Week 7

How does technology improve teaching and learning in your school?

Flandreau public school is a 1:1 school. We are lucky enough to have iPads in K-2 grades, Chromebooks for 3-8, and laptops for 9-12 grades. This gives the students the ability to have technology at there finger tips at any moment. Have technology in each our students hands allows them to have an endless world to learn in. It allows the teacher to not have to be an expert in every single thing they teach. The internet and technology can be used as another source of information. There are a few management tools that we use to improve learning and teaching as well. In our high school were I teach we have a program called LanSchool. This program allows us to monitor student computers to make sure they are using the technology for the correct purpose. It also allows for the teacher to share their screen, files, other students screens, as well as voting and quizzes. These technologies allow me as a teacher to get information to the students in a more controlled and quicker way. I use the screen sharing a lot in my classroom. I feel that if the student can have the teachers screen right where they are working they will be more apt to follow along and pay attention then having to look up at a board or screen and then back to their computer.

What are some areas in which this could be improved?

Budget. I am sure this is a very popular one. Overall we are very lucky with the amount of support we get for technology in Flandreau, but there are always some more options for our students. We are 1:1 but our laptops and devices can become outdated very easily. We replace devices every four years roughly. By the last year of use the laptops are for sure slowing down and programs are becoming to big to run on them. Another place for improvement is staffing. We only have one tech coordinator who teaches one class throughout the day. We then have two staff under the coordinator. We as the staff are teaching all of the technology and business courses for the school. This does not leave us with much time to work with teachers on their technology problems and needs.

How do you go about making decisions about what technology to use in your classroom or school?

Being part of the technology department for the school I am able to try or use about anything I want. As a department we usually discuss and research the technology and then take it to the administration. We then usually try it out in our rooms before releasing and teaching it to other faculty in the school. We need to find a designated plan for this though. Right now we go from the previous years budget and decide what we can and cannot purchase.