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The copies of my survey and paper are below.



Yasmin

Click on the files below to read my School Technology Survey and Report. Please feel free to post yours below! Happy Reading!



-Lindsay

**//Technology Use in Today's Schools//** //A Comparison of Technology used in Eaton Rapids High School, Research Triangle Charter Academy, Posen Consolidated High School, and Bay City Academy//

In recent years, the attempts to get technology resources and tools into classrooms has become more successful. Many of today’s classrooms have access to the internet and ability to use computers for learning. As teachers we often realize that we do not use technology as effectively as we could. This realization stems from the fact that many schools do not have the money available for updated technology and/or the training available for staff members once the tools are placed in the classrooms. In this summary, we take a look at the technology available in four different classrooms.

The type of computer platform used in classrooms varies between schools. Windows PCs are usually a more cost effective choice. When looking at hardware available in Eaton Rapids High School, Research Triangle Charter Academy, Posen Consolidated High School, and Bay City Academy we find that one school uses Windows XP, two schools have updated to Windows 7, and the last school uses Mac Lion OS10. The classrooms containing Windows computer platforms use HP, Compaq, or IBM Clone Computers. The configuration of the listed computers differs greatly. One classroom uses a teacher computer that does not have enough memory to run at an adequate speed for teaching purposes. The MacBook Pro contains a 2 GHz Intel Core i7 processor and 4 GB 1333 MHz DDR3 of RAM. The speed and memory of the other computer models falls in between. Each classroom has access to various add ons such an scanners, printers, and copiers but some more so than others. ELMOs (or Document Viewers) and SMART boards are used in two of the four schools. All schools have access to high speed internet.

In addition to traditional textbooks, internet resources, and add-ons, teachers are more frequently utilizing software programs to assist student learning. The amount of available software differs across the board; not only by the different locales, but also the grade level, and the curricular area that is being instructed. A common thread through all the schools was the use of the Microsoft Office Suite; Word, PowerPoint, Publisher, and Excel are commonly found in all four schools. It was also noted that the Adobe family of programs – Acrobat, CS, Photoshop, Flash, and Director – which allow teachers and students to create professional-quality documents, games, web applications, and multimedia presentations is used in each school.

Once an analysis of the level and subject area of each teacher was studied, the range of software being used in the classrooms became more apparent. In classrooms where students were learning architectural and engineering skills, programs such as V-carve that is used for the students to make projects. From there, the students can use WinCNC, where the students' creation from V-carve can be cut out on a piece of steel using a Computer Numerical Controlled plasma cutter. There is also AutoDesk, AutoCAD, and Solid Works for architectural instruction. SMART classroom suite contains interactive learning software to help educators create, organize, manage, and assess their students, from SMART Notebook, SMART math, SMART Sync, and SMART Response CE; the students participate in, and collaborate with, other students, while the teacher can quickly assess, remediate, and accelerate the lesson, as needed. Similar to the SMART Response CE is Exam View, where tests and quizzes can be created from software provided through textbooks. The teacher can provide the students with content-specific study guides, and quiz the students with interactive remote “clickers”. In some cases, the textbook publishers provide online tools for the teacher, which may also include premade presentations, supplemental materials, and lesson planning tools. Finally, with Apple products dominating the market, iLife is used in one of our case schools. This program contains iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, GarageBand, and iWeb; encompassing all your multimedia presentation needs. The outstanding observation is that there is not much consistency through these four schools, most likely due to the variances in grade levels and subjects that are being taught.

Putting up-to-date technologies in school can be expensive. Training teachers, staff, and administrators on these technologies is one other cost for the schools to incur. The two rural schools, Eaton Rapids and Posen Consolidated, are definitely lacking in training. Most learning of new technology is done on the fly, and actual training sessions are few and far in between. While the majority of the faculty does have access to and uses the computers in the building, they may not have learned the ins and outs of each program. The best way for faculty to learn is through trial and error, and mostly on the computers and technology they have at home. One school, Bay City Academy, has a very supportive district and they recognize not only how important new technology is, but also how important it is for the faculty to know what they are using and how to teach it to their students. With a very high ratio of computers per teacher, four to one, it seems that teachers have technology literally at their fingertips. The amount of training they receive on a yearly basis is more than Posen and Eaton Rapids have had in the last three years combined. Bay City Academy has made technology a priority and trains their faculty at the beginning of every year, or when new items are purchased or implemented. Eaton Rapids and Posen have very similar numbers of computers per student and teacher, averaging about one to three. The Research Triangle Charter Academy is similar to Posen and Eaton Rapids in numbers of computers, but definitely outshines them in training. The technology coordinator offers training one to two times per year separate of an in-service, and when necessary at other times. They also have a technology specific in-service at least once a year. All four schools do have a faculty that uses technology at home, and take what they learn there with them to school.

After comparing the different schools’ evaluation process and computer to student ratios, much like everything else they differ greatly from school to school, with some school much farther ahead of the others. The computer to student ratio is one of the many differences between the schools with Bay City Academy having a great ratio of 1.1:1; this is the only school that actually has more computers than students. The other schools have a much higher ratio ranging from 1:3 in Eaton Rapids High School to higher ratios in Posen Consolidated and Research Triangle Charter Academy, which are 1:5 and 1:6.5 respectively. The amount and type of evaluation that is given to the students is also an area with a vast difference. Some of the schools have various types of yearly monitoring and others only evaluating their students once in their school career. One of the schools that conducts yearly monitoring does so by monitoring the students weekly and giving regular evaluations throughout the year administered by the principal. Yet other schools, such as Research Triangle Charter Academy, have a yearly informal evaluation given by the technology coordinator or teachers. Then, on the far end of the spectrum two of the school give one evaluation every year for the eighth grade students. This evaluation is similar in both schools in that the teacher administers it, the only difference is that in Posen Consolidated the local ISD provides and over sees the exam. Although the schools differ greatly in their evaluation of the students in regards to technology and the amount of technology that they have available, all of the schools seem to have a strength in some aspect of their technology as it relates to their students.

Technology exists in some form in all four schools; the extent of that technology is what differs. Some schools have become very technologically advanced and provide ample training for their staff and teachers while others are scraping by to use what they do have to the best of their abilities. Whatever the case may be the need for technology in the classroom has become more evident. As educators it is up to us to use the technology available and stretch it to any means possible to provide the best learning environment for our students.