H. D. Thoreau Elementary Technology Plan

May 1996

Mission:

To develop and implement an educationally rich environment offering students meaningful academic learning and creative experiences through the integration of technology.

Vision:

Thoreau students will have access to information, other people, and other resources using a variety of technologies, as well as traditional tools. Children will be skilled in word processing, telecommunication, and computer aided research. Students will have skills to create original works or multimedia projects. Students will use technology in a proper and ethical manner, appropriate to their grade level. The Thoreau staff will be skilled in the use of technology and how to integrate technology into their curriculum. Students leaving Thoreau will be prepared to learn higher-level computing skills at the junior high school level.

Ideal Setting:

Thoreau Elementary will be a place where students, staff, and community use technology skills routinely to improve their everyday lives. Technology will be accessed throughout a variety of educational environments.

The Technology Learning Center will be in constant use by groups of students, staff and the community. Small groups will work on various projects and writing activities, teachers will bring entire classes to teach computer skills, staff and community members will use the center before and after school. The room will be equipped with computers capable of word processing, database, spreadsheet, research, accessing the Internet and creating multimedia projects. There will also be additional state of the art technology equipment including scanners, cameras, and printers.

Each classroom will have computer stations capable of creating multimedia projects and in sufficient numbers to support learning activities. Classroom teachers will be able to check out additional state of the art technology equipment for use in their classrooms for specific projects or activities. Projection of computer projects will be possible in each classroom. Students will meet or exceed the Technology Skills Continuum specified by the Lake Washington School District Profile. Students will learn basic computer skills, such as saving to a disk, creating a personal file and utilizing the network. Students will be work together as teams to develop projects and peer edit. Students and staff will be accessing information, using electronic mail and accessing library resources from home. Students will refine skills learned at earlier grade levels and begin using technology routinely in their classrooms in the higher grades. Students and staff will use technology to complete appropriate jobs. Although most of the basic technology skills teaching will be done through integrated curriculum, great effort will be exerted on the part of the staff to ensure that assessment is done on a regular basis and that students who appear to be falling behind are tutored and then mainstreamed back into the thematic unit structure.

The Resource Center will house special education, reading and communication teachers. The children that qualify for special services will use various "skill centers" according to their level and the amount of time they need. All teachers and instructional assistants will work with all children. One skill center will include computers used to teach basic skills, reinforce classroom instruction and allow students to review material being taught in the regular classroom. The specialists will use technology to develop learning plans and share these with appropriate staff electronically.

The Library will be equipped with technologies enabling students, staff and the community to use electronic resources for research. Computers will also access community resources including public libraries. Resources will be available to all classrooms and homes electronically.

The Music room will have computers for music composition and writing. The teacher will instruct students in the art of music writing and production, write student reports and communicate with classroom teachers and other music colleagues throughout the district.

The purpose of our plan is to provide staff, students and the community with a vision, direction, ongoing training and support to adapt to the ever changing world of technology and education.

Assessment Of Technology

Spring 1996
PLACEMENT OF CURRENT COMPUTERS
NETWORK
Thoreau currently operates a local talk network with 6 file servers. 4 file servers run the main network with 2 designated for Macintosh computers and 2 for Apple IIGS computers. There are approximately 47 Macintosh Classic/SE , 5 LC , 4 LCII , 6 LCIII , 3 LC 575 , 1 Performa 575, 1 Powermac 5200, 1 Powermac 6100, 1 LC 580, 2 MAC IICX, 41 Imagewriter II printers, 3 HP deskwriter printers and 42 Apple IIGS computers on the main network. 1 file server runs the administration network which operates the quickmail system. The TLC is operated by a stand alone file server which provides service to 30 apple II gs computers and 5 imagewriter II printers. The district will be adding an additional ethernet network to the building in 1997.

LIBRARY
This year the Thoreau Library staff purchased 3 Powermac 5300 computers, 1 Powermac 6100 with DOS compatibility, 1 HP 660c deskwriter printer, 1 31" TV monitor, 1 VCR and 1 laserdisc player. The Library was also given 1 new Powermac 5200 by the school district. In addition the library has 1 LC 575 which will be used as part of the teaching station and 2 imagewriter II printers. The librarian has a Macintosh classic and imagewriter II printer for communication with the rest of the staff and word processing. The Library currently runs a circulation program allowing easy access to student records and district resources. The district plans to upgrade the library circulation system in the next three years.

CLASSROOM
Classrooms at Thoreau currently have 1-6 apple II gs computers, 1-2 imagewriter II printers and each teacher has a Macintosh SE/Classic computer for word processing and communication with the rest of the staff. There are 10 classrooms that have or share additional equipment in their classrooms. This equipment includes 14 Macintosh SE/Classics, 2 LC, 3 LCII, 6 LCIII and 1 LC575 computers, 4 apple CD ROM drives, 1 apple color scanner and 2 quick cam cameras. There are also 2 LC575 computers that the teaching staff may check out for special project use in their rooms.

RESOURCE ROOM (Special Education and Reading Specialist)
The resource room currently has 4 apple II gs computers, 1 LCII (used by the reading specialist), and 1 LC (used by the special education teacher). There are also 3 Macintosh SE computers for the teaching staff to use for word processing and to communicate with the rest of the staff.

