* Staff / Teacher Training Support (ie Tech Mentor Visits During or After School / Workshop & Conference Training / Online Training)
* Sharing Curriculum Tie-ins for Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, PE, Visual & Performing Arts
* Accessibility of hardware / software to all classrooms
* Planning for future Schoolwide Wiring Network, including:
- wiring
- server
- hardware
* Tech Committee will evaluate goals and present recommendations to the Leadership Team
* Budget: (Title I, SIP, Grants, District Modernization Plan - Phase 3; Also, see site plan curriculum areas to allow for hardware / software budgeting).
Our students and teachers at Maxwell school have been limited from readily using newer technologies such as the Internet, e-mail, and multimedia tools. The computers in our classrooms are older models that do not have any ethernet / network capability built-in, and half of those do not have CD-rom drives. Only the school library and one classroom have been hard-wired for a network, but the computers in there tend to be too slow for meaningful, productive uses.
Fortunately, a new announcement allowing major remodernization improvements for us came just this March. From this June through August, 2003, there will be major renovations at Maxwell stemming from the Measure “T” School Bond, and we will have wiring installed and upgraded electrical capacity to finally expand from the two network access points in our school to all classrooms -- which will make for amazingly vast technology changes for us when school starts again this September. On another positive note, some progress was made last year to partially bridge the “digital divide” for our school through the use of Apple iBooks using wireless AirPort connectivity.
Initial discussions on how to reach our goal of improving technology has sometimes been the idea of approaching our PTA for multi-year donations of computers. However, the traditional low-income of neighborhood families at this school generally has allowed PTA funding for mostly smaller projects, and in a larger way to provide field-trip transportation, and fees for students to go to 6th grade camp. Naturally, the organizing of fundraisers from the community would be a related objective to provide not only for the purchase of computers, but also for the purpose of hands-on, grassroots involvement for a schoolwide project to promote school pride and ownership.
We have been sharing other ideas about organizing for new computers for students. We definitely wish to provide for one main necessity that we feel is missing from our classrooms, and that is a ratio of up-to-date computers that students can use productively with ease for their academic improvement. So, it is with much enthusiasm that we heard of this opportunity, and that we respectfully enter our 2003 Oracle / Help Us Help grant proposal.
2) PLAN & VISION
Recently, our local schools have been getting newer textbooks which often have lessons that refer to Internet links and resources to help support student learning. How wonderful it is to think of the possibility that our students could have more hands-on time in their own classrooms to use such immediate, powerful resources. Internet lessons and writing projects can be done when teachers sign-up to use “lab time” with our shared iBook laptops.
Our classrooms can be classified as “one computer classrooms,” and have one or two older “Classic Macs,” and the school owns many book-sets and floppy disks for the Scholastic “WiggleWorks” K-2 Beginning Literacy Program. There is a basic word-processor called “The Bilingual Writing Center” to do story writing, for example.
Many nearby schools have started to use Renaissance Learning’s “Accelerated Reader” or Scholastic’s “Reading Counts” programs to promote student achievement. For such programs, students use a computer to log-on and take brief quizzes to check their reading comprehension. Teachers can then track data from student scores to help students select future stories best suited for their reading level. This would be a possible tool for every grade level student and teacher to use. Some schools have implemented these programs via PTA funding, and others have gotten school site funding or grant awards.
Other opportunities for students would be in the area of writing. In particular, typing skills software such as “Bernie’s Typing Tutor” could be introduced in 3rd grade, and in California, there is a specific state learning-standards test for writing for all 4th and 7th graders. In the 5th and 6th grade, our students do more research projects, such as annual state reports and studies for world cultures and civilizations. Younger students could hear and read books on CD-rom.
Our school is building is setup in open-classroom style “clusters” of about three or four classrooms each that actually are without doors, and uniquely have adjoining hallways and small office / conference rooms between them. So, one possibility of using lab-pack sets of computers would be to station them not just in certain classrooms, but around the school as “mini-labs” to be shared by grade level classes in their clusters.
