Leading Thoughts

Dear Community,

Few things mark the passage of time quite like the evolution of technology. Regardless of how old you are, it is likely that you remember a piece of technology that you used to use quite regularly, and now no longer do. When we abandon such tools, it is usually because they have since been replaced by something newer, better, or more efficient. And yet, there exists a certain nostalgia for the old. Perhaps you still think fondly of your old record player or, if you are younger, your trusty iPod shuffle.

What we choose to embrace, and to discard, says a lot about our values as people and as educators. This past school year — CSW’s 135th — technology came to hold an enormous presence in each of our classrooms, in ways we never imagined. Teachers found themselves reliant upon equipment and software to which they had only very recently been introduced. Naturally, there were some frustrations, but there were also some surprises. In fact, as you will read in our cover story, “Teaching Tech” (p. 18), the pandemic familiarized many of our faculty members with systems and tools that they never would have envisioned using, but that they now intend to continue utilizing on a regular basis. In this tech-themed issue of The Gryphon, we take a deep dive into the world of classroom technology and investigate a few of its many manifestations at CSW. I hope you will enjoy reading about the evolution of CSW’s robotics program (p.24), and the unveiling of the Music Department’s new very high-tech recording studio (p. 16). I also highly recommend reading our interview with Harry McCracken ’82, technology editor for Fast Company, for fascinating insights on the future of online journalism and advice for approaching your next big tech purchase.

In the months ahead, I hope to see many of you in person as we seek to re-initiate travel this year. And for those of you dwelling in faraway locales with busy and demanding schedules, know that we also intend to continue to host virtual opportunities for engagement — a perfect example of a newly discovered technological perk.

All my best,

Lise Charlier, Head of School

Light from a projected presentation filters over Edison Kao ’21 and EJ Wallman ’21 in their “Discovering India” history class.