Technology

Urban is a pioneer in fully integrating technology into academics. Our highly regarded 1:1 laptop program, first implemented in 2000, has attracted the attention of educators and scholars from around the world, including visitors from China, Russia, South Korea, Canada, Australia, Singapore and more. Schools across the nation continue to view Urban’s 1:1 program as a successful model to emulate.

All members of the Urban community are issued state-of-the-art MacBook laptops for school and home use, fully installed with software programs used in our classrooms. Despite the hyped use of tablets, iPads and other devices, Urban firmly believes that laptops remain the best technology tool for high school students to thrive and learn in our rigorous, multi-faceted curriculum.

Technology Innovation at Urban
Urban’s spirit of technological innovation is still alive and well today. The school is currently creating and implementing 21st century models of education in independent schools (see Bay Area BlendEd for more information). Urban is also the home to our maker space and design lab, all courses part of the UrbanX Labs program.

Urban’s approach to technology is purposely holistic: technology skills, multimedia design, and digital literacy and citizenship are integrated throughout the daily curriculum to foster active, student-centered learning. Courses across the curriculum use video conferencing and other communication tools to connect with experts and individuals from around the world. Technology is ubiquitous at Urban, and it seamlessly supports and enhances our academic program and our core values. Teacher-created libraries of video tutorials allow students to go back and review key content at their own pace. Course offerings such as computer science, video production and electronics allow students to delve into passions that span the technology spectrum.