VISTA and Office 2007 are here. During the summer of 2007 all staff computers were replaced with new computers using VISTA and Office 2007. In November 2007 we were one of the first elementary schools to receive new student computers operated with Vista using Office 2007.
Our computer lab has 30 Compaq student stations and two teacher stations running Vista and using Office 2007. Each class has at least 45 minutes of instruction each week. When each 2nd through 6th grade class comes to the computer lab, they log on and get right to work practicing their keyboarding skills using Type To Learn 3 or Type for Fun for the more advanced typist. Our kindergarten and first graders use Type to Learn, Jr. to get to know the keyboard better. These are wonderful programs that are fun as well as instructional. Thank you PTSA for these purchases. After keyboarding practice there is 30 minutes of learning something new or starting/finishing a project. During the course of a year we will have used Word, PowerPoint, Excel, ActivStudio, Producer, Inspiration, Kidspiration, Graph Club, Publisher, PhotoDraw, PhotoShop Elements, Investigations Math software, used the Internet, Macromedia Flash, digital cameras, digital video cameras and made movies using the Casablanca Prestige editing deck or Movie Maker2.
The Library has 9 Compaq computers running Windows XP with Office 2003 and 3 Compaq computers running Vista and Office 2007. 10 are set up for student use, one runs the check in/out library system and one is used for teaching.
Each classroom has 4-6 Compaq student stations and one teacher computer all running Windows XP and Office 2003. Several teachers have purchased software to supplement their teaching curriculum at the computer. Kindergarten and first grade will be using Internet based Headsprout as a reading tool in their classrooms. All classrooms have ceiling mounted projectors with new DVD capable computers with wireless keyboards and mice that project onto ActivBoards as well as AverVision document cameras that have replaced those old overhead projectors. Thank you to the JM community for voting yes on the Tech Levy so we could have all this wonderful equipment in our LWSD schools.