Technology has changed dramatically in the last ten years and is changing faster every day. Today, in North Fork Local School district, we rely heavily on donations from Denison University and MPW to update our computers throughout the district. Our technology department works hard to make sure our computers are as updated and functioning as possible.
The iPads allow our schools to engage with applications that enhance the classroom environment. Students are learning how to utilize cloud-based programs and how to navigate the web. This has pushed our district in a more forward approach to education.
In the Fall of 2020, the District with the use of ESSER funds, fully transitioned the Middle School to also being 1:1 with Apple iPads. This will also free up newer computers for the elementary schools and a transfer of other iPads into carts. In the spring of 2021, the Technology Department also released to the community, roughly 80 older iPads to help bridge the gap between technology and the home. It was our hope that we may continue to do so at some capacity. Having basic search functionality and email access is vital to bringing our community together.
The future would involve getting more devices, desktop computers, iPads and more. We especially need to get iPads into the elementary buildings so that instead of sharing carts, we could become more 1:1. First goal is to have a cart by floor, then by grade level and one day by classroom.
It is truly imperative in this 21st century world that we try and provide our students with every opportunity to explore not just locally but worldwide as well. Having devices in their hands is one way of doing just that.
What does that mean for our students?
Instruction in the classroom will change completely. Our high school students have been uploading their essays and collaborating with peers on projects. We need to continue to take the next step. Students should be taking their tests online, giving their teachers immediate access to data about each student’s strengths and weaknesses. Students will have access to a teacher’s notes and assignments online. This helps with missing work and review of material. They can make digital flashcards for tests, do immediate research, make documentaries, turn their desk into a Smartboard, and the possibilities are endless. Ideally, one day our middle and high schools will become virtually paperless, fully integrating the technology.
In a technology-centered classroom, the students define, explain, classify, and construct, and the teacher, working with the student, clarifies the student’s information. The student composes, plans, and discovers, while the teacher supports and recommends. The student will defend and interpret material, while the teacher examines the work and encourages the student. The student will seek information, and the teacher will help the student create the map to find the knowledge that he/she needs.
This kind of instruction leads to more enthusiastic learners who work harder, work better, and know more. We will have students who are courageous, global learners.
What does that mean for our district?
We need teachers trained to include technology seamlessly into classroom, in practical, real-world ways that will relate to where the students are going, both figuratively and literally. These changes will lead to our district being the kind of learning environment that will attract new students and keep the ones we have. It means more accountability across the board. Not just completing a training and forgetting but utilizing the new skills in the classroom every day.
This is not a luxury. This is a NEED for our students. In a world that is so technological, we need to do our part as a community to prepare well-rounded citizens ready to take on the future.