Technology - Mrs. Lucia Biddle

- ACADEMICS

Email: lbiddle@simonandjude.org

Hello SSJ Family!

Welcome to Technology and 4th Grade Honors Math class! My name is Lucia Biddle and I am extremely honored and excited to begin teaching at Ss. Simon and Jude this year. Saint Ignatius of Loyola said, “God is at the center of everything and provides meaning for our lives.” I believe these words eloquently describe what it means to be a student and teacher in a Catholic School environment- God is our center and at the heart of everything we do.

My path to becoming a Catholic school teacher has had many twists and turns. I graduated from Bryn Mawr College with a B.A. in Romance Languages (French and Italian). Next, I graduated from Villanova University School of Law and worked as an attorney in Media and Philadelphia for several years. I then earned my Master’s Degree in Elementary Education from Cabrini University and became certified in Elementary Education and Middle School Math. For the past seven years, I have taught pre-K and CCD (grades K-6) which has given me the wonderful experience of teaching at various grade levels. I believe that my diverse educational and professional background will be invaluable components to my classroom.

I look forward to creating a Technology and Honors Math experience that will be educational, challenging, and fun for all grade levels!

Here’s to an awesome new school year!
Mrs. Biddle

WELCOME TO TECHNOLOGY

In the Technology class, we will cover the skills necessary to learning and working in the digital age. We will have a large focus on learning grade-level computer navigation, typing and coding skills. We will also complete creative and engaging projects using Google Slides, Docs, and Sheets while incorporating different core subjects into the world of technology.

21st Century education emphasizes interdisciplinary project-based learning. In the SSJ technology program, students will incorporate skills and knowledge that are covered in all other subjects, and all other subjects will incorporate technology.

While the program will cover the entirety of the Archdiocesan curriculum, I would like to highlight what will make SSJ stand out and the changes and adaptations that are underway in order to set our students for success in the future.

This year all students will first become proficient- to grade level -at typing efficiency and accuracy. This is to ensure they can perform the basic needs of student life.
Once grades K-5 are proficient in typing, we will begin with basic grade-level block coding. Coding incorporates the logical thinking associated with science, math, and religion, but leaves room for the creative thought, problem-solving, and abstract understanding involved in, music, literature, and the arts.

Middle grades will be challenged to think creatively and innovatively. They will be challenged to develop the “next big thing,” identify shortcomings in previous developments, and solving technical and logical problems. These will all be based on topics of their groups choosing. These topics will be developed and inspire creativity with the latest technologies. Students will use knowledge from other classes to help them complete each step of this innovation.

Moving the Department into the Future
As a school, we are determined to grow with the latest technologies and strive to provide each student with the greatest advantage to learn. Some of the ways we are trying to do this are:
- Updating projectors, Smartboards and other advanced presentation devices.
- Incorporating technologies into each subject.
- Applying school concepts to real life obstacles and challenges.