Facilities Improvement Plan: Technology Priorities

Our technology plan prioritizes adding equipment and infrastructure to classrooms to improve instruction, communication and productivity. Today’s classroom technologies can bring the real world into the classroom, help students learn to use current technologies and prepare students to use future technologies while learning core reading, writing, math, science, social studies, and research skills. Technologies can also enhance communication between parents, teachers and students, and help extend learning outside the classroom.

The elementary classroom of the near future will have the following equipment:

1. A multimedia computer connected to a projector, sound system, wireless keyboard and mouse and wireless drawing pad or interactive white board and a document camera.
2. A computer based learning center with 4-6 small profile computers running software that is connected with our language arts, mathematics, science, social studies and information literacy curriculums.
3. A teacher laptop computer.
4. Infrastructure including electrical, networking and related to support the equipment as listed above.

The secondary classroom of the near future will have the following equipment:

1. A multimedia computer connected to a projector, sound system, wireless keyboard and mouse, and a document camera.
2. Specific technologies to support the curriculum such as interactive whiteboards and graphing calculators for math, probe-ware for science, digital cameras and video equipment for art/media, and writing/research labs for health, language arts and social studies. There are also many other specific equipment needed to support the various career and technical education programs, music programs and other electives.
3. A teacher laptop computer.
4. Infrastructure including electrical, networking and related to support the equipment as listed above.

During the typical year the district is able to put $65,000 to $100,000 towards infrastructure, equipment and software in support of the district technology plan. Over 60% of this is needed each year to upgrade or replace outdated equipment and software. Additional technology funds would be used to support the classroom priorities as outlined above.

Classroom Technology Plan

Following is a brief update concerning our district technology plan and placing equipment into classrooms.

Our technology plan prioritizes adding equipment to classrooms to improve instruction. It also prioritizes using technology to bring the real world into the classroom, help students meet information literacy standards, enhance communication between parents, teachers and students, and extend learning outside the classroom.

With this in mind teachers are encouraged to:

• Develop technology enhanced lessons that help students meet both core academic and information technology standards.
• Create a web presence and Skyward presence to:
  1. Communicate course/class curriculum goals, expectations, assignments, materials…
  2. Communicate student progress, grades…
  3. Get feedback from parents
  4. Extend learning opportunities
• Write an informal tech plan for themselves and for their site’s technology committee that describes the technologies they would like to have in their classroom and suggests strategies that they will use to continue their own learning.

Projectors, sound equipment, wireless keyboards and mice, and “Pointer” software is currently being placed into classrooms. Over 60 classrooms have been served or are being served. Our first priority is to serve teachers that are seriously working on the list above. Let your technology coach know if you would like to work on your tech plan.

Additional information concerning developing or updating your technology plan can be found at our technology elearning site http://www.soc6036.org/course/enrol.php?id=32 The enrollmet key is tech teacher.

Blogging 101

Following is a link to the Blogging 101 site. This will give you a number of ideas to consider if you are interested in being an active education blogger.

Happy continued learning!

http://blogging101.edublogs.org/

What is RSS?

The following information is from the PBS Teachers learning.now web site and news network. I am using their RSS feed for one of the news links on our tech blog.

RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is a method for online publishers to share and distribute their content directly to other websites or individual Internet users. RSS allows other websites to display the latest content from other websites. Similarly, Internet users will often collect RSS feeds from their favorite websites and use special software known as "RSS readers" to receive the latest content from these sites without having to visit them one at a time. It's not unlike having your own personalized news wire service, only including the blogs and news headlines that you select. You can learn more about the basics of RSS technology by reading the tutorial, What's RSS and Why Should I Care About It?, posted at the Digital Divide Network.

For the full article from PBS visit http://www.pbs.org/teachers/learning.now/info/rss-info.html

Is Your Classroom Connected?

Check this out

http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=6b9478bb0512f0a43028

Advanced Tech Class August 20-21, 2007

This workshop is designed to promote the use of various tools to create on-line lessons, units or courses. Participants should have some prior experience with web publishing and using technology to deliver instruction.

Topics Include: On-Line Learning Enhanced Curriculum and Lessons, Web Design, MOODLE
12 CEU’s