip parents and caregivers to use digital technology in a safe, constructive and Christ-honoring way.