We have done quite a lot already to get technology into our classrooms and in front of our students. The School Council purchased scientific calculators for all grade seven and eight students. The grade sixes have a class set of PDA's that are beginning to be useful to us. The lab has been reconfigured and equipped with an in-Focus projector for teaching and sharing. The Ccouncil has authorized the puchase of equipment that will make the school wireless. We are just about ready to go forward with that initiative.
As much as we have done, we plan to do even more. We will borrow a class set of graphing calculators in January and teach our intermediate students how to use them. We have asked for enough wireless laptop computers to make a 1-1 mobile lab for the grade 4 to grade 8 students. We are investigating smartboard technologies to make our classrooms more interactive than they currently are.
While the technology is a necessary condition of our renewal plans, it is not by itself sufficient. What is at least as important is the educating of teachers; they need to learn how technology might be incorporated into their programs in such a way that students would become equipped with 21st century skills. We are working on that too. On Thursday two teachers and I will travel to London to the RCAC Symposium. This is a one day technology conference that includes two keynotes and two breakout sessions. The speakers are first-rate; last year the CBC's Wendy Mesley spoke to us.
As important as the technology and the teachers are the parents. Without their enthusiasm and support, nothing sustainable can take place. We are fortunate in having a parent community that gives us lots of both!
Recent Comments