Patty Chiles
Douglas School
Springfield, Illinois
All schools in Illinois are required to have their own technology plans. The technology plans for the district I teach in and my school are in agreement of their visions for District 186 students.
The mission statement for District 186 reads: "To provide access to technology for all students, training for all teachers and administrators, and technical support for the instructional program. Technology should be an integral part of the regular instructional process rather than limited to drill and practice." My district has proposed a five year plan to integrate technology into the classroom. I have chosen one line to quote directly that I believe reflects the entire vision: "Technology used to support the curriculum enables all students to learn in a problem-solving environment using the tools that will be available to them later in their careers."
The district plan goes on to elaborate the budget and training that will be necessary to implement their plan. They give specific details of the Project LINCOL'N training for teachers and administrators. They support their rationale of training the 5-8 teachers first, followed by the high school teachers, and then the training of the K-4 staff. Goals for the actual hardware to be in each classroom after the five year period is given.
I am fortunate to work with an administrator who sees the value of technology. Teachers in my building our encouraged to attend the Project LINCOL'N training which is offered during the summer months. After school technology workshops are scheduled throughout the year. Teachers are encouraged to incorporate technology into their classrooms.
Monies for technology in my district are allocated by student population. My building which is all alternative and behavior disorder students has a smaller population than most. Principal and staff work as a team to make the most of our technology funding. We always want more, but are probably more fortunate than most districts.
I team with two other teachers to teach the alternative junior high program at Douglas. Between the three of us we have five computers available for student use. All three rooms are equipped with televisions and VCRs. Each room has access to Internet use. We share the office printer. We all have the district licensed software on our computers and have some other software available. Slowly, but surely we are building!
A big leap in growth will come next school year. This summer my team is receiving technology instruction through Project LINCOL'N . I believe this will greatly improve the way in which we use our technology resources. Project LINCOL'N will also offer the opportunity for my team to acquire additional technology resources.
To be honest, I have not been using the technology in my classroom to the best possible advantage. In the past my students have used the computers for educational games, word processing, and research. I feel they have seen computer time as "reward time", not as an integrated tool for each subject.
As I learn more about technology and how to use it I learn how little I have actually done. I didn't mean to neglect my students. I was just unaware of the opportunities available to them. This summer I began a masters program through the University of Illinois. It is a pilot program for bringing technology to education. I believe this two year course will enable me to bring so much more to my students and coworkers. I have also committed to completing the Project LINCOL'N training offered through my district. This too will increase my technology skills and in return allow me the opportunity to better educate my students.
Ignorance is not bliss! In the past I couldn't begin to tell you what I needed in technology for my classroom. I might have suggested another computer or more software at best. As I learn more about technology it is as if a light bulb comes on in my head.
My teaching team is in need of carts for our computers. We need to be able to piggyback them together so groups can work at the same time on various projects. I begin to see how computer skills can be integrated across subject matter. The more familiar and comfortable I become with spread sheets and data bases the more I can see their possible uses. The more I expand my own abilities at word processing skills the more I can see how my students can use these same skills. As I am taught by the use of a LTV hook up the more I want to get one and use it in my own room.
Realistically I can foresee the possibility of being able to add several "extras" to my room. I would like to be able to have my team group our computers when needed. I would like for my team to be able to share a flex cam, a scanner, and add LTVs to our rooms. Many of these extras become more and more affordable each year.
The question was asked in this assignment about what my "dream" classroom would look like from a technology view point. Where would we be without dreamers?
My classroom would have approximately fifteen computers. There would be one computer on the teacher's desk that was NEVER touched by students. (This would be for records, grade books, etc. so I never had to be on the watch for students hoping to break in some how.) All of the computers would be top of the line. Messages about not enough memory would never appear. All of the wiring would be out of site and out of the way. The computers would be on carts so I could change them around as needed. A technician would be on call, in my building, in case of any service needs.
I would have a television and VCR. One of the computers would be hooked up so I could instruct by television so all the students could see. I would have a flex cam. I would have a scanner. I would have shelves above computer level wrapping all the way around my room. On the shelves I would have computer software. By the software I would have books related to the same topic area.
I would have a budget with no restrictions so I could always have the latest "new toy" on the market. A couple of the new cameras and one of the camcorders would be nice.
Now for the most important part of my "dream room". The district would call to tell me they realize the importance of my education in this area and would be paying all my tuition at the U of I. They would also want to see that every teacher AND attendant in the building completed the Project LINCOL'N training. Money would be allocated to make it desirable for all staff to keep abreast of technology.
You could spend all of the money in the world to equip a teacher's classroom, but if you don't educate the teacher then the money has been thrown away. It would be a nightmare not a dream to have a classroom full of computers and a classroom full of students playing Number Munchers all day. If you can excite the teacher about the possibilities of technology then he/she in return will excite the students. It's contagious!
My building would be ready to use computers as a resource across ALL subject areas. My students would be active learners. The class would be so engaged that they would never look at the clock except to complain that it was time for them to leave.
Though this is a dream parts of it are quite reachable for me. I believe I can integrate computers across all subject areas. I believe I can excite students and have them be active participants in the learning process. Being a teacher in an alternative program some may think my students can't become excited about learning. I have already witnessed how excited they are by the limited computers skills I have been able to teach them in the past. Now as I become more excited about the possibilities technology can offer - I know they can, I know they can, I know they can!
"There is no place like home. There is no place like home."