Learning Innovation & Technology

Students in their formative educational years are facing unprecedented challenges all around them — disruptive technologies, changing ecologies, and geopolitical shifts, to name a few. Our students have grown up in one of the most challenging technological periods to date—including the promise of an “open” internet, the explosion of technological capabilities across all domains (including education), and, in our modern era, the retraction of the public hope for technology as a savior of our species. These challenges are inspiring, as we now possess ubiquitous access to tech resources that allow us to connect, design, and create in real-time, in a ubiquitous fashion. In our department, we view technology not as an end goal—but a means to get there. Innovation is about a new way to solve problems, aided by empathy and community, using any tool from any discipline to get there. Sometimes that includes technology, sometimes it doesn’t. Our courses are the place to explore all that is possible in solving big-picture problems and make students believe that they really can “make that happen.” Working with our other disciplines across the school, we give students the venue to develop their own voices and leave our school with a portfolio of original work and are prepared to solve whatever they put their minds to. 

The Carol Morgan School's Learning Innovation & Technology (LIT) department is transforming education by using technology to cultivate real-world experiences for students and empower teachers. Instead of just focusing on the tools, LIT designs dynamic learning environments that foster agile design thinkers ready to shape the future.

Empowering Real-World Learning

In LIT courses at CMS, technology isn't the end goal; it's one tool amongst many to bring students’ visions to life. We provide students with "learning provocations" to tackle actual problems that they are inspired to solve through hands-on, "learning to do and doing to learn" opportunities. This approach deepens understanding by connecting classroom concepts to practical application.

Our state-of-the-art Learning Innovation Studios, including our brand new LIT rooms in our newest constructed building, are equipped with 3D printers and robotics materials and are some of the finest in the region. For example, our award-winning Team DRIFT robotics team directly applies complex problem-solving and engineering skills to real challenges, like designing and creating prosthetics for local medical centers. Students gain agency through personalized learning pathways, giving them voice and passion in their educational journey like in our middle grades Passion Projects in which students follow a problem they create through to its solution - all designed by the students themselves. 

Technology as a Catalyst for Connection and Creation

Both students and teachers leverage technology to enhance collaboration and innovation. Our successful Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) program for grades 6-12 helps students become agile digital creators and problem-solvers. Elementary grades also benefit from diverse technology resources like iPads for group work, fostering collaborative learning from a young age.

Teachers are equipped with MacBook Pros and supported through professional learning communities, enabling them to integrate technology seamlessly into lessons that drive real-world engagement. This approach ensures that technology always serves to deepen learning and prepare students as future-ready innovators and entrepreneurs.