Lynbrook 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.

Interactive Whiteboards All regular classrooms in grades K-12 have been equipped with Hitachi Starboards. These electronic white boards allow teachers to create interactive lessons that make it possible for students to visualize concepts and interact with their teachers and one another in new dynamic ways. Teachers are receiving ongoing profession development to help them make the best use of this technology in their everyday instruction.

Laptop Program To build on the success of the fifth grade laptop pilot program, a "modified one-to-one" laptop program is being implemented in grades 4 and 5, equipping each classroom with one laptop for every two students—a cost-effective strategy for extending the benefits of the program to more students. Integrating the use of laptops into everyday classrooms instruction has provided a valuable tool to promote on-line collaboration, gather student data, and fine-tune instruction in all curriculum areas.

“Easy Tech”

Students in Grades K-8 are being introduced to “Easy Tech,” a basic technology skills program that takes students from the basics of keyboarding right through use of word processing programs, spreadsheets, and basic web page design. This initiative will be centered out of the Library-media centers.

Secondary Technology Upgrades

On the secondary level, high school computer labs have been equipped with Adobe’s latest graphic arts software, Creative Suite 5. Middle school students are introduced to Adobe software through Adobe’s Photoshop Elements 8 and Premier Elements 8. Ken-a-Vision cameras were installed at three high school art labs, the drafting room and the consumer/family science classroom, as well as the middle school tech rooms allowing teachers and student to project physical media such as books, models, and drawings, on screen.

For example, the consumer science classroom regularly uses this technology to show students how to put the actual components of a recipe to together on the stove top. They are planning these items:

Classroom Performance Systems

The district will be purchasing more Classroom Performance Systems (CPS), remote control sized devices that allow teachers to survey students throughout a lesson. In this manner teachers can check for individual student understanding throughout a lesson as well as design other interactive lessons where immediate student response is required.

Laptop Program

The laptop program will be continued to implemented throughout the secondary level. While both middle schools and the high school already have portable laptop carts, we will build on the success of our elementary program by deploying laptops on a larger scale throughout the secondary schools.

Technology Curriculum

Both middle schools are in the process of receiving new computer labs within the technology rooms. This will allow students to model and design projects using the latest computer applications and then execute their designs with physical media.

The district is working on developing a fully articulated technology curriculum at the middle and high schools including introducing students to the full Adobe suite of products as well as design software applications like AutoCAD. Interactive White Boards for The Arts The district will complete its vision of an interactive white board in every classroom next summer when we will install Starboards in all art and music rooms. Math labs and Reading Centers will also have boards installed.