|
|
Italia Negroni, the town's assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, presented the plan, which contains the "vision" of strengthening leadership, Improving and expanding professional development, re-aligning curriculum, instruction and assessment, moving toward digital content, increasing access and improving infrastructure and utilizing data management systems for operation and instruction.
Key strategies identified in the plan include 24/7 access to school resources from any location, online learning for professional development, "assured technology experiences" for students in each grade in the district's electronic curriculum mapping and assessment system, developing a permanent technology oversight committee and exploring the possibility of merging the school and town technical staff.
One main idea is to incorporate online research and other technological techniques into virtually every subject.
The Wethersfield Public Schools District Technology Steering Committee (DTSC), which has more than 40 members has been working on the plan and along with other professional have worked to access where the school is now, where it wants to be and how to fill in the gaps.
The schools currently have or are working on "assured experiences" to make sure students have certain levels of proficiency as they go through school. Examples are a word-processing benchmark assessment in the fourth grad, a WPS tech skills online assessment and technology integration with science and social studies in grade six, integration with language arts in grade seven, science and social studies in grade eight, health in grade nine and CAPT-like assessments in grade 10.
In addition software is used to help "curriculum weakness" such as Imagine Learning for English Language learners or Read Natural for struggling elementary school readers, a FAST MATH elementary and middle school intervention software.
However, challenges such as one student computer and one teacher's station in elementary classes make the situation difficult, according to education officials.
To help in that area, the school system is looking into the idea of server farms, in which centralized server could be utilized for up to 30 workstations each. Such a system would allow more workstations and also save money in the long run, school officials said, since it would eliminate the constant need to replace numerous individual computers.
The plan contains many more initiatives and details and the school system will soon have a more formal presentation for the public. While such a plan would be phased in gradually, cost estimates have not been finalized.
The school system is suggesting a general budget allocation for technology as well as looking a E-Rate Federal Funding, Entitlement grants and competitive grants.
"We have a more concrete price by the end of summer," Negroni said.
Robert Young, a resident who spoke during public comment at the board meeting complimented some of the ideas that would save the town money and he urged school officials to use technology to also keep the public up to date on spending. He also said many students seemed to be more involved in texting than in other forms of communication. While technology can have its benefits, it can have down sides as well, he said and students should be urged to avoid those traps.
