>District needs a long-range technology plan
Jim Morgan
I am tempted to reply in detail to Bob Hutton’s and Charlie Reilly’s letters that appeared here last week, but I will confine myself to noting that both gentlemen appear to be supporting my point that the current BOE is not presently aggressively seeking ways to save money and improve our educational systems. Charlie’s reference to 15- to 20 year-old initiatives and Bob’s comments on “lines of people at the microphone” during budget meetings are not examples of the kind of fresh thinking we need on today’s BOE.
Instead, I want to explore a concern I have about the BOE’s role in setting district policy. I believe that we are not correctly approaching classroom technology planning. On Feb. 6, the district staff presented a $350,000 classroom technology spending budget for 2012-2013. This is only about $62 per child. More questionable than the amount, is the district’s focus on hardware planning rather than on what curriculum enhancements are available in exploding field of educational software. The technology advisory committee announced at a recent BOE meeting does not include a member from the Curriculum Department. The assistant superintendent in this area is participating only as an “adjunct member” of the group. Curriculum needs should be driving this planning, not hardware purchases.
Two years ago, the district decided to discontinue most of its Apple systems and move to Windows equipment. This was about the same time that the iPad began revolutionizing the way students use computers. The district is now slowly purchasing iPads, but there is no strategic plan on how to integrate tablets into our educational programs. What is worse is that the district is apparently relying on individual teachers to surf the web and report back on useful applications. While such inquiry can be useful and is to be encouraged, it is my opinion that the district’s Curriculum Department should be taking the lead in this exploration rather than waiting to see what turns up. I believe that the BOE must redirect the staff’s approach in this area.
Technology offers our schools exciting new approaches to teaching our children. In 10 years, the way that basic information is taught will be dramatically different. Textbooks now weighing down backpacks and unchanged for multiple years will be replaced by electronic editions that can be dynamically updated to take advantage of the latest information. Teachers will be getting real-time feedback on student comprehension as systems such as the SMART Board clickers increasingly mature and penetrate classrooms. Internet-based material like the Khan Academy’s YouTube lectures will become important supplements to traditional classroom settings. The effective implementation of this technology, however, requires the district to carefully plan its options now and make intelligent choices for the future.
I am running for the one-year term on the BOE in the April 17 school election. If elected, I will push our professional staff to develop an integrated, curriculum driven five-year technology plan. I ask for your support
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