Also, our new district-wide Technology Plan has just received approval from the California Department of Education. In brief, the following are some goals relating to elementary students in three years as a result of technology use:
- “In the elementary grades, 90% of the 4th - 6th grade students will use technology for at least one language arts project per year.”
Students in classes can be given a variety of writing opportunities, such as poetry, creative writing, and research reports. ‘Buddy-classes’ have been created so that older students can mentor younger students in computer use, such as reading on the computers.
- “Student achievement, as measured by average SAT-9 scores, will rise and will result in meeting targeted growth on the API each year. Average literacy SAT-9 scores across all grade levels will be at the 50th percentile or above.”
The Academic Performance Index (API) is a way of comparing schools based on their students' test scores. Scores are based on a scale from 200 to 1,000. Almost all students in grades two through six took the Stanford-9 (SAT-9) test in the spring of 2002. Over the past 3 years, our school has continually surpassed prior year base goals, and now has a target goal of 673 for 2003.
Results indicate what percent of students scored at or above average (50th percentile or higher) in three main academic focus areas. While we are still approaching the grade-level averages in Language Arts and Reading, we have gone above average in Mathematics. The test scores of students who are English-proficient and those who are still learning English differ dramatically, however our English language learners are also showing continued improvement in all areas as well over the past 3 years.
- “All classrooms will be wired for Internet access and will have available at least one Internet connected, multimedia computer for every 10 students.”
All classrooms will be networked in the Summer of 2003, and the current computer-to-student ratio is 17:1
3) INFRASTRUCTURE & RESOURCES
Our school network is a T1 access from Woodland Joint Unified School District. In March, 2003, our school board approved multiple-measure renovation plans, including network / internet wiring for all classrooms, and upgraded electrical outlets. The project will be completed in early September, 2003, and meet facility infrastructure requirements outlined for this grant. We sent a separate request to the Beaumont Foundation of America for equipment donations of micro-portable projectors that plug-in to computers to use for classroom lesson and student presentations.
Our school has at least one Technology Mentor Volunteer who is in contact with the District Instructional Technology Coordinator. Also, the Technology Mentor communicates with K-6 Grade Level Representatives for site-based discussion. They in turn collaborate and pool ideas with their respective grade-level colleagues. In addition, for technology effective uses among students, our school has created primary-intermediate “buddy classes.” For example, a 5th grade group of students can share the computer lab and mentor with a 3rd grade class. This has increased staff interaction for multiple projects, and at the same time increasing the goal of 100% of all students having chances to share our computer lab every year. A school site technology plan was proposed in June, 2003 (wjusd.k12.ca.us/maxwell/ sitetechnologyplan/).
Our school has a wide range of staff skill levels, from beginner to highly-advanced. In 2002, a volunteer webpage for our staff was started to highlight technology uses for our specific school site (wjusd.k12.ca.us/maxwell/staff/). Self-selective training courses are offered in our school district; this year our school sponsored all teachers for online site-licensing via CTAP Online (the California Technology Assistance Project for educators). Our school district bond measure has prompted our staff to become more involved in our school remodernization plan for the Summer of 2003, including increased internet capability to all classrooms.
Usually, our school allows for one teacher to attend the CUE (Computer Users in Education) fall technology workshop conference. Other in-house staff training has been designed during particular school years for new technologies received at the school site. Finally, every year all staff members are requested to take a survey online for an inventory of their computer-based skills (http://ctap2.iassessment.org).
4) ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The project will be open and inclusive for all K-6 classrooms at Rhoda Maxwell Elementary, including the Reading Lab, Music teacher, Resource Specialist Program class, and Librarian. Additionally, there would be the opportunity for parents who are learning English in the Adult Education program night class to use the equipment.
Our project timeline would be put into effect upon receipt of equipment. An internet-ready computer simply requires connection to the school network and the input of IP address codes. Fortunately, all-in-one computers are lightweight, and space-saving -- a plus for busy classroom environments. The school has a security alarm, and an evening custodian is on-duty.