Our mission: Dawson School is dedicated to excellence of mind, body, and character. We prepare students, through challenging and relevant learning, to become creative, resilient problem solvers who bring their best to the world.
Academics
Innovation and Technology
INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY AT DAWSON
Courses offered by the Innovation and Technology department are designed to give students the chance to take ownership of their learning by exploring new tools, trying out new ideas, taking risks, and iterating in their work. These courses are interdisciplinary; developing creative technology skills and bringing ideas together from a variety of subjects including art and media, math and science, and humanities. Self directed exploration, problem solving, tinkering, and collaboration are the heart of great learning and facilitate students’ growth. Ever evolving technologies used in these courses may include a variety of programming languages, digital fabrication machines, electronics, a variety of printing formats (3D printers, 2D laser cutters, large format, plotters, etc.), sewing equipment, multimedia tools and more. Innovation and Technology courses will allow students opportunities to bring their passion and personality into developing their ideas.
The Innovation and Technology curriculum is focused on five primary areas:
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Foundational Technology Skills - Students learn to use age appropriate hardware and software tools used for creativity, productivity, and collaboration including creating and sharing documents, presentations, spreadsheets, and general technology literacy
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Programming - foundations of coding in a variety of languages giving students opportunities to solve problems using algorithms
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Engineering and Design - electronics, 3D modeling/printing, prototyping, fabrication
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Robotics - design, construction, operation, and application of robots
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Digital Media - photography, video, audio, learning portfolios and reflections
Dawson Center for Innovation
The Dawson Center for Innovation opened in the fall of 2020 and is a hub for creativity and exploration of all kinds. The programming described on this page, as well as Upper and Middle School science classrooms are housed in the new facility. Learn more here (page to come).
Current Upper School Innovation and Technology course offerings include:
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AP Computer Science A (year-long course)
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AP Computer Science Principles (year-long course)
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App Development
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Digital Fabrication
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Film Making for a Purpose
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Game Design
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Idea Incubator
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Inventing with Technology
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Programming I (Python)
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Wearables
Innovation and Technology in Middle School
Students in Middle School are provided a MacBook Air for use at school. All students have access to powerful design and productivity tools including the entire Adobe Creative Suite, Google Drive, and a wealth of other online tools. Students access online content for their classes in the Dawson Portal.
6th Grade Innovation and Technology class:
In 6th grade, students will move beyond the skills and concepts they developed in Lower School and begin to work on more advanced projects. Students will explore some of the graphic design tools in Adobe Creative Suite. We will focus on utilizing Photoshop and Illustrator in the creative process. In addition, students will learn to code microcontrollers and incorporate them to create a wide array of products and projects. Advanced coding concepts will also be a focus utilizing both drag and drop blocks of code as well as text based coding environments. Students will continue working with 3D modeling programs with the introduction of some new challenges and software options to help them bring their creations to life.
7th and 8th Grade Innovation and Technology course options include:
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Foundations of Coding - Students learn to write code in JavaScript to solve problems and create interactive programs. They also build web pages and create visually dynamic graphics.
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Maker Workshop - Maker Workshop is a project based class that gives Middle School students an opportunity to explore modern digital fabrication tools including 3D printing, laser cutting, electronics, and coding by using these tools to solve a real world design challenge
Innovation and Technology in Lower School
Lower School students explore how technology can be used in the creative process. Students learn to leverage innovative tools to combine information and ideas with their creativity. Lower Schoolers have access to iPads and MacBook Air laptops, two 3D printers, programmable EV3 Lego Mindstorm robots, Little Bits electronic circuit prototyping kits, as well as a variety of engineering / construction kits.
Lower School Students receive Innovation and Technology instruction twice a week. In addition to these classes, the Innovation and Technology Specialist works with classroom teachers on collaborative grade level projects using a variety of tools. We believe that the best learning environment is one of application so we always strive to couple the learning of technology skills such as coding or graphic design with knowledge gained in the classroom. One example might be to create a narrated stop-motion film made in iMovie documenting the lifecycle of a tree seed or to using Google Earth to map and annotate the paths of early western explorers like Zebulon Pike and Jedediah Smith.
The Innovation and Technology curriculum revolves around our five core areas of study: Coding, graphic design, engineering, robotics, and foundational skills (how to use technology effectively). Many projects, such as coding of Lego Mindstorm Robots tend to cover several of these core areas simultaneously: coding the robots, engineering the attachments for various missions, and using cloud storage to save and modify long-term projects.
In addition to these five core areas there is strong focus on digital citizenship. Lower School students are entering an age where knowledge of proper internet usage is crucial. Teaching them how to navigate the online world safely is a top priority. Students will learn to identify phishing attempts, deal with cyberbullying, create and protect passwords, and appropriate uses of social media. Students complete a deep dive into all of these concepts and subsequently create public awareness campaigns through a variety of media to share their knowledge with parents and peers.
Innovation and Technology Resources
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The Innovation and Technology Team
List of 7 members.
Engineer-In-Residence
Glenn Salaman is a former Dawson parent, and has been our “Engineer-in-Residence” since 2018. He can often be found in the Dawson Center for Innovation Makerspace, where he is an engineering resource for students and faculty.
Glenn graduated from CU Boulder with a degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering. He has 20+ years of industry experience with Qualcomm, where he oversaw the Boulder office’s Modem Software Team as a Senior Director of Software. In addition, he made direct technical contributions to multiple technologies, including the Globalstar satellite phone, CDMA2000, and LTE. He retired from Qualcomm in 2014, and has since been tinkering with multiple technology projects.
Dawson School
DAWSON SCHOOL
10455 Dawson Drive | Lafayette, Boulder County, Colorado 80026
Map | Phone: (303) 665-6679
10455 Dawson Drive | Lafayette, Boulder County, Colorado 80026
Map | Phone: (303) 665-6679
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