Mount Sinai 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.
* Netbooks have been replacing obsolete laptops in portable computer lab carts to be used in all classrooms. These low-cost netbooks have provided us with an alternative to the expensive laptop in order to reduce technology costs.
* The Student Response System is a class set of ‘Clickers’ that allows all students to respond to teacher questions without having to raise their hand. Now even those shy students can find their voice. Teachers can easily assess student knowledge and prepare future lessons based on the results. Each building in our district has a Student Response System.
* Interactive SmartBoards in every grade 5-12 classroom, Resource Room, Library, Music, Art, and Health rooms.
* Four portable ‘SmartBoard-on-Wheels’ available to K-4 teachers and students.
* Multimedia Presentation Systems in every grade 1-4 classroom, Library, Art, and Music rooms. These provide a complete audio-visual experience allowing teachers to present short, interactive materials or ideas that support their lessons.
2. Please tell us of any major innovations you are planning to introduce within the next year.
* iPads or iPod Touch – The district is exploring the educational possibilities of this exciting new technology, which includes numerous free and low-cost educational apps. One idea that we are evaluating is making available an iPad or iTouch cart for teacher and student use.
* Apple-based Media and Podcasting Production Lab – The district is in the early stages of using a production lab to capture, edit, and store audio/visual events as media files. This technology has allowed us to work closely with Cablevision’s MSG Varsity Channel to provide local content such as athletic games and other school events. The equipment has the capability to broadcast media files over the district network. For example, teacher and student work can be recorded and arranged into a media library that can be accessible through podcasting technology. Additionally, a live event can be simulcast by the system, such as the school principal’s morning address or the transmission of a graduation ceremony. These school events can also be stored to the media library for later viewing.
* Smart Slate – This device controls the SmartBoard from anywhere in the room using the wireless Smart Slate pen. Anything written with the pen is automatically displayed on the SmartBoard for all to see. Teachers and students can construct math problems, edit essays, highlight or create notes, etc. without needing to be in front of the SmartBoard.
* Document Camera – This allows teachers to project any object onto the screen, such as classroom books, student work, science experiments, math manipulatives, and more. The document camera can magnify objects and take digital ‘snapshots’ of the object to be used in later lessons.
* Digital Textbooks – The district is looking into purchasing digital textbooks whenever possible as replacements or enhancements to the traditional textbook.
* Netbooks – In the continuation of our cost-cutting efforts, we are replacing obsolete computers and laptops with lower cost netbooks (where applicable). An added benefit of the netbook is its compact nature which has the advantage over the classroom computer due to its portability. For example, netbooks can easily be grouped in larger or smaller quantities to support various student activities and teachers can take the netbook with them when traveling between buildings or during prep time.
3. Are teachers or students using cellphones in the district for instructional purposes?
No.
