Databus Issue: 2009 2 04/01/2009
Technology Enriched Interactive Learning Environments
Michael Schenck, CCTO Director of Technology
PDF
Konocti Unified School District (KUSD) is leveraging the power of technology to bring the world of learning into our diverse and geographically isolated schools. Over the past ten years there has been an on-going effort to infuse technology into our environment; the progress is beginning to show strong value. At KUSD we believe that technology, when used appropriately has the potential to positively enhance the learning process.
Interactive White Boards (IWB’s) are fascinating children and adults throughout the district. This suite of technology combines a computer, projector, large interactive whiteboard and wireless student response devices or “votes” which allow the students to respond to multiple-choice questions, providing immediate feedback & comprehension analysis. When combined with age and subject specific content, these tools create an interactive classroom experience which greatly eases the delivery of differentiated instruction.
Three years ago, the first large purchase and installation occurred, providing two interactive white boards for every school. Several other rounds of purchasing have occurred since that point in time. The most recent of which was funded through our successful 2008-2010 EETT competitive grant application. Our 4th & 5th grade classrooms all have Promethean IWB’s thanks to this effort. The 4/5 grade classrooms that already had boards in them received new computers, and the classrooms which did not have boards were given computers, IWB’s and ActivExpressions; the newest generation of Student Response System (SRS) devices.
We have been able to hire a ½ time technician , Chris Budwell - who focuses specifically on the support and upkeep of IWB’s while also providing one-on-one and small group trainings through the EETT project. Chris experiences the power of this particular technology first-hand as the students and teacher applaud when he repairs a malfunctioning board and it comes to “life”. Chris is integrated into bi-monthly IWB training sessions and Konocti Active Board User Group (KABUG) meetings. Our teachers enjoy this opportunity to work together with other IWB users throughout the district to share ideas while further developing their own skills. As with any technology, successful staff development is the key to effective integration.
Promethean has helped us to negotiate a county-wide purchasing consortium to lower the price of purchasing their technology and has also provided the support of a very effective Teaching and Learning Consultant; Jeanine Thomas who has facilitated our KABUG meetings at no cost to the district . She is helping us to bring the integration of this powerful technology to the “next level” by bringing best practices and effective applications from other schools into our user group sessions.
One of the greatest challenges along our IWB journey has been equipment acquisition, installation and support. Whatever brand your institution may choose to standardize upon, I encourage you to keep in close contact with the manufacturer; open, honest communication is the key to growth and clarity. The manufacturer knows the details and history of their various sales partners and can help to find better options if the initial vendor does not suit your needs. Our initial vendor provided pre-sales, sales, product delivery, installation and training services. Their overall service left a lot to be desired in the areas of quality, efficiency and total cost. Thanks in part to our honest and helpful Promethean account manager, we have saved substantial time, hassle and money in working with a new vendor and installer in more recent projects.
After several years of trial and error we have most of the “kinks” worked out of the overall acquisition process. If the technology is not obtained and installed in a timely and professional manner, the negative impact will be felt by all; and the project will suffer. This is, as you might imagine, a story in and of itself!!! Please feel free to contact me if you would like further detail on the sometimes painful process we have gone through to find the happy balance of today .
You might ask yourself – “that all sounds great – but is this another glorified ‘technology for the sake of technology’ journey”? To answer that question effectively, let us turn to the classroom where we hear the teachers and students very clearly applauding these efforts. Here are just a few samplings of the many successful reports that we receive.
Jeannine Fanning teaches 8th grade algebra at Oak Hill Middle School. She says her students “like that the board provides a brighter, more colorful learning experience that provides examples. They wish all teachers had interactive white boards and enjoy the hands-on opportunity the technology provides.” Fanning also uses the board “for after school tutoring in small group settings; sometimes the students go through prepared lesson plans and are able to check on their own work.”
Students at Pomo Elementary School shared their thoughts about the boards:
• More interesting than looking at textbooks
• Awesome – we can move things around on the board like when we are doing math, or dictionary words
• Seeing things on the Internet that we are talking about right now
• There are websites about everything… we can Google anything
• Taking tests with the votes and see how we did right away
Mrs. Peterson likes that “the students are on task, due to the interactivity of lessons.” Students in her 2nd grade class at Lower Lake Elementary said they like:
• When we get to use it!!
• Playing the learning games… The interactive gumball math game
• The science videos
• When we do the votes
The interactive white board in the Burns Valley Library is used “almost every day” according to Sue Betz, the library media specialist. She has found many uses; “Right now I am helping the 5th grade classes learn their states and capitols. I have extended these lessons to include the 3rd, 4th, and 6th grades. I use my board for rainy day lunches. We read stories and play games together. The first and second grades love it.”
Martha Miller is the Konocti Elementary Music instructor, bringing musical enjoyment to all of our elementary schools. She has worked with the 4th, 5th & 6th grade teachers at one of our schools who have IWB’s in their classroom to integrate the Music Notation CD into their music instruction. She reflects upon the impact of this effort as follows:
• The difference in the students' success is remarkable!
• Frustration is kept to a minimum.
• Classes with promethean boards advance at least twice as quickly as students who have to rely on individual books .
• I think it is because students who are easily distracted can "tune in" more quickly when the instructor is pointing to the information that is being addressed.
• When distractible students are left on their own to find the correct page, selection, measure, beat, note, or rest as well as hold their recorder with the correct position, use the correct fingering, exert the proper volume of air flow, at the same exact time as everyone else... they give up.
• We have a large population of distractible students of which the Prometheans are providing a "leg up" through savvy instruction.
Martha continues “through [the district’s] work to acquire, install, and train the users of these systems; you are facilitating educational success for our students! Thank you!”
We look forward to the continuation of such accounts; it brings to light the value of transparent, effective technology resources integrated for the purpose of learning and growth.
The Konocti Unified School District is actively involved in applying relevant resources to better the opportunities of our customers: the students and families in our community. The power of IWB’s has unleashed an unprecedented level of enthusiasm amongst teachers and students alike. It is our mission to establish a life-long hunger for learning; technology inspires students in a medium they understand and can relate to; allowing them to readily absorb new information while developing a thirst for knowledge.
