School Board Technology Meeting

Maps Out A Future

By Eliza Hallabeck

The Board of Education Technology Committee held a short meeting July 31 to discuss plans for the future and the direction in which the members would like to take the committee.

Linda Gejda, the assistant superintendent of schools, welcomed the committee members by thanking them for attending. She said she wanted the preliminary meeting on Thursday to discuss other possible people to invite to be on the newly formed committee and to discuss ideas for what the committee should entail.

“I don’t want to be too specific today,” said Dr Gejda, “because I don’t want to influence what anybody else says.”

The Technology Committee was established to take a look at the existing technology, future technology, and how to implement it into the school system.

Dr Gejda asked the members assembled to respond to what they feel the Board of Education Technology Committee should accomplish and how it should go about doing it. School board member Richard Gaines, Carmella Amodeo, Newtown High School Principal Charles Dumais, Reed Intermediate School teacher Tim McGuire, and Desiree Galassi all had input.

 “Where is it that we want to go?” said Mr Gaines. “Because you can set your three-year plan, and it could take you three years to get the funding.”

After deliberating, the members came to the conclusion that a long-term, five-year plan would most likely work for the school system.

Mr Gaines said establishing a perspective timeframe for the Board of Education’s Technology Committee is a good idea, because that will allow the committee to better determine what is needed for the school district.

“I believe our community needs to have a better understanding about why we are purchasing technology,” said Ms Galassi.

Ms Galassi brought up the topic of Smart Boards, which came to the market in 1991 and is an interactive tool for teachers to demonstrate lessons. She said many people do not know what Smart Boards are, and getting the information to the public would help people to understand the importance of using such technology as a teaching tool. A Smart Board is a large, touch-controlled interactive screen that works with a projector and a computer, allowing teachers write on the boards with their finger or with a special pencil, similar to writing on a white board, as well as to access the Internet.

“People want to understand what their child’s success rate is if they are learning from a Smart Board versus a traditional white board,” said Ms Galassi.

She said the greater communication is between parents and the technology committee, the better the feed back will be from the community.

 “Five years ago Smart Boards really weren’t on the radar, and it really has changed instruction,” said Ms Galassi.

Ms Gejda then explained that the current education plan is up for review this year, and needs to be submitted to the state by February. She said looking at from the twelfth grade down is a good place to start on how to prepare students for their technological futures.

“One of the things we will be looking for is the skills needed for the 21st Century learner,” said Ms Gejda.

Ms Gejda brought packages of information to the meeting, and asked for the members to all take a look at them. The technology plan for the district for the years 2006 to 2009 was also handed out to the members as a guide to determine what technology is needed for the school district.

 Mr Gaines said looking at what colleges expect students to be able to do is an important part in determining what technology should be used.

“As far as preparing the students, there’s going to be hardware, software, and expectations,” said Mr Gaines, who has been working for IBM since 1977.

As far as equipping the school system with the appropriate technology, the proper computer programs and making sure those match with what colleges currently expect from students, Mr Gaines said each aspect needs to be considered.

“I’m hoping that as we broaden the use of technology, we can go beyond the students and teachers, and we can have all of the staff know the technology,” said Ms Amodeo,

Being able to have a staff that can use the technology to its full extent will increase productivity in the school system, said Ms Amodeo.

Dr Gejda said it is important to remember that technology can work well with every topic taught in school.

“The focus can still be the concept,” said Dr Gejda, “whatever you are learning in math or in science.”

Technology is growing quickly, and the potential impact it can have in the learning experience is not a small one, according to Dr Gejda.

“It’s a wonderful time in education and I think we should take advantage of it,” she said.