Technology at TA

Tuscaloosa Academy invests in instructional technology to provide a learning environment that is relevant for students - to enhance and support their intellectual curiosity. In libraries and in classrooms, students work with appropriate technology to conduct critical research, improving collaboration with peers and teachers in producing a quality educational product.

Integration of digital citizenship into student life at all levels of Tuscaloosa Academy makes it a part of daily activity. As a consequence of this emphasis, students are expected to adhere to the highest standards of honesty and integrity in all their work.

Lower School (PK3 - 4)

Teachers have access to a classroom set of iPads at each grade level. Teachers use these resources to integrate technology into and supplement their lessons. Students progress in each grade from learning basic computer skills to touch-typing, email, web-based research skills, and entry-level coding. 1st-4th grade students also have access to a quarter of coding and robotics instruction during their foreign language rotation. We believe that coding is the future and want TA students to gain exposure from an early age. 

Students also apply what they have learned in class by producing digital art, videos, slideshows, and fun presentations they can share with classmates, teachers and parents.​

Middle School (Grades 5 - 8)

Middle School technology transforms students from consumers of technology to innovators using technology.  With the students having access to one-to-one iPads, seamless integration into digital classroom lessons allows for students to keep up with an ever changing digital age. Our technology department offers a wide range of classes and clubs to actively engage students with technology. Digital literacy, citizenship, and leadership help build the foundation of technology education. 

Students are able to refine typing skills and deepen their skills of Microsoft Office products and Google applications and offer an introduction into coding programs and languages. This allows students to diversify their output in other classes. As students develop the basic skills in everyday use technology programs, students are also able to transition to an innovator of technology through digital arts design, digital storytelling, designing for humanity, robotics. These  hands-on extension courses allow students to deepen their problem-solving skills through project based learning and solving real-life application scenarios but also learn deeper  critical thinking and creative thinking. 

STEM Showcase, Coding, and Robotics club are also available for interested students as extra-curricular activities.​

Upper School (Grades 9 - 12)

Students in the Upper School are presented with many opportunities to choose specialties they wish to learn, using technology tools to facilitate that endeavor. Students use their one-to-one Mac book devices to continue to hone their digital literacy  as they acquire new skills in programming, cybersecurity, algorithm design, and data analysis. 

Competitions

Students in all grade levels are encouraged to enter their work in events and competitions. Tuscaloosa Academy believes students should have the opportunity to show and teach classmates, parents, faculty, and the public about the technology used and projects produced during the school year.  

Students in grades 3 - 12 participate in robotics and STEM competitions and showcases. Upper School students have won numerous awards in the University of West Alabama Integrated Marketing Communications Creative Competition. US girls are yearly winners at the state and national level of the Aspirations in Computing awards from NCWIT. TA Cyber Knights cybersecurity team routinely places near the top in national Capture the Flag competitions. The TA Computer Programming team has won at the state level and the AL/GA combined contests. 

In addition to traditional technology contests, TA also offers a computer-based Esports team for US students. Students may choose from numerous online games in both team and individual formats. The TA Esports team has a national third place finish and has won one national championship!