Herricks School District technology questionnaire
These are the replies from some districts to the Newsday questionnaire regarding the use of new technologies in their classrooms.
Some of the answers are elaborate, and have not been edited or reduced. Some districts did not answer the questions directly.
* SmartBoards - A majority of instructional spaces in our district school buildings (regular/special education classrooms, music, art, computer lab) have a SmartBoard interactive whiteboard computer system. Interactive white boards engage students by allowing teachers to create interactive content for the classroom.
* Web Base Library Card Catalog- Our libraries use an integrated, web-based card catalog system which updates book availability in real-time, provides instant feedback on library books, and has a website with additional resources tailored to each buildings needs.
* Laptop/Netbook Carts - Each school has access to mobile netbook and laptop carts, along with wireless Internet access throughout the building.
* District Website/Teacher Pages - Every teacher has the ability to create to a website for parents/students to access 24/7.
* Communication with Community - We have a district listserv and website that provides parents with timely information and an RSS feed to news.
* Blogging – Classes throughout the district are blogging with online tools like Blogger, Classblogmeister and Kidblog. In addition to providing teachers with an excellent tool for communicating with students, Blogs motivate students and are an effective forum to encourage collaboration and discussion.
* Skype – Skype is being to connect with classrooms throughout the world. Skype enables teachers to open up their classroom and their students to a world beyond their classroom. With Skype, students can learn from other students and connect with other cultures.
* Senteo Interactive Response System - Interactive response systems are finding their way into our classrooms. Using interactive response systems, teachers can get instant feedback on student learning. Senteo can be seamlessly integrated into classrooms that already have SmartBoards.
* Document Cameras - Document cameras allow for close up viewing of book illustrations during Language Arts lessons and for making observations during Science experiments and investigations.
* Digital Media - Every classroom in the district has the ability to borrow digital cameras/flip video cameras from the lab to create digital media to support learning.
2. Please tell us about any major innovations you are planning to introduce within the next year.
* Google Apps - We are currently piloting Google Apps in the Intermediate Elementary Grades
* Online Testing - We are administering NWEA Testing to gather data that will provide insight into each child's learning.
* Revamping our Herricks Tech Curriculum to reflect the ISTE NET Standards for students and teaching our students/staff 21st Century Skills based on the NETs
* Adaptive Education – We are training Special Education Staff throughout the district to use Bookshare.org and software such as Read Out Loud, Write Out Loud and Kurzweil to support students with special needs.
