Springfield Public School District #186 has established a five-year technology plan. Included are plans to increase the number of computers in each building, wire all classrooms for Internet accessibility, provide technology and classroom support and provide dollars based on school enrollment. The district prioritizes grade level needs in this order: Middle school (5-8 which will change to 6-8 in 1999), high school and K-4.
The plan calls for adding one Macintosh computer in every K-4 and high school classroom and 2 for every 5-8 classroom in the first year. By the end of the plan, K-4 buildings will have 4 computers in each room, middle will have 6 per class, and high school will have 6 per classroom. Buildings receive $10 per student to be used for software and peripherals. Staff members will be added to the support and training component. Also another technician will be added to service technology needs. Staff in-services and workshops will continue and broaden to meet the changing needs of the district. Technology is geared to support the curriculum and enable students to use multimedia tools for their classwork.
The district plan also provides an Elementary Technology Resource Guide to each teacher. This outlines appropriate software and information relevant to their grade level. Summer training is offered along with Project LINCOL'N training. (Project LINCOL'N is used at the 5-8 grades.) Each building has a Computer Facilitator. Facilitators meet once a month. At this time they are updated on new and changing technology. Appropriate software is introduced and any changes in supply prices or Mac purchase packages are given. Facilitators take this information back to their buildings and share it with their staff.
Pleasant Hill's technology plan focuses on purchasing basic technology to get classrooms using computers. The building is currently being wired for Internet access. With the support of the Parent/Teacher Organization new computers and T.V./VCR's have been installed. Classroom teachers have access to an L-TV box so systems can be displayed on the T.V. Many of the goals for 1997-1998 have been or are in the process of being achieved. A separate fund generated by teacher-run noon hour candy sales has added a color scanner, ink cartridges, software and memory upgrades.
My resource room uses computers everyday. Since I have not had Internet access, using the Web has been limited to times when an open classroom could be used. I do feel that I am moving in the direction that the District has for our goal. There are still ways that I can improve my classroom use of technology. One major way will be to implement Electrify Your Portfolio! using Power Point. This would allow the students to incorporate any of their work that they choose and the pieces that I specify for multimedia presentations. (slide shows) Team teaching with another class would help to expand this new knowledge. Adding school and classroom projects to the school web page is a goal I have shared with the principal and faculty. Learning Claris Home Page will make this process much easier.
Dream Classroom!!!!
My dream classroom would be Internet ready. I would have access to a phone in my room to contact parents and technical support if needed. The addition of 6 new G3 computers loaded with the latest and greatest software would be arranged into 2 islands. Student's working on their writing assignments could scan in their drawings on our color scanner or add their picture from the Sony Mavica Digital camera that we have. Stories and other assignments would be printed by our new color laser printer. Power Point slide shows would be displayed and shared on the color T.V./V.C.R. A large wall pocket chart would store each student's portfolio diskette. Any needed supplies would be stored in a cabinet in my room for easy retrieval. My school day would be spent working with small group instruction. Individualized programs would be set up for the student's to access. Specialized adaptations are installed and ready to meet each child's individualized needs. (Biggy Cursor, Speech application, etc...) Working with classroom teachers 1-2 hours a day would be spent on integrating technology into their classroom. Since it is easier to have help I would co-teach with the classroom teacher. Tuesday's and Thursday's from 2:30-3:15 would be Computer Club. A group of interested 4th graders would join me and work on a student generated newsletter. This newsletter would go out monthly. It would contains reports (field trip), stories, informative articles and pictures that the 4th graders have compiles. Work from Pleasant Hill students would be submitted by students or classroom teachers. Then the Club members would use Claris 4.0 to create their school newsletter. Each newsletter would then added to their school web page. This would be such a popular club that all the students would look forward to becoming 4th graders.
AHHHHH Sweet Dreams!