Technology Implementation 2014-2015
Office of Teaching & Learning 4.29.2014
Technology Utilization in the 21st Century
In order to prepare students to exit our school district with the 21st century skills to be college and career ready we must update our views of how technology is utilized during the school day. Robust and reliable access to current and emerging technologies and digital resources, with connectivity for all students, teachers, staff, and school leaders is essential.
Below you will find some of the changes coming to District 68 in the fall to meet the above mentioned needs of students and staff.
Simply being able to use technology is no longer enough.
Students need to be able to use technology to analyze, learn and explore!
ISTE Standards
The ISTE Standards are the standards for learning, teaching and leading in the digital age and are widely recognized and adopted worldwide.
ISTE Standards for Students are the standards for evaluating the skills and knowledge students need to learn effectively and live productively in an increasingly global and digital world.
Why are the ISTE Standards so Important?
The ISTE Standards set a standard of excellence and best practices in learning, teaching and leading with technology in education. The benefits of using the ISTE Standards include:
- Improving higher-order thinking skills, such as problem solving, critical thinking and creativity
- Preparing students for their future in a competitive global job market
- Designing student-centered, project-based and online learning environments
- Guiding systemic change in our schools to create digital places of learning
- Inspiring digital age professional models for working, collaborating and decision making
Chrome Carts
Mobile access to technology is crucial to student success. Students today can no longer meet the changing demands of school and keep up with their peers around the world having access to computers once a week for 50 minutes during their assigned computer lab time.
Given this need additional chrome carts will be purchased for each school. Each elementary school will be receiving two additional mobile chrome cart labs with 30 chromes in each. This will bring the total number to 150 chromes per elementary school. At the junior high, 2 additional mobile chrome cart labs with 30 chromes in each will be purchased. This will bring the total number to 390 at Jefferson.
iPad Mini
To provide additional opportunities for students to develop their communication, collaboration, critical thinking and creative skills, 15 iPad mini tablets will be purchased at each school. The iPads provide some great advantages over the chromes when it comes to portability, flexibility, production, and content creation.
Specific training on how to utilize the iPads within the classroom will be providing for all staff interested in uses these devices with students.
Lab Reduction Schedule
Given the need to provide students multiple opportunities within a week's time to utilize technology to enhance learning and to offset the cost of the new Chromes/iPads, we will begin reducing desktop computers in the district. The first step in the reduction process will be to close the computer labs at each elementary level. No longer using the computer lab will free the space for other programming options.
Tarah Tesmer, District 68 Technology Specialist, will dedicate her time between buildings to assist staff during the upcoming year. Her goal will be to help staff make the change from the desktop PCs to Chrome books.
The following schedule has been developed to indicate when building computer labs will no longer be available for student use.
Start of the year:
- Goodrich School
- Murphy School
November 3:
- Meadowview School
- Willow Creek School
January 15:
- Edgewood School
- Sipley School
Printer
Increased Bandwidth/Connectivity
Storage?
SMART Board Upgrades
SMART recently introduced Notebook Advantage, an annual subscription that offers more interactive features and functionality as well as maintenance and support.
Now here’s what’s new: SMART is bringing Notebook users new options for making lessons more engaging and interactive. Staff will gain access to:
- Advanced Math Tools functionality for both Windows and Mac classrooms available for SMART Notebook software with new Geogebra integration
- Rich formative assessment with SMART Response VE for students using mobile devices such as iPads or Chromes
- Ink editing for teaching English and humanities
- The XC collaborative brainstorming tool for 1:1 and BYOD classrooms
- 3D Tools and many more exciting new features to come.
In addition to training provided by SMART certified staff members, self-paced, online modules and webinars will be available for all staff to build capacity needed to utilize Notebook Advantage in the classroom.
Staff Access to YouTube
Access during the teachable moment is here! YouTube will be open for all staff beginning in the fall. Staff will still need to go through the IT Help Desk to get items unblocked for student use.
Staff B.Y.O.D.
Staff create incredible lessons nightly at home in the comfort of their own home and often while using their own devices. Yearly that leads staff to ask of they can bring their own personal devices to use at school. In order to try and accommodate this need, we will institute a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy next year for staff. Staff interested in utilizing their own Chrome, Kindle, Android, iPad, Nexus, or Samsung tablets at school will be able to sign up for internet access through the IT department in the fall. Staff devices will have internet access only and will not have access to our network (meaning staff share, etc.). Unfortunately, due to security issues no personal PC's or MacBooks will be able to be part of the BYOD initiative. The district would have to purchase very expensive equipment to screen these devices for viruses, spyware, etc. and is makes utilization too costly.
Parent Communication Training
We all know the benefits of parent communication, but wonder if there are easier and more efficient ways to do it. Staff training will be provided by Tarah Tesmer, District Technology Specialist, on the use of the following tools to increase parent engagement into the learning process:
- Skyward
- Smore
- Remind 101
- Video Newsletters
Pilot Programs
Several pilot programs will be occurring throughout the school year to determine how to better make technology an integral part of the school day. The following will be piloted by staff during the 2013-2014 school year:
- Hapara
- Learning Labs
- Genius Hour
Contact Tarah Tesmer, District Technology Specialist or your building LRC Director if you have questions about any of the above mentioned programs.
Thank You
Greg Wolcott
Email: wolcottg@woodridge68.org
Website: www.woodridge68.org
Location: 7925 Janes Avenue, Woodridge, IL, United States
Phone: 630-967-2035
Twitter: @TeachLearn68