Longwood Central 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.

I. Major technology innovations of the last three years.

1. Smartboards – An interactive white board –an input device into the computer that gives user an opportunity to display what’s on the screen for the entire class. You can input the information into the computer by using the touch screen. They are used at all levels, in every subject area across the curriculum. All teachers were trained on the use of the SmartBoard and given curriculum time to develop instructional strategies. Training is ongoing.

We have SmartBoards in all full-sized classrooms and instructional settings K-12.

They were purchased with EXCEL funds and installed in the summer of 2009.

2. Student Response System – SMART Technologies – interfaces with the SmartBoards.

Students can respond electronically to a question posed by the teacher and the answers are immediately, graphically displayed on the SmartBoard, providing immediate feedback to both the students and teachers. With such immediate feedback, the technology enables the teacher to assess learning and adjust the lesson accordingly. (Available in all buildings, K-12 and are shared by signing them out to the classroom.)

3. Document Camera – Takes picture of any printed material and digitizes it so that it can be displayed on the SmartBoard. Example: It gives teacher the opportunity to project a page that the class is working on. It can be manipulated because it is digitized. (Available in all buildings, K-12 and are shared by signing them out to the classroom.)

4. Video Conferencing System* – Polycom - One is available in every building, K-12, in each school library. This year, we have begun training staff on its uses. We have access to Internet 2, available just to educational institutions and research centers; it provides opportunities for us to video conference with museums, other schools throughout the United States and internationally. It brings experts and authors directly into classrooms to interact with students.

Currently, we are preparing a second grade class at the West Middle Island Elementary School, who will meet monthly with a second grade class in London for a cultural exchange to share ideas and topics of interest to both.

5. Laptop carts – Being introduced K-12. They had been piloted in the high school. The purpose of the carts is to bring technology to the point of instruction. Every student then has a computer in a classroom setting with all of their materials. For years we have had 1 computer for the teacher and 3 desktop computers in a station in all kindergarten through 4th-grade classes; and 1 computer for the teacher and 4 desktop computers in a station in grades 5 and 6. At the junior high and high school, there is just one computer in the classroom. The teacher who needs to bring the technology to the point of instruction can now sign out the laptop cart for his/her classroom. We continue to have computer labs in every building.

6. Electronic Microscope – Digital Blue – You can watch the subject, i.e. a caterpillar, projected on a screen for the entire class to watch live, or you can videotape it (digitized), capture the “action” and display it a SmartBoard presentation.

*This year’s emphasis is on video-conferencing and distance learning. We continue to develop and expand the use of the SmartBoard.

II. This year’s technology emphasis is on video-conference, #4 above.

IV. Cell phones – we do not use any for instruction.