Although I use technology everyday, I use it in different ways than teachers. Instead of using technology to teach, I use it to administer workstations, servers, and network hardware, among many other devices. My BlackBerry, which has transformed me into a junkie, is very effective in maintaining my proximity to the office and district staff (even when I’m on vacation).
Within my district, teachers are eagerly engaging in classroom technology use. Each building recently received a Promethean Board, which allows teachers to engage students in ways previously unavailable to them. There are dozens of teachers who attended Promethean training and are enthusiastic about integrating this technology in their classrooms. Our high school AP chemistry classes are using Vernier software and technology to collect data for labs on titrations, voltage measurements, thermodynamics, gas pressure, freezing point depression, volumetric measurements, and color density. After the data is collected, it is manipulated with laptops from a COW.
Like many districts, our new technology purchases are sparse and under funded. Our school board recently approved a new technology plan, which allowed us to purchase over 180 new classroom computers and the Promethean technology I’ve written about. Approximately $150,000 has been allocated for new technology purchases every year for the next three years. To some, this may seem like a large sum of money, but to wealthy districts it’s no more than a drop in the bucket.
I look forward to watching teachers integrate technology in their classrooms. It’s always a great pleasure when I see a teacher using technology to reinforce lessons and spark interest in students. Many teachers embrace technology in my district, but I still hunger to see more. I want to see teachers continue with their integration of the Promethean technology, Discovery Streaming, blogging, podcasting, etc. The possibilities of classroom technology integration are endless with the support of teachers, administrators, board members and the community.
