Design, Engineering, & Technology
At Dwight, we have a design and engineering continuum program that starts with our youngest learners in preschool. As students discover the tools and materials available to them, they are able to create artifacts of their learning for all of their classes. We believe in challenging our students so that they develop the skills to communicate, ideate, and solve problems that are personally meaningful to them.
Early Childhood in The Studio
The magic begins for our design and engineering continuum in The Studio, our early childhood division’s STEAM lab (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics), which surrounds students with repurposed materials that become the foundation of projects and the springboard for creative ideas.
Grades 1-5 in The Wonder Lab
Students in grades 1-5 are encouraged to make their thinking visible in our Wonder Lab. Here, students are challenged to create, invent, and engineer, applying what they are learning in math, science, and the humanities through a creative lens. Students have access to both digital and analog tools for their projects.
Grades 6-8 in The Invention Studio
Designed for students in grades 6-8, the Invention Studio is complete with 3D printers, sewing and embroidery machines, woodworking tools, a vinyl cutter, large format laser cutter, and a 1:1 robotics library. Here, students cycle through both design and engineering processes.
Grades 9-12 in The Spark Lab
The Spark Lab is our makerspace designed for students in grades 9-12. Students have access to 3D printing and additive manufacturing machines, vinyl and laser cutters, a robotics library, woodworking tools, and consumables that allow students to produce both low- and high-fidelity prototypes.
1:1 Program
Dwight School has a 1:1 Technology Program for Grades 1-12. The purpose of the 1:1 program is to enhance the learning experience for each student. This learning takes many forms, from developing research skills to designing and creating innovative solutions to real-world problems. By providing each student with his/her own device, Dwight ensures that technology is a regular component of students’ learning experiences.
Design and Technology
As an International Baccalaureate World School, Dwight incorporates design throughout its technology curriculum. Students focus on the solving problems through the design cycle, which includes stages of inquiry and analysis, idea development, creation, and evaluation. Students apply their design skills toward practical challenges from a variety of disciplines, from architecture and engineering to robotics and programming. In the process, students learn design thinking skills and how to use a wide range of tools, ranging from pen and paper to more complex laser cutters and 3D printers.
In the Lower School, students have design and technology projects that are integrated into each unit of inquiry. Students learn technology skills, such as animation and coding, and apply those skills to produce a wide variety of projects that demonstrate their learning, from stop-motion animations to original inventions.
In the Middle School and Upper School, students take Design courses from grades 6-10. These courses balance digital design (i.e., graphic design, filmmaking, web design, etc.) and product design in which students create physical products using a variety of tools, ranging from 3D printers to hand tools.
Computer Science at Dwight
Dwight students learn computer science in each year of their Technology curriculum.
In the Lower School, students learn computational thinking skills like sequencing, order, and direction. Students also use Scratch Jr and Scratch to create many types of programs that demonstrate their knowledge and creativity.
In the Middle School, students learn several types of programming. Grade 6 students learn to program by using Scratch to develop their own educational games and by programming Lego robots to perform a series of tasks in an obstacle course. Grade 7 and 8 students learn to code their own websites using HTML, CSS, and Javascript.
In the Upper School, students learn to program using Python, one of the most in-demand languages for professionals and new learners alike. In the Diploma Program, students can also elect to take our Computer Science course, which offers more advanced training in a variety of programming languages, computer science concepts, and practical problem-solving.
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