TECHNOLOGY LEARNING CENTER
There are currently 31 apple II gs student stations and 6 imagewriter II printers in the TLC. There are also 5 Macintosh SE/classic computers for students to use for word processing or accessing Lake Washington Online. There is 1 Macintosh classic for the TLC I.A. and 1 Macintosh classic II for the Technology I.A.. The building also has a HP deskwriter color capable printer available over the network and a Black & White HP Scanner which are both housed in the TLC.

Assessment of Staff Technology Levels and Needs:

In the fall of 1995, the staff was given a "computer literacy" skills continuum to evaluate their own technology level and needs . Based on these evaluations the Technology work team designed a series of classes for the staff to attend on a voluntary basis. Classes were offered in MS Works, Hyperstudio on the apple II gs, Children's Writing and Publishing on the apple II gs, Basic Hardware Troubleshooting for the Mac and the IIgs, Basic desktop management and Advanced Quickmail techniques. The Thoreau Staff is fairly competent when it comes to basic computer skills. Teacher training is the foundation of successful implementation of technology skills into the curriculum and will remain a priority for the technology work team. The technology work team plans to continue the process of staff self evaluation every fall and technology classes offered every year so staff can continue to grow in their knowledge and skill level.

GOALS:

1. Implement further use of technology skills in alignment with the adoption and implementation of the student profile.
2. Increase student access to and use of technology.
3. Increase staff use and proficiency with technology by providing ongoing training opportunities.
4. Increase community use and proficiency with technology by providing ongoing training opportunities.

Objectives for 1996-97:

1. Integrate skill strands from the LWSD Technology Skills Continuum Scope & Sequence:
A. Keyboarding: ·Introduce and Implement LWSD keyboarding program in grades 3-6 ·Introduce appropriate keyboarding skills to students in grades K-2
B. Research: ·Develop a plan for teachers to instruct students K-6 in research skills appropriate to their grade level (as determined by the LWSD Technology Skills Continuum Scope & Sequence) and integrate those skills through all academic areas.
C. Writing & Publishing: ·Develop a plan for teachers to instruct students K-6 in writing and publishing skills appropriate to their grade level (as determined by the LWSD Technology Skills Continuum Scope & Sequence) and to integrate those skills through all academic areas.

2. Continue to support technology skill development:
A. Involve all classroom teachers in planning TLC activities and projects.
B. Provide classroom teachers with equipment to support technology based instruction.
C. Provide classroom teachers with basic instructional materials to support technology based instruction.

Planned Technology Additions and Objective Implementaion:

Thoreau Elementary has approximately $54,000 from levy funds to spend on equipment for student use over the next 3 years. Thoreau Elementary will be receiving wiring for an Ethernet network and 25 Ethernet capable computers during the summer of 1997. We plan to accomplish our 1996-97 objectives by:
· Continuing our current planning model where each classroom visits the TLC for 45 minutes per week to work on multimedia projects, word processing, keyboarding, etc. on Apple IIGS computers.
Increasing the level of communication between TLC staff and classroom teachers to help integrate technology skills into the regular classroom curriculum.
· Implementing the district approved keyboarding program across grades 3-6.
· Redistributing 25 student computers assigned to classrooms to create a macintosh classic/se/lc computer lab for all students and staff to use on a "as needed basis". Students will be able to use these computers for practicing keyboarding skills, writing & publishing, working on multimedia projects and accessing Lake Washington Online.
· Coordinating the TLC/Mac Lab and Library schedule for some combined computer aided research project/activities for all students.
· Redistributing CD ROM, 8 meg computers to place 1 in each intermediate classroom for students to use for computer aided research, writing and publishing, accessing the Internet and multimedia projects. (Plan to purchase 3 computers, 1 CD ROM Drive and 4 scan converters)
· Continuing to provide 3 multimedia LC 575 computers for Primary, Music and Special Services classrooms to check out for project use in the classroom for staff modeling and instructing technology related skills, student multimedia projects, accessing the internet and computer aided research.
· Purchasing 2 AV Powermac 5400/120 student station computers to assist and continue pioneering higher level multimedia computer skills. (assigned to experienced high level classrooms) (Includes Apple Presentation System while supplies last)
· Purchasing 6 TV/VCR stations to support continued technology based instruction in all classrooms. Mounted in classrooms based on a plan for technology implementaion. ( TVs redistributed to lower the ratio of those sharing TVs)
· Offering Staff training on Writing & Publishing software, computer aided research tools and keyboaring to support classroom integration of technology.

Objectives for 1997-98

1. Integrate additional skill strands from LWSD Technology Skills Continuum Scope & Sequence To be proposed during the 1996-97 school year

Evaluation Plan

The Thoreau Technology Plan will be evaluated yearly to make modifications and changes. The Building Technology work team will be responsible for monitoring and evaluating the progress of the Technology Plan. The committee will meet monthly during the 96-97 school year to assess the implementation of the Technology Plan and other Technology related topics. The committee will report on progress to the staff at staff meetings. A written evaluation will be completed at the end of each school year.

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