Technology

We believe that technology provides us with tools to help us better understand our world and better communicate with our fellow humans. Constant advances in Information Technology,  especially with regard to developing technologies on the Internet, provide us with marvelous opportunities for educating our students by making available vast information resources, multimedia capability, electronic communication, etc. Tandem Friends School is therefore committed to providing its students and faculty with the tools and knowledge to take advantage of these technological advances. In return, users are expected to respect the power of these tools, use them ethically and appropriately, and take care of them, in accordance with our Acceptable Use Policy.

All of our classrooms have at least one computer and some have several, allowing teachers to provide a variety of activities simultaneously in their classrooms, and nearly every teacher makes use of a digital projector to bring multimedia content, digital slide presentations, or the latest news and research from the Web into the classroom. Students and teachers also have wireless access to the Internet and the school network at various locations on campus.

In addition, three computer labs serve the needs of our students as they work individually or in a class setting. The lab on the lower floor of the Math-Science Building, with 17 PCs, is reserved for use only as a classroom, while a similar setup upstairs is suitable for classes of up to 18 students or for individual students during their study hall or free periods. Our students use the 10 Macintosh computers in the art space in the Main Building to produce the yearbook and digital films and photographic images. With the experience gained in their classes, Tandem students regularly produce films recognized as noteworthy in the greater Charlottesville community, and our students compete every year in the Bridge Film Festival.

Tandem teachers use Edline, our “virtual classroom space” on the Internet, to make assignments, supplementary information, and helpful links available to their students at any time from anywhere, and of course parents can access the same information using their own accounts. Students depend on Edline as an easy way to access their homework assignments, turn in work, and collaborate on projects, and it serves as a communication center for many student clubs and groups on campus.