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 and email and web-based research skills.

Students also apply what they have learned in class by producing digital art, videos, slideshows, and fun presentations they can share with the 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 offers 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 and leadership skills as they acquire new skills in engineering, programming, and digital art.

Competitions

Students in all grade levels are encouraged to enter their work in events and competitions. Tuscaloosa Academy holds a Technology Showcase each spring. Students 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 the AISA State Technology Fair each spring. Upper School students have won numerous awards in the University of West Alabama Integrated Marketing Communications Creative Competition. Middle School girls may participate in a Girls Who Code club that is led by girls in the AP CS class. The US Girls Go Cyber team competed in the national championship in Spring 2020 and the TA Cyber Knights cybersecurity team placed third in the University of Alabama Capture the Flag Cyber Contest.

In addition to traditional technology contests, TA also offers a computer-based Esports team for US students. Last year's team competed in both the High School Esports League and PlayVS. Members of the team received an invitation to compete onstage at DreamHack in Atlanta!

Ten US girls were honored with Aspirations in Computing awards from NCWIT!