Massapequa 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.
1. Please list any major technological innovations introduced in the classroom in the past three years. Please give the name and list the use for each item.
a. Interactive whiteboards installed in all elementary classrooms & most secondary rooms
i. With training, provide a wonderful interactive tool to increase student engagement
2. Smart tables for use with primary-aged special education students for a multisensory approach to learning basic skills
a. Installation of a cyber café in our renovated high school cafeteria.
i. Provides students a place to access technology during their off-periods
ii. Utilizes a thin-client server-based workstation – new technology we are piloting. We have 15 workstations students can access
b. Videoconferencing and distance learning
i. Through technology, students are communicating with experts around the globe via virtual field trips, as well as with each other. As examples:
1. Students meeting with museum curators in other states via videoconferencing equipment
2. AP biology students taking part in an autopsy via videoconferencing equipment
3. Ninth grade earth science students teaching third graders about weather using videoconferencing
4. American Sign Language students communicating via voice and sign language with a similar class in a Florida high school using Skype
2. Please tell us of any major innovations you are planning to introduce within the next year.
a. Researching a cloud-based home screen accessible to all students and staff, regardless of location or device
i. Would provide opportunities for students and faculty to communicate and collaborate online from any device at any time, whether in school or out.
3. Are teachers or students using cellphones in the district for instructional purposes?
Not yet, but it’s coming quickly!
