SCHOOL BOARD NOTES by Bruce McGraw and Rebecca Gold
The results of the technology referendum will be fully operational for the opening day of school in September. The massive construction of the infrastructure to support the wide use of electronic technology in each and every classroom of the Lawrence Township schools is nearing completion.
The science and technology referendum, supported by the voters of Lawrence, supplied the funds for significant electrical upgrades in each of the buildings to operate the electronic equipment, the voice video and data network to each instructional space and to offices, and the equipment to use the networks. The equipment includes computers, monitors, printers, scanners, television monitors and computer furniture for each classroom, and visual presenters, digital projectors and a Safari networked multi-media system for each school.
Technicians are testing the various systems and making the necessary adjustments now. Turning the network systems on must be done in stages, making it easier to trace the source of any problems that may arise. More than 3,000 devices must be installed and registered on the network and each connection must be tested. It is a substantial undertaking involving a number of contractors, each of whom must coordinate work with all the others. As with all construction projects of this magnitude, this presents challenges.
Most of the equipment has been installed. Once the testing is complete, students and teachers will enjoy a fast, secure network, protected by a firewall and filtering software with some limits for the safety of our students. Each teacher will be issued an e-mail address that will dramatically increase communications with students and parents.
While the network has not been in operation, teachers and students have made good use of the equipment as it has been installed in each of the classrooms. Students and teachers have used a variety of software packages for creative writing. They have created HyperStudio stacks for research, made PowerPoint shows, and analyzed data using spreadsheets. Research using the Internet has been done in the library media centers. Students have used digital cameras to capture and communicate images. All kindergarten through third-grade report cards are completed on the teachers’ laptops.
Significant staff development has occurred during the past year and will continue. Each teacher was issued a laptop computer in January 1999 and has received training in its use. Staff development days have been devoted to training teachers and other staff members in the use of the equipment. Teachers and administrators have attended a variety of workshops sponsored by the district and the Educational Technology Training Center in Princeton, as well as sessions offered by vendors and professional organizations. The district created a new position of K-8 Technology Resource Teacher who has worked with individual and small groups of teachers during the past year on the effective use of electronic resources in the classroom.
Through generous grants of the Lawrence Township Education Foundation and Cisco Systems, a Cisco Networking Academy will open in September at Lawrence High School. The goal of the academy is to train students to design, manage, and troubleshoot computer networks. Following two years of instruction, students will be Cisco Certified Networking Associates, able to secure well-paid employment immediately after graduation or to seek additional education in this area.
Bruce McGraw is an assistant superintendent of schools and Rebecca Gold is the director of education technology for the Lawrence Township School District.