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The philosophy of the District 109 literacy program is to help students achieve success in reading, while meeting both state and national standards, through the use of a balanced core curriculum. This rigorous curriculum covers everything from phonics and phonemic awareness at the lower grades to vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency at the higher grades as students develop into strong readers. The Illinois State Board of Education for English Language Arts recommends that students should be able to do the following:
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Read with understanding and fluency.
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Read and understand literature representative of diverse societies, eras, and ideas.
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Write to communicate for a variety of purposes.
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Listen and speak effectively in a variety of situations.
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Use the language arts to acquire, assess, and communicate information.
To assist in the development of strong readers, students are encouraged to read from various sources outside the classroom.
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Deerfield District 109 follows a 21st century model of education, constantly providing new opportunities to improve the way we teach and learn. We utilize emerging technology to enhance learning, facilitate communication, and engage our students in ways that equip them to flourish in the 21st century world.
We follow the National Educational Technology Standards (established by the International Society for Technology in Education). These standards guide our approach to educational technology:
- Demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology.
- Use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively (including at a distance), to support individual learning, and contribute to the learning of others.
- Apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information.
- Use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources.
- Understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behavior.
- Demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations.
To meet these standards, students utilize computer hardware: N-Computers, netbooks, and Promethean interactive whiteboard technology. Stations of five energy-efficient N-Computers enhance opportunities for differentiation. Grade-level mobile netbook carts increase student engagement. Promethean interactive whiteboard technology allows for enhanced instructional experiences and increased student interaction and engagement.
Students also use a variety of software and online resources to meet the demands of the 21st century:
- Students use Skype to communicate with other members of their class (and other classes) using English or other languages they are learning in their modern language classes.
- Students improve the quality of their writing through digital storytelling.
- Students locate and evaluate sources of information through online databases.
- Students use the Internet for extensive research, and they are taught how to use their critical thinking skills when searching for information online.
- Students utilize digital media (video, audio, and still image) to enhance their class projects.
- Students and teachers increase their global awareness by communicating through Skype, webcasts, and other forms of technology.
- Students use blogs and wikis to communicate and expand the audience of their original work.
- Students generate original print media with graphic design programs such as Paint.NET, MS Publisher, and Adobe Photoshop Elements.
- Students connect what they learn in class to real-life situations by video conferencing with others such as war veterans or NASA scientists.
- Students enhance their problem-solving skills by collecting data in science experiments and analyzing their findings using spreadsheets and graphs.
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The Library Media Center (LMC) provides the school community with the resources, tools, skills, and knowledge necessary to navigate in the 21st century world. In accordance with the standards set by the American Association of School Librarians, students will learn
- to inquire, think critically, and gain knowledge;
- to draw conclusions, make informed decisions, apply knowledge to new situations, and create new knowledge;
- to share knowledge and participate ethically and productively as members of our democratic society; and
- to pursue personal and aesthetic growth.
The LMC is a learner-friendly environment that promotes curiosity about one’s world and a lifelong love of learning and books.
Library Holdings Catalogs
Deerfield Public Schools Library Media Centers
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Math instruction in District 109 focuses on the development of the whole mathematician. Integrating standards from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and the State of Illinois, our instruction builds skills in these areas:
- numbers and operations (including fact fluency),
- algebra,
- geometry,
- measurement,
- data analysis and probability,
- problem solving,
- reasoning and proof,
- communication,
- connections, and
- representation.
At the elementary level, we apply the research-based Bridges curriculum. This curriculum guides students to the understanding of abstract mathematical concepts through intensive work with concrete models and visual representations. Students are encouraged to solve problems and build connections through engagement in rich discourse using the language of mathematicians.
Middle school mathematics courses build on the solid background established at the elementary level and continue to develop critical mathematical thinking skills. Students communicate their expanding knowledge in a variety of ways, through oral language, written language, visual models, representations, and proofs. The district believes that all students should emerge from their mathematical experience with the essential skills to be effective mathematicians and thinkers in an increasingly complex world.
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